
Map of Japanese provinces with province highlighted
'Hizen' (肥前国; Hizen no kuni) was an
old province of
Japan which bordered on
Chikuzen and
Chikugo. Today the area is split into
Saga and
Nagasaki prefectures, although it did not include the regions of
Tsushima and
Iki that are now in Nagasaki.
The ancient provincial capital was located near
Yamato city.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi directed the
invasion of Korea from the city of
Nagoya, in Hizen, and the
Shimabara Rebellion took place in Hizen province. During the
Sengoku period, the region was divided among many
daimyo, with the richest having a castle town at
Saga.