Hōki Province

Overview

Hōki Province (伯耆国, Hōki no Kuni) was a former province of Japan occupying the area that is today the western half of Tottori Prefecture, in the San'in region. It was bordered by Inaba, Mimasaka, Izumo, Bitchū, and Bingo Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was Hakushū (伯州). Within the Gokishichidō administrative system, Hōki belonged to the San'indō circuit, the route running along the Sea of Japan coast.

Under the Engishiki classification system, Hōki was ranked as one of the 35 "superior countries" (上国) in terms of importance, and one of the "middle countries" (中国) in terms of distance from the capital. The provincial capital was located in what is now the city of Kurayoshi, Tottori. The ichinomiya, or highest-ranking shrine, of the province was the Shitori Shrine, located in the town of Yurihama.

History

The province's history is tied closely to its geography. Mount Daisen forms a natural divide that split Hōki culturally and historically into two regions: the eastern Tōhaku (東伯) and the western Saihaku (西伯). These two halves developed distinct local identities, even as the province operated as a single administrative unit.

The provincial headquarters, the Hōki Provincial Capital, was sited in what is now Kurayoshi. The province was governed through the standard ritsuryō structure, with the capital serving as the seat of the provincial governor. The Battle of Tsuhokamiyama took place within the province's territory, marking one of the notable military events associated with Hōki.

During the Edo period, the province was divided among several domains. The Yonago Domain, Yabase Domain, Kurayoshi Domain, and Kurosaka Domain all held territory within Hōki, each administering its own fief under the Tokugawa shogunate. This fragmentation reflected the broader pattern of daimyō governance across the San'in region.

Territory and Influence

Hōki's territory corresponds to the western half of modern Tottori Prefecture. The province's position along the San'indō placed it on the main overland route connecting the capital region with the western provinces of Honshu. To its east lay Inaba Province, to the west Izumo Province, and to the south Mimasaka, Bitchū, and Bingo Provinces.

The province contained several shrines registered in the Engishiki, including Ōgamiyama Shrine, Kokuchōri Shrine, Shikinai Shōsha, Shitori Shrine, Shitorino Shrine, and Shikinaisha. These shrines formed part of the formal religious infrastructure recognised by the imperial court. The Shitori Shrine, as the ichinomiya, held particular prestige as the province's foremost shrine.

Culturally and historically, Hōki shared many similarities with neighbouring Izumo Province. The two provinces are sometimes informally grouped together as the Unpaku region (雲伯地方), a name drawn from one character of each province's name. This grouping reflects shared traditions, dialect features, and historical connections that distinguish the area from other parts of the San'in region.

The Name in Japanese

The Japanese name of the province is 伯耆国, read in kana as ほうきのくに and in romaji as Hōki no Kuni. The reading "Hōki" is a compound of the on'yomi, or Sino-Japanese readings, of the two kanji that form the province's name.

The first character is 伯. In this word it is read as ほう (hō). The character means "chief" or "elder", and in classical usage it also carried the sense of a noble rank or a leader of a group. It is the same character used in 伯爵 (hakushaku), meaning "count" or "earl", and in 神主 (kannushi) contexts it appears in compounds relating to seniority.

The second character is 耆. In this word it is read as き (ki). The character means "aged" or "elderly", and by extension "venerable" or "respected for age". It appears in classical Chinese-derived vocabulary relating to old age and seniority, such as 耆老 (kirō), meaning an elder or senior person.

Together, 伯耆 carries the sense of a venerable or senior territory, a name that likely reflects the province's early importance within the San'in region. The character 国 (kuni) appended at the end means "province" or "country", and is the standard suffix for the names of the old provinces of Japan. The full name 伯耆国 thus reads literally as "the province of Hōki".

The abbreviated form name Hakushū (伯州) takes the first character 伯 with the reading haku, and the character 州 (shū), meaning "province" or "circuit". This shortened form was used in official documents and literary references as a convenient way to refer to the province.

Legacy

The administrative structures of Hōki Province were abolished in the Meiji period, when the feudal provinces were replaced by the modern prefectural system. The territory of Hōki was absorbed into Tottori Prefecture, where it now forms the western half of the prefecture.

The name survives in the regional designations Tōhaku and Saihaku, which continue to be used for the eastern and western parts of the former province. The Unpaku grouping with Izumo Province also persists as a regional label, used in contexts such as local government cooperation and tourism promotion.

The shrines of the province, including the ichinomiya Shitori Shrine, continue to function as active religious sites. The Hōki Provincial Capital site in Kurayoshi remains an important archaeological and historical location, preserving evidence of the province's administrative history. The legacy of Hōki as a distinct cultural region endures in the local identity of western Tottori Prefecture, shaped by its geography, its shrines, and its long history as a province of the San'indō.