Provinces and districts remained the most important geographical frame of reference throughout the middle and early modern ages up to the restoration and beyond – initially, the prefectures were created in direct succession to the shogunate era feudal divisions and their borders kept shifting through mergers, splits and territorial transfers until they reached largely their present state in the 1890s.
Provinsi dan distrik tetap menjadi kerangka referensi geografis terpenting sepanjang abad pertengahan dan awal modern hingga masa restorasi dan seterusnya – pada awalnya, prefektur diciptakan secara berurutan dengan pembagian feodal era shogun dan perbatasannya terus bergeser melalui merger, pemisahan, dan transfer teritorial sampai mereka mencapai sebagian besar negara mereka saat ini di tahun 1890-an.