is a

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

located in the

Chūgoku region The , also known as the region, is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In 2010, it had a population of 7,563,428. History '' ...

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...

. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 km² (2,359 sq mi). Yamaguchi Prefecture borders

Shimane Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a geographic area of 6,708.26 km2. Shimane Prefecture borders Yamaguc ...

to the north and

Hiroshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. 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 ...

to the northeast. Yamaguchi is the capital and

Shimonoseki is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. With a population of 265,684, it is the largest city in Yamaguchi Prefecture and the fifth-largest city in the Chūgoku region. It is located at the southwestern tip of Honshu facing the Tsushim ...

is the largest city of Yamaguchi Prefecture, with other major cities including Ube,

Shūnan is a city located in east central Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. As of October 1, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 143,959 and a population density of 220 persons per km2. The total area is 656.13 km2. The modern city of Shūna ...

, and

Iwakuni is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. History Iwakuni was formerly the castle town of the Iwakuni han, which was formed by Lord Hiroie Kikkawa after he was banished there for supporting the defeated shōgun. The Kikkawa clan ruled ...

. Yamaguchi Prefecture is located at the western tip of Honshu with coastlines on the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...

and

Seto Inland Sea The , sometimes shortened to the Inland Sea, is the body of water separating Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū, three of the four main islands of Japan. It serves as a waterway connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan. It connects to Osaka ...

, and separated from the island of

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

by the

Kanmon Straits The or the Straits of Shimonoseki is the stretch of water separating Honshu and Kyushu, two of Japan's four main islands. On the Honshu side of the strait is Shimonoseki (, which contributed "Kan" () to the name of the strait) and on the Kyushu ...

History

Yamaguchi Prefecture was created by the merger of the provinces of Suō and Nagato. During the rise of the

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

class during the Heian and

Kamakura is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Kamakura has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 persons per km² over the total area of . Kamakura was designated as a city on 3 November 1939. Kamak ...

Periods (794–1333), the Ouchi family of Suō Province and the Koto family of Nagato Province gained influence as powerful warrior clans. In the

Muromachi period The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...

(1336—1573), Ouchi Hiroyo, the 24th ruler of the Ouchi family conquered both areas of Yamaguchi Prefecture. The Ouchi clan imitated the city planning of

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

. They gained great wealth through cultural imports from the continent and trade with

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

and

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

China. As a result, Yamaguchi came to be known as the "Kyoto of the West," and Ouchi culture flourished. Sue Harutaka defeated the 31st ruler of the Ouchi clan. The Sue clan was then defeated by

Mōri Motonari was a prominent ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) in the western Chūgoku region of Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. The Mōri clan claimed descent from Ōe no Hiromoto (大江広元), an adviser to Minamoto no Yoritomo. Motonari w ...

, and the Mōri family gained control of the

. Yamaguchi was ruled as part of the

Mōri clan The Mōri clan (毛利氏 ''Mōri-shi'') was a Japanese samurai clan descended from Ōe no Hiromoto. Ōe no Hiromoto was descended from the Fujiwara clan. The family's most illustrious member, Mōri Motonari, greatly expanded the clan's power ...

domain during the

Sengoku period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

Mōri Terumoto Mōri Terumoto (毛利輝元, January 22, 1553 – June 2, 1625) was a Japanese ''daimyō''. The son of Mōri Takamoto, and grandson and successor of the great warlord Mōri Motonari, he fought against Oda Nobunaga but was eventually overco ...

was then defeated by

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow ...

in the battle of

Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu prefecture, Japan, at the end of ...

in 1600. He was forced to give up all his land except for the Suō and Nagato areas (current-day Yamaguchi Prefecture), where he built his castle in

Hagi Hagi, Hadži, or Hadzhi (Хаджи) is a name derived from hajji, an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca, which was later adopted by Christian peoples as a word for ''pilgrim''. People Surname ...

. Mōri sought to strengthen the economic base of the region and increase local production with his Three Whites campaign (salt, rice, and paper). After Commodore Matthew Perry's opening of Japan, clans from Nagato (also called Chōshū) played a key role in the fall of the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...

and the establishment of the new imperial government. Four years after the

Edo Shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedi ...

was overthrown and the

Meiji government The was the government that was formed by politicians of the Satsuma Domain and Chōshū Domain in the 1860s. The Meiji government was the early government of the Empire of Japan. Politicians of the Meiji government were known as the Meiji o ...

formed in 1868, the present Yamaguchi Prefecture was established. The Meiji government brought in many new systems and modern policies, and promoted the introduction of modern industry, though the prefecture was still centered on agriculture during this period. In the Taishō period, from 1912 to 1926, shipbuilding, chemical, machinery, and metal working plants were built in Yamaguchi's harbors in the

area. During the post-World War II

Shōwa Period Shōwa may refer to: * Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa * Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufacturer, affiliated with the Honda keiretsu Japanese eras * Jōwa (Heian ...

, Yamaguchi developed into one of the most industrialized prefectures in the country due to the establishment of petrochemical complexes.

Geography

As of April 1, 2012, 7% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the

Setonaikai National Park is a Japanese national park, comprising areas of Japan's Seto Inland Sea, and of ten bordering prefectures. Designated a national park in 1934, it has since been expanded several times. It contains about 3,000 islands, known as the Setouchi Isl ...

; Akiyoshidai, Kita-Nagato Kaigan, and Nishi-Chūgoku Sanchi Quasi-National Parks; and Chōmonkyō, Iwakiyama, Rakanzan, and

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

Prefectural Natural Parks.

Current municipalities

Mergers

Economic development

For the purposes of development analysis, Yamaguchi is construed to be part of

Northern Kyushu is a subregion of Kyushu. This northern region encompasses the prefectures of Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, and Ōita. History Before 1963 it was called North Kyushu (''Kitakyūshū'', 北九州) until the city of Kitakyūshū was for ...

. Although Yamaguchi is not part of the island of

, it has become a functional satellite of the

metropolitan area.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, and, Yamaguchi prefecture has had negative population growth from 1955 to 1973 and 1985–onwards

Tourism

The most popular place for tourism is

, for example

Karato is the downtown area of the city of Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Shimonoseki, Japan. It is known as the most famous sightseeing spot in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Main sightseeing spots and institutions ;Shops * SunLive Karato (Shopping center) * Kara ...

Fish Market. There is a large fireworks festival in summer. Another attraction is the

Kintai Bridge The is a historical wooden arch bridge, in the city of Iwakuni, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The pedestrian bridge was built in 1673, spanning the Nishiki River in a series of five wooden arches. The bridge is located on the foot of Mt.Yo ...

in the town of

. This five-arched wooden structure is considered a symbol of Western Honshū. The area on the banks of the Nishiki river close to the bridge is considered among the best places in Japan for

Hanami is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers; in this case almost always refer to those of the or, less frequently, trees. From the end of March to early May, cherry trees bloom all over Japan, and around ...

, when groups of family and friends gather in early April to view cherry blossoms. Hagi City is in the north of Yamaguchi. It is a very traditional city. The usual color of Japanese post boxes is red, but in Hagi they are painted green or brown. The Hagi Museum is modeled after a traditional samurai residence. The exhibits are detailed and realistic, and are changed every year. The permanent collection is data about Hagi's history and collections about Takasugi Shinsaku. Hagi also contains a reverberatory furnace which has been designated a World Heritage Site. Kawara soba (hot tile noodles) is a popular food in Yamaguchi. It was developed during the Seinan Rebellion that broke out in 1877. Soldiers cooked wild grass and meat on hot tiles. Now it is a local dish of Yamaguchi people. They fry green tea noodles on a hot tile, and arrange thin fried egg, stewed beef, green onions and grilled liver on top.

Akiyoshidai Quasi-National Park is a List of national parks of Japan#Quasi-National Parks, Quasi-National Park in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It was founded on 1 November 1955 and has an area of 45.02 km². It includes part of the , a 130 square kilometre area of karst t ...

, which includes Japan's longest cave, the , is another popular destination. File:Akiyoshi Plateau from Akiyoshidai Karst Observation Deck (north).jpg, Akiyoshi Plateau File:From Iwakuni castle , 岩国城から - panoramio.jpg, Kintai Bridge in

Famous festivals and events

* Kintaikyo Festival in Iwakuni - held on April 29 * Nishiki River Water Festival in Iwakuni - held in August * Iwakuni Festival in August * Yokomichi Festival,

November 19 * Yanai Goldfish Lantern Festival in August * Yamaguchi Gion Festival on July 20 to 27 * Yamaguchi Tanabata Lantern Festival on August 6 to 7 * Hagi Era Festival in April * Hagi Festival on August 2 to 3 * Shimonoseki Strait Festival on May 2 to 4 * Shimonoseki Firework Festival in August

Education

High schools

* Noda Gakuen

Universities

Baiko Gakuin University is a private university in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1872, and it was chartered as a women's junior college in 1964. The school's emblem (a stylized plum blossom) and kanji name reflect the ...

(private) * National Fisheries University (national) *

Shimonoseki City University is a municipal university in Japan. Its campus is located in Daigaku-cho, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. History It was founded in 1956 as for the working youths who eagerly wanted to get higher education. In 1962 the college was de ...

(public) * Tokyo University of Science, Yamaguchi (public) * Ube Frontier University (private) *

University of East Asia The is a private university in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan, established in 1974. Faculties (Undergraduate Schools) Faculty of Human Sciences *Department of Humanities and Social Sciences **Psychology Course **Child Development Course **Cultu ...

(private) * Yamaguchi Gakugei College (private) *

Yamaguchi Prefectural University is a public university in Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Jap ...

(public) * Yamaguchi University (national) * Yamaguchi University of Human Welfare and Culture (private)

Transportation

Ferries from Shimonoseki Port International Terminal

Two ferry services provide regular sea transport from the

Port International Terminal: Kanpu Ferry provides round-trip service to

Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...

, South Korea; the

Orient Ferry The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the c ...

provides round-trip service to

Qingdao Qingdao (, also spelled Tsingtao; , Mandarin: ) is a major city in eastern Shandong Province. The city's name in Chinese characters literally means " azure island". Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, it is a major nodal city of the One Belt ...

and

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

, respectively. *Kanpu ferry to

Pusan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...

in South Korea regularly *Gwangyang Beech to Gwangyang in South Korea regularly *Orient ferry to

in China regularly *Orient ferry to

in China regularly

Other ferry routes

* Shunan-

Kunisaki is a small coastal city located in Ōita Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. It is located on the Kunisaki Peninsula facing the Seto Inland Sea. Mostly covered by forests and farmlands, the peninsula is dotted with temples. The modern city of Kunisaki w ...

* Yanai- Matsuyama, Shikoku

Air

* Yamaguchi Ube Airport (to Haneda Airport (

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

)). *

Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport is a United States Marine Corps air station located in the Nishiki river delta, southeast of Iwakuni Station in the city of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. History The Japanese government bought a large portion of what is today MCAS Iw ...

(to Haneda Airport (Tokyo) and

Naha Airport is a second class airport located west of the city hallAIS Japan
in

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

))

Railway

West Japan Railway Company , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...

** Sanyō Shinkansen **

San'yō Main Line The is a major railway line owned by JR Group companies in western Japan, connecting Kōbe Station and Moji Station, largely paralleling the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, Inland Sea, in other words, the southern coast of western Honshu. The Sa ...

Sanin Line Sanin may refer to: * Alexander Sanin (1869–1956), stage name of Alexander Akimovich Shoenberg, Russian actor and director * Vladimir Sanin (1928–1989), Russian traveler and writer * Joseph Volotsky (secular name ''Ivan Sanin;'' 1439 or 1440– ...

Yamaguchi Line The is a railway line in western Japan operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line connects Shin-Yamaguchi Station in Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi and Masuda Station in Masuda, Shimane. History The Ogori (now Shin-Yamaguchi) - Yamaguchi ...

Gantoku Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in western Japan, connecting Iwakuni Station in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, and Kushigahama Station in Shūnan, Yamaguchi. The line was originally built as a more direct route betw ...

** Onoda Line **

Mine Line The is a railway line owned and operated by the West Japan Railway Company. It connects San'yō-Onoda to Nagato, both in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. History The Sanyo Railway Company opened the Asa to Minami-Omine section in 1905 to haul coal ...

Ube Line The is a railway line in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line connects Shin-Yamaguchi Station in Yamaguchi and Ube Station in Ube. Stations All stations are in Yamaguchi Prefecture. R ...

*Nishikigawa Railway

Roads

Expressways

Sanyo Expressway , stylized as SANYO, is a Japanese electronics company and formerly a member of the ''Fortune'' Global 500 whose headquarters was located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo had over 230 subsidiaries and affiliates, and was founded ...

Chūgoku Expressway The (part of Asian Highway Network ) is an expressway in Japan, which extends from Suita, Osaka to Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi. It connects Kansai and Chūgoku regions in western Honshu, Japan's main island. Other major cities along the expressway ...

Toll roads

* Hagi Misumi Road * Kanmon Bridge * Yamaguchi Ube Onoda Road * Ogori Hagi Road * Kanmon Road Tunnel

National highways

Route 2 The following highways are numbered 2. For roads numbered A2, see list of A2 roads. For roads numbered B2, see list of B2 roads. For roads numbered M2, see list of M2 roads. For roads numbered N2, see list of N2 roads. International * AH2, As ...

* Route 9 *

Route 187 The following highways are numbered 187: Japan * Japan National Route 187 United States * U.S. Route 187 (former) * Alabama State Route 187 * Arizona State Route 187 * Arkansas Highway 187 * California State Route 187 * Colorado State Highwa ...

(Iwakuni- Tsuwano-

Masuda is a city located in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on August 1, 1952. As of December 2021, the city has a population of 44,976. As of December 2019, the city has a population of 46,209. As of March 2017, the city has a popula ...

) * Route 188 (Iwakuni-Yanai-Hikari-Kudamatsu) * Route 189 * Route 190 * Route 191 * Route 262 * Route 315 (Shunan-Hagi) * Route 316 * Route 376 (Yamaguchi-Shunan-Iwakuni) * Route 434 * Route 435 * Route 437 * Route 489 * Route 490 * Route 491 File:Shimonoseki Station exterior (39717123401).jpg, JR Shimonoseki Station File:Platform of Niho Station from overpass.jpg, An event train ''Yamaguchi'' in JR Yamaguchi Line File:Shimonoseki International Terminal 2021.jpg, Shimonoseki International Ferry Terminal File:View from observation deck of Hinoyama Park (south) 2.jpg, View of Kanmon Bridge from side of

Prefectural symbols

* Tree: Red pine tree (''Pinus densiflora'') * Flower: Bitter summer mandarin blossom (''Citrus natsudaidai'') * Bird: Hooded crane (''Grus monacha'') * Fish:

Tetraodontidae Tetraodontidae is a family of primarily marine and estuarine fish of the order Tetraodontiformes. The family includes many familiar species variously called pufferfish, puffers, balloonfish, blowfish, blowies, bubblefish, globefish, swellfis ...

('' Takifugu rubripes'') * Beast: Sika deer (''Cervus nippon nippon'') * Mascot:

Choruru is a mascot character who was created for the 66th annual National Sports Festival of Japan and 11th annual National Sports Festival for People with Disabilities which were held in Yamaguchi prefecture in 2011. After the tournaments, he became he ...

Media

Newspapers

Yamaguchi Shimbun is a Japanese-language daily newspaper published by The Minato-Yamaguchi Co., Ltd. Headquartered in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi. It was first published in Shimonoseki in 1946. Corporate profile The Minato-Yamaguchi Co., Ltd. *Publishing newspapers : ...

TV

* YAB TV(

ANN Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

) * KRY TV( NNN) * TYS TV( JNN) * NHK TV * TSS TV/ TNC TV ( FNN)

Radio

* FMY (

JFN is a commercial radio network in Japan. It was founded in 1981. TOKYO FM is the main station of the network. Japan FM Network stations Special station Originally in JFN, but now independent FM Fuji was a member from 1988 to 199 ...

)

Notable people from Yamaguchi Prefecture

Shintaro Abe was a Japanese politician from Yamaguchi Prefecture. He was a leading member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He served as foreign minister from 1982 to 1986. He was the father of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Early life and ...

, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and General Secretary of the LDP. Father of Shinzo Abe. *

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Shinzō Abe represented first Yamaguchi's 1st then 4th district in the House of Representatives; his father Shintaro represented Yamaguchi as well. *

Itō Hirobumi was a Japanese politician and statesman who served as the first Prime Minister of Japan. He was also a leading member of the ''genrō'', a group of senior statesmen that dictated Japanese policy during the Meiji era. A London-educated samur ...

, a

of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four-time prime minister of Japan (the 1st, 5th, 7th and 10th), genrō, and

Resident-General of Korea The Japanese resident-general of Korea ( ja, 韓国統監, Kankokutōkan; ko, 일본의 대 한국통감, Ilbon-ui dae hangugtong-gam) was the leader of Korea under Japanese rule from 1905 to 1910. This post was highly hated among native Korea ...

* Shojiro Iida, a Japanese general during World War II who led the invasions of Thailand and Burma * Former Prime Minister

Naoto Kan is a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) from June 2010 to September 2011. Kan was the first Prime Minister since the resignation of Junichiro Koizumi in 2006 to serve for m ...

, born in Ube in 1946 * Yoshimasa Hayashi, currently serves as Minister for Foreign Affairs since November 2021. Born in

City in Yamaguchi prefecture. *

Kasumi Ishikawa (born 23 February 1993) is a Japanese table tennis player. A regular member of the Japanese national team, she won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, a bronze at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics, ...

, silver medalist in Women's Team Table Tennis at the London 2012 Olympics, is from Yamaguchi City in Yamaguchi prefecture. *

Kaiketsu Masateru Kaiketsu Masateru (Japanese: 魁傑將晃, born Teruyuki Nishimori; February 16, 1948 – May 18, 2014) was a Japanese sumo wrestler, who reached the second highest rank of '' ōzeki'' on two occasions. He also won two top division tournament ch ...

sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...

wrestler, who reached the second highest rank of '' ōzeki'' on two separate occasions and was chairman of the Japan Sumo Association 2010-2012 * Soyu Matsuoka Roshi, an important, early pioneer of Soto Zen Buddhism in the United States *

Karyu is a Japanese visual kei rock/metal musician, best known as the guitarist and main composer for the now disbanded D'espairsRay. He is now in Angelo, which he joined in 2011. Biography Early life During middle school Karyu's father gave ...

, guitarist of the band D'espairsRay is from Yamaguchi. The band had a "homecoming" live there in 2007 and 2009 * Sayumi Michishige, a Japanese idol who is one of the sixth-generation members of Japanese idol group Morning Musume was born in Yamaguchi. * Shinji Mikami, Video Game designer; the God-father of the survival Horror genre of video games. * Yasunori Mitsuda, composer *

Yuki Urushibara is a Japanese manga artist. She is best known for the series ''Mushishi'', for which she received an Excellence Prize for manga at the 2003 Japan Media Arts Festival and the 2006 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga. She is also known by the ...

manga artist A is a comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. As of 2006, about 3,000 professional manga artists were working in Japan. Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist be ...

, creator of '' Mushishi'' *

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto is a Japanese character designer, manga artist, and one of the founding members of the Gainax anime studio. Personal life Before Gainax was founded under the official name (it was originally called Daicon Film), Yoshiyuki served as animator o ...

, a Japanese character designer,

, and one of the founding members of the

Gainax Gainax Co., Ltd. (stylized as GAINAX; ja, 株式会社ガイナックス, Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: ) is a Japanese anime studio famous for productions such as ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'', ''Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise, Roya ...

anime studio * Shaura, singer *

Kido Takayoshi , also known as , was a Japanese statesman, samurai and '' shishi'' who is considered one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. Early life Born Wada Kogorō in Hagi, Chōshū Domain (present-day Yamaguchi Prefecture) as ...

, one of the two main architects of the Meiji Restoration *

Atsushi Tamura is a famous Japanese comedian from the Hikoshima area of Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. He and his partner, , form the known as . Though the two share the same surname, there is no family relation. The pair started their career by ...

of the comic duo

London Boots Ichi-go Ni-go London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major se ...

is from

in Yamaguchi. *

Raizo Tanaka Raizo or Raizō is a Japanese-origin masculine given name. It is uncommon as a surname. People with the name or its variants include: * Raizo Ichikawa, Japanese film and kabuki actor * Raizo Matsuno (松野頼三 Matsuno Raizō; 1917 - 2006), ...

, a Japanese rear admiral during World War II * Teruzane Utada music producer, manager and father of

Hikaru Utada , who is also known by the mononym Utada, is a Japanese-American pop singer, songwriter and producer. By 2010, Utada had become one of the most influential, and best-selling, musical artists in Japan. Born in the United States to Japanese parent ...

is from Yamaguchi Prefecture, as mentioned on the latter's blog. *

Harukichi Yamaguchi was the founder of the Yamaguchi-gumi, which grew to become Japan's largest and most powerful yakuza organization. Yamaguchi established the group in Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a pop ...

, founder of the Yamaguchi-gumi, born near

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...

but his entire family hailed from Yamaguchi *

Tadashi Yanai is a Japanese billionaire businessman, the founder and president of Fast Retailing, the parent company of Uniqlo ("unique clothing"). As of October 2021, he was the richest person in Japan, with an estimated net worth of US$26.5 billion & 40t ...

, a Japanese businessman, founder and president of

Fast Retailing is a public Japanese multinational retail holding company. In addition to its primary subsidiary Uniqlo, it owns several other brands, including J Brand, Comptoir des Cotonniers, GU, Princesse Tam-Tam, and Theory. History The company was f ...

, of which Uniqlo is a subsidiary * KAIRI, professional wrestler currently signed to

World Wonder Ring Stardom World Wonder Ring Stardom (スターダム女子プロレス), often referred to simply as Stardom (stylized as ST★RDOM), is a Japanese '' joshi puroresu'' or women's professional wrestling promotion based in Tokyo, Japan. Stardom was founded i ...

and former

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...

employee. * Mayu Iwatani, professional wrestler currently signed to

. *

Hideaki Anno is a Japanese animator, filmmaker and actor. He is best known for creating the anime series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' (1995)''.'' His style is defined by his postmodernist approach and the extensive portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotio ...

, anime director famous for creating ''

Neon Genesis Evangelion , also known simply as ''Evangelion'' or ''Eva'', is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Gainax and animated by Tatsunoko, directed by Hideaki Anno and broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 1995 to March 1996. ''Evangelion' ...

''. His live-action film

Shiki-Jitsu is a 2000 art film written and directed by Hideaki Anno. The film is Anno's second live-action feature. The screenplay is an adaption of Ayako Fujitani's novella ''Tōhimu'', which was inspired by an emotionally difficult time in Los Angeles wo ...

features scenes set in his hometown of Ube.

Sister districts

Yamaguchi Prefecture has alliance with the following five districts. * Bình Dương Province, Vietnam (since 2014) *

Shandong Province Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizatio ...

, China (since 1982) * South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea (since 1987) *

Pamplona Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region. Lying at near above ...

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

, Spain (since 1980) *

Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai (russian: Краснода́рский край, r=Krasnodarsky kray, p=krəsnɐˈdarskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and administratively a part of t ...

, Russia (since 2017)

Politics

Since the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

in which lower-rank nobility from Chōshū played a major role, many politicians from Yamaguchi have held important positions in national politics. In the post-war era, the most prominent political family from Yamaguchi is the Kishi- Abe/

Satō is the most common Japanese surname, often romanized as Sato, Satoh or Satou. A less common variant is . Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese actress and voice actress *, Japanese actress *, Japanese judoka *, Japanese writer * ...

prime ministerial dynasty, and Yamaguchi is leaning solidly towards the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Delegation to the National Diet

Since the electoral reform of the 1990s, Yamaguchi elects four members directly to the House of Representatives. Three of the new single-member districts have been held exclusively by Liberal Democrats as of 2013, the easternmost district bordering

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...

was initially won by Shinji Satō (Eisaku Satō's son) in 1996, but went to

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Hideo Hiraoka in several later elections. Currently, following the 2021 general election, Yamaguchi's directly elected delegation to the lower house consists of former LDP vice president

Masahiko Kōmura is a Japanese political activist, full-time staff and former Vice-President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 1999 and again from 2007 to 2008, and he is a member of the House of Represent ...

(

1st district The Innere Stadt (; Central Bavarian: ''Innare Stod'') is the 1st municipal district of Vienna () located in the center of the Austrian capital. The Innere Stadt is the old town of Vienna. Until the city boundaries were expanded in 1850, the Inn ...

, 12th term), the chairman of the foreign affairs committee,

Nobuo Kishi is a Japanese politician who serves as the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister for National Security Policy and Nuclear Disarmament Issues. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he previously served as Minister of Defense of Japan from Se ...

(2nd district, 2nd term, former two-term member of the House of Councillors), and the chairman of the House of Representatives rules committee (as of 190th Diet, January 2016), Yoshimasa Hayashi (3rd district, 1st term). The seat for the 4th district was held by former prime minister Shinzo Abe until his

assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...

in 2022, and is currently vacant. For the proportional representation segment of the House of Representatives, Yamaguchi forms part of the Chūgoku block. In the House of Councillors, Yamaguchi is represented by two members, making it one of the currently 31 winner-take-all single-member districts. As of 2013, the two members are Yoshimasa Hayashi (LDP, 4th term, up in 2019), agriculture minister in the 2nd Abe Cabinet, and following the April 2013 by-election to replace Nobuo Kishi, Kiyoshi Ejima (LDP, 1st term, up in 2016), former mayor of Shimonoseki city.

Governor

The current governor of Yamaguchi is former MIC bureaucrat

Tsugumasa Muraoka is a Japanese politician and the current governor of Yamaguchi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a ...

. He won the gubernatorial election in February 2014 with more than 60% of the vote against other two candidates, and succeeded Shigetarō Yamamoto who had been hospitalized since October 2013 and resigned in January 2014. Elected governors of Yamaguchi have been: # Tatsuo Tanaka, 1947–1953 (2 terms, resigned mid-term to enter national politics), the son of pre-war prime minister Baron

Giichi Tanaka Baron was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, politician, cabinet minister, and the Prime Minister of Japan from 1927 to 1929. Early life and military career Tanaka was born as the third son of a low-ranking ''samurai'' family in the se ...

# Tarō Ozawa, 1953–1960 (2 terms, resigned mid-term to enter national politics), Tanaka's son-in-law #

Masayuki Hashimoto Masayuki (written: , ,, , , , , , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese animator and director *, Japanese actor *, Japanese baseball player and manager *, Japanese politician *, ...

, 1960–1976 (4 terms), previously member of the House of Representatives from Yamaguchi for the LDP #

Tōru Hirai Toru is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Toru can be expressed with several kanji. Some examples: *徹, "penetrate" *透, "transparent" *享, "enjoy" *亨, "smoothly" *暢, "freely" The name can also be written in hiragana と ...

, 1976–1996 (5 terms), previously Home Affairs Ministry bureaucrat and vice-governor of Yamaguchi under Hashimoto # Sekinari Nii, 1996–2012 (4 terms), previously Home Affairs Ministry bureaucrat and treasurer of Yamaguchi under Hirai # Shigetarō Yamamoto, 2012–2014 (1 term, resigned for health reasons), former LDP candidate for the House of Representatives in Yamaguchi's 2nd district

Assembly

The prefectural assembly of Yamaguchi has 47 members, elected in unified local elections in 15 electoral districts: 5 single-member districts, four two-member districts and six districts that elect each between four and nine members. In the 2015 election, the LDP won a majority. Liberal Democrats form several parliamentary groups together with independents. As of June 8, 2015, the assembly is composed as follows: LDP 24 members, LDP Shinseikai 5, Kōmeitō 5, DPJ/Rengō no Kai 4, LDP Kensei Club 2,

JCP JCP may refer to: *Java Community Process, a method of handling software requests * J. C. Penney, a United States department store chain *Jenny Craig Pavilion, an arena at the University of San Diego *Jim Crockett Promotions, a former professional ...

2, SDP/Citizens League 2, and the independent "groups" ''shinsei club'', ''mushozoku no kai'' and ''kusa no ne'' have one member each.Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly
Composition by group

Notes

References

* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan Encyclopedia''
Cambridge:

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...

. ; .

External links

Official Yamaguchi Prefecture homepage
{{Authority control Chūgoku region Prefectures of Japan