the northeast region of Japan, specifically the northernmost six prefectures in Honshu (clockwise from the northermost): 青森県 (Aomori-ken), 岩手県 (Iwate-ken), 宮城県 (Miyagi-ken), 福島県 (Fukushima-ken), 山形県 (Yamagata-ken), 秋田県 (Akita-ken).

North Sea

Hebei (a province of China; capital: Shijiazhuang) / a place name, such as that of Kahoku Town in Yamagata Prefecture

hook / snap fastener / hock

northeast

north of

the northern end, the northern tip

日本海: the Sea of Japan

ear of grain / (calligraphy) tip of a brush

The hiragana syllable ほ (ho). Its equivalent in katakana is ホ (ho). It is the thirtieth syllable in the gojūon order; its position is は行お段 (ha-gyō o-dan, “row ha, section o”).