Kumamoto_Prefecture

Kumamoto Prefecture

Kumamoto Prefecture

Prefecture of Japan

"Kumamoto, Japan" redirects here. For the city, see Kumamoto.

Kumamoto Prefecture (熊本県, Kumamoto-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū.[2] Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of 1,748,134 (as of 1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 7,409 square kilometres (2,861 sq mi). Kumamoto Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Ōita Prefecture to the northeast, Miyazaki Prefecture to the southeast, and Kagoshima Prefecture to the south.

Quick Facts 熊本県, Japanese transcription(s) ...

Kumamoto is the capital and largest city of Kumamoto Prefecture, with other major cities including Yatsushiro, Amakusa, and Tamana.[3] Kumamoto Prefecture is located in the center of Kyūshū on the coast of the Ariake Sea, across from Nagasaki Prefecture, with the mainland separated from the East China Sea by the Amakusa Archipelago. Kumamoto Prefecture is home to Mount Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan and among the largest in the world, with its peak 1,592 metres (5,223 ft) above sea level.

History

Main article: History of Kumamoto Prefecture
See also: Historic Sites of Kumamoto Prefecture

Historically, the area was called Higo Province; and the province was renamed Kumamoto during the Meiji Restoration.[4] 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." However, Man'yōgana-like phonetic transcriptions based on the kanji for "a ball, a sphere" (球 /ku/ ~ /kjū/) and "to polish, to grind, to brush (one's teeth)" (磨 /ma/) are used for the names of the Kuma River (球磨川) and Kuma District (球磨郡). The Kuma element also appears in the ancient Kumaso.

Geography

Map of Kumamoto Prefecture showing municipal boundaries
     Government Ordinance Designated City      City      Town      Village

Kumamoto Prefecture is in the center of Kyushu, 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.

Mount Aso (1,592 m (5,223 ft)), an extensive active volcano, is in the east of Kumamoto Prefecture. This volcano is located at the centre of the Aso caldera.

As of 31 March 2019, 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.[5]

Cities

See also: List of cities in Kumamoto Prefecture by population
Hitoyoshi
Kumamoto City
Itsuki Village
Aso City
Minamata

Fourteen cities are located in Kumamoto Prefecture:

More information Name, Area (km2) ...

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district:

More information Name, Area (km2) ...

Mergers

Main article: List of mergers in Kumamoto Prefecture

Demographics

As of 1 June 2019, the population was 1,748,134 inhabitants with a population density of 236 inhabitants per square kilometre (610/sq mi). The prefecture ranks 23rd in Japan.

Economy

Tsūjun Bridge in Yamato, Kamimashiki
Kumamoto Castle

The largest motorcycle production facility in the world is located in Kumamoto.[6]

In 2023, Mitsubishi Electric announced plans to spend 100 billion yen on a new semiconductor factory in Kumamoto, with a target start date of April 2026 to begin production.[7]

Renge-in Tanjō-ji

Tourism

The prefecture has a mascot named "Kumamon", a black bear with red cheeks, who was created to attract tourists to the region after the Kyushu Shinkansen line opened.[8][9]

Education

Universities

National

Public

Private

Transportation

Rail

Tramway

Road

Expressways and toll roads

National highways

Ports

Ferry routes

Airport

Sports

Roasso Kumamoto franchise stadium in KKWing of Kumamoto

These sports teams are based in the prefecture:

  • Professional:
  • Amateur:
    • Kumamoto Golden Larks - regional baseball

The Kumamoto Prefecture hosted the 2019 World Women's Handball Championship, having previously hosted the 1997 World Men's Handball Championship.

Sister cities

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

Kumamoto has a sister city located in Texas named San Antonio, which holds an annual fall festival 'akimatsuri' for its Japanese citizens. In 2015 the mascot, 'Kumamon' visited as an honorary ambassador during the festival located at the Japanese Tea Gardens.

Notable people

Notes

  1. [1]
    "2020年度国民経済計算（2015年基準・2008SNA） : 経済社会総合研究所 - 内閣府". 内閣府ホームページ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  2. [2]
    Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Kumamoto prefecture" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 572, p. 572, at Google Books.
  3. [3]
    Nussbaum, "Kumamoto" in p. 572, p. 572, at Google Books.
  4. [4]
    Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" in p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
  5. [5]
    自然公園都道府県別面積総括 [General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture] (PDF) (in Japanese). Ministry of the Environment. 31 March 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  6. [6]
    Frank, Aaron (2009-10-22). "Honda greens up its Kumamoto motorcycle manufacturing facility". Motorcyclist.
  7. [7]
    "Mitsubishi Electric to build 100 bil. yen chip factory in Kumamoto Pref". Mainichi Daily News. 2023-03-15.
  8. [8]
    The Life and Times of Japan's Mascots
  9. [9]
    "Top Ten Japanese Character Mascots". Finding Fukuoka. 2012-01-13. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  10. [10]
    JpopAsia. "Miku (BAND-MAID) | JpopAsia". JpopAsia. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
  11. [11]
    "Eiichiro Oda, Hajime Isayama Show Their Support After Kumamoto Earthquakes". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
  12. [12]
    "Real-life Locations of "Natsume's Book of Friends" in Kumamoto's Countrysides (Part 1)". So Japan. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  13. [13]
    "A Forest Shrine in Japan". Twisted Sifter. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  14. [14]
    "Hitomi at AV Idol Directory". in Japanese

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kumamoto prefecture.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Kumamoto_prefecture.
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