is a

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''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 inter ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

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. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 7,328,339 ...

Honshu , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...

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

sq mi 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 equa ...

). Yamaguchi Prefecture borders

Shimane Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a ge ...

to the north and Hiroshima Prefecture to the northeast. Yamaguchi is the capital and

Shimonoseki file:141122 Shimonoseki City Hall Yamaguchi pref Japan01s3.jpg, 260px, Shimonoseki city hall is a Cities of Japan, city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 248,193 in 128,762 households and a pop ...

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

Shūnan file:Tokuyama district Shunan city Aerial photograph.2008.jpg, 270px, Shūnan city center is a Cities of Japan, city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 137,019 in 6828 households and a population density o ...

, and

Iwakuni file:20100724 Iwakuni 5235.jpg, 270px, Kintai Bridge file:Iwakuni city center area Aerial photograph.2008.jpg, 270px, Iwakuni city center is a Cities of Japan, city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of ...

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

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

and

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

, and separated from the island of

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands ...

by the

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

History

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

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

class during the

Heian The Japanese word Heian (平安, lit. "peace") may refer to: * Heian period, an era of Japanese history * Heian-kyō, the Heian-period capital of Japan that has become the present-day city of Kyoto * Heian series, a group of karate kata (forms) * ...

and

Kamakura , officially , is a city of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. It is located in the Kanto region on the island of Honshu. The city has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 people per km2 over the tota ...

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

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

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

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

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

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

and

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

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

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

, and the Mōri family gained control of the

. Yamaguchi was ruled as part of the

Mōri clan The was a Japanese clan, Japanese samurai clan descended from Ōe no Hiromoto. Ōe no Hiromoto was descended from the Fujiwara clan. The family's most illustrious member, Mōri Motonari, greatly expanded the clan's power in Aki Province. Durin ...

domain during the

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

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

was then defeated by

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

in the battle of

Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was an important battle in Japan which occurred on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture, ...

in 1600. He was forced to give up all his land except for the Suō and Nagato areas (current-day Yamaguchi Prefecture), where he built his castle in Hagi. Mōri sought to strengthen the economic base of the region and increase local production with his Three Whites campaign (salt, rice, and paper). After Commodore

Matthew Perry Matthew Langford Perry (August 19, 1969 – October 28, 2023) was an American and Canadian actor, comedian, director and screenwriter. He gained international fame for starring as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom ''Friends'' (1994– ...

opening of Japan ] The Perry Expedition (, , "Arrival of the Black Ships") was a diplomatic and military expedition in two separate voyages (1852–1853 and 1854–1855) to the Tokugawa shogunate () by warships of the United States Navy. The goals of this expedit ...

, clans from Nagato (also called Chōshū Domain, Chōshū) played a key role in the fall of the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

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

Edo Shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

was overthrown and the

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

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

area. During the post-World War II

Shōwa Period Shōwa most commonly refers to: * Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa ** Shōwa era (昭和), the era of Hirohito from 1926 to 1989 * Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufactu ...

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

Geography

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

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

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

Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...

Prefectural Natural Parks.

Current municipalities

Mergers

Economic development

For the purposes of development analysis, Yamaguchi is construed to be part of Northern Kyushu. Although Yamaguchi is not part of the island of

, it has become a functional satellite of the

metropolitan area.

Demographics

Yamaguchi prefecture population pyramid in 2020

Per Japanese census data, Yamaguchi prefecture has had negative population growth from 1955 to 1973 and 1985–onwards, today at edge of having less than 1940 population leaving elderly behind.

Tourism

The most popular place for tourism is

, which has the

Karato is the downtown area of the city of Shimonoseki, Japan. Located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, it is known for its fish market. Main sightseeing spots and institutions Sightseeing * (Aquarium) * (268.2 m) * (fresh fish shop etc.) * For ...

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

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

in the town of

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

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

, when groups of family and friends gather in early April to view cherry blossoms. Hagi City is in the north of Yamaguchi. It is a very traditional city. The usual color of Japanese post boxes is red, but in Hagi they are painted green or brown. The Hagi Museum is modeled after a traditional samurai residence. The exhibits are detailed and realistic, and are changed every year. The permanent collection is data about Hagi's history and collections about

Takasugi Shinsaku was a samurai from the Chōshū Domain of Japan who contributed significantly to the Meiji Restoration. He used several aliases to hide his activities from the Tokugawa shogunate. Early life Takasugi Shinsaku was born in the castle town Ha ...

. Hagi also contains a

reverberatory furnace A reverberatory furnace is a metallurgy, metallurgical or process Metallurgical furnace, furnace that isolates the material being processed from contact with the fuel, but not from contact with combustion gases. The term ''reverberation'' is use ...

which has been designated a World Heritage Site. Kawara soba (hot tile noodles) is a popular dish in Yamaguchi. It was developed during the Seinan Rebellion when soldiers cooked wild grass and meat on hot tiles. Today people in Yamaguchi create this dish by frying green tea noodles on a hot tile, and arranging a thin fried egg, stewed beef, green onions, and grilled liver on top.

Akiyoshidai Quasi-National Park is a Quasi-National Park in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It was founded on 1 November 1955 and has an area of 45.02 km². It includes part of the , a 130 square kilometre area of karst topography, as well as over 400 limestone caves. The ...

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

Famous festivals and events

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

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

Education

High schools

Universities

* Baiko Gakuin University (private) * National Fisheries University (national) * Shimonoseki City University (public) *

Tokyo University of Science, Yamaguchi is a public university in San'yō-Onoda, Yamaguchi, Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and exte ...

(public) * Ube Frontier University (private) * University of East Asia (private) * Yamaguchi Gakugei College (private) *

Yamaguchi Prefectural University is a public university in Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends fr ...

(public) *

Yamaguchi University is a Japanese national university, national university in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It has campuses at the cities of Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi and Ube, Yamaguchi, Ube. History The root of the university was , a private school founde ...

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

Transportation

Ferries from Shimonoseki Port International Terminal

Two ferry services provide regular sea transport from the

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

Busan Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second list of cities in South Korea by population, most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economi ...

, South Korea; the

Orient Ferry The Orient is a term referring to the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of the term ''Occident'', which refers to the Western world. In English, it is largely a meto ...

provides round-trip service to

Qingdao Qingdao, Mandarin: , (Qingdao Mandarin: t͡ɕʰiŋ˧˩ tɒ˥) is a prefecture-level city in the eastern Shandong Province of China. Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, Qingdao was long an important fortress. In 1897, the city was ceded to G ...

and

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

, respectively. *Kanpu ferry to

in South Korea regularly *Gwangyang Beech to

Gwangyang Gwangyang (; ) is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Gwangyang is the home of POSCO's Gwangyang Steel Works, the largest facility of its kind in the world. The city is also home to K League Classic football side Jeonnam Dragons. Gwa ...

in South Korea regularly *Orient ferry to

in China regularly *Orient ferry to

in China regularly

Other ferry routes

* Shunan-

Kunisaki is a small coastal city located in Ōita Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 25,721 in 13082 households, and a population density of 81 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Kunisaki co ...

* Yanai-

Matsuyama 270px, Matsuyama City Hall 270px, Ehime Prefectural Capital Building is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku, in Japan and is also Shikoku's largest city. , the city had an estimated population of 505,948 in 243,541 h ...

Shikoku is the smallest of the List of islands of Japan#Main islands, four main islands of Japan. It is long and between at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu ...

Air

* Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport (to Haneda Airport (Tokyo) and

Naha Airport is an international airport located west of the city hallAIS Japan
in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is Japan's ...

(

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

)) *

Yamaguchi Ube Airport is a domestic airport located southeast of Ube-Shinkawa Station, Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is the westernmost airport on the island of Honshu, and is marketed as an alternative to the Kitakyushu Airport for Yamaguchi prefecture r ...

(to

Haneda Airport , also known as and sometimes abbreviated to ''Tokyo-Haneda'', is the busier of the two international airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the other one being Narita International Airport (NRT). It serves as the primary domestic base of J ...

(

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

))

Railway

*Nishikigawa Railway *

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

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

Onoda Line The is a railway line in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line connects Ube-Shinkawa Station in Ube and Onoda Station in San'yō-Onoda. The , which runs from Suzemeda to Motoyama, is part ...

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

** Sanin Line **

Sanyō Shinkansen is a former Japanese electronics manufacturer founded in 1947 by Toshio Iue, the brother-in-law of Kōnosuke Matsushita, the founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial, now known as Panasonic. Iue left Matsushita Electric to start his own bus ...

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

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

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

Roads

Expressways

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

* Sanyo Expressway

Toll roads

* Hagi Misumi Road *

Kanmon Bridge The (Asian Highway Network ) is a suspension bridge crossing the Kanmon Straits, a stretch of water separating two of Japan's four main islands. On the Honshū side of the bridge is Shimonoseki (, which contributed ''Kan'' to the name of the s ...

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

National highways

* Route 2 * Route 9 * Route 187 (Iwakuni- Tsuwano-

Masuda is a city located in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 43,885 in 21,249 households and a population density of 60 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Masuda is located on the western e ...

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

from side of

Prefectural symbols

* Tree: Red pine tree (''Pinus densiflora'') * Flower: Bitter summer mandarin blossom (''Citrus natsudaidai'') * Bird:

Hooded crane The hooded crane (''Grus monacha'') is a crane native to East Asia and a frequent migratory bird in Japan. Description It has a grey body. The top of the neck and head is white, except for a patch of bare red skin above the eye. It is one of t ...

(''Grus monacha'') * Fish:

Tetraodontidae Tetraodontidae is a family of marine and freshwater fish in the order Tetraodontiformes. The family includes many familiar species variously called pufferfish, puffers, balloonfish, blowfish, blowers, blowies, bubblefish, globefish, swellfish, ...

(''

Takifugu rubripes ''Takifugu rubripes'', commonly known as the Japanese puffer, Japanese pufferfish, Tiger puffer, or torafugu (), is a pufferfish in the genus '' Takifugu''. It is distinguished by a very small genome that has been fully sequenced because of its ...

'') * Beast:

Sika deer The sika deer (''Cervus nippon''), also known as the northern spotted deer or the Japanese deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to other parts of the world. Previously found from northern Vietnam in the south t ...

(''Cervus nippon nippon'') * Mascot:

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

Media

Newspapers

*''

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

TV

* KRY TV ( NNN) *

NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...

TV *

TSS TSS may refer to: Organizations * Tanglin Secondary School, a government secondary school in Clementi, Singapore * The Southport School, Anglican day and boarding school on Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia * Tinana State School, a public prim ...

TV/ TNC TV ( FNN) * TYS TV ( JNN) * YAB TV (

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

)

Radio

* FMY ( JFN)

Notable people from Yamaguchi Prefecture

Business

* Aikawa Yoshisuke Japanese entrepreneur, businessman, politician, and founder of the Nissan ''zaibatsu'' * Yanai Tadashi, Japanese businessman, founder and president of

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

, of which

Uniqlo ( ; ) is a Japanese casual wear designer and retailer. The company is a subsidiary of Fast Retailing, Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. Clare Waight Keller is the creative director. History Men's Shop OS was founded in Ube, Yamaguchi. It was rebrand ...

is a subsidiary * Yamaguchi Harukichi, founder of the

Yamaguchi-gumi is Japan's largest ''yakuza'' organization. It is named after its founder Harukichi Yamaguchi. Its origins can be traced back to a loose labor union for longshoreman, dockworkers in Kobe before World War II. It is one of the largest organized cr ...

, born near

Kobe Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...

but his entire family hailed from Yamaguchi. * Viscount

Inoue Masaru Masaru Inoue may refer to: * Masaru Inoue (astronomer), an astronomer * Inoue Masaru (bureaucrat) Viscount was the first Director of Railways in Japan and is known as the "father of the Japanese railways". Biography He was born into the C ...

, "father of the Japanese railways", member of the

Chōshū Five The were members of the Chōshū han of western Japan who travelled to England in 1863 to study at University College London. The five students were the first of many successive groups of Japanese students who travelled overseas in the late Bak ...

, the first Japanese students to study in England following the

Entertainment

* Hideaki Anno, Anno Hideaki, film director known for ''

Neon Genesis Evangelion , also known as ''Evangelion'' or ''Eva'', is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Gainax and Tatsunoko Production, and directed by Hideaki Anno. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo and its affiliates from October 1995 to March 1 ...

''. Filmed scenes of

Shiki-Jitsu , also known as ''Ritual'', is a 2000 Japanese psychological drama film written and directed by Hideaki Anno. It is based on the novella ''Tōhimu'' by Ayako Fujitani, who also stars alongside Shunji Iwai. Like Anno's previous film '' Love & ...

in his hometown of Ube. *

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

, guitarist of the band

D'espairsRay D'espairsRay (formerly stylized as DéspairsRay or +DéspairsRay+) was a Japanese visual kei heavy metal band active from 1999 to 2011. The lineup of Hizumi on vocals, Karyu on guitar, Zero on bass and Tsukasa on drums remained the same, with t ...

. The band had a "homecoming" in Yamaguchi in 2007 and 2009. * Michishige, a Japanese idol who is one of the sixth-generation members of Japanese idol group

Morning Musume , formerly and commonly known as and colloquially referred to as , is a Japanese girl group, holding the second highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon, Oricon charts as of February 2012, with the Oricon record of most to ...

* Mikami Shinji, video game designer; the God-father of the survival horror genre of video games * Mitsutada Yasunori, composer * Sadamoto Yoshiyuki, a Japanese character designer,

manga artist A manga artist, also known as a mangaka (), is a Cartoonist, comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist before entering the indus ...

, and founding member of

Gainax Gainax Co., Ltd. (stylized as GAINAX; , Hepburn: ) was a Japanese anime studio famous for original productions such as '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'', '' Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise'', '' Gunbuster'', '' Nadia: The Secret of Blue ...

* Sane Kairi, professional wrestler currently signed to

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...

and former

World Wonder Ring Stardom , is a Japanese ''joshi puroresu'' or women's professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo, Japan. Stardom was founded in September 2010 by former All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW) co-producer Ross ...

employee * Shaura, singer * Tamura Atsushi of the comic duo London Boots Ichi-go Ni-go is from

* Urushibara Yuki,

, creator of ''

Mushishi is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuki Urushibara. It was serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine ' from 1999 to 2002, and in ''Monthly Afternoon'' from December 2002 to August 2008. The individual chapters were ...

'' * Utada Teruzane, music producer, manager and father of

Hikaru Utada , also known mononymously as Utada, is a Japanese and American singer, songwriter, and producer. She is considered to be one of the most influential and best-selling musical artists in Japan. She is best known by international audiences for w ...

Government

Prime ministers

Shinzo Abe Shinzo Abe (21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. ...

Nobusuke Kishi was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan, prime minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960. He is remembered for his exploitative economic management of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo in China in the 1930s, ...

, and

Eisaku Satō was a Japanese politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1964 to 1972. He is the third longest-serving Japanese prime minister, and is ranked second by longest uninterrupted service. Satō is best remembered for securing the return ...

, post-war Prime Ministers (56, 57, 61, 62, 63, 90, 96, 97, & 98th). They form the nucleus of the modern Satō-Kishi-Abe political dynasty * Prince

Itō Hirobumi Kazoku, Prince , born , was a Japanese statesman who served as the first prime minister of Japan from 1885 to 1888, and later from 1892 to 1896, in 1898, and from 1900 to 1901. He was a leading member of the ''genrō'', a group of senior state ...

, first prime minister of Japan (and the 5th, 7th & 10th),

genrō was an unofficial designation given to a generation of elder Japanese statesmen, all born in the 1830s and 1840s, who served as informal extraconstitutional advisors to the emperor during the Meiji, Taishō, and early Shōwa eras of Japan ...

, and member of the

* Kan Naoto, 94th Prime Minister born in Ube * Prince

Katsura Tarō Prince was a Japanese politician and general who served as prime minister of Japan from 1901 to 1906, from 1908 to 1911, and from 1912 to 1913. He was a '' genrō'', or senior statesman who helped dictate policy during the Meiji era, and is th ...

, genro, Governor General of Taiwan, Minister of War, and the 11th, 13th, & 15th Prime Minister * Baron

Tanaka Giichi Baron was a Japanese general and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1927 to 1929. Born to a ''samurai'' family in the Chōshū Domain, Tanaka became an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army and rose through the ranks. He se ...

, Army Minister, Foreign Minister, and the 26th Prime Minister * Count

Terauchi Masatake '' Gensui'' Count Terauchi Masatake (), GCB (5 February 1852 – 3 November 1919), was a Japanese military officer and politician. He was a '' Gensui'' (or Marshal) in the Imperial Japanese Army and the prime minister of Japan from 1916 to 191 ...

, gensui, Governor General of Korea, and the 18th Prime Minister * Prince

Yamagata Aritomo Prince was a Japanese politician and general who served as prime minister of Japan from 1889 to 1891, and from 1898 to 1900. He was also a leading member of the '' genrō'', a group of senior courtiers and statesmen who dominated the politics ...

, genro, Army Chief of Staff, and the 3rd and 9th Prime Minister

Other government officials

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

Inoue Kaoru Marquess Inoue Kaoru (井上馨, January 16, 1836 – September 1, 1915) was a Japanese politician and a prominent member of the Meiji oligarchy during the Meiji period of the Empire of Japan. As one of the senior statesmen ('' Genrō'') in ...

, genro, Foreign and Finance Minister, member of the Chōshū Five *

Kido Takayoshi , formerly known as , was a Japanese statesman, samurai and ''Shishi (Japan), shishi'' who is considered one of the Three Great Nobles of the Restoration, three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. Early life Born Wada Kogorō on Augu ...

, one of the

Three Great Nobles The is a term used in Japan for three figures that played an important role in the Meiji Restoration in 1868 and are regarded as the founders of the modern state of Japan.『維新元勲十傑論』、16頁 The Three Great Nobles were: * Ōkubo ...

, architects of the Meiji Restoration * Matsuoka Yōsuke, diplomat, Foreign Minister, architect of the WWII era

Tripartite Pact The Tripartite Pact, also known as the Berlin Pact, was an agreement between Germany, Italy, and Japan signed in Berlin on 27 September 1940 by, respectively, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Galeazzo Ciano, and Saburō Kurusu (in that order) and in the ...

* Yoshimasa Hayashi serves as

Minister for Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral re ...

since November 2021. Born in

Military

* Baron

Arichi Shinanojō Baron was an admiral in the early Imperial Japanese Navy, and served as Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff in the late 19th century. Biography Arichi was born in Chōshū Domain (now Yamaguchi Prefecture. His younger brother wa ...

, admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, Chief of the

Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff The was the highest organ within the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). In charge of planning and operations, it was headed by an Admiral headquartered in Tokyo. History Created in 1893, the Navy General Staff took over operational (as opposed to a ...

* Baron

Arisaka Nariakira was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army. The inventor of the Arisaka, Arisaka rifle, he is regarded as one of the leading arms designers in Japanese history, alongside Kijirō Nambu. Biography Arisaka was born in Iwakuni, Yamagu ...

, lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army, inventor of the

Arisaka The Arisaka rifle () is a family of Japanese military bolt-action service rifles, which were produced and used since approximately 1897, when it replaced the Murata rifle (, ) family, until the end of World War II in 1945. The most common model ...

Rifle * Count

Hasegawa Yoshimichi Marshal Count was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and Japanese Governor General of Korea from 1916 to 1919. His Japanese decorations included Order of the Golden Kite (1st class) and Order of the Chrysanthemum. Biography Hasega ...

, Imperial Japanese Army

field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...

and Governor General of Korea * Iida Shojiro, a Japanese general during World War II who led the invasions of Thailand and Burma * Count

Nogi Maresuke Count , also known as Kiten, Count Nogi GCB (December 25, 1849September 13, 1912), was a Japanese general in the Imperial Japanese Army and a governor-general of Taiwan. He was one of the commanders during the 1894 capture of Port Arthur from ...

, general in the Imperial Japanese Army, and a prominent figure in the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...

Ōmura Masujirō (May 30, 1824 – December 7, 1869) was a Japanese military leader and theorist in Bakumatsu period Japan. He was the "Father" of the Imperial Japanese Army, launching a modern military force closely patterned after the French system of the da ...

, "Father of the modern Japanese Army" * Viscount

Ōshima Yoshimasa Viscount was a general in the early Imperial Japanese Army during the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War. His great-great-grandson, Shinzō Abe was Prime Minister of Japan. Biography Ōshima was born as the eldest son to a samu ...

, Japanese Army General and Governor-General of

Kwantung The Kwantung Leased Territory () was a leased territory of the Empire of Japan in the Liaodong Peninsula from 1905 to 1945. Japan first acquired Kwantung from the Qing Empire in perpetuity in 1895 in the Treaty of Shimonoseki after victory in ...

* Tanaka Raizo, a Japanese rear admiral during World War II * Baron

Tsuboi Kōzō Baron was an admiral of the early modern Imperial Japanese Navy, known primarily for his role in the First Sino-Japanese War. Biography Tsuboi Kōzō was born as Hara Kōzō, the second son of a doctor in what is now part of Hōfu, Yamaguchi, ...

, Navy Vice Admiral, commandant of the Naval Academy, distinguished at the

Battle of the Yalu The Battle of the Yalu River ( zh, t=黃海海戰, s=黄海海战, p=Huáng Hǎi Hǎizhàn; ; ) was the largest naval engagement of the First Sino-Japanese War, and took place on 17 September 1894, the day after the Japanese victory at the lan ...

Sports

* Iwatani Mayu, professional wrestler currently signed to

* Ishikawa Kasumi, silver medalist in Women's Team Table Tennis at the London 2012 Olympics, is from Yamaguchi City * Kawamura Yuki,

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

player currently signed to the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...

* Masateru Kaiketsu,

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

wrestler, '' ōzeki'', and chairman of the

Japan Sumo Association The , officially the ; sometimes abbreviated JSA or NSK, and more usually called Sumo Kyōkai, is the governing body that operates and controls Professional sports, professional sumo wrestling, called , in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Min ...

2010–2012

Sister districts

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

Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai (, ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and is administratively a part of the Southern Federal District. Its administrative center is the t ...

, Russia (since 2017) *

Pamplona Pamplona (; ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Navarre, Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. Lying at near above sea level, the city (and the wider Cuenca de Pamplona) is located on the flood pl ...

Navarre Navarre ( ; ; ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre, is a landlocked foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Autonomous Community, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and New Aquitaine in France. ...

, Spain (since 1980) *

Shandong Province Shandong is a coastal province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural and religious center ...

, China (since 1982) *

South Gyeongsang Province South Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple tha ...

, South Korea (since 1987)

Politics

Since the

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

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

Liberal Democratic Party Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...

(LDP).

Delegation to the National Diet

Since the electoral reform of the 1990s, Yamaguchi elects four members directly to the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

. Three of the new single-member districts have been held exclusively by Liberal Democrats as of 2013, the easternmost district bordering

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

was initially won by

Shinji Satō is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *Shinji Aoba (真司), perpetrator of the 2019 Kyoto Animation arson attack *Shinji Aoyama (真治), a Japanese film director *Shinji Aramaki (伸志), a Japanese anime d ...

(Eisaku Satō's son) in 1996, but went to

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

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

Masahiko Kōmura is a Japanese politician who served as Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party from 2012 to 2018. He served in several cabinet position, including as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 1999 and again from 2007 to 2008. He was a ...

( 1st district, 12th term), the chairman of the foreign affairs committee,

Nobuo Kishi is a Japanese politician. He sat in the House of Representatives from 2012 to 2023 representing Yamaguchi’s 2nd District as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. From September 2020 to August 2022 he served as the Minister of Defense. H ...

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

until his

assassination Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

in 2022, and is currently vacant. For the proportional representation segment of the House of Representatives, Yamaguchi forms part of the Chūgoku block. In the

House of Councillors The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers. If the t ...

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

Governor

The current governor of Yamaguchi is former MIC bureaucrat Tsugumasa Muraoka. He won the gubernatorial election in February 2014 with more than 60% of the vote against other two candidates, and succeeded Shigetarō Yamamoto who had been hospitalized since October 2013 and resigned in January 2014. Elected governors of Yamaguchi have been: #

Tatsuo Tanaka Tanaka Tatsuo (Japanese: 田中龍夫, Tanaka Tatsuo; 20 September 1910 – March 30, 1998) was a Japanese politician and baron who served as Minister of Education from 1980 to 1981 and Minister of International Trade and Industry from 1976 to ...

, 1947–1953 (2 terms, resigned mid-term to enter national politics), the son of pre-war prime minister Baron

Giichi Tanaka Baron was a Japanese general and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1927 to 1929. Born to a ''samurai'' family in the Chōshū Domain, Tanaka became an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army and rose through the ranks. He se ...

# Tarō Ozawa, 1953–1960 (2 terms, resigned mid-term to enter national politics), Tanaka's son-in-law # Masayuki Hashimoto, 1960–1976 (4 terms), previously member of the House of Representatives from Yamaguchi for the LDP # Tōru Hirai, 1976–1996 (5 terms), previously Home Affairs Ministry bureaucrat and vice-governor of Yamaguchi under Hashimoto # Sekinari Nii, 1996–2012 (4 terms), previously Home Affairs Ministry bureaucrat and treasurer of Yamaguchi under Hirai # Shigetarō Yamamoto, 2012–2014 (1 term, resigned for health reasons), former LDP candidate for the House of Representatives in Yamaguchi's 2nd district

Assembly

The has 47 members, elected in unified local elections in 15 electoral districts: 5 single-member districts, four two-member districts and six districts that elect each between four and nine members. In the

2015 election Africa * 2015 Beninese parliamentary election 26 April 2015 * 2015 Burkinabé general election 29 November 2015 * 2015 Burundian legislative election 29 June 2015 * 2015 Burundian presidential election 21 July 2015 * 2015-16 Central African g ...

, the LDP won a majority. Liberal Democrats form several parliamentary groups together with independents. As of June 8, 2015, the assembly is composed as follows: LDP 24 members, LDP Shinseikai 5, Kōmeitō 5, DPJ/Rengō no Kai 4, LDP Kensei Club 2,

JCP JCP may refer to: Businesses *JCPenney, an American department store chain (founded 1902) *Jim Crockett Promotions, an American wrestling company (founded 1931) Government and politics * Jobcentre Plus, United Kingdom (formed 2002) * Joint Comb ...

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

Notes

References

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

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is an academic publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University. It is a member of the Association of University Presses. Its director since 2017 is George Andreou. The pres ...

. ; .

External links

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