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

Kantō region The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba and Kanagawa. Slight ...

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 ...

. Kanagawa Prefecture is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at . Its geographic area of makes it fifth-smallest. Kanagawa Prefecture borders

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 ...

to the north,

Yamanashi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Yamanashi Prefecture has a population of 817,192 (1 January 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,465 km2 (1,724 sq mi). Yamanashi Prefecture borders Saitama Prefecture to the no ...

to the northwest and

Shizuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,637,998 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the northea ...

to the west.

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...

is the capital and largest city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second-largest city in Japan, with other major cities including Kawasaki,

Sagamihara is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 723,470, with 334,812 households, and a population density of 1,220 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Sagamihara is the third-most-populous city ...

, and Fujisawa. Kanagawa Prefecture is located on Japan's eastern

Pacific coast Pacific coast may be used to reference any coastline that borders the Pacific Ocean. Geography Americas Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western or southwestern border, except for Panama, where the Pac ...

Tokyo Bay is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan, and spans the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. The Tokyo Bay region is both the most populous a ...

and

Sagami Bay lies south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshu, central Japan, contained within the scope of the Miura Peninsula, in Kanagawa, to the east, the Izu Peninsula, in Shizuoka Prefecture, to the west, and the Shōnan coastline to the north, while the ...

, separated by the

Miura Peninsula is a peninsula located in Kanagawa, Japan. It lies south of Yokohama and Tokyo and divides Tokyo Bay, to the east, from Sagami Bay, to the west. Cities and towns on the Miura Peninsula include Yokosuka, Miura, Hayama, Zushi, and Kamakura. ...

, across from

Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the ...

on the

Bōsō Peninsula The is a peninsula that encompasses the entirety of Chiba Prefecture on Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It is part of the Greater Tokyo Area. It forms the eastern edge of Tokyo Bay, separating it from the Pacific Ocean. The peninsula covers ...

. Kanagawa Prefecture is part of the

Greater Tokyo Area The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tochigi) as well as the ...

, the most populous

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...

in the world, with Yokohama and many of its cities being major commercial hubs and southern

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

s of Tokyo. Kanagawa Prefecture was the political and economic center of Japan during the

Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...

when

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 ...

was the

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

capital and largest city of Japan as the seat of the

Kamakura shogunate The was the feudal military government of Japan during the Kamakura period from 1185 to 1333. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Kamakura-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 459. The Kamakura shogunate was established by Minamoto no Y ...

from 1185 to 1333. Kanagawa Prefecture is a popular tourist area in the Tokyo region, with Kamakura and

Hakone is a town in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had a population of 11,293 and a population density of 122 persons per km². The total area of the town is . The town is a popular tourist destination due to its many hot springs and views of ...

being two popular side trip destinations.

History

The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the

Jōmon period The is the time in Japanese history, traditionally dated between 6,000–300 BCE, during which Japan was inhabited by a diverse hunter-gatherer and early agriculturalist population united through a common Jōmon culture, which reached a c ...

(around 400 BCE). About 3,000 years ago,

Mount Hakone , with its highest peak Mount Kami (1,438 meters), is a complex volcano in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan that is truncated by two overlapping calderas, the largest of which is 10 × 11 km wide. The calderas were formed as a result of ...

produced a volcanic explosion which resulted in

Lake Ashi , also referred to as Hakone Lake or Ashinoko Lake, is a scenic lake in the Hakone area of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū, Japan. It is a crater lake that lies along the southwest wall of the caldera of Mount Hakone, a complex volcano that last ...

on the western area of the prefecture. It is believed that the

Yamato dynasty The , also referred to as the Imperial Family or the House of Yamato, comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present Constitution of Japan, the Emperor i ...

ruled this area from the 5th century onwards. In the

ancient era Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cove ...

, its plains were very sparsely inhabited. In medieval Japan, Kanagawa was part of the provinces of

Sagami Sagami may refer to: * Sagami, an 11th-century ''waka'' poet *Sagami Province, an old province in Japan *Sagami River, a river in Kanagawa and Yamanashi *Sagami Bay, a bay south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū *Sagami Line, a railway roughly along ...

and Musashi.

in central Sagami was the capital of Japan during the

(1185–1333). During the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

, the western part of Sagami Province was governed by the ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...

'' of

Odawara Castle is a landmark in the city of Odawara in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. History Odawara was a stronghold of the Doi clan during the Kamakura period, and a fortified residence built by their collateral branch, the Kobayakawa clan, stood on the ...

, while the eastern part was directly governed by 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 ...

in Edo (modern-day Tokyo).

Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore ...

Matthew Perry Matthew Langford Perry (born August 19, 1969) is an American-Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom ''Friends'' (1994–2004). As well as starring in the short-lived television series ''Stud ...

landed in Kanagawa in 1853 and 1854 and signed the

Convention of Kanagawa The Convention of Kanagawa, also known as the Kanagawa Treaty (, ''Kanagawa Jōyaku'') or the Japan–US Treaty of Peace and Amity (, ''Nichibei Washin Jōyaku''), was a treaty signed between the United States and the Tokugawa Shogunate on March ...

to force open Japanese ports to the United States.

, the largest deep-water port in

, was opened to foreign traders in 1859 after several more years of foreign pressure, and eventually developed into the largest trading port in Japan. Nearby

Yokosuka is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has a population of 409,478, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region. The city ...

, closer to the mouth of Tokyo Bay, developed as a naval port and now serves as headquarters for the

U.S. 7th Fleet The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of th ...

and the fleet operations of the

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...

. After the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

, many foreigners lived in Yokohama City, and visited

. 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 ...

developed the first railways in Japan, from

Shinbashi , sometimes transliterated Shimbashi, is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Name Read literally, the characters in Shinbashi mean "new bridge". History The area was the site of a bridge built across the Shiodome River in 1604. The river was la ...

(in Tokyo) to Yokohama in 1872. The epicenter of the

1923 Great Kantō earthquake The struck the Kantō Plain on the main Japanese island of Honshū at 11:58:44 JST (02:58:44 UTC) on Saturday, September 1, 1923. Varied accounts indicate the duration of the earthquake was between four and ten minutes. Extensive firestorms an ...

was deep beneath

Izu Ōshima is an inhabited volcanic island in the Izu archipelago in the Philippine Sea, off the coast of Honshu, Japan, east of the Izu Peninsula and southwest of Bōsō Peninsula. As with the other islands in the Izu Island group, Izu Ōshima form ...

Island in Sagami Bay. It devastated Tokyo, the port city of

, surrounding prefectures of

Chiba Chiba may refer to: Places China * (), town in Jianli County, Jingzhou, Hubei Japan * Chiba (city), capital of Chiba Prefecture ** Chiba Station, a train station * Chiba Prefecture, a sub-national jurisdiction in the Greater Tokyo Area on ...

Kanagawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

, and

Shizuoka Shizuoka can refer to: * Shizuoka Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture * Shizuoka (city), the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture * Shizuoka Airport * Shizuoka Domain, the name from 1868 to 1871 for Sunpu Domain, a predecessor of Shizuoka Prefecture ...

, and caused widespread damage throughout the

. The sea receded as much as 400 metres from the shore at Manazuru Point, and then rushed back towards the shore in a great wall of water which swamped Mitsuishi-shima. At

, the total death toll from earthquake, tsunami, and fire exceeded 2,000 victims. At

Odawara is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 188,482 and a population density of 1,700 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Odawara lies in the Ashigara Plains, in the far western por ...

, ninety percent of the buildings collapsed immediately, and subsequent fires burned the rubble along with anything else left standing. Yokohama, Kawasaki, and other major cities were heavily damaged by the U.S. bombing in 1945. Total Casualties amounted to more than several thousand. After the war, General

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...

, the

Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the United States-led Allied occupation of Japan following World War II. It issued SCAP Directives (alias SCAPIN, SCAP Index Number) to the Japanese government, aiming to suppress its "milita ...

for the

Occupation of Japan Japan was occupied and administered by the victorious Allies of World War II from the 1945 surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of the war until the Treaty of San Francisco took effect in 1952. The occupation, led by the United States wi ...

, landed in Kanagawa, before moving to other areas. U.S. military bases still remain in Kanagawa, including

Camp Zama is a United States Army post located in the cities of Zama, Kanagawa, Zama and Sagamihara, in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about southwest of Tokyo. Camp Zama is home to the U.S. Army Japan (USARJ), I Corps (Forward), U.S. Army Aviation Batta ...

(

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

), Yokosuka Naval Base,

Naval Air Facility Atsugi is a joint Japan-US naval air base located in the cities of Yamato and Ayase in Kanagawa, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy (USN) air base in the Pacific Ocean and once housed the squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5), which dep ...

(

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

Demographics

In 1945, Kanagawa was the 15th most populous prefecture in Japan, with the population of about 1.9 million. In the years after the war, the prefecture underwent rapid urbanization as a part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The population is estimated to be 9.1 million. Kanagawa became the second most populous prefecture in 2006.

Geography

Prefectural office of Kanagawa in Yokohama

Kanagawa is a relatively small prefecture located at the southeastern corner of the

Kantō Plain The is the largest plain in Japan, and is located in the Kantō region of central Honshū. The total area of 17,000 km2 covers more than half of the region extending over Tokyo, Saitama Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, ...

wedged between Tokyo on the north, the foothills of

Mount Fuji , or Fugaku, located on the island of Honshū, is the highest mountain in Japan, with a summit elevation of . It is the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia (after Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra), and seventh-highest p ...

on the northwest, and the

and

on the south and east. The eastern side of the prefecture is relatively flat and heavily urbanized, including the large port cities of

and Kawasaki. The southeastern area nearby the

is less urbanized, with the ancient city of

drawing tourists to temples and shrines. The western part, bordered by

and

on the west, is more mountainous and includes resort areas like

and

. The area, stretching from west to east and from north to south, contains of land, accounting for 0.64% of the total land area of Japan. , 23% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park is a national park in Yamanashi, Shizuoka, and Kanagawa Prefectures, and western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It consists of Mount Fuji, Fuji Five Lakes, Hakone, the Izu Peninsula, and the Izu Islands. Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park covers . Rather ...

;

Tanzawa-Ōyama Quasi-National Park is a quasi-national park in the Kantō region of Honshū in Japan. It is rated a protected landscape (category V) according to the IUCN. The park includes the Tanzawa Mountains, Miyagase Dam and its surrounding forests, Hayato Great Falls, and th ...

; and Jinba Sagamiko, Manazuru Hantō, Okuyugawara, and Tanzawa-Ōyama Prefectural Natural Parks.

Topography

Topographically, the prefecture consists of three distinct areas. The mountainous western region features the Tanzawa Mountain Range and the volcano

. The hilly eastern region is characterized by the Tama Hills and

. The central region, which surrounds the Tama Hills and Miura Peninsula, consists of flat stream terraces and low lands around major rivers including the

Sagami River The is a river in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa and Yamanashi Prefecture, Yamanashi Prefectures on the island of Honshū, Japan. The upper reaches of the river in Yamanashi prefecture are also sometimes known as the , and the portion near the ...

, Sakai River,

Tsurumi River The is a river in Kanagawa and Tokyo Prefectures on Honshū, Japan. It begins at the confluence of the Onda and Yamoto rivers in Yokohama and flows 22 kilometers before emptying into Tokyo Bay is a bay located in the southern Kantō regio ...

, and

Tama River The is a major river in Yamanashi, Kanagawa and Tokyo Prefectures on Honshū, Japan. It is officially classified as a Class 1 river by the Japanese government. Its total length is , and the total of the river's basin area spans . The river ...

. The

forms much of the boundary between Kanagawa and Tokyo. The

flows through the middle of the prefecture. In the western region, the Sakawa runs through a small lowland, the Sakawa Lowland, between Mount Hakone to the west and the Ōiso Hills to the east, and flows into Sagami Bay. The Tanzawa Mountain Range, part of the Kantō Mountain Range, contains

Mount Hiru Mount Hiru (蛭ヶ岳 ''Hiru-ga-take'') is the tallest mountain of the Tanzawa Mountains with a height of . Gallery Image:Mt.Hirugatake from Mt.Onigaiwanoatama01.JPG, Image:Tanzawa-shumyaku from Mt.Nabewari.jpg, Image:Tanzawa-shumyaku from S ...

(), the highest peak in the prefecture. Other mountains measure similar mid-range heights: Mount Hinokiboramaru (), Mount Tanzawa, (), Mount Ōmuro (),

Mount Himetsugi Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

(), and

Mount Usu is an active stratovolcano in the Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Hokkaido, Japan. It has erupted four times since 1900: in 1910 (which created Meiji-shinzan 神沼克伊,小山悦郎 ''日本の火山を科学する　日本列島津々浦々、 ...

(). The mountain range is lower in height southward leading to

Hadano Basin is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 163,787 and a population density of 1600 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Hadano is located in the foothills of the Tanzawa Mountains ...

to the Ōiso Hills. At the eastern foothills of the mountain range lies the Isehara Plateau and across the Sagami River the

Sagamino plateau The , also known as the or , is a wide plateau situated between the Tama Hills and the Sagami River in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Near its northern boundary with the city of Sagamihara is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city h ...

Cities

Nineteen cities are located in Kanagawa Prefecture. *

Atsugi is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 223,960 and a population density of 2400 persons per km². The total area of the city is . While the name "Atsugi" is often associated with the United ...

Ayase Ayase may refer to: Places *Ayase, Kanagawa, Japan *Ayase, an area in Adachi, Tokyo, Japan ** Ayase Station, train station in Adachi, Tokyo People *Ayase (music producer) (born 1994), Japanese vocaloid producer *, Japanese actress *, Japanese foot ...

Chigasaki is a Cities of Japan, city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 242,798 and a population density of 6800 people per km². The total area of the city is . Geography The city is located on the eastern ba ...

* Ebina * Fujisawa *

Hadano is a Cities of Japan, city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 163,787 and a population density of 1600 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Hadano is located in the foothills of the ...

Hiratsuka 260px, Hiratsuka City Hall is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 257,316 and a population density of 3800 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Hiratsuka is located ...

* Isehara *

* Kawasaki * Minamiashigara * Miura *

Yamato was originally the area around today's Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a name for the whole of Japan. Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial House of Japan. Japanese his ...

(capital) *

* Zama *

Zushi is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of June 2012, the city has an estimated population of 58,087, and a population density of 3,350 per km². The total area is . Geography Zushi is located at the head of Miura Peninsula, facin ...

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

: * Aikō District ** Aikawa ** Kiyokawa * Ashigarakami District ** Kaisei **

Matsuda Matsuda (written: lit. "pine ricefield") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese badminton athlete *Eiji Matsuda (1894–1978), Mexican botanist *Fujio Matsuda (1924–2020), president of the University of Hawa ...

** Nakai ** Ōi ** Yamakita * Ashigarashimo District **

Manazuru is a town located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 6,949 and a population density of 1000 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Geography Located in the southeast of Mount Hakone, the consis ...

Yugawara is a town located in Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 23,267 and a population density of 570 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Geography Yugawara is located in the fa ...

* Kōza District **

Samukawa is a town located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 48,679 and a population density of 3600 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Geography Samukawa is located in the flatlands of central Kan ...

* Miura District **

Hayama 260px, Morito Beach is a town located in Kanagawa Prefecture, on central Honshū, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 32,961 and a population density of 1900 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Since 1894, the Japan ...

* Naka District ** Ninomiya ** Ōiso

Mergers

Festivals and events

*Tama River Firework event *Yokohama Port Anniversary Festival (June) *Kamakura Festival (April) *Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival (July) *Odawara Hōjō Godai Festival (May) *Yugawara Kifune Festival (July)

Transportation

Kanagawa's transport network is heavily intertwined with that of Tokyo (''see:

Transportation in Greater Tokyo The transport network in Greater Tokyo includes public and private rail and highway networks; airports for international, domestic, and general aviation; buses; motorcycle delivery services, walking, bicycling, and commercial shipping. While the n ...

'').

Shin-Yokohama is a small district in Kōhoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Buildings and attractions * Shin-Yokohama Station * Kita Shin-Yokohama Station * Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum * Yokohama Arena * Nissan Stadium * Shin Yokohama Prince Hotel * ...

and

stations on the

Tōkaidō Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the Sanyo Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opened in 1964, ...

are located in the prefecture, providing high-speed rail service to Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and other major cities.

Railways

East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...

Tōkaidō Main Line The is a major Japanese railway line of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) network, connecting and stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities. The high-speed Tōkaidō Shinkansen largely parallel ...

Nambu Line The Nambu Line ( ja, 南武線,) is a Japanese railway line which connects Tachikawa Station in Tachikawa, Tokyo and Kawasaki Station in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. For most of its length, it parallels the Tama River, the natural border between Tokyo and ...

Tsurumi Line The Tsurumi Line ( ja, 鶴見線,) is a group of 3 railway lines operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Originally built to service the port and adjacent industrial area, the lines provide passenger serv ...

Yokohama Line The Yokohama Line ( ja, 横浜線, ) is a Japanese railway line of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) connecting Higashi-Kanagawa Station in Yokohama, Kanagawa and Hachiōji Station in Hachiōji, Tokyo. The line forms part of what JR Ea ...

Negishi Line The Negishi Line ( ja, 根岸線, ) is a Japanese railway line which connects Yokohama and Ōfuna stations. It is operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Freight trains also operate on this line, and it is essential for the southern K ...

Yokosuka Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The Yokosuka Line connects Tokyo Station with in Yokosuka, Kanagawa. Officially, the name Yokosuka Line is assigned to the 23.9 km segment between and ...

Sagami Line The is a railway line in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It approximately parallels the east bank of the Sagami River. The line connects Hashimoto Station in Sagamihara and Chigasaki Station in ...

Chūō Main Line The , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It connects Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faste ...

Central Japan Railway Company is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as JR Tōkai ( ja, JR東海, links=no). ''Tōkai'' is a reference to the geographical ...

Tokaido Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the Sanyo Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opened in 1964, ...

Gotemba Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). It connects Kōzu Station in Odawara to Numazu via Gotemba. The '' Mt. Fuji'' limited express service runs between Tokyo's Shinjuku Station and Gotemb ...

Keikyu (), also known as or, more recently, , is a private railroad that connects inner Tokyo to Kawasaki, Yokohama, Yokosuka and other points on the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture. It also provides rail access to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. mea ...

Main Line Mainline, ''Main line'', or ''Main Line'' may refer to: Transportation Railway * Main line (railway), the principal artery of a railway system * Main line railway preservation, the practice of operating preserved trains on an operational railw ...

** Daishi Line ** Kurihama Line ** Zushi Line *

Odakyu , commonly known as Odakyū, is a major railway company based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for its '' Romancecar'' series of limited express trains from Tokyo to Odawara, Enoshima, Tama New Town, and Hakone. The Odakyu Electric Railway Company ...

** Odawara Line ** Enoshima Line ** Tama Line *

Sagami Railway The , or , is a private railway company operating three lines in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of holding company Sotetsu Holdings, Inc. Sotetsu Holdings is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange; 6.58% of it is owned ...

** Izumino Line ** Shin-Yokohama Line * Tokyu ** Tōyoko Line ** Den-en-toshi Line ** Ōimachi Line **

Meguro Line The is a railway line operated by Japanese private railway company Tokyu Corporation. As a railway line, the name is for the section between and in southwest Tokyo, but nearly all trains run to on a quad-tracked section of the Tōyoko Line ...

Minatomirai Line The Minatomirai 21 Line (みなとみらい21線 ''Minato-mirai-21-sen''), commonly known as the Minatomirai Line (みなとみらい線 ''Minatomirai-sen''), is a subway line in Yokohama, Japan that runs from Yokohama Station to Motomachi-Chūk ...

* Keio ** Sagamihara Line *

Izuhakone Railway The is a private railway company in Kanagawa Prefecture and Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The company also operates excursion ships, and the group companies operate buses and taxis. The company has its roots in founded in 1893. Izuhakone Railway ...

** Daiyūzan Line *

Enoshima Electric Railway The is a private railway in Japan which connects Kamakura Station in Kamakura with Fujisawa Station in Fujisawa, Kanagawa. Stations en route include , the stop closest to Kōtoku-in, the temple with the colossal outdoor statue of Amida Buddha. ...

Subways

Yokohama Municipal Subway is the rapid transit network in the city of Yokohama, Japan, south of Tokyo in Kanagawa pref. It is operated by Yokohama City Transportation Bureau as two lines, though three continuous lines exist. Lines The Yokohama Municipal Subway ...

**Blue Line **Green Line

Monorail

Shonan Monorail The is a Suspension railway, suspended SAFEGE monorail in the cities of Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura and Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Fujisawa in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the which belongs to Michinori Holdings, and opened on March ...

People movers

Kanazawa Seaside Line The is an automated guideway transit line operated by which operates between Shin-Sugita in Isogo Ward to Kanazawa-Hakkei in Kanazawa Ward in Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipa ...

Road

Expressway

Tōmei Expressway The is a national expressway on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is operated by Central Nippon Expressway Company. The expressway is designated as E1 under the "2016 Proposal for Realization of Expressway Numbering", because it parallels Nati ...

Chūō Expressway The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by NEXCO Central. Naming Officially the expressway is designated as the Chūō Expressway Nishinomiya Route (from Takaido Interchange to Komaki Junction), the Chūō Expressway Nag ...

Shuto Expressway is a network of toll expressways in the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is operated and maintained by the . Most routes are grade-separated (elevated roads or tunnels) and central routes have many sharp curves and multi-lane merges that requi ...

Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line The , also known as the Trans-Tokyo Bay Expressway, is an expressway that is mainly made up of a bridge–tunnel combination across Tokyo Bay in Japan. It connects the city of Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture with the city of Kisarazu in Chiba P ...

National highways

* Route 1 * Route 15 * Route 16 * Route 20 *

Route 129 The following highways are numbered 129: Canada * Ontario Highway 129 * Prince Edward Island Route 129 Costa Rica * National Route 129 India * National Highway 129 (India) Japan * Japan National Route 129 United States * Interstate 129 * ...

(Hiratsuka-Atsugi-Sagamihara) * Route 132 * Route 133 * Route 134 * Route 135 ( Shimoda–

Atami is a city located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 36,865 in 21,593 households and a population density of 600 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Atami is located in the far ea ...

-Odawara) *Japan National Route 135, Route 138 *Japan National Route 246, Route 246 (Chiyoda, Tokyo-Kawasaki-Machida, Tokyo, Machida-Atsugi-Isehara-Gotenba–Numazu) *Japan National Route 255, Route 255 *Japan National Route 357, Route 357 (Chiba, Chiba, Chiba–Funabashi, Chiba, Funabashi–Daiba, Daiba of Tokyo-Yokohama-Yokosuka) *Japan National Route 409, Route 409 *Japan National Route 412, Route 412 *Japan National Route 413, Route 413 (Fujiyoshida–Lake Yamanaka-Sagamihara) *Japan National Route 466, Route 466 (Setagaya, Tokyo-Kawasaki-Yokohama) *Japan National Route 467, Route 467

Ports

*Port of Yokohama, Yokohama Port – International container hub port *Misaki Port – Ferry Route to Kisarazu

Education

The Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education manages and oversees individual municipal school districts. The board of education also directly operates most of the public high schools in the prefecture.

University facilities

*Kawasaki **Keio University – Shin Kawasaki Campus **Meiji University – Ikuta Campus **Senshu University – Ikuta Campus **Japan Women's University **Showa University of Music **Den-en Chofu University – Aso Ward **Nippon Medical School **St. Marianna University, School of Medicine – Miyamae **Japan Cinema School **Tokyo City University – Aso Ward *Yokohama **Tokyo Institute of Technology – Suzukakedai **Tokyo University of the Arts – Naka Ward **Yokohama National University – Hodogaya **Yokohama City University – Kanazawa Ward **Kanagawa University – Kanagawa Ward **Kanto Gakuin University – Kanazawa Ward **Toin University of Yokohama – Aoba Ward **Tsurumi University – Tsurumi Ward **Yokohama College of Commerce – Tsurumi Ward **Yokohama College of Pharmacy – Totsuka Ward **Keio University – Hiyoshi Campus **Tokyo City University – Tsuzuki Ward **Meiji Gakuin University – Totsuka Ward **Nippon Sport Science University – Aoba Ward **Toyo Eiwa University – Midori Ward **Kokugakuin University – Tama Plaza **Senzoku Gakuen College of Music *Sagamihara **Aoyama Gakuin University **Azabu University **Kitasato University **Sagami Women's University **Obirin University **Joshi University of Art and Design **Teikyo University *Yokosuka **Kanagawa Dental College **Kanagawa University of Human Services * Hiratsuka **Tokai University – Hiratsuka Campus **Shoin University – Hiratsuka Campus **Kanagawa University *Isehara **Tokai University – Isehara Campus **Sanno University *Odawara **Kanto Gakuin University – Odawara Campus **International University of Health and Welfare *Chigasaki **Bunkyo University – Chigasaki Campus *Atsugi **Shoin University **Tokyo University of Agriculture – Atsugi Campus **Kanagawa Institute of Technology **Tokyo Polytechnic University – Atsugi Campus *Hayama **Graduate University for Advanced Studies

Sports

Facilities

Football and athletics

*Nissan Stadium (International Stadium Yokohama)—in Yokohama, the final venue of 2002 FIFA World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup in 2005–2007 and 2019 Rugby World Cup *Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium (Mitsuzawa Stadium)—in Yokohama, only for football *Todoroki Athletics Stadium—in Kawasaki, the final venue of 2007 IFAF World Cup (American football). *Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium

Baseball

*Yokohama Stadium—for baseball (Yokohama DeNA BayStars) and hosted Australian rules football *Kawasaki Stadium—former homeground of Taiyo Whales (now Yokohama BayStars) and Lotte Orions (now Chiba Lotte Marines). *Yokosuka Stadium—home field of Shonan Searex, minor league team of Yokohama BayStars

Indoor

*Yokohama Arena—also for music concert *Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium—a volleyball venue of 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo *Todoroki Arena—in Kawasaki and multi-purpose venue (including basketball) *Odawara Arena—2020 Kanagawa Pre-Games training facilities

Other

*Enoshima Sailing at the 1964 Summer Olympics, Yacht Course—used for 1964 Summer Olympics. *Hakone Ekiden Course—from Tokyo to

, 108.0 km, mostly on Japan National Route 1 and Route 15. Runners run on the divided route for ten parts on January 2 (to Hakone) and January 3 (to Tokyo) every year. *Lake Sagami—hosted Canoeing at the 1964 Summer Olympics, canoeing and Rowing at the 1964 Summer Olympics, rowing for the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Teams

Soccer (football)

*Kawasaki Frontale ( Kawasaki)—Todoroki Athletics *Yokohama F. Marinos (

)—Nissan Stadium *Yokohama F.C. (

)—Mitsuzawa Ballpark *Shonan Bellmare (Hiratsuka,

and some cities and towns in central and western area of Kanagawa)—Hiratsuka Athletic Stadium (football) and Odawara Arena (futsal)

Baseball

*Yokohama BayStars (Yokohama, Kanagawa, Yokohama)—Yokohama Stadium, and Yokosuka Stadium (for its farm team, "Shonan Searex").

Basketball

*Toshiba Brave Thunders Kanagawa ( Kawasaki)—Todoroki Arena

Volleyball

*NEC Red Rockets ( Kawasaki)—Todoroki Arena

Visitors attractions and places of interest

* Yokohama Municipal Children's Botanical Garden * Yokohama War Cemetery *Yokohama Chinatown

Sister areas

Kanagawa Prefecture has sister relationships with these places: * Maryland, United States (1981) * Liaoning Province, China (1983) * Odessa Oblast, Ukraine (1986) * Baden-Württemberg, Germany (1989) * Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea (1990) * City of Gold Coast, Australia (1990) * Penang, Malaysia (1991) * Västra Götaland County, Sweden (1998) * Aguascalientes, México (2013)

In popular culture

*Stephen Sondheim's stage musical ''Pacific Overtures'', about the "opening" of Japan to Western influence by Matthew C. Perry, Commodore Perry, contains the song "Welcome to Kanagawa". *The main team in the Japanese manga and anime series ''Slam Dunk (manga), Slam Dunk'', Shohoku, is from Kanagawa. *The Hinata Inn and surrounding town from the manga and anime series ''Love Hina'' are located in Kanagawa. *The Japanese manga series ''Elfen Lied'' takes place in Kanagawa, mainly in Kamakura and Enoshima (Fujisawa). *The Japanese anime series ''S-CRY-ED'' takes place in Kanagawa Prefecture, after a seismic event raises it from the ground. *The Japanese manga and anime series ''Kenkō Zenrakei Suieibu Umishō'' takes place in the fictional Kanagawa city of Umineko. *The Japanese anime series ''Gundam Wings early episodes feature Kanagawa prominently, mainly Yokohama and Yokosuka. *The Japanese anime and manga series ''The Knight in the Area, Area no Kishi'' takes place in Kanagawa, mostly Kamakura. *The Japanese anime and manga series ''Hamatora'' takes place in Kanagawa, mainly in Yokohama. *The Japanese anime and manga series ''His and Her Circumstances'' takes place in Kanagawa Prefecture, mainly in Kawasaki city and

. *The Japanese anime and manga series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' takes place in Tokyo-3, which is located in the village of

, in the Ashigarashimo District *A team from the Japanese anime and manga series ''Kuroko's Basketball'', Kaijo, is from Kanagawa. *The manga Shonan Junai Gumi, ''Shonan Junai Gum''i, along with its prequel ''Bad Company (manga), Bad Company'', and the sequel ''Great Teacher Onizukas spin off ''GTO: 14 Days in Shonan'', are set in Shonan, in Kanagawa *The Japanese anime and manga series ''Yowamushi Pedal'', Hakone Academy is from Hakone, Kanagawa. *The Japanese anime and manga series ''Initial D'' Fifth Stage is set in Kanagawa, and Final Stage is set in

. *The Japanese anime and manga series ''Bungo Stray Dogs'' is set in Yokohama. *The Japanese anime and manga series ''Sweet Blue Flowers, Aoi Hana'' is set in Kamakura. *The Japanese anime and manga series ''Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai'' takes place in various places in Kanagawa Prefecture, such as Fujisawa and

. *The Japanese anime and manga series ''Astro Fighter Sunred'' is set in Kanagawa Prefecture, specifically Kawasaki City and the area around the

Citations

General references

* Hammer, Joshua (2006). ''Yokohama Burning: The Deadly 1923 Earthquake and Fire that Helped Forge the Path to World War II''. New York: Simon & Schuster. ; . * Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth (2005)
''Japan Encyclopedia''
Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ; .

External links

Kanagawa Prefecture Official Website

Kanagawa Prefecture Tourism Website
* {{Authority control Kanagawa Prefecture, Kantō region Prefectures of Japan

History

Demographics

Geography

Topography

Cities

Towns and villages

Mergers

Festivals and events

Transportation

Railways

Subways

Monorail

People movers

Road

Expressway

National highways

Ports

Education

University facilities

Sports

Facilities

Football and athletics

Baseball

Indoor

Other

Teams

Soccer (football)

Baseball

Basketball

Volleyball

Visitors attractions and places of interest

Sister areas

In popular culture

See also

Citations

General references

External links