Kanto
/ˈkæn.toʊ/noun
A region of eastern Honshu, Japan, centered on Tokyo and including surrounding prefectures.
Did you know?The name refers to the ancient Hakone barrier, a checkpoint that historically marked the boundary between eastern Japan and the capital region around Kyoto.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient China
Chinese
關東
“East of the barrier; a geographic designation east of a strategic mountain pass or checkpoint.”
Early Japanese
Japanese
関東
“Kantō, the eastern region beyond the barrier.”
8th Century
Japanese
関東
“A broad eastern administrative and geographic region of Japan.”
12th–14th Centuries
Japanese
関東
“The eastern power base of the Kamakura shogunate and later military governments.”
Modern English
English
Kanto
“The Tokyo-centered region of eastern Japan; also used as the name of a fictional Pokémon setting inspired by the area.”