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
Government
• Governor	Hidehiko Yuzaki (since November 2009)
Area
• Total	8,476.95 km2 (3,272.97 sq mi)
Area rank	11th
Population (March 1, 2011)
• Total	2,857,990
• Rank	12th
• Density	337.15/km2 (873.2/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	JP-34
Districts	5
Municipalities	23
Tree	Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)
Bird	Red-throated diver (Gavia stellata)
Website	pref.hiroshima.lg.jp

Hiroshima Prefecture (広島県, Hiroshima-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island.^[1] The capital is the city of Hiroshima.^[2] It has a population of around 2.8 million.

History[edit]

The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province.^[3] 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.

Hiroshima is home to two UNESCO World Heritage sites:

• 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]

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.^[4] 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.^[5]

Cities[edit]

Map of Hiroshima Prefecture
     Government Ordinance Designated City      City      Town

Fukuyama

Onomichi

Higashihiroshima

Mihara

Fourteen cities are located in Hiroshima Prefecture:

Towns and villages[edit]

These are the towns in each district:

Mergers[edit]

Economy[edit]

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.^[6]

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.^[7]

Education[edit]

University[edit]

• Hiroshima University


• Hiroshima Shudo University


• Prefectural University of Hiroshima


• Hiroshima University of Economics


• Hiroshima International University


• Hiroshima Bunka Gakuen University


• Hiroshima Bunkyo Women's University


• Hiroshima Cosmopolitan University


• Hiroshima Institute of Technology


• Hiroshima Kokusai Gakuin University


• Hiroshima City University


• Hiroshima Jogakuin University


• Hijiyama University


• Elisabeth University of Music


• Fukuyama University


• Fukuyama City University


• Fukuyama Heisei University


• Yasuda Women's University


• Onomichi City University


• Japan Coast Guard Academy

Transportation[edit]

Railway[edit]

• 
  JR West
  
  • Sanyo Shinkansen
  
  
  • Sanyo Main Line
  
  
  • Kabe Line
  
  
  • Kure Line
  
  
  • Geibi Line
  
  
  • Fukuen Line
  
  


• Ibara Railway

People movers[edit]

• Astram Line


• Skyrail Service

Streetcars[edit]

• Hiroshima Electric Railway

Roads[edit]

Expressways[edit]

• Chugoku Expressway


• Sanyo 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]

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)

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

Notes[edit]

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]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hiroshima Prefecture.

• Official Hiroshima Prefecture homepage


• Life in Hiroshima and other Japan-related Articles


• Hiroshima Weather Forecast


• National Archives of Japan ... Hiroshima map (1891)
  


• National Archives of Japan: Itsukushima kakei, illustrated scroll describing Itsukushima, text by Kaibara Ekiken (circa 1720)
  


• hiroshima-navi

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