Okayama Prefecture

Okayama Prefecture
岡山県
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese 岡山県
 • Rōmaji Okayama-ken

Flag
Symbol of Okayama Prefecture
Country Japan
Region Chūgoku (Sanyō)
Island Honshu
Capital Okayama
Government
 • Governor Ryūta Ibaragi
Area
 • Total 7,113.21 km2 (2,746.43 sq mi)
Area rank 15th
Population (May 1, 2015)
 • Total 1,920,654
 • Rank 21st
 • Density 270/km2 (700/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code JP-33
Districts 10
Municipalities 27
Flower Peach blossom (Prunus persica var. vulgaris)
Tree Red pine (Pinus densiflora)
Bird Lesser cuckoo (Cuculus poliocephalus)
Website www.pref.okayama.jp

Okayama Prefecture (岡山県 Okayama-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on the main island of Honshu.[1] The capital is the city of Okayama.[2][3][4]

History

Prior to the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the area of present-day Okayama Prefecture was divided between Bitchū, Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces. Okayama Prefecture was formed and named in 1871 as part of the large-scale administrative reforms of the early Meiji period (1868–1912), and the borders of the prefecture were set in 1876.[3][5]

Geography

Map of Okayama Prefecture

Okayama Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture, and Hiroshima Prefecture.[3] It faces Kagawa Prefecture in Shikoku across the Seto Inland Sea and includes 90 islands in the sea.

Okayama Prefecture is home to the historic town of Kurashiki. Most of the population is concentrated around Kurashiki and Okayama. The small villages in the northern mountain region are aging and declining in population - more than half of the prefectures municipalities are officially designated as depopulated.[6]

As of 1 April 2014, 11% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Daisen-Oki and Setonaikai National Parks; the Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park; and seven Prefectural Natural Parks.[7]

Cities

Fifteen cities are located in Okayama Prefecture:

Okayama City
Tsuyama
Takahashi
Niimi

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Mergers

Education

Universities in Okayama Prefecture

High schools in Okayama Prefecture


Transportation

Rail

Tramways

Roads

Expressways

National highways

Airport

Culture

Association with Momotarō legend

Okayama Prefecture is closely associated with the folklore hero, Momotarō. This tale is said to have roots in the legendary story of Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto and Ura which explains that the Prince Ura of Kudara used to live in Kinojo (castle of the devil) and was a cause of trouble for the people living in the village. The emperor's government sent Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto(Momotarō) to defeat Ura. The city of Okayama holds an annual Momotarō-matsuri, or Momotarō Festival.[4][8]

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Okayama.

Football

Volleyball

Tourism

Okayama Korakuen Park and Okayama Castle
Hiruzen Plateau and Hiruzen Joyful Park in Maniwa
Hinase Island and Seto Inlandsea in Bizen

Some tourist attractions are:

Notable people from Okayama Prefecture

Shin Koyamada, Hollywood actor from The Last Samurai

Notes

  1. ↑ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Okayama-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 745, p. 745, at Google Books; "Chūgoku" at p. 127, p. 127, at Google Books.
  2. ↑ Nussbaum, "Okayama" at p. 745, p. 745, at Google Books.
  3. 1 2 3 "Okayama Prefecture". Encyclopedia of Japan. Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 56431036. Archived from the original on August 25, 2007. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  4. 1 2 "岡山（県）" [Okayama Prefecture]. Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 153301537. Archived from the original on August 25, 2007. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  5. ↑ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
  6. ↑ Okayama official website accessed Nov. 2007
  7. ↑ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  8. ↑ "Okayama History". Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  9. ↑ "Shin Koyamada's IMDB Biography".
  10. ↑ "Yuko Arimori's profile".
  11. ↑ "Masashi Kishimoto's Biography on TV.com".

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Okayama prefecture.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Okayama prefecture.

Coordinates: 34°42′N 133°51′E / 34.700°N 133.850°E / 34.700; 133.850

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