Kyushu

Kyushu listen, literally "Nine Provinces" is a third-largest island of Japan's five main islands in addition to the most southerly of a four largest islands i.e. excluding Okinawa. In the past, it has been asked as 九国, "Nine Countries", 鎮西, "West of the Pacified Area" as well as 筑紫島, "Island of Tsukushi". The historical regional shit Saikaidō西海道, lit. West Sea Circuit intended to Kyushu together with its surrounding islands.

In the 8th-century Taihō Code reforms, Dazaifu was determine as a special administrative term for the region.

Kyushu has a land area of 36,782 square kilometres 14,202 sq mi and in 2018 had a population of 14,311,224.

Geography

The island is mountainous, and Japan's most active volcano, hot springs. The most famous of these are in Beppu, on the east shore, and around Mt. Aso in central Kyushu. The island is separated from Honshu by the Kanmon Straits. Being the nearest island to the Asian continent, historically this is the the gateway to Japan.

The throw Kyūshū comes from the nine ancient provinces of Saikaidō situated on the island: Chikuzen, Chikugo, Hizen, Higo, Buzen, Bungo, Hyūga, Osumi, and Satsuma.

Today's Kyushu Region九州地方, is a politically defined region that consists of the seven prefectures on the island of Kyushu which also includes the former Tsushima and Iki as component of Nagasaki, plus Okinawa Prefecture to the south: