Okayama Prefecture
| Okayama Prefecture | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese transcription(s) | |||
| • Japanese | 岡山県 | ||
| • Rōmaji | Okayama-ken | ||
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| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Chūgoku | ||
| Island | Honshū | ||
| Capital | Okayama (city) | ||
| Government | |||
| • Governor | Masahiro Ishii | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 7,112.32 km2 (2,746.1 sq mi) | ||
| Area rank | 15th | ||
| Population (October 2005) | |||
| • Total | 1,957,056 | ||
| • Rank | 21st | ||
| • Density | 275/km2 (712.2/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/ |
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Okayama Prefecture (岡山県 Okayama-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island.[1] The capital is the city of Okayama.[2]
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[edit] History
During the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama Prefecture was known as Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province.[3]
[edit] Geography
Okayama Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture and Hiroshima Prefecture. 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 ageing and declining in population - more than half of the prefectures municipalities are officially designated as depopulated.[4]
[edit] Cities
Fifteen cities are located in Okayama Prefecture:
[edit] Towns and villages
Towns and villages in each district:
[edit] Mergers
[edit] Economy
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[edit] Demographics
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[edit] Transportation
[edit] Railways
[edit] Culture
- Bizen-yaki (Bizen pottery)
- Bizen Osafune/Bitchu Aoe swords
[edit] Sports
The sports teams listed below are based in Okayama.
- Football (soccer)
- Volleyball
[edit] Tourism
Some tourist attractions are:
- The Koraku-en Japanese garden (後楽園 Kōraku-en) located in Okayama City.
- Okayama Castle (岡山城 Okayama-jō) located in Okayama City.
- Shizutani School (閑谷学校 Shizutani Gakkō), located in Bizen City.
- Bikan Historical Area (倉敷美観地区 Kurashiki Bikan Chiku), located in Kurashiki City.
- Bitchu Matsuyama Castle, located in Takahashi City
- Kakuzan Park, located in Tsuyama City
- Bisei Astronomical Observatory (美星天文台 Bisei Tenmondai), located in Ibara Town (following dissolution of Bisei Town).
[edit] Anime and manga
The anime and manga series Tenchi Muyo! take place in this part of Japan, and many characters are named after geographical features and landmarks of the area. In the anime and manga series "Nerima Daikon Brothers", the character Mako speaks with an Okayama accent.
[edit] Notables
- Shin Koyamada, Hollywood actor.
- Yuko Arimori, marathon runner.
- 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.
- Keizo Nakanishi, singer.
- Sesshu Toyo, suiboku master.
- Joichiro Tatsuyoshi, boxer.
- Haruka Fukushima, manga artist.
- Masashi Kishimoto, manga artist and creator of Naruto.
- Seishi Kishimoto, manga artist.
- Daisuke Takahashi, Olympic figure skater.
- Dorlis, jazz musician.
- Michio Maeda, Koi breeder.
- Miyamoto Musashi, arguably the nations most famous samurai
- Megumi Fujii, MMA Fighter.
- Masaki Kajishima, creator of Tenchi Muyo!.
- Morihiro Hashimoto, darts player.
[edit] Notes
- ^ 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.
- ^ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at p. 780 at Google Books.
- ^ Okayama official website accessed Nov. 2007
[edit] References
- 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
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Okayama prefecture |
- Official homepage
- Official tourism site
- Official account's channel on YouTube
- Personal blog to discover Okayama Prefecture (French)
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