Hiroshima Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
• Japanese	広島県
• Rōmaji	Hiroshima-ken
Symbol of Hiroshima Prefecture
Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku
Island	Honshu
Capital	Hiroshima
Government
• Governor	Hidehiko Yuzaki (since November 2009)
Area
• Total	8,476.95 km2 (3,272.97 sq mi)
Area rank	11th
Population (March 1, 2011)
• Total	2,857,990
• Rank	12th
• Density	337.15/km2 (873.2/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	JP-34
Districts	5
Municipalities	23
Tree	Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)
Bird	Red-throated diver (Gavia stellata)
Website	pref.hiroshima.lg.jp

Hiroshima Prefecture (広島県, Hiroshima-ken^?) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island.^[1] The capital is the city of Hiroshima.^[2]

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Cities 2.2 Towns and villages 2.3 Mergers 3 Economy 4 Education 4.1 University 5 Transportation 5.1 Railway 5.2 People movers 5.3 Streetcars 5.4 Roads 5.4.1 Expressways 5.4.2 National highways 5.5 Ports 5.6 Airports 6 Sports 6.1 Football 6.2 Baseball 6.3 Volleyball 7 Tourism 8 Famous for festival and event 9 Notes 10 References 11 External links

  History

The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province.^[3] This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded history. Hiroshima is a traditional center of the Chūgoku region and was the seat of the Mōri clan until the Battle of Sekigahara.

Hiroshima is home to two UNESCO World Heritage sites:

• The Atomic Dome in Hiroshima, one of the few remnants of prewar Hiroshima following the atomic bombing in 1945;
• The Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima, famed for filling with water and appearing to "float" during high tide.

  Geography

Hiroshima prefecture lies in the middle of Chūgoku. Most of the prefecture consists of mountains leading towards Shimane Prefecture; and rivers produce rich plains near the coast.

The province facing Shikoku across the Seto Inland Sea. Hiroshima Bay opens on the Inland Sea.^[4] The prefecture also includes many small islands.

The sheltered nature of the Inland Sea makes Hiroshima's climate very mild.

  Cities

Fourteen cities are located in Hiroshima Prefecture:

Akitakata Etajima Fuchū Fukuyama Hatsukaichi Higashihiroshima

Hiroshima (capital) Aki-ku Asakita-ku Asaminami-ku Higashi-ku Minami-ku Naka-ku Nishi-ku Saeki-ku

Kure Mihara Miyoshi Onomichi Ōtake Shōbara Takehara

  Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Aki District Fuchū Kaita Kumano Saka

Jinseki District Jinsekikōgen Sera District Sera

Toyota District Ōsakikamijima Yamagata District Akiōta Kitahiroshima

  Mergers

  Economy

Hiroshima's main industries include automobiles (Mazda is headquartered in Hiroshima Prefecture) and shipbuilding (Kure was one of the main naval bases of the Imperial Japanese Navy and remains a major commercial yard).

  Education

  University

• Hiroshima University
• Hiroshima Shudo University
• Prefectural University of Hiroshima
• Hiroshima University of Economics
• Hiroshima International University
• Hiroshima Bunka Gakuen University
• Hiroshima Bunkyo Women's University
• Hiroshima Cosmopolitan University
• Hiroshima Institute of Technology
• Hiroshima Kokusai Gakuin University
• Hiroshima City University
• Hiroshima Jogakuin University
• Hijiyama University
• Elisabeth University of Music
• Fukuyama University
• Fukuyama City University
• Fukuyama Heisei University
• Yasuda Women's University
• Onomichi University
• Japan Coast Guard Academy

  Transportation

  Railway

• JR West
  • Sanyo Shinkansen
  • Sanyo Main Line
  • Kabe Line
  • Kure Line
  • Geibi Line
  • Fukuen Line
• Ibara Railway

  People movers

• Astram Line
• Skyrail Service

  Streetcars

• Hiroshima Electric Railway

  Roads

  Expressways

• Chugoku Expressway
• Sanyo Expressway
• Shimanami Expressway
• Hamada Expressway
• Onomichi Expressway
• Hiroshima Expressway

  National highways

• Route 2
• Route 31
• Route 54
• Route 182
• Route 183
• Route 185
• Route 186
• Route 191
• Route 261
• Route 313
• Route 314
• Route 317
• Route 375
• Route 432
• Route 433
• Route 434
• Route 486
• Route 487
• Route 488

  Ports

• Kure Port - Ferry route to Edajima, Matsuyama
• Hiroshima Port - Ferry route to Miyajima, Edajima, Matsuyama and Beppu, and also International Container hub port
• Mihara Port
• Onomichi Port
• Fukuyama Port - International Container hub port

  Airports

• Hiroshima Airport

  Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Hiroshima.

  Football

• Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Hiroshima city)

  Baseball

• Hiroshima Toyo Carp (Hiroshima city)

  Volleyball

• JT Thunders (Hiroshima city)

  Tourism

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Hiroshima Castle Shukukeien Garden Mitaki Temple Itsukushima Shrine Momiji-dani Park Mt. Misen

Miyajima Aquarium Senkō-ji Temple Jodo-ji Temple Saikoku-ji Temple Onomichi City Art Museum Fukuyama Castle

  Famous for festival and event

• Onomichi Port Festival - held in April
• Hiroshima Flower Festival - held from May 3 to 5
• Fukuyama Rose Festival - held in May
• Enryuji Tokasan Festival - held in June
• Gion Festival of Onomichi - held in July
• Innoshima Water-naval Festival - held in August
• Miyajima Under-water Firework Festival - held on August 14^{[citation needed]}
• Yassa Festival of Mihara - held in August
• Saijo Sake Festival - held in October
• Onomichi Becher Festival - held on November 3
• Hiroshima Ebisu Festival - held from November 18 to 20

  Notes

  References

• Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 10-ISBN 0-674-01753-6; 13-ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128

  External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hiroshima Prefecture

• Official Hiroshima Prefecture homepage
• Life in Hiroshima and other Japan-related Articles
• Hiroshima Weather Forecast
• National Archives of Japan ... Hiroshima map (1891)
• National Archives of Japan: Itsukushima kakei, illustrated scroll describing Itsukushima, text by Kaibara Ekiken (circa 1720)

Hiroshima Prefecture Hiroshima (capital city) Aki Asakita Asaminami Higashi Minami Naka Nishi Saeki Other cities Akitakata Etajima Fuchū Fukuyama Hatsukaichi Higashihiroshima Kure Mihara Miyoshi Onomichi Ōtake Shōbara Takehara Aki District Fuchū Kaita Kumano Saka Jinseki District Jinsekikōgen Sera District Sera Toyota District Ōsakikamijima Yamagata District Akiōta Kitahiroshima

Regions and administrative divisions of  Japan Regions Hokkaido Tōhoku Kantō Nanpō Islands Chūbu Hokuriku Kōshin'etsu Shin'etsu Tōkai Kansai Chūgoku San'in San'yō Shikoku Kyushu Northern Kyushu Ryukyu Islands Prefectures Hokkaido Hokkaido Tōhoku Aomori Iwate Miyagi Akita Yamagata Fukushima Kantō Ibaraki Tochigi Gunma Saitama Chiba Tokyo Kanagawa Chūbu Niigata Toyama Ishikawa Fukui Yamanashi Nagano Gifu Shizuoka Aichi Kansai Mie Shiga Kyoto Osaka Hyōgo Nara Wakayama Chūgoku Tottori Shimane Okayama Hiroshima Yamaguchi Shikoku Tokushima Kagawa Ehime Kōchi Kyushu Fukuoka Saga Nagasaki Kumamoto Ōita Miyazaki Kagoshima Okinawa

Coordinates: 34°26′N 132°45′E / 34.433°N 132.75°E / 34.433; 132.75