Why is Japan divided into prefectures and not provinces?

Prefectures (県 ken?) are a modern creation from the 1868 Meiji Restoration government, when Japan switched from rule by the Shogun to rule by the Emperor. read more

) are a modern creation from the 1868 Meiji Restoration government, when Japan switched from rule by the Shogun to rule by the Emperor. Under the shogun the nation was divided into kuni (国, countries) which were imitations of the Tang dynasty division of China from the 8th century. read more

Japan is divided into 47 prefectures (都道府県, Todōfuken), forming the first level of jurisdiction and administrative division. They consist of 43 prefectures (県, ken) proper, two urban prefectures (府, fu, Osaka and Kyoto), one"circuit" or"territory" (道, dō, Hokkaido) and one"metropolis" (都, to, Tokyo). read more

Provinces of Japan (令制国, Ryōseikoku) were administrative divisions before the modern prefecture system was established, when the islands of Japan were divided into tens of kuni (国, countries), usually known in English as provinces. Each province was divided into gun (郡, districts, earlier called kōri). read more