Ōita Prefecture
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Coor din ates: 3 3 °1 4 ′1 7 .4 7 ″N 1 3 1 °3 6 ′4 5 .3 8″E Ōita Prefecture 大 分 県 Ōita Prefecture ( Ōita-ken) is a prefecture on Ōita Prefecture Kyushu region of Japan.[1] The prefectural capital is the city 大分県 of Ōita.[2] Prefecture Japanese transcription(s) Contents • Japanese 大分県 • Rōmaji Ōita-ken History Notable people Shrines and temples Geography Current municipalities Cities Flag Symbol Towns and villages Mergers and dissolutions Economy Other industries Demographics Culture National Treasures Dance Crafts Religion Architecture Music Arts Sports Tourism Prefectural symbols Country Japan Region Kyushu Miscellaneous topics Island Kyushu Media Transport Capital Ōita Roads Government Expressway and Toll Road • Governor Katsusada Hirose National Highway Railroads Area Airports • Total 6,338.82 km2 Ports (2,447.43 sq mi) Notes Area rank 24th References Population (December 1, 2013) External links • Total 1,177,900 • Rank 33rd • Density 185.82/km2 History (481.3/sq mi) ISO 3166 JP-44 Around the 6th century Kyushu consisted of four regions: code Tsukushi Province, Hi Province, Kumaso Province and Districts 3 Toyo Province. Municipalities 18 Flower Bungo-ume blossom Toyo Province was later divided into two regions, upper (Prunus mume and lower Toyo Province, called Bungo Province and Buzen var. bungo) Province. Tree Bungo-ume tree (Prunus mume After the Meiji Restoration, districts from Bungo and Buzen var. bungo) provinces were combined to form Ōita Prefecture.[3] These Bird Japanese white-eye provinces were divided among many local daimyōs and (Zosterops japonica) thus a large castle town never formed in Ōita. From this Website www.pref.oita.jp (http:// time that whole area became known as "Toyo-no-kuni", www.pref.oita.jp) which means "Land of Abundance". The origins of the name Ōita are documented in a report from the early 8th century called the Chronicles of Bungo (豊後国風土記 bungonokuni-fudoki) .[4] According to the document, when Emperor Keikō visited the Kyushu region, stopping first in Toyo-no-kuni, he exclaimed that 'This is a vast land, indeed. It shall be known as Okita-Kuni!' Okita-Kuni, meaning "Land of the Great Fields", later came to be written as "Ōita". Present day interpretations based on Ōita's topography state that Oita's name comes from "Okita", meaning "many fields", rather than "vast" or "great" field, because of Ōita's complex terrain.[4] In the Edo period (1603–1867 ) the town of Hita was the government seat for the entire domain of Kyushu, which was directly controlled by the national government or shōgun at that time. The region became well known for the money-lending industry based out of Hita. Merchants in Hita's Mameda and Kuma districts worked with the national government to create this money-lending industry known as Hita-kin. Notable people Ōtomo Sōrin (1530–1587): The Otomo family ruled over the Funai Domain, which is present day Ōita City, in the 16th century. Funai was a very internationalized city which engaged in trade and exchange with other nations. Sōrin, the 21st leader of the Ōtomo clan, embraced Western culture enthusiastically and invited the missionary Francis Xavier to the city to promote Christianity. Sōrin dreamed of creating a Christian nation; he was baptized and given the name "Don Francisco". Sōrin died in Tsukumi.[5] Miura Baien (September 1, 1723 – April 9, 1789): A scholar originally known as Susumu but called Baien after the name of his private school where he educated many scholars. Miura developed his own system of logic and wrote many works including his three famous words, Deep Words (玄語 gengo), Redundant Words (贅語 zeigo), and Bold Words (敢語 kango). He also worked in a hospital and had a good knowledge of astronomy. He hand made an astronomical globe that was passed down through many generations.[4] He spent his entire life in Tominaga Village which is the present day area of Aki Town in Kunisaki City. Miura Baien is considered one of Ōita's three sages along with Hoashi Banri and Hirose Tansō. Hoashi Banri (帆足万里, February 11, 1778 – July 30, 1852): Miura Baien's pupil who expanded his academic ability into many fields including Confucianism, natural sciences, medicine and language. He taught himself Dutch to reference scientific publications for his eight-volume work Kyuritsu, which was considered the top work of Western natural science in Japan at that time. In 1832 he was made Minister for the Feudal Lord to fix the financial problems of the Hiji clan.[4] Banri Hoashi is considered one of Ōita's three sages along with Miura Baien and Hirose Tansō. Hirose Tansō (広瀬淡窓, May 22, 1782 – November 28, 1856): A Confucian scholar, poet and educator from a money-lending family in Hita. Ōita's current governor Katsusada Hirose is a descendant of Tansō Hirose. In Edo period Japan, education was limited to samurai families and the rich. However, Hirose Tansō opened a school called Kangien (咸宜園) meaning "all are welcome" and admitted students regardless of social status, age, or education level. The school's methodology of a "self-administered work-study policy" is said to have had great influence on the modern day education system in Japan. Former Prime Minister Kiyoura Keigo was educated here, with other students who went on to become influential scholars, artists and politicians. The school’s remains were designated a historical site in 1932 and are a couple blocks from the original Hirose family house, where the Hirose Museum is. There, Tansō Hirose and other family members’ works are on display, with other original Hirose artifacts, hina dolls, tea ceremony utensils and more. Both are in Mameda Town, about a 10- minute walk from Hita Station. Tansō Hirose is considered one of the Oita's three sages along with Miura Baien and Hoashi Banri. An asteroid called 10009 Hirosetanso discovered by the University of Tokyo in 1977 was named after Tansō Hirose. Fukuzawa Yukichi (1834–1901): Founded Japan's oldest institute of higher education, Keio University in Tokyo. Fukuzawa Yukichi grew up in the Nakatsu domain and is pictured on the 10,000 yen bill. He was influential in Japan's education system by promoting independence and self-reliance of the Japanese people at his classes as Keio-Gijuku University, known as present day Keio University, originally a school for Western studies. The university now educates in a range of fields and produces influential and prominent alumni. Shrines and temples Sasamuta-jinja and Y usuhara Hachiman-gū are the chief Shinto shrines (ichinomiya) in the prefecture.[6] Geography Ōita Prefecture is on the north-eastern section of the island of Kyūshū. It is 119 kilometers from east to west, and 106 kilometers from north to south, with a total area of 6,339 square kilometers. Surrounded by the Suo Channel and Honshū Island to the north, the Iyo Channel and Shikoku Island to the east, it is bordered by Miyazaki Prefecture to the south, and Fukuoka Prefecture and Kumamoto Prefecture to the west. It is divided between north and south by a major tectonic line running from Usuki City in Ōita Prefecture to Y atsushiro City in Kumamoto Prefecture, which is to the west of Ōita. There are several other tectonic lines running from east to west through the prefecture. The northern part of the prefecture features granite and metamorphic rocks, while the southern area features limestone, which is the foundation for the Tsukumi cement industry, and several limestone caves. The Kirishima Range is a volcanic belt that runs vertically through the prefecture and contributes to the many hot spring sources that make the region a popular tourist attraction, and makes Ōita the prefecture with the largest number of hot springs in the whole country.[7] Mountain ranges include Mount Y ufu, Mount Tsurumi, Mount Sobo, Mount Katamuki, and Mount Kujū (which is called the "roof of Kyushu"). These mountain ranges contribute to the fact that 7 0% of Oita is covered by forests, and the rivers and streams that flow from these ranges give the prefecture rich water sources. The prefecture's major water sources are Y amakuni River, Y akkan River, Ōita River, Ōno and Banjō River, and Beppu Bay and the Bungo Channel. Mount Kujū ( 九重山) is surrounded by highlands called the Kujū Highlands and the Handa Highlands. There are open plains throughout the prefecture with Nakatsu Plain in the north, Oita Plain in the center, and Saiki Plain in the south. The inland areas consist of basin valleys in Hita, Kusu, Y ufuin and Taketa, which were formed by lava buildup in combination with river erosion. Ōita has a 7 59 kilometer coastline that has shoals in the north, Beppu Bay in the center, and a jagged or sawtooth "rias coastline" in the south. Sea cliffs, caves, and sedimentary rock formations that can be found in Saiki City's Y akata Island are considered very rare outside of coral reef areas. Ōita's coastal waters contribute to a prosperous fishing industry. As of 1 April 2014, 28% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Aso Kujū and Setonaikai National Parks; the Nippō Kaigan, Sobo-Katamuki, and Y aba-Hita-Hikosan Quasi-National Parks; and the Bungo Suidō, Jinkakuji Serikawa, Kunisaki Hantō, Sobo Katamuki, and Tsue Sankei Prefectural Natural Parks.[8] Current municipalities Currently, the prefecture has 14 cities, 3 districts, 3 towns, and one village. From 2005 to 2006, all municipalities but Beppu, Tsukumi, Himeshima, Hiji, and all towns in Kusu District, were merged, and the total municipalities went down from 58 on December 31, 2004, to 18 after the creation of the city of Kunisaki by merging with 4 towns from Higashikunisaki District on March 31, 2006.