Hyōgo Prefecture (兵庫県, Hyōgo-ken) is a prefectureofJapan located in the Kansai regionofHonshu.[3] Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 (as of 1 June 2019[update]) and a geographic area of 8,400 square kilometres (3,200 square miles). Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to the southeast, and Okayama and Tottori prefectures to the west.
Hyōgo Prefecture
兵庫県
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Japanese transcription(s) | |
• Japanese | 兵庫県 |
• Rōmaji | Hyōgo-ken |
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Anthem: Hyōgo Kenminka[note 1][1] | |
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Coordinates: 34°41′26.94″N 135°10′59.08″E / 34.6908167°N 135.1830778°E / 34.6908167; 135.1830778 | |
Country | ![]() |
Region | Kansai |
Island | Honshu, Awaji |
Capital | Kobe |
Subdivisions | Districts: 8, Municipalities: 41 |
Government | |
• Governor | Motohiko Saitō (from August 2021) |
Area | |
• Total | 8,400.94 km2 (3,243.62 sq mi) |
• Rank | 12th |
Population
(1 June 2019)
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• Total | 5,469,762 |
• Rank | 7th |
• Density | 650/km2 (1,700/sq mi) |
GDP | |
• Total | JP¥ 22,195 billion US$ 203.6 billion (2019) |
ISO 3166 code | JP-28 |
Website | web |
Symbols of Japan | |
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Bird | Oriental white stork (Ciconia boyciana) |
Flower | Nojigiku (Chrysanthemum japonense) |
Tree | Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) |
Kōbe is the capital and largest city of Hyōgo Prefecture, and the seventh-largest city in Japan, with other major cities including Himeji, Nishinomiya, and Amagasaki.[4] Hyōgo Prefecture's mainland stretches from the Sea of Japan to the Seto Inland Sea, where Awaji Island and a small archipelago of islands belonging to the prefecture are located. Hyōgo Prefecture is a major economic center, transportation hub, and tourist destination in western Japan, with 20% of the prefecture's land area designated as Natural Parks. Hyōgo Prefecture forms part of the Kobe metropolitan area and Osaka metropolitan area, the second-most-populated urban region in Japan after the Greater Tokyo area and one of the world's most productive regions by GDP.
Present-day Hyōgo Prefecture includes the former provincesofHarima, Tajima, Awaji, and parts of Tanba and Settsu.[5]
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 6.9 Mw Great Hanshin earthquake of 1995, which destroyed major parts of Kobe and Awaji, as well as Nishinomiya and Ashiya and the neighboring Osaka Prefecture, killing nearly 6,500 people.
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
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1890 | 1,551,367 | — |
1903 | 1,833,957 | +1.30% |
1913 | 2,143,791 | +1.57% |
1920 | 2,301,799 | +1.02% |
1925 | 2,454,679 | +1.29% |
1930 | 2,646,301 | +1.51% |
1935 | 2,923,249 | +2.01% |
1940 | 3,221,232 | +1.96% |
1945 | 2,821,892 | −2.61% |
1950 | 3,309,935 | +3.24% |
1955 | 3,620,947 | +1.81% |
1960 | 3,906,487 | +1.53% |
1965 | 4,309,944 | +1.99% |
1970 | 4,667,928 | +1.61% |
1975 | 4,992,140 | +1.35% |
1980 | 5,144,892 | +0.60% |
1985 | 5,278,050 | +0.51% |
1990 | 5,405,040 | +0.48% |
1995 | 5,401,877 | −0.01% |
2000 | 5,550,574 | +0.54% |
2005 | 5,590,601 | +0.14% |
2010 | 5,588,133 | −0.01% |
2015 | 5,536,989 | −0.18% |
source:[6] |
Hyōgo has coastlines on two seas: to the north, the Sea of Japan, to the south, the Seto Inland Sea. On Awaji Island, Hyōgo borders the Pacific Ocean coastline in the Kii Channel. The northern portion is sparsely populated, except for the city of Toyooka, 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-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area. Awaji is an island that separates the Inland Sea and Osaka Bay, lying between Honshu and Shikoku.
Summertime weather throughout Hyōgo is hot and humid. As for winter conditions, 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.
As of 31 March 2008,[update] 20% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Sanin Kaigan and Setonaikai National Parks; Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park; and Asago Gunzan, Harima Chūbu Kyūryō, Inagawa Keikoku, Izushi-Itoi, Kasagatayama-Sengamine, Kiyomizu-Tōjōko-Tachikui, Onzui-Chikusa, Seiban Kyūryō, Seppiko-Mineyama, Tajima Sangaku, and Taki Renzan Prefectural Natural Parks.[7]
Akashi明石市
Akō赤穂市
Amagasaki尼崎市
Asago朝来市
Ashiya芦屋市
Awaji淡路市
Himeji姫路市
Itami伊丹市
Kakogawa加古川市
Kasai加西市
Katō加東市
Kawanishi川西市
Kobe (capital)神戸市
Miki三木市
Minamiawaji南あわじ市
Nishinomiya西宮市
Nishiwaki西脇市
Ono小野市
Sanda三田市
Shisō宍粟市
Sumoto洲本市
Takarazuka宝塚市
Takasago高砂市
Tamba-Sasayama丹波篠山市
Tanba丹波市
Tatsunoたつの市
Toyooka豊岡市
Yabu養父市
Fukusaki福崎町
Harima播磨町
Ichikawa市川町
Inagawa猪名川町
Inami稲美町
Kami香美町
Kamigōri上郡町
Kamikawa神河町
Sayō佐用町
Shin'onsen新温泉町
Taishi太子町
Taka多可町
Two major artificial islands are located Hyōgo Prefecture:
The city of Akō and the only town in Akō District (Kamigōri), were scheduled to merge and the city would still retain the name Akō. Akō District would be defunct if the merger was successful.[8] However, the merger has not taken place.
As in all prefectures nationwide, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries play a big role in the economy of Hyogo Prefecture.[9] Hyōgo Prefecture also has an IT industry, many heavy industries, metal and medical, Kobe Port being one of the largest ports in Japan. Kobe Port also hosts one of the world's fastest supercomputers,[10] and Hyogo Prefecture passed laws to keep Kobe Port free of nuclear weapons (anuclear-free zone) since the year 1975.
Hyōgo is a part of the Hanshin Industrial Region. There are two research institutes of Riken, natural sciences research institute in Japan, in Kobe and Harima. "SPring-8", a synchrotron radiation facility, is in Harima.
There are 163 public and 52 private high schools within Hyogo prefecture. Of the public high schools, some are administered by the Hyogo prefectural government, whilst the others are administered by local municipalities.
The sports teams listed below are based in Hyōgo.
Football (soccer)
Baseball
Volleyball
Rugby
Basketball
A popular troupe of Takarazuka Revue plays in Takarazuka.
Arima Onsen in the south of the province in Kita-ku, Kobe is one of the Three Ancient Springs in Japan. The north of Hyogo Prefecture has sightseeing spots such as Kinosaki Onsen, Izushi, and Yumura Onsen. Takeda CastleinAsago is often referred to locally as the "Machu Picchu of Japan". The matsuba crab and Tajima beef are both national delicacies.[11]
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Hyogo entered a sister state relationship with Washington state in the United States on October 22, 1963, the first such arrangement between Japan and the United States.[12][13]
In 1981, a sister state agreement was drawn up between Hyogo and the state of Western AustraliainAustralia.[14] To commemorate the 10th anniversary of this agreement in 1992, the Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre was established in Perth.[15]