is a prefecture of Japan 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 ''C ...

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 se ...

. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,906,464 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 7,114 km² (2,746

sq mi The square mile (abbreviated as sq mi and sometimes as mi2)Rowlett, Russ (September 1, 2004) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved February 22, 2012. is an imperial and US unit of measure for area. One square mile is an are ...

). Okayama Prefecture borders

Tottori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Tottori Prefecture is the least populous prefecture of Japan at 570,569 (2016) and has a geographic area of . Tottori Prefecture borders Shimane Prefecture to the west, Hiro ...

to the north, Hyōgo Prefecture to the east, and Hiroshima Prefecture to the west. Okayama is the capital and largest city of Okayama Prefecture, with other major cities including

Kurashiki is a historic city located in western Okayama Prefecture, Japan, sitting on the Takahashi River, on the coast of the Inland Sea. As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 483,576 and a population density of 1,400 persons per ...

Tsuyama is a city in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 102,294 and a population density of 200 persons per km². The total area was 185.73 km². The area increased in 2005 as the result of a merger with adjacent t ...

, and

Sōja is a city located in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. As of 2020, the city has an estimated population of 69,343 and a population density of 322 persons per km2. The total area is 211.90 km2. History In the 7th century, Ki Castle was built a ...

. Okayama Prefecture's south is located on the Seto Inland Sea coast across from Kagawa Prefecture on the island of

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...

, which are connected by the

Great Seto Bridge The is a series of double deck bridges connecting Okayama and Kagawa prefectures in Japan across a series of five small islands in the Seto Inland Sea. Built over the period 1978–88, it is one of the three routes of the Honshū–Shikoku Br ...

, while the north is characterized by the

Chūgoku Mountains is a mountain range in the Chūgoku region of western Japan. It runs in an east–west direction and stretches approximately from Hyōgo Prefecture in the east to the coast of Yamaguchi Prefecture. The range also reaches under the Pacific Ocean ...

History

Prior to 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 ...

of 1868, the area of present-day Okayama Prefecture was divided between Bitchū, Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces. Okayama Prefecture was formed and named in 1871 as part of the large-scale administrative reforms of the early

Meiji period 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 ...

(1868–1912), and the borders of the prefecture were set in 1876.

Geography

Okayama Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture,

, and Hiroshima Prefecture. It faces Kagawa Prefecture in

across the Seto Inland Sea and includes 90 islands in the sea. Okayama Prefecture is home to the historic town of

. Most of the population is concentrated around Kurashiki and Okayama. The small villages in the northern mountain region are aging and declining in population - more than half of the prefecture's municipalities are officially designated as depopulated. As of 1 April 2014, 11% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Daisen-Oki and Setonaikai National Parks; the Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park; and seven Prefectural Natural Parks.

Cities

Okayama city view from Sankunjinja remains

Fifteen cities are located in Okayama Prefecture:

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 county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

Mergers

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, and, Okayama prefecture has had continual negative population growth since 2005

Education

Universities

* Okayama **

Okayama University is a national university in Japan. The main campus is located in Tsushima-Naka, Okayama, Okayama Prefecture. The school was founded in 1870 and it was established as a university in 1949. History Okayama University was originally founded as t ...

Notre Dame Seishin University is a private women's college in Okayama, Okayama, Japan, run by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (Congregationis Sororum a Domina Nostra Namurcensi) are a Catholic institute of religious sisters, founded ...

Okayama University of Science is a private university in Okayama, Okayama, Japan, established in 1964. It is predominantly a school of science and engineering. Notable events From 2015–2018, Okayama University of Science's operator, the group Kake Gakuen, applied for ...

** Okayama Shoka University **

Sanyo Gakuen University is a private university in Okayama, Okayama, Japan. The predecessor of the school, Sanyo Eiwa Women's School, was founded in 1886, and was chartered as a junior college, Sanyo Gakuen College is a private junior college in Naka-ku, Okayam ...

** Shujitsu University * Kurashiki **

Okayama Gakuin University is a private university in Kurashiki, Okayama, 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 J ...

Kurashiki Sakuyo University is a private university in Kurashiki, Okayama, 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 J ...

Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare is a private university in Kurashiki, Okayama, 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 J ...

* Soja ** Okayama Prefectural University * Tsuyama ** Mimasaka University * Niimi ** Niimi Public University

High schools

* Okayama **Okayama Ichinomiya Senior High School **Okayama Asahi Senior High School **Okayama Sozan Senior High School **Okayama Hosen Senior High School **Okayama Joto Senior High School **Okayama Sakuyo High School **Kurashiki High School

Transportation

Okayama Airport 2017-10-29 (38496563031)

Rail

JR West , 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, an ...

Sanyo Shinkansen , 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 by ...

** Sanyo Line **

Hakubi Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in the mountainous area of the Chūgoku region of Japan. It begins at the south end of Okayama Prefecture at Kurashiki Station in Kurashiki, passing through Niimi Station o ...

Tsuyama Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting and in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Stations All-stations and limited-stop services called operate over the line. In the "Rapid" column in the table below, "O" ...

Kibi Line is a railway line in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It is also referred to as the . Stations All stations are in Okayama Prefecture. Rolling stock * KiHa 40 series diesel multiple units Fi ...

Ako Line Ako or AKO may refer to: Candace Places *Akō, Hyōgo, a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan *Akō District, Hyōgo, a district located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan *Ako, Cameroon, a town in Cameroon *Ako, the Japanese name of Alexandrovsk- ...

Uno Line The is a Japanese railway line which connects Okayama Station in Okayama to Uno Station in Tamano, both in Okayama Prefecture. It is owned and run by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It is also referred to as the . Part of the line, ...

** Kishin Line **

Geibi Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in the mountainous area of the Chūgoku region in Japan. It begins at Bitchū Kōjiro Station on the west side of Niimi, Okayama Prefecture, connecting through Miyoshi St ...

Imbi Line The is a railway line operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) between Tottori, Tottori Prefecture and Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Route data *Operating Company: **West Japan Railway Company (Services and tracks) *Dist ...

* JR West and JR Shikoku **

Seto-Ōhashi Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku) in Japan which links Okayama Station in Okayama Prefecture with Takamatsu Station in Kagawa Prefectu ...

** Honshi-bisan Line * Chizu Express *

Ibara Railway The is Japanese railway line between Sōja Station, Sōja and Kannabe Station, Fukuyama. This is the only railway line operates. History Japanese National Railways started the construction of the line in 1966, but financial constraints halted ...

Mizushima Rinkai Railway The is a third-sector railway company based in Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan. The company took over operation of three former Kurashiki City Transportation Bureau lines in 1970. It mainly transports freight for the industrial area around the Port o ...

Tramways

Okayama Electric Tramway The is a transportation company in Okayama City, Japan. The private company operates tram lines and bus lines. The company was founded in 1910, while their first tram line was opened in 1912. This is one of the few Japanese railway operators ...

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 ...

* Chugoku Expressway * Seto Central Expressway * Yonago Expressway *

Okayama Expressway The is a national Expressways of Japan, expressway in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. It is owned and operated by West Nippon Expressway Company. Naming The expressway is officially referred to as the Chūgoku-Ōdan Expressway Okayama Yonago Route. T ...

* Tottori Expressway

National highways

* Route 2 (

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...

- Kobe-

Himeji 260px, Himeji City Hall is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of 980 persons per km². The total area of the city is ...

-Bizen-Okayama-Kurashiki-Asakuchi-

Onomichi is a city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, facing the Inland Sea. The city was founded on April 1, 1898. As of April 30, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 141,811 and a population density of 497.8 persons per km2. The total a ...

- Hiroshima- Shūnan-

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 Tsush ...

- Kitakyushu) * Route 30 (Okayama-Uno-

Takamatsu 270px, Takamatsu City Hall 270px, Aerial view of Takamatsu city center 270px, View from Yashima to Takashima port is a city located in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 414,134 in 190120 households and a popul ...

* Route 53 (Okayama-Tsuyama- Tottori) * Route 179 * Route 180 (Okayama-Takahashi-Niimi) * Route 181 (Tsuyama-Maniwa-

Yonago is a city in western Tottori Prefecture, Japan, facing the Sea of Japan and making up part of the boundary of Lake Nakaumi. It is adjacent to Shimane Prefecture and across the lake from its capital of Matsue. It is the prefecture's second larges ...

Yasugi is a city located in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. As of March 1, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 38,875 and a population density of 92 persons per km². The total area is . History The ruins of Gassantoda Castle are in Yasugi. Acco ...

Matsue is the capital city of Shimane Prefecture, Japan, located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. The city has an estimated population of 202,008 (February 1, 2021) following the merger with Higashiizumo from Yatsuka District. Matsue is located ...

) * Route 182 * Route 183 * Route 250 (Okayama-Setouchi-

Ako Ako or AKO may refer to: Candace Places *Akō, Hyōgo, a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan *Akō District, Hyōgo, a district located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan *Ako, Cameroon, a town in Cameroon *Ako, the Japanese name of Alexandrovsk- ...

- Aioi- Takasago-

Akashi Akashi may refer to: People *Akashi (surname) Places *Akashi, Hyōgo *Akashi Station, a Japanese railroad station on the Sanyō Main Line *Akashi Strait *Akashi Kaikyō Bridge, crossing the former *Akashi Castle *Akashi Domain * Akashi, the name ...

) * Route 313 ( Fukuyama-Takahashi-Maniwa-

Kurayoshi is a city located in the central part of Tottori Prefecture, Japan. As of October 1, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 48,558 and a population density of 180 persons per km², making it the third largest city in Tottori. The total a ...

) * Route 373 * Route 374 * Route 429 * Route 430 * Route 482 ( Kyotango- Toyooka- Wakasa-Kagamino-Maniwa- Kōfu of Tottori * Route 484

Airport

Okayama Airport is an airport in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. It is also known as Okayama Momotaro Airport. It is located northwest of central Okayama City and northwest or 30 minutes by bus from Okayama Station. It is about 10 minutes from the Okayama inter ...

Culture

* Bizen-yaki (Bizen pottery) * Bizen Osafune/Bitchu Aoe swords

Association with Momotarō legend

Okayama Prefecture is closely associated with the folklore hero,

Momotarō is a popular hero of Japanese folklore. His name is often translated as ''Peach Boy'', but is directly translated as ''Peach + Tarō'', a common Japanese given name. ''Momotarō'' is also the title of various books, films and other works that p ...

. This tale is said to have roots in the legendary story of

Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto , also known as Hiko Isuseri-hiko no mikoto, was a legendary Japanese prince. According to the '' Nihon Shoki'', he was the son of Emperor Kōrei. Legend says this prince slayed an ogre called Ura, which may be the demonization of the Kingdom of ...

and Ura which explains that the Prince Ura of Kudara used to live in Kinojo (castle of the devil) and was a cause of trouble for the people living in the village. The emperor's government sent Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto (Momotarō) to defeat Ura. The city of Okayama holds an annual ''Momotarō-matsuri'', or Momotarō Festival.

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Okayama.

Football

Fagiano Okayama FC is a Japanese football club based in Okayama, the capital of Okayama Prefecture. They play in the J2 League, the second tier of the country's football league system. Their home stadium is City Light Stadium, in Okayama City, though some ho ...

(

Okayama city is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1889. , the city has an estimated population of 720,841 and a population density of 910 persons per km2. The total area is . The city i ...

) *

Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima FC are a Japanese football club based in Kurashiki, Okayama. They play in the Chūgoku Soccer League. History The club was founded in 1946 to provide recreational activities in the war-torn Mizushima area of Kurashiki city. They joined the Okayama ...

(

)

Volleyball

* Okayama Seagulls (

)

Basketball

* Tryhoop Okayama (B3 League, Okayama city)

Tourism

Some tourist attractions are: * Koraku-en Japanese garden in Okayama * Okayama Castle, Okayama *

Ki Castle was a Japanese castle of the ''kōgoishi'' type, constructed in the late 7th century by the Yamato Imperial court. The site, atop Kijō Mountain in what is today the Okayama Prefecture town of Sōja, is considered a national monument. Portions o ...

, Sōja * Shizutani School, Bizen * , Kurashiki * Bitchu Matsuyama Castle, Takahashi *

Kakuzan Park is a castle in Sange, Tsuyama, Okayama prefecture, Japan. Tsuyama is home to one of Japan's three major ''hirayama'' (平山城 hilltop) style castles along with Himeji Castle and Matsuyama Castle (Iyo), which were constructed around the same ...

, Tsuyama * , Ibara Town (following dissolution of Bisei Town) *

Maki-do Cave Maki-do (満奇洞) is one of three limestone caves located in Niimi is a city located in northwestern Okayama Prefecture, Japan. As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 30,583 (14,628 males, 15,955 females), with 12,857 ...

, in Niimi

Notable people

* Yuko Arimori (born 1996), marathon runner *

Kenji Doihara was a Japanese army officer. As a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, he was instrumental in the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. As a leading intelligence officer, he played a key role to the Japanese machinations that ...

(1883-1948), army officer * Tesshō Genda (born 1948), voice actor *

Morihiro Hashimoto (10 February 1977 – 13 March 2017) was a Japanese darts player, nicknamed The Ogre. Career Hashimoto first appeared in the PDC circuit competing in the 2009 Las Vegas Desert Classic qualifiers, as well as a Players Championship. He attempt ...

(1977-2017), darts player * Naoki Hoshino (1892-1978), politician *

Masaki Kajishima Masaki Kajishima (梶島正樹 ''Kajishima Masaki'', born March 16, 1962) is a Japanese animator and storyboard artist who works for AIC in a freelance capacity. He is best known as the creator of ''Tenchi Muyo!'' and ''Dual! Parallel Trouble Adv ...

(born 1962), creator of ''

Tenchi Muyo! is a Japanese anime, light novel and manga franchise. The original series began with a six-episode OVA called created by Masaki Kajishima and directed by Hiroki Hayashi, and released in Japan on September 25, 1992. The series was ...

'' *

Shiro Kawase was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He was a torpedo expert and his extensive experience as a commander of destroyers and destroyer formations made him more knowledgeable about the escort of convoys than most Ja ...

(1889-1946), admiral *

Shin Koyamada is a Japanese-American actor, producer, entrepreneur, martial artist, and philanthropist. He is best known for his starring roles in ''The Last Samurai'' and the Disney's movie '' Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior'' on Disney+. He has produced numero ...

(born 1982), Hollywood actor * Sadahiko Miyake (1891-1956), general *

Chiura Obata was a well-known Japanese-American artist and popular art teacher. A self-described "roughneck", Obata went to the United States in 1903, at age 17. After initially working as an illustrator and commercial decorator, he had a successful career a ...

(1885-1975), artist * Mori Takashi, former member of ''

Gentouki is a Japanese band and solo performing name of singer-songwriter and producer Jun Tanaka. Gentouki has released 6 major singles and 5 major albums in the band's history. Most recent album ''Tanjoubi (Album), Tanjoubi'' was released on September ...

'' * Yōji Takikawa (born 1949), pedagogist * Mutsuo Toi (1917-1938), perpetrator of the

Tsuyama massacre The was a revenge spree killing that occurred on 21 May 1938 in the rural village of Kamo close to Tsuyama in Okayama, Empire of Japan. , a 21-year-old man, killed 30 people, including his grandmother, with a Browning shotgun, katana, and ...

Inukai Tsuyoshi Inukai Tsuyoshi ( ja, 犬養毅, 4 June 1855 – 15 May 1932) was a Japanese politician, cabinet minister, and Prime Minister of Japan from 1931 to his assassination in 1932. Inukai was Japan's second oldest prime minister while serving, as he ...

(1855-1932), former

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 i ...

of Japan *

Jiro Watanabe is a Japanese former boxer. Watanabe, who fought only in Japan and South Korea, was one of the first World super flyweight champions, as the division was relatively new when he was crowned. Biography With a background in Shotokan Karate, he ...

(born 1955), boxer *

Takeo Yasuda was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army. While serving as director of the Army's Aviation Technology Research Institute during World War II, he was a key figure in scientific and technological development for the Imperial Japanese A ...

(1889-1964), lieutenant general *

Eisuke Yoshiyuki was a Japanese author. He was born in Okayama Prefecture. His son, Junnosuke Yoshiyuki, was also a noted author; his daughter, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, a well-known actress; and his other daughter, Rie Yoshiyuki, was a poet and novelist. The 1997 NHK A ...

(1906-1940), author

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 retir ...

. ; .

External links

*
Official tourism site
* * {{coord, 34, 42, N, 133, 51, E, scale:500000, display=title Chūgoku region Prefectures of Japan