Hyōgo Prefecture

Hyōgo Prefecture
兵庫県
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese 兵庫県
 • Rōmaji Hyōgo-ken

Flag
Symbol
Country Japan
Region Kansai
Island Honshu
Capital Kobe
Government
 • Governor Toshizō Ido
Area
 • Total 8,396.13 km2 (3,241.76 sq mi)
Area rank 12th
Population (November 1, 2011)
 • Total 5,582,978
 • Rank 7th
 • Density 660/km2 (1,700/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/
Himeji Castle in Himeji, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Hyōgo Prefecture (兵庫県, Hyōgo-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshu island.[1] The capital is Kobe.[2]

History

Present-day Hyōgo Prefecture includes the former provinces of Harima, Tajima, Awaji, and parts of Tanba 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 6.9 Mw 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.

Geography

Map of Hyōgo Prefecture.
Kobe
Takarazuka
Sumoto
Tatsuno
Shiso

Hyōgo has coastlines on two seas: to the north, the Sea of Japan, to the south, the Seto Inland Sea. On Awaji Island, Hyōgo borders the Pacific Ocean coastline in the Kii Channel. 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 is an island that separates the Inland Sea and Osaka Bay, lying between Honshu 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.

As of March 31, 2008, 20% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Sanin Kaigan and Setonaikai National Parks; Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park; and Asago Gunzan, Harima Chūbu Kyūryō, Inagawa Keikoku, Izushi-Itoi, Kasagatayama-Sengamine, Kiyomizu-Tōjōko-Tachikui, Onzui-Chikusa, Seiban Kyūryō, Seppiko-Mineyama, Tajima Sangaku, and Taki Renzan Prefectural Natural Parks.[4]

Cities

Twenty-nine cities are located in Hyōgo Prefecture:

Towns

These are the towns in each district:

Islands

Two major artificial islands are located Hyōgo Prefecture:

National parks

Mergers

Main article: List of mergers in Hyōgo Prefecture

Future mergers

The city of Akō and the only town in Akō District (Kamigōri), were scheduled to merge and the city would still retain the name Akō. Akō District would be defunct if the merger was successful.[5] However, the merger hasn't taken place.

Economy

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.

Kobe Port

Culture

National Treasures of Japan

Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings in Japan

  • Kitano-chō Yamamoto-dōri
  • Izushi
  • Sasayama

Museums

Education

Universities

Amagasaki

Takarazuka

Sanda

Nishinomiya

Ashiya

Kobe

Kato

Akashi

Kakogawa

Himeji

Akō

High schools

There are 163 public and 52 private high schools within Hyogo prefecture. Of the public high schools, some are administered by the Hyogo prefectural government, whilst the others are administered by local municipalities.

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Hyōgo.

Football (soccer)

Baseball

Volleyball

Rugby

Basketball

Tourism

A popular troupe of Takarazuka Revue plays in Takarazuka.

The north of Hyogo Prefecture has sightseeing spots such as Kinosaki Onsen, Izushi, and Yumura Onsen, and the matsuba crab, and Tajima beef are both national delicacies.[6]

Festival and events

Dekansho Bon Dancing Festival
Castle Festival in Himeji
  • Miyuki Street New Year's midnight traditional sale, Himeji
  • Nishinomiya Shrine's Ebisu Festival in January
  • Yanagihara Ebisu Festival in January, Kobe
  • Tada Shrine's Genji Festival in April, Kawanishi
  • Kobe Festival and Parade in May
  • Aioi Peron Festival in May
  • Himeji Yukata Festival in June
  • Dekansho Bon Dancing Festival in August, Sasayama
  • Nada Fighting Festival, Himeji
  • Kobe Luminarie in December
  • Ako Chushingura Parade

Transportation

Rail

People movers

Road

Expressways

National highways

  • Route 2
  • Route 9
  • Route 28
  • Route 29
  • Route 43
  • Route 171
  • Route 173
  • Route 174 (Sannomiya-Kobe Port)
  • Route 175
  • Route 176
  • Route 178
  • Route 179
  • Route 250
  • Route 312
  • Route 372
  • Route 373
  • Route 426
  • Route 427
  • Route 428
  • Route 429
  • Route 436
  • Route 477
  • Route 482
  • Route 483

Ports

  • Kobe Port – Mainly international container hub port
  • Akashi Port
  • Shikama Port – Mainly Shōdo Island route ferry

Airport

Notable people

Sister state agreement with Western Australia

In 1981, a sister state agreement was drawn up between Hyogo and the state of Western Australia in Australia.[7] To commemorate the 10th anniversary of this agreement in 1992, the Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre was established in Perth.[8]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Hyōgo prefecture" in Japan Encyclopedia, pp. 363-365, p. 363, at Google Books; "Kansai" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 477, p. 477, at Google Books.
  2. ↑ Nussbaum, "Kobe" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 537, p. 537, at Google Books.
  3. ↑ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
  4. ↑ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  5. ↑ City.ako.hyogo.jp
  6. ↑ "JAL Guide to Japan - Matsuba Crab".
  7. ↑ "Sister Cities - City of Perth". Archived from the original on 2015-05-30.
  8. ↑ Hyogo.com.au

References

Coordinates: 34°41′26.94″N 135°10′59.08″E / 34.6908167°N 135.1830778°E / 34.6908167; 135.1830778

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