Hiroshima Prefecture
| Hiroshima Prefecture 広島県 |
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| Prefecture | ||
| Japanese transcription(s) | ||
| • Japanese | 広島県 | |
| • Rōmaji | Hiroshima-ken | |
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| Country | Japan | |
| Region | Chūgoku (San'yō) | |
| Island | Honshu | |
| Capital | Hiroshima (city) | |
| Government | ||
| • Governor | Hidehiko Yuzaki (since November 2009) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 8,476.95 km2 (3,272.97 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | 11th | |
| Population (March 1, 2011) | ||
| • Total | 2,857,990 | |
| • Rank | 12th | |
| • Density | 337.15/km2 (873.2/sq mi) | |
| ISO 3166 code | JP-34 | |
| Districts | 5 | |
| Municipalities | 23 | |
| Tree | Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) | |
| Bird | Red-throated diver (Gavia stellata) | |
| Website | pref.hiroshima.lg.jp | |
Hiroshima Prefecture (広島県 Hiroshima-ken?) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island.[1] The capital is the city of Hiroshima.[2] It has a population of around 2.9 million.
Contents
History[edit]
The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province.[3] This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded history. Hiroshima is a traditional center of the Chūgoku region and was the seat of the Mōri clan until the Battle of Sekigahara.
Hiroshima is home to two UNESCO World Heritage sites:
- The Atomic Dome in Hiroshima, one of the few remnants of prewar Hiroshima following the atomic bombing in 1945;
- The Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima, famed for filling with water and appearing to "float" during high tide.
Geography[edit]
Hiroshima prefecture lies in the middle of Chūgoku. Most of the prefecture consists of mountains leading towards Shimane Prefecture; and rivers produce rich plains near the coast.
The province faces Shikoku across the Seto Inland Sea. Hiroshima Bay opens on the Inland Sea.[4] The prefecture also includes many small islands.
The sheltered nature of the Inland Sea makes Hiroshima's climate very mild.
As of 1 April 2014, 4% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks (the lowest percentage of any prefecture), namely Setonaikai National Park; Hiba-Dōgo-Taishaku and Nishi-Chūgoku Sanchi Quasi-National Parks; and six Prefectural Natural Parks.[5]
Cities[edit]
Fourteen cities are located in Hiroshima Prefecture:
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Towns and villages[edit]
These are the towns in each district:
Mergers[edit]
Economy[edit]
Hiroshima's main industries include automobiles (Mazda is headquartered there) and shipbuilding (Kure was one of the main naval bases of the Imperial Japanese Navy and remains a major commercial yard).
Education[edit]
University[edit]
- Hiroshima University
- Hiroshima Shudo University
- Prefectural University of Hiroshima
- Hiroshima University of Economics
- Hiroshima International University
- Hiroshima Bunka Gakuen University
- Hiroshima Bunkyo Women's University
- Hiroshima Cosmopolitan University
- Hiroshima Institute of Technology
- Hiroshima Kokusai Gakuin University
- Hiroshima City University
- Hiroshima Jogakuin University
- Hijiyama University
- Elisabeth University of Music
- Fukuyama University
- Fukuyama City University
- Fukuyama Heisei University
- Yasuda Women's University
- Onomichi City University
- Japan Coast Guard Academy
Transportation[edit]
Railway[edit]
People movers[edit]
Streetcars[edit]
Roads[edit]
Expressways[edit]
- Chugoku Expressway
- Sanyo Expressway
- Shimanami Expressway
- Hamada Expressway
- Onomichi Expressway
- Hiroshima Expressway (West Nippon Expressway Company)
- Hiroshima Expressway (urban expressway)
National highways[edit]
- Route 2
- Route 31
- Route 54
- Route 182
- Route 183
- Route 185
- Route 186
- Route 191
- Route 261
- Route 313
- Route 314
- Route 317
- Route 375
- Route 432
- Route 433
- Route 434
- Route 486
- Route 487
- Route 488
Ports[edit]
- Kure Port - Ferry route to Edajima, Matsuyama
- Hiroshima Port - Ferry route to Miyajima, Edajima, Matsuyama and Beppu, and also International Container hub port
- Mihara Port
- Onomichi Port
- Fukuyama Port - International Container hub port
Airports[edit]
Sports[edit]
The sports teams listed below are based in Hiroshima.
Football[edit]
- Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Hiroshima city)
Baseball[edit]
- Hiroshima Toyo Carp (Hiroshima city)
Volleyball[edit]
- JT Thunders (Hiroshima city)
Tourism[edit]
Famous festivals and events[edit]
- Onomichi Port Festival - held in April
- Hiroshima Flower Festival - held from May 3 to 5
- Fukuyama Rose Festival - held in May
- Enryuji Tokasan Festival - held in June
- Gion Festival of Onomichi - held in July
- Innoshima Water-naval Festival - held in August
- Miyajima Under-water Firework Festival - held on August 14[citation needed]
- Yassa Festival of Mihara - held in August
- Saijo Sake Festival - held in October
- Onomichi Becher Festival - held on November 3
- Hiroshima Ebisu Festival - held from November 18 to 20
Notes[edit]
- ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Hiroshima-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 320, p. 320, at Google Books; "Chūgoku" at pp. 127, p. 127, at Google Books.
- ^ Nussbaum, "Hiroshima" at pp. 319-320, p. 319, at Google Books.
- ^ Nussbaum, "Province and prefecture" at p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
- ^ Nussbaum, "Hiroshima Wan" at p. 320, p. 320, at Google Books.
- ^ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
References[edit]
- Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128
External links[edit]
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hiroshima Prefecture. |
- Official Hiroshima Prefecture homepage
- Life in Hiroshima and other Japan-related Articles
- Hiroshima Weather Forecast
- National Archives of Japan ... Hiroshima map (1891)
- National Archives of Japan: Itsukushima kakei, illustrated scroll describing Itsukushima, text by Kaibara Ekiken (circa 1720)
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Coordinates: 34°26′N 132°45′E / 34.433°N 132.750°E
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