Aichi Prefecture

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"Aichi" redirects here. For other uses, see Aichi (disambiguation).
Aichi Prefecture
愛知県
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese 愛知県
 • Rōmaji Aichi-ken
Flag of Aichi Prefecture
Flag
Location of Aichi Prefecture
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Country Japan
Region Chūbu (Tōkai)
Island Honshu
Capital Nagoya
Government
 • Governor Hideaki Ōmura (since February 2011)
Area
 • Total 5,153.81 km2 (1,989.90 sq mi)
Area rank 28th
Population (February 1, 2011)
 • Total 7,408,640
 • Rank 4th
 • Density 1,437.51/km2 (3,723.1/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code JP-23
Districts 7
Municipalities 54
Flower Kakitsubata (Iris laevigata)
Tree Hananoki (Acer pycnanthum)
Bird Scops-owl (Otus scops japonicus)
Fish Kuruma prawn (Penaeus japonicus)
Website www.pref.aichi.jp/global/en/index.html

Aichi Prefecture (愛知県 Aichi-ken?) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region.[1] The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.[2]

History

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See also: Historic Sites of Aichi Prefecture

Originally, the region was divided into the two provinces of Owari and Mikawa.[3] After the Meiji Restoration, Owari and Mikawa were united into a single entity. In 1871, after the abolition of the han system, Owari, with the exception of the Chita Peninsula, was established as Nagoya Prefecture, while Mikawa combined with the Chita Peninsula and formed Nukata Prefecture. Nagoya Prefecture was renamed to Aichi Prefecture in April 1872, and was united with Nukata Prefecture on November 27 of the same year.

The government of Aichi Prefecture is located in the Aichi Prefectural Government Office in Nagoya, which is the old capital of Owari.

The Expo 2005 World Exposition was held in Seto and Nagakute.

Etymology

In the third volume of the Man'yōshū there is a poem by Takechi Kurohito that reads: "The cry of the crane, calling to Sakurada; it sounds like the tide, draining from Ayuchi flats, hearing the crane cry". Ayuchi is the original form of the name Aichi, and the Fujimae tidal flat is all that remains of the earlier Ayuchi-gata. It is now a protected area.[4][5]

For a time, an Aichi Station existed on the Kansai Line (at the time the Kansai Railway) between Nagoya and Hatta stations, but its role was overtaken by Sasashima-Live Station on the Aonami Line and Komeno Station on the Kintetsu Nagoya Line.

Geography

Satellite photo of Mikawa Bay
Nagoya
Inuyama
Gamagōri and Mikawa Bay
Sightseeing farm Flower garden, Minamichita

Located near the center of the Japanese main island of Honshu, Aichi Prefecture faces the Ise and Mikawa Bays to the south and borders Shizuoka Prefecture to the east, Nagano Prefecture to the northeast, Gifu Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture to the west. It measures 106 km east to west and 94 km south to north and forms a major portion of the Nōbi Plain. With an area of 5,153.81 km2 it accounts for approximately 1.36% of the total surface area of Japan. The highest spot is Chausuyama at 1,415 m above sea level.

The western part of the prefecture is dominated by Nagoya, Japan's third largest city, and its suburbs, while the eastern part is less densely populated but still contains several major industrial centers. Due to its robust economy, for the period from October 2005 to October 2006, Aichi was the fastest growing prefecture in terms of population, beating Tokyo, at 7.4 per cent.

As of April 1, 2012, 17% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Aichi Kōgen, Hida-Kisogawa, Mikawa Wan, and Tenryū-Okumikawa Quasi-National Parks along with seven Prefectural Natural Parks.[6]

Cities

Thirty-eight cities are located in Aichi Prefecture.

Towns and villages

Map of Aichi Prefecture

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Mergers

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Main article: List of mergers in Aichi Prefecture

Economy

Expo 2005

Companies headquartered in Aichi include the following.

Aisin Seiki Kariya
Brother Industries, Ltd. Nagoya
Central Japan Railway Company Nagoya
Denso Corporation Kariya
Makita Corporation Anjō
Matsuzakaya Nagoya
Nagoya Railroad Nagoya
Nippon Sharyo Nagoya
Noritake Nagoya
Sumitomo Riko Komaki[7]
Toyota Motor Corporation Toyota

Companies such as Fuji Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Motors, Pfizer, Sony, Suzuki, Bodycote, and Volkswagen Group also operate plants and/or branch offices in Aichi.

Demographics

As of 2001, Aichi Prefecture's population was 50.03% male and 49.97% female. 139,540 residents (nearly 2% of the population) are of foreign nationality.

Population by age (2001)

Age  % population  % male  % female
0 - 9 10.21 10.45 9.96
10 - 19 10.75 11.02 10.48
20 - 29 15.23 15.71 14.75
30 - 39 14.81 15.31 14.30
40 - 49 12.21 12.41 12.01
50 - 59 15.22 15.31 15.12
60 - 69 11.31 11.22 11.41
70 - 79 6.76 6.01 7.52
Over 80 3.12 2.01 4.23
Unknown 0.38 0.54 0.23

Sports

Aichi Prefectural Government Office

The sports teams listed below are based in Aichi.

Football (soccer)

Baseball

Volleyball

Rugby

Tourism

Kiyosu Castle and Kiyosu Castle Park in Kiyosu
Osu Kannon Temple, Naka, Nagoya
Jōkōji, Seto
Akabane Beach, Tahara
Twin Arch 138 Tower in Kiso River Park, Ichinomiya
Battle of Nagashino Festival
Tenno Matsuri In Tsushima, Aichi

Notable sites in Aichi include the Meiji Mura open-air architectural museum in Inuyama, which preserves historic buildings from Japan's Meiji and Taishō periods, including the reconstructed lobby of Frank Lloyd Wright's old Imperial Hotel (which originally stood in Tokyo from 1923 to 1967).

Other popular sites in Aichi include the tour of the Toyota car factory in the city by the same name, the monkey park in Inuyama, and the castles in Nagoya, Okazaki, Toyohashi, and Inuyama.

Because of Aichi's location along the Eastern seacoast, there are some scenic spots, but other than the Atsumi Peninsula surf beaches there are no significant beach destinations when compared to neighboring Shizuoka Prefecture. Most attractions are man-made destinations, dealing with the region's history or modern marvels.

Transport

Road

Expressways and toll roads

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National highways

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Rail

Nagoya Station building (JR Central Towers) and Nagoya Castle

People movers and tramways

  • Nagoya Guideway Bus
  • Linimo
  • Toyohashi Railroad

Airports

Ports

  • Nagoya Port - International Container hub and ferry route to Sendai and Tomakomai, Hokkaido
  • Mikawa Port - mainly automobile and car parts export and part of inport base

Notes

  1. ↑ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Aichi-ken" Japan Encyclopedia, p. 11, p. 11, at Google Books; "Chūbu" Japan Encyclopedia, p. 126, p. 126, at Google Books.
  2. ↑ Nussbaum, "Nagoya" p. 685, p. 685, at Google Books.
  3. ↑ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" Japan Encyclopedia, p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ "Domestic production and sales bases." Sumitomo Riko. Retrieved on January 28, 2015.

References

External links

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