Tōhoku
/toːho̞kɯ/noun
A region of northeastern Honshu, Japan, comprising six prefectures including Miyagi, Fukushima, and Aomori.
Did you know?In Japanese onmyōdō and geomancy, the northeast direction was called kimon, the “demon gate,” and was traditionally associated with spiritual danger and disruptive forces.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
東北
“The paired characters for “east” and “north”; together, “northeast.””
1st Millennium CE
Middle Chinese
tung-pok
“Pronunciations of 東北 in medieval Chinese, from which the Sino-Japanese reading developed.”
Nara Period
Japanese
tōhoku
“The northeast direction or northeastern area, using Sino-Japanese readings of 東 and 北.”
Edo Period
Japanese
Tōhoku
“A regional name for northeastern Honshu, though administrative boundaries varied historically.”
Modern English
English
Tōhoku
“The standard romanized name for northeastern Honshu and its six modern prefectures.”