Tōhoku
/toːho̞kɯ/noun
A region of northeastern Honshu, Japan, comprising six prefectures.
Did you know?In Japanese geomancy and onmyōdō, the northeast direction was known as kimon, or “Demon Gate,” and was traditionally treated as spiritually vulnerable.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese, before 600 CE
Old Chinese
東北 (*tˤoŋ pˤək)
“The compound meaning “east-north” or “northeast.””
Middle Chinese, c. 600–900 CE
Middle Chinese
東北 (tung-pak)
“Northeast; the two Chinese direction characters later supplied Japanese Sino-Japanese readings.”
Nara period, 8th Century
Japanese
とうほく (tōhoku)
“Northeast, using the Sino-Japanese readings of 東 and 北.”
Premodern Japan
Japanese
東北
“The northeastern direction and, increasingly, the northeastern part of Japan’s main island.”
Modern English
English
Tōhoku
“The northeastern region of Honshu, Japan, conventionally the six prefectures north of the Kantō region.”