noun
Bandō; old name for the Kantō region
Historical name for the Kantō region, used especially before the Edo period. Still appears in place names, family names, and historical contexts.
See also: 関東地方
坂東は、かつて関東地方を指す名称だった。
Bandō was once the name for the Kantō region.
坂東三十三観音霊場は、関東地方の33の寺院
The Bandō Sanjūsan Kannon Pilgrimage is a circuit of 33 temples in the Kantō region.
Modern name for the same region; 坂東 is historical and rarely used in everyday speech.
The name 坂東 (Bandō) literally means 'east of the slope' or 'east of the pass', referring to the area east of the Hakone mountains. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used since ancient times to denote the Kantō region.