北陸
Literally meaning "northern continent," Hokuriku is a region in northern
Japan, on the coast of the
Sea of Japan, consisting of
Niigata,
Toyama,
Ishikawa, and
Fukui prefectures. The name Hokuriku was first used to refer to the Hokuriku Road, a road from Japan's
feudal period that connected
Kyoto to
Akita, passing through the fiefs of
Wakasa,
Echizen,
Kaga,
Ecchu, and
Echigo.
The Hokuriku region is now connected to the Kinki region by the JR Hokuriku Line, and to the Kanto by the Hokuriku Shinkansen.