Miyagi Prefecture
Miyagi Prefecture
宮城県 | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Seal | |
 Miyagi Prefecture in Japan | |
| Country |  Japan |
| Capital | Sendai |
| Subdivisions | List
|
| Government | |
| • Governor | Yoshihiro Murai |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7,282 km2 (2,812 sq mi) |
| Population (October 1, 2020) | |
| • Total | 2,301,996 |
| • Density | 316.1/km2 (819/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 |
| Area code | 04000-2 |
| ISO 3166 code | JP-04 |
| Website | Official website |
Miyagi Prefecture (宮城県, Miyagi-ken) is a prefecture of Japan. It is part of the Tōhoku region of the island of Honshu.[1] The capital city is Sendai.[2]
History
[change | change source]Miyagi Prefecture used to be part of Mutsu Province.[3] That province was in the northern part of Honshu. It was made from land taken from the indigenous Emishi. The province became the largest as it expanded to the north. The ancient capital was in modern Miyagi Prefecture.
During the Sengoku period, various clans ruled different parts of the province. Date Masamune was a close ally of the Tokugawa. He established Sendai, which is now the largest town of the Tōhoku region.
In the Meiji period, four new provinces were created from parts of Mutsu: Rikuchū, Rikuzen, Iwaki, and Iwashiro. In 1871, Sendai Prefecture was formed. It was renamed Miyagi prefecture the following year.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
[change | change source]On March 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and major tsunami hit Miyagi Prefecture. It caused major damage to the area.[4] The tsunami was about 10 meters high in parts of Miyagi Prefecture.[5]
Cities
[change | change source]There are thirteen cities in Miyagi Prefecture:
Towns and villages
[change | change source]These are the towns and villages in each district:
National parks
[change | change source]National parks cover about 23% of the total land area of the prefecture.[6] They include:
Economy
[change | change source]Farming, fishing and sake brewing are all important in Miyagi. As of March 2011, the prefecture made 4.7% of Japan's rice, 23% of its oysters, and 15.9% of its saury fish.[8] Manufacturing around Sendai is a larger part of the economy. The area produces electronics, appliances, and processed food.
Education
[change | change source]- Universities
- Miyagi University
- Miyagi University of Education
- Miyagi Gakuin Women's University
- Sendai University
- Sendai Shirayuri Women's College
- Tohoku University
- Tohoku Gakuin University
- Tohoku Bunka Gakuen University
- Tohoku Institute of Technology
- Tohoku Fukushi University
- Tohoku Seikatsu Bunka College
- Tohoku Pharmaceutical University
- Shokei Gakuin University
- Ishinomaki Senshu University
Transportation
[change | change source]Train
[change | change source]Airports
[change | change source]- Sendai Airport was badly damaged by the 2011 tsunami.
Sight-seeing
[change | change source]Sendai was the castle town of the daimyo Date Masamune. The remains of Sendai Castle are on a hill above the city.
Miyagi Prefecture has one of Japan's Three Great Views. Matsushima Bay is full of small islands with old pine trees on them. Many visitors come here every year and many artists have painted the islands.
The following are also noted as attractions:
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Festivals and events
[change | change source]
- Aoba Festival, Suzume Dancing – May
- Sendai Tanabata Festival – August 6 to 8
- Sendai Pageant of Starlight – December
- Shiogama Port Festival – July
- Shiroishi Kokeshi Exhibition – May 3 to 5
- Narugo Kokeshi Festival – September
Shrines and temples
[change | change source]Shigogama jinja is the main Shinto shrine (ichinomiya) in the prefecture.[9]
Related pages
[change | change source]- Provinces of Japan
- Prefectures of Japan
- List of regions of Japan
- List of islands of Japan
- Vegalta Sendai
- Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Miyagi prefecture" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 648.
- ↑ Nussbaum, "Sendai" at p. 841.
- ↑ Nussbaum, "Mutsu" at p. 676.
- ↑ "Japan earthquake: Tsunami hits north-east," BBC. March 11, 2011; retrieved 2012-3-13.
- ↑ Williams, Martyn. "Report from Japan: Impact of Tsunami Devastates Nation's Northeast," Voice of America, March 11, 2011; retrieved 2012-3-13.
- ↑ Japan Ministry of the Environment, "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture"; retrieved 2012-3-14.
- ↑ Japan Ministry of the Environment, "Rikuchu Kaigan National Park" Archived 2006-05-16 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-3-19.
- ↑ Schreiber, Mark. "Japan's food crisis goes beyond recent panic buying," Archived 2011-04-20 at the Wayback Machine Japan Times, April 17, 2011; retrieved 2012-3-13.
- ↑ "Nationwide List of Ichinomiya," p. 2 Archived 2013-05-17 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-3-13.
Other websites
[change | change source]
Media related to Miyagi prefecture at Wikimedia Commons
- http://www.pref.miyagi.jp/english/index.htm Archived 2012-05-24 at Archive.today; Official (in Japanese)
| Sendai (capital) | |
|---|---|
| Other cities | |
| Districts | |
See also: Towns and villages by district | |
