Hyōgo Prefecture (兵庫県, Hyōgo-ken; Japanese pronunciation: [çoꜜː.ɡo, -ŋo, çoː.ɡoꜜ.keɴ, -ŋoꜜ.keɴ]) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 (as of 1 June 2019) and a geographic area of 8,400 square kilometres (3,200 square miles). Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to the southeast, and Okayama and Tottori prefectures to the west.
Kobe is the capital and largest city of Hyōgo Prefecture, and the seventh-largest city in Japan, with other major cities including Himeji, Nishinomiya, and Amagasaki. Hyōgo Prefecture's mainland stretches from the Sea of Japan to the Seto Inland Sea, where Awaji Island and a small archipelago of islands belonging to the prefecture are located. Hyōgo Prefecture is a major economic center, transportation hub, and tourist destination in western Japan, with 20% of the prefecture's land area designated as Natural Parks. Hyōgo Prefecture forms part of the Kobe metropolitan area and Osaka metropolitan area, the second-most-populated urban region in Japan after the Greater Tokyo area and one of the world's most productive regions by GDP.
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History
Present-day Hyōgo Prefecture includes the former provinces of Harima, Tajima, Awaji, and parts of Tanba and Settsu.
In 1180, near the end of the Heian period, Emperor Antoku, Taira no Kiyomori, and the Imperial court moved briefly to Fukuhara, in what is now the city of Kobe. There the capital remained for five months. Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is in the city of Himeji.
Southern Hyōgo Prefecture was severely devastated by the 6.9 Mw Great Hanshin earthquake of 1995, which destroyed major parts of Kobe and Awaji, as well as Nishinomiya and Ashiya and the neighboring Osaka Prefecture, killing nearly 6,500 people.
Geography
Hyōgo has coastlines on two seas: to the north, the Sea of Japan, to the south, the Seto Inland Sea. On Awaji Island, Hyōgo borders the Pacific Ocean coastline in the Kii Channel. The northern portion is sparsely populated, except for the city of Toyooka. The central highlands are only populated by tiny villages. Most of Hyōgo's population lives on the southern coast, which is part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area. Awaji is an island that separates the Inland Sea and Osaka Bay, lying between Honshu and Shikoku.
Summertime weather throughout Hyōgo is hot and humid. As for winter conditions, the north of Hyōgo tends to receive abundant snow, whilst the south receives only the occasional flurry.
Hyōgo borders on Osaka Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture and Okayama Prefecture.
As of 31 March 2008, 20% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Sanin Kaigan and Setonaikai National Parks; Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park; and Asago Gunzan, Harima Chūbu Kyūryō, Inagawa Keikoku, Izushi-Itoi, Kasagatayama-Sengamine, Kiyomizu-Tōjōko-Tachikui, Onzui-Chikusa, Seiban Kyūryō, Seppiko-Mineyama, Tajima Sangaku, and Taki Renzan Prefectural Natural Parks.
Cities
30 cities are located in Hyōgo Prefecture:
Towns
These are the towns in each district:
Islands
Awaji Island
Ieshima Islands
Two major artificial islands are located Hyōgo Prefecture:
Port Island
Rokkō Island
National parks
Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park
Sanin Kaigan National Park
Setonaikai National Park
Future mergers
The city of Akō and the only town in Akō District (Kamigōri), were scheduled to merge and the city would still retain the name Akō. Akō District would be defunct if the merger was successful. However, the merger has not taken place.
Economy
As in all prefectures nationwide, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries play a big role in the economy of Hyogo Prefecture.
Hyōgo Prefecture also has an IT industry, many heavy industries, metal and medical, Kobe Port being one of the largest ports in Japan. Kobe Port also hosts one of the world's fastest supercomputers, and Hyogo Prefecture passed laws to keep Kobe Port free of nuclear weapons (a nuclear-free zone) since the year 1975.
Hyōgo is a part of the Hanshin Industrial Region. There are two research institutes of Riken, natural sciences research institute in Japan, in Kobe and Harima. "SPring-8", a synchrotron radiation facility, is in Harima.
Culture
National Treasures of Japan
Chōkō-ji in Katō
Chorakuji in Kami, Hyōgo (Mikata)
Himeji Castle in Himeji (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Ichijō-ji in Kasai
Jōdo-ji in Ono
Kakurin-ji in Kakogawa
Taisan-ji in Kobe
Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings in Japan
Izushi
Kitano-chō Yamamoto-dōri
Sasayama
Museums
Asago Art Village in Asago
Ashiya City Museum of Art & History in Ashiya
Hakutsuru Fine Art Museum in Higashinada Ward, Kobe
Himeji City Museum of Art in Himeji
Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of Art in Nada Ward, Kobe
Kobe City Museum in Chuo Ward, Kobe
Kobe Maritime Museum in Chuo Ward, Kobe
Kosetsu Museum of Art in Higashinada Ward, Kobe
Tekisui Museum of Art in Ashiya
Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum in Takarazuka
Education
Universities
Sonoda Women's University
St. Thomas University (ex-Eichi University) – closed in 2015
Koshien University
Takarazuka University
Kwansei Gakuin University (Sanda Campus)
Kobe College
Kwansei Gakuin University
Mukogawa Women's University
Otemae University
Ashiya University
Kobe City University of Foreign Studies
Kobe Institute of Computing
Kobe Gakuin University
Kobe Shukugawa Gakuin University
Kobe University
Kobe University of Commerce
Kobe Women's University
Konan University
University of Hyogo
University of Marketing and Distribution Sciences
Hyogo University of Teacher Education
University of Hyogo
Hyogo University
Himeji Dokkyo University
High schools
There are 163 public and 52 private high schools within Hyogo prefecture. Of the public high schools, some are administered by the Hyogo prefectural government, whilst the others are administered by local municipalities.
Ashiya International Secondary School, founded 2003
Sports
The sports teams listed below are based in Hyōgo.
Baseball
Hanshin Tigers (Nishinomiya)
Orix Buffaloes (Kobe)
Basketball
Kobe Storks (Kobe)
Football (soccer)
INAC Kobe Leonessa (Women's) (Kobe)
Vissel Kobe (Kobe)
Rugby
Kobelco Steelers (Kobe)
World Fighting Bull (Kobe)
Volleyball
Hisamitsu Springs (Kobe)
JT Marvelous (Nishinomiya)
Tourism
A popular troupe of Takarazuka Revue plays in Takarazuka.
Arima Onsen in the south of the province in Kita-ku, Kobe is one of the Three Ancient Springs in Japan. The north of Hyogo Prefecture has sightseeing spots such as Kinosaki Onsen, Izushi, and Yumura Onsen. Takeda Castle in Asago is often referred to locally as the "Machu Picchu of Japan". The matsuba crab and Tajima beef are both national delicacies.
Festivals and events
Miyuki Street New Year's midnight traditional sale, Himeji
Nishinomiya Shrine's Ebisu Festival in January
Yanagihara Ebisu Festival in January, Kobe
Tada Shrine's Genji Festival in April, Kawanishi
Kobe Festival and Parade in May
Aioi Peron Festival in May
Himeji Yukata Festival in June
Dekansho Bon Dancing Festival in August, Sasayama
Nada Fighting Festival, Himeji
Kobe Luminarie in December
Ako Chushingura Parade
Transportation
Rail
JR West
San'yō Shinkansen
JR Kobe Line
Wadamisaki Line
San'yō Main Line
San'in Line
Fukuchiyama Line (JR Takarazuka Line)
Kakogawa Line
Bantan Line
Kishin Line
Akō Line
Hankyu Railway
Kobe Line
Kobe Kosoku Line
Itami Line
Imazu Line
Koyo Line
Takarazuka Line
Nose Railway
Myoken Line
Nissei Line
Shintetsu
Arima Line
Kobe Kosoku Line
Sanda Line
Kōen-Toshi Line
Ao Line
Kobe Municipal Subway
Seishin-Yamate Line
Kaigan Line
People movers
Kobe New Transit
Port Liner
Rokkō Liner
Road
Bantan Expressway
Chūgoku Expressway
Hanshin Expressway
Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway
Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway
Meishin Expressway
San'yō Expressway
Second Shinmei road
Ports
Akashi Port
Kobe Port – Mainly international container hub port
Shikama Port – Mainly Shōdo Island route ferry
Airport
Kobe Airport
Konotori Tajima Airport
Kansai International Airport in nearby Osaka Prefecture is also used by air travellers from the prefecture as it provides most domestic and international travel.
Notable people
Ume Aoki, manga artist
Mana Ashida, child actress from Nishinomiya
Koichi Domoto, singer of KinKi Kids
Heath, musician, singer-songwriter and bassist of X Japan is from Amagasaki.
Hiro Fujiwara, manga artist
Miracle Hikaru, comedian and impersonator is from Toyooka.
Kanō Jigorō, founder of the martial art judo
Jun, musician, singer-songwriter and guitarist of Phantasmagoria is from Kobe.
Shinji Kagawa, footballer from Kobe
Tomoya Kanki, drummer of One Ok Rock
Takumi Kawanishi (J-pop idol singer and dancer, member of JO1)
Tomomi Ogawa, bassist of Scandal
Itzuki Yamazaki, professional wrestler from Ieshima
Kaoru, guitarist of Dir En Grey
Ayaka Kimura, actress, former singer of Coconuts Musume is from Kobe.
Keiko Kitagawa, actress from Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon and Buzzer Beat was born in Kobe.
Miho Komatsu, singer and songwriter from Kobe
Yūji Kuroiwa, politician from Kobe, current governor of Kanagawa Prefecture
Sister regions
Hyogo entered a sister state relationship with Washington state in the United States on October 22, 1963, the first such arrangement between Japan and the United States.
In 1981, a sister state agreement was drawn up between Hyogo and the state of Western Australia in Australia. To commemorate the 10th anniversary of this agreement in 1992, the Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre was established in Perth.