| Hyōgo Prefecture | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese transcription(s) | |||
| • Japanese | 兵庫県 | ||
| • Rōmaji | Hyōgo-ken | ||
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| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Kansai | ||
| Island | Honshū | ||
| Capital | Kobe | ||
| Government | |||
| • Governor | Toshizo Ido | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 8,396.13 km2 (3,241.8 sq mi) | ||
| Area rank | 12th | ||
| Population (November 1, 2011) | |||
| • Total | 5,582,978 | ||
| • Rank | 7th | ||
| • Density | 664.9/km2 (1,722.2/sq mi) | ||
| ISO 3166 code | JP-28 | ||
| Districts | 8 | ||
| Municipalities | 41 | ||
| Flower | Nojigiku (Chrysanthemum japonense) | ||
| Tree | Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) | ||
| Bird | Oriental White Stork (Ciconia boyciana) | ||
| Website | web.pref.hyogo.lg.jp/fl/english/ | ||
Hyōgo Prefecture (兵庫県 Hyōgo-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island.[1] The capital is Kobe.[2]
The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.
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Present-day Hyōgo Prefecture includes the former provinces of Harima, Tajima, Awaji, and parts of Tamba and Settsu.[3]
In 1180, near the end of the Heian Period, Emperor Antoku, Taira no Kiyomori, and the Imperial court moved briefly to Fukuhara, in what is now the city of Kobe. There the capital remained for five months.
Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is in the city of Himeji.
Southern Hyōgo Prefecture was severely devastated by the magnitude 7.2 Great Hanshin earthquake of 1995, which destroyed major parts of Kobe and Awaji, as well as Takarazuka and neighboring Osaka prefecture, killing nearly 6,500 people.
Hyōgo has coastlines on two seas: to the north, the Sea of Japan, to the south, the Inland Sea. The northern portion is sparsely populated, except for the city of Toyooka, and the central highlands are only populated by tiny villages. Most of Hyōgo's population lives on the southern coast, which is part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area. Awaji Island is an island in the Inland Sea, lying between Honshū and Shikoku.
Summertime weather throughout Hyōgo is hot and humid. As for winter conditions in Hyōgo, the north of Hyōgo tends to receive abundant snow, whilst the south receives only the occasional flurry.
Hyōgo borders on Osaka Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture and Okayama Prefecture.
Twenty-nine cities are located in Hyōgo Prefecture:
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Towns and villages in each district:
Two major artificial islands are located Hyōgo Prefecture:
Hyōgo Prefecture has many heavy industries, metal and medical, and Kobe Port is one of the largest ports in Japan.
Hyōgo is a part of the Hanshin Industrial Region. There are two research institute of Riken, natural sciences research institute in Japan, in Kobe and Harima. It has "SPring-8",a synchrotron radiation facility in Harima.
The sports teams listed below are based in Hyōgo.
Football (soccer)
Baseball
Volleyball
Rugby
Kobe remains a popular tourist destination. The region symbolizes Japan's earliest contact with the outside world. Many homes of early foreign visitors still stand on the bluff overlooking the harbor.
The vista of the Inland Sea remains a "million-dollar view". The Kobe port is one of the ports which are the most famous in Japan.
A popular troupe of Takarazuka Revue plays in Takarazuka.
Himeji Castle receives this praise from UNESCO: "masterpiece of construction in wood, combining function with aesthetic appeal... ." Together with its historical significance and its easy access from Kyoto or Osaka by Shinkansen, Himeji Castle receives tremendous numbers of visitors annually.
As for the Hyogo Prefecture northern part, sands where the coast is beautiful and a dynamic rock are consecutive. In the vicinity, there are a lot of famous sightseeing spots such as Kinosaki Onsen, Izushi and Yumura Onsen.
Expressway
National Highway
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