{{Short description|Historical region of Japan}} right|thumb|Saikaidō The {{Nihongo|'''Saikaidō'''|西海道||{{IPA|ja|sai.kaꜜi.doː}},<ref>{{cite book|script-title=ja:新明解日本語アクセント辞典|edition=2nd|editor-last=Kindaichi|editor-first=Haruhiko|editor-link=Haruhiko Kindaichi|editor-last2=Akinaga|editor-first2=Kazue|publisher=Sanseidō|date=10 March 2025|lang=ja}}</ref> {{lit|Western Sea Circuit}}}} is a Japanese geographical term.<ref>Deal, William E. (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=i0ni1NmbYe0C&pg=PA83 ''Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan'', p. 83].</ref> It means both an ancient division of the country and the main road running through it.<ref>Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Goki-shichidō''" in {{Google books|p2QnPijAEmEC|''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 255|page=255}}.</ref> Saikaido was one of the main circuits of the Gokishichidō system, which was originally established during the Asuka period.
This name identified the geographic region of Kyūshū and the islands of Tsushima and Iki. It consisted of nine ancient provinces and two islands.<ref>Compare Nankaidō, which includes all of Shikoku, is the "southern sea circuit" and Tōkaidō is the "eastern sea circuit", made famous by the wood-block prints of Hokusai and Hiroshige.</ref> The provinces included Chikuzen, Chikugo, Buzen, Bungo, Hizen, Higo, Hyūga, Satsuma and Ōsumi.
==See also== * Comparison of past and present administrative divisions of Japan
==Notes== {{reflist}}
==References== * Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=p2QnPijAEmEC ''Japan encyclopedia.''] Cambridge: Harvard University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-674-01753-5}}; [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/58053128?referer=di&ht=edition OCLC 58053128]
{{Gokishichidō}} {{Japan Old Province}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saikaido}} Category:Road transport in Japan Category:Saikaido
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