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Tochigi Prefecture Banzai Japan Idol Group Visit there Website Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo in the Kantō region, is rich in history and famed for the tourist destination of Nikkō. Tochigi Prefecture, located in the Kantō region to the north of Tokyo, is one of the eight prefectures in Japan without access to the sea. Utsunomiya, the prefectural capital, is famed for its gyōza dumplings. In the prefecture’s west is Nikkō, home to temples and shrines that have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. In the north are Shiobara, famed for its hot springs and autumn foliage, and Nasu, the location of one of the imperial family’s villas. Tochigi Prefecture at a Glance Established in 1873 (formerly Shimotsuke province) Capital: Utsunomiya Population: 1,933,000 (as of Oct. 2020) Area: 6,408 km2 Tochigi lies just north of Tokyo, making it a major tourist destination, both for domestic travelers and for foreign visitors looking to sample the history it has to offer. The forested mountains of Nikkō are the site of historic spots including Tōshōgū, which enshrines Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate that ruled Japan from 1603 to 1867. The “Shrines and Temples of Nikkō” were inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites in 1999. The prefecture is flat in the south and east, with the bulk of its population clustered in cities like the capital Utsunomiya, Sano, Ashikaga, and Tochigi. To the west and north lie tall mountains, including the Nikkō peaks of Mount Shirane (2,578 meters) and Mount Nantai (2,486 meters), as well as Nasu’s Mount Chausu (1,915 meters), the site of the volcanic gas-spewing “killer rock” celebrated in Matsuo Bashō’s poetry. Tochigi is an agricultural powerhouse, ranking in Japan’s top 10 prefectures for its crop and livestock output. In particular it ranks top in Japan for strawberries, including the Tochiotome variety named for the prefecture, as well as kanpyō dried gourd shavings and udo, Japanese spikenard or “mountain asparagus.” In the north of the prefecture, the mountains of Shiobara and Nasu offer a wealth of hot-spring destinations relatively near to Tokyo, making them popular destinations for short trips. Nasu is also home to one of the imperial villas, where the emperor and family go to escape the summer heat. In the southeast of Tochigi, the town of Mashiko is a globally famed ceramics center. In the west of the prefecture, Nikkō features world-famous shrines and temples that UNESCO has included on its list of World Heritage sites. Nikkō Tōshōgū, completed in 1636 by the third Tokugawa shōgun, Iemitsu, is a complex including the mausoleum for Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa dynasty that lasted from the dawn of the seventeenth century up through 1867. The prefectural mascot, Tochimarukun, made his debut in 2009, and has been the official prefectural mascot since 2011. Famous Figures Ibuka Masaru (1908–97): Industrialist and cofounder of Sony. Along with Morita Akio, he built the company Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering, which became Sony in 1958. He was president of the company from 1950 to 1971, during which era it grew into a global name, and served as chairman from 1971 until his 1976 retirement. Guts Ishimatsu (1949–): Boxer and entertainer. Born Suzuki Yūji, made his professional debut in 1966, and despite a less than stellar professional win/loss record, managed to defeat Rodolfo González in 1974 to take the WBC lightweight title. Transitioned to a full-time media celebrity career from the 1970s onward. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-5vj5Ew9WU

Tokushima Prefecture Banzai Japan Idol Group Visit there Website Tokushima Prefecture, on the eastern end of Shikoku, is a center of traditional indigo dying and is home to historic temples, steep gorges, and the lively Awa Odori festival. Tokushima Prefecture is located at the eastern end of Shikoku and shares borders with the island’s three other prefectures, Kagawa, Ehime, and Kōchi. It has an extensive coastline, extending from the Seto Inland Sea in the north and along the Kii Channel and Pacific Ocean to the east. The mountainous inland is dominated by the low peaks of the Sanuki Mountains in the north and the taller Shikoku range in the south, which includes 1,955-meter Mount Tsurugi, Shikoku’s highest summit. The Yoshino River, the prefecture’s main artery, passes through steeps gorges and then meanders across the flat, arable land in the central part of the prefecture while making its way to the coast. Tokushima Prefecture at a Glance Established in 1871 (formerly Awa province) Capital: Tokushima Population: 720,000 (as of Oct. 2020) Area: 4,147 km2 The prefecture’s long coastline, densely forested mountains, and rich culture and history make it a popular destination for travelers. The Naruto Strait is famed for its massive whirlpools, while the Pacific coastline to the south attracts surfers and other beachgoers. The Ōboke and Koboke gorges in the Iya valley near the headwaters of the Yoshino River offer outdoor activities like hiking and rafting. The henro, an ancient 88-temple walking route that snakes around Shikoku, starts in Tokushima. The Awa Odori, held in mid-August, is one of Japan’s most famous festivals. Tokushima has a robust economy supported by industries like LEDs, pharmaceuticals, and machinery manufacturing. Paper and lumber are core sectors that rely on the prefecture’s abundant forests. Farmers produce staples like rice and vegetables along with specialties like the citrus fruit sudachi and the Naruto Kintoki variety of sweet potato. Naruto wakame is farmed in the nutrient-rich coastal waters. Since the Edo period (1603–1868), Tokushima has been a traditional center for the production of wasanbon sugar used to make Japanese confections and indigo. Tokushima’s official mascot Sudachi-kun is based on the small sudachi citrus fruit grown in the prefecture. Famous Figures Miki Takeo (1907–88): Liberal Democratic Party politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1974 to 1976. Setouchi Jakuchō (1922–2021): Author and Buddhist nun known for her biographical novels and modern Japanese translations of classical works like The Tale of Genji. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKIMrnBIybI

Kagawa Prefecture Banzai Japan Idol Group Visit there Website Japan’s smallest prefecture by area, Kagawa in Shikoku is bursting with natural attractions, boasts one of Japan’s most famous gardens, and is home to savory Sanuki udon. Kagawa is Japan’s smallest prefecture by size. Set on the northeastern end of Shikoku, it borders the Seto Inland Sea and includes many offshore islands. The inland is dominated by the Sanuki Mountains along the southern border with Tokushima Prefecture, with flat, arid land toward the coast. The Seto Ōhashi bridge connects Kagawa to the main island of Honshū. Kagawa Prefecture at a Glance Established in 1888 (formerly Sanuki province) Capital: Takamatsu Population: 950,000 (as of Oct. 2020) Area: 1,877 km2 Large portions of Kagawa fall within the borders of the sprawling Setonaikai National Park, including popular sightseeing spots like the islands of Shōdoshima and Naoshima and the rugged Goshikidai Plateau. Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu is one of Japan’s most famous landscape gardens. The prefecture is renowned among foodies as the home of Sanuki udon. A number of leading firms in sectors like automotive parts, electrical and construction machinery, and shipbuilding are located in Kagawa. Advanced fields such as metal processing and molds, as well as chemicals and other primary industrial materials, account for a sizable portion of the prefecture’s economic output. Kagawa is Japan’s top producer of olives. Nori and Japanese amberjack are farmed in the nutrient-rich waters of the Inland Sea. Famous Figures Kūkai (774–835): Buddhist priest, also known as Kōbō Daishi. Founded the Shingon sect of Buddhism. Kikuchi Kan (1888–1948): Novelist, playwright, and founder of major publisher Bungei Shunjū. Established the Akutagawa Prize and Naoki Prize, two of Japan’s most prestigious literary awards. Miyatake Tōyō (1895–1979): Japanese-American photographer known for documenting the internment of Japanese Americans at Manzanar in California during World War II. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhmzK2ChNEo

Hokkaidō Prefecture Banzai Japan Idol Group Visit there Website Japan’s northernmost prefecture of Hokkaidō is also the largest and coldest. It is famed for frigid weather, and its capital Sapporo hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics; it is also a major farming and ranching center for the nation. Hokkaidō Prefecture occupies the entire northernmost of Japan’s main four islands. Sapporo, its capital and largest city, was the second in Japan to host the Olympics, with the winter games in 1972. Ski resorts throughout the prefecture, especially around Niseko in the south, attract winter sports aficionados from around the world. It is also the “bread basket” of Japan. Hokkaidō Prefecture at a Glance Established in 1869 (formerly the Ezo territory) Capital: Sapporo Population: 5,225,000 (as of Oct. 2020) Area: 83,424 km2 Stretching from Cape Shirakami in the south, at 41.2ºN latitude, to Cape Sōya in the north at 45.3ºN, Hokkaidō is in the far north of Japan. This brings it bitterly cold winters (19 of the 20 lowest temperatures ever recorded in Japan come from measuring stations on the island, including the country’s all-time low of –41.0ºC in Asahikawa) and pleasant, temperate summers, without the rainy season that hits most of the rest of the country at the end of spring. Hokkaidō is the only prefecture labeled a dō in Japanese, rather than a to like Tokyo, a fu like Osaka and Kyoto, or a ken. This term harks back to the premodern era, when it referred to regions more extensive than the domains and provinces constituting the nation at the time. Its wide-open spaces make it Japan’s leading agricultural producer, growing more than 66% of the country’s wheat, 78% of its potatoes, and 43% of its soybeans as of 2021. Its dairy and cattle-ranching industries also lead the nation: Hokkaidō provides over 56% of Japan’s domestically produced milk and 20% of its beef. Hokkaidō lacks the towering mountain ranges that Honshū boasts; its highest peak is Asahidake, at just 2,291 meters in elevation. But winter winds blowing across from Siberia pick up moisture from the Sea of Japan and drop it in the form of light, deep powder snow, making the prefecture’s ski resorts some of the most popular in Japan—and among skiers and snowboarders from around the world. The Niseko area southwest from Sapporo saw a huge boom in international visitors before the COVID-19 pandemic, and numbers are picking up once more as travel restrictions are unwound. Sapporo, meanwhile, hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics, and remains a regular stop on the international ski jumping competition circuit. The oceans surrounding the island are highly productive, making Hokkaidō also known for its fishery industry. Its 4,402 kilometers of coastline front on the Japan Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Pacific Ocean, and its fishing fleet—with the largest number of vessels of any prefecture—hauls in roughly a fourth of Japan’s fisheries production, including large shares of salmon, scallops, hokke mackerel, and konbu seaweed. Hokkaidō is rich in unspoiled nature, and its six national parks offer visitors beautiful views of mountains, lakes, marshes, and wild shorelines populated by bears, foxes, Ezo deer, and other species to be found primarily on Japan’s northernmost island. The northeastern peninsula of Shiretoko was designated a natural World Heritage monument in 2005. A number of areas have been named Ramsar sites for preserving wetland ecosystems, including the Kushiro marshes, Japan’s first Ramsar site, designated in 1980. The prefecture’s cities have their attractions as well. Each winter the capital holds the Sapporo Snow Festival, and the port town of Otaru features numerous brick warehouses from the era of Japan’s modernization that are popular tourist draws. Famous Figures Suzuki Akira (1930–): Chemist. Joint recipient of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2010. Earned his undergraduate and doctorate degrees at Hokkaidō University, where he would also work for more than three decades, focusing on the organic synthesis work that resulted in his discovery of the Suzuki reaction, which he announced in 1979.   Kasai Noriaki (1972–): Ski jumper. Made his World Cup debut in 1988 at the age of 16 and continued competing at the top level through the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, earning the nickname “Legend” in the process. At Sochi in 2014 he became the oldest ski jumper to win an Olympic medal, taking silver in the large hill individual event and bronze in the large hill team event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaHNfa0QloQ