Map of Yamanashi Prefecture.
is located in the
Chūbu region of the island of
Honshū,
Japan. The capital is the city of
KÅfu.
History
Pre-history to the 14th century
People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years. As in most other Japanese regions, prehistoric society in Yamanashi progressed though the hunting, fishing and gathering stage of the
JÅmon period, then the rice-producing stage of the
Yayoi period and subsequent village and regional formation. The Maruyama and Choshizuka
Kofun (earthen burial mounds) located on Sone Hill of Nakamichi Town　(currently in southern
KÅfu) are believed to have been built from the end of the 4th century. From these remains it can be assumed that the people of Sone Hill had great influence.
From 8th century Yamanashi was known as
Kai no Kuni (Kai Province), made up of Yamanashi, Yatsushiro, Koma and Tsuru Counties, with the center around today’s Kasugai, Ichinomiya and Misaka areas of
Fuefuki City. From the 12th century, court nobles started to challenge the ancient imperial regime and military families began to grow in power. Around
1131, the son of
Minamoto no Yoshikiyo, Minamoto no Kiyomitsu, founded the Kaigenji (or Kai Clan).
15th to 19th Centuries
Among the many Kaigenji generations, those of the
Takeda, Ogasawara, and Nanbu families were particularly prosperous. During the
Sengoku period of the 16th century,
Takeda Shingen attained the status of
daimyÅ and built Tsuzuji Mansion and the YÅgai Castle in KÅfu. From this base, he attempted to unify and control Japan.
After Takeda’s death in 1582, Kai-no-Kuni came under the control of the
Oda and
Toyotomi Clans before being subsumed into the
Tokugawa shogunate during the
Edo period. Beneath the Edo shogunate, the Kofu Clan (based in Kuninaka, or Central and Western Yamanashi) and the Yamura Clan (based in Gunnai, or Eastern Yamanashi) were formed, but in 1724 the area came under the direct control of the Shogunate. With the development of the
Koshu KaidÅ (highway) and
Fuji River transport, goods, materials and culture flowed into the region.
By the mid-19th century, the contradictions of military government and clan system caused stability to erode and resistance to erupt across Japan, paving the way for the
Meiji Restoration of 1868.
19th Century to the Present Day
After the
Meiji government entered KÅfu Castle in 1868, the domain of the Kaifu government became Kai Prefecture, later renamed Yamanashi Prefecture on
November 20,
1872 (November 20 is now celebrated as Prefectural Citizen’s Day in Yamanashi).
In the early part of the
Meiji period (1868–1911), industrial promotion policies furthered
textile and
wine making industries. In the late Meiji period, the
ChūŠRailway Line opened, also helping to develop local industry and culture.
Agricultural production in farm towns was small and from the 1910’s through the 20’s there was much tenant strife. In 1926, the
Minobu Railway Line opened, putting an end to Fuji River transportation.
The capital city,
KÅfu, suffered heavy bombing during
World War II. In 1945, as part of governmental occupation reforms, agricultural land reforms increased the number of individual farms and introduced fruit farming to the region. Industry and commerce grew at rapid speed during the following periods, and the 1982 opening of the
ChūŠExpressway lead to a growth of third-sector industries that continues to this day.
Geography
Yamanashi Prefecture is bordered by
Tokyo,
Kanagawa,
Saitama,
Shizuoka, and
Nagano. The prefecture is landlocked, with mountains surrounding the central KÅfu Basin.
Mount Fuji is located on the southern border with Shizuoka. Mt. Fuji provides
rain shadow effects, and as a result, the prefecture receives only about 818 mm of rainfall a year.
Cities
Towns and Villages
Towns and villages in each
district:
Mergers
Economy
Yamanashi has a sizable industrial base in and around KÅfu city, with the
jewelry and
robotics industries being particularly prominent. The surrounding area is host to a number of farms and vineyards. Yamanashi is one of the major fruit producing regions in Japan, being the top domestic producer of
grapes,
peaches,
plums, as well as
wine. In addition, roughly 40% of the
mineral water bottled in Japan comes from Yamanashi, mainly from around the
Southern Alps,
Mt. Fuji, and MitsutÅge areas.
Demographics
Yamanashi Prefecture has a sizable minority of Brazilians, approximately 15,000 people. The prefecture also contains a number of Nigerians and Indians.
Sports
The sports teams listed below are based in Yamanashi.
Football (soccer)
★
Ventforet KÅfu (
KÅfu)
Tourism
Mount Fuji from Lake ShÅji in Yamanashi Prefecture
Yamanashi is a popular destination for tourism.
Mount Fuji, the
Fuji Five Lakes region, the city of KÅfu, the nearby
wineries, the fine temple Erin-ji, and the popular
Kuonji Temple are a few of the most popular places to visit. The
Fuji-Q Highland amusement park, with its newest roller coaster
Eejanaika (roller coaster), is also popular.
Eco-Tourism is another major attraction. The natural topography of the region makes Yamanashi a hiker's paradise. The tallest mountain in Japan, Mt. Fuji, and the second tallest mountain in Japan,
Kitadake, are both located within Yamanashi. Although not as tall, Mount Minobu offers stunning views if one joins the Buddhist pilgrims up to the summit of the mountain. Parts of the
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park,
Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, and
Minami Alps National Park are located in Yamanashi.
Given the area's volcanic activity, natural hot springs, or
onsens, are found in abundance. Some of the more famous are Isawa Onsen and Yamanami Onsen.
Medias
Television
★
Yamanashi Broadcasting System(YBS)
★
UHF Television Yamanashi(UTY)
Prefectural symbols
Sister states and regions
★
Iowa,
United States of America (since 1960)
★
Minas Gerais,
Brazil (since 1973)
★
Sichuan Province,
China (since 1985)
★
Chungcheongbuk-do,
Republic of Korea (since 1992)
★
Saône-et-Loire,
France (since 2000)
★
Fairfield, California,
United States of America (since 1970's)
External links
★
Official Yamanashi Prefecture homepage
★
Osano Memorial Foundation website, publishers of a biannual informative magazine about Yamanashi
★
Yamanashi English Teachers International homepage (JET)
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