The San'in Region (山陰地方, San'in Chihō) is an area in the southwest of Honshū, the main island of Japan. It consists of the northern part of the Chūgoku region, facing the Sea of Japan. Specifically, it is the two prefectures of Shimane and Tottori.
The San'in Region (山陰地方, San'in Chihō) is an area in the southwest of Honshū, the main island of Japan. It consists of the northern part of the Chūgoku region, facing the Sea of Japan. Specifically, it is the two prefectures of Shimane and Tottori.
The San'yō Region (山陽地方 San'yō-chihō) is an area in the south of Honshū, the main island of Japan. It consists of the southern part of the Chūgoku region, facing the Seto Inland Sea. The name San'yō means "southern, sunny (yō) side of the mountains" and contrasts with the San'in or "northern, shady (in) side of the mountains".
The region is generally considered to include the prefectures of Okayama, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi. Sometimes, the section of Hyōgo Prefecture that formerly comprised Harima Province is considered to be within the region as well.
The Chūgoku region (Japanese: 中国地方, Hepburn: Chūgoku-chihō; [tɕɯꜜː.ɡo.kɯ, -ŋo.kɯ, tɕɯː.ɡo.kɯ̥ tɕiꜜ.hoː, -ŋo.kɯ̥-]), also known as the San'in-San'yō (山陰山陽地方, San'in-San'yō-chihō) region, is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 7,328,339.
San'indō (山陰道; Japanese pronunciation: [saɰ̃.iꜜn.doː]) is a Japanese geographical term. It means both an ancient division of the country and the main road running through it. San'in translates to "the shaded side of a mountain", while dō, depending on the context, can mean either a road, or a circuit, in the sense of delineating a region. This name derives from the idea that the northern side of the central mountain chain running through Honshū was the "shaded" side, while the southern side was the "sunny" (山陽 San'yō) side. The pre-modern region corresponds for the most part with the modern conception of the San'in region.
The region was established as one of the Gokishichidō (Five provinces and seven roads) during the Asuka period (538–710), and consisted of the following eight ancient provinces: Tanba, Tango, Tajima, Inaba, Hōki, Izumo, Iwami and Oki. However, this system gradually disappeared in the centuries leading up to the Muromachi period (1333–1467).