Shizuoka Prefecture

Shizuoka Prefecture
静岡県
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese 静岡県
 • Rōmaji Shizuoka-ken

Flag
Coordinates: 34°55′N 138°19′E / 34.917°N 138.317°E / 34.917; 138.317Coordinates: 34°55′N 138°19′E / 34.917°N 138.317°E / 34.917; 138.317
Country Japan
Region Chūbu (Tōkai)
Island Honshu
Capital Shizuoka (city)
Government
 • Governor Heita Kawakatsu
Area
 • Total 7,779.63 km2 (3,003.73 sq mi)
Area rank 13th
Population (July 1, 2010)
 • Total 3,774,471
 • Rank 10th
 • Density 485.17/km2 (1,256.6/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code JP-22
Districts 5
Municipalities 35
Flower Azalea (Rhododenron)
Tree Sweet osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus)
Bird Japanese paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone atrocaudata)
Website www.pref.shizuoka.jp/a_foreign/english

Shizuoka Prefecture (静岡県 Shizuoka-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu.[1] The capital is the city of Shizuoka, while Hamamatsu is the largest city by population.[2]

View of Mt. Fuji from Fujinomiya

History

Shizuoka Prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.[3]

The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun. Tokugawa Ieyasu held the region until he conquered the lands of the Hōjō clan in the Kantō region and placed land under the stewardship of Oda Nobunaga. After becoming shogun, Tokugawa took the land back for his family and put the area around modern-day Shizuoka city under the direct supervision of the shogunate. With the creation of Shizuoka han in 1868, it once again became the residence of the Tokugawa family.

Geography

Map of Shizuoka Prefecture

Shizuoka Prefecture is an elongated region following the coast of the Pacific Ocean at the Suruga Bay. In the west, the prefecture extends deep into the Japan Alps. In the east, it becomes a narrower coast bounded in the north by Mount Fuji, until it comes to the Izu Peninsula, a popular resort area pointing south into the Pacific.

As of 1 April 2012, 11% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Fuji-Hakone-Izu and Minami Alps National Parks; Tenryū-Okumikawa Quasi-National Park; and four Prefectural Natural Parks.[4]

Tokai earthquakes

Main article: Tōkai earthquakes

Throughout history, a disastrous earthquake called the Tokai earthquake has hit Shizuoka every 100 to 150 years. On Tuesday, March 15, 2011, Shizuoka Prefecture was hit with a magnitude 6.2 earthquake approximately 42 km (26 mi) NNE of Shizuoka City.

Cities

Shizuoka City
Hamamatsu
Numazu and Suruga Bay
Fujinomiya
Atami

Twenty-three cities are located in Shizuoka:

Towns

These are the towns in each district:

Mergers

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Shizuoka.

Motorsport

Rugby

Football

Volleyball

Transportation

Rail

Roads

Expressways

Toll roads

National highways

Airports

Shizuoka Airport

Ports

Education

Universities

Senior high schools

Tourism

Museums

Festivals and events

A kite festival in Hamamatsu, May 2013

Notes

  1. ↑ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Shizuoka-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 876, p. 876, at Google Books; "Chūbu" in p. 126, p. 126, at Google Books
  2. ↑ Nussbaum, "Shizuoka" at p. 876, p. 876, at Google Books.
  3. ↑ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
  4. ↑ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. 1 April 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2014.

References

External links

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