Kanagawa Prefecture
www.EUbusinessinJapan.eu Latest update: August 2013 KANAGAWA PREFECTURE Prefecture’s flag Main City: Yokohama Population: 9,079,000 people, ranking 2/47 (2013) [1] Area: 2,415.84 km² [2] Geographical / Landscape description: Kanagawa Prefecture is located in the southern Kanto region of Japan and is part of the Greater Tokyo Area. Topographically, the prefecture consists of three distinct areas. The mountainous western region features the Tanzawa Mountain Range and Hakone Volcano. The hilly eastern region is characterized by the Tama Hills and Miura Peninsula. The central region, which surrounds the Tama Hills and Miura Peninsula, consists of flat stream terraces and low lands around major rivers including the Sagami River, Sakai River, Tsurumi River, and Tama River. [2] Climate: The climate is moderate due to the warm current running along the Pacific side of the archipelago. [2] Time zone: GMT +7 in summer (+8 in winter) International dialling code: 0081 Recent history, culture Kanagawa has played a major role in some significant periods in Japan's history. The first began in 1192, when the first military government was established in Kamakura. This made Kanagawa the centre of the Japanese political scene. The second period commenced in 1859, when the Port of Yokohama was opened to the world after more than 200 years of strict national isolation. Since then, Kanagawa became the gateway for the introduction of Western civilization. The third period was the 1950s, when the Japanese economy was being reconstructed after World War II. During this period, along with the development of the Keihin Industrial Belt, Kanagawa played a significant role in rebuilding the war-devastated Japanese economy.
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