Okayama Prefecture
Prefecture of Japan
Prefecture in Chūgoku, Japan
Okayama Prefecture (岡山県 Okayama-ken is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu .[ 2] km2 (2,746 sq mi ). Okayama Prefecture borders Tottori Prefecture to the north, Hyōgo Prefecture to the east, and Hiroshima Prefecture to the west.
Okayama is the capital and largest city of Okayama Prefecture, with other major cities including Kurashiki , Tsuyama , and Sōja .[ 3] [ 4] [ 5] Seto Inland Sea coast across from Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku , which are connected by the Great Seto Bridge , while the north is characterized by the Chūgoku Mountains .
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.[ 4] [ 6]
Geography
Map of Okayama Prefecture Government Ordinance Designated City City Town Village Okayama Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture , Tottori Prefecture , and Hiroshima Prefecture .[ 4] 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 prefecture's municipalities are officially designated as depopulated.[ 7]
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.[ 8]
Cities
Okayama City Tsuyama Takahashi Niimi Fifteen cities are located in Okayama Prefecture:
Name
Area (km2 )
Population
Map
Rōmaji
Kanji
Akaiwa
赤磐市
209.43
44,498
Asakuchi
浅口市
66.46
35,022
Bizen
備前市
258.23
35,610
Ibara
井原市
243.36
41,460
Kasaoka
笠岡市
136.03
50,160
Kurashiki
倉敷市
355.63
483,576
Maniwa
真庭市
828.43
44,265
Mimasaka
美作市
429.19
28,502
Niimi
新見市
793.27
30,583
Okayama (capital)
岡山市
789.92
720,841
Setouchi
瀬戸内市
125.51
37,934
Sōja
総社市
212
67,059
Takahashi
高梁市
547.01
31,556
Tamano
玉野市
103.61
60,101
Tsuyama
津山市
506.36
102,294
Towns and villages
These are the towns and villages in each district :
Name
Area (km2 )
Population
District
Type
Map
Rōmaji
Kanji
Hayashima
早島町
7.62
12,671
Tsukubo District
Town
Kagamino
鏡野町
419.69
14,651
Tomata District
Town
Kibichūō
吉備中央町
268.73
11,989
Kaga District
Town
Kumenan
久米南町
78.65
4,962
Kume District
Town
Misaki
美咲町
232.15
17,776
Kume District
Town
Nagi
奈義町
69.54
5,861
Katsuta District
Town
Nishiawakura
西粟倉村
57.93
1,437
Aida District
Village
Satoshō
里庄町
12.23
11,204
Asakuchi District
Town
Shinjō
新庄村
67.1
951
Maniwa District
Village
Shōō
勝央町
54.09
11,237
Katsuta District
Town
Wake
和気町
144.21
14,191
Wake District
Town
Yakage
矢掛町
90.62
14,041
Oda District
Town
Mergers
Demographics
Okayama prefecture population pyramid in 2020 Per Japanese census data,[ 9] [ 10]
Historical population Year 1920 1,218,000 — 1930 1,284,000 +5.4% 1940 1,329,000 +3.5% 1950 1,661,000 +25.0% 1960 1,670,000 +0.5% 1970 1,707,000 +2.2% 1980 1,871,000 +9.6% 1990 1,926,000 +2.9% 2000 1,950,828 +1.3% 2010 1,945,276 −0.3% 2020 1,920,739 −1.3%
Education
Universities
Okayama
Kurashiki
Soja
Tsuyama
Niimi
High schools
Okayama
Kurashiki High School
Okayama Asahi Senior High School
Okayama Ichinomiya Senior High School
Okayama Hosen Senior High School
Okayama Joto Senior High School
Okayama Sakuyo High School[ 11]
Okayama Sozan Senior High School
Transportation
JR Okayama Station Okayama Momotarō Airport
Rail
Tramways
Roads
Expressways
National highways
Airport
Culture
Bizen-yaki (Bizen pottery)Bizen Osafune/Bitchu Aoe swords
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.[ 5] [ 12]
Arts
Sports
City Light Stadium .The sports teams listed below are based in Okayama.
Volleyball
Basketball
Tourism
Okayama Korakuen Park and Okayama Castle Hiruzen Plateau and Hiruzen Joyful Park in Maniwa Hinase Island and Seto Inlandsea in Bizen Bitchu Matsuyama Castle in Takahashi Some tourist attractions are:
Bikan Historical Area (倉敷美観地区 Kurashiki Bikan Chiku , Kurashiki
Bisei Astronomical Observatory (美星天文台 Bisei Tenmondai ) , Ibara Town (following dissolution of Bisei Town)
Bitchu Matsuyama Castle , TakahashiBrazilian Park Washuzan Highland , KurashikiKakuzan Park , TsuyamaKoraku-en Japanese garden in OkayamaKi Castle , SōjaMaki-do Cave , in NiimiOhara Museum of Art , KurashikiOkayama Castle , OkayamaShizutani School , Bizen
Notable people
Yuko Arimori (born 1966), marathon runner[ 13] Kenji Doihara (1883–1948), army officerTesshō Genda (born 1948), voice actorMorihiro Hashimoto (1977–2017), darts playerNaoki Hoshino (1892–1978), politicianKoshi Inaba (born 1964), singerMasaki Kajishima (born 1962), creator of Tenchi Muyo! Shiro Kawase (1889–1946), admiralSadahiko Miyake (1891–1956), generalChiura Obata (1885–1975), artistMori Takashi, former member of Gentouki
Yōji Takikawa (born 1949), pedagogistMutsuo Toi (1917–1938), perpetrator of the Tsuyama massacre
Inukai Tsuyoshi (1855–1932), former Prime Minister of JapanJiro Watanabe (born 1955), boxerTakeo Yasuda (1889–1964), lieutenant generalEisuke Yoshiyuki (1906–1940), authorFujii Kaze (born 1997), singerNishimura Riki, also known as Ni-ki of ENHYPEN (born 2005), K-pop idol,[ 14]
Issei Mamehara (born 2002), singer, dancer, member of JO1
Notes
^ "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). Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023 .^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Okayama-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 745 , p. 745, at Google Books ; "Chūgoku" at p. 127 Google Books .
^ Nussbaum, "Okayama" at p. 745 Google Books .
^ a b c "Okayama Prefecture" . Encyclopedia of Japan . Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 56431036 . Archived from the original on 25 August 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2012 .^ a b "岡山（県）" [Okayama Prefecture]. Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 153301537 . Archived from the original on 25 August 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2012 .^ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at p. 780 Google Books .
^ Okayama official website Archived 2 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine accessed November 2007^ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF) . Ministry of the Environment . 1 April 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2015 .^ "Okayama (Japan): Prefecture, Major Cities & Towns - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information" . www.citypopulation.de . Archived from the original on 2022-05-12. Retrieved 2022-05-12 .^ "Japan Prefectures Population from 1920 and Area" . www.demographia.com . Archived from the original on 2017-04-29. Retrieved 2020-11-25 .^ "岡山県作陽高等学校" . www.sakuyo-h.ed.jp . Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018 .^ "Okayama History" . Archived from the original on 22 May 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012 .^ "Yuko Arimori's profile" . Archived from the original on 2015-06-17. Retrieved 2013-05-31 .^ "ENHYPEN's profile" . Archived from the original on 2022-08-10. Retrieved 2024-01-28 .
References
External links
International National Geographic Academics
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