Kumamoto Prefecture

Kumamoto Prefecture (熊本県, Kumamoto-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kumamoto.

History

Historically the area was called Higo Province; and the province was renamed Kumamoto during the Meiji Restoration. The creation of prefectures was part of the abolition of the feudal system. The current Japanese orthography for Kumamoto literally means "bear root/origin", or "origin of the bear".

Geography

Kumamoto Prefecture is in the center of Kyūshū, the southernmost of the four major Japanese islands. It is bordered by the Ariake inland sea and the Amakusa archipelago to the west, Fukuoka Prefecture and Ōita Prefecture to the north, Miyazaki Prefecture to the east, and Kagoshima Prefecture to the south.

Mt. Aso (1592 m), an extensive active volcano, is in the east of Kumamoto Prefecture. This volcano is located at the centre of the Aso caldera.

As of March 31, 2008, 21% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as natural parks: the Aso Kujū and Unzen-Amakusa National Parks; Kyūshū Chūō Sanchi and Yaba-Hita-Hikosan Quasi-National Parks; and Ashikita Kaigan, Itsuki Gokanoshō, Kinpōzan, Misumi-Ōyano Umibe, Okukuma, Shōtaisan, and Yabe Shūhen Prefectural Natural Parks.

Cities

Fourteen cities are located in Kumamoto Prefecture:

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Mergers

Demographics

The population is 1,812,255. The prefecture ranks 23rd in Japan. The population density is 244.76 people per square kilometer.

Economy

There is a Honda automobile plant.

Tourism

• Mt. Aso is one of the world's largest active volcanoes.
• Kumamoto Castle
• Suizenji Park
• TsÅ«jun Bridge, the largest stone aqueduct in Japan is in Yamato

Education

University

• Kumamoto University
• Kumamoto Prefectural University
• Kumamoto Gakuen University
• Kumamoto Health Science
• Kyushu University of Nursing and Social Welfare
• Kyushu Lutheran College
• Kumamoto Health Science
• Shokei Gakuen University
• Sojo University
• Heisei College of Music
• Tokai University of Kumamoto

Transportation

Rail

• JR Kyushu
  • Kyushu Shinkansen
  • Kagoshima Line
  • Hohi Line
  • Hisatsu Line
  • Misumi Line
• Kumamoto Electric Railway
• Kumagawa Railroad
• South Aso Railway
• Hisatsu Orange Railway

Tramway

• Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau

Road

Expressways and toll roads

• Kyushu Expressway
• South Kyushu Expressway
• Kumamoto Amakusa Road

National highways

• Route 3
• Route 57
• Route 208 (Kumamoto-Tamana-Arao-ÅŒmuta)
• Route 212
• Route 218 (Kumamoto-Takachiho-Nobeoka)
• Route 219
• Route 265
• Route 266
• Route 267 (Hitoyoshi-Isa-Satsuma-Satsumasendai)
• Route 268
• Route 324
• Route 325 (Yamaga-Minamiaso-Takamori-Takachiho)
• Route 387
• Route 388 (Saiki-Nobeoka-Unomae)
• Route 389
• Route 442
• Route 443
• Route 445
• Route 501 (ÅŒmuta-Arao-Udo)
• Route 503

Ports

Ferry routes

• Kumamoto-Shimabara
• Nagasu-Unzen
• Ushibuka-Kuranomoto
• Yatsushiro-Kamiamakusa
• Reihoku-Nagasaki

Airport

• Kumamoto Airport
• Amakusa Airport

Sports

These sports teams are based in the prefecture:

• Professional:
  • Roasso Kumamoto - Men's football and J League Second Division
  • Blaze Kumamoto - Men's association football
  • Mashiki Renaissance Kumamoto - Women's association football
• Amateur:
  • Kumamoto Golden Larks - regional baseball

Sister cities

Kumamoto Prefecture is the 'sister state/prefecture' of Montana in the United States.

Notable people

Kumamoto is the birthplace of Hollywood actor Tetsu Komai, filmmaker Kazuaki Kiriya, J-pop artist Kimeru, J-pop singer Yuri Masuda, as well as J-Pop musician Tomiko Van, author of One Piece Eiichiro Oda and Takarazuka Revue actress Yu Todoroki, and contemporary artist Tetsuya Noda.

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

• Official website
• National Archives of Japan ... Kumamoto map (1891)