Yamaguchi Prefecture

Yamaguchi Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
• Japanese	山口県
• Rōmaji	Yamaguchi-ken
Symbol of Yamaguchi Prefecture
Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku
Island	Honshū
Capital	Yamaguchi
Government
• Governor	Sekinari Nii
Area
• Total	6,110.94 km2 (2,359.45 sq mi)
Area rank	22nd
Population (May 1, 2011)
• Total	1,445,702
• Rank	25th
• Density	236.58/km2 (612.7/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	JP-35
Districts	4
Municipalities	19
Flower	Bitter summer mandarin blossom (Citrus natsudaidai)
Tree	Red pine tree (Pinus densiflora)
Bird	Hooded crane (Grus monacha)
Fish	Tetraodontidae (Takifugu rubripes)
Website	www.pref.yamaguchi.lg.jp/foreign/ english/

Yamaguchi Prefecture (山口県, Yamaguchi-ken) is a prefecture of Japan in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, in the center of the prefecture. The largest city, however, is Shimonoseki.

History

Map of Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Yamaguchi Prefecture was created by the merger of the provinces of Suō and Nagato. During the rise of the samurai class during the Heian and Kamakura Periods (794–1333), the Ouchi family of Suō Province and the Koto family of Nagato Province gained influence as powerful warrior clans. In the Muromachi Period (1336—1573), Ouchi Hiroyo, the 24th ruler of the Ouchi family conquered both areas of Yamaguchi Prefecture. The Ouchi clan imitated the city planning of Kyoto. They gained great wealth through cultural imports from the continent and trade with Korea and Ming Dynasty China. As a result, Yamaguchi came to be known as the "Kyoto of the West," and Ouchi culture flourished. Sue Harutaka defeated the 31st ruler of the Ouchi clan. The Sue clan was then defeated by Mōri Motonari, and the Mōri family gained control of the Chugoku region. Yamaguchi was ruled as part of the Mōri clan domain during the Sengoku period. Mōri Terumoto was then defeated by Tokugawa Ieyasu in the battle of Sekigahara in 1600. He was forced to give up all his land except for the Suō and Nagato areas (current-day Yamaguchi Prefecture), where he built his castle in Hagi. Mōri sought to strengthen the economic base of the region and increase local production with his Three Whites campaign (salt, rice, and paper).

After Commodore Matthew Perry's opening of Japan, clans from Nagato (also called Chōshū) played a key role in the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate and the establishment of the new imperial government. Four years after the Edo Shogunate was overthrown and the Meiji government formed in 1868, the present Yamaguchi Prefecture was established. The Meiji government brought in many new systems and modern policies, and promoted the introduction of modern industry, though the prefecture was still centered around agriculture during this period. In the Taisho period, from 1912 to 1926, shipbuilding, chemical, machinery, and metal working plants were built in Yamaguchi's harbors in the Seto Inland Sea area. During the post-World War II Shōwa Period, Yamaguchi developed into one of the most industrialized prefectures in the country due to the establishment of petrochemical complexes.

Geography

Cities

There are 13 cities in Yamaguchi:

Hagi Hikari Hōfu Iwakuni Kudamatsu

Mine Nagato San'yō-Onoda Shimonoseki Shūnan

Ube Yamaguchi (capital) Yanai

Towns and districts

There are 4 districts and 6 towns in Yamaguchi Prefecture:

• Abu District:
  • Abu
• Kuga District:
  • Waki
• Kumage District:
  • Hirao
  • Kaminoseki
  • Tabuse
• Ōshima District:
  • Suō-Ōshima

Mergers

Main article: List of mergers in Yamaguchi Prefecture

Economic development

For the purposes of development analysis, Yamaguchi is construed to be part of Northern Kyūshū. Although Yamaguchi not part of the island of Kyūshū, it has become a functional satellite of the Kanmon Straits metropolitan area.

Tourism

The most popular place for tourism is Shimonoseki. One of the major attractions is the famous Kintai Bridge in the town of Iwakuni. This five arched wooden structure is considered a symbol of Western Honshū. The area on the banks of the Nishiki river close to the bridge is considered among the best places in Japan for Hanami, when groups of family and friends gather in early April to view cherry blossoms. Akiyoshidai Quasi-National Park, which includes Japan’s longest cave, the Akiyoshido (秋芳洞), is another popular destination.

Famous for Festival and Event

• Kintaikyo Festival in Iwakuni - held in April 29
• Nishiki River Water Festival in Iwakuni - held in August
• Iwakuni Festival in August
• Yanai Goldfish Lantern Festival in August
• Yamaguchi Gion Festival in July 20 to 27
• Yamaguchi Tanabata Lantern Festival in August 6 to 7
• Hagi Era Festival in April
• Hagi Festival in August 2 to 3
• Shimonoseki Straight Festival in May 2 to 4
• Shimonoseki Firework Festival in August^{[citation needed]}

Education

Universities

• Yamaguchi University (national)
• Shimonoseki City University (public)
• Yamaguchi Prefectural University (public)

Private Universities

Ube Frontier University	University of East Asia
Baiko Gakuin University	Tokyo University of Science, Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi Gakugei College	Yamaguchi University of Human Welfare and Culture

Transportation

Ferries from Shimonoseki Port International Terminal

Two ferry services provide regular sea transport from the Shimonoseki Port International Terminal: Kanpu Ferry provides round-trip service to Busan, South Korea; the Orient Ferry provides round-trip service to Qingdao and Shanghai, respectively.

• The Kanpu ferry to Pusan in South Korea regularly.
• The Gwangyang Beech to Gwangyang in South Korea regularly.
• The Orient ferry to Qingdao in China regularly.
• The Orient ferry to Shanghai in China regularly.

Other Ferry Route

• Shunan-Kunisaki, Kyushu
• Yanai-Matsuyama, Shikoku

Air

Yamaguchi Ube Airport is a domestic airport with service to Haneda Airport (Tokyo).

Railway

• West Japan Railway Company
  • Sanyō Shinkansen
  • Sanyō Main Line
  • Sanin Line
  • Yamaguchi Line
  • Gantoku Line
  • Onoda Line
  • Mine Line
  • Ube Line
• Nishikigawa Railway

Roads

Expressways

• San'yō Expressway
• Chūgoku Expressway

Toll Road

• Hagi Misumi Road
• Kanmon Bridge
• Yamaguchi Ube Onoda Road
• Ogori Hagi Road
• Kanmon Road Tunnel

National Highway

• Route 2
• Route 9
• Route 187 (Iwakuni-Tsuwano-Masuda)
• Route 188
• Route 189 (Iwakuni-Yanai-Hikari-Kudamatsu)
• Route 262
• Route 315 (Shunan-Hagi)
• Route 316
• Route 376 (Yamaguchi-Shunan-Iwakuni)
• Route 435
• Route 437
• Route 489
• Route 490
• Route 491

Prefectural symbols

• Tree: Red pine tree (Pinus densiflora)
• Flower: Bitter summer mandarin blossom (Citrus natsudaidai)
• Bird: Hooded crane (Grus monacha)
• Fish: Tetraodontidae (Takifugu rubripes)
• Beast: Sika Deer (Cervus nippon nippon)

Media

Newspaper

• Yamaguchi Shimbun

TV

• YAB TV(ANN)
• KRY TV(NNN)
• TYS TV(JNN)
• NHK TV

Radio

• FMY (JFN)

Famous people from Yamaguchi

• Kido Takayoshi, one of the two main architects of the Meiji Restoration
• Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe represented first Yamaguchi's 1st then 4th district in the House of Representatives; his father represented Yamaguchi as well.
• Atsushi Tamura of the comic duo London Boots Ichi-go Ni-go is from Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi.
• Teruzane Utada music producer, manager and father of Utada Hikaru is from somewhere in Yamaguchi Prefecture, as mentioned on the latter's blog.
• Sayumi Michishige, a Japanese idol who is one of the 6th generation members of Japanese idol group Morning Musume was also born in Yamaguchi.
• Raizo Tanaka, a Japanese rear admiral during World War II. Tanaka was the commander of the Midway invasion force and later made famous for his efforts to keep Japanese forces on Guadalcanal in supply with the "Tokyo Express."
• Prime Minister Naoto Kan was born in Ube in 1946.
• Karyu, guitarist of the band D'espairsRay is from Yamaguchi. The band had a "homecoming" live there in 2007 and 2009.
• Harukichi Yamaguchi, founder of the Yamaguchi-gumi,born near Kobe but his entire family hailed from Yamaguchi.
• Shintaro Abe, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and General Secretary of the LDP.
• Itō Hirobumi, a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan (the 1st, 5th, 7th and 10th), genrō and Resident-General of Korea.
• Yasunori Mitsuda, Composers

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 Yamaguchi Prefecture homepage