Shizuoka Prefecture

Shizuoka Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
• Japanese	静岡県
• Rōmaji	Shizuoka-ken
Symbol of Shizuoka Prefecture
Coordinates: 34°55′N 138°19′E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu
Island	Honshu
Capital	Shizuoka City
Government
• Governor	Heita Kawakatsu
Area
• Total	7,779.63 km2 (3,003.7 sq mi)
Area rank	13th
Population (July 1, 2010)
• Total	3,774,471
• Rank	10th
• Density	485.17/km2 (1,256.6/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	JP-22
Districts	5
Municipalities	35
Flower	Azalea (Rhododenron)
Tree	Sweet Osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus)
Bird	Japanese Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone atrocaudata)
Website	www.pref.shizuoka.jp/ a_foreign/english/

Shizuoka Prefecture (静岡県, Shizuoka-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.

History

Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.

The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun.^{[citation needed]} Tokugawa Ieyasu held the region until he conquered the lands of the Hōjō clan in the Kantō region and placed land under the stewardship of Oda Nobunaga. After becoming shogun, Tokugawa took the land back for his family and put the area around modern-day Shizuoka city under the direct supervision of the shogunate. With the creation of Shizuoka han in 1868, it once again became the residence of the Tokugawa family.

Geography

Map of Shizuoka Prefecture

Shizuoka prefecture is an elongated region following the coast of the Pacific Ocean at the Suruga Bay. In the west, the prefecture extends deep into the Japan Alps. In the east, it becomes a narrower coast bounded in the north by Mount Fuji, until it comes to the Izu Peninsula, a popular resort area pointing south into the Pacific.

Tokai earthquakes

Throughout history, every 100 to 150 years, an earthquake of disastrous proportions called the Tokai Earthquake has hit Shizuoka. On Tuesday, March 15, 2011, Shizuoka Prefecture was hit with a magnitude 6.2 earthquake approximately 42 km (26 mi) NNE of Shizuoka City.

Cities

Twenty-three cities are located in Shizuoka:

Atami Fuji Fujieda Fujinomiya Fukuroi Gotenba Hamamatsu Hamakita-ku Higashi-ku Kita-ku Minami-ku Naka-ku Nishi-ku Tenryū-ku Itō Iwata Izu

Izunokuni Kakegawa Kikugawa Kosai Makinohara Mishima Numazu Omaezaki Shimada Shimoda Shizuoka (capital) Shimizu-ku Aoi-ku Suruga-ku Susono Yaizu

Towns

Towns in each district:

Haibara District Kawanehon Yoshida Kamo District Higashiizu Kawazu Matsuzaki Minamiizu Nishiizu

Shūchi District Mori Suntō District Nagaizumi Oyama Shimizu Tagata District Kannami

Mergers

Main article: List of mergers in Shizuoka Prefecture

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Shizuoka.

Football (soccer)

• Shimizu S-Pulse (Shimizu, Shizuoka City)
• Júbilo Iwata (Iwata)
  • Matches between the above two teams, both currently in the top flight of the J. League, are known as the Shizuoka Derby.
• Honda F.C. (Hamamatsu)
• Fujieda MyFC (Fujieda)

Volleyball

• Toray Arrows (men's volleyball team) (Mishima city)

Rugby

• Yamaha Jubilo (Iwata)

Motorsport

• Fuji International Speedway

Transportation

Railroad

• JR East
  • Tokaido Line (Atami-Odawara)
  • Ito Line
• JR Central
  • Tokaido Shinkansen
  • Tokaido Line (Atami-Toyohashi)
  • Gotenba Line
  • Minobu Line
  • Iida Line
• Izukyu
• Izuhakone Railway
  • Daiyuzan Line
  • Sunzu Line
• Gakunan Railway
• Shizuoka Railway
• Oigawa Railway
• Enshu Railway
• Tenryu Hamanako Railroad

Roads

Expressways

• Tomei Expressway

Toll roads

• Shizuoka East-West Road
• Shizuoka South-North Road
• West Fuji Road
• Fujinomiya Road

National highways

• Route 1
• Route 42
• Route 52
• Route 135
• Route 136
• Route 138
• Route 139
• Route 149
• Route 150
• Route 151
• Route 152
• Route 246
• Route 257
• Route 301
• Route 302
• Route 362
• Route 414
• Route 469
• Route 473
• Route 474

Airport

• Shizuoka Airport

Port

• Shimizu Port
• Atami Port and Shimoda Port - Mainly ferry route to Izu Island

Education

University

• Mishima
  • Juntendo University - Mishima Campus
  • Nihon University - Mishima Campus
  • The Graduate University for Advanced Studies - Mishima Campus
• Numazu
  • Tokai University - Numazu Campus
• Fuji
  • Fuji Tokoha University
• Shizuoka
  • Shizuoka University
  • Shizuoka Eiwa Gakuin University
  • Tokai University - Shimizu Campus
  • Tokoha Gakuen University
• Yaizu
  • Shizuoka University of Welfare
• Fukuroi
  • Shizuoka Institute of Science and Technology
• Kakegawa
  • Tokyo Women's Medical - Kakegawa Campus
• Iwata
  • Shizuoka Sangyo University
• Hamamatsu
  • Hamamatsu University
  • Hamamatsu Gakuin University
  • Hamamatsu University of Medicine
  • Shizuoka University - Hamamatsu Campus
  • Shizuoka University of Art and Culture
  • Shizuoka Prefectural University

Senior high school

• Shizuoka Prefectural Susono High School
• Shizuoka Prefectural High School

Famous festivals and events

• Shimoda Black Ship Festival, held in May
• Shimizu Port Festival, held on August 5 to 7
• Shizuoka Festival, held in April
• Daidogei World Cup in central Shizuoka City, held in November
• Enshu Daimyo Festival in Iwata, held in April
• Hamamatsu Festival, held on May 3 to 5^{[citation needed]}

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

External links

• Official Shizuoka Prefecture website