Tokachi Province


Tokachi Province was a short-lived province in Hokkaido. It corresponded to modern-day Tokachi Subprefecture.

History

In 1820, the explorer Takeshiro Matsuura proposed Tokachi as the name of the province. The province was named after the Tokachi River, which in turn was derived from the Ainu language word "tokapci".
Although the exact origins of "tokapci" were unknown, Hidezo Yamada, an Ainu language researcher, proposed these origins:
  • tokap-usi
  • toka-o-pci
After 1869, the northern Japanese island was known as Hokkaido; and regional administrative subdivisions were identified, including Tokachi Province.

Districts