Toyama Prefecture

Infobox Prefecture Japan
Name = Toyama
JapaneseName = 富山県
Rōmaji = Toyama-ken
Symbol =
Capital = Toyama City
Region = Chūbu
Island = Honshū
TotalArea = 4,247.22
AreaRank = 33^rd
PCWater = 0.1
PopDate = Estimated as of February 1, 2008
Population = 1,104,239
PopRank = 38^th
Density = 260
Districts = 2
Municipalities = 15
ISOCode = JP-16
Flower = Tulip ("Tulipa")
Tree = Tateyama Cedar ("Cryptomeria japonica")
Bird = Ptarmigan ("Lagopus mutus")

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Website = [http://www.pref.toyama.jp/master/02guide/welcome/welcome_e.htm Official Toyama Prefecture Homepage (English)]
Governor = Takakazu Ishiinihongo|Toyama Prefecture|富山県|"Toyama-ken" is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Toyama.

Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity due to abundant water resources. The Itai-itai disease occurred in Toyama around 1950.

History

Historically, Toyama Prefecture was Etchū Province.

Geography

Municipalities

Due to the mergers in the 2000s, Toyama has the fewest municipalities of any prefecture in Japan with 10 cities, 2 districts, 4 towns, and 1 village (before the mergers took place, the prefecture had 9 cities, 18 towns, and 8 villages).

Niikawa Region

*Kurobe
*Uozu
*"Shimoniikawa District"
**Asahi
**Nyuzen

Takaoka Region

*Himi
*Imizu
*Takaoka

Tonami Region

*Nanto
*Oyabe
*Tonami

Toyama Region

*Namerikawa
*Toyama (capital)
*"Nakaniikawa District"
**Funahashi
**Kamiichi
**Tateyama

Mergers

Economy

Agriculture

Toyama is a rice field belt that use of abundant water form Mt.Tateyama.

Manufacturing

Toyama is famous for its historical pharmaceutical industry which remains a top manufacturing industry in the prefecture in terms of manufacturing shipment value followed by electronic parts and devices (industrial robots, general machinery, etc.), and metal products (aluminum, copper etc.) manufacturing. [Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry: 2004 Industrial Statistics]

Energy

The Kurobe dam generates electricity for the Kansai Electric Power Company. It is located on the Kurobe River in Toyama Prefecture.

Demographics

Population: 1,104,239 (estimated as of Feb. 1, 2008)

Friendship Relationships

*, Liaoning Province - May 9, 1984
*, São Paulo State - July 18, 1985
*, Oregon State - October 19, 1991
*, Primorsky Region - August 26, 1992

Transportation

Train

Tokyo: 3 hr 8 min via Joetsu Shinkansen , transfer to Hokuriku Main Line via the Hakutaka Limited Express at Echigo Yuzawa

Osaka: 3 hr 5 min via Thunderbird Limited Express

* The Hokuriku Shinkansen Line is expected to be completed in 2014 and will shorten the Tokyo-Toyama trip to approximatley 2 hrs 7 min and the Osaka-Toyama trip to approximatley 1 hr 40 min.

Expressway

Tokyo: 5 hr

Osaka: 4 hr 10 min

Nagoya: 3 hr 15 min

Flight

Toyama Airport (TOY)

Domestic:

Tokyo 1 hr Sapporo 1 hr 20 min Fukuoka 1 hr 30 min

International:

Shanghai 2 hr 30 min Via Shanghai Airlines Dalian 2 hr 30 min Via Southern China Airlines Seoul 1 hr 50 min Via Asiana Airlines Vladivostok 2 hr 40 min Via Vladivostok Airlines

* As of April 2008 all international carriers have 3 flights a week with additional flights during peak seasons

Culture

UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Sites

Gokayama Historical Village (Nanto City)

National Treasures of Japan

Zuiryū-ji Temple (Takaoka City)

Festivals

Spring

*All Japan Chindon Competition (Toyama City (Toyama Castle Park), Mid April

*Tonami Tulip Fair (Tonami City), May

*Marumage Festival (Himi City), May 17

Summer

*Sassa Narimasa Sengoku Era Festival (Toyama City), Late July

Fall

*Toyama Festival (Toyama City), Sept. 1

*Owara Kaze no Bon (Toyama City (Yatsuo Area)), Sept. 1-3

*Mugiya Festival (Nanto City (Johana Area)), Mid Sept.

*Kokiriko Festival (Nanto City (Hakusan Shrine)), Sept. 25-26

Winter

*Nanto Toga Soba Festival (Nanto City (Toga Village Area)), Mid Feb.

Regional Foods

*Trout Sushi ("Masu no Sushi")
*White Shrimp ("Shiro Ebi")
*Matured Yellow Tail ("Buri")
*Firefly Squid ("Hotaru Ika")
*Fish Paste ("Kamaboko")

Regional Sake

*Tateyama (立山)
*Narimasa (成政)
*Masuizumi (満寿泉)
*Sanshoraku (三笑楽）

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Toyama.

Football (soccer)

*Kataller Toyama (Toyama City)

Basketball

*Toyama Grouses (Toyama City)

Baseball

*Toyama Thunderbirds (Toyama City)

Rugby Union
*Takaoka Mariners (Takaoka)

Tourism

External links

* [http://www.pref.toyama.jp/master/02guide/welcome/welcome_e.htm Official Toyama Prefecture Homepage (English)]
* [http://www.tic-toyama.or.jp/index_e.html Toyama Prefecture International Center (English)]
* [http://jpimg.digital.archives.go.jp/jpg_prg/jgmWeb?%TmpFileDisp%env=jpeg2k_images/ezu/fukenchizu/021_toyama_e.env National Archives of Japan Toyama Map (1891)]
* [http://www.toyamajets.net/ Toyama JETs]

References