Yamanashi Prefecture

Yamanashi Prefecture

Sơn lê huyện
Yamanashi Prefecture Sơn lê huyện
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
•Japanese	Sơn lê huyện
•Rōmaji	Yamanashi-ken
	Lake Kawaguchi,one of theFuji Five Lakesin Yamanashi Prefecture, at the foot ofMount Fuji
	Flag Symbol
	Anthem:Yamanashi-ken no uta
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu(Kōshin'etsu) (Tōkai)
Island	Honshu
Capital	Kōfu
Subdivisions	Districts:5,Municipalities:27
Government
•Governor	Kotaro Nagasaki(from February 2019)
Area
• Total	4,465.27 km2(1,724.05 sq mi)
• Rank	32nd
Highest elevation (Mount Fuji)	3,778 m (12,395 ft)
Population (January 1, 2019)
• Total	817,192
• Rank	41st
• Density	183/km2(470/sq mi)
• Dialects	Gun'nai・Koshu・Narada
GDP
• Total	JP¥3,566 billion; US$32.7 billion (2019)
ISO 3166 code	JP-19
Website	www.pref.yamanashi.jp
Symbols of Japan
Bird	Uguisu (bush warbler)
Flower	Fujizakura (Fuji cherry)
Tree	Kaede (Japanese maple)

Yamanashi Prefecture(Sơn lê huyện,Yamanashi-ken)is aprefectureofJapanlocated in theChūbu regionofHonshu.^[2]Yamanashi Prefecture has a population of 817,192 (1 January 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,465km²(1,724sq mi). Yamanashi Prefecture bordersSaitama Prefectureto the northeast,Nagano Prefectureto the northwest,Shizuoka Prefectureto the southwest,Kanagawa Prefectureto the southeast, andTokyoto the east.

Kōfuis the capital and largest city of Yamanashi Prefecture, with other major cities includingKai,Minamiarupusu,andFuefuki.^[3]Yamanashi Prefecture is one of only eightlandlockedprefectures, and the majority of the population lives in the central Kōfu Basin surrounded by theAkaishi Mountains,with 27% of its total land area being designated asNatural Parks.Yamanashi Prefecture is home to many of thehighest mountains in Japan,andMount Fuji,the tallest mountain in Japan andcultural iconof the country, is partially located in Yamanashi Prefecture on the border with Shizuoka Prefecture.

Etymology

The name Yamanashi Prefecture literally means Pear Mountain.Nashispecifically refers to a local Japanese breed of pears.^[4]

History

Pre-history to the 14th century

As in most other Japanese regions, prehistoric society in Yamanashi progressed through the hunting, fishing and gathering stage of theJōmon period,then the rice-producing stage of theYayoi periodand subsequent village and regional formation. The Maruyama and ChoshizukaKofun(earthen burial mounds) located on Sone Hill of Nakamichi Town (SouthernKōfu) are believed to have been built from the end of the 4th century. From these remains it can be assumed that the people of Sone Hill had great influence.

During theHeian period,Kai Provincewas created in this area.^[5]

15th to 19th centuries

Among the many Kaigenji generations, those of theTakeda,Ogasawara, and Nanbu families were particularly prosperous. During theSengoku periodof the 16th century,Takeda Shingenattained the status ofdaimyōand built Tsuzuji Mansion and the Yōgai Castle in Kōfu. From this base, he attempted to unify and control Japan.

After Takeda's death in 1582, Kai-no-Kuni came under the control of theOdaandToyotomiclans before being subsumed into theTokugawa shogunateduring theEdo period.Beneath the Edo shogunate, the Kōfu clan (based in Kuninaka, or Central and Western Yamanashi) and the Yamura clan (based in Gunnai, or Eastern Yamanashi) were formed, but in 1724 the area came under the direct control of the Shogunate. With the development of theKōshū Kaidō(highway) andFuji Rivertransport, goods, materials and culture flowed into the region.

By the mid-19th century, the contradictions of military government and clan system caused stability to erode and resistance to erupt across Japan, paving the way for theMeiji Restorationof 1868.

Meiji Restoration (1868) to end of World War II (1945)

Autumn atSenga Falls,North of Kōfu

During theBoshin War,theBattle of Kōshū-Katsunumaon the 29 March 1868 was a significant battle between pro-Imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces immediately prior to the Imperial Forces march onEdo Castle.Preceding the Kōshū-Katsunuma battle, Kōfu Castle had been captured by troops loyal to theEmperor Meiji.

The province was renamedKōfu Prefecturein 1869 and then Yamanashi Prefecture in 1871.^[5]The anniversary of this event on November 20, 1872, is now celebrated as Prefectural Citizen's Day in Yamanashi.

In the early part of theMeiji period(1868–1911), industrial promotion policies furtheredsericulture,silktextileproduction andwine makingindustries. In 1903, after seven years of construction, including the building of a nearly three mile long tunnel at the Sasago Pass, theChūō Railway LinefromHachiōjiand centralTokyofinally reachedKōfu.The reduced journey times to the capital and the port of Yokohama brought significant change to local industry and culture.^[6]

Agricultural production in farming communities was still on a small scale at the turn of the century and land reforms had yet to be introduced. From the 1920s however, tenancy and contract disputes between landowners and farmers in Yamanashi grew increasingly common.^[7]

In 1926, theMinobu Railway Lineconnecting Kōfu withShizuoka Prefectureopened, bringing an end to Fuji River transportation. TheKoumi LineconnectingKobuchizawatoKiyosatowas opened byJapanese National Railways(JNR) in 1933, providing access to hitherto remote highland areas on the slopes of Mt.Yatsugatakein the North of the prefecture.

1945 to present

Vineyards inKōshū, Yamanashi

The capital city,Kōfu,suffered extensive damage during amajor air raidon the night of 6 July 1945.^[8]From 1945 onwards, as part of economic initiatives introduced under thepost war Government of Occupation,agricultural land reforms significantly increased the number of individual farms and promoted fruit farming andviticulturethroughout the prefecture. At first with limited success in 1946, but on a much more sustained basis in 1951, dairy farming, introduced by AmericanPaul Rusch,became a feature of highland pastures surrounding the town ofKiyosato.^[9]

Small scale manufacturing industries and commerce grew at rapid speed during the expansion of the post-war Japanese economy. The 1982 opening of theChūō Expresswayalso led to significant growth in service industries, transport logistics and tourism.

In common with many similar sized cities during the 1990s, rapid growth in car ownership, out of town shopping, and improved transportation links to Tokyo, caused a drop in commercial activity and land values in the center of the prefectural capitalKōfu.To counterbalance this trend the prefectural government launched a city center revitalization plan in 2008, promoting downtown tourist attractions such as redeveloped land North of Kōfu station,Maizuru Castle Parkand new residential, cultural and government office facilities.

MLX01 maglev train at the Yamanashi test track

Planned changes in transportation infrastructure also promise to significantly impact the Yamanashi economy in the coming decades; under mountains in the eastern part of the prefecture is a completed 42.8 km section of theSCMaglevtest track, a section of the plannedChūō Shinkansen.

Themaglevline is designed to ultimately connectTokyo,Nagoya,andOsakawith a station also planned to the South ofKōfu.^[10]

Central Government permission to proceed with an extension to the existing test track was granted on May 27, 2011. At the end of 2013 construction was already well advanced as far asFuefuki.

JR Central is considering opening a demonstration service from a new station inKōfuby the2020 Summer Olympicsso that visitors can also ride on the experimental track through the Yamanashi mountains.^[11]

Geography

Yamanashi Prefecture is bordered byTokyo,Kanagawa Prefecture,Saitama Prefecture,Shizuoka Prefecture,andNagano Prefecture.The prefecture is landlocked, with high mountains surrounding the central Kōfu Basin.Mount Fujiand theFuji Five Lakesregion is located on the southern border with Shizuoka. Mount Fuji providesrain shadoweffects, and as a result, the prefecture receives only about 818 mm of rainfall a year.

Prefectural Office

Map of Yamanashi Prefecture
CityTownVillage

Kōfu Basin, Kōfu City and view of Mt. Fuji

Mount Kita,Yamanashi, Japan's Second Highest Peak

Yatsugatake-Kogen Higashizawa Bridge nearKiyosato

As of April 1, 2012, 27% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated asNatural Parks,namely theChichibu Tama Kai,Fuji-Hakone-Izu,andMinami AlpsNational Parks;Yatsugatake-Chūshin Kōgen Quasi-National Park;andMinami Alps KomaandShibirekoPrefectural Natural Parks.^[12]

78% of the prefecture is covered by forests, making it one of the most densely wooded prefectures in Japan. Land cultivated for agriculture is mainly restricted to the lower elevations of the Kōfu basin.^[13]

Cities

Thirteen cities are located in Yamanashi Prefecture:

Name		Area (km²)	Population	Map
Rōmaji	Kanji	Area (km²)	Population	Map
Chūō	Trung ương thị	31.69	30,835
Fuefuki	Sáo thổi thị	201.92	69,463
Fujiyoshida	Phú sĩ cát điền thị	121.74	48,782
Hokuto	Bắc đỗ thị	602.48	46,888
Kai	Giáp phỉ thị	71.95	75,706
Kōfu(capital)	Giáp phủ thị	212.47	187,985
Kōshū	Giáp châu thị	264.11	31,526
Minami-Alps	Nam アルプス thị	264.14	71,618
Nirasaki	Phỉ kỳ thị	143.69	29,483
Ōtsuki	Tháng đủ thị	280.25	23,976
Tsuru	Đều lưu thị	161.63	30,311
Uenohara	Thượng vùng đồng hoang thị	170.57	23,158
Yamanashi	Sơn lê thị	289.8	34,738

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in eachdistrict:

Name		Area (km²)	Population	District	Type	Map
Rōmaji	Kanji	Area (km²)	Population	District	Type	Map
Dōshi	Nói chí thôn	79.57	1,676	Minamitsuru District	Village
Fujikawa	Phú sĩ xuyên đinh	111.98	15,125	Minamikoma District	Town
Fujikawaguchiko	Phú sĩ cửa sông hồ đinh	158.4	26,540	Minamitsuru District	Town
Hayakawa	Sớm xuyên đinh	369.86	994	Minamikoma District	Town
Ichikawamisato	Thị xuyên tam hương đinh	75.18	15,799	Nishiyatsushiro District	Town
Kosuge	Tiểu gian thôn	52.78	701	Kitatsuru District	Village
Minobu	Thân duyên đinh	302	11,674	Minamikoma District	Town
Nanbu	Nam bộ đinh	200.63	7,222	Minamikoma District	Town
Narusawa	Minh trạch thôn	89.58	3,152	Minamitsuru District	Village
Nishikatsura	Tây quế đinh	15.22	4,298	Minamitsuru District	Town
Oshino	Nhẫn dã thôn	25.05	9,710	Minamitsuru District	Village
Shōwa	Chiêu cùng đinh	9.08	20,338	Nakakoma District	Town
Tabayama	Núi Taba thôn	101.3	529	Kitatsuru District	Village
Yamanakako	Trong núi hồ thôn	52.81	5,826	Minamitsuru District	Village

Mergers

List of governors of Yamanashi Prefecture

Name	Start	End
Katsuyasu Yoshie ( cát giang thắng bảo )	12 April 1947	29 April 1951
Hisashi Amano ( thiên dã lâu )	30 April 1951	16 February 1967
Kunio Tanabe ( điền biên quốc nam )	17 February 1967	16 February 1979
Komei Mochizuki ( vọng nguyệt hạnh minh )	17 February 1979	16 February 1991
Ken Amano ( thiên dã kiến )	17 February 1991	16 February 2003
Takahiko Yamamoto ( sơn bổn vinh ngạn )	17 February 2003	16 February 2007
Shōmei Yokouchi( hoành nội chính minh )	17 February 2007	16 February 2015
Hitoshi Goto( sau đằng trai )	17 February 2015	16 February 2019
Kotaro Nagasaki( Nagasaki hạnh quá lang )	17 February 2019	Present

Economy

Yamanashi has a sizable industrial base in and around Kōfu city, withjewelryandroboticsindustries being particularly prominent. The headquarters ofFANUC,manufacturer of factory automation systems, is based inOshinoin the south of the prefecture.^[14]

The prefecture is also host to numerous fruit farms and vineyards. Yamanashi is one of the major fruit producing regions in Japan, being the top domestic producer of grapes, peaches, plums as well aswine.

In addition, roughly 40% of themineral waterbottled in Japan comes from Yamanashi, mainly from around theSouthern Alps,Mount Fuji,and Mitsutōge areas. The quality of the water sources in the Southern Alps promptedSuntoryGroup to open theHakushu distilleryin the northern Yamanashi town ofHokuto.

Population

Yamanashi prefecture population pyramid in 2020

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1920	583,453	—
1925	600,675	+0.58%
1930	631,042	+0.99%
1935	646,727	+0.49%
1940	663,026	+0.50%
1945	839,057	+4.82%
1950	811,369	−0.67%
1955	807,044	−0.11%
1960	782,062	−0.63%
1965	763,194	−0.49%
1970	762,029	−0.03%
1975	783,050	+0.55%
1980	804,256	+0.54%
1985	832,832	+0.70%
1990	852,966	+0.48%
1995	881,996	+0.67%
2000	888,172	+0.14%
2005	884,515	−0.08%
2010	863,075	−0.49%
2015	834,930	−0.66%
2020	809,974	−0.61%
Source: Censuses^[15]

Per Japanese census data, Yamanashi prefecture had negative population growth from 1950 to 1970 and again in the 21st century, with the population peaking at roughly 890,000 around the turn of the millennium.

Tourism

Nishizawa Waterfall on the Fuefuki River, Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, Yamanashi

Mount Fuji,Fuji Five Lakesregion, Yamanashi

The natural scenery and cultural sights of Yamanashi are popular destinations for both domestic and international tourists due to the prefecture's proximity to the crowdedTokyoconurbation and ease of access by road and rail.Mount Fuji,theFuji Five Lakesregion, the highland resort region ofKiyosato,the city of Kōfu, theSenga Falls,Koshu wineries,the temple of Erin-ji in Koshu, and theKuonji Templeat Minobu are a few of the most popular places to visit.

TheFuji-Q Highlandamusement park atFujiyoshidawith roller coastersEejanaika,andTakabisha,the world's steepest roller coaster, is also a popular destination for day trips. It also featuresDo-Dodonpa,the world's fastest accelerating roller coaster. At one point, it was also the world's fastest roller coaster beforeCedar Point'sTop Thrill Dragstertook the record in 2003.

The natural topography of the region makes Yamanashi popular with mountaineering, hiking and climbing enthusiasts throughout the year. The highest mountain in Japan,Mount Fuji,at 3,776 m (12,388 ft) and the second highest mountain in Japan,Mount Kita,at 3,193 m (10,476 ft) are both located within Yamanashi. The Mt. Fuji summer hiking season in July and August attracts thousands of overnight hikers typically starting at the Fifth Station in the late evening and climbing through the night to witness the sunrise at the summit.

Although not as tall, Mount Minobu, a popular place for Buddhist pilgrimage, offers extensive views from the summit of the mountain. Parts of theFuji-Hakone-Izu National Park,Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park,andMinami Alps National Parkare all located in Yamanashi.

Given the area's volcanic activity, natural hot springs, oronsens,are found in abundance. Some of the more well known are Shimobe Onsen, Isawa Onsen and Yamanami Onsen.

The mascot of the prefecture is Hishimaru ( lăng hoàn ), aKai Ken dogwho is based on the local Sengoku-era daimyō Takeda Shingen. He wears akabutowith the crest of theTakeda clan.^[16]

Major festivals

Lighting street torches at theFujiyoshida, Yamanashi,Fire Festival

Shingen festival, held each March in the precincts ofKōfu CastleandTakeda Shrinein commemoration ofTakeda Shingen'srole in prefectural history.
Fujiyoshida fire festival, marks the end of the summer climbing season on Mount Fuji. Held on the last weekend in August.
Yatsugatake county fair and Paul Rusch festival. Held each October inKiyosatoto celebrate the life and work ofPaul Rusch,his contributions to local agricultural development and US Japan friendship.