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Shizuoka Prefecture 静岡県
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
• Japanese	静岡県
• Rōmaji	Shizuoka-ken
FlagSymbol
Anthem: "Shizuoka kenka" [ja] and "Fuji yo yume yo tomo yo" [ja]
Coordinates: 34°55′N 138°19′E / 34.917°N 138.317°E / 34.917; 138.317
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Tōkai)
Island	Honshu
Capital	Shizuoka
Largest city	Hamamatsu
Subdivisions	Districts: 5, Municipalities: 35
Government
• Governor	Yasutomo Suzuki
Area
• Total	7,777.42 km (3,002.88 sq mi)
• Rank	13th
Highest elevation	3,778 m (12,395 ft)
Population
• Total	3,555,818
• Rank	10th
• Density	460/km (1,200/sq mi)
• Dialect	Shizuoka dialect
GDP
• Total	JP¥ 17,866 billion US$ 163.9 billion (2019)
ISO 3166 code	JP-22
Website	www.pref.shizuoka.jp/a_foreign/english
Symbols of Japan
Bird	Japanese paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone atrocaudata)
Flower	Azalea (Rhododendron)
Tree	Sweet osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus)

Shizuoka Prefecture (静岡県, Shizuoka-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. As of September 2023, Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,555,818 and has a geographic area of 7,777.42 km (3,002.88 sq mi). Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the northeast, Nagano Prefecture to the north, and Aichi Prefecture to the west.

Shizuoka is the capital and Hamamatsu is the largest city in Shizuoka Prefecture, with other major cities including Fuji, Numazu, and Iwata. Shizuoka Prefecture is located on Japan's Pacific Ocean coast and features Suruga Bay formed by the Izu Peninsula, and Lake Hamana which is considered to be one of Japan's largest lakes. Mount Fuji, the tallest volcano in Japan and cultural icon of the country, is partially located in Shizuoka Prefecture on the border with Yamanashi Prefecture. Shizuoka Prefecture has a significant motoring heritage as the founding location of Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha, and is home to the Fuji International Speedway.

History

Shizuoka Prefecture was established from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.

The area was the home of the first Tokugawa shōgun. Tokugawa Ieyasu held the region until he conquered the lands of the Hōjō clan in the Kantō region and placed land under the stewardship of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. After becoming shōgun, Tokugawa took the land back for his family and put the area around modern-day Shizuoka City under the direct supervision of the shogunate. With the creation of the Shizuoka han from the Sunpu Domain in 1868, it once again became the residence of the Tokugawa family.

Geography

Shizuoka Prefecture is an elongated region following the coast of the Pacific Ocean at the Suruga Bay. In the west, the prefecture extends deep into the Japan Alps. In the east, it becomes a narrower coast bounded in the north by Mount Fuji, until it comes to the Izu Peninsula, a popular resort area pointing south into the Pacific.

As of April 2012, 11% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as natural parks, namely the Fuji-Hakone-Izu and Minami Alps National Parks; Tenryū-Okumikawa Quasi-National Park; and four Prefectural Natural Parks.

Climate

In Shizuoka prefecture, the temperature, over the course of the year, typically varies from 34 °F to 87 °F and is rarely below 28 °F or above 93 °F. The summers in Shizuoka are warm, oppressive, and mostly cloudy; the winters are very cold, windy, and mostly clear.

Disaster

On 15 March 2011, Shizuoka Prefecture was hit with a magnitude 6.2 earthquake approximately 42 km (26 mi) NNE of Shizuoka City. It is said, that throughout history, Shizuoka area has experienced a large earthquake every 100 to 150 years.

See also: Tōkai earthquakes

Demographics

3,635,220 people live in Shizuoka Prefecture, according to the 2020 census.

Municipalities

Since 2010, Shizuoka has consisted of 35 municipalities: 23 cities and 12 towns.

• Shizuoka City
• Hamamatsu
• Numazu and Mount Fuji
• Fujinomiya
• Atami

Mergers

After the introduction of modern municipalities in 1889, Shizuoka consisted of 337 municipalities: 1 (by definition: district-independent) city and 23 districts with 31 towns and 305 villages. The Great Shōwa mergers of the 1950s reduced the total from 281 to 97 between 1953 and 1960, including 18 cities by then. The Great Heisei mergers of the 2000s combined the 74 remaining municipalities in the year 2000 into the current 35 by 2010.

List of governors of Shizuoka (since 1947)

Industry

Home to a shogun, cherry shrimp, and Japan's green tea heartland. Situated along Suruga Bay between Tokyo and Nagoya on the historic Tokaido route, the Pacific coast city of Shizuoka is famed for supplying most of Japan's tea and maguro tuna.

Motorcycles

Shizuoka-based companies are world leaders in several major industrial sectors. Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki all have their roots in Shizuoka prefecture and are still manufacturing here. Thanks to this, Shizuoka pref. accounts for 28% of Japanese motorcycle exports.

Musical instruments

Yamaha and Kawai are both global piano brands. Yamaha has the largest share in the global piano market. Kawai has the second largest share. They both got their start in Shizuoka pref. in the early twentieth century.

Yamaha and Roland are major brand for electronic musical instruments. In the electronic piano world market, Yamaha has the world's largest share. Roland and Kawai have the second and third place share. Roland and Yamaha also manufacture high-quality synthesizers and drum machines for professional musicians.

In addition, various instruments such as wind instruments and guitars are manufactured in this prefecture. There are about 200 companies that manufacture musical instruments, in this prefecture.

Most of these musical instruments are especially produced in Hamamatsu City.

• Yamaha headquarters
• Suzuki headquarters
• Yamaha motorcycles
• Suzuki motorcycles
• Yamaha outboard motors
• Suzuki outboard motors
• Yamaha grand piano
• Kawai grand piano
• Yamaha electronic piano
• Roland D-50 sythesizer
• Roland TR-808. A legendary drum machine by Roland.
• Yamaha acoustic guitars
• Yamaha electric guitars
• Yamaha wind instruments

Transportation

Rail

• Enshū Railway
• Gakunan Railway
• Izuhakone Railway
  • Daiyūzan Line
  • Sunzu Line
• Izukyū
• JR Central
  • Tōkaidō Shinkansen
  • Iida Line
  • Gotenba Line
  • Minobu Line
  • Tōkaidō Line (Atami–Toyohashi)
• JR East
  • Tōkaidō Line (Atami–Odawara)
  • Itō Line
• Ōigawa Railway
• Shizuoka Railway
• Tenryū Hamanako Railroad

Roads

Expressways

• Chūbu-Ōdan Expressway
• Izu-Jūkan Expressway
• San-en Nanshin Expressway
• Shin-Tōmei Expressway
• Tōmei Expressway

Toll roads

• Fujinomiya Road
• Nishi-Fuji Road
• Shizuoka East-West Road
• Shizuoka South-North Road
• West Fuji Road (not a toll road anymore as of 2012)

National highways

• National Route 1
• National Route 42
• National Route 52
• National Route 135
• National Route 136
• National Route 138
• National Route 139
• National Route 149
• National Route 150
• National Route 152
• National Route 246
• National Route 257
• National Route 301
• National Route 362
• National Route 414
• National Route 469
• National Route 473
• National Route 474

Airports

• Shizuoka Airport

Ports

• Shimizu Port
• Atami Port and Shimoda Port – Mainly ferry route to Izu Island
• Numazu Port

Education

Universities

National universities

• Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Mishima Campus, National Institute of Genetics)
• Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
• Shizuoka University

Public universities

• Shizuoka University of Art and Culture
• University of Shizuoka

Private universities

• Fuji Tokoha University
• Hamamatsu University
• Hamamatsu Gakuin University
• Juntendo University (Mishima Campus)
• Nihon University (Mishima Campus)
• Seirei Christopher University
• Shizuoka Eiwa Gakuin University
• Shizuoka Institute of Science and Technology
• Shizuoka Sangyo University
• Shizuoka University of Welfare
• Tokai University (Shimizu and Numazu Campuses)
• Tokoha Gakuen University
• Tokyo Women's Medical University (Daito Campus)

Senior high schools

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2015)

• Hiryū High School
• Numazu Commercial High School
• Shizuoka Prefectural High School
• Shizuoka Prefectural Susono High School

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Shizuoka.

Basketball

• San-en NeoPhoenix

Motorsport

• Fuji International Speedway

Rugby

• Yamaha Júbilo (Iwata)

Football

• Shimizu S-Pulse (Shimizu, Shizuoka)
• Júbilo Iwata (Iwata)
  • Matches between the above two teams, both currently in the top flight of the J. League, are known as the Shizuoka Derby.
• Honda F.C. (Hamamatsu)
• Azul Claro Numazu (Numazu)
• Fujieda MYFC (Fujieda)

Volleyball

• Toray Arrows (men's volleyball team) (Mishima city)

Tourism

Museums

• Museum of Natural and Environmental History, Shizuoka [ja; species]
• Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art

Theme parks

• Air Park Japan Air Self-Defense Force Hamamatsu Public Information Building)
• Shimizu Sushi Museum

Festivals and events

• Daidogei World Cup in central Shizuoka City, held in November
• Enshu Daimyo Festival in Iwata, held in April
• Mishima Festival, held in August
• Numazu Festival, held in July
• Shimizu Port Festival, held on 5 to 7 August
• Shimoda Black Ship Festival, held in May
• Shizuoka Festival, held in April

• Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha Fujinomiya
• Shuzenji Onsen Izu
• Sunpu Castle Shizuoka Aoi-ku
• Hamamatsu Castle Hamamatsu Chūō-ku
• Kakegawa Castle Kakegawa
• Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art Shizuoka Suruga-ku
• Lake Sanaru Hamamatsu Nishi-ku
• Lake Hamana Hamamatsu Nishi-ku
• Atami Sun Beach Atami
• Kawazu Cherry blossom Kamo District Kawazu
• Miho no Matsubara Shizuoka Shimizu-ku
• Fuji Safari Park Susono
• Hamanako Garden Park Hamamatsu Nishi-ku
• Snowtown Yeti & Mount Fuji Susono
• Kunōzan Tōshō-gū Shizuoka Suruga-ku
• Jogasaki Coast Itō

Notable people

Motoo Kimura (木村 資生, 1924–1994), biologist and theoretical population geneticist, died in Shizuoka Prefecture

Notes

1. "2020年度国民経済計算（2015年基準・2008SNA） : 経済社会総合研究所 - 内閣府". 内閣府ホームページ (in Japanese). Retrieved 18 May 2023.
2. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Shizuoka-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 876, p. 876, at Google Books; "Chūbu" in p. 126, p. 126, at Google Books
3. Nussbaum, "Shizuoka" at p. 876, p. 876, at Google Books.
4. Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
5. "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. 1 April 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
6. weatherspark, Shizuoka prefecture.
7. Shizuoka prefecture official statistics（令和２年国勢調査 静岡県の人口（速報値））
8. ^ Shizuoka Prefecture official website, Industry in Shizuoka.
9. ^ (In Japanese) Kyoto University of Arts, Musical instruments industry in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka prefecture.
10. "About Air Park Japan Air Self-Defense Force Hamamatsu Public Information Building – Shizuoka Travel Guide | Planetyze". Planetyze. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
11. "About Shimizu Sushi Museum – Shizuoka Travel Guide | Planetyze". Planetyze. Retrieved 17 November 2017.

References

• Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128

External links

• Official Shizuoka Prefecture website
• Official Shizuoka Guide

v t e Shizuoka Prefecture
Shizuoka (capital)
Shizuoka	Wards Aoi Shimizu Suruga
Hamamatsu	Wards Chūō Hamana Tenryū
Special cities	Fuji Numazu
Cities	Atami Mishima Fujinomiya Itō Shimada Iwata Yaizu Kakegawa Fujieda Gotemba Fukuroi Shimoda Susono Kosai Izu Omaezaki Kikugawa Izunokuni Makinohara
Districts	Kamo District Higashiizu Kawazu Minamiizu Matsuzaki Nishiizu Tagata District Kannami Suntō District Shimizu Nagaizumi Oyama Haibara District Yoshida Kawanehon Shūchi District Mori
List of mergers in Shizuoka Prefecture

v t e Regions and prefectures of Japan
Regions & subregions	Hokkaidō Tōhoku Kantō Nanpō Islands Chūbu Hokuriku Kōshin'etsu Shin'etsu Tōkai Kansai Chūgoku San'in San'yō Shikoku Kyūshū Northern Southern Okinawa
Prefectures	Hokkaidō Hokkaido Tōhoku Aomori Iwate Miyagi Akita Yamagata Fukushima Kantō Ibaraki Tochigi Gunma Saitama Chiba Tokyo Kanagawa Chūbu Niigata Toyama Ishikawa Fukui Yamanashi Nagano Gifu Shizuoka Aichi Kansai Mie Shiga Kyoto Osaka Hyōgo Nara Wakayama Chūgoku Tottori Shimane Okayama Hiroshima Yamaguchi Shikoku Tokushima Kagawa Ehime Kōchi Kyūshū Fukuoka Saga Nagasaki Kumamoto Ōita Miyazaki Kagoshima Okinawa
Category

• Shizuoka Prefecture
• Chūbu region
• Prefectures of Japan