köken: Borrowed from Japanese 九(きゅう)州(しゅう) (Kyūshū, literally “Nine States”), from Middle Chinese 九 (kjuw^X, “nine”) + 州 (tsyuw, “province, prefecture”).
From the nine former provinces of 筑前(ちくぜん) (Chikuzen), 筑後(ちくご) (Chikugo), 肥前(ひぜん) (Hizen), 肥後(ひご) (Higo), 豊前(ぶぜん) (Buzen), 豊後(ぶんご) (Bungo), 日向(ひゅうが) (Hyūga), 大隅(おおすみ) (Ōsumi), and 薩摩(さつま) (Satsuma), which made up the island of Kyushu.