Editing Kansai region (section)

== Name ==
The terms {{nihongo|Kansai|[[wikt:関西|関西]]}}, {{nihongo|Kinki|[[wikt:近畿|近畿]]}}, and {{nihongo|[[Kinai]]|[[wikt:畿内|畿内]]}} have their roots during the [[Asuka period]]. When the [[old provinces of Japan]] were established, several provinces in the area around the then-capital [[Yamato Province]] were collectively named Kinai and Kinki, both roughly meaning "the neighbourhood of the capital".

Kansai (literally ''west of the tollgate'') in its original usage refers to the land west of the Osaka Tollgate ({{lang|ja|逢坂関}}), the border between [[Yamashiro Province]] and [[Ōmi Province]] (present-day [[Kyoto prefecture|Kyoto]] and [[Shiga prefecture|Shiga]] prefectures).<ref name="kojien_kansai">Entry for {{lang|ja-Hani|「関西」}}. [[Kōjien]], fifth edition, 1998, {{ISBN|4-00-080111-2}}</ref> During the [[Kamakura period]], this border was redefined to include [[Ōmi Province|Ōmi]] and [[Iga Province|Iga]] Provinces.<ref name="kojien_kansai"/> It is not until the [[Edo period]] that Kansai came to acquire its current form.<ref name="kojien_kamigata">Entry for {{lang|ja-Hani|「上方」}}. [[Kōjien]], fifth edition, 1998, {{ISBN|4-00-080111-2}}</ref> (''see [[Kamigata]]'')

While the use of the terms "Kansai" and "Kinki" have changed over history, in most modern contexts the use of the two terms is interchangeable. The term "Kinai", once synonymous with Kinki, now refers to the [[Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe|Kyoto–Osaka–Kobe]] (Keihanshin) area at the center of the Kansai region. Like all [[regions of Japan]], the Kansai region is not an administrative unit, but rather a cultural and historical one, which emerged much later during the [[Heian period]] after the expansion of Japan saw the development of the [[Kantō region]] to the east and the need to differentiate what was previously the center of Japan in Kansai emerged.

=== "Kinki" from an international perspective ===
The name "Kinki" is pronounced similarly to the English word "[[Kink (sexuality)|kinky]]", which means "twisted" or "[[Perversion|perverted]]". This has become a problem due to [[internationalization]], and some organizations have changed their name as a result.

In April 2016, {{nihongo|Kinki University|近畿大学|''Kinki Daigaku''}} changed its English name to [[Kindai University]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASJ4H62HGJ4HPTIL02B.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225204539/http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASJ4H62HGJ4HPTIL02B.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2021-02-25|title=「変態」大学おさらば 近大が英語名変更 でも直訳は…|publisher=朝日新聞デジタル 2016年4月24日|accessdate=2016-10-12}}朝日新聞デジタル (2016年4月24日). 2016年10月12日閲覧</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-05-21 |url=http://www.j-cast.com/2014/05/21205368.html?p=all |title=「変態」どころではない「過激な性的倒錯」と誤解も 近大が英語発音「キンキ（ー）」にビビった理由 |publisher=J-CASTニュース |accessdate=2016-10-12}}</ref> {{nihongo|''Keizai sangyō-kyoku''|経済産業局|Kinki Bureau of Economy}} uses "Kansai" in English notation, and {{nihongo|''Kinki Unyukyoku''|近畿運輸局|Kinki Transport Bureau}} also uses "Kansai" in English notation since 2015.<ref name="sankeiw150721">{{Cite web |date=2015-07-21 |url=http://www.sankei.com/west/news/150721/wst1507210086-n1.html |title=英語の「ｋｉｎｋｙ（変態の）」と間違えないで！ 「関西」へ名称変更 |publisher=産経WEST |accessdate=2016-10-12}}</ref> In addition, the {{nihongo|''Kinki shōkō kaigi-sho rengō-kai''|近畿商工会議所連合会|Kinki Chamber of Commerce and Industry Association}} changed its name to "Kansai Chamber of Commerce and Industry Association" on July 22, 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.kinki.cci.or.jp/ |title=関西商工会議所連合会 |access-date=2022-05-04 |archive-date=2021-02-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226032229/http://www.kinki.cci.or.jp/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the fall of 2014, {{nihongo|''Kansai Keizai Rengōkai''|公益社団法人関西経済連合会|Kansai Economic Federation}} asked the government to unify the name of the local agency to "Kansai".<ref name="sankeiw150721" /> On June 28, 2003, the English name of the major private railway company [[Kintetsu Railway]] was changed from ''Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd.'' to the official abbreviation Kintetsu Corporation. It was subsequently changed again to ''Kintetsu Railway Co., Ltd.'' on April 1, 2015.