Hiroshima Prefecture

Hiroshima Prefecture (広島県, Hiroshima-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu.^[2] Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of 2,811,410 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 8,479 km² (3,274 sq mi). Hiroshima Prefecture borders Okayama Prefecture to the east, Tottori Prefecture to the northeast, Shimane Prefecture to the north, and Yamaguchi Prefecture to the southwest.

Hiroshima Prefecture 広島県
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
• Japanese	広島県
• Rōmaji	Hiroshima-ken

Flag Symbol

Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku (San'yō)
Island	Honshu
Capital	Hiroshima
Subdivisions	Districts: 5, Municipalities: 23
Government
• Governor	Hidehiko Yuzaki (since November 2009)
Area
• Total	8,479.63 km² (3,274.00 sq mi)
• Rank	11th
Population (June 1, 2019)
• Total	2,811,410
• Rank	12th
• Density	330/km² (860/sq mi)
• Dialects	Aki・Bingo
GDP ^[1]
• Total	JP¥ 11,969 billion US$ 109.8 billion (2019)
ISO 3166 code	JP-34
Website	pref.hiroshima.lg.jp

Symbols of Japan

Bird	Red-throated diver (Gavia stellata)
Tree	Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)

Hiroshima is the capital and largest city of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region, with other major cities including Fukuyama, Kure, and Higashihiroshima.^[3] Hiroshima Prefecture is located on the Seto Inland Sea across from the island of Shikoku, and is bounded to the north by the Chūgoku Mountains. Hiroshima Prefecture is one of the three prefectures of Japan with more than one UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History edit

The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province.^[4] This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded history. Hiroshima is a traditional center of the Chūgoku region and was the seat of the Mōri clan until the Battle of Sekigahara.

Together with Nara and Tokyo, Hiroshima is one of the three prefectures with more than one UNESCO World Heritage Site. The two such sites in Hiroshima Prefecture are:

The Atomic Dome in Hiroshima, one of the few remnants of prewar Hiroshima following the atomic bombing in 1945;
The Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima, famed for filling with water and appearing to "float" during high tide.

Geography edit

Map of Hiroshima Prefecture
Government Ordinance Designated City City Town

Fukuyama

Onomichi

Higashihiroshima

Mihara

Hiroshima prefecture lies in the middle of Japan. Most of the prefecture consists of mountains leading towards Shimane Prefecture; and rivers produce rich plains near the coast.

The province faces Shikoku across the Seto Inland Sea. Hiroshima Bay opens on the Inland Sea.^[5] The prefecture also includes many small islands.

The sheltered nature of the Inland Sea makes Hiroshima's climate very mild.

As of 1 April 2014, 4% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks (the lowest percentage of any prefecture), namely Setonaikai National Park; Hiba-Dōgo-Taishaku and Nishi-Chūgoku Sanchi Quasi-National Parks; and six Prefectural Natural Parks.^[6]

Cities edit

Fourteen cities are located in Hiroshima Prefecture:

Name		Area (km²)	Population	Map
Rōmaji	Kanji	Area (km²)	Population	Map
Akitakata	安芸高田市	538.17	31,565
Etajima	江田島市	100.97	24,596
Fuchū	府中市	195.71	43,932
Fukuyama	福山市	518.14	468,812
Hatsukaichi	廿日市市	489.36	117,106
Higashihiroshima	東広島市	635.32	185,418
Hiroshima (capital)	広島市	906.68	1,199,391
Kure	呉市	352.8	228,030
Mihara	三原市	471.03	97,324
Miyoshi	三次市	778.19	53,616
Onomichi	尾道市	284.85	141,811
Ōtake	大竹市	78.57	27,684
Shōbara	庄原市	1,246.6	35,870
Takehara	竹原市	118.3	26,035

Towns edit

These are the towns in each district:

Name		Area (km²)	Population	District	Type	Map
Rōmaji	Kanji	Area (km²)	Population	District	Type	Map
Akiōta	安芸太田町	342.25	6,585	Yamagata District	Town
Fuchū	府中町	10.45	52,056	Aki District
Jinsekikōgen	神石高原町	381.81	9,427	Jinseki District
Kaita	海田町	13.81	29,082	Aki District
Kitahiroshima	北広島町	645.86	19,115	Yamagata District
Kumano	熊野町	33.62	24,000	Aki District
Ōsakikamijima	大崎上島町	43.24	7,801	Toyota District
Saka	坂町	15.64	13,265	Aki District
Sera	世羅町	278.29	19,213	Sera District

Mergers edit

Economy edit

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1890	1,319,507	—
1903	1,508,713	+1.04%
1913	1,691,699	+1.15%
1920	1,541,905	−1.32%
1925	1,617,680	+0.96%
1930	1,692,136	+0.90%
1935	1,804,916	+1.30%
1940	1,869,504	+0.71%
1945	1,885,471	+0.17%
1950	2,081,967	+2.00%
1955	2,149,044	+0.64%
1960	2,184,043	+0.32%
1965	2,281,146	+0.87%
1970	2,436,135	+1.32%
1975	2,646,324	+1.67%
1980	2,739,161	+0.69%
1985	2,819,200	+0.58%
1990	2,849,847	+0.22%
1995	2,881,748	+0.22%
2000	2,878,915	−0.02%
2005	2,876,642	−0.02%
2010	2,860,750	−0.11%
2015	2,844,963	−0.11%
source:^[7]

Hiroshima's main industries include automobiles (Mazda is headquartered there) and tourism in two World Heritage Sites: the A-Bomb dome and Itsukushima Shrine.

Components of the economy are primary industry, secondary industry, and tertiary industry, which compose 0.6%, 32.6%, and 66.2% in 2015. There is 0.6% of unclassified production.^[8]

Value of production of manufacturing is 10,343 billion yen in 2016, which is the 10th largest in Japan. After 2012, production of manufacturing is continuously increasing in 2015.^[9]

Education edit

University edit

Religion edit

Religious denominations in the Hiroshima Prefecture (1996)^[10]

Pure Land Buddhism (35.3%)

Zen Buddhism (3.6%)

Tendai or Shingon Buddhism (4.4%)

Soka Gakkai (4.9%)

Nichiren Buddhism (3%)

Other Buddhist schools (1%)

Christianity (2%)

Shinto sects (2%)

Folk Shinto or no religion (44.8%)

Similar to the rest of Japan, most people in the Hiroshima Prefecture are Shinto or Buddhist. in 1996 51.2% of the population was Buddhist, 2 were affiliated with Shinto Sects, 44.8% practiced Folk Shinto, and 2% were Christian.^[10]

Transportation edit

Railway edit

People movers edit

Streetcars edit

Hiroshima Tramway

Hiroshima Electric Railway

Roads edit

Expressways edit

Chūgoku Expressway
San'yō Expressway
Shimanami Expressway
Hamada Expressway
Onomichi Expressway
Hiroshima Expressway (West Nippon Expressway Company)
Hiroshima Expressway (urban expressway)

National highways edit

Route 2
Route 31
Route 54
Route 182
Route 183
Route 185
Route 186
Route 191
Route 261
Route 313
Route 314
Route 317
Route 375
Route 432
Route 433
Route 434
Route 486
Route 487
Route 488

Ports edit

Kure Port - Ferry route to Edajima, Matsuyama
Hiroshima Port - Ferry route to Miyajima, Edajima, Matsuyama, and Beppu, and also International Container hub port
Mihara Port
Onomichi Port
Fukuyama Port - International Container hub port

Airports edit

Hiroshima Airport

Sports edit

Mazda Stadium

The sports teams listed below are based in Hiroshima.

Football edit

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Hiroshima city)

Baseball edit

Hiroshima Toyo Carp (Hiroshima city)

Volleyball edit

JT Thunders (Hiroshima city)

Basketball edit

Hiroshima Dragonflies
Hiroshima Lightning (Defunct)

Cycling edit

Victoire Hiroshima

Tourism edit

Itsukushima Shrine and Torii Gate (Hatsukaichi)
Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Hiroshima City)
Taishaku Valley (Shobara)
Road of longing (Shokei no michi) in Takehara on October
Hiroshima Castle
Tomonoura (Fukuyama)

Famous festivals and events edit

Onomichi Port Festival - held in April
Hiroshima Flower Festival - held from May 3 to 5
Fukuyama Rose Festival - held in May
Enryuji Tokasan Festival - held in June
Gion Festival of Onomichi - held in July
Innoshima Water-naval Festival - held in August
Miyajima Under-water Firework Festival - held on August 14^{[citation needed]}
Yassa Festival of Mihara - held in August
Saijo Sake Festival - held in October
Onomichi Becher Festival - held on November 3
Hiroshima Ebisu Festival - held from November 18 to 20

International sister relations edit

Sichuan Province, China^[11]
Hawaii, United States of America^[12]

Notes edit

^ "2020年度国民経済計算（2015年基準・2008SNA） : 経済社会総合研究所 - 内閣府". 内閣府ホームページ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-05-18.
^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Hiroshima-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 320 at Google Books; "Chūgoku" at p. 127 at Google Books.
^ Nussbaum, "Hiroshima" at pp. 319–20 at Google Books.
^ Nussbaum, "Province and prefecture" at p. 780 at Google Books.
^ Nussbaum, "Hiroshima Wan" at p. 320 at Google Books.
^ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
^ Statistics Bureau of Japan
^ "平成27年度広島県民経済計算結果について" (PDF). 広島県.
^ "平成 28 年経済センサス" (PDF). 広島県.
^ ^a ^b Religion in Japan by prefecture, 1996. English language bar table.
^ "県の外国との友好交流に関する問い合わせは" (in Japanese). Hiroshima Prefecture.
^ "Hawaii's Sister-States". State of Hawai'i. from the original on October 16, 2020.

References edit

Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128

External links edit

Hiroshima Weather Forecast
National Archives of Japan
National Archives of Japan:
hiroshima-navi

34°26′N 132°45′E / 34.433°N 132.750°E / 34.433; 132.750

[1] "2020年度国民経済計算（2015年基準・2008SNA） : 経済社会総合研究所 - 内閣府". 内閣府ホームページ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-05-18.

[2] Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Hiroshima-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 320 at Google Books; "Chūgoku" at p. 127 at Google Books.

[3] Nussbaum, "Hiroshima" at pp. 319–20 at Google Books.

[4] Nussbaum, "Province and prefecture" at p. 780 at Google Books.

[5] Nussbaum, "Hiroshima Wan" at p. 320 at Google Books.

[6] "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2015.

[7] Statistics Bureau of Japan

[8] "平成27年度広島県民経済計算結果について" (PDF). 広島県.

[9] "平成 28 年経済センサス" (PDF). 広島県.

[1996statistics-10] Religion in Japan by prefecture, 1996. English language bar table.

[11] "県の外国との友好交流に関する問い合わせは" (in Japanese). Hiroshima Prefecture.

[12] "Hawaii's Sister-States". State of Hawai'i. from the original on October 16, 2020.

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