Owari Province

• See also: List of Provinces

Owari Province

Owari Province (尾張国) was once a Province of Japan, located in what is now Aichi Prefecture. Created in 646 under the Kokugun System³, it is one of the 15 Provinces traversed by the Tokaido Road.¹³ This Province is also known as Bishū (尾州).³

Legendary Period

Ceder was gathered from Ahidzu during the reign of Emperor Suinin to make a boat for Homutsuwake.⁵⁶

Yamanobe no Ohotaka would also pass through here when trying to catch a swan for prince Homutsuwake.⁵⁶

It was apparently the home of Princess Miyazu Hime, the wife of the legendary Yamato Takeru.²

The warriors Ishiura no Yokotachi, Tako no Inaki and Chichika no Inaki are said to have come from here.⁷

Nara Period

During this period we know the Priest Manzei was made General of Owari, Mikawa and Shinano Provinces.⁴

Later Periods

The area developed as the early site of the Atsuta Shrine. From the 12th century onwards it came under the domain of shugo (military governor) such as the Hatakeyama Family, Imagawa Family, Shiba Family and Oda Family.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi is known to have come from Owari.

One of Tokugawa Ieyasu‘s sons established a headquarters in Owari at Nagoya Castle.

The area flourished as a major center for rice, cotton, sake and ceramics known as seto ware.

In 1871 Owari was combined with Mikawa Province to form Aichi Prefecture.³

Footnotes

1. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.
2. Littleton. C.S. (1995) “Yamato-takeru: An Arthurian Hero in Japanese Tradition”. Asian Folklore Studies, Vol. 54, No.2, pp.259-274.
3. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.
4. Miller, R. A.. (1981) “The Lost Poetic Sequence of the Priest Manzei”. Monumenta Nipponica. Vol.36 No.2 pp.133-172
5. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.
6. Chamberlain, B. H. (1932) “Translation of the Kojiki.” Kobe: J.L. Thompson & Co.
7. Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697”. Tuttle Publishing.

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