Okayama Prefecture
| Okayama Prefecture | ||
|---|---|---|
| Japanese transcription(s) | ||
| • Japanese | 岡山県 | |
| • Rōmaji | Okayama-ken | |
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| Country | Japan | |
| Region | Chūgoku | |
| Island | Honshu | |
| Capital | Okayama (city) | |
| Government | ||
| • Governor | Ryuta Ibaragi | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 7,112.32 km2 (2,746.08 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | 15th | |
| Population (January 1, 2012) | ||
| • Total | 1,940,411 | |
| • Rank | 21st | |
| • Density | 270/km2 (710/sq mi) | |
| ISO 3166 code | JP-33 | |
| Districts | 10 | |
| Municipalities | 27 | |
| Flower | Peach blossom (Prunus persica var. vulgaris) | |
| Tree | Red pine (Pinus densiflora) | |
| Bird | Lesser cuckoo (Cuculus poliocephalus) | |
| Website | www.pref.okayama.jp/kikaku/kokusai/momo/e/ | |
Okayama Prefecture (岡山県 Okayama-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on the island of Honshu.[1] The capital is the city of Okayama.[2][3][4]
Contents |
History[edit]
Prior to the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the area of present-day Okayama Prefecture was divided between Bitchū, Bizen and Mimasaka provinces. Okayama Prefecture was formed and named in 1871 as part of the large-scale administrative reforms of the early Meiji period (1868 – 1912), and the borders of the prefecture were set in 1876.[3][5]
Geography[edit]
Okayama Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture and Hiroshima Prefecture.[3] It faces Kagawa Prefecture in Shikoku across the Seto Inland Sea and includes 90 islands in the sea.
Okayama Prefecture is home to the historic town of Kurashiki. Most of the population is concentrated around Kurashiki and Okayama. The small villages in the northern mountain region are aging and declining in population - more than half of the prefectures municipalities are officially designated as depopulated.[6]
Cities[edit]
Fifteen cities are located in Okayama Prefecture:
Towns and villages[edit]
Towns and villages in each district:
Mergers[edit]
Universities in Okayama Prefecture[edit]
- Okayama
- Kurashiki
- Soja
- Tsuyama
Transportation[edit]
Railways[edit]
- JR West
- JR West and JR Shikoku
- Chizu Express
- Ihara Railway
- Mizushima Rinkai Railway
Tramways[edit]
Roads[edit]
Expressways[edit]
- Sanyo Expressway
- Chugoku Expressway
- Seto Central Expressway
- Yonago Expressway
- Okayama Expressway
- Tottori Expressway
National highways[edit]
- Route 2 (Osaka-Kobe-Himeji-Bizen-Okayama-Kurashiki-Asakuchi-Onomichi-Hiroshima-Shunan-Shimonoseki-Kitakyushu)
- Route 30 (Okayama-Uno-Takamatsu
- Route 53 (Okayama-Tsuyama-Tottori)
- Route 179
- Route 180 (Okayama-Takahashi-Niimi)
- Route 181 (Tsuyama-Maniwa-Yonago-Yasugi-Matsue)
- Route 182
- Route 183
- Route 250 (Okayama-Setouchi-Ako-Aioi-Takasago-Akashi)
- Route 313 (Fukuyama-Takahashi-Maniwa-Kurayoshi)
- Route 373
- Route 374
- Route 429
- Route 430
- Route 482 (Kyotango-Toyooka-Wakasa-Kagamino-Maniwa-Kofu of Tottori
- Route 484
Airport[edit]
Culture[edit]
- Bizen-yaki (Bizen pottery)
- Bizen Osafune/Bitchu Aoe swords
Assocation with Momotarō legend[edit]
Okayama Prefecture is closely associated with the folklore hero, Momotarō. This tale is said to have roots in the legendary story of Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto and Ura which explains that the Prince Ura of Kudara used to live in Kinojo (castle of the devil) and was a cause of trouble for the people living in the village. The emperor's government sent Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto(Momotarō) to defeat Ura. The city of Okayama holds an annual Momotarō-matsuri, or Momotarō Festival.[4][7]
Sports[edit]
The sports teams listed below are based in Okayama.
Football (soccer)[edit]
Volleyball[edit]
Tourism[edit]
Some tourist attractions are:
- Koraku-en Japanese garden in Okayama City
- Okayama Castle, Okayama City
- Ki Castle, Sōja
- Shizutani School|, Bizen City
- Bikan Historical Area (倉敷美観地区 Kurashiki Bikan Chiku), Kurashiki City
- Bitchu Matsuyama Castle, Takahashi City
- Kakuzan Park, Tsuyama City
- Bisei Astronomical Observatory (美星天文台 Bisei Tenmondai), Ibara Town (following dissolution of Bisei Town)
- Maki-do Cave, in Niimi
Notable people from Okayama Prefecture[edit]
 |
This section does not cite any references or sources. (February 2012) |
- Shin Koyamada, Hollywood actor[8]
- Yuko Arimori, marathon runner[9]
- Tesshō Genda, voice actor
- Ryutaro Hashimoto, Kiichiro Hiranuma, Inukai Tsuyoshi, Kan Naoto and Hatoyama Yukio former Prime Ministers of Japan
- Sen'ichi Hoshino, baseball manager
- Koshi Inaba, singer
- Ichiyo Izawa, pianist and former member of Tokyo Jihen
- Yumeji Takehisa, famous and influential early 20th century artist
- Sesshu Toyo, suiboku master
- Joichiro Tatsuyoshi, boxer
- Haruka Fukushima, manga artist
- Masashi Kishimoto, manga artist and creator of Naruto[10]
- Seishi Kishimoto, manga artist
- Daisuke Takahashi, Olympic figure skater
- Dorlis, jazz musician
- Miyamoto Musashi, samurai
- Megumi Fujii, MMA Fighter
- Masaki Kajishima, creator of Tenchi Muyo!
- Morihiro Hashimoto, darts player
Notes[edit]
- ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Okayama-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 745 at Google Books; "Chūgoku" at p. 127 at Google Books.
- ^ Nussbaum, "Okayama" at p. 745 at Google Books.
- ^ a b c "Okayama Prefecture". Encyclopedia of Japan. Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 56431036. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
- ^ a b "岡山（県）" [Okayama Prefecture]. Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 153301537. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
- ^ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at p. 780 at Google Books.
- ^ Okayama official website accessed Nov. 2007
- ^ "Okayama History". Retrieved 24 June 2012.
- ^ "Shin Koyamada's IMDB Biography".
- ^ "Yuko Arimori's profile".
- ^ "Masashi Kishimoto's Biography on TV.com".
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: Okayama prefecture |
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