Koshi Province
Koshi Province was an ancient province or region of Japan in what is now the Hokuriku region. The region as a whole was sometimes referred to as Esshū.
Koshi appears as one of the original provinces in the Nihon Shoki. In 598 AD, the residents of Koshi presented a white deer to Empress Suiko as tribute.
At the end of the 7th century, Koshi was divided into three separate provinces: Echizen, Etchū, and Echigo. The names of these provinces mean 'Upper-Koshi', 'Middle-Koshi', and 'Lower-Koshi', respectively, indicating their relative positions with respect to the capital region at the time the Ritsuryō system was enacted. Later, parts of Echizen were separated off into Noto and Kaga provinces.
