Ishikawa Prefecture
| Ishikawa Prefecture | ||
|---|---|---|
| Japanese transcription(s) | ||
| • Japanese | 石川県 | |
| • Rōmaji | Ishikawa-ken | |
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| Country | Japan | |
| Region | Chūbu, Hokuriku | |
| Island | Honshū | |
| Capital | Kanazawa | |
| Government | ||
| • Governor | Masanori Tanimoto | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 4,185.22 km2 (1,615.92 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | 35th | |
| Population (February 1, 2011) | ||
| • Total | 1,168,929 | |
| • Rank | 34th | |
| • Density | 279.30/km2 (723.4/sq mi) | |
| ISO 3166 code | JP-17 | |
| Districts | 5 | |
| Municipalities | 19 | |
| Flower | Black lily (Fritillaria camtschatcensis) | |
| Tree | Hiba (Thujopsis dolabrata) | |
| Bird | Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) | |
| Website | www.pref.ishikawa.lg.jp/foreign/en | |
Ishikawa Prefecture (石川県 Ishikawa-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island.[1] The capital is Kanazawa.[2]
Contents |
History[edit]
Ishikawa was formed from the merger of Kaga Province and the smaller Noto Province.[3]
Geography[edit]
Ishikawa is on the Sea of Japan coast. The northern part of the prefecture consists of the narrow Noto Peninsula, while the southern part is wider and consists mostly of mountains with the prefecture's chief city, Kanazawa, located in the coastal plain. The prefecture also has some islands, including Notojima, Mitsukejima, Hegurajima.
As of 1 April 2012, 13% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Hakusan National Park; Echizen-Kaga Kaigan and Noto Hantō Quasi-National Parks; and five Prefectural Natural Parks.[4]
Cities[edit]
Eleven cities are located in Ishikawa Prefecture:
Towns and villages[edit]
Towns and villages in each district:
Mergers[edit]
Economy[edit]
Ishikawa's industry is dominated by the textile industry, particularly artificial fabrics, and the machine industry, particularly construction machinery.
Demographics[edit]
Ishikawa Prefecture has an area of 4,185 km² and as of April 1, 2011 it has a population of 1,166,643 persons.
| Data | Unit | Statistics |
|---|---|---|
| Area | km² | 4,185 |
| Population | Persons | 1,166,643 |
| Population density | Persons per km² | 278.72 |
| Number of households | Households | 441,980 |
| Income per person | Thousand yen | 2,707 |
| Power consumed | Kwh per household | 6,446 |
| Number of doctors | Physicians per
100,000 people |
249 |
Culture[edit]
The area is noted for arts and crafts and other cultural traditions:
- The art of nō was introduced to the area during the rule of the fifth Maeda lord Tsunanori and was refined into the style of Kaga hosho.
- The tea ceremony was introduced in 1666 when Maeda Toshitsune invited Senbiki Soshitsu of urasenke to Kanazawa.
- Kutani ware (Kutani yaki) is a bright colored glaze like Chinese porcelain.
- Ohi teaware (Ōhi yaki) is a pottery with a style unique to Kanazawa.
- Kaga silk (Kaga yūzen) is made with complicated silk print technique with an intentional rough look (wabi-sabi).
- Kanazawa lacquerware (Kanazawa shikki) is high quality lacquerware traditionally decorated with gold dust.
- Kanazawa gold leaf (Kanazawa haku) is produced with a technique of beating gold into wafer-thin sheets.
- Kaga mizuhiki is ribbon-like decoration made from glued Japanese paper (washi).
- Kaga inlay crafts (Kaga zōgan) are made with a combination of thin flat and thread metal inlays.
- Gojinjo Daiko is a Japanese Drum, a Wajima City’s cultural heritage (Since 1961) as well as an Ishikawa Prefecture’s intangible cultural heritage(Since 1963)
- Abare Festival is reputed the most 'fierce' festivals of Noto, Ishikawa.
Tourism[edit]
The most popular destination in Ishikawa is Kanazawa. Tourists can get to Ishikawa by plane via either the Komatsu or Noto airports.
- 1000 Rice Fields
- 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
- Chirihama Driveway
- Higashi-chaya district in Kanazawa
- Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art
- Kaga hot-springs district
- Kenroku-en
- Mount Haku
- Shibayama Lagoon
- Wajima Morning Market
Prefectural symbols[edit]
- Fritillaria camschatcensis (Symbol flower)
- Golden Eagle (Symbol bird)
- Thujopsis dolabrata (Symbol tree)
Miscellaneous topics[edit]
- Takeshi Kaga, an actor in Japan who is probably best known internationally for his portrayal of Chairman Kaga in the Japanese television show Iron Chef produced by Fuji TV, is from Ishikawa.
- Hideki Matsui, a current player for the New York Yankees, was born and raised in Neagari Town (now Nomi City), Ishikawa. He gained fame as a baseball player while attending high school in Kanazawa.
- Daisuke Nakata, a trampolinist who has competed in the Olympics in the past, is from Ishikawa.
Universities[edit]
Ishikawa hosts a number of well-known universities.
- Hokuriku University—a small liberal arts university with a School of Pharmacy and a School of Future Learning that gives instruction in Business, Economics, and Foreign Language (Chinese and English).
- Ishikawa Prefectural Nursing University
- Ishikawa Prefectural University
- Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
- Kanazawa College of Art
- Kanazawa Gakuin University
- Kanazawa Institute of Technology
- Kanazawa Medical University
- Kanazawa Seiryo University
- Kanazawa University
- Kinjo Junior College
Transport[edit]
Railroad[edit]
- Hokuriku Railway (Hokutetsu)
- Asanokawa Line
- Ishikawa Line
- JR West
- Noto Railway Nanao Line
Road[edit]
Expressway and Toll Road[edit]
- Hakusan Super Forest Road
- Hokuriku Expressway
- Noetsu (Noto-Etsuchu) Expressway
- Noto Toll Road
National Highway[edit]
- Route 8
- Route 157 (Kanazawa-Hakusan-Katsuyama-Motosu-Gifu)
- Route 159
- Route 160
- Route 249
- Route 304
- Route 305
- Route 359
- Route 360 (Toyama-Hida-Shirakawa-Komatsu)
- Route 364
- Route 365
- Route 415
- Route 416
- Route 470 (Wajima-Himi-Takaoka-Oyabe-Tonami)
- Route 471
Port[edit]
- Kanazawa Port – International container hub port
- Nanao Port
Airport[edit]
Regional policies[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Chūbu" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 126 at Google Books.
- ^ Nussbaum, "Kanazawa" in p. 467 at Google Books.
- ^ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" in p. 780 at Google Books.
- ^ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture". Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
References[edit]
- Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 10-ISBN 0-674-01753-6; 13-ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ishikawa Prefecture |
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