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Hyōgo Prefecture
 Hyōgo Prefecture (兵庫県, Hyōgo-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu.[3] Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 (as of 1 June 2019[update]) and a geographic area of 8,400 square kilometres (3,200 square miles). Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to the southeast, and Okayama and Tottori prefectures to the west. Kobe is the capital and largest city of Hyōgo Prefecture, and the seventh-largest city in Japan, with other major cities including Himeji, Nishinomiya, and Amagasaki.[4] Hyōgo Prefecture's mainland stretches from the Sea of Japan to the Seto Inland Sea, where Awaji Island and a small archipelago of islands belonging to the prefecture are located. Hyōgo Prefecture is a major economic center, transportation hub, and tourist destination in western Japan, with 20% of the prefecture's land area designated as Natural Parks. Hyōgo Prefecture forms part of the Kobe metropolitan area and Osaka metropolitan area, the second-most-populated urban region in Japan after the Greater Tokyo area and one of the world's most productive regions by GDP. History 1.□Kobe city (divided between Harima and Settsu) 2.■Settsu (Hanshin South office) 3.■Settsu (Hanshin North office) 4.■Harima East office 5.■Harima North office 6.■Harima Central office 7.■Harima West office 9.■Tanba office 8.■Tajima office 10.■Awaji office Areas beyond Harima West belonged to Mimasaka (north) and Bizen (south) Present-day Hyōgo Prefecture includes the former provinces of Harima, Tajima, Awaji, and parts of Tanba and Settsu.[5] In 1180, near the end of the Heian period, Emperor Antoku, Taira no Kiyomori, and the Imperial court moved briefly to Fukuhara, in what is now the city of Kobe. There the capital remained for five months. Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is in the city of Himeji. Southern Hyōgo Prefecture was severely devastated by the 6.9 Mw Great Hanshin earthquake of 1995, which destroyed major parts of Kobe and Awaji, as well as Nishinomiya and Ashiya and the neighboring Osaka Prefecture, killing nearly 6,500 people. Geography    
Hyōgo has coastlines on two seas: to the north, the Sea of Japan, to the south, the Seto Inland Sea. On Awaji Island, Hyōgo borders the Pacific Ocean coastline in the Kii Channel. The northern portion is sparsely populated, except for the city of Toyooka, The central highlands are only populated by tiny villages. Most of Hyōgo's population lives on the southern coast, which is part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area. Awaji is an island that separates the Inland Sea and Osaka Bay, lying between Honshu and Shikoku. Summertime weather throughout Hyōgo is hot and humid. As for winter conditions, the north of Hyōgo tends to receive abundant snow, whilst the south receives only the occasional flurry. Hyōgo borders on Osaka Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture and Okayama Prefecture. As of 31 March 2008,[update] 20% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Sanin Kaigan and Setonaikai National Parks; Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park; and Asago Gunzan, Harima Chūbu Kyūryō, Inagawa Keikoku, Izushi-Itoi, Kasagatayama-Sengamine, Kiyomizu-Tōjōko-Tachikui, Onzui-Chikusa, Seiban Kyūryō, Seppiko-Mineyama, Tajima Sangaku, and Taki Renzan Prefectural Natural Parks.[7] Current municipalities  Aioi相生市  Akashi明石市  Akō赤穂市  Amagasaki尼崎市  Asago朝来市  Ashiya芦屋市  Awaji淡路市  Himeji姫路市  Itami伊丹市  Kakogawa加古川市  Kasai加西市  Katō加東市  Kawanishi川西市  Kobe (capital)神戸市  Miki三木市  Minamiawaji南あわじ市  Nishinomiya西宮市  Nishiwaki西脇市  Ono小野市  Sanda三田市  Shisō宍粟市  Sumoto洲本市  Takarazuka宝塚市  Takasago高砂市  Tamba-Sasayama丹波篠山市  Tanba丹波市  Tatsunoたつの市  Toyooka豊岡市  Yabu養父市  Fukusaki福崎町  Harima播磨町  Ichikawa市川町  Inagawa猪名川町  Inami稲美町  Kami香美町 Kamigōri上郡町  Kamikawa神河町  Sayō佐用町  Shin'onsen新温泉町  Taishi太子町  Taka多可町 Municipalities in Hyōgo Prefecture Government Ordinance Designated City City Town IslandsTwo major artificial islands are located Hyōgo Prefecture: National parks
MergersFuture mergersThe city of Akō and the only town in Akō District (Kamigōri), were scheduled to merge and the city would still retain the name Akō. Akō District would be defunct if the merger was successful.[8] However, the merger has not taken place. Economy As in all prefectures nationwide, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries play a big role in the economy of Hyogo Prefecture.[9] Hyōgo Prefecture also has an IT industry, many heavy industries, metal and medical, Kobe Port being one of the largest ports in Japan. Kobe Port also hosts one of the world's fastest supercomputers,[10] and Hyogo Prefecture passed laws to keep Kobe Port free of nuclear weapons (a nuclear-free zone) since the year 1975. Hyōgo is a part of the Hanshin Industrial Region. There are two research institutes of Riken, natural sciences research institute in Japan, in Kobe and Harima. "SPring-8", a synchrotron radiation facility, is in Harima.  CultureNational Treasures of Japan
Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings in Japan
Museums
EducationUniversitiesAmagasaki
TakarazukaSanda
Nishinomiya
AshiyaKobe
KatoAkashiKakogawaHimeji
AkōHigh schoolsThere are 163 public and 52 private high schools within Hyogo prefecture. Of the public high schools, some are administered by the Hyogo prefectural government, whilst the others are administered by local municipalities.
Sports The sports teams listed below are based in Hyōgo. Baseball Basketball Football (soccer)
Rugby Volleyball TourismA popular troupe of Takarazuka Revue plays in Takarazuka. Arima Onsen in the south of the province in Kita-ku, Kobe is one of the Three Ancient Springs in Japan. The north of Hyogo Prefecture has sightseeing spots such as Kinosaki Onsen, Izushi, and Yumura Onsen. Takeda Castle in Asago is often referred to locally as the "Machu Picchu of Japan". The matsuba crab and Tajima beef are both national delicacies.[11]
Festivals and events 
TransportationRail
People moversRoadExpressways
National highways
Ports
AirportNotable people
Sister regionsHyogo entered a sister state relationship with Washington state in the United States on October 22, 1963, the first such arrangement between Japan and the United States.[12][13] In 1981, a sister state agreement was drawn up between Hyogo and the state of Western Australia in Australia.[14] To commemorate the 10th anniversary of this agreement in 1992, the Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre was established in Perth.[15] See alsoNotes
Citations
General references
External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hyōgo Prefecture.  Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Hyōgo.
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