Yamanashi Prefecture

Yamanashi Prefecture (山梨県 Yamanashi-ken^?) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshu.^[1]

The capital is the city of Kōfu.^[2]

Yamanashi Prefecture is bordered by Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Shizuoka, and Nagano. The prefecture is landlocked, with mountains surrounding the central Kōfu Basin. Mount Fuji is located on the southern border with Shizuoka. Mt. Fuji provides rain shadow effects, and as a result, the prefecture receives only about 818 mm of rainfall a year.

Yamanashi has a sizable industrial base in and around Kōfu city, with the jewelry and robotics industries being particularly prominent.

Yamanashi is a popular destination for tourism. Mount Fuji, the Fuji Five Lakes region, the city of Kōfu, the nearby wineries, the fine temple Erin-ji, and the popular Kuonji Temple are a few of the most popular places to visit. The Fuji-Q Highland amusement park, with its new roller coaster Eejanaika, is also popular.
Eco-Tourism is another major attraction. The natural topography of the region makes Yamanashi a hiker's paradise. The tallest mountain in Japan, Mt. Fuji, and the second tallest mountain in Japan, Mount Kita, are both located within Yamanashi.

Given the area's volcanic activity, natural hot springs, or onsens, are found in abundance. Some of the more famous are Isawa Onsen and Yamanami Onsen.

Yamanashi is one of the major fruit producing regions in Japan, being the top domestic producer of grapes, peaches, plums, as well as wine. In addition, roughly 40% of the mineral water bottled in Japan comes from Yamanashi, mainly from around the Southern Alps, Mt. Fuji, and Mitsutōge areas.