is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of 2,811,410 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 8,479 km<sup>2</sup> (3,274 sq mi). Hiroshima Prefecture borders Okayama Prefecture to the east, Tottori Prefecture to the northeast, Shimane Prefecture to the north, and Yamaguchi Prefecture to the southwest. Hiroshima Prefecture also borders Ehime Prefecture for on Hyōtanjima.

Hiroshima is the capital and largest city of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region, with other major cities including Fukuyama, Kure, and Higashihiroshima. Hiroshima Prefecture is located on the Seto Inland Sea across from the island of Shikoku, and is bounded to the north by the Chūgoku Mountains. Hiroshima Prefecture is one of the three prefectures of Japan with more than one UNESCO World Heritage Site. Known globally for the atomic bombing of 1945, Hiroshima has since rebuilt into a major regional center of industry, education, and culture. Its demographic profile is particularly significant from a population-studies perspective: the city has undergone dramatic population reconstruction after WWII, experienced the demographic transitions associated with Japan’s rapid economic growth, and now faces the contemporary challenges of low fertility, population aging, and gradual population decline.

History

The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded history. Hiroshima is a traditional center of the Chūgoku region and was the seat of the Mōri clan until the Battle of Sekigahara.

Together with Nara and Tokyo, Hiroshima is one of the three prefectures with more than one UNESCO World Heritage Site. The two such sites in Hiroshima Prefecture are:

  • The Atomic Dome in Hiroshima, one of the few remnants of prewar Hiroshima following the atomic bombing in 1945;
  • The Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima, famed for filling with water and appearing to "float" during high tide.

Geography

thumb|right|Map of Hiroshima Prefecture<br />

thumb|Fukuyama

thumb|Onomichi

thumb|Higashihiroshima

thumb|Mihara

Hiroshima prefecture lies in the middle of Japan. Most of the prefecture consists of mountains leading towards Shimane Prefecture; and rivers produce rich plains near the coast.

The province faces Shikoku across the Seto Inland Sea. Hiroshima Bay opens on the Inland Sea. The prefecture also includes many small islands.

The sheltered nature of the Inland Sea makes Hiroshima's climate very mild.

As of 1 April 2014, 4% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks (the lowest percentage of any prefecture), namely Setonaikai National Park; Hiba-Dōgo-Taishaku and Nishi-Chūgoku Sanchi Quasi-National Parks; and six Prefectural Natural Parks.

Cities

Fourteen cities are located in Hiroshima Prefecture:

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! colspan="2" |Name

! rowspan="2" |Area (km<sup>2</sup>)

! rowspan="2" |Population

! rowspan="2" |Map

|-

!Rōmaji

!Kanji

|-

|frameless|25x25px Akitakata

|安芸高田市

|538.17

|31,565

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Etajima

|江田島市

|100.97

|24,596

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Fuchū

|府中市

|195.71

|43,932

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Fukuyama

|福山市

|518.14

|468,812

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Hatsukaichi

|廿日市市

|489.36

|117,106

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Higashihiroshima

|東広島市

|635.32

|185,418

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Hiroshima (capital)

|広島市

|906.68

|1,199,391

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Kure

|呉市

|352.8

|228,030

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Mihara

|三原市

|471.03

|97,324

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Miyoshi

|三次市

|778.19

|53,616

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Onomichi

|尾道市

|284.85

|141,811

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Ōtake

|大竹市

|78.57

|27,684

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Shōbara

|庄原市

|1,246.6

|35,870

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Takehara

|竹原市

|118.3

|26,035

|frameless|50x50px

|}

Towns

These are the towns in each district:

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! colspan="2" |Name

! rowspan="2" |Area (km<sup>2</sup>)

! rowspan="2" |Population

! rowspan="2" |District

! rowspan="2" |Type

! rowspan="2" |Map

|-

!Rōmaji

!Kanji

|-

|frameless|25x25px Akiōta

|安芸太田町

|342.25

|6,585

|Yamagata District

| rowspan="9" |Town

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Fuchū

|府中町

|10.45

|52,056

|Aki District

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Jinsekikōgen

|神石高原町

|381.81

|9,427

|Jinseki District

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Kaita

|海田町

|13.81

|29,082

|Aki District

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Kitahiroshima

|北広島町

|645.86

|19,115

|Yamagata District

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Kumano

|熊野町

|33.62

|24,000

|Aki District

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Ōsakikamijima

|大崎上島町

|43.24

|7,801

|Toyota District

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Saka

|坂町

|15.64

|13,265

|Aki District

|frameless|50x50px

|-

|frameless|25x25px Sera

|世羅町

|278.29

|19,213

|Sera District

|frameless|50x50px

|}

Mergers

Economy

Hiroshima's main industries include automobiles (Mazda is headquartered there) and tourism in two World Heritage Sites: the A-Bomb dome and Itsukushima Shrine.

Components of the economy are primary industry, secondary industry, and tertiary industry, which compose 0.6%, 32.6%, and 66.2% in 2015. There is 0.6% of unclassified production.

Value of production of manufacturing is 10,343 billion yen in 2016, which is the 10th largest in Japan. After 2012, production of manufacturing is continuously increasing in 2015.

Education

University

  • Eikei University of Hiroshima
  • Elisabeth University of Music
  • Fukuyama City University
  • Fukuyama Heisei University
  • Fukuyama University
  • Hijiyama University
  • Hiroshima Bunka Gakuen University
  • Hiroshima Bunkyo Women's University
  • Hiroshima City University
  • Hiroshima Institute of Technology
  • Hiroshima Jogakuin University
  • Hiroshima Kokusai Gakuin University
  • Hiroshima Shudo University
  • Hiroshima University of Economics
  • Hiroshima University
  • Japan Coast Guard Academy
  • Onomichi City University
  • Prefectural University of Hiroshima
  • Yasuda Women's University

Religion

Similar to the rest of Japan, most people in the Hiroshima Prefecture are Shinto or Buddhist. In 1996, 51.2% of the population was Buddhist, 2% were affiliated with Shinto Sects, 44.8% practiced Folk Shinto, and 2% were Christian.

  • Sichuan Province, China

Notes

References

  • Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ; OCLC 58053128
  • Official Hiroshima Prefecture homepage
  • Life in Hiroshima and other Japan-related Articles
  • Hiroshima Weather Forecast
  • National Archives of Japan ... Hiroshima map (1891)
  • National Archives of Japan: Itsukushima kakei, illustrated scroll describing Itsukushima, text by Kaibara Ekiken (circa 1720)
  • hiroshima-navi

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