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Hyōgo Prefecture (兵庫県, Hyōgo-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu.[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 | |
|---|---|
| Japanese transcription(s) | |
| • Japanese | 兵庫県 |
| • Rōmaji | Hyōgo-ken |
 | |
 Flag  Symbol | |
| Anthem: Hyōgo Kenminka[note 1][1] | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 34°41′26.94″N 135°10′59.08″E | |
| Country |  Japan |
| Region | Kansai |
| Island | Honshu, Awaji |
| Capital | Kobe |
| Subdivisions | Districts: 8, Municipalities: 41 |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Motohiko Saitō |
| Area | |
• Total | 8,400.94 km2 (3,243.62 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 12th |
| Population (1 June 2019) | |
• 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 | |
| Bird | Oriental white stork (Ciconia boyciana) |
| Flower | Nojigiku (Chrysanthemum japonense) |
| Tree | Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) |
Kobe 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.
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1.□Kobe city (divided between Harima and Settsu)
2.■Settsu (Hanshin South office)
3.■Settsu (Hanshin North office)
4.■Harima East office
5.■Harima North office
6.■Harima Central office
7.■Harima West office
9.■Tanba office
8.■Tajima office
10.■Awaji office
Areas beyond Harima West belonged to Mimasaka (north) and Bizen (south)
Present-day Hyōgo Prefecture includes the former provinces of Harima, 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.
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| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 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]
Current municipalities
Aioi相生市
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
Municipalities in Hyōgo Prefecture Government Ordinance Designated City City Town
Islands
Two major artificial islands are located Hyōgo Prefecture:
National parks
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), 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.
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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 (a nuclear-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.
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National Treasures of Japan
- Chōkō-ji in Katō
- Chorakuji in Kami, Hyōgo (Mikata)
- Himeji Castle in Himeji (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Ichijō-ji in Kasai
- Jōdo-ji in Ono
- Kakurin-ji in Kakogawa
- Taisan-ji in Kobe
Chorakuji-daibutsu
Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings in Japan
Kitano-chō Yamamoto-dōri
Izushi
Sasayama
Museums
- Asago Art Village in Asago
- Ashiya City Museum of Art & History in Ashiya
- Hakutsuru Fine Art Museum in Higashinada Ward, Kobe
- Himeji City Museum of Art in Himeji
- Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of Art in Nada Ward, Kobe
- Kobe City Museum in Chuo Ward, Kobe
- Kobe Maritime Museum in Chuo Ward, Kobe
- Kosetsu Museum of Art in Higashinada Ward, Kobe
- Tekisui Museum of Art in Ashiya
- Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum in Takarazuka
Kobe City Museum in Kobe
KOSETSU Museum of Art in Kobe
Himeji City Museum of Art in Himeji
Asago Art Village in Asago
Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum in Takarazuka
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Universities
Amagasaki
- Sonoda Women's University
- St. Thomas University (ex-Eichi University) – closed in 2015
Takarazuka
Sanda
- Kwansei Gakuin University (Sanda Campus)
Nishinomiya
- Kobe College
- Kwansei Gakuin University
- Mukogawa Women's University
- Otemae University
Ashiya
Kobe
Kato
Akashi
Kakogawa
Himeji
- Himeji Dokkyo University
- Himeji Institute of Technology
- Himeji Kinki University
- University of Hyogo
Akō
High schools
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.
- Ashiya International Secondary School, founded 2003
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The sports teams listed below are based in Hyōgo.
Baseball
Basketball
Football (soccer)
- INAC Kobe Leonessa (Women's) (Kobe)
- Vissel Kobe (Kobe)
Rugby
Volleyball
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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 Castle in Asago is often referred to locally as the "Machu Picchu of Japan". The matsuba crab and Tajima beef are both national delicacies.[11]
Arima Onsen, Kobe
Million-dollar view, Kobe
Harborland – Meriken Park area in Kobe
Awaji Yumebutai in Awaji
Kuchiganaya in Asago
Kinosaki Onsen
Yumura Onsen
Tonomine highland in Kamikawa
Toyooka Stork Park
Takeda Castle
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- Miyuki Street New Year's midnight traditional sale, Himeji
- Nishinomiya Shrine's Ebisu Festival in January
- Yanagihara Ebisu Festival in January, Kobe
- Tada Shrine's Genji Festival in April, Kawanishi
- Kobe Festival and Parade in May
- Aioi Peron Festival in May
- Himeji Yukata Festival in June
- Dekansho Bon Dancing Festival in August, Sasayama
- Nada Fighting Festival, Himeji
- Kobe Luminarie in December
- Ako Chushingura Parade
Rail
- JR West
- Hankyu Railway
- Nose Railway
- Myoken Line
- Nissei Line
- Shintetsu
- Kobe Municipal Subway
- Hojo Railway (Ao-Hojo)
- Hanshin Railway
- Sanyo Railway
- Chizu Express
- Kitakinki Tango Railway
People movers
Road
Expressways
- Bantan Expressway
- Chūgoku Expressway
- Hanshin Expressway
- Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway
- Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway
- Meishin Expressway
- San'yō Expressway
- Second Shinmei road
National highways
- Route 2
- Route 9
- Route 28
- Route 29
- Route 43
- Route 171
- Route 173
- Route 174 (Sannomiya-Kobe Port)
- Route 175
- Route 176
- Route 178
- Route 179
- Route 250
- Route 312
- Route 372
- Route 373
- Route 426
- Route 427
- Route 428
- Route 429
- Route 436
- Route 477
- Route 482
- Route 483
Ports
- Akashi Port
- Kobe Port – Mainly international container hub port
- Shikama Port – Mainly Shōdo Island route ferry
Airport
 |
- Ume Aoki, manga artist
- Mana Ashida, child actress from Nishinomiya
- Koichi Domoto, singer of KinKi Kids
- Heath, musician, singer-songwriter and bassist of X Japan is from Amagasaki
- Hiro Fujiwara, manga artist
- Miracle Hikaru, comedian and impersonator is from Toyooka
- Kanō Jigorō, founder of the martial art Judo
- Jun, musician, singer-songwriter and guitarist of Phantasmagoria is from Kobe
- Shinji Kagawa, footballer from Kobe
- Tomoya Kanki, drummer of One Ok Rock
- Takumi Kawanishi (J-pop idol singer and dancer, member of JO1)
- Tomomi Ogawa, bassist of Scandal
- Itzuki Yamazaki, professional wrestler from Ieshima
- Kaoru, guitarist of Dir En Grey
- Ayaka Kimura, actress, former singer of Coconuts Musume is from Kobe
- Keiko Kitagawa, actress from Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon and Buzzer Beat was born in Kobe
- Miho Komatsu, singer and songwriter from Kobe
- Yūji Kuroiwa, politician from Kobe, current governor of Kanagawa Prefecture
- Kamui Kobayashi, former Sauber and Toyota Racing driver from Amagasaki
- Chisa Maekawa, singer of Girl Next Door
- Kiyomatsu Matsubara, ichthyologist, herpetologist and marine biologist
- Hitoshi Matsumoto, comedian, from Amagasaki
- Aya Matsuura, singer is from Himeji
- Ryuto Kazuhara, vocalist of Generations from Exile Tribe is from Amagasaki
- Mina Myoui – American-born Japanese singer of South Korean group Twice. Raised in Nishinomiya
- Hiro Matsushita – Businessman, former driver in Champ Car series. Chairman of Swift Engineering & Swift Xi
- Miyavi, musician, although born in Konohana-ku, Osaka grew up in Kawanishi
- Minako Nishiyama, contemporary artist
- Rena Nōnen known professionally as Non (のん, Non), actress, singer, fashion model from Kamikawa
- Masamune Shirow, manga artist was born in Kobe
- So Taguchi, outfielder for the Chicago Cubs
- Masahiro Tanaka, pitcher for the New York Yankees
- Nagaru Tanigawa, creator of the Haruhi Suzumiya series was born in Kinki
- Tsuneko Taniuchi, contemporary performance artist
- Fumito Ueda, video game creator of Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian
- 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
- Shota Yasuda, guitarist of Kanjani Eight is from Amagasaki
- Piko, musician, Vocaloid singer born in Kobe, Hyōgo
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 Australia in Australia.[14] To commemorate the 10th anniversary of this agreement in 1992, the Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre was established in Perth.[15]
- The Hyōgo Prefectural Government has expressed the view that the "Prefectural song does not exist" and denied the fact that currently, this song has been enacted in 1947.
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