In our Japan, it has been divided into 47 prefectures since the Meiji era. These were established in the Abolition of the Clan in the early Meiji era. It is due to.
This is Okubo Toshimichi in order to centralize the authority by the new government. Has been pushing forward.
Transition of consolidation of prefectures
Initially, 3 prefectures 302 prefectures There was, but primary prefecture integration By 1871, 3 prefectures and 72 prefectures I reduced it to.
In less than five years, these three prefectures and 72 prefectures will soon be consolidated and abolished.
Second prefecture integration Is 1876 It was done in.
As a result, 3 prefectures 72 prefectures ⇒ 3 prefectures 35 prefectures It was reorganized into.
As a result of the reorganization, many prefectures have disappeared and are almost the same as the current prefecture name.
Many may have wondered if there are fewer than the current 47 prefectures, but by significantly reducing the number of prefectures, Tokushima and Fukui / Tottori The prefectures that disappeared such as [ branch prefecture movement ] And took 12 years to Tokushima, Fukui, Tottori, Toyama, Saga, Miyazaki, Nara, Kagawa Has revived and is now 47 prefectures It seems to have settled down.
However, it seems that the Meiji government had planned to further reorganize these 47 prefectures.
Phantom 28 prefectures
Further reorganization plans are " 28 prefectures It was a plan.
These 28 prefectures are Kita-Kantou 3 prefectures, Ibaraki / Gunma / Tochigi [ Utsunomiya Prefecture ] And Aichi Prefecture and part of Gifu, around Hamamatsu in Shizuoka [ Nagoya Prefecture ] Was planned.
It is said that the deer were well divided in consideration of cultural connections, and the deer that follows the flow of Satsuma Kojima prefecture is Miyazaki prefecture . Merged with almost the same as the area controlled by the former Satsuma Domain It was made.
Thus 1903 (Meiji 36) The Ministry of Home Affairs plans to abolish 19 prefectures and integrate them into 28 prefectures [ Prefectural Abandoned Land Bill ], Katsura Cabinet Was decided by the Cabinet. The bill, which had been set to the boundaries of each prefecture, was scheduled to come into effect in 1904. However, in the same year, the Russo-Japanese War It became an illusion due to the outbreak.
Since the 47 prefectures considered in the Meiji era are still valid, the 28 prefectures plan that integrates them more rationally is really interesting.
If the three prefectures of Kita-Kantou are integrated, it will be fine and you will be able to join the ranks of prefectures with the sea. Toyama, Ishikawa, and Fukui prefectures in Hokuriku are also integrated, making it very easy to remember.
I'd like to know a little about the reason why Nagano Prefecture is the same as it is now, even though it has been rationally consolidated and abolished so far.
About 120 years after that, the debate on the doshusei system, which has been a major reform since the Meiji era, has been stagnant recently, but when discussing the doshusei system, it may be an option to discuss with reference to this division. think.