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| Capital | Yamaguchi |
| Region | Chūgoku |
| Island | Honshū |
| Governor | Sekinari Nii |
| Area | 6,110.94 km² (22nd) |
| - % water | 2.6% |
| Population (February 2006) | |
| - Population | 1,490,072 (25th) |
| - Density | 248 /km² |
| Districts | 5 |
| Municipalities | 22 |
| ISO 3166-2 | JP-35 |
| Website | www.pref.yamaguchi.jp/ gyosei/kenjoho/english.htm |
| Prefectural Symbols | |
| - Flower | Bitter summer mandarin blossom (Citrus natsudaidai) |
| - Tree | Red pine tree (Pinus densiflora) |
| - Bird | Hooded crane (Grus monacha) |
 Symbol of Yamaguchi Prefecture |
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Yamaguchi Prefecture (山口県 Yamaguchi-ken?) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi located in the center of the Prefecture: The largest city, by contrast, is Shimonoseki.
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History
Yamaguchi Prefecture was formerly divided into Nagato and Suō provinces. It was ruled by the Mōri clan domain during the Sengoku period. After Commodore Matthew Perry's opening of Japan, clans from Nagato (also called Chōshū) played a key role in the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate and the new imperial government.
Geography
Cities
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Towns
Towns in each district:
‡ Scheduled to be dissolved following mergers.
Villages
There are no longer villages as municipalities in Yamaguchi Prefectrue.
Mergers
- April 21, 2003 - the cities of Tokuyama and Shinnanyo; the town of Kumage from Kumage District, and the town of Kano from Tsuno District = city of Shunan. (Tsuno District was dissolved as a result of this merger.)
- October 1, 2004 - the towns of Kuka, Oshima, Tachibana and Towa (all from Oshima District) = the town of Suo-Oshima.
- October 4, 2004 - the city of Hikari; and the town of Yamato from Kumage District = the new city of Hikari.
- November 1, 2004 - the town of Kusunoki from Asa District => merged into the city of Ube.
- February 13, 2005 - the city of Shimonoseki; the towns of Hohoku, Kikugawa, Toyoura and Toyota from Toyoura District = the new city of Shimonoseki. (Toyoura District was dissolved as a result of this merger.)
- February 21, 2005 - the city of Yanai; and the town of Obatake from Kuga District = the new city of Yanai.
- March 6, 2005 - the city of Hagi; and the municipalities of Asahi, Fukue, Kawakami, Tamagawa, Mutsumi and Susa (all from Abu District) = the new city of Hagi.
- March 22, 2005
- the city of Nagato; and the towns of Heki, Misumi and Yuya from Otsu District = the new city of Nagato. (Otsu District was dissolved as a result of this merger.)
- the city of Onoda; and the town of Sanyō from Asa District = the new city of Sanyō-Onoda. (Asa District was dissolved as a result of this merger.)
- October 1, 2005 - the city of Yamaguchi (2nd generation); the town of Tokuji from Saba District, and the towns of Aio, Ajisu and Ogori (all from Yoshiki District) = the new city of Yamaguchi (3rd generation). (Saba District and Yoshiki District were both dissolved as a result of this merger.)
- March 20, 2006 - the city of Iwakuni; the towns of Yu, Kuga, Shuto, Nishiki, Mikawa and Miwa and the village of Hongo (all from Kuga District) = the new city of Iwakuni. (There are no longer villages within Yamaguchi Prefecture)
Future mergers
- The city of Mine is scheduled to merge with the towns of Mitō and Shūhō on March 21, 2008. Mine District, which comprises solely of those two towns, will dissolve upon the merger. [1]
Economy
Demographics
Culture
Tourism
One of the major attractions is the famous Kintai Bridge in the town of Iwakuni. This five arced wooden structure is considered a symbol of Western Honshū. The area on the banks of the Nishiki river close to the bridge is considered among the best places in Japan for Hanami (花見, lit. "flower viewing"), when groups of family and friends gather in early April to view Cherry Blossom.
Prefectural symbols
Miscellaneous topics
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe represented first Yamaguchi's 1st then 4th district in the House of Representatives; his father represented Yamaguchi as well.
External links
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| Cities | |||
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| Hagi | Hikari | Hōfu | Iwakuni | Kudamatsu | Mine | Nagato | San'yō-Onoda | Shimonoseki | Shūnan | Ube | Yamaguchi (capital) | Yanai | |||
| Districts | |||
| Abu | Kuga | Kumage | Mine | Ōshima | |||
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Regions |
