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Kanagawa Prefecture

Coordinates:35°26′51.03″N139°38′32.44″E/ 35.4475083°N 139.6423444°E/35.4475083; 139.6423444
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"Kanagawa" redirects here. For other uses, seeKanagawa (disambiguation).
Not to be confused withKanazawa,a core city ofIshikawa Prefectureand not to be confused withKagawa Prefecture.
Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa huyện
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
•JapaneseKanagawa huyện
•RōmajiKanagawa-ken
Minato Mirai 21 commercial area is located between Nishi and Naka districts, Yokohama city, Kanagawa prefecture at sunset. Mount Fuji appears on the horizon
Minato Mirai 21commercial area is located betweenNishiandNakadistricts,Yokohamacity, Kanagawa prefecture at sunset.Mount Fujiappears on the horizon
Flag of Kanagawa Prefecture
Flag
Official logo of Kanagawa Prefecture
Symbol
Anthem:Hikari arata ni
Location of Kanagawa Prefecture
Coordinates:35°26′51.03″N139°38′32.44″E/ 35.4475083°N 139.6423444°E/35.4475083; 139.6423444
CountryJapan
RegionKantō
IslandHonshu
CapitalYokohama
SubdivisionsDistricts:6,Municipalities:33
Government
•GovernorYūji Kuroiwa(since April 2011)
Area
• Total2,415.83 km2(932.76 sq mi)
• Rank43rd
Highest elevation
(Mount Hiru)
1,675 m (5,495 ft)
Population
(October 1, 2015)
• Total9,058,094
• Rank2nd
• Density3,770/km2(9,800/sq mi)
• Dialect
Kanagawa dialect
GDP
[1]
• TotalJP¥35,205 billion
US$323.0 billion (2019)
ISO 3166 codeJP-14
Websitewww.pref.kanagawa.jp
Symbols of Japan
BirdCommon gull(Larus canus)
FlowerGolden-rayed lily(Lilium auratum)
TreeGinkgo(Ginkgo biloba)
The Great Wave off Kanagawaoriginal print

Kanagawa Prefecture(Kanagawa huyện,Kanagawa-ken)is aprefectureofJapanlocated in theKantō regionofHonshu.[2]Kanagawa Prefecture is thesecond-most populous prefectureof Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at 3,800 inhabitants per square kilometre (9,800/sq mi). Its geographic area of 2,415 km2(932 sq mi) makes it fifth-smallest. Kanagawa Prefecture bordersTokyoto the north,Yamanashi Prefectureto the northwest andShizuoka Prefectureto the west.

Yokohamais the capital and largest city of Kanagawa Prefecture and thesecond-largest cityin Japan, with other major cities includingKawasaki,Sagamihara,andFujisawa.[3]Kanagawa Prefecture is located on Japan's easternPacific coastonTokyo BayandSagami Bay,separated by theMiura Peninsula,across fromChiba Prefectureon theBōsō Peninsula.Kanagawa Prefecture is part of theGreater Tokyo Area,the most populousmetropolitan areain the world, with Yokohama and many of its cities being major commercial hubs and southernsuburbsof Tokyo. Kanagawa Prefecture was the political and economic center of Japan during theKamakura periodwhenKamakurawas thede factocapital and largest city of Japan as the seat of theKamakura shogunatefrom 1185 to 1333. Kanagawa Prefecture is a popular tourist area in the Tokyo region, with Kamakura andHakonebeing two popular side trip destinations.

History

[edit]
See also:Historic Sites of Kanagawa Prefecture

The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to theJōmon period(around 400 BCE). About 3,000 years ago,Mount Hakoneproduced a volcanic explosion which resulted inLake Ashion the western area of the prefecture.[citation needed]

It is believed[by whom?]that theimperial dynastyruled this area from the 5th century onwards. In theancient era,its plains were very sparsely inhabited.[citation needed]

In medieval Japan, Kanagawa was part of the provinces ofSagamiandMusashi.[4]Kamakurain central Sagami was the capital of Japan during theKamakura period(1185–1333).

During theEdo period,the western part of Sagami Province was governed by thedaimyōofOdawara Castle,while the eastern part was directly governed by theTokugawa shogunateinEdo(modern-day Tokyo).[citation needed]

CommodoreMatthew Perrylanded in Kanagawa in 1853 and 1854 and signed theConvention of Kanagawato force open Japanese ports to the United States.Yokohama,the largest deep-water port inTokyo Bay,was opened to foreign traders in 1859 after several more years of foreign pressure, and eventually developed into the largest trading port in Japan. NearbyYokosuka,closer to the mouth of Tokyo Bay, developed as a naval port and now serves as headquarters for theU.S. 7th Fleetand the fleet operations of theJapan Maritime Self-Defense Force.After theMeiji period,many foreigners lived in Yokohama City, and visitedHakone.TheMeiji governmentdeveloped the first railways in Japan, fromShinbashi(in Tokyo) to Yokohama in 1872.[citation needed]

The epicenter of the1923 Great Kantō earthquakewas deep beneathIzu ŌshimaIsland in Sagami Bay. It devastated Tokyo, the port city ofYokohama,surrounding prefectures ofChiba,Kanagawa,andShizuoka,and caused widespread damage throughout theKantō region.[5]The sea receded as much as 400 metres from the shore atManazuru Point,and then rushed back towards the shore in a great wall of water which swamped Mitsuishi-shima.[6]AtKamakura,the total death toll from earthquake, tsunami, and fire exceeded 2,000 victims.[7]AtOdawara,ninety percent of the buildings collapsed immediately, and subsequent fires burned the rubble along with anything else left standing.[8]

Yokohama,Kawasaki,and other major cities were heavily damaged by the U.S. bombing in 1945. Total casualties amounted to more than several thousand. After the war, GeneralDouglas MacArthur,theSupreme Commander of the Allied Powersfor theOccupation of Japan,landed in Kanagawa, before moving to other areas. U.S. military bases still remain in Kanagawa, includingCamp Zama(Army),Yokosuka Naval Base,Naval Air Facility Atsugi(Navy).[9]

Demographics

[edit]
Kanagawa prefecture population pyramid in 2020
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1890979,756—
19031,051,433+0.54%
19131,228,254+1.57%
19201,323,390+1.07%
19251,416,792+1.37%
19301,619,606+2.71%
19351,840,005+2.58%
19402,188,974+3.53%
19451,865,667−3.15%
19502,487,665+5.92%
19552,919,497+3.25%
19603,443,176+3.35%
19654,430,743+5.17%
19705,472,247+4.31%
19756,397,748+3.17%
19806,924,348+1.59%
19857,431,974+1.43%
19907,980,391+1.43%
19958,245,900+0.66%
20008,489,974+0.59%
20058,791,597+0.70%
20109,048,331+0.58%
20159,058,094+0.02%
source:[10]

In 1945, Kanagawa was the 15th most populous prefecture in Japan, with the population of about 1.9 million. In the years after the war, the prefecture underwent rapid urbanization as a part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The population as of September 1, 2014is estimated to be 9.1 million.[11]Kanagawa became the second most populous prefecture in 2006.

Geography

[edit]
Prefectural office of Kanagawa inYokohama
Minato Mirai 21,Yokohama

Kanagawa is a relatively small prefecture located at the southeastern corner of theKantō Plain[12]wedged between Tokyo on the north, the foothills ofMount Fujion the northwest, and theSagami Bay[12]andTokyo Bayon the south and east. The eastern side of the prefecture is relatively flat and heavily urbanized, including the large port cities ofYokohamaandKawasaki.

The southeastern area nearby theMiura Peninsulais less urbanized, with the ancient city ofKamakuradrawing tourists to temples and shrines. The western part, bordered byYamanashi PrefectureandShizuoka Prefectureon the west,[13]is more mountainous and includes resort areas likeOdawaraandHakone.The area, stretching 80 kilometres (50 mi) from west to east and 60 kilometres (37 mi) from north to south, contains 2,400 square kilometres (930 sq mi) of land, accounting for 0.64% of the total land area of Japan.[13]

As of 1 April 2012,23% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated asNatural Parks,namely theFuji-Hakone-Izu National Park;Tanzawa-Ōyama Quasi-National Park; andJinba Sagamiko,Manazuru Hantō,Okuyugawara,andTanzawa-ŌyamaPrefectural Natural Parks.[14]

Topography

[edit]

Topographically, the prefecture consists of three distinct areas. The mountainous western region features theTanzawa Mountain Rangeand the volcanoMount Hakone.The hilly eastern region is characterized by theTama HillsandMiura Peninsula.The central region, which surrounds the Tama Hills and Miura Peninsula, consists of flat stream terraces and low lands around major rivers including theSagami River,Sakai River,Tsurumi River,andTama River.[13]

TheTama Riverforms much of the boundary between Kanagawa and Tokyo. TheSagami Riverflows through the middle of the prefecture. In the western region, the Sakawa runs through a small lowland, the Sakawa Lowland, between Mount Hakone to the west and the Ōiso Hills to the east, and flows into Sagami Bay.[12]

The Tanzawa Mountain Range, part of the Kantō Mountain Range, containsMount Hiru(1,673 m or 5,489 ft), the highest peak in the prefecture. Other mountains measure similar mid-range heights: Mount Hinokiboramaru (1,601 m or 5,253 ft),Mount Tanzawa,(1,567 m or 5,141 ft),Mount Ōmuro(1,588 m or 5,210 ft), Mount Himetsugi (1,433 m or 4,701 ft), andMount Usu(1,460 m or 4,790 ft). The mountain range is lower in height southward leading to Hadano Basin to the Ōiso Hills. At the eastern foothills of the mountain range lies the Isehara Plateau and across the Sagami River theSagamino plateau.[12]

Cities

[edit]
See also:List of cities in Kanagawa Prefecture by population
Map of Kanagawa Prefecture
Government Ordinance Designated CityCityTownVillage

Nineteen cities are located in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Towns and villages

[edit]
Prefectural office of Kanagawa

These are the towns and villages in eachdistrict:

Mergers

[edit]
Main article:List of mergers in Kanagawa Prefecture

Festivals and events

[edit]
Odawara Hōjō Godai Festival
  • Tama River Firework event
  • Yokohama Port Anniversary Festival (June)
  • Kamakura Festival (April)
  • Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival (July)
  • Odawara Hōjō Godai Festival (May)[15][16]
  • Yugawara Kifune Festival (July)
  • Chigasaki Hamaori Festival (July)

Transportation

[edit]

Kanagawa's transport network is heavily intertwined with that of Tokyo (see:Transportation in Greater Tokyo).Shin-YokohamaandOdawarastations on theTōkaidō Shinkansenare located in the prefecture, providing high-speed rail service to Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and other major cities.

Railways

[edit]

Subways

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Monorail

[edit]

People movers

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Road

[edit]

Expressway

[edit]

National highways

[edit]

Ports

[edit]

Education

[edit]

TheKanagawa Prefectural Board of Educationmanages and oversees individual municipal school districts. The board of education also directly operates most of the public high schools in the prefecture.

University facilities

[edit]

Sports

[edit]
Nissan StadiuminYokohama

Facilities

[edit]

Football and athletics

[edit]

Baseball

[edit]

Indoor

[edit]

Other

[edit]

Teams

[edit]

Soccer (football)

[edit]

Baseball

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Basketball

[edit]

Volleyball

[edit]

Visitors attractions and places of interest

[edit]

Sister areas

[edit]

Kanagawa Prefecture has sister relationships with these places: [17]

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^"2020 niên độ quốc dân kinh tế tính toán ( 2015 năm tiêu chuẩn cơ bản ・2008SNA ): Kinh tế xã hội tổng hợp viện nghiên cứu - Nội Các phủ".Nội Các phủ ホームページ(in Japanese).Retrieved2023-05-18.
  2. ^Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Kanagawa" inJapan Encyclopedia,p. 466,p. 466, atGoogle Books;"Kantō" inp. 479,p. 479, atGoogle Books.
  3. ^Nussbaum, "Yokohama" inpp. 1054–1055,p. 154, atGoogle Books.
  4. ^Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" inp. 466,p. 466, atGoogle Books.
  5. ^Hammer, Joshua. (2006).Yokohama Burning: the Deadly 1923 Earthquake and Fire that Helped Forge the Path to World War II,p. 278,p. 278, atGoogle Books.
  6. ^Hammer,pp. 114–115,p. 114, atGoogle Books.
  7. ^Hammer,pp. 115-116,p. 115, atGoogle Books.
  8. ^Hammer,p. 113,p. 113, atGoogle Books.
  9. ^"Naval Air Facility Atsugi".
  10. ^"Statistics Bureau Home Page".stat.go.jp.
  11. ^Kanagawa huyện dân cư thống kê điều tra công biểu tư liệu(Report). 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 2014-10-13.
  12. ^abcdKanagawa terrain(in Japanese)(Translateto English:Google,Bing,Yandex)
  13. ^abcOverview of the prefectural geography(in Japanese)(Translateto English:Google,Bing,Yandex)
  14. ^"General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture"(PDF).Ministry of the Environment.Archived(PDF)from the original on 21 April 2012.Retrieved16 August2012.
  15. ^"Tiểu điền nguyên thị | đệ 59 hồi tiểu điền nguyên bắc điều năm đời tế り".
  16. ^"5 nguyệt 3 ngày bắc điều năm đời tế り | イベント- trong năm một lãm | リトルトリップ tiểu điền nguyên [ tiểu điền nguyên thị quan quang hiệp hội ]".リトルトリップ tiểu điền nguyên [ tiểu điền nguyên thị quan quang hiệp hội ].
  17. ^"Friendly/Sister Affiliations of Kanagawa Prefecture and the Municipalities: Kanagawa".Kanagawa Prefectural Government. February 1, 2016.Archivedfrom the original on July 19, 2016.RetrievedJuly 17,2016.
  18. ^"Memorándum de Entendimiento entre el Estado de Aguascalientes, de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, y el Gobierno de la Prefectura de Kanagawa, Japón"(PDF).Archived(PDF)from the original on 2017-12-04.Retrieved2017-12-04.

General references

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[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toKanagawa prefecture.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forKanagawa Prefecture.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kanagawa_Prefecture&oldid=1233513692"