Chiba Prefecture

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2008)
Chiba Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese 千葉県
 • Rōmaji Chiba-ken

Symbol of Chiba Prefecture
Country Japan
Region Kantō
Island Honshū
Capital Chiba
Government
 • Governor Kensaku Morita
Area
 • Total 5,156.15 km2 (1,990.80 sq mi)
Area rank 27th
Population (September 1, 2010)
 • Total 6,201,046
 • Rank 6th
 • Density 1,202.65/km2 (3,114.8/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code JP-12
Districts 6
Municipalities 54
Flower Rape blossom
Tree Kusamaki
Bird Meadow Bunting
Fish Seabream
Website pref.chiba.lg.jp/
english

Chiba Prefecture (千葉県 Chiba-ken?) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area.[1] Its capital is Chiba City.[2]

Contents

[edit] History

Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture. Historically, the prefecture constituted three provinces of Awa, Kazusa, and Shimōsa.[3]

The prefecture's name means "a thousand leaves".

[edit] Geography

Chiba borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north at the Tone River, Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture to the west at the Edo River, the Pacific Ocean to the east and Tokyo Bay around its southern boundary. Most of Chiba lies on the hilly Boso Peninsula, a rice farming region: the east coast, known as the Ninety-Nine League Plain, is an especially productive area. The most populous zone, in the northwest of the prefecture, is part of the Kantō region that extends into the urban agglomeration of Tokyo and Saitama. The Kuroshio Current flows near Chiba, which keeps it relatively warm in winter and cooler in summer than neighbouring Tokyo.

[edit] Cities

Thirty-six cities are located in Chiba Prefecture:

Chūō-ku
Hanamigawa-ku
Inage-ku
Midori-ku
Mihama-ku
Wakaba-ku

[edit] Towns and villages

Boso Peninsula
Map of Chiba Prefecture

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Kyonan
Chōnan
Chōsei
Ichinomiya
Mutsuzawa
Nagara
Shirako
Sakae
Shisui
Onjuku
Ōtaki
Kōzaki
Tako
Tōnoshō
Kujūkuri
Ōamishirasato
Shibayama
Yokoshibahikari

[edit] Mergers

Main article: List of mergers in Chiba Prefecture

[edit] Economy

Chiba Prefecture is home to one of Japan's largest industrial areas. Prior to World War II manufacturing in the prefecture was centered on the brewing industry, specifically the production of soy sauce, sake and mirin sweet cooking sake. The manufacturing sector expanded greatly after the war. The prefecture was chosen as the site for a major Kawasaki Steel factory in 1950. In the same period the prefectural government embarked on a large-scale land reclamation program to dredge large plots of waterfront property. The large-scale construction of factories, warehouses, and docks on this reclaimed land around the Tokyo Bay area ultimately formed the Keiyo Industrial Zone.[4] Chiba Prefecture is now 6th in Japan in industrial output with the bulk of the industry focued on the petroleum, chemical, and steel and machine industries.[5] Together, these industries account for forty-five percent of the prefecture's exports. In recent years, the government has funded more than eighty industrial parks to bring development further inland as well. The prefecture also boasts Japan's second-highest agricultural output. Among all the prefectures, only Hokkaidō produces more agricultural products, and Chiba leads Hokkaidō in vegetable production.[citation needed] Seaweed, specifically nori, is harvested in large quantities from Tokyo Bay.[6]

[edit] Demographics

Chiba's population is one of the wealthiest in Japan due to the prefecture's strong commercial and industrial sectors. Per capita GDP is ¥3.1 million, the fifth-highest in the country. 70% of the population is employed in the service sector, with 25% in industry and 5% in agriculture.[citation needed]

[edit] Climate

Chiba Prefecture has a Humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa) with hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters. The tsuyu rainy season occurs for approximately 50 days from June to July.

Climate data for Chiba
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 9
(48)		 9
(48)		 12
(53)		 17
(63)		 22
(71)		 24
(75)		 27
(81)		 29
(85)		 26
(79)		 21
(69)		 16
(61)		 12
(53)		 18.6
(65.5)
Average low °C (°F) 1
(33)		 1
(34)		 4
(39)		 9
(49)		 14
(57)		 18
(64)		 21
(70)		 23
(74)		 19
(67)		 13
(56)		 8
(46)		 3
(37)		 11.2
(52.2)
Precipitation mm (inches) 48.3
(1.902)		 66
(2.6)		 94
(3.7)		 109.2
(4.299)		 96.5
(3.799)		 139.7
(5.5)		 106.7
(4.201)		 121.9
(4.799)		 177.8
(7)		 157.5
(6.201)		 83.8
(3.299)		 48.3
(1.902)		 1,249.7
(49.201)
Source: weather.com

[edit] Education

The Chiba Prefectural Board of Education oversees municipal school districts in the prefecture. The board also directly operates the prefecture's public high schools.

[edit] University

  • Ichihara
    • Heisei Teikyo University - Ichihara Campus
  • Inzai
    • Juntendo University - Sakura Campus
Sunset over Chiba, with Yokoshibahikari and Sosa visible.

[edit] In popular culture

[edit] Notable residents

[edit] Sports

The prefecture plays host to two major events in the Japanese athletics calendar: the International Chiba Ekiden and the Chiba International Cross Country.

The following sports teams are based in Chiba.

[edit] Football

[edit] Baseball

[edit] Rugby

[edit] Basketball

[edit] Futsal

  • Bardral Urayasu

[edit] Transportation

Most Tokyo-bound visitors arriving on international flights land in Narita International Airport, which is situated in Narita in the north of the prefecture, and connected to Tokyo by the East Japan Railway's Narita Express and the Keisei Electric Railway's Skyliner.

[edit] Railway

  • Shibayama Railway

[edit] People Movers

[edit] Road

Expressway

National Highway

  • Route 6
  • Route 14
  • Route 16
  • Route 51
  • Route 124
  • Route 126
  • Route 127
  • Route 128
  • Route 294
  • Route 295
  • Route 296
  • Route 297
  • Route 298
  • Route 356
  • Route 357
  • Route 408
  • Route 409
  • Route 410
  • Route 464
  • Route 465

[edit] Airport

[edit] Tourism

The Tokyo Disney Resort is located in Urayasu near the western border of the prefecture.

There are also a number of tourist sites on the Chiba peninsula, such as Nokogiriyama; Kujūkuri Beach; and Onjuku beach.

Chiba is linked to Tokyo by several railway lines; the main trunk lines are the Keiyo Line and Sobu Line. The Musashino Line connects Chiba to Saitama and northern Tokyo. Southern Chiba is connected to Kanagawa Prefecture by the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line bridge-tunnel.

[edit] Prefectural symbols

Chiba is famous for peanuts. Most of Japan's peanuts are harvested in this prefecture and are also processed into peanut oil.[citation needed]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Chiba-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 109 at Google Books; "Kantō" in p. 479 at Google Books.
  2. ^ Nussbaum, "Chiba" in p. 109 at Google Books.
  3. ^ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" in p. 780 at Google Books.
  4. ^ Industry
  5. ^ Industry in Chiba Prefecture
  6. ^ Ichikawa Produces Nori (Laver Seaweed)

[edit] External links

Media related to Chiba prefecture at Wikimedia Commons

Shadow picture of Chiba prefecture.pngChiba Prefecture
Chiba (capital city)
Flag of Chiba Prefecture
Other cities
Inba District
Katori District
Sanbu District
Chōsei District
Isumi District
Awa District
Regions
Regions and Prefectures of Japan 2.png
Prefectures
Hokkaido
Tōhoku
Kantō
Chiba · Gunma · Ibaraki · Kanagawa · Saitama · Tochigi · Tokyo
Chūbu
Aichi · Fukui · Gifu · Ishikawa · Nagano · Niigata · Shizuoka · Toyama · Yamanashi
Kansai
Hyōgo · Kyoto · Mie · Nara · Osaka · Shiga · Wakayama
Chūgoku
Shikoku
Kyushu

Coordinates: 35°36′18″N 140°07′24″E / 35.605°N 140.12333°E / 35.605; 140.12333

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chiba_Prefecture&oldid=474050249"
Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages