noun
old provincial names; ritsuryō-era place names
Refers to the names of the historical provinces of Japan used during the ritsuryō period (7th–10th centuries). Often encountered in historical contexts, literature, or when discussing traditional regional identities.
旧国名では、現在の大阪府は和泉国と河内国に分かれていた。
Under the old provincial names, present-day Osaka Prefecture was divided into Izumi Province and Kawachi Province.
歴史の授業で旧国名を覚えるのは大変だ。
It's tough to memorize the old provincial names in history class.
五畿七道 is the administrative division system that grouped the old provinces, whereas 旧国名 refers to the individual province names.
Compound of 旧 (old, former) + 国名 (country/province name). The term itself is modern, used to refer to the historical provincial names from the ritsuryō period.