is the southeastern portion of Gifu Prefecture in the Chūbu region of Japan. The Tōnō region received its name as a combination of the kanji for "east" (東) and "Mino" (美濃). The borders of this region are not officially set, but it generally consists of the following cities: Tajimi, Toki, Mizunami, Ena and Nakatsugawa. Occasionally, Kani, usually part of the Chūnō region, is also included as being part of Tōnō. Geography The region has a total area of approximately . The Toki River forms the border between it and Nagano Prefecture to the east and Aichi Prefecture to the south. The Kiso River flows through the central area from east to west. Population As of 2008 the Tōnō region had about 358,000 residents, which was 17% of the prefecture's entire total. Features It is broadly divided into in the west with Tajimi, Toki, and Mizunami; and in the east with Ena and Nakatsugawa. Additionally, Tōnō Tōbu is divided into north and south by the former boundaries of Ena and Nakatsugawa, with in the south and in the north. The Chūō Main Line, Japan National Route 19, and Chūō Expressway are the main traffic routes through the region. Because of this, compared with Gifu and other regions within the prefecture, it has better connections with places along Route 19 (formerly the ) like Nagoya and Kasugai and along Route 363 like Seto. To go to places like Seinō and the Gifu region it's often faster to go through Aichi Prefecture via in Komaki or Nagoya Station. This is largely because the Takayama Main Line and Taita Line that run between Gifu Station and Tajimi Station are not electrified and have few trains with small numbers of cars. Additionally, the prefectural boundary makes a northward arc along the Kiso River. However, due to the opening of the , , and junctions on the Tōkai-Kanjō Expressway, highway access has improved to the Chūnō region and the region in Aichi Prefecture. Additionally, there are strong connections with Nagano Prefecture across the eastern border, especially the and regions. In the Ritsuryō period, it formed one part of the Tōsandō, and generally was associated with Toki District and Ena District. In the Edo period it was generally divided into the Owari Domain (of the Owari-Tokugawa family), Iwamura Domain, and the Naegi Domain with the Nakasendō running through. Toki, Tajimi, and Mizunami form a prominent Japanese pottery