Hyōgo Prefecture

Hyōgo Prefecture (兵庫県 Hyōgo-ken^?) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshu island.^[1]  The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.

The capital is Kobe.^[2]


Present-day Hyōgo Prefecture includes the former provinces of Harima, Tajima, Awaji, and parts of Tamba and Settsu.^[3]

Hyōgo has coastlines on two seas: to the north, the Sea of Japan, to the south, the Inland Sea. The northern portion is sparsely populated, except for the city of Toyooka, and the central highlands are only populated by tiny villages. Most of Hyōgo's population lives on the southern coast, which is part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto (Keihanshin) metropolitan area. Awaji Island is an island in the Inland Sea, lying between Honshu and Shikoku.

Summertime weather throughout Hyōgo is hot and humid. As for winter conditions in Hyōgo, the north of Hyōgo tends to receive abundant snow, whilst the south receives only the occasional flurry.

Hyōgo borders on Osaka Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture and Okayama Prefecture.

Hyōgo Prefecture has many heavy industries, metal and medical, and Kobe Port is one of the largest ports in Japan.

Kobe remains a popular tourist destination. The region symbolizes Japan's earliest contact with the outside world. Many homes of early foreign visitors still stand on the bluff overlooking the harbor.

The vista of the Inland Sea remains a "million-dollar view". The Kobe port is one of the ports which are the most famous in Japan. A popular troupe of Takarazuka Revue plays in Takarazuka.

Himeji Castle receives this praise from UNESCO: "masterpiece of construction in wood, combining function with aesthetic appeal... ." Together with its historical significance and its easy access from Kyoto or Osaka by Shinkansen, Himeji Castle receives tremendous numbers of visitors annually.

As for the Hyogo Prefecture northern part, sands where the coast is beautiful and a dynamic rock are consecutive. In the vicinity, there are a lot of famous sightseeing spots such as Kinosaki Onsen, Izushi and Yumura Onsen.

Kikuseidai (掬星台^?) is a view point and a park just aside of the top of Maya-san in Kobe, Japan. It has one of three major Night Views of Japan and is called ten million dollar night view.