Hyōgo Prefecture
| Hyōgo Prefecture | |||||||||
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| Capital | Kobe | ||||||||
| Region | Kansai | ||||||||
| Island | Honshū | ||||||||
| Governor | Toshizo Ido | ||||||||
| Area (rank) | 8,393.34 km² (12th) | ||||||||
| - % water | 0.6% | ||||||||
| Population (October 1, 2005) | |||||||||
| - Population | 5,595,212 (8th) | ||||||||
| - Density | 667 /km² | ||||||||
| Districts | 8 | ||||||||
| Municipalities | 41 | ||||||||
| ISO 3166-2 | JP-28 | ||||||||
| Website | web.pref.hyogo.jp/FL/english/ | ||||||||
| Prefectural symbols | |||||||||
| - Flower | Nojigiku (Chrysanthemum japonense) | ||||||||
| - Tree | Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) | ||||||||
| - Bird | Oriental White Stork (Ciconia boyciana) | ||||||||
| - Fish | {{{Fish}}} | ||||||||
 Symbol of Hyōgo Prefecture |
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| Template ■ Discussion ■ WikiProject Japan | |||||||||
Hyōgo Prefecture (兵庫県 Hyōgo-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.
The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.
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History
Present-day Hyōgo Prefecture includes the former provinces of Harima, Tajima, Awaji, and parts of Tamba and Settsu.
In 1180, near the end of the Heian Period, Emperor Antoku, Taira no Kiyomori, and the Imperial court moved briefly to Fukuhara, in what is now the city of Kobe. There the capital remained for five months.
Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is in the city of Himeji.
Southern Hyōgo Prefecture was severely devastated by the magnitude 7.2 Great Hanshin earthquake of 1995, which destroyed major parts of Kobe and Awaji, as well as Takarazuka and neighboring Osaka prefecture, killing nearly 5500 people.
Geography
Hyōgo has coastlines on two seas: to the north, the Sea of Japan, to the south, the Inland Sea. The northern portion is sparsely populated, except for the city of Toyooka, and the central highlands are only populated by tiny villages. Most of Hyōgo's population lives on the southern coast, which is part of the Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe metropolitan area. Awaji Island is an island in the Inland Sea, lying between Honshū and Shikoku.
Summertime weather throughout Hyōgo is hot and humid. As for winter conditions in Hyōgo, the north of Hyōgo tends to receive abundant snow, whilst the south receives only the occasional flurry.
Hyōgo borders on Osaka Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture and Okayama Prefecture.
Cities
Twenty-nine cities are located in Hyōgo Prefecture:
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Towns and villages
Towns and villages in each district:
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Islands
- Awaji Island
- Ieshima Islands
and two major artificial islands are located Hyōgo Prefecture:
- Rokko Island
- Port Island
National parks
- Sanin Kaigan National Park
- Setonaikai National Park
- Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park
 Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park (Mt. Hyonosen view from Yabu) |
 Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park (Torokawataira in Kami) |
 Sanin Kaigan National Park (Takeno Beach in Toyooka) |
 Sanin Kaigan National Park (Tajima-mihonoura of Sanin Coast in Shinonsen) |
Mergers
Future mergers
- The city of Akō and the only town in Akō District (Kamigōri), are scheduled to merge together and the city will retain the name Akō. Akō District will be defunct if the merger is successful. [1]
Economy
Hyōgo Prefecture has many heavy industries, metal and medical, and Kobe Port is one of the largest ports in Japan.
Hyōgo is a part of the Hanshin Industrial Region. There are two research institute of Riken, natural sciences research institute in Japan, in Kobe and Harima. It has "SPring-8",a synchrotron radiation facility in Harima.
Demographics
Culture
National Treasures of Japan
- Himeji Castle in Himeji (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Jōdo-ji in Ono
- Ichijō-ji in Kasai
- Kakurin-ji in Kakogawa
- Taisan-ji in Kobe
- Chōkō-ji in Kato
 Jōdo-ji in Ono |
 Ichijo-ji in Kasai |
 Kakurin-ji in Kakogawa |
Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings in Japan
- Kitano-chō Yamamoto-dōri
- Izushi
- Sasayama
 Kitano-chō Yamamoto-dōri |
 Izushi |
 Sasayama |
Museums
- Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of Art in Nada Ward, Kobe.
- Kobe City Museum in Chuo Ward, Kobe.
- Kobe Maritime Museum in Chuo Ward, Kobe.
- Himeji City Museum of Art in Himeji.
- Asago Art Village in Asago.
- Ashiya City Museum of Art & History in Ashiya.
 Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of Art in Kobe. |
 Kobe City Museum in Kobe. |
 Himeji City Museum of Art in Himeji. |
 Asago Art Village in Asago |
Sports
The sports teams listed below are based in Hyōgo.
Football (soccer)
- Vissel Kobe (Kobe)
Baseball
- Orix Buffaloes (Kobe)
- Hanshin Tigers (Nishinomiya)
Volleyball
- Hisamitsu Springs (Kobe)
- JT Marvelous (NIshinomiya)
Rugby
Tourism
Kobe remains a popular tourist destination. The region symbolizes Japan's earliest contact with the outside world. Many homes of early foreign visitors still stand on the bluff overlooking the harbor.
The vista of the Inland Sea remains a "million-dollar view". The Kobe port is one of the ports which are the most famous in Japan.
A popular troupe of Takarazuka Revue plays in Takarazuka.
Himeji Castle receives this praise from UNESCO: "masterpiece of construction in wood, combining function with aesthetic appeal... ." Together with its historical significance and its easy access from Kyoto or Osaka by Shinkansen, Himeji Castle receives tremendous numbers of visitors annually.
As for the Hyogo Prefecture northern part, sands where the coast is beautiful and a dynamic rock are consecutive. In the vicinity, there are a lot of famous sightseeing spots such as Kinosaki Onsen, Izushi and Yumura Onsen.
 million-dollar view, Kobe |
 Harborland - Meriken Park area in Kobe |
 Awaji Yumebutai in Awaji |
 Kuchiganaya in Asago |
 Kinosaki Onsen in Toyooka |
 Yumura Onsen in Shinonsen |
 Tonomine highland in Kamikawa |
Miscellaneous topics
- Miyavi, although born in Konohana-ku, Osaka grew up in Kawanishi City in Hyōgo Prefecture.
- So Taguchi, outfielder for the Chicago Cubs, was born in Hyōgo Prefecture.
- Katsumi Yamada, one of the All-Star competitors of Sasuke (and who is known as Mr. Sasuke), is from Harima in Hyōgo Prefecture.
- Juri Ueno, Japanese Academy Award-winning actress best known for her performances in Swing Girls and the live-action adaptation of Nodame Cantabile, is from Kakogawa in Hyōgo Prefecture.
- Kaoru (musician), Guitarist of Dir en grey, resides in Hyōgo Prefecture.
- Shota Yasuda, Guitarist of Kanjani8, is from Amagasaki in Hyōgo Prefecture.
- Aya Matsuura, Singer from Hello Project, is from Himeji in Hyōgo
- Ayaka Kimura, Singer from Hello Project, is from Kobe in Hyōgo
- Hiroshi Morie or HEATH in X JAPAN is a musician, songwriter and bassist from Amagasaki in Hyōgo
- Chisa Maekawa, vocalist for band Girl Next Door grew up in Hyōgo Prefecture.
- Miracle Hikaru, comedian and impersonator is from Toyooka
- Keiko Kitagawa, Actress from Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon and Buzzer Beat was born in Kobe in Hyōgo
References
External links
- Official Hyōgo prefecture homepage
- Hyōgo prefecture tourist guide
- Hyōgo Business & Cultural Center
- Medical Services in Hyōgo prefecture
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Hyōgo Prefecture
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