Aichi Prefecture
| Aichi Prefecture | |||||||||
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| Capital | Nagoya | ||||||||
| Region | Chūbu | ||||||||
| Island | Honshū | ||||||||
| Governor | Masaaki Kanda | ||||||||
| Area (rank) | 5,153.81 km² (28th) | ||||||||
| - % water | 5.4% | ||||||||
| Population (April 27, 2007) | |||||||||
| - Population | 7,341,000 (4th) | ||||||||
| - Density | 1,424 /km² | ||||||||
| Districts | 10 | ||||||||
| Municipalities | 63 | ||||||||
| ISO 3166-2 | JP-23 | ||||||||
| Website | Official site | ||||||||
| Prefectural symbols | |||||||||
| - Flower | Kakitsubata (Iris laevigata) | ||||||||
| - Tree | Hananoki (Acer pycnanthum) | ||||||||
| - Bird | Scops-owl (Otus scops japonicus) | ||||||||
| - Fish | Kuruma prawn (Penaeus japonicus) | ||||||||
 Symbol of Aichi Prefecture |
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| Template ■ Discussion ■ WikiProject Japan | |||||||||
Aichi Prefecture (愛知県 Aichi-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tokai region of the Chūbu region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.
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History
Originally, the region was divided into the three provinces of Owari, Mikawa and Ho. After the Nou-sama era, Mikawa and Ho were united into a single entity. In 1871, after the abolition of the han system, Owari, with the exception of the Chita Peninsula, was institutionalized as Nagoya Prefecture, while Mikawa combined with the Chita Peninsula and formed Nukata Prefecture. Nagoya Prefecture was renamed to Aichi Prefecture in April 1872, and was united with Nukata Prefecture on November 27 of the same year.
The Expo 2005 World Exposition was held in Seto and Nagakute.
In 2009 the prefecture's Board of Education was accused of illegal hiring practices: Japan Times article
Geography
Located near the center of the Japanese main island of Honshū, Aichi Prefecture faces the Ise and Mikawa Bays to the south and borders Shizuoka to the east, Nagano to the northeast, Gifu to the north, and Mie to the west. It measures 106 km east to west and 94 km south to north and forms a major portion of the Nōbi Plain. With 5,153.81 km² it accounts for approximately 1.36% of the total surface area of Japan. The highest spot is Chausuyama at 1415 m above sea level.
The western part of the prefecture is dominated by Nagoya, Japan's fourth largest city, and its suburbs, while the eastern part is less densely populated but still contains several major industrial centers. Due to its robust economy, for the Oct 2005-Oct 2006 period, Aichi was the fastest growing prefecture in terms of population, beating Tokyo, at 7.4%.
Cities
Thirty-Seven cities are located in Aichi Prefecture:
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Towns and villages
Towns and villages in each district:
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Mergers
Economy
Aichi's industrial output is higher than any other prefecture in Japan: the prefecture is known as the center of Japan's automotive and aerospace industries. Companies headquartered in Aichi include:
| Aisin Seiki | Kariya |
| Brother Industries, Ltd. | Nagoya |
| Central Japan Railway Company | Nagoya |
| Denso Corporation | Kariya |
| Makita Corporation | Anjō |
| Matsuzakaya | Nagoya |
| Nagoya Railroad | Nagoya |
| Nippon Sharyo | Nagoya |
| Noritake | Nagoya |
| Toyota Motor Corporation | Toyota |
Companies such as Fuji Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Motors, Pfizer, Sony, Suzuki, Bodycote, and Volkswagen Group also operate plants and/or branch offices in Aichi.
Demographics
As of 2001, Aichi Prefecture's population was 50.03% male and 49.97% female. 139,540 residents (nearly 2% of the population) are of foreign nationality.
| Age | % Population | % Male | % Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 9 | 10.21 | 10.45 | 9.96 |
| 10 - 19 | 10.75 | 11.02 | 10.48 |
| 20 - 29 | 15.23 | 15.71 | 14.75 |
| 30 - 39 | 14.81 | 15.31 | 14.30 |
| 40 - 49 | 12.21 | 12.41 | 12.01 |
| 50 - 59 | 15.22 | 15.31 | 15.12 |
| 60 - 69 | 11.31 | 11.22 | 11.41 |
| 70 - 79 | 6.76 | 6.01 | 7.52 |
| over 80 | 3.12 | 2.01 | 4.23 |
| unknown | 0.38 | 0.54 | 0.23 |
Sports
The sports teams listed below are based in Aichi.
Football (soccer)
- Nagoya Grampus Eight (Nagoya)
- F.C. Kariya (Kariya)
Baseball
- Chunichi Dragons (Nagoya)
Volleyball
- Toyoda Gosei Trefuerza (Nishikasugai District)
- Denso Airybees (Nishio)
- Toyota Auto Body Queenseis (Kariya)
Rugby
- Toyota Verblitz (Toyota)
Tourism
Notable sites in Aichi include the Meiji Mura open-air architectural museum in Inuyama, which preserves historic buildings from Japan's Meiji and Taishō periods, including the reconstructed lobby of Frank Lloyd Wright's old Imperial Hotel (which originally stood in Tokyo from 1923 to 1967).
Other sites in Aichi include the tour of the Toyota car factory in the city by the same name, the monkey park in Inuyama, and the castles in Nagoya, Okazaki, Toyohashi, and Inuyama.
Because of Aichi's location along the Eastern seacoast, there are some scenic spots, but other than the Atsumi Peninsula surf beaches there are no significant beach destinations when compared to neighboring Shizuoka Prefecture. Most attractions are man-made destinations, dealing with the region's history or modern marvels.
External links
- Aichi travel guide from Wikitravel
- Official Aichi Prefecture homepage
- Aichi Prefectural Tourist Association
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Aichi Prefecture
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