Wakayama Prefecture 和歌山県
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
• Japanese	和歌山県
• Rōmaji	Wakayama-ken
Flag Symbol
Country	Japan
Region	Kansai
Island	Honshū
Capital	Wakayama (city)
Government
• Governor	Yoshinobu Nisaka
Area
• Total	4,725.67 km2 (1,824.59 sq mi)
Area rank	30th
Population (October 1, 2017)
• Total	944,320
• Rank	40th
• Density	199.87/km2 (517.7/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	JP-30
Districts	6
Municipalities	30
Flower	Ume blossom (Prunus mume)
Tree	Ubame oak (Quercus phillyraeoides)
Bird	Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonica)
Website	www.wakayama.lg.jp/ english/

Wakayama Prefecture (和歌山県, Wakayama-ken) is a prefecture of Japan on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island.^[1] The capital is the city of Wakayama.^[2]

History[edit]

Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.^[3]

1953 flood disaster[edit]

On July 17–18, 1953, a torrential heavy rain occurred, followed by collapse of levees, river flooding and landslides in a wide area. Many bridges and houses were destroyed. According to an officially confirmed Japanese Government report, 1,015 people died, with 5,709 injured and 7,115 houses lost.^{[citation needed]}

Geography[edit]

Map of Wakayama Prefecture.
     City      Town      Village

Cities[edit]

Nine cities are in Wakayama Prefecture:

Towns and villages[edit]

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Mergers[edit]

Demographics[edit]

Since 1996, population of Wakayama Prefecture has kept declining, and since 2010, it has been the only prefecture in Kinki region with population below 1,000,000. In 2017, Wakayama is ranked 40th by population in Japan with a population of 944,320.

Politics[edit]

Culture[edit]

Mount Kōya (高野山, Kōya-san) in the Ito District is the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. It is home to one of the first Japanese style Buddhist temples in Japan and remains a pilgrimage site and an increasingly popular tourist destination as people flock to see its ancient temples set amidst the towering cedar trees at the top of the mountain. The Sacred sites and pilgrimage routes in the Kii Mountain Range extend for miles throughout the prefecture and together have been recognized as Japan's 11th UNESCO World Heritage site.^[4]

The Kumano Shrines are on the southern tip of the prefecture. Tomogashima (a cluster of four islands) is part of the prefecture.

Agriculture[edit]

Orange[edit]

Wakayama Prefecture ranks first in the production of oranges in Japan. Wakayama has its own brand of oranges, which is produced in Arida District and called 'Arida-Orange'. Arida District, where oranges have been produced for more than 400 years^[5], yields about half of the orange crops in Wakayama today^[6]. Furthermore, the yield of Arida-Oranges accounts for about 10 percent of Japanese domestic production of oranges.^[7]

Japanese apricot (Ume)[edit]

According to the survey by The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, Wakayama stands first in the production of Japanese apricots in Japan. As of 2016, Wakayama made up about 70 percent of Japanese domestic production of Japanese apricots.^[8]

Sister relationships[edit]

Wakayama Prefecture has friendship and sister relationships with six places outside Japan:^[9]Richmond, Canada; Shandong, People's Republic of China; Pyrénées-Orientales, France; Florida, United States; Sinaloa, Mexico; and Galicia, Spain.

Tourism[edit]

Wakayama Prefecture has hot springs such as Shirahama, Kawayu, and Yunomine Onsen.

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  Saikazaki, Wakanoura
  

  
  

  
  


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  Wakayama Castle
  

  
  

  
  


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  The Museum of Modern Art, Wakayama
  

  
  

  
  


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  Konpon Daido
  (Mount Koya)
  

  
  

  
  


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  Chōhō-ji
  

  
  

  
  


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  Onsen in Nachikatsuura
  

  
  

  
  


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  Nachi Falls
  

  
  

  
  


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  Daimonzaka
  (Kumano Kodō)
  

  
  

  
  

Transportation[edit]

Rail[edit]

• 
  JR West
  
  • Hanwa Line
  
  
  • Kinokuni Line
  
  
  • Wakayama Line
  
  


• 
  JR Central
  
  • Kisei Line


• 
  Nankai
  
  • Nankai Line
  
  
  • Koya Line
  
  
  • Kada Line
  
  


• Kishu Railway


• Wakayama Electric Railway

Road[edit]

Expressway[edit]

• Hanwa Expressway


• Keinawa Expressway


• Yuasa Gobo Road


• Nachi Katsuura Road

National Highway[edit]

• Route 24


• Route 26


• Route 42


• Route 168 (Shingu-Gojo-Ikoma-Hirakata)


• Route 169 (Shingu-Kumano-Kawakami-Yoshino-Asuka-Kashihara-Nara)


• Route 311 (Kamitonda-Tanabe-Shingu-kumano-Owase)


• Route 370 (Kainan-Hashimoto-Gojo-Uda-Nara)


• Route 371 (Kawachinagano-Hashimoto-Koya-Kushimoto)


• Route 424

Ferry[edit]

• Wakayama-Tokushima
  

Airport[edit]

• Nanki Shirahama Airport

Education[edit]

Universities[edit]

• Wakayama University


• Koyasan University


• Kinki University


• Wakayama Medical University

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

• Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. .mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
  ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128
  

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wakayama prefecture.

• Official Wakayama Prefecture homepage


• Wakayama Tourist Guide


• Nanki Sightseeing Guide

Coordinates: 34°3′N 135°21′E / 34.050°N 135.350°E / 34.050; 135.350