Yamaguchi Prefecture

Infobox Prefecture Japan
Name = Yamaguchi
JapaneseName = 山口県
Rōmaji = Yamaguchi-ken
Symbol = PrefSymbol-Yamaguchi.png Capital = Yamaguchi
Region = Chūgoku
Island = Honshū
TotalArea = 6,110.94
AreaRank = 22^nd
PCWater = 2.6
PopDate = February 2006
Population = 1,490,072
PopRank = 25^th
Density = 248
Districts = 5
Municipalities = 22
ISOCode = JP-35
Flower = Bitter summer mandarin blossom ("Citrus natsudaidai")
Tree = Red pine tree ("Pinus densiflora")
Bird = Hooded

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Website = [http://www.pref.yamaguchi.lg.jp/foreign/english/index.html www.pref.yamaguchi.lg.jp/foreign/
english/index.html]
Governor = Sekinari Niinihongo|Yamaguchi Prefecture|山口県|"Yamaguchi-ken" is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi located in the center of the Prefecture: The largest city, by contrast, is Shimonoseki.

History

Yamaguchi Prefecture was formerly divided into Nagato and Suō provinces. It was ruled by the Mōri clan domain during the Sengoku period.

After Commodore Matthew Perry's opening of Japan, clans from Nagato (also called Chōshū) played a key role in the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate and the new imperial government.

Geography

Cities

*Hagi
*Hikari
*Hōfu
*Iwakuni
*Kudamatsu
*Mine
*Nagato
*San'yō-Onoda
*Shimonoseki (largest city)
*Shūnan
*Ube
*Yamaguchi (capital)
*Yanai

Towns and districts

There are 4 districts and 7 towns in Yamaguchi Prefecture:
*Abu District:
** Abu
** Atō
*Kuga District:
** Waki
*Kumage District:
** Hirao
** Kaminoseki
** Tabuse
*Ōshima District:
** Suō-Ōshima

Villages

There are no longer villages as municipalities in Yamaguchi Prefectrue.

Mergers

Future mergers

Economy

Demographics

Culture

Tourism

One of the major attractions is the famous Kintai Bridge in the town of Iwakuni. This five arced 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 (花見, lit. "flower viewing"), when groups of family and friends gather in early April to view Cherry Blossom.

Transportation

Ferries from Shimonoseki Port International Terminal

*The Kanpu ferry to Pusan in South Korea regularly.
*The Orient ferry to Qingdao in China regularly.
*The Orient ferry to Shanghai in China regularly.

Airports

*Yamaguchi Ube Airport (Only for domestic flights)

Prefectural symbols

Famous people from Yamaguchi

*Kido Takayoshi, one of the two main architects of the Meiji Restoration
*Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe represented first Yamaguchi's 1st then 4th district in the House of Representatives; his father represented Yamaguchi as well.
*Atsushi Tamura of the comic duo London Boots Ichi-go Ni-go is from Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi.
*Teruzane Utada music producer, manager and father of Utada Hikaru is from somewhere in Yamaguchi Prefecture, as mentioned on the latter's blog.
*Michishige Sayumi, a Japanese idol who is one of the 6th generation members of Japanese idol group Morning Musume was also born in Yamaguchi.
*Raizo Tanaka, a Japanese rear admiral during World War II. Tanaka was the commander of the Midway invasion force and later made famous for his efforts to keep Japanese forces on Guadalcanal in supply with the "Tokyo Express."
*Karyu, guitarist of the band D'espairsRay is from Yamaguchi. The band had a "homecoming" live there in 2007.
*Harukichi Yamaguchi, founder of the Yamaguchi-gumi,born near Kobe but his entire family hailed from Yamaguchi.
*Shintaro Abe, former MInister of Foreign Affairs and General Secretary of the LDP.

External links

* [http://www.pref.yamaguchi.lg.jp/foreign/english/index.html Official Yamaguchi Prefecture homepage]