地方
chihō[t͡ɕiho̞ː]
The English word "region" can be translated into Japanese as 地方 (chihō) or 区域.
Meaning: any considerable and connected part of a space or surface (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 地方 | chihō | [t͡ɕiho̞ː] (narrow) |
| 区域 | kuiki | [kɯ̟ikʲi] (narrow) |
The term 地方 is a versatile word for any area or region. In some contexts, it is used to refer to rural areas or parts of a country that are not the central metropolis.
Which one should you use?
地方 is used to refer to large-scale geographical regions or rural areas. In contrast, 区域 refers to a specific, delimited area or zone, typically used in administrative, technical or legal contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
chihō
Did you know?
- In the context of horse racing, 地方競馬 refers to 'regional racing' held at local tracks, which is managed separately from the more prestigious 'Central Horse Racing' based in the capital.
- The characters in 地方 consist of 'place' and 'direction', which provides a more spatial, directional nuance to its meaning than the English 'region'.
- While 区域 refers to a delimited area, it is often paired with the word 'smoke' in 禁煙区域 to designate a non-smoking area, regardless of whether that area is a whole room or just a small corner.
Examples in context
- 今年その地方は厳しいかんばつに見舞われた。This year the region has been hit by a severe drought.This sentence shows the use of 地方 to describe a region hit by a drought.Tatoeba #171408 by bunbuku, translation #243067 by CM
- 日本では、旧暦の１０月は、全国の神様が出雲大社に集まると言われていて、神様が各地からいなくなるこの旧暦の１０月を「神無月」と呼びます。ただ、神様が集まる出雲地方だけは「神在月」と別名で呼ばれます。In Japan, it is said that in the tenth month of the lunar calendar, all the gods of the country gather at Izumo-taisha, and so the tenth month, when the gods disappear from various regions, is called "the month without gods". However, in the Izumo region, where the gods gather, it is also called "the month with gods".This sentence uses 地方 to distinguish the Izumo region from other areas where gods are said to be absent.Tatoeba #10504097 by small_snow, translation #12415064 by pip
- その地方はお茶の産地です。The region is a production center for tea leaves.This sentence uses 地方 to identify a region as a production center for tea.Tatoeba #13714013 by GreySquirrel, translation #13714014 by GreySquirrel
- Kyo wa chiiki no matsuri ni iko (今日は地域の祭りに行こう)Let's go to the local festival today.
- Chugoku-chiiki no shinrinkouen ga sugoi (中国地域の森林公園がすごい)The park in the Chugoku region is amazing.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Himari are talking about where they want to travel in Japan.
- 陽葵 Himariどの地方に行ってみたいですか？Dono chihō ni itte mitai desu ka?Which region would you like to visit?
- 陽太 Yota東北地方に興味があります。Tōhoku chihō ni kyōmi ga arimasu.I am interested in the Tohoku region.
- 陽葵 Himariいいですね。あそこの地方は冬に雪が多いですよ。Ii desu ne. Asoko no chihō wa fuyu ni yuki ga ooi desu yo.That's nice. That region has a lot of snow in winter.
- 陽太 Yotaだからこそ、行ってみたいんです。Dakara koso, itte mitai n desu.That's exactly why I want to go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “region” translations and entries 地方, 区域, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
