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Wakayama Prefecture (和歌山県, Wakayama-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu.[2]: 1026 Wakayama Prefecture has a population of 944,320 (as of 1 October 2017[update]) and has a geographic area of 4,724 square kilometres (1,824 sq mi). Wakayama Prefecture borders Osaka Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture to the northeast.
Wakayama Prefecture
和歌山県 | |
|---|---|
| Japanese transcription(s) | |
| • Japanese | 和歌山県 |
| • Rōmaji | Wakayama-ken |
 Cherry blossoms bloom in the courtyard of Negoro-ji Temple in Iwade City, Wakayama Prefecture | |
 Flag  Symbol | |
| Anthem: Wakayama kenminka | |
 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kansai |
| Island | Honshū |
| Capital | Wakayama (city) |
| Subdivisions | Districts: 6, Municipalities: 30 |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Shūhei Kishimoto (since December 17, 2022) |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,724.69 km2 (1,824.21 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 30th |
| Population (1 October 2017) | |
• Total | 944,320 |
| • Rank | 39th |
| • Density | 199.87/km2 (517.7/sq mi) |
| • Dialects | Kishū |
| GDP | |
| • Total | JP¥ 3,745 billion US$ 34.4 billion (2019) |
| ISO 3166 code | JP-30 |
| Website | www.wakayama.lg.jp/ english/ |
| Symbols of Japan | |
| Bird | Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonica) |
| Flower | Ume blossom (Prunus mume) |
| Tree | Ubame oak (Quercus phillyraeoides) |
Wakayama is the capital and largest city of Wakayama Prefecture, with other major cities including Tanabe, Hashimoto, and Kinokawa.[3]: 1025 Wakayama Prefecture is located on the southwestern coast of the Kii Peninsula on the Kii Channel, connecting the Pacific Ocean and Seto Inland Sea, across from Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku.
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Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.[4]
1953 flood disaster
On July 17–18, 1953, a torrential heavy rain occurred, followed by collapse of levees, river flooding and landslides in a wide area. Many bridges and houses were destroyed. According to an officially confirmed report by the Government of Japan, 1,015 people died, with 5,709 injured and 7,115 houses lost.[citation needed]
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City Town Village
As of 31 March 2020, 13 percent of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Setonaikai and Yoshino-Kumano National Parks; Kongō-Ikoma-Kisen and Kōya-Ryūjin Quasi-National Parks; and Enju Kaigan, Hatenashi Sanmyaku, Hikigawa, Jōgamori Hokodai, Kōyasanchō Ishimichi-Tamagawakyō, Kozagawa, Nishiarida, Oishi Kōgen, Ōtōsan, Ryūmonzan, Shiramisan-Wadagawakyō, and Shirasaki Kaigan Prefectural Natural Parks.[5]
Cities
Nine cities are in Wakayama Prefecture:
Towns and villages
These are the towns and villages in each district:
| Name | Area (km2) | Population | District | Type | Map | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rōmaji | Kanji | |||||
 Aridagawa |
有田川町 | 351.77 | 26,245 | Arida District | Town |  |
 Hidaka |
日高町 | 46.42 | 7,666 | Hidaka District | Town |  |
 Hidakagawa |
日高川町 | 331.61 | 9,615 | Hidaka District | Town |  |
 Hirogawa |
広川町 | 65.35 | 7,059 | Arida District | Town |  |
 Inami |
印南町 | 113.63 | 7,949 | Hidaka District | Town |  |
 Kamitonda |
上富田町 | 57.49 | 15,047 | Nishimuro District | Town |  |
 Katsuragi |
かつらぎ町 | 151.73 | 16,686 | Ito District | Town |  |
 Kimino |
紀美野町 | 128.31 | 8,989 | Kaisō District | Town |  |
 Kitayama |
北山村 | 48.21 | 432 | Higashimuro District | Village |  |
 Kōya |
高野町 | 137.08 | 3,279 | Ito District | Town |  |
 Kozagawa |
古座川町 | 294.52 | 2,749 | Higashimuro District | Town |  |
 Kudoyama |
九度山町 | 44.19 | 4,295 | Ito District | Town |  |
 Kushimoto |
串本町 | 135.78 | 16,243 | Higashimuro District | Town |  |
 Mihama |
美浜町 | 12.79 | 7,391 | Hidaka District | Town |  |
 Minabe |
みなべ町 | 120.26 | 12,561 | Hidaka District | Town |  |
 Nachikatsuura |
那智勝浦町 | 183.45 | 17,261 | Higashimuro District | Town |  |
 Shirahama |
白浜町 | 201.04 | 23,325 | Nishimuro District | Town |  |
 Susami |
すさみ町 | 174.71 | 4,011 | Nishimuro District | Town |  |
 Taiji |
太地町 | 5.96 | 3,428 | Higashimuro District | Town |  |
 Yuasa |
湯浅町 | 20.8 | 11,960 | Arida District | Town |  |
 Yura |
由良町 | 30.74 | 5,738 | Hidaka District | Town |  |
Mergers
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Since 1996, population of Wakayama Prefecture has kept declining, and since 2010, it has been the only prefecture in Kansai region with population below 1,000,000. In 2017, Wakayama is ranked 40th by population in Japan with a population of 944,320. In the 2020 census, close to 32% of the population was over 65 years of age - the highest percentage in Japan and one of the highest for national subdivisions worldwide.[6]
The current governor Shūhei Kishimoto was elected on 27 November 2022.[7]
Prefectural assembly
| Political party | Number of seats |
|---|---|
| Liberal Democratic Party | 28 |
| Reform Club (改新クラブ) | 5 |
| Komeito | 3 |
| Nippon Ishin no Kai | 3 |
| Japanese Communist Party | 1 |
| Independent society | 1 |
| Independent | 1 |
State-appointed governors:
|
|
Publicly-elected governors:
|
|
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Mount Kōya (高野山, Kōya-san) in the Ito District is the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. It is home to one of the first Japanese style Buddhist temples in Japan and remains a pilgrimage site and an increasingly popular tourist destination as people flock to see its ancient temples set amidst the towering cedar trees at the top of the mountain. The Sacred sites and pilgrimage routes in the Kii Mountain Range extend for miles throughout the prefecture and together have been recognized as Japan's 11th UNESCO World Heritage Site.[9]
The Kumano Shrines are on the southern tip of the prefecture. Tomogashima (a cluster of four islands) is part of the prefecture.
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Orange
Wakayama Prefecture ranks first in the production of oranges in Japan. Wakayama has its own brand of oranges, which is produced in Arida District and called 'Arida-Orange'. Arida District, where oranges have been produced for more than 400 years,[10] yields about half of the orange crops in Wakayama today.[11] Furthermore, the yield of Arida-Oranges accounts for about 10 percent of Japanese domestic production of oranges.[12]
Japanese apricot (Ume)
According to the survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, Wakayama stands first in the production of Japanese apricots (梅, Ume) in Japan. As of 2016, Wakayama made up about 70 percent of Japanese domestic production of Japanese apricots.[13]
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Wakayama Prefecture has friendship and sister relationships with six places outside Japan:[14]
Wakayama Prefecture has hot springs such as Shirahama, Kawayu, and Yunomine Onsen.
Saikazaki, Wakanoura
The Museum of Modern Art, Wakayama
Konpon Daido
(Mount Kōya)
Daimonzaka
(Kumano Kodō)
Rail
- JR Central
- JR West
- Kishu Railway
- Nankai
- Wakayama Electric Railway
Road
Expressway
- Hanwa Expressway
- Keinawa Expressway
- Nachi Katsuura Road
- Yuasa Gobo Road
National Highway
Ferry
- Wakayama-Tokushima
Airport
Universities
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