Hyōgo Prefecture



Hyōgo Prefecture (兵庫県) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 and a geographic area of 8400 km2. Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to the southeast, and Okayama and Tottori prefectures to the west.

Kōbe 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. 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.

History
Present-day Hyōgo Prefecture includes the former provinces of Harima, Tajima, Awaji, and parts of Tanba and Settsu.

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.

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, 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.

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.

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

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. However, the merger has not taken place.

Economy
As in all prefectures nationwide, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries play a big role in the economy of Hyogo Prefecture. 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, 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.



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
 * Chorakuji in Kami, Hyōgo (Mikata)

Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings in Japan

 * Kitano-chō Yamamoto-dōri
 * Izushi
 * Sasayama

Museums

 * 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
 * Hakutsuru Fine Art Museum in Higashinada Ward, Kobe
 * Himeji City Museum of Art in Himeji
 * Asago Art Village in Asago
 * Ashiya City Museum of Art & History in Ashiya
 * TEKISUI MUSEUM OF ART in Ashiya
 * Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum in Takarazuka

Amagasaki

 * Sonoda Women's University
 * St. Thomas University (ex-Eichi University) – closed in 2015

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
 * Kobe Institute of Computing
 * 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.


 * Ashiya International Secondary School, founded 2003

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
 * Kobe Storks (Kobe)

Tourism
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.

Festivals 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

Rail

 * JR West
 * San'yō Shinkansen
 * JR Kobe Line
 * Wadamisaki Line
 * San'yō Main Line
 * 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
 * Kobe Municipal Subway
 * Seishin-Yamate Line
 * Kaigan Line
 * Hokushin Line
 * Hojo Railway (Ao-Hojo)
 * Hanshin Railway
 * Main Line
 * Kobe Kosoku Line
 * Mukogawa Line
 * Hanshin Namba Line
 * Sanyo Railway
 * Main Line
 * Aboshi Line
 * Chizu Express
 * Kitakinki Tango Railway
 * Miyazu Line

People movers

 * Kobe New Transit
 * Port Liner
 * Rokkō Liner

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 427
 * Route 428
 * Route 429
 * Route 436
 * Route 477
 * Route 482
 * Route 483

Ports

 * Kobe Port – Mainly international container hub port
 * Akashi Port
 * Shikama Port – Mainly Shōdo Island route ferry

Airport

 * Kobe Airport
 * Konotori Tajima Airport

Notable people

 * 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), 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

Sister regions
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.

In 1981, a sister state agreement was drawn up between Hyogo and the state of Western Australia in Australia. To commemorate the 10th anniversary of this agreement in 1992, the Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre was established in Perth.

General references

 * Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth (2005). Japan Encyclopedia. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5..