Wakayama Prefecture

Wakayama Prefecture (和歌山県, Wakayama-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu.[1]: 1026  Wakayama Prefecture has a population of 944,320 (as of 1 October 2017) and has a geographic area of 4,724 square kilometres (1,824 sq mi). Wakayama Prefecture borders Osaka Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture to the northeast.

Wakayama Prefecture
和歌山県
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese和歌山県
 • RōmajiWakayama-ken
Cherry blossoms bloom in the courtyard of Negoro-ji Temple in Iwade City, Wakayama Prefecture
Cherry blossoms bloom in the courtyard of Negoro-ji Temple in Iwade City, Wakayama Prefecture
Flag of Wakayama Prefecture
Flag
Official logo of Wakayama Prefecture
Symbol
Anthem: Wakayama kenminka
Location of Wakayama Prefecture
CountryJapan
RegionKansai
IslandHonshū
CapitalWakayama (city)
SubdivisionsDistricts: 6, Municipalities: 30
Government
 • GovernorShūhei Kishimoto (since December 17, 2022)
Area
 • Total4,724.69 km2 (1,824.21 sq mi)
 • Rank30th
Population
 (1 October 2017)
 • Total944,320
 • Rank39th
 • Density199.87/km2 (517.7/sq mi)
 • Dialects
Kishū
ISO 3166 codeJP-30
Websitewww.wakayama.lg.jp/
english/
Symbols of Japan
BirdJapanese white-eye (Zosterops japonica)
FlowerUme blossom (Prunus mume)
TreeUbame oak (Quercus phillyraeoides)

Wakayama is the capital and largest city of Wakayama Prefecture, with other major cities including Tanabe, Hashimoto, and Kinokawa.[2]: 1025  Wakayama Prefecture is located on the western coast of the Kii Peninsula on the Kii Channel, connecting the Pacific Ocean and Seto Inland Sea, across from Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku.

History
See also: Historic Sites of Wakayama Prefecture

Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.[3]

1953 flood disaster
Main article: 1953 Wakayama flood

On July 17–18, 1953, a torrential heavy rain occurred, followed by collapse of levees, river flooding and landslides in a wide area. Many bridges and houses were destroyed. According to an officially confirmed report by the Government of Japan, 1,015 people died, with 5,709 injured and 7,115 houses lost.

Geography
Map of Wakayama Prefecture.
     City      Town      Village

As of 31 March 2020, 13 percent of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Setonaikai and Yoshino-Kumano National Parks; Kongō-Ikoma-Kisen and Kōya-Ryūjin Quasi-National Parks; and Enju Kaigan, Hatenashi Sanmyaku, Hikigawa, Jōgamori Hokodai, Kōyasanchō Ishimichi-Tamagawakyō, Kozagawa, Nishiarida, Oishi Kōgen, Ōtōsan, Ryūmonzan, Shiramisan-Wadagawakyō, and Shirasaki Kaigan Prefectural Natural Parks.[4]

Cities
See also: List of cities in Wakayama Prefecture by population

Nine cities are in Wakayama Prefecture:

Name Area (km2) Population Map
Rōmaji Kanji
Arida 有田市 36.91 27,963
Gobō 御坊市 43.78 27,483
Hashimoto 橋本市 130.31 62,941
Iwade 岩出市 38.5 53,280
Kainan 海南市 101.18 51,112
Kinokawa 紀の川市 228.24 61,850
Shingū 新宮市 255.43 26,815
Tanabe 田辺市 1,026.91 70,410
Wakayama (capital) 和歌山市 210.25 360,664

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Name Area (km2) Population District Type Map
Rōmaji Kanji
Aridagawa 有田川町 351.77 26,245 Arida District Town
Hidaka 日高町 46.42 7,666 Hidaka District Town
Hidakagawa 日高川町 331.61 9,615 Hidaka District Town
Hirogawa 広川町 65.35 7,059 Arida District Town
Inami 印南町 113.63 7,949 Hidaka District Town
Kamitonda 上富田町 57.49 15,047 Nishimuro District Town
Katsuragi かつらぎ町 151.73 16,686 Ito District Town
Kimino 紀美野町 128.31 8,989 Kaisō District Town
Kitayama 北山村 48.21 432 Higashimuro District Village
Kōya 高野町 137.08 3,279 Ito District Town
Kozagawa 古座川町 294.52 2,749 Higashimuro District Town
Kudoyama 九度山町 44.19 4,295 Ito District Town
Kushimoto 串本町 135.78 16,243 Higashimuro District Town
Mihama 美浜町 12.79 7,391 Hidaka District Town
Minabe みなべ町 120.26 12,561 Hidaka District Town
Nachikatsuura 那智勝浦町 183.45 17,261 Higashimuro District Town
Shirahama 白浜町 201.04 23,325 Nishimuro District Town
Susami すさみ町 174.71 4,011 Nishimuro District Town
Taiji 太地町 5.96 3,428 Higashimuro District Town
Yuasa 湯浅町 20.8 11,960 Arida District Town
Yura 由良町 30.74 5,738 Hidaka District Town

Mergers
Main article: List of mergers in Wakayama Prefecture

Demographics
Wakayama prefecture population pyramid in 2020

Since 1996, population of Wakayama Prefecture has kept declining, and since 2010, it has been the only prefecture in Kansai region with population below 1,000,000. In 2017, Wakayama is ranked 40th by population in Japan with a population of 944,320. In the 2020 census, close to 32% of the population was over 65 years of age - the highest percentage in Japan and one of the highest for national subdivisions worldwide.[5]

Politics
See also: 1999 Wakayama gubernatorial election, 2006 Wakayama gubernatorial election, and 2018 Wakayama gubernatorial election

The current governor Shūhei Kishimoto was elected on 27 November 2022.[6]

Prefectural assembly
As of 17 May 2023[7]
Political partyNumber of seats
Liberal Democratic Party28
Reform Club (改新クラブ)5
Komeito3
Nippon Ishin no Kai3
Japanese Communist Party1
Independent society1
Independent1

List of governors of Wakayama

State-appointed governors:

Publicly-elected governors:

Culture

Mount Kōya (高野山, Kōya-san) in the Ito District is the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. It is home to one of the first Japanese style Buddhist temples in Japan and remains a pilgrimage site and an increasingly popular tourist destination as people flock to see its ancient temples set amidst the towering cedar trees at the top of the mountain. The Sacred sites and pilgrimage routes in the Kii Mountain Range extend for miles throughout the prefecture and together have been recognized as Japan's 11th UNESCO World Heritage Site.[8]

The Kumano Shrines are on the southern tip of the prefecture. Tomogashima (a cluster of four islands) is part of the prefecture.

Agriculture

Orange

Wakayama Prefecture ranks first in the production of oranges in Japan. Wakayama has its own brand of oranges, which is produced in Arida District and called 'Arida-Orange'. Arida District, where oranges have been produced for more than 400 years,[9] yields about half of the orange crops in Wakayama today.[10] Furthermore, the yield of Arida-Oranges accounts for about 10 percent of Japanese domestic production of oranges.[11]

Japanese apricot (Ume)

According to the survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, Wakayama stands first in the production of Japanese apricots (梅, Ume) in Japan. As of 2016, Wakayama made up about 70 percent of Japanese domestic production of Japanese apricots.[12]

Sister relationships

Wakayama Prefecture has friendship and sister relationships with six places outside Japan:[13]

Tourism

Wakayama Prefecture has hot springs such as Shirahama, Kawayu, and Yunomine Onsen.

Transportation

Rail

Expressway
  • Hanwa Expressway
  • Keinawa Expressway
  • Yuasa Gobo Road
  • Nachi Katsuura Road

National Highway

Ferry

Airport

Education

Universities

Notes
  1. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Wakayama prefecture" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 1026, p. 1026, at Google Books; "Kansai" in p. 477, p. 477, at Google Books.
  2. Nussbaum, "Wakayama" in p. 1025, p. 1025, at Google Books.
  3. Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" in p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
  4. 自然公園都道府県別面積総括 [General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture] (PDF) (in Japanese). Ministry of the Environment. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  5. 2020 population census of Japan. https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kokusei/2020/summary.html
  6. "Kishimoto Wins 1st Term as Governor of Japan's Wakayama Pref". 時事通信ニュース. 28 November 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  7. "和歌山県議会会派名簿" [List of factions in the Wakayama Prefectural Assembly] (PDF). Wakayama Prefecture (in Japanese). 17 May 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  8. UNESCO.org
  9. 今月の旬 Wakayama Prefecture website, accessed May 31, 2017
  10. 農林水産　特産品 Wakayama Prefecture website, accessed May 31, 2017
  11. 有田みかんについて　JA Arida website, accessed May 31, 2017
  12. 作況調査（果樹）：　農林水産省 The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries website, accessed June 1, 2017
  13. 友好・姉妹提携 Archived 2011-06-11 at the Wayback Machine Wakayama Prefecture website, retrieved May 16, 2008

References
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