Prefectures of Japan Shizuoka

Shizuoka Prefecture (静岡県, Shizuoka-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu.[1] As of December 2019, Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,637,998 and has a geographic area of 7,777.42 km2 (3,002.88 sq mi). Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the northeast, Nagano Prefecture to the north, and Aichi Prefecture to the west.

Shizuoka is the capital and Hamamatsu is the largest city in Shizuoka Prefecture, with other major cities including Fuji, Numazu, and Iwata.[2] Shizuoka Prefecture is located on Japan’s Pacific Ocean coast and features Suruga Bay formed by the Izu Peninsula, and Lake Hamana which is considered to be one of Japan’s largest lakes. Mount Fuji, the tallest volcano in Japan and cultural icon of the country, is partially located in Shizuoka Prefecture on the border with Yamanashi Prefecture. Shizuoka Prefecture has a significant motoring heritage as the founding location of Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha, and is home to the Fuji International Speedway.

History

Shizuoka Prefecture was established from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.[3]

The area was the home of the first Tokugawa shōgun.[citation needed] Tokugawa Ieyasu held the region until he conquered the lands of the Hōjō clan in the Kantō region and placed land under the stewardship of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. After becoming shōgun, Tokugawa took the land back for his family and put the area around modern-day Shizuoka city under the direct supervision of the shogunate. With the creation of Shizuoka han in 1868, it once again became the residence of the Tokugawa family.

Geography

Shizuoka Prefecture is an elongated region following the coast of the Pacific Ocean at the Suruga Bay. In the west, the prefecture extends deep into the Japan Alps. In the east, it becomes a narrower coast bounded in the north by Mount Fuji, until it comes to the Izu Peninsula, a popular resort area pointing south into the Pacific.[citation needed]

As of April 2012, 11% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Fuji-Hakone-Izu and Minami Alps National Parks; Tenryū-Okumikawa Quasi-National Park; and four Prefectural Natural Parks.

Tokai earthquakes

Throughout history, a disastrous earthquake called the Tokai earthquake has hit Shizuoka every 100 to 150 years. On 15 March 2011, Shizuoka Prefecture was hit with a magnitude 6.2 earthquake approximately 42 km (26 mi) NNE of Shizuoka City.

Municipalities

Since 2010, Shizuoka consists of 35 municipalities: 23 cities and 12 towns

Mergers

After the introduction of modern municipalities in 1889, Shizuoka consisted of 337 municipalities: 1 (by definition: district-independent) city and 23 districts with 31 towns and 305 villages. The Great Shōwa mergers of the 1950s reduced the total from 281 to 97 between 1953 and 1960, including 18 cities by then. The Great Heisei mergers of the 2000s combined the 74 remaining municipalities in the year 2000 into the current 35 by 2010.

Transportation

Rail

JR East
Tōkaidō Line (Atami–Odawara)
Itō Line
JR Central
Tōkaidō Shinkansen
Tōkaidō Line (Atami–Toyohashi)
Gotenba Line
Minobu Line
Iida Line
Izukyū
Izuhakone Railway
Daiyūzan Line
Sunzu Line
Gakunan Railway
Shizuoka Railway
Ōigawa Railway
Enshū Railway
Tenryū Hamanako Railroad

Roads

Expressways Tōmei Expressway
Shin-Tōmei Expressway
Chūbu-Ōdan Expressway
Izu-Jūkan Expressway
San-en Nanshin Expressway

Toll roads

Shizuoka East-West Road
Shizuoka South-North Road
West Fuji Road (not a toll road anymore as of 2012)
Fujinomiya Road
Nishi-Fuji Road

National highways

National Route 1
National Route 42
National Route 52
National Route 135
National Route 136
National Route 138
National Route 139
National Route 149
National Route 150
National Route 152
National Route 246
National Route 257
National Route 301
National Route 362
National Route 414
National Route 469
National Route 473
National Route 474

Airports

Shizuoka Airport

Ports

Shimizu Port
Atami Port and Shimoda Port – Mainly ferry route to Izu Island
Numazu Port

Education

Universities

National universities

Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
Shizuoka University
Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Mishima Campus, National Institute of Genetics)

Public universities

Shizuoka University of Art and Culture
University of Shizuoka

Private universities

Fuji Tokoha University
Hamamatsu University
Hamamatsu Gakuin University
Juntendo University (Mishima Campus)
Nihon University (Mishima Campus)
Shizuoka Eiwa Gakuin University
Shizuoka Institute of Science and Technology
Shizuoka Sangyo University
Shizuoka University of Welfare
Tokyo Women’s Medical University (Daito Campus)
Tokai University (Shimizu and Numazu Campuses)
Tokoha Gakuen University

Senior high schools

Numazu Commercial High School
Shizuoka Prefectural Susono High School
Shizuoka Prefectural High School

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Shizuoka.

Basketball

San-en NeoPhoenix

Motorsport

Fuji International Speedway

Rugby

Yamaha Júbilo (Iwata)

Football

Shimizu S-Pulse (Shimizu, Shizuoka)
Júbilo Iwata (Iwata)
Matches between the above two teams, both currently in the top flight of the J. League, are known as the Shizuoka Derby.
Honda F.C. (Hamamatsu)
Azul Claro Numazu (Numazu)
Fujieda MYFC (Fujieda)

Volleyball

Toray Arrows (men’s volleyball team) (Mishima city)

Tourism

Museums

Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art
Museum of Natural and Environmental History, Shizuoka

Theme parks

Air Park Japan Air Self-Defense Force Hamamatsu Public Information Building)[5]
Shimizu Sushi Museum

Festivals and events

Shimoda Black Ship Festival, held in May
Shimizu Port Festival, held on August 5 to 7
Shizuoka Festival, held in April
Daidogei World Cup in central Shizuoka City, held in November
Enshu Daimyo Festival in Iwata, held in April
Numazu Festival, held in July
Mishima Festival, held in August