Hyogo Prefecture

Hyogo Prefecture (兵庫県) is a Japanese prefecture in the Kinki region of Honshu. The capital of Hyogo Prefecture is Kobe.

History

In the 12th century, during the latter years of the Heian Period, the city of Fukuhara – what is now known as Kobe – was used as the capital of Japan and Imperial Court by Emperor Antoku for five months.

Later, during the Tokugawa Shognuate, the Himeji Castle was built and still stands today as a world heritage site in Himeji. During that same era, the area that is now Hyogo Prefecture was made up of the provinces of Harima, Tajima, Awaji, Tamba, and Settsu. They were reintegrated in part or whole in the 1870s by the Meiji Restoration.

In 1995, the Great Hanshin Earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale destroyed large parts of Kobe and Awaji, killing almost 5500 people.

Region

The prefecture of Hyogo has two coastlines on the Sea of Japan and the Inland sea on the North and South. With the exception of the city of Toyooka, the northern half of the prefecture is rather sparsely populated. The vast majority of its people live on the South coast near or in Kobe and the Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe metropolitan region.

Prefectures currently bordering Hyogo include Osaka Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, and Okayama Prefecture.

Cities

The major cities of Hyogo Prefecture include:

• Kawanishi
• Kato
• Kasai
• Kakogawa
• Itami
• Himeji
• Awaji
• Ashiya
• Asago
• Amagasaki
• Aki
• Akashi
• Aioi
• Kobe
• Nishiwaki
• Ono
• Sanda
• Sasayama
• Miki
• Minamiawaji
• Shiso
• Sumoto
• Takarazuka
• Takasago
• Yabu
• Toyooka
• Tatsuna
• Tamba
• Nishinomiya

Districts and Towns

Districts and their corresponding towns and villages in Hyogo Prefecture include:

• Ako District– Kamigori
• Ibo District – Taishi
• Kako District – Harima, Inami
• Kanzaki District – Fukusaki, Ichikawa, Kamikawa
• Kawabe District – Inagawa
• Mikata District – Kami, Shinosen
• Sayo District – Sayo
• Taka District – Taka

Sources of Income

The current primary industries of Hyogo Prefecture include mainly heavy industries such as metal and medicine, with Kobe being one of Japan’s largest ports. Additionally, multiple research institutes including those of Riken are located in the Kobe, Harima area.

Attractions

Kobe is the primary tourist destination in Hyogo Prefecture and a number of western stylized homes and buildings overlook the inland sea with Kobe port being one of the most active and famous in the nation. Himeji Castle was named a UNESCO World Treasure and has become a major tourist destination for both Japanese and foreign visitors.

External Links

• Official Homepage, Hyogo Prefecture (English)