Yamaguchi Prefecture

The Yamaguchi Prefecture (山口県, Yamaguchi-ken^? ) is one of the five prefectures that make up the Chūgoku region, on the western tip of the island of Honshū, in Japan. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, located in the center of the prefecture. The largest urban nucleus, and access point to the island of Kyūshū, is the port city of Shimonoseki.

Overview

In the old administrative division of Japan (in use from the 7th century to the beginning of the Meiji period), the territory that corresponds to present-day Yamaguchi comprised two provinces: Nagato and Suō. The name resulting from combining the readings of the first ideogram of both names, Bōchō, is still used today to refer to Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Both provinces are conquered in the middle of the s. XVI by the Mōri clan, unifying into a single territory, the Chōshū fiefdom, during the Edo period. An important portion of the prefecture belongs to the Sanyō territory, on the coast of the Inner Sea of Japan, its northern portion, which includes the towns of Hagi and Nagato, being the western end of the San-in territory.

The political-administrative center is the city of Yamaguchi, which occupies the central part of the prefecture, while the city of Shimonoseki constitutes the main population center and center of economic activity. The western area, with the cities of Shimonoseki and Ube, maintains a close economic link with the neighboring prefecture of Fukuoka, on the island of Kyūshū, while the city of Iwakuni, in the eastern area, enjoys a similar relationship with Hiroshima prefecture..

Surrounded by the sea at three of its cardinal points, Yamaguchi Prefecture stands out for the volume and variety of its fishing resources. In particular, it is worth mentioning the fugu (puffer fish) as the main icon that identifies the region. The largest volume of puffer fish is caught in the city of Shimonoseki, where it is popularly known as “fuku”, which means “good fortune” in Japanese.

Geography

Yamaguchi Prefecture's physical boundaries are Shimane and Hiroshima Prefectures to the northeast and east respectively; the Sea of Japan to the north and west; and the Seto Inland Sea to the south. Its central surface is occupied by the Chūgoku mountain range, which makes a large part of its orography irregular: excluding the areas close to the inland sea, a large part of its flat areas are valleys surrounded by mountains. The Saba-gawa and Oze-gawa rivers, with their source in the Chūgoku mountain range, constitute the prefecture's main hydrographic resources, with secondary flows being those of the Nishiki-gawa, Fushino-gawa, Kōtō-gawa, Koya-gawa and Abu-gawa.

Territorial organization

Due to the geographical characteristics of Yamaguchi Prefecture, the urban centers are distributed along the plains and valleys that lie between the central, mountainous part, and the coastal areas. Various industrial areas have been scattered along the latter, around which a good part of the population is concentrated. On the other hand, the two main terrestrial communication arteries, National Route 2 and the Sanyō railway line, run along the coast, which has also favored the concentration of physical distribution and labor around these areas without a specific city agglomerating the population, the flow of capital or information.

The city of Yamaguchi, the seat of the prefectural administration, lacks sufficient centripetal force, which means that a large number of cities in the prefecture have a greater degree of ties with neighboring towns: to the west. Shimonoseki, forms the nucleus of the urban network of the Kanmon Strait together with Kitakyushu, in the prefecture of Fukuoka, a network to which the cities of Ube, Sanyō-Ōnoda and Mine would also belong; to the east, Iwakuni is linked to the rest of the surrounding towns of the city of Hiroshima; Esaki, Ogawa, and Susa and Yadomi districts in Hagi Municipality also have close ties with Masuda in Shimane Prefecture.

Cities

Branch of the territory in municipalities (in pink) and districts (in yellow) of Yamaguchi. The Kumage district is in turn divided into the subdistricts of ※1 Tabuse ※2 Hirao ※3 Kaminoseki

• Hagi
• Hikari
• Hōfu
• Iwakuni
• Kudamatsu
• Mine
• Nagato
• San'yōonoda
• Shimonoseki
• Shūnan
• Ube
• Yamaguchi (capital)
• Yanai

Villages

These are the towns in each district:

• Abu District
  • Abu
• Kuga District
  • Waki
• Kumage District
  • Hirao
  • Kaminoseki
  • Tabuse
• District of Åshima
  • Suōshima

Climate

Yamaguchi is a region with relatively few earthquakes and no volcanoes. However, during the rainy season, because it is in a temperate and humid zone, heavy rainfall is frequent. Due to its irregular orography, many areas in the vicinity of steep slopes are risk points for landslides and landslides, being together with the neighboring Hiroshima prefecture the one that presents the most incidents for this reason.

Due to its geographical position between an outer sea (Sea of Japan) and an inland sea (Seto Sea), its climate is diverse, with especially notable differences between temperatures and rainfall in coastal and inland areas:

• Sanyō Territory (Seto Sea coastal areas, eastern portion): Coastal areas of the municipal terms of Yamaguchi, Hofu, Shunan, Kudamatsu and Iwakuni.

Despite being in the area of influence of the Seto Inland Sea, its climate differs from its characteristic (relatively temperate and with little rainfall), nevertheless possessing the characteristics of the climatic area of the Pacific Ocean coast, with especially abundant rainfall during the rainy season (mid-June to mid-July) and scarce during winter, with more than 1700 mm recorded per year. Compared to the coastal areas near the Tsushima Strait, tropical nights are scarce and in the coldest months average temperatures are usually below 5 °C, with moderately intense frosts (such temperatures being appreciated for more than 30 days on average). per year), which is more typical of a continental climate. The area enjoys a fairly high number of sunny days in winter and little precipitation in the form of snow, except in the event that a low pressure system moves snow clouds over the Chugoku Range, in which case they can easily accumulate several centimeters.

• Area of Nagato and Strait of Kanmon (between the islands of Honshū and Kyushū): coastal areas of the Japan Sea and the Kanmon Strait; eastern portion of coastal areas of the Seto Sea (coastal areas of the municipal terms of Shimonoseki, Ube, Nagato and Hagi)

Due to the effect of the currents of the Tsushima Strait, in the Sea of Japan, and the winds that accompany them, this is the most temperate area of the prefecture. Although in the winter months the hours of sunshine are scarce, the annual rainfall obeys the pattern of the Pacific oceanic climate, being abundant in the summer months and scarce in the winter months. The annual number of tropical nights is also quite high, especially in Shimonoseki, with 35.5 on average. In the coldest months the average temperature does not usually drop below 5.0 °C. Due to the effect of the northwest wind in winter, cloudy skies are frequent, but the mild temperatures prevent snow from accumulating in many cases, and there are years in which it does not occur at all.

• Areas of interior, western portion: areas of interior between the municipal terms of Shimonoseki, Mine and Yamaguchi.

Its climate is characteristic of the areas of influence of the Pacific Ocean, but with fairly abundant rainfall during the winter months. In summer the temperature during the day rises easily, almost completely lacking tropical nights. In winter, precipitation in the form of snow is common, registering accumulations of 5-10 cm on several occasions each year. The average temperature during the winter months is usually below 4.0 °C.

• Areas of interior, eastern portion: Atō district, in the municipality of Yamaguchi; interior areas of southern Hagi, northern Shūnan, northern Iwakuni.

The areas close to the eastern portion of the Chūgoku mountain range are colder than they would be due to their latitude, and despite not being in an area of Japan characterized by heavy snowfall, these occur relatively frequently, obeying the climatic pattern of the Sea of Japan. They are especially abundant in the Atō district, where accumulation of several decimeters is common. In January 1963, 185 cm were recorded in the Tokusa area.

Protected spaces

• National parks

Island of Åmijima, Quasi-national Park of Kita-Nagato Kaigan

Karstic Plateau, Akiyoshidai Quasi-national Park

• • Setonaikai National Park
• Quasi-national parks
  • Akiyoshidai quasi-national park
  • Quasi-national Park of Kita-Nagato Kaigan
  • Quasi-national Park of the Cordillera de Chūgoku Occidental
• Prefectural natural parks
  • Rakanzan Prefectural Natural Park (Iwakuni Municipal Land)
  • Iwakisan Prefectural Natural Park (Hikari Municipal Term)
  • Prefectural natural park Chōmonkyō (Yamaguchi municipal territory)
  • Toyota Prefectural Natural Park (Shimonoseki Municipal Land)

History

Between the IV and V centuries AD. C., the Yamato clan unified Japan under a national government and the territory of present-day Yamaguchi Prefecture was divided into seven districts, which in the seventh century became Suo Province and Nagato Province.

From the Heian period to the Kamakura period (794-1333), Suo and Nagato were under the rule of two powerful samurai clans, Ōuchi and Koto respectively. During the Muromachi period (1338-1573), Hiroyo Ōuchi, the twenty-fourth ruler of the Ōuchi clan, conquered Nagato province, built the city of Yamaguchi in the image and likeness of Kyoto, paved the way for foreign trade with Korea and the dynasty. Ming of China and promoted the introduction of mainland culture. Yamaguchi thus became known as the "Kyoto of the West" and the Ōuchi culture experienced its heyday.

By the time of its thirty-first ruler, the Ōuchi clan was defeated by a vassal named Harukata Sue, and the Ōuchi culture went into decline. In turn, the new Sue clan was overthrown by Motonari Mōri, who thus took control of the Chūgoku region.

Later, in the year 1600, the Mori clan was defeated by Ieyasu Tokugawa at the Battle of Sekigahara and was forced to surrender its lands, except for what is now Yamaguchi Prefecture. Terumoto Mōri built his castle in the city of Hagi and revitalized the region's economy through campaigns such as "the three whites", which encouraged the local production of salt, rice and paper.. At the end of the Edo period and thanks to prominent intellectuals such as Shōin Yoshida and Shinsaku Takasugi, the region, then known as Chōshū, played a major role in the Meiji Restoration and the constitution of modern Japan.

With the decline of the Edo government and the establishment in 1868 of the Meiji government, a territorial restructuring took place that gave rise, in 1871, to the formal establishment of the present Yamaguchi Prefecture. The new government carried out renewal policies, including the modernization of the industry. Although Yamaguchi was primarily an agricultural province at the time, the establishment of textile and cement factories throughout the prefecture ushered in modern industry. Abundant mineral resources and port areas led to the flourishing of shipping, chemical, metallurgical, and machinery industries along the Seto Inland Sea coast during the Taisho period. Economic growth continued during the Showa era, and after World War II a large petrochemical complex was built, making Yamaguchi one of the most industrialized provinces in the country.

Economy

In Yamaguchi Prefecture, much of the industry is concentrated around the coastal areas of the Inland Sea, where heavy industry conglomerates, especially chemicals, are prominent. In addition, the important network of land communication routes in the area and the proximity of the sea have been key to the development of the logistics and shipbuilding industry, respectively: two of the axes of development of the industrial region of the Seto Inland Sea.

For its part, the economy of the San'in territory is structured around the primary sector (specifically, agriculture and fishing) and the service sector, especially tourism.

Formerly, in the cities of Ube and Mine, the mining industry enjoyed a period of splendor, thanks to the exploitation of the numerous deposits of coal, especially anthracite, present in the area. Now closed, these mines nevertheless constitute the precedents of the heavy industry currently developed in the western part of the prefecture (Ube and Sanyō-Ōnoda cities). In Mine, they have been replaced by limestone quarrying and cement companies. For its part, to the east of the prefecture, in the cities of Shūnan and Iwakuni there are also industrial hubs, production centers for chemical specialties such as sodium hydroxide, whose predecessors are the fuel and lubricant factories created to supply the Japanese Navy during the Pacific War, which evolved into industrial complexes around oil refineries.

The blocks of economic activity are arranged in scattered locations throughout the prefecture, as follows:

Iwakuni Block: made up of the towns of Iwakuni, Waki and Ōtake (the latter belonging to Hiroshima), it is characterized by its concentration of fishing, agricultural and forestry industries, as well as construction, medical-social and miscellaneous services, and manufacturers, highlighting within the latter the chemicals (Mitsui Chemicals and other corporations), and pulp and paper (Nippon Paper Industries, among others).

Tokuyama Corp production plant in Nanyō (Shūnan)

Shūnan Block: Made up of the towns of Kudamatsu, Hikari, Shūnan and Tabuse, it is characterized by its concentration of construction, postal and logistics companies, leisure services and free time and miscellaneous, and manufacturing, highlighting within the latter the chemical (Tokuyama Corporation, Tosoh Corporation among others) and the steel industry (such as Nippon Steel Corporation).

Yamaguchi Block: Made up of the towns of Yamaguchi and Hōfu, it is characterized by the concentration of construction, manufacturing, postal and logistics companies, leisure and leisure services, services educational and academic, and medical-social and miscellaneous services, assuming a significant percentage of the industrial activity the manufacture of transport equipment (represented by the Hōfu production plant of the Mazda automotive company).

Ube Block: Made up of the towns of Ube and Sanyō-Ōnoda, it is characterized by the presence of the chemical industry (UBE Corporation, among others), the ceramic industry and its related sectors (Ube Industries, Taiheiyo Cement Corporation, etc.), and electronic components. Companies of an educational and academic nature and medical-social services also stand out.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyards and machinery factory in Shimonoseki

Shimonoseki Block: Consisting of the city of Shimonoseki, it is characterized by its concentration of fishing (such as the Yamaguchi Prefectural Fisheries Cooperative Society), manufacturing, postal, and logistics companies, and the financier and insurer (Yamaguchi Financial Group, Nishi-Chugoku Shinkin Bank). Also, scientific research activities (Shimonoseki City University, Baiko Gakuin University, University of East Asia), professional and technical services, and other miscellaneous services. The manufacturing sector is the most predominant, with the presence of transport equipment manufacturers (especially shipbuilding, as is the case of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyards), food industries (mainly canned and processed fish and seafood products, as is the case of Hayashikane Sangyo, and production of instant noodles, represented by Nissin Food Products), manufacturing of metal, heating equipment – Chofu Seisakusho, Kobe Steel, etc.), and production of non-metallic materials (Bridgestone Corporation).

Hagi Block: Made up of the towns of Hagi and Abu, it is characterized by its concentration of fishing, agricultural and forestry companies, construction, water supply, gas and electricity, hospitality and restoration, and medical-social and miscellaneous services.

In 2015, Yamaguchi Prefecture's average per capita income was 2,774,000 yen (a 3.8% decrease from the previous year), earning it 25th place in the prefectural comparison.

In the same year, the nominal gross domestic product of the prefecture was 5,870,200,000,000 yen, 24th in Japan, with the real being 5,613,400,000,000 yen.

225 Nikkei companies founded in Yamaguchi

Fast Retailing Central Offices, Yamaguchi 2nd Techno Park

• Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., main Japanese textile group and to which the Uniqlo brand belongs.
• Maruha Nichiro Corporation, world's leading fishing company by volume of business.
• Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd., known as Nissui, second largest fishing company in the world by volume of business.
• Tokuyama Corporation, chemical company and the fourth global silicon manufacturer.
• Tosoh Corporation, chemical company manufacturer, among others, of special chemicals.

UBE Corporation chemical plant in the Kogushi Industrial Complex (Ube)

• UBE Corporation, chemical company specialized in the manufacture of plastics, materials for batteries, pharmaceuticals, cement, construction materials and machinery. Its European headquarters is located in the Spanish province of Castellón.

Other notable companies originating from Yamaguchi include Kanro Co., Ltd. (founded in Hikari), a manufacturer of sweets, candies and confectionery; Jolly-Pasta Co., Ltd. (founded in Shunan), a chain of restaurants specializing in pasta and other Italian-style dishes, and Nichimo Co., Ltd (in Shimonoseki), fishing company.

Main Japanese companies with production headquarters in Yamaguchi

• Bridgestone Corporation, (in Shimonoseki and Hōfu), world's first tyre producer, rubber derivatives and vehicle accessories.
• Hitachi, Ltd. (in Kudamatsu). Main electric equipment producer in Japan, is the parent company of the Hitachi Group conglomerate. Numerous train models have been produced at its Kasado (Kudamatsu) railway production plant, including shinkansenFor lines across the country.
• Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. (in Shūnan). It sleeps and operates oil platforms and refineries, produces and markets oil, oils and petrochemical products.
• Kobe Steel, Ltd. (in Shūnan), one of Japan's main steel companies.
• Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. (in Hōfu and Ube), a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company.
• Mazda Motor Corporation(in Hōfu), a car company. The models Mazda 2, Mazda 3, Mazda 6, CX-3 and CX-5 are manufactured in their two Hōfu plants.
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Shimonoseki shipyards). Pertaining to the Mitsubishi group, it is an engineering company, electronics and electronic equipment.
• Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Factory Ltd. (in Sanyō-pinnoda), pharmaceutical company.
• Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (based on production in Waki-cho, Iwakuni, Shūnan, Ube, Shimonoseki), a company belonging to the Mitsui conglomerate specializing in petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals.
• Nissan Chemical Corporation (in Sanyō-pinnoda), manufacturer of industrial chemicals.
• Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd. (in Shimonoseki), a food company specializing in instant noodles.
• Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd. (in Sanyō-pinnoda), chemical manufacturer of functional chemicals, safety systems, pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals.
• Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. (in Iwakuni), paper manufacturer and cellulose derivatives.
• Nippon Steel Corporation, (in Hikari), one of the world's leading steel producers.
• Shimano, Inc. (in Shimonoseki), manufacturer of components for bicycles, sports equipment for rowing, fishing equipment, etc.
• Shimaya Co., Ltd. (in Shūnan), a company founded in Shūnan, manufacturer and marketer of condiments such as dashi broth and instant miso soup.
• Taiheiyo Cement Corporation (in Sanyō-pinnoda), cement company.
• Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (in Hikari), Asia's leading pharmaceutical company.
• Teijin Limited (in Shūnan and Iwakuni), chemical, pharmaceutical and computer services.
• THK Co., Ltd. (in Sanyō-pinnoda), manufacturer of mechanical components.
• Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd. (in Hōfu), developer and distributor of graphite and other carbon products.
• Toyobo Co., Ltd. (in Iwakuni), developer and manufacturer of fibres and textiles, biochemicals, films and functional polymers and pharmaceuticals, among others.
• Toyo Kohan Co., Ltd. (in Kudamatsu), steel manufacturer in foils.
• Zeon Corporation (in Shūnan), chemical manufacturer of synthetic rubber and high-performance plastics.

Education

Universities

National Universities

Research laboratories of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Yamaguchi University (Kogushi camp)

• Yamaguchi University (constituted as a national university corporation)
  • Yoshida Campus (Yamaguchi)
  • Tokiwa Campus (Ube)
  • Kogushi Campus (Ube)

Public universities

University of Shimonoseki

• Prefectural University of Yamaguchi
• University of Sanyō-pinnoda
• University of Shimonoseki
• University of Shūnan

Private universities

Private University Baiko Gakuin, Shimonoseki

• Baiko Gakuin University (Shimonoseki)
• Shinseikan University (Hagi)
• Ube Frontier University (Ube)
• University of East Asia (Shimonoseki)
• Yamaguchi Gakugei University (Yamaguchi)

Distance Universities

Private

The Open University of Japan: Yamaguchi Training Center (at the Yoshida Campus of Yamaguchi University)

Junior colleges (institutions of higher learning that offer two-year degrees)

Private

• Iwakuni Junior College
• Shimonoseki Junior College
• Yamaguchi Junior College (Hōfu)
• Yamaguchi College of Arts (Yamaguchi)

Sports

Yamaguchi hosts annual national-scale athletic competitions such as the All-Corporate Half Marathon Championships (in Yamaguchi), the Yomiuri Marathon (in Hōfu), and the Kaikyō Marathon (in Shimonoseki).

Two events (Akiyoshidai Karst Road Race and Yamaguchi-Nagato Criterium) of the newly established Japan Cycle League (JCL) and several of the events of the 2023 JBCF Cycle Road & Track Series (belonging to the Japan Bicyclist Club Federation, made up of teams belonging to Japanese business groups.)

Table tennis has many fans, spurred on by the international successes of local player Ishikawa Kasumi.

Yamaguchi Prefecture has also spawned many world-renowned judoka, including Anno Noriko, Harasawa Hisayoshi, Kamikawa Daiki, Nishiyama Masashi, and Ōno Shōhei.

When it comes to soccer, it's worth noting Renofa Yamaguchi FC, which plays in the second division of the J-League, and Baleine Yamaguchi, a semi-professional team from Shimonoseki that plays in the Chūgoku region league.

In rugby, for its part, the Nagato Blue Angels, a women's Rugby 7s team from the city of Nagato, won the Women's Seven Series in Japan in 2019.

In basketball, the city of Ube is home to the Yamaguchi Patriots team, which, after its recent professionalization, has been playing since the 2021-22 season in the B3 League.

Transportation

Shin-Yamaguchi Station

Terrestrial

Railroads

J.R. West

High Speed

• Sanyō Shinkansen (Shin-Iwakuni – Shin-Shimonoseki)

Andén del shinkansen en Shin-Yamaguchi

Intercity and regional lines

• Sanyō Main Line (Waki – Shimonoseki)
• Ube Line (Shin-Yamaguchi – Ube)
• Yamaguchi Line (Shin-Yamaguchi – Funahirayama)
• Mining Line (Asa – Nagatoshi)
• San’in Main Line (Hatabu – Esaki, Nagatoshi – Senzaki)
• Gantoku Line (Iwakuni – Kushigahama)
• Onoda Line (Onoda – Inō, Suzumeda – Nagato-Motoyama)

Tourist trains

Twilight Express Mizukaze

• Twilight Express Mizukaze: Luxury tourist train. One of its tours consists of two days and one night away from Osaka and Kyoto and Shimonoseki destination by crossing the main San’in Line and with an intermediate stop at the Higashi-Hagi station.
• Marumaru hasn't-na-shi: Tourist train that runs the Sanyō Main Line and the San’in Main Line from Shin-Shimonoseki to Higashi-Hagi.
• “Yamaguchi” steam train: Operative since 1979, it runs the Yamaguchi Line between the Shin-Yamaguchi and Tsuwano stations (in Shimane). Since 2017 it has five cars, built especially for this train, pulled by a C57 or D51 steam locomotive.

Nishikigawa Railways (Public-Private Initiative)

• Nishikigawa Line (Kawanishi – Nishikichō)

Roads

Highways

The Chūgoku Expressway, 800m from the Yamaguchi Road Node

• Chūgoku Expressway (AH1 part of the Asia Road and Highway System): Kano – Shimonoseki
• San'yō Expressway (AH1): Iwakuni – Yamaguchi, Ube – Shimonoseki
• San’in Expressway
  • Hagi-Misumi Road

• Kanmon Expressway (AH1): Shimonoseki – Moji (in Kitakyūshū)

• Yamaguchi-Ube-Onoda Accessway
  • Yamaguchi-Ube Road: Asada – Ube-minami
  • Ube Coastal Road: Nishinakachō – Higashisue
• Ogori-Hagi Road: Mine-higashi – Edō

National Routes

National Route 188 at its pass through Iwakuni

• National Route 188 (Iwakuni - Kudamatsu)
• National Route 190(Yamaguchi – Sanyō-Onoda)
• National Route 262(Hagi - Hōfu)
• National Route 315(Shūnan - Hagi)
• National Route 316(Nagato - Sanyō-Onoda)
• National Route 376 (Yamaguchi - Iwakuni)
• National Route 435 (Yamaguchi - Shimonoseki)
• National Route 489 (Shūnan - Yamaguchi)
• National Route 490 (Ube - Hagi)
• National Route 491(Shimonoseki - Nagato)

Prefectural Routes

A total of 503 prefectural routes run through the prefecture.

Yamaguchi-Tokio long distance bus from the company Bocho Kotsu

Regular line bus companies

• Bocho Kotsu Co., Ltd.
• Chugoku JR Bus Company
• Funaki-tetsudō Bus
• Iwakuni Bus Corporation
• Sanden Kotsu Co., Ltd., and its subsidiary Blue Line Kotsu Co., Ltd.
• Ube Bus

Maritime

International terminal of the port of Shimonoseki

Ports with international connections

• Port of Shimonoseki
• Port of Tokuyama-Kudamatsu

Other main ports

• Port of Iwakuni
• Port of Mitajiri-Nakanoseki (Hōfu)
• Port of Onoda
• Port of Ube

Sea routes

Ferry a Kunisaki (Puerto de Tokuyama)

International

• Kampu Ferry: Shimonoseki – Busan (South Korea)
• Kōyō Ferry: Shimonoseki – Gwangyang (South Korea)
• Orient Ferry: Shimonoseki – Qingdao (China)
• Suzhou Shimonoseki Ferry: Shimonoseki – Taicang (China)

Nationals

• Bōyo Ferry: Yanai (Yanai port) – Matsuyama (Mitsuhama port)
• Suō-pinshima-Matsuyama Ferry: Yanai (Yanai's) - Suō-pinshima (Ihota gate) – Matsuyama (Mitsuhama gate)
• Suō- Nada Ferry: Shūnan (tokuyama gate) – Kunisaki (Taketazu gate)

Aerial

Yamaguchi-Ube Airport Air Photo

• Yamaguchi-Ube Airport (Ube), which operates the liaison route with Tokyo International Airport - Haneda the following companies:
  • Japan Airlines (JAL)
  • All Nippon Airways (ANA)
  • Star Flyer (SFJ)
• Iwakuni-Kintaikyo Airport (Iwakuni), where All Nippon Airways (ANA) operates services at Tokyo - Haneda International Airport and Naha Airport.

Gastronomy

Crossed by a mountain range, the northern area of Yamaguchi (belonging to what is known in Japan as San'in territory, which means “shady face of the mountain”) is bathed by the Sea of Japan, while its southern face (called “San'yo”, or “Sunny Face of the Mountain”) opens to the Seto Inland Sea. The result is a gastronomy that combines sea and mountain ingredients in which the seasonal factor and local products are given great importance.

Fish from the region

Fugu served in sashimi, in a layout that simulates a chrysanthemum flower

Especially in Shimonoseki, Nagato and Hagi, the fishing industry enjoys prosperity, with fugu (blowfish), anglerfish, Japanese horse mackerel and squid accounting for the main local catches.

For the Japanese, the city of Shimonoseki is synonymous with puffer fish: it is the star product of the Karato fish market, from where it is distributed both to specialized restaurants in the city and to luxury restaurants throughout Japan, where it is one of the most appreciated flavors. Despite its cute appearance, a powerful toxin is contained in the liver and ovaries of this fish, forcing chefs who handle it to have a special license to guarantee the absolute safety of diners.

Puffer fish is mostly eaten served on sashimi in elegant arrangements. Prepared in thin slices, it is eaten by lightly dipping it in a soy sauce accompanied by freshly cut spring onions and grated daikon radish mixed with chilli. Its meat is rich in protein, low in fat, and its skin has a high collagen content, making its fibrous, firm, and elastic texture very different from that of other white fish. Another way to consume puffer fish is fried in kara-age, or steamed. It is also common to smoke the fins and infuse them in hot sake, to give it flavor.

Additionally, Hagi and Nagato stand out for their production of processed foods derived from fish, such as kamaboko.

Other local gastronomic products

Sea urchin canning: by preserving it in alcohol, using a technique originally from the city of Shimonoseki, the intense flavor of the sea urchin is enhanced. This coveted product is used to make sauces or dress white rice.

Kawarasoba, fried noodles served on a hot tile

“Kawara-soba”: Originally from the Kawatana-onsen district of Shimonoseki, it is one of Japan's most original and colorful regional dishes. It consists of a combination of tea noodles served with thin strips of pork, Japanese tortilla strips and nori seaweed and eaten dipped in a tasty sauce. Traditionally cooked on a tile instead of a griddle – it is said that its origin is from the food that was prepared in situ and without kitchen utensils by the soldiers who fought against the forces of the Meiji government during the Rebellion of Satsuma – the diner also tastes it on it. As the noodles remain on the tile, they will begin to brown, taking on a crunchy texture.

Natsumikan: variety of bitter orange used to make and flavor all kinds of sweets. One of the most celebrated is the “natsumikan-maruzuke”, a whole orange candied and stuffed with sweet anko paste.

“Choshu Kurokashiwa” Chicken: An elegant breed of avian with black plumage, designated as a protected species in Japan. Present since ancient times in Yamaguchi and neighboring Shimane, where it is even associated with local Shinto deities. Today, and the result of careful selection, its juicy meat is in high demand.

Iwakuni Sushi: This dish is made with sushi rice (seasoned with vinegar) on which various ingredients such as shiitake mushrooms, fish roe, lotus root are layered. (Iwakuni is one of the main producing regions of the country) and Japanese tortilla strips, and are pressed into a large wooden mold, following an ancient preservation technique.

Green tea from the Ono region (Ono-cha): grown in clayey and sandy soil, with intense sweetness, bitterness and astringency. It is also used to flavor sweets.

Uirō: traditional Japanese sweet representative of the city of Yamaguchi, similar to yōkan, made from warabi (starch extracted from a variety of fern) and sugar, mixed with water and steamed in a mold. Sweet azuki bean or matcha green tea can be added to the original mixture. It is a translucent, smooth-textured, jelly-like dessert usually served with green tea, and has been brewed in the city of Yamaguchi since at least the early Edo period.

Yume Hoppe: Mandarin-like citrus of the hybrid “Setomi” variety, developed in Yamaguchi Prefecture, and marketed as “Yume Hoppe” only for the sweetest pieces.

Yamaguchi Prefectural Sake

Yamaguchi is the only case in the country in which sake production has not stopped increasing in the last decade. Thanks to intense competition between wineries to refine quality and reinforce their brand, Yamaguchi's sake is attracting attention nationally and internationally.

Dassai's bottle and cup 23 to the Kintai bridge

Among the numerous varieties of the region, “Dassai 23” stands out, a prized sake with a fruity flavor from the Asahi Shuzō winery in Iwakuni. His high popularity justifies that he has his own sake bar both in the exclusive Ginza district in Tokyo and in Paris, which he opened in collaboration with the prestigious chef Joël Robuchon. "Dassai 23" is made using only the heart of each grain of rice, for which the exterior is polished until leaving only 23% of it, hence its name. The brand attracted international attention when then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe gifted a bottle to his US counterpart Barack Obama.

Local crafts

Three local crafts from Yamaguchi have been designated as "Traditional Crafts of Japan" by the Ministry of Economy and Industry.

• Hagi Ceramics
• Lacquered “ōuchi”
• Akama Chinese ink stones

Illustrious Persons of Yamaguchi Prefecture

Tourism

The annual total number of tourists who visited the different municipalities of Yamaguchi Prefecture in 2019 was 3,601,300, according to the statistics of Yamaguchi Prefecture, a decrease of 0.8%, while the number of overnight stays it was 3,762,000, a decrease of 13.6% compared to the previous year, which can be attributed to the absence of major events that year.

Regarding the number of tourists by city, the city of Shimonoseki received the highest number of visitors with 7,112,699 (101.6% compared to the previous year), followed by the city of Yamaguchi with 5,156,337 (84, 3%), Hagi City with 4,506,575 (99.1%), Iwakuni City with 3,223,578 (102.3%), and Nagato City with 2,410,986 (95%).

The number of foreign tourists decreased by 22%, to 357,000, and their overnight stays by 14.9%, to 104,000. This decline is estimated to have been conditioned by the difficult time diplomatic relations were going through between Japan and South Korea. The number of tourists from mainland China was 85,000 (23.8% of the total), followed by 83,000 tourists (23.2%) from South Korea, 63,000 (17.6%) from Taiwan and 25,000 (6.9%) from the United States.

Regarding domestic tourism, the majority of visits came from the prefecture itself, with 21,242,000 (59%), followed by visits by inhabitants of the Chūgoku region, with 4,214,000 (11, 7%); the regions of Kyūshū and Okinawa, with 3,952,000 million (11%); the Kantō region, with 1,894,000 (5.3%); Kinki, with 1,636,000 (4.5%); Chūbu, with 797,000 (2.2%), and finally Hokkaidō and Tōhoku, with 245,000 (0.7%).

The season of the year with the greatest influx of visits was spring (March to May), with 9,896,000, followed by summer (June to August), with 9,612,000, and autumn (September to November), with 9,535,000 and finally winter (December to February), with 6,970,000.

Hot springs

It is worth noting the wealth of thermal springs in the region, with 51 in total, among which those of Yuda, Kawatana, Yumoto and Tawarayama stand out. 25 of them consist of radium-rich waters, 9 are simple alkaline, 13 chlorinated, and 3 of other types.

Historical heritage of the prefecture

Within the historical heritage of the prefecture, the following set of assets of the city of Hagi are registered as World Heritage Sites, under the name “Sites of the industrial revolution of The Meiji Era in Japan: Steel Industry, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining”: Hagi Historic Center, Reverberatory Furnaces, Shōka-sonjuku Academy, Remains of the Ōitayama-Tatara Iron Smelting Furnace, and the Ebisugahana Shipyard.

Pagoda del temple Rurikōji, National Treasure of Japan

Registered as National Treasure of Japan are, in the city of Shimonoseki, the Butsuden (Buddha hall) of the Kōzanji temple and the main pavilion of the Sumiyoshi shrine; and in the city of Yamaguchi, the pagoda of the Rurikōji temple.

As property registered as Important Cultural Heritage, we find the Suitenmon gate, along with its corridor, of the Akama Shrine, in Shimonoseki.

For its part, the districts of Horiuchi, Hiyako, Hamasaki and Sasanami of the city of Hagi, and the district of Furuichi-Kanaya of the city of Yanai are designated as Important districts for the conservation of groups of traditional buildings.

Main tourist enclaves of the prefecture

Kikuya Street, Hagi Castle City

Hagi

• Former academy Shōka-sonjuku(!
• Former academy Meirinkan()・read))
• Hagi Historic Center (Castle City)()/25070/)
• Hagi-Uragami Museum (disclosing knowledge of the knowledge)
• Kikugahama Beach() screening seek restraint
• Hagi Castle Ruins())
• Tōkōji Temple(aspiring

Hōfu

Tenmangu Sanctuary, Hōfu

• Mansion and gardens of the Mōri family(knowing how to get involved/ familia/Пристанинанинанининининининининининининининики)
• Hōfu Tenmangu Sanctuary.

Iwakuni

• Iwakuni Castle(国国)
• Kintai Bridge())

Mine

Caves of Akiyoshidō

• Caves of Akiyoshidō and Taishōdō
• Akiyoshidai karstical plateau (selfish)

Nagato

• Kaneko Misuzu's house-museum(?
• Isle of ignomijima(ENS))
• Motonosumi Sanctuary(ω)ה)

Karato Lonja, Shimonoseki

Shimonoseki

• Chōfu's Historical Set (distribution)
• Kanmon's Strait(giveness))
• Island of Tsunoshima()・)metro))
• Lonja de Karato(️
• Akama Sanctuary(κγ))

Ube

• Parque, botanical garden, zoo and contemporary sculpture outdoor museum Tokiwa(/25070/))))

Yanai

Furuichi-Kanaya District, Yanai)

• Furuichi-Kanaya District (Yanai White Houses)(How much did it happen?

Yamaguchi

• Chōmonkyō Canyon
• Pagoda del temple Rurikōji()のクード )
• Jōeiji Temple and Sesshū Gardens(Building momentum ・)

Major Nationwide Events Held in Yamaguchi Prefecture

• 18th edition of the National Sports Festival in 1963.
• Inter-High School Championships (Inter-school National School in Youth-Institution category), 1986 edition.
• National Cultural Festival of Japan, 2006.
• 66th edition of the National Sports Festival in 2011.
• 11.th edition of the National Sports Festival for People with Disabilities, in 2011.
• 63.a edition National Tree-Planting Festival (National Festival of Trees) in 2012.
• 23rd edition of the World Scout Jamboree in 2015.
• Yamaguchi Yume Hana Expo (35th edition of the National Feast of Flowers) in 2018.

Symbols of the prefecture

• Tree: Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora)
• Flower: Natsumikan Flower (Citrus natsudaidai)
• Bird: Monk Crane (Grus monacha)
• Fish: Balloon fishTakifugu rubripes)
• Anointed: Deer SikaCervus nippon)