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| Japan's Prefectures |  Japan
is divided into 11 regions. These regions are further
divided into 47 prefectures. Our list starts from the
most northern part of Japan (Hokkaido) and ends with the
most southern (Okinawa). I haven't been to all of the
prefectures yet, but that's my plan! As I go to each one
I will enter information for tourists, prefecture stats,
and other interesting info.(for more on the Japanese names for these prefectures click here) |
The bold faced prefectures are the most updated: sorry for being slooow...
Hokkaiko Aomori Akita Iwate Fukushima Miyagi Yamagata Ibaraki Kanagawa Gunma Saitama Chiba Tokyo Tochigi Yamanashi Nagano Niigata Ishikawa Toyama FUKUI! Aichi Gifu Shizuoka Mie Osaka Kyoto Shiga Nara Hyogo Wakayama Okayama Shimane Tottori Hiroshima Yamaguchi Ehime Kagawa Kochi Tokushima Oita Kagoshima Kumamoto Saga Nagasaki Fukuoka Miyazaki Okinawa
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Hokkaido is
the most northern ken and therefore the coldest.
Hokkaido has a lot to offer: cool summers; spacious skys;
beautiful sceneries, and incredable winter ice sculptures. Take the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto Quiz! - Learn where these 15 prefectures are! |
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青森
- Aomori |
The next is
the northernmost part of the main island of Honshu.
The regions Tohoku, Kanto,Shinetsu,
Hokuriku, Tokai, and Kinki all
are on Honshu. Take the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto Quiz! - Learn where these 15 prefectures are! |
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茨城 - Ibaraki |
Take the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto Quiz! - Learn where these 15 prefectures are! | ||
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Hokuriku is a part of the bigger Chubu region. I live in Fukui. Both Fukui and Ishikawa prefectures are on the Japan Sea coast. Therefore, it can get a little humid during the summer and a good amount of snow during the winter, but most of the year the weather is nice. | ||
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Tokai is also a part of Chubu. | ||
大阪
- Osaka |
Kinki is a region not a borrowing of the English word. There is a book called "Kinki Japanese." Don't worry, it is safe for kids. There is also a very popular singing duo called, "Kinki Kids" - again this name denotes where they come from and is not to be confused with the English word. But really. It is a strange name. | ||
岡山
- Okayama |
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Shikoku literally means '4 countries.' There are 4 prefectures in this region. Shikoku is an island by itself kind of in-between Honshu (the main island) and Kyushu. | ||
大分
- Oita |
Kyushu | ||
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Okinawa region and prefecture are the southernmost group of islands in Japan. With a tropical climate, Okinawa is famous for its white, sandy beaches and its sunshine. |
Japan is divided into a total of 47 parts. However, they are not all called ken (prefecture). Of the 47, 43 are called "ken" -- (prefecture). 2 are called 'fu' (Osaka & Kyoto). 1 is called "do" (Hokkai DO). 1 is called 'to' (Tokyo to)
To remember it Japanese children learn the following poem:
いっと, いちどう
itto, ichi dou
one "to," one "do"
二 府
ni fu
2 'fu'
四十三 県
yonjuu san ken
43 'ken'
Other Descriptive Lists of the Prefectures on the Internet:
http://www.wnn.or.jp/wnn-c/english/e_index.html - In English
By
Clay & Yumi Boutwell
Last updated:
Sunday, October 08, 2000
