Yamanashi Prefecture
Encyclopedia
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 Chūbu region
Chubu region
The is the central region of Honshū, Japan's main island. Chūbu has a population estimate of 21,886,324 as of 2008.Chūbu, which means "central region", encompasses nine prefectures : Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Toyama, Yamanashi, and often Mie.It is located directly...
of the island of Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
. The capital is the city of Kōfu.
Pre-history to the 14th century
People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years. As in most other Japanese regions, prehistoric society in Yamanashi progressed though the hunting, fishing and gathering stage of the Jōmon periodJomon period
The is the time in Japanese prehistory from about 14,000 BC to 300 BC.The term jōmon means "cord-patterned" in Japanese. This refers to the pottery style characteristic of the Jōmon culture, and which has markings made using sticks with cords wrapped around them...
, then the rice-producing stage of the Yayoi period
Yayoi period
The is an Iron Age era in the history of Japan traditionally dated 300 BC to 300 AD. It is named after the neighbourhood of Tokyo where archaeologists first uncovered artifacts and features from that era. Distinguishing characteristics of the Yayoi period include the appearance of new...
and subsequent village and regional formation. The Maruyama and Choshizuka Kofun
Kofun
Kofun are megalithic tombs or tumuli in Japan, constructed between the early 3rd century and early 7th century. They gave their name to the Kofun period . Many of the Kofun have a distinctive keyhole-shaped mound , unique to ancient Japan...
(earthen burial mounds) located on Sone Hill of Nakamichi Town (currently in southern Kōfu) 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 the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
, Kai Province
Kai Province
, also known as , is an old province in Japan in the area of Yamanashi Prefecture. It lies in central Honshū, west of Tokyo, in a landlocked mountainous region that includes Mount Fuji along its border with Shizuoka Prefecture....
was created in this area.
15th to 19th Centuries
Among the many Kaigenji generations, those of the TakedaTakeda family
The ' was a famous clan of daimyō in Japan's late Heian Period to Sengoku period.The Takeda were descendants of Emperor Seiwa and are a branch of the Minamoto clan , by Minamoto no Yoshimitsu , brother to the Chinjufu-shogun Minamoto no Yoshiie...
, Ogasawara, and Nanbu families were particularly prosperous. During the Sengoku period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
of the 16th century, Takeda Shingen
Takeda Shingen
, of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
attained the status of daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
and 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 the Oda
Oda clan
The was a family of Japanese daimyo who were to become an important political force in the unification of Japan in the mid-16th century. Though they had the climax of their fame under Oda Nobunaga and fell from the spotlight soon after, several branches of the family would continue on as daimyo...
and Toyotomi clans before being subsumed into the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
during the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
. Beneath the Edo shogunate, the Kofu 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 the Kōshū Kaidō
Route 20 (Japan)
National Route 20 is a national highway connecting Tokyo and Shiojiri, Nagano prefecture in Japan. Originating at Nihonbashi in Chūō, Tokyo, it passes through Shinjuku and four other wards, and then seven cities, including Hachiōji in Tokyo. It follows a westward route into Kanagawa Prefecture,...
(highway) and Fuji River
Fuji River
The is a river in Yamanashi and Shizuoka Prefectures of central Japan. It is long and has a watershed of . With the Mogami River and the Kuma River, it is regarded as one of the three most rapid flows of Japan....
transport, 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 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...
of 1868.
19th Century to the present day
After the Meiji government entered Kōfu Castle in 1868, the domain of the Kaifu government became Kai Prefecture. This province was rename Kōfu Prefecture in 1869; and it was renamed Yamanashi Prefecture in 1871. The anniversary of November 20, 1872 is now celebrated as Prefectural Citizen’s Day in Yamanashi.In the early part of the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
(1868–1911), industrial promotion policies furthered textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
and wine making industries. In the late Meiji period, the Chūō Railway Line
Chuo Main Line
The , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It runs between Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faster, while the Tōkaidō Shinkansen is the fastest rail...
opened, also helping to develop local industry and culture.
Agricultural production in farm towns was small and from the 1910s through the 20’s there was much tenant strife. In 1926, the Minobu Railway Line opened, putting an end to Fuji River transportation.
The capital city, Kōfu
Kofu, Yamanashi
is the capital city of Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city had a estimate population of 197,540, with 85,794 households. The total area is 212.41 km².-History:Kōfu's name means "capital of Kai Province"...
, suffered heavy bombing during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1945, as part of governmental occupation reforms, agricultural land reforms increased the number of individual farms and introduced fruit farming to the region. Industry and commerce grew at rapid speed during the following periods, and the 1982 opening of the Chūō Expressway
Chuo Expressway
The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by Central Nippon Expressway Company.-Naming:Officially the expressway is designated as the Chūō Expressway Nishinomiya Route , the Chūō Expressway Nagano Route , and the Chūō Expressway Fujiyoshida Route The (lit. Central...
lead to a growth of third-sector industries that continues to this day.
Geography
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Kanagawa
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, Saitama
Saitama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...
, Shizuoka
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
, and Nagano
Nagano Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...
. The prefecture is landlocked, with mountains surrounding the central Kōfu Basin. Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji
is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
is located on the southern border with Shizuoka. Mt. Fuji provides rain shadow
Rain shadow
A rain shadow is a dry area on the lee side of a mountainous area. The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems, casting a "shadow" of dryness behind them. As shown by the diagram to the right, the warm moist air is "pulled" by the prevailing winds over a mountain...
effects, and as a result, the prefecture receives only about 818 mm of rainfall a year.
Cities
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Nirasaki, Yamanashi is a city in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.As of June 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 31,963, with 12,446 households and a population density of 222.38 persons per km². The total area is 143.73 km².The city was founded on October 10, 1954.... Otsuki, Yamanashi is a city located in Yamanashi, Japan. It was founded on August 8, 1954. As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 29,803 and the density of 106 persons per km². The total area is 280.30 km².-Kōshū Kaidō:... Tsuru, Yamanashi is a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.As of June 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 31,933 with 12,083 households and the density of 197.63 persons per km². The total area is 161.58 km².The city was founded on April 29, 1954.... Yamanashi, Yamanashi is a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. In spite of the name, it is not the capital of the prefecture, which is Kofu.On June 1, 2011, the city had an estimated population of 37,927 with 14,453 households... |
Towns and Villages
Towns and villages in each districtDistricts 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...
:
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Doshi, Yamanashi is a village located in Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 2,069 and a density of 26.00 persons per km². The total area is 79.57 km².-External links:*... Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi is a town located in Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.As of September 1, 2011 the town has an estimated population of 26,084. The total area is 158.51 km².Lake Kawaguchi , one of the Fuji Five Lakes, features prominently.... Narusawa, Yamanashi is a village located in Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 2,979 and a density of 33.26 persons per km². The total area is 89.56 km².-External links:*... Oshino, Yamanashi is a village located in Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 8,507 and a population density of 338.25 persons per km². The total area is 25.15 km².-External links:*... Yamanakako, Yamanashi is a village located in Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 5,356 and a density of 101.42 persons per km². The total area is 52.81 km².-External links:*...
Showa, Yamanashi is a town located in Nakakoma District, Yamanashi, Japan.-Geography:It is located on the southwestern side of Kōfu the prefectural capital. Route 20 marks the boundary with Kōfu. Shōwa-dōri is the main road that runs through the middle of Shōwa, despite being called Shōwa Bypass by residents of the...
Ichikawamisato, Yamanashi is a town located in Nishiyatsushiro District, Yamanashi, Japan.It is located south of Minami-Alps and Chūō, east and north of Minamikoma District, and west of Kōfu.... |
Economy
Yamanashi has a sizable industrial base in and around Kōfu city, with the jewelry and roboticsRobotics
Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
industries being particularly prominent. The surrounding area is host to a number of farms and vineyards. Yamanashi is one of the major fruit producing regions in Japan, being the top domestic producer of grapes, peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
es, plums, as well as wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
. In addition, roughly 40% of the mineral water
Mineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
bottled in Japan comes from Yamanashi, mainly from around the Southern Alps
Japanese Alps
The is a series of mountain ranges in Japan that bisect the main island of Honshū. The name was coined by William Gowland, the "Father of Japanese Archaeology," and later popularized by Reverend Walter Weston , an English missionary for whom a memorial plaque is located at Kamikochi, a tourist...
, Mt. Fuji, and Mitsutōge areas.
Demographics
Yamanashi Prefecture has a sizable minority of Brazilians, approximately 15,000 people. The prefecture also contains a number of Nigerians and Indians.Universities
- Tsuru UniversityTsuru UniversityTsuru University is a small municipal university located in Tsuru City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. The university has around 3,000 students and 85 faculty...
- University of YamanashiUniversity of YamanashiThe is a university that has campuses in Kofu and Tamaho, Japan. It was founded in 1949 by a merger between Yamanashi University and Yamanashi Medical University...
- Yamanashi Gakuin UniversityYamanashi Gakuin UniversityYamanashi Gakuin University is a university in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.- Departments and courses :* Law Department: Law course and course in Politics & Administration...
- Yamanashi Prefectural UniversityYamanashi Prefectural Universityis a public university in Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan. The university was established in 2005 as a result of merger of Yamanashi College of Nursing and Yamanashi Women's Junior College....
Sports
The sports teams listed below are based in Yamanashi.Football (soccer)
- Ventforet KōfuVentforet Kofuare a Japanese football club from Kofu. They compete in the J. League Division 1, and their home ground is the Kose Sports Stadium.The word "Ventforet" is coined combining two French words Vent and Forêt...
(KōfuKofu, Yamanashiis the capital city of Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city had a estimate population of 197,540, with 85,794 households. The total area is 212.41 km².-History:Kōfu's name means "capital of Kai Province"...
)
Railway Lines
- East Japan Railway CompanyEast Japan Railway Companyis the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
- Chūō Main LineChuo Main LineThe , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It runs between Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faster, while the Tōkaidō Shinkansen is the fastest rail...
- Koumi LineKoumi LineThe is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company . It links Kobuchizawa Station in Hokuto, Yamanashi with Komoro Station in Komoro, Nagano, and stretches 78.9 km through the mountains with a total of 31 stations.-Stations:...
- Chūō Main Line
- Central Japan Railway CompanyCentral Japan Railway CompanyThe is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as . Its headquarters are located in the JR Central Towers in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.The company's operational hub is Nagoya Station...
- Fuji KyukoFuji Kyuko, commonly abbreviated as Fujikyū, is a passenger transportation company headquartered in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan.The company operates a railway line and regional and long-distance bus routes. The company also operates the Fuji-Q Highland amusement park.The Gakunan Railway is a consolidated...
National Highway
- Route 20
- Route 52
- Route 137
- Route 138
- Route 139
- Route 140
- Route 141
- Route 411
- Route 413
- Route 469
Tourism
Fuji Five Lakes
is the name of the area located at the base of Mount Fuji in the Yamanashi prefecture of Japan. It has a population of about 100,000. and sits approximately 1,000 meters above sea level. The name Fuji Five Lakes comes from the fact that there are five lakes formed by previous eruptions of Mount Fuji...
region, the city of Kōfu, the nearby wineries
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
, the fine temple Erin-ji, and the popular Kuonji Temple
Kuonji
Kuon-ji is a major temple in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. It is the head temple of the Buddhist sect, Nichiren Shu. Locally it is referred to as the Minobu-san Temple, after the mountain upon which it is built....
are a few of the most popular places to visit. The Fuji-Q Highland
Fuji-Q Highland
Fuji-Q Highland is an amusement park in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan.The theme park is near the base of Mount Fuji. It has a number of roller coasters, as well as The Haunted Hospital, the world's second largest haunted attraction, and Thomas Land, a children's area with a Thomas the Tank Engine...
amusement park, with its new roller coaster Eejanaika
Eejanaika (roller coaster)
is a steel 4th Dimension roller coaster at Fuji-Q Highland in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan. The ride is the world's second 4th Dimension coaster, the first being X at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, United States...
, is also popular.
Eco-Tourism is another major attraction. The natural topography of the region makes Yamanashi a hiker's paradise. The tallest mountain in Japan, Mt. Fuji, and the second tallest mountain in Japan, Mount Kita
Mount Kita
is the second tallest mountain in Japan, after Mount Fuji, and is known as "the Leader of the Southern Alps". It is included in the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains. It is situated in the city of Minami-Alps, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan...
, are both located within Yamanashi. Although not as tall, Mount Minobu offers stunning views if one joins the Buddhist pilgrims up to the summit of the mountain. Parts of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
is a national park in Yamanashi, Shizuoka, and Kanagawa Prefectures, and western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It consists of Mount Fuji, Fuji Five Lakes, Hakone, the Izu Peninsula, and the Izu Islands....
, Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, and Minami Alps National Park
Minami Alps National Park
is a national park in the Chūbu region, Honshū, Japan.The Minami Alps National Park was established on June 1, 1964. It extends along the border of Shizuoka, Yamanashi and Nagano Prefectures for a length of , and a maximum width of for a total area of...
are located in Yamanashi.
Given the area's volcanic activity, natural hot springs, or onsen
Onsen
An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...
s, are found in abundance. Some of the more famous are Isawa Onsen and Yamanami Onsen.
Sister states and regions
IowaIowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(since 1960) Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
(since 1973) Sichuan Province, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(since 1985) Chungcheongbuk-do
Chungcheongbuk-do
Chungcheongbuk-do is a province in the centre of South Korea. It was formed in 1896 from the northeastern half of the former Chungcheong province...
, Republic of Korea (since 1992) Saône-et-Loire
Saône-et-Loire
Saône-et-Loire is a French department, named after the Saône and the Loire rivers between which it lies.-History:When it was formed during the French Revolution, as of March 4, 1790 in fulfillment of the law of December 22, 1789, the new department combined parts of the provinces of southern...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(since 2000) Fairfield, California
Fairfield, California
Fairfield is a city located in Solano County in Northern California, USA. It is generally considered the midpoint between the cities of San Francisco and Sacramento, approximately from the city center of both cities, approximately from the city center of Oakland, less than from Napa Valley, 18...
, United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(since 1970s)
External links
- Official Yamanashi Prefecture homepage
- Osano Memorial Foundation website, publishers of a biannual informative magazine about Yamanashi
- Yamanashi English Teachers International homepage (JET)