Gifu Prefecture

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**Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県 *Gifu-ken*)**

Capital	Gifu
Region	Chūbu
Island	Honshū
Governor	Hajime Furuta
Area	10,598.18 km² (7^th)
- % water	0.2%
Population (October 1, 2000)
- Population	2,107,687 (18^th)
- Density	199 /km²
Districts	9
Municipalities	42
ISO 3166-2	JP-21
Website	www.gic.or.jp/english/e-index.html
Prefectural Symbols
- Flower	Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus)
- Tree	Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata)
- Bird	Rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta)
Symbol of Gifu Prefecture

Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県, Gifu-ken^?) is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu. Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west. During the Sengoku period, many people referred to Gifu by saying, "control Gifu and you control Japan."^[1]

1 History
2 Geography
3 Economy
4 Demographics
5 Prefectural Symbols
6 Municipalities
7 References
8 External links

[edit] History

The land area that makes up modern-day Gifu became part of the Yamato Court around the middle of the fourth century. Because it is in the middle of the island of Honshū, it has been the site of many decisive battles throughout Japan's history, the oldest major one being the Jinshin War in 672, which led to the establishment of Emperor Temmu as the 40th emperor of Japan.

The land area of Gifu Prefecture consists of the old provinces of Hida and Mino, as well as smaller parts of Echizen and Shinano. The name of the prefecture derives from its capital city, Gifu, which was named by Oda Nobunaga during his campaign to unify all of Japan in 1567.^[2] The first character used comes from Qishan (岐山), a legendary mountain from which most of China was unified, whereas the second character comes from Qufu (曲阜), the birthplace of Confucius.^[3] Nobunaga chose those characters because he wanted to unify all of Japan and he wanted to be viewed as a great mind.

Historically, the prefecture served as the center of swordmaking in all of Japan, with Seki being known for making the best swords in Japan. More recently, its strengths have been in fashion (primarily in the city of Gifu) and aerospace engineering (Kakamigahara).

On October 28, 1891, the present-day city of Motosu was the epicenter for the Mino-Owari Earthquake, the largest earthquake to ever hit Japan.^[4] It is estimated that it was an 8.0 earthquake that left a huge cleft in the ground that can still be seen today.

[edit] Geography

Map of Gifu Prefecture.

One of the few landlocked prefectures in Japan, Gifu Prefecture shares borders with seven other prefectures: Aichi, Fukui, Ishikawa, Mie, Nagano, Shiga and Toyama Prefectures. Japan's postal codes all start with a three-digit number, ranging from 001 to 999. Part of Gifu has the 500 prefix, giving further proof of its location in the center of Japan.

[edit] Regions

Gifu Prefecture has five unofficial regions, which allows local municipalities to work together to promote the surrounding area. The five regions are Seinō (西濃), Gifu (岐阜), Chūnō (中濃), Tōnō (東濃) and Hida (飛騨). The borders of the regions are loosely defined, but they are usually delineated among major cities.

[edit] Topography

The northern Hida region is dominated by tall mountains, including parts of the Japanese Alps. The southern Mino region is mostly made up of parts of the fertile Nōbi Plain, a vast plains area with arable soil. Most of the prefecture's population resides in the southern part of the prefecture, near the designated city of Nagoya.

The mountainous Hida region contains both the Hida Mountains,which are referred to as the "Northern Alps," and the Kiso Mountains, which are known as the "Central Alps" in Japan. The Ryōhaku Mountains are also located in the Hida region. Other major ranges include the Ibuki Mountains and the Yōrō Mountains.

Much of the Mino region is made up of the alluvial plain of the Kiso Three Rivers, which are the Ibi River, Kiso River and Nagara River. The source for all three rivers is located in Nagano Prefecture and they eventually run through Aichi and Mie prefectures before emptying into Ise Bay. Other major rivers in the prefecture include the Jinzū, Takahara, Shō, Shōnai, Yahagi and Ishitoro rivers.

[edit] Weather

Because the Mino region is surrounded by low mountains, the temperature fluctuates through the year, from hot summers to cold winters. The eastern city of Tajimi, for example, generally records the hottest temperature throughout all of Japan each year and, on August 16, 2007, it set the record for hottest recorded day in Japan's history--40.9 degrees Celsius.^[5] The summers are made hotter because the landlocked area becomes a heat island, which is further worsened when hot, dry foehn winds blow over the Ibuki Mountains out of the Kansai region. The Hida region, with its higher elevation, is generally cooler than the Mino region, though there are sometimes extremely hot days there, as well. Shōkawa-chō, part of the city of Takayama, is located up in the mountains and its location has led it to be called the coldest inhabitted place on Honshū.

[edit] Economy

Gifu's economy includes many traditional industries such as paper-making and agriculture, but it is dominated by manufacturing industries extending from the Nagoya area, such as aerospace and automotive industry. A major characteristic of Gifu's industry is a wealth of small component manufacturers, such as precision machining, die and mold making, and plastic forming.

[edit] Traditional Industries

The Mino region has long been known for its high-quality paper called mino washi, which is stronger and thinner than most other papers in Japan and was used by the Japanese military during World War II.^[6] Other paper-based industries include Gifu chōchin (lanterns) and "Gifu wagasa" (umbrellas), which are made in the capital city. Other traditional goods include Mino-yaki pottery (in Tajimi, Toki and Mizunami), cutlery (in Seki) and lacquerware (in Takayama).

Because Gifu has vast, arable plains, agriculture is also a large industry. The forests to the north also provide plenty of source material for wood-working (which includes the viewing boats used in cormorant fishing). The clear-flowing rivers are also often used to brew sake.

[edit] Modern Industries

Kakamigahara has a large role in the prefecture's modern industries. It boasts large aerospace facilities of both Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, as well as many metalworking and manufacturing companies.

Information technology is gaining a foothold in the prefecture with both Softopia Japan in Ōgaki and VR Techno Japan (part of Techno Plaza) in Kakamigahara. The capital city of Gifu, located between Ōgaki and Kakamigahara, is also working to strengthen its IT fields, too.

[edit] Tourism

Traditional Housing in Shirakawa-gō

Gifu has many popular tourist attractions, bringing visitors to all parts of the prefecture. The most popular places are Gifu, Gero, Shirakawa and Takayama. Gifu is famous for cormorant fishing, which has a history of over 1,300 years, as for being a long-term residence of both Oda Nobunaga and Saitō Dōsan. Gero is known for its relaxing hot springs, which attract visitors throughout the year. Shirakawa's historic villages are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Takayama is famous for retaining its original appearance and is often referred to as Little Kyoto.

In addition to international tourists, Gifu also plays host to many international events. The World Event and Convention Complex Gifu is available for many types of events. Other areas of Gifu, too, bring international events, such as in 2005 when the World Rowing Championships were held in the city of Kaizu.

[edit] Demographics

As of September 1, 2007, the prefecture's population is 2,101,969, with approximately 1.8 million people living in the cities and the rest living in towns and villages.^[7] The percentage of male and female residents is 48.4% and 51.6%, respectively.^[7] 14.4% of the population is no more than 14 years old, with 22.1% of the population being at least 65 years old.^[7]

According to Japan's census, the country's center of population is located in Gifu Prefecture. In 2000, it was located in the former town of Mugi, which has since merged with Seki. In the most reason census in 2005, the center of population has moved slightly more to the east, but is still located within Gifu.

[edit] Prefectural Symbols

Prefectural Logo

Gifu's symbol comes from the first character (岐) of its Japanese name, written in a stylized script, surrounded by a circle, which represents the peace and harmony of the prefectural citizen. It was chosen by contest in 1932.^[8]

The prefectural (see right) expands from the red dot into the center to the outer two lines and, finally, the yellow plain. This symbol was chosen in 1991 for the development and expansion of the prefecture.^[8]

The prefecture also has two plants (the milk vetch and the Japanese yew) and two animals (the snow grouse and the ayu) as symbols. The milk vetch was chosen in 1954, because the prefecture is well known for its abundance of blooming milk vetch each spring. The yew was chosen in 1966, because it is the tree used to make ornamental sceptors for the emperor, many of which came from the Hida district. The snow grouse was chosen in 1961, as the birds live up in the Japanese alps and is a nationally-protected species. Ayu were chosen in 1989, because the fish is found in many prefectural rivers and is prized for its sweet taste.^[8]

[edit] Municipalities

All of the cities, towns, villages and districts of Gifu Prefecture are listed below

[edit] Cities

The view from the top of the hill in Magome-juku, Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture.

Twenty-one cities are located in Gifu Prefecture:

[edit] Towns and villages

Towns and villages in each district:

Anpachi District

Anpachi

Gōdo

Wanouchi

Fuwa District

Sekigahara

Tarui

Hashima District

Ginan

Kasamatsu

Ibi District

Ibigawa

Ikeda

Ōno

Kamo District

Kani District

Mitake

Motosu District

Kitagata

Ōno District

Shirakawa

Yōrō District

Yōrō

[edit] Mergers

(as of March 27, 2006)

Main article: Merger and dissolution of municipalities of Japan

April 1, 2003 - the towns and villages of Ijira, Miyama, and Takatomi from Yamagata District (dissolved by this action) merged to form the city of Yamagata.

May 1, 2003 - the towns of Hozumi and Sunami merged to form the new city of Mizuho.

February 1, 2004 - the towns of Itonuki, Motosu, Neo, and Shinsei from Motosu District merged to form the new city of Motosu.

February 1, 2004 - the towns of Furukawa, Miyagawa, Kawai, and Kamioka from Yoshiki District merged to form the new city of Hida.

March 1, 2004 - the towns and villages of Hachiman, Meihō, Minami, Shirotori, Takasu, Wara, and Yamato (all of the towns and villages from the former Gujo District, which was dissolved by this action) merged to form the city of Gujo.

March 1, 2004 - the towns and village of Gero (town), Hagiwara, Kanayama, Osaka, and Maze (all towns and villages from the former Mashita District, which was dissolved by this action) merged to form the city of Gero.

October 25, 2004 - four towns and a village from Ena District merged to form the new city of Ena. The municipalities involved in this merger were the old city of Ena, Akechi, Iwamura, Kamiyahagi, Kushihara, and Yamaoka.

November 1, 2004 - the former town of Kawashima from Hashima District merged into the expanded city of Kakamigahara.

January 31, 2005 - five villages and one town from Ibi District merged create the new town of Ibigawa. The municipalities involved in this merger were Fujihashi, (former) Ibigawa, Kasuga, Kuze, Sakauchi, and Tanigumi.

February 1, 2005 - nine towns and villages from Ōno District and the former Yoshiki District (dissolved by this action) merged into the expanded city of Takayama. The towns and villages participating in this merger were, from Ono District, Asahi, Kiyomi, Kuguno, Miya, Nyukawa, Shōkawa, and Takane, and, from Yoshiki District, Kamitakara and Kokufu.

February 7, 2005 - five towns and villages from the former Mugi District (dissolved by this action) merged into the expanded city of Seki. The towns and villages involved in this merger were Horado, Itadori, Kaminoho, Mugegawa, and Mugi.

February 13, 2005 - six towns and villages from the former Ena District (dissolved by this action) merged into the expanded city of Nakatsugawa. The towns and villages involved in this merger were Fukuoka, Hirukawa, Kashimo, Kawaue, Sakashita, and Tsukechi.