Toyama Prefectural Office Building01st3200

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 north ...

located in the Chūbu region 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 se ...

. Toyama Prefecture has a population of 1,044,588 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,247.61 km² (1,640.01

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 ...

). Toyama Prefecture borders Ishikawa Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefecture to the south, Nagano Prefecture to the east, and

Niigata Prefecture is a prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,227,496 (1 July 2019) and is the fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area at . Niigata Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture and ...

to the northeast.

Toyama Toyama may refer to: Places and organizations * Toyama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on the main Honshu island * Toyama, Toyama, the capital city of Toyama Prefecture * Toyama Station, the main station of Toyama, ...

is the capital and largest city of Toyama Prefecture, with other major cities including Takaoka, Imizu, and Nanto. Toyama Prefecture is part of the historic Hokuriku region, and the majority of prefecture's population lives on

Toyama Bay is a bay located on the northern shores of the Hokuriku region of Honshu, Japan on the Sea of Japan. The bay borders Toyama and Ishikawa prefectures. The bay is known for the mirages on the horizon during the winter months and for being a spaw ...

, one of the largest bays in Japan. Toyama Prefecture is the leading

industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...

prefecture on the

Japan Sea 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 ...

coast and has the advantage of cheap

electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as describ ...

from abundant hydroelectric resources. Toyama Prefecture contains the only known

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...

s in

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both Geography, geographical and culture, ethno-cultural terms. The modern State (polity), states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. ...

outside of

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

, first recognized in 2012, and 30% of the prefecture's area is designated as national parks.

History

Historically, Toyama Prefecture was Etchū Province. Following the abolition of the han system in 1871, Etchū Province was renamed ''Niikawa Prefecture'', but Imizu District was given to Nanao Prefecture. In 1872 Imizu District was returned by the new Ishikawa Prefecture. In 1876, Niikawa Prefecture was merged into Ishikawa Prefecture but the merger was void in 1881 and the area was re-established as Toyama Prefecture. The

Itai-itai disease was the name given to the mass cadmium poisoning of Toyama Prefecture, Japan, starting around 1912. The term "''itai-itai'' disease" was coined by localsICETT Itai-itai disease (1998) for the severe pains (Japanese: 痛い ''itai'') people with t ...

occurred in Toyama around 1950.

Geography

Toyama Prefecture is bordered by Ishikawa Prefecture to the west, Niigata to the northeast,

Nagano Nagano may refer to: Places * Nagano Prefecture, a prefecture in Japan ** Nagano (city), the capital city of the same prefecture *** Nagano 1998, the 1998 Winter Olympics *** Nagano Olympic Stadium, a baseball stadium in Nagano *** Nagano Universi ...

to the southeast, Gifu to the south and

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 ...

to the north. As of April 1, 2012, 30% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Chūbu-Sangaku and Hakusan National Parks; Noto Hantō Quasi-National Park; and six Prefectural Natural Parks.

Municipalities

Due to the mergers in the 2000s, Toyama has the fewest municipalities of any prefecture in Japan with 10 cities, 2 districts, 4 towns, and 1 village (before the mergers took place, the prefecture had 9 cities, 18 towns, and 8 villages).

Mergers

List of governors of Toyama Prefecture (from 1947)

* Tetsuji Tachi (館哲二) (19 April 1947 to 15 November 1947) * Takekuni Takatsuji (高辻武邦) (16 November 1947 to 30 September 1956) * Minoru Yoshida (吉田実) (1 October 1956 to 1 December 1969) * Kōkichi Nakata (中田幸吉) (30 December 1969 to 18 September 1980) * Yutaka Nakaoki (中沖豊) (11 November 1980 to 8 November 2004) * Takakazu Ishii (石井隆一) (9 November 2004 to 8 November 2020) * Hachirō Nitta (新田八朗) (9 November 2020 to present)

Economy

Agriculture

In 2014 Toyama contributed approximately 2.5% of Japan's rice production and makes use of abundant water sources originating from

Mount Tate , commonly referred to as Tateyama, is a mountain located in the southeastern area of Toyama Prefecture, Japan. It is one of the tallest mountains in the Hida Mountains at . It is one of Japan's along with Mount Fuji and Mount Haku. Tateyama c ...

. It also has many fisheries along its Sea of Japan coastline.

Manufacturing

Toyama is famous for its historical pharmaceutical industry which remains a top manufacturing industry in the prefecture in terms of manufacturing shipment value followed by electronic parts and devices (

industrial robots An industrial robot is a robot system used for manufacturing. Industrial robots are automated, programmable and capable of movement on three or more axes. Typical applications of robots include welding, painting, assembly, disassembly, pick a ...

, general machinery, etc.), and metal products (aluminum, copper etc.) manufacturing.

Energy

Kurobe Dam The or , is a high variable-radius arch dam on the Kurobe River in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. The tallest dam in Japan, it supports the 335 MW Kurobe No. 4 Hydropower Plant and is owned by Kansai Electric Power Company. It was constructed betwe ...

generates electricity for the

Kansai Electric Power Company , also known as , is an electric utility with its operational area of Kansai region, Japan (including the Keihanshin megalopolis). The Kansai region is Japan's second-largest industrial area, and in normal times, its most nuclear-reliant. B ...

. It is located on the

Kurobe River The is a river in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. in length, it has a watershed of 689 km². The river rises from Mount Washiba in the Hida Mountains and carves the deep valley known as the Kurobe Gorge. It comes out of the mountains at Un ...

in Toyama Prefecture.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Toyama has been relatively stable since 1950.

Transportation

Rail

Tokyo: 2 hr 7 min via

Hokuriku Shinkansen The is a high-speed Shinkansen railway line jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West), connecting Tokyo with in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The first section, between and in Nagano Pr ...

Osaka: 3 hr via Hokuriku Shinkansen and ''

Thunderbird Thunderbird, thunder bird or thunderbirds may refer to: * Thunderbird (mythology), a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples' history and culture * Ford Thunderbird, a car Birds * Dromornithidae, extinct flightless birds ...

'' Limited Express * The Hokuriku Shinkansen line is scheduled to extend to Osaka in the future, and will shorten the Osaka-Toyama trip to approximately 1 hr 40 min.

Expressway

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 ...

: 5 hr *

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 ...

: 4 hr 10 min *

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...

: 3 hr 15 min * Niigata: 2 hr 30 min

Air

Toyama Airport is an airport located in the city of Toyama, Toyama Prefecture, Japan. The airport services are primarily domestic flights and international flights to China and Taiwan: however, seasonal international charter flights also service Toyama from A ...

(TOY)

Domestic

: 1 hr *

Sapporo ( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous cit ...

: 1 hr 20 min *

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...

: 1 hr 30 min

International

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 ...

: 2 hr 30 min via

Shanghai Airlines Shanghai Airlines () is an airline headquartered in Shanghai. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines, but its operations remain separate post-merger, retaining its distinct brand and livery. Shanghai Airlines operates domestic ...

* Dalian: 2 hr 30 min via

China Southern Airlines China Southern Airlines Company Limited is an airline headquartered in Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province and is the largest airline in China. Established on 1 July 1988 following the restructuring of the CAAC Airlines that acqu ...

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

: 1 hr 50 min via

Asiana Airlines Asiana Airlines Inc. ( ) is a South Korean airline headquartered in Seoul.Home
." Asiana Airlines. Retrieved 13 September 2 ...

Vladivostok Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, c ...

: 2 hr 40 min via

Vladivostok Airlines Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea ...

Culture

UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Sites

Gokayama Historical Village ( Nanto City)

National Treasures of Japan

Zuiryū-ji Temple ( Takaoka City)

Festivals

Spring

*All Japan Chindon Competition (

Toyama City Toyama may refer to: Places and organizations * Toyama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on the main Honshu island * Toyama, Toyama, the capital city of Toyama Prefecture * Toyama Station, the main station of Toyama, ...

(

Toyama Castle Toyama Castle moat is a flatland-style Japanese castle located in the city of Toyama, Toyama Prefecture, in the Hokuriku region of Japan. It is also called Azumi Castle (安住城 ''Azumi-jō''). Built in 1543, the castle and its surroundi ...

Park), Mid April *Tonami Tulip Fair ( Tonami City), May *Marumage Festival ( Himi City), May 17

Summer

*Sassa Narimasa Sengoku Era Festival (

), Late July *Japan Wildlife Film Festival (Toyama Prefecture), Early August

Fall

*Toyama Festival (

), Sept. 1 * Owara Kaze no Bon (

( Yatsuo Area)), Sept. 1-3

Winter

*Nanto Toga Soba Festival ( Nanto City ( Toga Village Area)), Mid Feb.

Regional Foods

*Trout Sushi (''

Masuzushi is a kind of Japanese ''ekiben'' boxed meal sold on trains and train stations in Japan. It is a type of '' oshizushi'' (pressed sushi) and a well-known souvenir of Toyama. ''Masuzushi'' is made of vinegared trout sashimi is a Japanese d ...

'') *White Shrimp (''Shiro Ebi'') *Matured Yellow Tail (''Buri'') *Firefly Squid (''Hotaru Ika'') *Fish Paste ('' Kamaboko'')

Regional sake

*Tateyama (立山) *Narimasa (成政) *Masuizumi (満寿泉) *Sanshoraku (三笑楽）

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Toyama. Football * Kataller Toyama (

) Basketball *

Toyama Grouses The Toyama Grouses are a Japanese basketball team, playing in the Central Conference of the B.League. They are based in Toyama Prefecture. Head coaches * Masato Fukushima *Takatoshi Ishibashi * Charles Johnson (2009–10) * Kohei Eto * Kazuaki S ...

(

) Baseball *

Toyama Thunderbirds The Route Inn BCL, formerly known as the , is an independent minor baseball league in Japan. The league's abbreviated designation is "." League structure The Baseball Challenge League has three divisions, East, Middle, and West, with four team ...

(

) Rugby Union * Takaoka Mariners ( Takaoka)

Tourism

Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route The is a mountain sightseeing route between Tateyama, Toyama and Ōmachi, Nagano, Japan. Opened on June 1, 1971, it is long, with a difference in elevation of as much as . The Alpine Route goes through Tateyama in the Hida Mountains with m ...

kurobe Gorge Railway The , or for short, is a private, narrow gauge railway company operating the Kurobe Gorge Main Line along the Kurobe River in the Kurobe gorge area of Toyama Prefecture, Japan. The railway was built to serve the construction of the Kurobe dam f ...

Unazuki Onsen is a hot spring resort located in the city of Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture, Japan, at the entrance of the Kurobe Gorge. History and description Unazuki Onsen was opened in the 1923 Taisho period. Over the years, many poets and writers have vi ...

Gokayama is an area within the city of Nanto in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. It has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List due to its traditional ''gasshō-zukuri'' houses, alongside nearby Shirakawa-gō in Gifu Prefecture. The survival of this ...

（UNESCO World Heritage Site） *Mitsui Outlet Park, Hokuriku Oyabe

International Links

* , Liaoning Province - May 9, 1984 * ,

São Paulo State SAO or Sao may refer to: Places * Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD * Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso * Saco Transportation Center (station code SAO), a train station in Saco, Maine, U.S. ...

- July 18, 1985 * ,

Oregon State Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering col ...

- October 19, 1991 * , Primorsky Region - August 26, 1992 * , Basel-Stadt - October 26, 2009 * ,

Andhra Pradesh State Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

- December 29, 2015

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 ...

.
OCLC 58053128
* Prefecture, N. (2022). Toyama Prefecture- The East Asia Local and Regional Government Congress. Retrieved 1 July 2022, from https://www3.pref.nara.jp/eastasia_e/1080.html * McClean, C. (2022). 10 Fun Facts About Toyama Prefecture, Japan - Multicultural Kid Blogs. Retrieved 1 July 2022, from https://multiculturalkidblogs.com/2021/11/15/toyama-prefecture/

External links

National Archives of Japan Toyama Map (1891)
{{Authority control Chūbu region Prefectures of Japan Hokuriku region