Tottori Prefecture
Encyclopedia
is a prefecture
Prefectures of Japan
The prefectures of Japan are the country's 47 subnational jurisdictions: one "metropolis" , Tokyo; one "circuit" , Hokkaidō; two urban prefectures , Osaka and Kyoto; and 43 other prefectures . In Japanese, they are commonly referred to as...

 of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 located in the Chūgoku region
Chugoku region
The , also known as the , is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. It has a population of about 7.8 million.- History :...

. The capital is the city of Tottori
Tottori, Tottori
is the capital city of Tottori Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan.As of 2006, the city has an estimated population of 200,974 and a density of 262.48 persons per km². The total area is 765.66 km²....

. It is the least populous prefecture in Japan.

History

Before the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...

, Tottori encompassed the old provinces of Hōki
Hoki Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today the western part of Tottori Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Hōki bordered on Inaba, Mimasaka, Bitchū, Bingo, and Izumo Provinces....

 and Inaba
Inaba Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today the eastern part of Tottori Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Inaba bordered on Harima, Hōki, Mimasaka, and Tajima Provinces.-History:The ancient capital, and the castle town, were at Tottori city...

. The word "Tottori" originates from the characters meaning "bird" (鳥) and "to get" (取), as early residents in the area made their living catching the region's plentiful waterfowl.

Cities

Four cities are located in Tottori Prefecture:
  • Kurayoshi
    Kurayoshi, Tottori
    is a city located in the central part of Tottori, Japan.As of November 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 50,360 and a density of 185.05 persons per km², making it the third largest city in Tottori. The total area is 272.15 km²....

  • Sakaiminato
    Sakaiminato, Tottori
    is a city in the northern Tottori Prefecture, Japan. At the northern end of Yumigahama Peninsula, it faces the Sea of Japan, another sea Nakaumi and Sakai channel.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 35,710 and the density of 1,240 persons per km²...

  • Tottori
    Tottori, Tottori
    is the capital city of Tottori Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan.As of 2006, the city has an estimated population of 200,974 and a density of 262.48 persons per km². The total area is 765.66 km²....

     (capital)
  • Yonago
    Yonago, Tottori
    is a city located in the northwest of Tottori Prefecture, Japan, facing the Sea of Japan, and adjacent to Shimane. It is the prefecture's second largest city after Tottori and therefore a commercial center of the western part of this prefecture....


Towns and villages

Towns and villages in each district
Districts of Japan
The was most recently used as an administrative unit in Japan between 1878 and 1921 and is roughly equivalent to the county of the United States, ranking at the level below prefecture and above city, town or village. As of 2008, cities belong directly to prefectures and are independent from...

:
  • Hino District
    Hino District, Tottori
    Hino is a district located in Tottori, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 19,797 and a density of 28.28 persons per km²...

Hino
Hino, Tottori
is a town located in Hino District, Tottori, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 4,379 and a density of 32.67 persons per km². The total area is 134.02 km².-External links:*...

Kōfu
Kofu, Tottori
is a town located in Hino District, Tottori, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 3,758 and a density of 30.15 persons per km². The total area is 124.66 km².-External links:*...

Nichinan
Nichinan, Tottori
is a town located in Hino District, Tottori, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 6,351 and a density of 18.63 persons per km². The total area is 340.87 km².-External links:*...

  • Iwami District
    Iwami District, Tottori
    Iwami is a district located in Tottori, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 25,607 and a density of 102.13 persons per km². The total area is 250.72 km².-Merger:...

Iwami
Iwami, Tottori
is a town located in Iwami District, Tottori, Japan.-Geography:Located in eastern Tottori, Iwami faces the Sea of Japan to the north. As of March 1, 2008, the town has an estimated population of 12,827 and a density of 105 persons per km². The total area is 122.38 km²...

  • Saihaku District
    Saihaku District, Tottori
    Saihaku is a district located in Tottori, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 50,436 and a density of 135.28 persons per km²...

Daisen
Daisen, Tottori
is a town located in Saihaku District, Tottori, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 6,627 and a density of 78.47 persons per km²...

Hiezu
Hiezu, Tottori
is a village located in Saihaku District, Tottori, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 3,085 and a population density of 741.59 persons per km². The total area is 4.16 km².- Politics and government :...

Hōki
Hoki, Tottori
is a town in Saihaku District, Tottori, Japan.Hōki was formed on January 1, 2005 as the result of the merger of the town of Kishimoto, from Saihaku District, and the town of Mizokuchi, from Hino District....

Nanbu
  • Tōhaku District
    Tohaku District, Tottori
    is a district located in Tottori, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 65,944 and a density of 109.54 persons per km². The total area is 602.02 km².-Towns and villages:*Hokuei*Kotoura*Misasa*Yurihama-Mergers:...

Hokuei
Hokuei, Tottori
is a town located in Tōhaku District, Tottori, Japan. Bordering it are Kotoura to the west, Kurayoshi to the south and Yurihama to the east.As of May 1, 2008, the town has an estimated population of 15,622 and a density of 273 persons per km²...

Kotoura
Kotoura, Tottori
is a town located in Tōhaku District, Tottori, Japan. Bordering it are the towns of Daisen to the left, Kōfu to the south, Hokuei to the east, and the city of Kurayoshi to the southeast....

Misasa
Misasa, Tottori
is a town located in Tōhaku District, Tottori, Japan. It is also home to the official treasure of Sanbutsuji and the Okayama Hospital.The name "Misasa" originates from the belief that one who stays to enjoy three mornings in the town's famous hot springs will find all of his ailments cured.As of...

Yurihama
Yurihama, Tottori
is a town located in Tōhaku District, Tottori, Japan.As of December 31, 2009, the town has an estimated population of 17,785 and a density of 228 persons per km²...

  • Yazu District
    Yazu District, Tottori
    Yazu is a district located in Tottori Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 48,540 and a density of 55.43 persons per km²...

Chizu
Chizu, Tottori
is a town located in Yazu District, Tottori, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 9,009 and a density of 40.11 persons per km². The total area is 224.61 km².- External links :*...

Wakasa
Wakasa, Tottori
is a town located in Yazu District, Tottori, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 4,687 and a density of 23.52 persons per km². The total area is 199.31 km²....

Yazu
Yazu, Tottori
is a town located in Yazu District, Tottori, Japan.As of October 1, 2006, the town has an estimated population of 19,311 and a density of 93.42 persons per km². The total area is 206.71 km²....


Economy

Tottori Prefecture is heavily agricultural and its products are shipped to major cities. Some of the famous products are nashi pear
Nashi Pear
Pyrus pyrifolia is a pear tree species native to China, Japan, and Korea. The tree's edible fruit is known by many names, including: Asian pear, Chinese pear, Korean pear, Japanese pear, Taiwan pear, and sand pear.....

, nagaimo, rakkyo, negi (shiro-negi, Welsh onion), and watermelon
Watermelon
Watermelon is a vine-like flowering plant originally from southern Africa. Its fruit, which is also called watermelon, is a special kind referred to by botanists as a pepo, a berry which has a thick rind and fleshy center...

.

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Tottori.

Football (soccer)
J. League
The or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...

  • Gainare Tottori
    Gainare Tottori
    are a Japanese football club based in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture. They play in the J. League Division 2. Their team colour is green.Their team name Gainare derives from a Tottori dialect gaina meaning "great" and Italian sperare meaning "to hope".Their team mascot is well-known horror anime...

      (Yonago
    Yonago, Tottori
    is a city located in the northwest of Tottori Prefecture, Japan, facing the Sea of Japan, and adjacent to Shimane. It is the prefecture's second largest city after Tottori and therefore a commercial center of the western part of this prefecture....

    )

Tourism

  • Daisen (mountain)
    Daisen (mountain)
    , is a volcanic mountain located in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. It has an elevation of 1,729 metres. This mountain is the highest in the Chūgoku region, and the most important volcano on the Daisen volcanic belt...

  • Misasa
  • Tottori Sand Dunes
    Tottori Sand Dunes
    The are unique sand dunes located near Tottori City in Tottori Prefecture, Honshū, Japan. They are the only large dune system in Japan....

  • Kitarou Road
    Sakaiminato, Tottori
    is a city in the northern Tottori Prefecture, Japan. At the northern end of Yumigahama Peninsula, it faces the Sea of Japan, another sea Nakaumi and Sakai channel.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 35,710 and the density of 1,240 persons per km²...

  • Koyama Pond

Rail

  • JR West
    • Sanin Line
    • Hakubi Line
      Hakubi Line
      The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company in the mountainous area of the Chūgoku region of Japan. It begins at the south end of Okayama Prefecture at Kurashiki Station in Kurashiki, passing through Niimi Station on the west side of Niimi, and terminating at Hōki-Daisen Station...

    • Inbi Line
      Inbi Line
      is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company between Tottori, Tottori Prefecture and Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture, Japan.-Stations:...

    • Sakai Line
      Sakai Line
      is a railway line of West Japan Railway Company between Yonago and Sakaiminato all within Tottori Prefecture, Japan.- Route data :*Company:Distance:** West Japan Railway Company :*** Yonago — Sakaiminato...

  • Wakasa Railway
  • Chizu Express
    Chizu Express
    The ' is a Japanese third-sector semi-public railway that connects Hyōgo, Okayama and Tottori prefectures. The Chizu Line is not electrified, but is a high-grade railroad, and runs a total of 56.1 kilometers...


Expressway and toll roads

  •  Tottori Expressway
  •  Yonago Expressway
  •  Sanin Expressway
    Sanin Expressway
    San'in Expressway is a proposed expressway extending from Tottori, Tottori prefecture to Mine, Yamaguchi prefecture...

  •  Shidosaka Pass Road
  •  Tottori-Toyooka-Miyazu Road

National highways

  • Route 9
  • Route 29 (Tottori-Shiso-Himeji)
  • Route 53 (Tottori-Tsuyama-Okayama)
  • Route 178
  • Route 179
  • Route 180
  • Route 181 (Yonago-Niimi-Okayama)
  • Route 183
  • Route 313
  • Route 373
  • Route 431
  • Route 482

Prefectural symbols

The symbol is derived from the first mora
Mora (linguistics)
Mora is a unit in phonology that determines syllable weight, which in some languages determines stress or timing. As with many technical linguistic terms, the definition of a mora varies. Perhaps the most succinct working definition was provided by the American linguist James D...

 in Japanese for "
Hiragana
is a Japanese syllabary, one basic component of the Japanese writing system, along with katakana, kanji, and the Latin alphabet . Hiragana and katakana are both kana systems, in which each character represents one mora...

" combined with the picture of a flying bird, and symbolizes peace, liberty, and the advancement of the Tottori prefecture. It was enacted in 1968 to celebrate the 100th year from the first year of the Meiji Era.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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