Hiroshima Prefecture

Hiroshima Prefecture
広島県
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese 広島県
 • Rōmaji Hiroshima-ken

Flag
Symbol
Country Japan
Region Chūgoku (San'yō)
Island Honshu
Capital Hiroshima
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 2.8 million.

History

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:

Geography

Hiroshima prefecture lies in the middle of Japan . 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

Map of Hiroshima Prefecture
     Government Ordinance Designated City      City      Town
Fukuyama
Onomichi
Higashihiroshima
Mihara

Fourteen cities are located in Hiroshima Prefecture:

Towns and villages

These are the towns in each district:

Mergers

Economy

Hiroshima's main industries include automobiles (Mazda is headquartered there) and tourism in two World Heritage sites: the A-Bomb dome and Itsukushima Shrine.

Components of the economy are primary industry, secondary industry, and tertiary industry, which compose 0.6%, 32.6%, and 66.2% in 2015. There is 0.6% of unclassified production.[6]

Value of production of manufacturing is 10,343 billion yen in 2016, which is the 10th largest in Japan. After 2012, production of manufacturing is continuously increasing in 2015.[7]

Education

University

Transportation

Railway

People movers

Streetcars

Roads

Expressways

National highways

  • 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

  • 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

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Hiroshima.

Football

Baseball

Volleyball

Basketball

Tourism

Famous festivals and events

  • 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
  • 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

  1. ↑ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Hiroshima-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 320 at Google Books; "Chūgoku" at p. 127 at Google Books.
  2. ↑ Nussbaum, "Hiroshima" at pp. 319–20 at Google Books.
  3. ↑ Nussbaum, "Province and prefecture" at p. 780 at Google Books.
  4. ↑ Nussbaum, "Hiroshima Wan" at p. 320 at Google Books.
  5. ↑ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "平成27年度広島県民経済計算結果について" (PDF). 広島県.
  7. ↑ "平成 28 年経済センサス" (PDF). 広島県.

References

  • Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128

Coordinates: 34°26′N 132°45′E / 34.433°N 132.750°E / 34.433; 132.750

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