Toyama Prefecture
Template:Infobox Prefecture Japan
Toyama Prefecture (富山県, Toyama-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on Honshu island.[1] The capital is the city of Toyama.[2]
Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity from abundant hydroelectric resources. It also contains East Asia’s only glaciers outside Russia, which have been recognised as such only very recently[3].
History
Historically, Toyama Prefecture was Etchū Province.[4] Following the abolition of the han system in 1871, Etchū Province was renamed Niikawa Prefecture, but Imizu District was given to Nanao Prefecture. In 1872 Imizu District was returned by the new Ishikawa Prefecture.
In 1876 Niikawa Prefecture merged into Ishikawa Prefecture but the merger was void in 1881 and the area was reestablished as Toyama Prefecture.
The Itai-itai disease occurred in Toyama around 1950.
Geography
Toyama Prefecture is bordered by Ishikawa Prefecture to the west, Niigata to the northeast, Nagano to the southeast, Gifu to the south and Sea of Japan to the north.
As of 1 April 2012, 30% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Chūbu-Sangaku and Hakusan National Parks; Noto Hantō Quasi-National Park; and six Prefectural Natural Parks.[5]
Municipalities
Due to the mergers in the 2000s, Toyama has the fewest municipalities of any prefecture in Japan with 10 cities, 2 districts, 4 towns, and 1 village (before the mergers took place, the prefecture had 9 cities, 18 towns, and 8 villages).
Cities
Ten cities are located in Toyama Prefecture:
Towns and villages
Towns and villages in each district:
Mergers
Economy
Agriculture
Toyama is a major producer of high quality rice making use of abundant water sources originating from Mount Tate.
Manufacturing
Toyama is famous for its historical pharmaceutical industry which remains a top manufacturing industry in the prefecture in terms of manufacturing shipment value followed by electronic parts and devices (industrial robots, general machinery, etc.), and metal products (aluminum, copper etc.) manufacturing.[6]
Energy
Kurobe Dam generates electricity for the Kansai Electric Power Company. It is located on the Kurobe River in Toyama Prefecture.
Demographics
Population: 1,104,239 (estimated as of Feb. 1, 2008)
International links
China, Liaoning Province - May 9, 1984
Brazil, São Paulo State - July 18, 1985
United States, Oregon State - October 19, 1991
Russia, Primorsky Region - August 26, 1992
Transportation
Rail
Tokyo: 3 hr 8 min via Joetsu Shinkansen, transfer to Hokuriku Main Line via the Hakutaka Limited Express at Echigo-Yuzawa Station
Osaka: 3 hr 5 min via Thunderbird Limited Express
- The Hokuriku Shinkansen line is expected to be completed in 2014 and will shorten the Tokyo-Toyama trip to approximately 2 hrs 7 min and the Osaka-Toyama trip to approximately 1 hr 40 min.
Expressway
Air
- Toyama Airport (TOY)
Domestic
International
- Shanghai: 2 hr 30 min via Shanghai Airlines
- Dalian: 2 hr 30 min via Southern China Airlines
- Seoul: 1 hr 50 min via Asiana Airlines
- Vladivostok: 2 hr 40 min via Vladivostok Airlines
- As of April 2008 all international carriers have 3 flights a week with additional flights during peak seasons
Culture
UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Sites
Gokayama Historical Village (Nanto City)
National Treasures of Japan
Zuiryū-ji Temple (Takaoka City)
Festivals
Spring
- All Japan Chindon Competition (Toyama City (Toyama Castle Park), Mid April
- Tonami Tulip Fair (Tonami City), May
- Marumage Festival (Himi City), May 17
Summer
- Sassa Narimasa Sengoku Era Festival (Toyama City), Late July
Fall
- Toyama Festival (Toyama City), Sept. 1
- Owara Kaze no Bon (Toyama City (Yatsuo Area)), Sept. 1-3
- Mugiya Festival (Nanto City (Johana Area)), Mid Sept.
- Kokiriko Festival (Nanto City (Hakusan Shrine)), Sept. 25-26
Winter
- Nanto Toga Soba Festival (Nanto City (Toga Village Area)), Mid Feb.
Regional Foods
- Trout Sushi (Masu no Sushi)
- White Shrimp (Shiro Ebi)
- Matured Yellow Tail (Buri)
- Firefly Squid (Hotaru Ika)
- Fish Paste (Kamaboko)
Regional Sake
- Tateyama (立山)
- Narimasa (成政)
- Masuizumi (満寿泉)
- Sanshoraku (三笑楽）
Sports
The sports teams listed below are based in Toyama.
Football (soccer)
Basketball
Baseball
Rugby Union
Tourism
Notes
- ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Toyama prefecture" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 991, p. 991, at Google Books; "Hokuriku" at p. 344, p. 344, at Google Books.
- ^ Nussbaum, "Toyama" at p. 991, p. 991, at Google Books.
- ^ First glaciers of Japan recognised]
- ^ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
- ^ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
- ^ Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry: 2004 Industrial Statistics
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 Toyama Prefecture Homepage Transclusion error: {{En}} is only for use in File namespace. Use {{langx|en}} or {{in lang|en}} instead.
- Toyama Prefecture International Center Transclusion error: {{En}} is only for use in File namespace. Use {{langx|en}} or {{in lang|en}} instead.
- National Archives of Japan Toyama Map (1891)
| Core city |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Cities | ||
| Districts | ||
| Former Districts | ||
