Hyōgo Prefecture
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Coor din ates: 3 4 °4 1 ′2 6 .9 4 ″N 1 3 5 °1 0′5 9 .08″E Hyōgo Prefecture Hyōgo Prefecture (兵庫県 Hyōgo-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Hyōgo Prefecture Honshu island.[1] The capital is Kobe.[2] 兵庫県 Prefecture Contents Japanese transcription(s) • Japanese 兵庫県 History • Rōmaji Hyōgo-ken Geography Cities Towns Islands National parks Mergers Flag Future mergers Symbol Economy Culture National Treasures of Japan Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings in Japan Museums Education Universities Amagasaki Takarazuka Sanda Nishinomiya Ashiya Kobe Kato Akashi Kakogawa Country Japan Himeji Region Kansai Akō Island Honshu High schools Capital Kobe Sports Government Tourism • Governor Toshizō Ido Festival and events Area Transportation Rail • Total 8,396.13 km2 People movers (3,241.76 sq mi) Road Area rank 12th Expressways Population (November 1, 2011) National highways Ports • Total 5,582,978 Airport • Rank 7th • Density 660/km2 (1,700/sq mi) Notable people Sister regions ISO 3166 JP-28 code See also Notes Districts 8 References Municipalities 41 External links Flower Nojigiku (Chrysanthemum japonense) Tree Camphor tree History (Cinnamomum camphora) Bird Oriental white stork Present-day Hyōgo Prefecture includes the former provinces of Harima, Tajima, Awaji, and parts (Ciconia boyciana) of Tanba and Settsu.[3] Website web.pref.hyogo.lg.jp/fl /english/ (http://web.pre In 1180, near the end of the Heian period, Emperor Antoku, Taira no Kiyomori, and the Imperial f.hyogo.lg.jp/fl/english/) 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 Takarazuka and neighboring Osaka Prefecture, killing nearly 6,500 people. Himeji Castle in Himeji, a UNESCO World Heritage Site Geography 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, and 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 in Hyōgo, 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 March 31, 2008, 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.[4] Map of Hyōgo Prefecture. Cities Government Ordinance Designated City City Town Twenty-nine cities are located in Hyōgo Prefecture: Kobe is where the Hyogo Prefectural Government sits. Kobe Takarazuka Sumoto Tatsuno Shiso Aioi Ashiya Kasai Minamiawaji Sasayama Tamba Akashi Awaji Katō Nishinomiya Shisō Tatsuno Akō Himeji Kawanishi Nishiwaki Sumoto Toyooka Amagasaki Itami Miki Ono Takarazuka Yabu Asago Kakogawa Sanda Takasago Towns These are the towns in each district: Akō District Kanzaki District Mikata District Kamigōri Fukusaki Kami Ibo District Ichikawa Shin'onsen Kamikawa Taishi Sayō District Kawabe District Kako District Sayō Inagawa Taka District Harima Inami Taka Islands Awaji Island Ieshima Islands Two major artificial islands are located Hyōgo Prefecture: Rokkō Island Port Island National parks Sanin Kaigan National Park Setonaikai National Park Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama- Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama- Sanin Kaigan National Sanin Kaigan National Nagisan Quasi-National Nagisan Quasi-National Park (Takeno Beach in Park (Tajima-mihonoura Park (Mt. Hyonosen view Park (Torokawataira in Toyooka) of Sanin Coast in from Yabu) Kami) 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.[5] However, the merger hasn't taken place. Economy As in all prefectures nationwide, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries play a big role in the economy of Hyogo Prefecture.[6] 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 worlds-fasted-supercomputers, and Hyogo Prefecture passed laws to keep Kobe Port free of Nuclear Weapons (a Nuclear-free zone) since the year 197 5.[7] Hyōgo is a part of the Hanshin Industrial Region. There are two research institute of Riken, natural sciences research institute in Japan, in Kobe and Harima. It has "SPring-8",a synchrotron radiation facility in Harima. Kobe Port Culture National Treasures of Japan Himeji Castle in Himeji (UNESCO World Heritage Site) Jōdo-ji in Ono Ichijō-ji in Kasai Kakurin-ji in Kakogawa Taisan-ji in Kobe Chōkō-ji in Katō Jōdo-ji in Ono Ichijo-ji in Kasai Kakurin-ji in Kakogawa Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings in Japan Kitano-chō Yamamoto-dōri Izushi Sasayama Kitano-chō Yamamoto- Izushi Sasayama dōri Museums Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of Art in Nada Ward, Kobe. Kobe City Museum in Chuo Ward, Kobe. Kobe Maritime Museum in Chuo Ward, Kobe. Himeji City Museum of Art in Himeji. Asago Art Village in Asago. Ashiya City Museum of Art & History in Ashiya. Hyōgo Prefectural Kobe City Museum in Himeji City Museum of Asago Art Village in Asago Museum of Art in Kobe. Kobe. Art in Himeji. Education Universities Amagasaki Sonoda Women's University St. Thomas University (Eichi University) Takarazuka Takarazuka University Koshien University Sanda Kwansei Gakuin University (Sanda Campus) Nishinomiya Kobe College Kwansei Gakuin University Otemae University Mukogawa Women's University Ashiya Ashiya University Kobe Kobe University Kobe University of Commerce Kobe Gakuin University Kobe City University of Foreign Studies Kobe Women's University Kobe Shukugawa Gakuin University Konan University University of Marketing and Distribution Sciences University of Hyogo Kato Hyogo University of Teacher Education Akashi University of Hyogo Kakogawa Hyogo University Himeji Himeji Institute of Technology Himeji Dokkyo University Himeji Kinki University University of Hyogo Akō University of Hyogo 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. Sports The sports teams listed below are based in Hyōgo. Football (soccer) Vissel Kobe (Kobe) INAC Kobe Leonessa (Women's) (Kobe) Baseball Orix Buffaloes (Kobe) Hanshin Tigers (Nishinomiya) Volleyball Hisamitsu Springs (Kobe) JT Marvelous (NIshinomiya) Rugby Kobelco Steelers (Kobe) World Fighting Bull (Kobe) Basketball Hyogo Storks (Kobe) Tourism A popular troupe of Takarazuka Revue plays in Takarazuka. The north of Hyogo Prefecture has sightseeing spots such as Kinosaki Onsen, Izushi, and Y umura Onsen, and the matsuba crab, and Tajima beef are both national delicacies.[8] million-dollar view, Kobe Harborland - Meriken Awaji Yumebutai in Awaji Kuchiganaya in Asago Kinosaki Onsen Park area in Kobe Yumura Onsen Tonomine highland in Toyooka Stork Park Kamikawa Festival and events 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 Dekansho Bon Dancing Festival Transportation Rail JR West San'yō Shinkansen JR Kobe Line Wadamisaki Line San'yō Main Line Castle Festival in Himeji San'in Line Fukuchiyama Line (JR Takarazuka Line) Kakogawa Line Bantan Line Kishin Line Akō Line Hankyu Railway Kobe Line Kobe Kosoku Line Itami Line Imazu Line Koyo Line Takarazuka Line Nose Railway Myoken Line Nissei Line Shintetsu Arima Line Kobe Kosoku Line Sanda Line Kōen-Toshi Line Ao Line Hokushin Kyūkō Electric Railway Kobe Municipal Subway Seishin-Yamate Line Kaigan Line Hojo Railway (Ao-Hojo) Hanshin Railway Main Line Kobe Kosoku Line Mukogawa Line Hanshin Nanba Line Sanyo Railway Main Line Aboshi Line Chizu Express Kitakinki Tango Railway Miyazu Line People movers Kobe New Transit Port Liner Rokkō Liner Road Expressways Chūgoku Expressway San'yō Expressway Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway Meishin Expressway Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway Bantan Expressway Second Shinmei road Hanshin Expressway 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