Blog

Yamaguchi Prefecture Banzai Japan Idol Group Visit there Website Yamaguchi Prefecture, at the western end of Honshū, is known for its natural attractions, its fugu pufferfish cuisine, and historic sites like the five-arched Kintai Bridge. Yamaguchi Prefecture is situated on the westernmost tip of Honshū in the Chūgoku region. It borders Shimane and Hiroshima Prefectures to the east and has a long, rugged coastline stretching from the Sea of Japan in the north to the Seto Inland Sea in the South. The inland is dominated by forested mountains. Yamaguchi Prefecture at a Glance Established in 1871 (formerly Suō and Nagato provinces) Capital: Yamaguchi Population: 1,342,000 (as of Oct. 2020) Area: 6,113 km2 The prefecture’s rich natural beauty and historical sites make it a popular tourist destination. There are the karst landscape and limestone caves of the Akiyoshidai plateau in the west, steep cliffs along the rocky northern coast, and numerous offshore islands in the calm Inland Sea waters. The city of Iwakuni is home to a feudal castle and the picturesque five-arched Kintai Bridge dating from the early Edo period (1603–1868). Industry is concentrated along the Seto Inland Sea coast and includes leading manufacturers in fields like iron and steel, chemicals, and machinery. The quaint city of Hagi in the north has long been a center of pottery. Yamaguchi’s robust agricultural sector produces a diverse array of fruits and vegetables along with staples like rice and high-end wagyū beef. The long coastline benefits the prefecture’s fisheries, which bring in such delicacies as fugu pufferfish and pike conger. Yamaguchi’s official PR character Choruru. Its peaked head represents the mountains of the prefecture, while the green, orange, and red colors symbolize Yamaguchi’s nature, cuisine, and history, respectively. Famous Figures Itō Hirobumi (1841–1909): Japan’s first prime minister and author of the Meiji Constitution. Uno Chiyo (1897–1996): Influential novelist and short-story writer known for her autobiographical fiction. Works available in English include Ohan, for which she won the prestigious Noma Literary Prize, and Irozange (trans. Confessions of Love). Abe Shinzō (1954–2022): Politician who represented Yamaguchi and Japan’s longest-serving prime minister (2006–7, 2012–20), felled by an assassin in 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFT-BvImF9M MRPMWoodmanPaul (Poison Fish) Manjyu Woodman depressed.media

Saitama Prefecture Banzai Japan Idol Group Visit there Website Bordering Tokyo to the north, Saitama Prefecture is dotted by bedroom communities, but also boasts steep, picturesque mountains, and is a center of bonsai cultivation. Saitama Prefecture is located in the Kantō region, just north of Tokyo. The east of the landlocked prefecture is a mixture of urban and agricultural areas, and the west consists of the mountainous and heavily forested Chichibu region. The southeast of the prefecture, including the capital Saitama, is part of the greater Tokyo area, with many residents commuting into the metropolis for work and school. Saitama Prefecture at a Glance Established in 1876 (formerly part of Musashi province) Capital: Saitama Population: 7,345,000 (as of Oct. 2020) Area: 3,798 km2 Popular tourist attractions in Saitama include the city of Kawagoe, with its historic buildings reminiscent of the Edo period (1603–1868), and the nurseries of the bonsai village in Kita Ward of the city of Saitama. Chichibu, part of the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, offers hiking and rafting. It is also home to the sprawling Mitsumine Shrine and the Chichibu Night Festival, featuring elaborate floats and fireworks. Saitama boasts a robust manufacturing sector that includes car parts and electronics. The prefecture is also known for various agricultural and forestry products. Traditional industry includes bonsai and hosokawashi, one of three types of Japanese handmade paper UNESCO inscribed in 2014 as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Saitama’s official mascot, Kobaton, is based on the prefecture’s official bird, the Eurasian collard dove. Famous Figures Shibusawa Eiichi (1840–1931): Meiji-era entrepreneur. His image features on the new ¥10,000 note. Hanawa Hokiichi (1746–1821): Blind scholar who was an inspiration to Helen Keller. Ogino Ginko (1851–1913): First licensed Japanese woman physician practicing Western medicine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWRRIpu6f24 MRPMWoodmanPaul (Poison Fish) Manjyu Woodman depressed.media

Fukuoka Prefecture Banzai Japan Idol Group Visit there Website Fukuoka Prefecture is home to the cities of Fukuoka and Kitakyūshū, comprising Japan’s largest urban area west of the Kansai region, and has historically been a center for international exchange thanks to its location close to the Asian mainland. Fukuoka Prefecture is located in northeastern Kyūshū. It faces the Genkai Sea to the west, Seto Inland Sea to the northeast, and Ariake Sea to the south. It is connected to Honshū via a tunnel under and a bridge spanning the Kanmon Strait. The inland of the prefecture is a mixture of plains, mainly in the north and east, and mountainous areas, particularly in the east and south. Kitakyūshū and the capital of Fukuoka are industrial centers, with the latter’s proximity to mainland Asia long making it an important international hub. Fukuoka Prefecture at a Glance Established in 1871 (formerly Buzen, Chikugo, and Chikuzen provinces) Capital: Fukuoka Population: 5,135,000 (as of Oct. 2020) Area: 4,987 km2 Fukuoka offers tourists a variety of natural, historical, and other sites to explore. The prefecture falls within the boundaries of Setonaikai National Park, which includes Mekari Park in Moji. The bustling capital of Fukuoka is famous for its rows of yatai (outdoor food stalls) and the raucous Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival, held in July. The former administrative center of Dazaifu is home to temples and the sprawling Tenmangū shrine. The Imperial Steel Works in Kitakyūshū is one of 23 facilities inscribed by UNESCO as symbolizing Japan’s industrial modernization during the Meiji era (1868–1912). Fukuoka is the economic center of western Japan and is a major hub of automobile-related industries. Other important manufacturing sectors include steel, chemicals, and a burgeoning biotechnology industry. The prefecture has a robust agricultural sector that produces staples like rice, along with a wide variety of fruits, vegetable, and garden plants. Fishing is also a core industry, including catches of sea bream and nori farmed in the Ariake Sea. Famous Figures Matsumoto Seichō (1909–92): Prolific writer best known for his crime novels, including Ten to sen (trans. Points and Lines) and Suna no utsuwa (trans. Inspector Imanishi Investigates). Takakura Ken (1931–2014): Actor who gained fame in the 1960s as a star of yakuza films, and later earned international fame with appearances in Hollywood productions including Black Rain. Tani Ryōko (1975–): Judoka and politician. Won back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the extra-light-weight division in 2000 and 2004. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVN8nIvzwZk MRPMWoodmanPaul (Poison Fish) Manjyu Woodman depressed.media

Aomori Prefecture Banzai Japan Idol Group Visit there Website Aomori Prefecture lies at the northern tip of Honshū, Japan’s largest island. Famed for its apples, its seafood, and its natural beauty, this remote part of the country is rich in wild landscapes to explore. Aomori Prefecture is the northernmost part of the Tōhoku region, located at the northern tip of Honshū. Its location ensures it cold winters with plenty of snow, but its coastlines on both the Sea of Japan and Pacific Ocean bring it plenty of climatic variety. Aomori’s apples are famed nationwide, and its fishing ports like Ōma are known for landing some of the most highly prized tuna on the Japanese market. Aomori Prefecture at a Glance Established in 1871 (formerly part of Mutsu province) Capital: Aomori Population: 1,238,000 (as of Oct. 2020) Area: 9,646 km2 Aomori’s largest city is the prefectural capital, also called Aomori, followed by Hachinohe and Hirosaki. Even the capital only has some 280,000 residents, though, and the prefecture as a whole is sparsely populated. Its two main peninsulas, the Tsugaru Peninsula to the west and the curved Shimokita Peninsula to the east, enclose Mutsu Bay. The southern portion of Aomori is mountainous, featuring peaks like the 1,625-meter Mount Iwaki that overlooks Hirosaki and the Hakkōda range, and the picturesque Lake Towada, on the border with Akita Prefecture in the south center of Aomori. Aomori’s distance from Tokyo long made it difficult to access for business and other travel, but the 2002 extension of the Tōhoku Shinkansen line to Hachinohe, and the 2010 extension as far as Shin-Aomori in the capital, made it possible to journey from Tokyo to the city of Aomori in as little as 3 hours, 10 minutes. In 2016, a further Shinkansen extension connected Shin-Aomori with Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto station in Hokkaidō, traveling under the Tsugaru Strait via the Seikan Tunnel, the world’s longest tunnel beneath the sea. Aomori’s main industries are farming, fishing, and forestry. On a calorie basis it is the fourth highest in the nation in terms of food self-sufficiency, producing 123% of its needs as of fiscal 2019. It leads Japan in the production of apples, garlic, and gobō, or burdock root. From the sea, Aomori’s fishing fleet haul in some of the country’s most prized tuna each year, particularly at the northern port of Ōma; Aomori ranks near the top in Japan for tuna, akaika (flying squid), scallops, and konbu seaweed, among other marine products. Aomori’s wild nature attracts considerable numbers of tourists, who come to admire sights like the Shirakami-Sanchi, a wilderness region featuring an old-growth beech forest inscribed as a UNESCO natural World Heritage site in 1993, and the Oirase Gorge. Hirosaki Park in the city of Hirosaki is a renowned cherry-blossom-viewing destination, and the prefecture’s volcanic activity ensures a steady stream of tourists enjoying hot springs like Furōfushi Onsen and Sukayu, as well as the fearsome landscapes of Osorezan, a “sacred spot” viewed as an ideal place to commune with the dead. In the city of Aomori, meanwhile, the annual Nebuta Matsuri is a major event on the festival calendar, attracting well over a million viewers in peak years. Famous Figures Dazai Osamu (1909–48): Writer. Born Tsushima Shūji, during his short and turbulent life he dabbled with communism in the prewar years while he honed his craft writing autobiographical novels and short stories. Following the war he reached the height of his career with celebrated works like Shayō (trans. The Setting Sun) and Ningen shikkaku (trans. No Longer Human). Drowned himself in west Tokyo along with a lover in 1948. Yano Akiko (1955–): Musician. Although born in Tokyo (as Suzuki Akiko), she grew up in Aomori before launching her music career with the 1976 album Japanese Girl. Went on to collaborate and tour with bands like Yellow Magic Orchestra, in addition to recording tracks and providing voice work for Studio Ghibli shorts and full-length films. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfelvCnfmdQ MRPMWoodmanPaul (Poison Fish) Manjyu Woodman depressed.media

Iwate Prefecture Banzai Japan Idol Group Visit there Website The sparsely populated Tōhoku prefecture of Iwate is home to both rugged mountains inland and an extensive coastline on the Pacific Ocean. Rich in history, it is also the site of Hiraizumi, whose Buddhist temples earned it a World Heritage designation in 2011. Iwate Prefecture is in the Tōhoku region, located on the Pacific coast of Honshū. It is the second largest prefecture in Japan, behind only Hokkaidō, but a low population density leaves it with plenty of space for natural beauty. Ski resorts in the west of the prefecture and spectacular coastal views in the east draw visitors year-round. Iwate Prefecture at a Glance Established in 1871 (formerly part of Mutsu province) Capital: Morioka Population: 1,211,000 (as of Oct. 2020) Area: 15,275 km2 Iwate’s capital, Morioka, is the largest city in the prefecture, but is still home to fewer than 300,000 people. Much of the population is concentrated along the Kitakami River, Japan’s fifth longest, in the prefecture’s west, also the route taken by the Tōhoku Shinkansen line. The western border of the prefecture, shared with Akita, is mountainous and sees heavy snow in the winter. Ski resorts like Shizukuishi, Hachimantai, and Appi—all near the prefecture’s tallest peak, the 2,038-meter Mount Iwate—enchant winter sports fans with their long runs and lack of crowds. The Pacific coast was heavily hit by tsunami following the March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake, which made the names of cities like Miyako and Kamaishi known nationwide and even around the world. Cape Todo, on the prefecture’s central coast, is the easternmost point on the main island of Honshū. Despite its distance from the centers of Japanese culture in antiquity, Iwate was home to a major center of Buddhism in the north. Hiraizumi, a city designed according to Pure Land Buddhist principles in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2011 for its gardens, archaeological sites, and temples including Chūsonji and Mōtsūji. Iwate’s small population means it is no industrial powerhouse, but it ranks fifth in the nation in forestry, providing some 5% of the nation’s lumber based on value as of 2015. Its rugged ria coastline, characterized by narrow inlets separated by high ridges, makes it ideal for production of shellfish, particularly abalone, in which it leads Japan. By no means a major industry, but one prized by tea aficionados, is Nanbu tekki, cast iron pots made in and around Morioka for some four centuries. Iwate is a land of literature and folktales. The folklorist Yanagita Kunio in 1910 wrote Tōno monogatari (Tales of Tōno), a collection of stories collected in the central Iwate district of Tōno, establishing the modern foundations of Japanese folklore studies. The early twentieth century also saw the writing career of Miyazawa Kenji, whose stories of the Iwate-inspired land of Ihatov are loved to this day. The Wanko Kyōdai, siblings based on the popular Morioka dish wanko soba (endless tiny bowls of soba noodles brought in rapid succession to diners until they have had their fill), are Iwate Prefecture’s official mascots. Famous Figures Miyazawa Kenji (1896–1933): Writer. Plagued by illness for much of his life, during which he received little recognition, in death he became known for his works set in Ihatov, his fictional land based on Iwate. Best known for the poem “Ame ni mo makezu” (trans. “Undefeated by the Rain”) and novels like Ginga tetsudō no yoru (trans. Night on the Galactic Railroad). Nitobe Inazō (1862–1933): Educator. Studied agricultural policy in the United States before returning to Japan, where he taught at universities in Sapporo, Kyoto, and Tokyo and devoted himself to women’s education as the first president of Tokyo Women’s Christian University. Known also as the author of Bushidō: The Soul of Japan.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5gy6QLq8wg MRPMWoodmanPaul (Poison Fish) Manjyu Woodman depressed.media