is a
prefecture of
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 n ...
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
''Ch ...
of
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 s ...
. 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). Okayama Prefecture borders
Tottori Prefecture to the north,
Hyōgo Prefecture to the east, and
Hiroshima Prefecture to the west.
Okayama
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 is ...
is the capital and largest city of Okayama Prefecture, with other major cities including
Kurashiki,
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 ...
, 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 ...
.
Okayama Prefecture's south is located on the
Seto Inland Sea coast across from
Kagawa Prefecture on the island of
Shikoku, which are connected by the
Great Seto Bridge, while the north is characterized by the
Chūgoku Mountains.
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,
Tottori Prefecture, and
Hiroshima Prefecture.
It faces
Kagawa Prefecture in
Shikoku across the
Seto Inland Sea and includes 90 islands in the sea.
Okayama Prefecture is home to the historic town of
Kurashiki. Most of the population is concentrated around Kurashiki and
Okayama
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 is ...
. 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
is a Quasi-National Park in Hyōgo Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture, and Okayama Prefecture, Japan. It was founded on 10 April 1969 and has an area of .
Overview
Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Kokutei Kōen comprises three areas of the Chūgoku Mo ...
; and seven Prefectural Natural Parks.
Cities
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 counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...
:
Mergers
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, and, Okayama prefecture has had continual negative population growth since 2005
Education
Universities
* Okayama
**
Okayama University
**
Notre Dame Seishin University
**
Okayama University of Science
**
Okayama Shoka University
**
Sanyo Gakuen University
is a private university in Okayama, Okayama
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 pe ...
**
Shujitsu University
is a private university in Okayama, Okayama
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 per ...
* Kurashiki
**
Okayama Gakuin University
**
Kurashiki Sakuyo University
**
Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare
* 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
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, and i ...
**
Sanyo Shinkansen
**
Sanyo Line
, 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 b ...
**
Hakubi Line
**
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
F ...
**
Ako Line
**
Uno 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 S ...
**
Imbi Line
* 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
*
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
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
The is a national expressway in the Chūgoku region of Japan. It is owned and operated by West Nippon Expressway Company.
Overview
The expressway is officially referred to as the Chūgoku-Ōdan Expressway Okayama Yonago Route.
The route co ...
*
Okayama Expressway
*
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
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, whi ...
-
Himeji-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
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 ...
-
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
is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fukuoka. It is one o ...
)
* Route 30 (Okayama-Uno-
Takamatsu
* Route 53 (Okayama-Tsuyama-
Tottori)
* Route 179
* Route 180 (Okayama-Takahashi-Niimi)
* Route 181 (Tsuyama-Maniwa-
Yonago-
Yasugi-
Matsue)
* Route 182
* Route 183
* Route 250 (Okayama-Setouchi-
Ako-
Aioi-
Takasago-
Akashi)
* 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 ar ...
)
* Route 373
* Route 374
* Route 429
* Route 430
* Route 482 (
Kyotango-
Toyooka-
Wakasa-Kagamino-Maniwa-
Kōfu of Tottori
* Route 484
Airport
*
Okayama Airport
Culture
*
Bizen-yaki (Bizen pottery)
* Bizen Osafune/Bitchu Aoe swords
Association with Momotarō legend
Okayama Prefecture is closely associated with the folklore hero,
Momotarō. 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 (
Okayama city)
*
Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima FC
are a Japanese Association football, football club based in Kurashiki, Okayama, Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, Okayama. They play in the Chūgoku Soccer League.
History
The club was founded in 1946 to provide recreational activities in the war- ...
(
Kurashiki)
Volleyball
*
Okayama Seagulls
is a women's volleyball team based in Okayama city, 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 b ...
(
Okayama city)
Basketball
*
Tryhoop Okayama
The Tryhoop Okayama is a professional basketball team that competes in the third division of the Japanese B.League. They began play in the 2019-2020 season. Their main home court is Zip Arena in Okayama City.
Coaches
* Yoichi Motoyasu
* Satoshi ...
(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
The was a school for the common people opened by the Okayama Domain in the early Edo period. It is located in Bizen in the Okayama Prefecture of Japan. The has been designated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technolo ...
, 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 t ...
, Tsuyama
* , Ibara Town (following dissolution of Bisei Town)
*
Maki-do Cave, in Niimi
Notable people
*
Yuko Arimori
is a Japanese professional marathon runner and a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Career
Arimori competed for Japan in the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona, Spain in the marathon where she won the silve ...
(born 1996), marathon runner
*
Kenji Doihara (1883-1948), army officer
*
Tesshō Genda (born 1948), voice actor
*
Morihiro Hashimoto (1977-2017), darts player
*
Naoki Hoshino (1892-1978), politician
*
Masaki Kajishima (born 1962), creator of ''
Tenchi Muyo!''
*
Shiro Kawase (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
was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, commanding Japanese ground forces on New Guinea during the closing months of the war.
Biography
Miyake was born in Okayama prefecture. He graduated from the 24th class of the Imperial Japanese Army ...
(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''
*
Yōji Takikawa (born 1949), pedagogist
* Mutsuo Toi (1917-1938), perpetrator of the
Tsuyama massacre
*
Inukai Tsuyoshi (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 is ...
of Japan
*
Jiro Watanabe (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 Japane ...
(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