noun
the 60-odd provinces of old Japan
Historical term referring to the roughly 66 provinces of Japan before the modern prefectural system. The literal gloss '60-odd states' reflects the kanji breakdown but is not a natural English equivalent.
江戸時代には、日本は六十余州に分かれていた。
During the Edo period, Japan was divided into the 60-odd provinces.
令制国 is the formal term for the provinces of Japan under the ritsuryō system, while 六十余州 is a more colloquial, numerical expression emphasizing the count.
From 六十 (sixty) + 余 (more than) + 州 (province/state), literally 'sixty-odd provinces'. The exact derivation is uncertain, but it reflects the historical count of provinces in pre-modern Japan.