Yamaguchi Prefecture

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**Yamaguchi Prefecture (山口県 *Yamaguchi-ken*)**

Capital	Yamaguchi (city)
Region	Chūgoku
Island	Honshū
Governor	Sekinari Nii
Area	6,110.94 km² (22^nd)
- % water	2.6%
Population (February 2006)
- Population	1,490,072 (25^th)
- Density	248 /km²
Districts	5
Municipalities	22
ISO 3166-2	JP-35
Website	www.pref.yamaguchi.jp/ gyosei/kenjoho/english.htm
Prefectural Symbols
- Flower	Bitter summer mandarin blossom (Citrus natsudaidai)
- Tree	Red pine tree (Pinus densiflora)
- Bird	Hooded crane (Grus monacha)
Symbol of Yamaguchi Prefecture

Yamaguchi Prefecture (山口県, Yamaguchi-ken^?) is located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island, Japan. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi located in the center of the Prefecture: The largest city, by contrast, is Shimonoseki.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Economy
4 Demographics
5 Culture
6 Tourism
7 Prefectural symbols
8 Miscellaneous topics
9 External link

[edit] History

Yamaguchi Prefecture was formerly divided into Nagato and Suo provinces. It was part of the Mori clan domain during the Sengoku period.

After Commodore Matthew Perry's opening of Japan, clans from Nagato (also called Chōshū) played a key role in the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate and the new imperial government.

[edit] Geography

Map of Yamaguchi Prefecture.

[edit] Cities

Sanyō-Onoda
Shimonoseki (largest city)
Shunan
Ube
Yamaguchi (capital)
Yanai

[edit] Towns

Towns in each district:

Abu District

Abu

Ato

Kuga District

Waki

Kumage District

Hirao

Kaminoseki

Tabuse

Mine Districtǂ

Mitoǂ

Shuhoǂ

Oshima District

Suo-Oshima

ǂ Scheduled to be dissolved following mergers.

[edit] Mergers

April 21, 2003

the cities of Tokuyama and Shinnanyo+the towns of Kumage from Kumage District+Kano from Tsuno District=city of Shunan. (Tsuno District was dissolved as a result of this merger.)

October 1, 2004

the towns of Kuka+Oshima+Tachibana+Towa(all from Oshima District)=the town of Suo-Oshima.

October 4, 2004

the city of Hikari+the town of Yamato from Kumage District=the new city of Hikari.

November 1, 2004

the town of Kusunoki from Asa District=>merged into the city of Ube.

February 13, 2005

the city of Shimonoseki+the towns of Hohoku, Kikugawa, Toyoura and Toyota from Toyoura District=the new city of Shimonoseki. (Toyoura District was dissolved as a result of this merger.)

February 21, 2005

the city of Yanai+the town of Obatake from Kuga District=the new city of Yanai.

March 6, 2005

the city of Hagi+the municipalities of Asahi, Fukue, Kawakami, Tamagawa, Mutsumi and Susa (all from Abu District)=the new city of Hagi.

March 22, 2005

the city of Nagato+the towns of Heki, Misumi and Yuya from Otsu District=the new city of Nagato. (Otsu District was dissolved as a result of this merger.)

the city of Onoda+the town of Sanyō from Asa District=the new city of Sanyō-Onoda. (Asa District was dissolved as a result of this merger.)

October 1, 2005

the city of Yamaguchi(2nd generation)+the towns of Tokuji from Saba District+Aio, Ajisu and Ogori (all from Yoshiki District)=the new city of Yamaguchi (3rd generation). (Saba District and Yoshiki District were both dissolved as a result of this merger.)

March 20, 2006

the city of Iwakuni+the towns of Yu, Kuga, Shuto, Nishiki, Mikawa and Miwa and the village of Hongo (all from Kuga District)=the new city of Iwakuni. (There are no more villages with in Yamaguchi Prefecture)

[edit] Future mergers

The city of Mine is scheduled to merge with Mine District somewhere in the future. Mine District will dissolve if the merger is successful. [1]

[edit] Economy

[edit] Demographics

[edit] Culture

[edit] Tourism

One of the major attractions is the famous Kintai Bridge in the town of Iwakuni. This five arced wooden structure is considered a symbol of Western Honshū. The area on the banks of the Nishiki river close to the bridge is considered among the best places in Japan for Hanami (花見, lit. "flower viewing"), when groups of family and friends gather in early April to view Cherry Blossom.