Bitchū Province, Historical province on the Inland Sea coast, Japan
Bitchū was a former province in western Honshū that stretched along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea and now forms the western part of Okayama Prefecture. The territory bordered Bizen to the east and Bingo to the west, covering fertile plains, rolling hills, and several river valleys that flowed toward the sea.
The province formed in the late 7th century through the division of the older Kibi region during the Ritsuryō reforms that organized Japan into administrative units. During medieval times, different samurai families controlled the castles and lands across the region before it transitioned into the modern prefecture system in the 19th century.
The Kibitsu Shrine served as the principal Shinto sanctuary of the province, maintaining spiritual practices and agricultural traditions throughout its history.
Those exploring the former province today will find remains of old castles, shrines, and temple sites scattered across the western parts of Okayama Prefecture. Many of these locations sit in rural areas where small towns and rice terraces shape the traditional landscape.
Iron production took place here as far back as the Kofun period, and the area developed specialized salt fields along the coast that supplied salt for trade over many generations. These salt ponds used the tides of the Inland Sea to channel seawater into shallow basins and harvest salt through evaporation.
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