Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

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Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Table of Contents

• Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Overview
• Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Map
• Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: History
• Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Geography
• Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Climate
• Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Transportation
• Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Politics
• Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Economy
• Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Population
• Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Culture
• Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Education
• Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Symbols
• Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Tourism
• Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Pictures
• Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Facts

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Overview

Kanagawa Prefecture (神奈川県, Kanagawa-ken) is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Honshū, Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Map

Map of Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Google Map

• Map of Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: History

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Early History

There are some archaeological sites of Jōmon period (around 400 BC). About 3000 years ago, Mount Hakone made volcanic explosion and Lake Ashi on the western area of this prefecture.

It's estimated, Yamato Dynasty ruled this area from 5th century. In the ancient era, plains and damps were widely spread with few inhabitants.

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Middle History

Kamakura in central Sagami was the capital of Japan during the Kamakura period (1185-1333).

In medieval Japan, Kanagawa was part of the provinces of Sagami and Musashi.

During the Edo period, the western part of Sagami Province was governed by the daimyo of Odawara Castle, while the eastern part was directly governed by the Tokugawa Shogunate in Edo (Tokyo).

Commodore Matthew Perry landed in Kanagawa in 1853 and 1854, and signed the Convention of Kanagawa to force open Japanese ports to the United States. Yokohama, the largest deep-water port in Tokyo Bay, was opened to foreign traders in 1859 after several more years of foreign pressure, and eventually developed into the largest trading port in Japan. Nearby Yokosuka, closer to the mouth of Tokyo Bay, developed as a naval port and now serves as headquarters for the U.S. 7th Fleet and the fleet operations of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. After the Meiji Period, many foreigners lived in Yokohama City, and visited Hakone. The Meiji Government developed the first railways in Japan, from Shinbashi (in Tokyo) to Yokohama in 1872.

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Modern History

The epicenter of the Great Kantō earthquake in 1923 was deep beneath Izu ōshima Island in Sagami Bay. It devastated Tokyo, the port city of Yokohama, surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, and Shizuoka, and caused widespread damage throughout the Kantō region.

The sea receded as much a quarter of a mile from the shore at Manazaru Point, and then rushed back towards the shore in a great wall of water which swamped Mitsuishi-shima. At Kamakura, the total death toll from earthquake, tsunami, and fire exceeded 2,000 victims. At Odawara, ninety percent of the buildings collapsed immediately, and subsequent fires burned the rubble along with anything else left standing.

Yokohama, Kawasaki and other major cities were heavily damaged by the U.S. bombing in 1945. Casualties amounted to more than several thousand. After the war, General Douglas MacArthur, the chief commander of Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers for the Occupation of Japan, landed in Kanagawa, before moving to other areas. U.S. military bases still remain in Kanagawa, including Camp Zama (Army), Yokosuka Naval Base, Naval Air Station Atsugi (Navy).

In 1945, Kanagawa was the 15th most populous prefecture in Japan, with the population of about 1.9 million. In the years after the war, the prefecture underwent rapid urbanization as a part of the Tokyo Greater Zone. The population was about 8.9 million as of 2008, and Kanagawa became the second most populous prefecture in 2006.

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Geography

Kanagawa is a relatively small prefecture located at the southeastern corner of the Kantō Plain wedged between Tokyo on the north, the foothills of Mount Fuji on the northwest, and the Sagami Bay and Tokyo Bay on the south and east. The eastern side of the prefecture is relatively flat and heavily urbanized, including the large port cities of Yokohama and Kawasaki.

The southeastern area nearby the Miura Peninsula is less urbanized, with the ancient city of Kamakura drawing tourists to temples and shrines. The western part, bordered by Yamanashi Prefecture and Shizuoka Prefecture on the west, is more mountainous and includes resort areas like Odawara and Hakone. The area, stretching 80 km from west to east and 60 km from north to south, contains 2,400 sq km of land, accounting for 0.64% of the total land area of Japan.

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Topography

Topographically, the prefecture consists of three distinct areas. The mountainous western region features the Tanzawa Mountain Range and Hakone Volcano. The hilly eastern region is characterized by the Tama Hills and Miura Peninsula. The central region, which surrounds the Tama Hills and Miura Peninsula, consists of flat stream terraces and low lands around major rivers including the Sagami River, Sakai River, Tsurumi River, and Tama River.

The Tama River forms much of the boundary between Kanagawa and Tokyo. The Sagami River flows through the middle of the prefecture. In the western region, the Sakawa River runs through a small lowland, the Sakawa Lowland, between Hakone Volcano to the west and the ōiso Hills to the east and flows into Sagami Bay.

The Tanzawa Mountain Range, part of the Kantō Mountain Range, contains Mount Hiru (1,673 m), the highest peak in the prefecture. Other mountains measure similar mid-range heights: Mount Hinokiboramaru (1,601 m), Mount Tanzawa, (1567 m), Mount ōmuro (1588 m), Mount Himetsugi (1,433 m), and Mount Usu (1,460 m). The mountain range is lower in height southward leading to Hadano Basin to the ōiso Hills. At the eastern foothills of the mountain range lies the Isehara Plateau and across the Sagami River the Sagami Plateau.

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Cities

• Atsugi
• Ayase
• Chigasaki
• Ebina
• Fujisawa
• Hadano
• Hiratsuka
• Isehara
• Kamakura
• Kawasaki
• Minamiashigara
• Miura
• Odawara
• Sagamihara
• Yamato
• Yokohama (Capital of Kanagawa Prefecture)
• Yokosuka
• Zama
• Zushi

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Towns and Villages

Aikō District

• Aikawa
• Kiyokawa

Ashigarakami District

• Kaisei
• Matsuda
• Nakai
• ōi
• Yamakita

Ashigarashimo District

• Hakone
• Manazuru
• Yugawara

Kōza District

• Samukawa

Miura District

• Hayama

Naka District

• Ninomiya
• ōiso

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Mergers

• On March 20, 2006 - Sagamiko and Tsukui, formerly from Tsukui District, merged into the city of Sagamihara.
• On March 11, 2007 - Fujino and Shiroyama, also formerly from Tsukui District, merged into the city of Sagamihara. Tsukui District was dissolved as a result.

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Climate

With the Tanzawa and Hakone mountain ranges in its north-western hinterland, Kanagawa Prefecture has the plain to the east and south, facing the Pacific Ocean. Because it is also affected by the Black Currents (warm currents) of the Pacific Ocean, it has a mild climate with high precipitation which is typical of the region along the Pacific Ocean.

• Annual Average Temperature: 16.1 deg C
• Highest Temperature: 35.0 deg C
• Lowest Temperature: -0.5 deg C
• Annual Precipitation: 1,919.0 mm

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Transportation

Kanagawa's transport network is heavily intertwined with that of Tokyo (see: Transportation in Greater Tokyo). Most air travel to Kanagawa goes through Tokyo International Airport or Narita International Airport. Shin-Yokohama and Odawara stations on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen are located in the prefecture, providing high-speed rail service to Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and other major cities.

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Airports

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Rail

• Tōkaidō Main Line, East Japan Railway Company
• Nambu Line, East Japan Railway Company
• Tsurumi Line, East Japan Railway Company
• Yokohama Line, East Japan Railway Company
• Negishi Line, East Japan Railway Company
• Yokosuka Line, East Japan Railway Company
• Sagami Line, East Japan Railway Company
• Chūō Main Line, East Japan Railway Company
• Tōkaidō Shinkansen, Central Japan Railway Company
• Gotemba Line, Central Japan Railway Company

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Roads

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Ports

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Politics

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Economy

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Population

Total Population: 9,003,840 (male: 4,536,853 female: 4,466,987)
No. of Households: 3,826,374
No. of People per Household: 2.35
Population Density: 3,727 people per square kilometer

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Culture

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Education

The Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education manages and oversees individual municipal school districts. The board of education also directly operates most of the public high schools in the prefecture.

Universities in Kanagawa Prefectural

Azabu University

Address: 17-71 Fuchinobe Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8501, Japan
Phone: 81-42-754-7111
Fax: 81-42-754-7661
Email: www-box@azabu-u.ac.jp
Website: Azabu University's Official Website

Bunkyo University

Address: Shonan Campus, 1100 Namegaya,Chigasaki-city, Kanagawa Prefecture 253-8550
Phone: 0467-53-2111
Website: Bunkyo University's Official Website

Ferris University

Address: 4-5-3 Ryokuen, Izumi-ku Yokohama, 245-8650 Japan
Email: univ-nys@ferris.ac.jp
Website: Ferris University's Official Website

Japan Women's University

Address: Nishi-ikuta Campus, 1-1-1 Nishi-ikuta ,Tama-ku, Kawasaki city, Kanagawa, 214-8565, Japan
Email: n-abroad@atlas.jwu.ac.jp
Website: Japan Women's University's Official Website

Kanagawa University

Address: 3-27-1 Rokkakubashi, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama 221-8686, Japan
Phone: 81-45-481-5661, Ext. 2442 81-45-491-1701
Fax: 81-45-481-6011
Email: kohou-info@kanagawa-u.ac.jp
Website: Kanagawa University's Official Website

Kanto Gakuin University

Address: 1-50-1 Mutsuura-higashi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama-shi Kanagawa-ken, 236-8501 Japan
Email : kaoki@kanto-gakuin.ac.jp
Website: Kanto Gakuin University's Official Website

Senshu University

Address: 2-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki-shi Kanagawa 214-8580 Japan
Phone: 81-44-911-1250
Fax: 81-44-911-1243
Website: Senshu University's Official Website

St.Marianna University School of Medicine

Address: 2-16-1 Sugao, Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki-shi kanagawa 216-8511 Japan
Phone: 81-44-977-8111
Website: St.Marianna University School of Medicine's Official Website

Toin University of Yokohama

Address: 1614 Kurogane-cho, Aoba-ku Yokohama, 225-8502, Japan
Phone: 81-45-971-1411
Fax: 81-975-5295
Website: Toin University of Yokohama's Official Website

Tsurumi University

Address: 2-1-3 Tsurumi, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 230-8501 Japan
Phone: 81-45-581-1001
Fax: 81-45-574-8688
Website: Tsurumi University's Official Website

Yokohama City University

Address: 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 236-0027 Japan
Phone: 81-45-787-2311
Fax: 81-45-787-2316
Website: Yokohama City University's Official Website

Yokohama National University

Address:79-1 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, 240-8501, Japan
Phone: 045-339-3036
Fax: 045-339-3039
Email: international@nuc.ynu.ac.jp
Website: Yokohama National University's Official Website

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Symbols

• Flower: Golden-rayed Lily (Lilium Auratum)
• Tree: Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)
• Bird: Common Gull (Larus Canus)

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Tourism

The city of Kamakura is famous as the location of many Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines.

Yokohama Chinatown is the largest Chinatown in Japan (larger than Chinatowns in both Kobe and Nagasaki) and it is one of the largest in the world.

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Flights

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Hotels

World-Wide Discounted Hotels Reservations.

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Restaurants

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Attractions

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Nightlife

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Shopping

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Cuisine

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Recreation

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Pictures

Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan: Facts

Kanagawa Prefecture (ken), Honshu, Japan, located south of Tokyo and bordered by Tokyo Bay to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the south. It occupies an area of 928 square miles (2,403 square km). The eastern coast is an important part of the Keihin Industrial Zone; Yokohama, Tokyo's port, is the prefectural capital. The Pacific coast is a popular resort area, including such cities as Kamakura, Hiratsuka, and Odawara.

Inland Kanagawa is an agricultural area producing flowers and dairy products for the Tokyo market. The port of Misaki, at the head of the Miura Peninsula, is a major centre of bonito and tuna fishing. During the late 1970s the population increased dramatically owing to industrial growth and urbanization of housing developments for workers. Pop. (1989 est.) 7,846,000.

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