Miyagi Prefecture

Miyagi Prefecture (宮城県, Miyagi-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu.[1] Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,305,596 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 7,282 km2 (2,812 sq mi). Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefecture to the northwest, Yamagata Prefecture to the west, and Fukushima Prefecture to the south.

Not to be confused with Miyazaki Prefecture.
Miyagi Prefecture

宮城県
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese宮城県
 • RōmajiMiyagi-ken
Flag
Symbol
Country Japan
RegionTōhoku
IslandHonshu
CapitalSendai
SubdivisionsDistricts: 10, Municipalities: 35
Government
 • GovernorYoshihiro Murai
Area
 • Total7,282.22 km2 (2,811.68 sq mi)
Area rank16th
Population
 (June 1, 2019)
 • Total2,305,596
 • Rank15th
 • Density320/km2 (820/sq mi)
ISO 3166 codeJP-04
Websitewww.pref.miyagi.jp
Symbols
BirdWild goose
FlowerMiyagi bush clover (Lespedeza thunbergii)
TreeJapanese zelkova
(Zelkova serrata)

Sendai is the capital and largest city of Miyagi Prefecture, and the largest city in the Tōhoku region, with other major cities including Ishinomaki, Ōsaki, and Tome.[2] Miyagi Prefecture is located on Japan's eastern Pacific coast and bounded to the west by the Ōu Mountains, the longest mountain range in Japan, with 24% of its total land area being designated as Natural Parks. Miyagi Prefecture is home to Matsushima Islands, a group of islands ranked as one of the Three Views of Japan, near the town of Matsushima.

History
See also: List of Historic Sites of Japan (Miyagi)

Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu.[3]

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
Main article: 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and a subsequent major tsunami hit Miyagi Prefecture, causing major damage to the area.[4] The tsunami was estimated to be approximately 10 metres (33 ft) high in Miyagi Prefecture.[5]

On April 7, 2011, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Miyagi, Japan. Workers were then evacuated from the nearby troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility once again, as a tsunami warning was issued for the coastline. Residents were told to flee for inner land at that time.

Officials from the U.S. Geological Survey later downgraded the magnitude to 7.1 from 7.4.[6]

In 2013, Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako visited the prefecture to see the progress made since the tsunami.[7]

Geography
Map of Miyagi Prefecture
     Government Ordinance Designated City      City      Town      Village

Miyagi Prefecture is in the central part of Tōhoku, facing the Pacific Ocean, and contains Tōhoku's largest city, Sendai. There are high mountains on the west and along the northeast coast, but the central plain around Sendai is fairly large.

Matsushima is known as one of the three most scenic views of Japan, with a bay full of 260 small islands covered in pine groves.

Oshika Peninsula projects from the northern coastline of the prefecture.

As of 31 March 2019, 24% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Sanriku Fukkō National Park; Kurikoma and Zaō Quasi-National Parks; and Abukuma Keikoku, Asahiyama, Funagata Renpō, Futakuchi Kyōkoku, Kenjōsan Mangokuura, Kesennuma, Matsushima, and Zaō Kōgen Prefectural Natural Parks.[8][9]

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

Fourteen cities are located in Miyagi Prefecture:

  • Sendai - the largest and the capital city of the prefecture.

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Mergers
Main article: List of mergers in Miyagi Prefecture

Economy

Although Miyagi has a good deal of fishing and agriculture, producing a great deal of rice and livestock, it is dominated by the manufacturing industries around Sendai, particularly electronics, appliances, and food processing.

As of March 2011, the prefecture produced 4.7% of Japan's rice, 23% of oysters, and 15.9% of sauries.[10]

In July 2011, the Japanese government decided to ban all shipments of beef cattle from northeast Miyagi Prefecture over fears of radioactive contamination.[11] This has since been rescinded.

Population

Per Japanese census data,[12] and,[13] Miyagi has had fastest growth between 1940-1950 and continued to exhibit growth up until 21st century. Despite Miyagi Prefecture population overall decreasing, its prefecture capital Sendai continues to have population increase.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1890 735,100—    
1920 962,000+30.9%
1930 1,143,000+18.8%
1940 1,271,000+11.2%
1950 1,663,000+30.8%
1960 1,743,000+4.8%
1970 1,819,000+4.4%
1980 2,082,000+14.5%
1990 2,249,000+8.0%
2000 2,365,320+5.2%
2010 2,348,165−0.7%
2020 2,306,000−1.8%

Education

University

Transportation
Sendai Station in August 2010

Rail

Expressways and toll roads

National highways

Ports
Sendai Airport
  • Sendai Port – Ferry route to Tomakomai, Hokkaido and Nagoya, container hub port
  • Ishinomaki Port – Ferry route to Mount Kinka, Tashiro Island and Tashiro Island.
  • Matsushima Bay

Airports

Sports
Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi.

The sports teams listed below are based in Miyagi Prefecture.

Also, the Sendai Hi-Land Raceway hosts motorsport road races.

Visitor attractions

Sendai was the castle town of the daimyō Date Masamune. The remains of Sendai Castle stand on a hill above the city.

Miyagi Prefecture boasts one of Japan's three greatest sights. Matsushima, the pine-clad islands, dot the waters off the coast of the prefecture.

The following are also noted as attractions:

Famous festivals and events
Suzume Dancing Event in Aoba Festival
Aoba Festival of Sendai
View of Traditional New Year's sale in Sendai
  • Sendai New Year's traditional Sale on January 2
  • Shiroishi Kokeshi Exhibition, May 3–5
  • Aoba Festival, Suzume Odori traditional Japanese dance event in May
  • Shiogama Port Festival in July
  • Sendai Tanabata Festival, August 6–8
  • Sendai Pageant of Starlight in December

Miyagi Prefecture is one of the main settings of the manga and anime series Haikyū!!. The most well-known fictional schools located there are Karasuno High School, Aoba Johsai High School, Date Tech High and Shiratorizawa Academy, as well as Sendai City Gymnasium.

Notes
  1. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Miyagi prefecture" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 648, p. 648, at Google Books; "Tōhoku" in p. 970, p. 970, at Google Books.
  2. Nussbaum, "Sendai" in p. 841, p. 841, at Google Books.
  3. Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" in p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books
  4. "Japan earthquake: Tsunami hits north-east". BBC News. March 11, 2011. Archived from the original on March 12, 2011.
  5. Williams, Martyn. "Report from Japan: Impact of Tsunami Devastates Nation's Northeast". voanews.com. Archived from the original on 9 January 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  6. "CBS News World". April 7, 2011. Archived from the original on 8 April 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  7. "Crown Prince Naruhito, Princess Masako visit tsunami victims in Miyagi". Japan Daily Press. Archived from the original on 2013-08-24. Retrieved 2013-08-22.
  8. 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. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  9. 宮城県の自然公園 [Natural Parks in Miyagi Prefecture] (in Japanese). Miyagi Prefecture. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  10. Schreiber, Mark, "Japan's food crisis goes beyond recent panic buying Archived 2011-04-20 at the Wayback Machine", Japan Times, 17 April 2011, p. 9.
  12. Miyagi 1995-2020 population statistics
  13. Miyagi 1920-2000 population statistics

References

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