Toyama
(2002 est. pop. 1.1 million). Toyama Prefecture is situated in the central region of Japan's island of Honshu. It occupies an area of 4,252 square kilometers. Its geography features mountains encircling a central plain. Toyama is bordered by Toyama Bay and the Sea of Japan, and by Niigata, Nagano, Gifu, and Ishikawa prefectures. Once known as Etchu Province, it assumed its present name in 1871 and its present borders in 1883.
The prefecture's capital is the city of Toyama, growing up as a castle town around the fortress built in 1532 by the Maeda family. Today it is home to Toyama University and is the heart of the Hokuriku Industrial Region, with shipbuilding and aluminum refining as its main industries.
During the Edo period (1600/1603–1868), the region was ruled by the Maeda family as Japan's wealthiest domain. Today rice remains the primary crop, followed by pears, tea, and vegetables. Tulip bulbs are grown for export. The fisheries are active, with Toyama Bay noted for its firefly squid. Plentiful hydroelectric power fuels the machinery, chemical, metals processing, lumber, and textile industries. Visitors are drawn to the Himi coast, the Kurobe Gorge in Chubu Sangaku National Park, and the rustic steep-roofed farmhouses of the Gokayama district.
Further Reading
"Toyama Prefecture." Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. (1993) Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.
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