Aichi Prefecture (愛知県, Aichi-ken, pronounced [aitɕi̥ ꜜkeɴ]) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū.[2]: 11, 126  Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 (as of 1 October 2019) and a geographic area of 5,172.92 square kilometres (1,997.28 sq mi) with a population density of 1,460 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,800/sq mi). Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefecture and Nagano Prefecture to the north, and Shizuoka Prefecture to the east. Nagoya is the capital and largest city of the prefecture.

Aichi Prefecture
愛知県
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese愛知県
 • RōmajiAichi-ken
Clockwise from top:
Flag of Aichi Prefecture
Official logo of Aichi Prefecture
Anthem: Warera ga Aichi
Map
Location of Aichi Prefecture
Coordinates: 35°10′43″N 136°54′50″E / 35.17861°N 136.91389°E / 35.17861; 136.91389
Country Japan
RegionChūbu (Tōkai)
IslandHonshu
CapitalNagoya
SubdivisionsDistricts: 7, Municipalities: 54
Government
 • GovernorHideaki Ōmura (since February 2011)
Area
 • Total5,172.92 km2 (1,997.28 sq mi)
 • Rank27th
Population
 (1 October 2019)
 • Total7,552,873
 • Rank4th
 • Density1,500/km2 (3,800/sq mi)
GDP
 • TotalJP¥ 40,911 billion
US$ 375.3 billion (2019)
ISO 3166 codeJP-23
Websitewww.pref.aichi.jp/global/en/index.html
Symbols of Japan
BirdOriental scops owl (Otus sunia japonicus)
FishKuruma prawn (Penaeus japonicus)
FlowerKakitsubata (Iris laevigata)
TreeHananoki (Acer pycnanthum)

Overview

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Nagoya is the capital and largest city of Aichi Prefecture, and the fourth-largest city in Japan. Other major cities include Toyota, Okazaki, and Ichinomiya. Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya form the core of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, the third-largest metropolitan area in Japan and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world.[2]: 685  Aichi Prefecture is located on Japan's Pacific Ocean coast and forms part of the Tōkai region, a subregion of the Chūbu region and Kansai region. Aichi Prefecture is home to the Toyota Motor Corporation. Aichi Prefecture had many locations with the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, The Chubu Centrair International Airport, and the Legoland Japan Resort.

Geography

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Map of Aichi Prefecture
     Government Ordinance Designated City      City      Town      Village
 
Aichi Prefectural Government Office
 
Satellite photo of Mikawa Bay

Located near the center of the Japanese main island of Honshu, Aichi Prefecture faces the Ise and Mikawa Bays to the south and borders Shizuoka Prefecture to the east, Nagano Prefecture to the northeast, Gifu Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture to the west. It measures 106 km (66 mi) east to west and 94 km (58 mi) south to north and forms a major portion of the Nōbi Plain. With an area of 5,172.48 square kilometres (1,997.11 sq mi) it accounts for approximately 1.36% of the total surface area of Japan. The highest spot is Chausuyama at 1,415 m (4,642 ft) above sea level.

The western part of the prefecture is dominated by Nagoya, Japan's third largest city, and its suburbs, while the eastern part is less densely populated but still contains several major industrial centers. Due to its robust economy, for the period from October 2005 to October 2006, Aichi was the fastest growing prefecture in terms of population, beating Tokyo, at 7.4% and around with after Saitama Prefecture.

As of 1 April 2012, 23% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Aichi Kōgen, Hida-Kisogawa, Mikawa Wan, and Tenryū-Okumikawa Quasi-National Parks along with seven Prefectural Natural Parks.[3]

Cities

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Thirty-eight cities are located in Aichi Prefecture.

Towns and villages

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These are the towns and villages in each district:

Demographics

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Aichi prefecture population pyramid in 2020
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
18901,473,099—    
19031,752,042+1.34%
19132,073,224+1.70%
19202,089,762+0.11%
19252,319,494+2.11%
19302,567,413+2.05%
19352,862,701+2.20%
19403,166,592+2.04%
19452,857,851−2.03%
19503,390,585+3.48%
19553,769,209+2.14%
19604,206,313+2.22%
19654,798,653+2.67%
19705,386,163+2.34%
19755,923,569+1.92%
19806,221,638+0.99%
19856,455,172+0.74%
19906,690,603+0.72%
19956,868,336+0.53%
20007,043,300+0.50%
20057,254,704+0.59%
20107,410,719+0.43%
20157,484,094+0.20%
Source: Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications[4]

As of 2001, Aichi Prefecture's population was 50.03% male and 49.97% female. 139,540 residents (nearly 2% of the population) are of foreign nationality.

Population by age (2001)

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Age % population % male % female
0–9 10.21 10.45 9.96
10–19 10.75 11.02 10.48
20–29 15.23 15.71 14.75
30–39 14.81 15.31 14.30
40–49 12.21 12.41 12.01
50–59 15.22 15.31 15.12
60–69 11.31 11.22 11.41
70–79 6.76 6.01 7.52
Over 80 3.12 2.01 4.23
Unknown 0.38 0.54 0.23

Mergers

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History

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Originally, the region was divided into two provinces of Owari and Mikawa.[2]: 780  After the Meiji Restoration, Owari and Mikawa were united into a single entity. In 1871, after the abolition of the han system, Owari, with the exception of the Chita Peninsula, was established as Nagoya Prefecture, while Mikawa combined with the Chita Peninsula and formed Nukata Prefecture. Nagoya Prefecture was renamed to Aichi Prefecture in April 1872 and was united with Nukata Prefecture on November 27 of the same year.

The government of Aichi Prefecture is located in the Aichi Prefectural Government Office in Nagoya, which is the old capital of Owari. The Aichi Prefectural Police and its predecessor organisations have been responsible for law enforcement in the prefecture since 1871.

The Expo 2005 World Exposition was held in Seto and Nagakute.

Etymology

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In the third volume of the Man'yōshū there is a poem by Takechi Kurohito that reads: "The cry of the crane, calling to Sakurada; it sounds like the tide, draining from Ayuchi flats, hearing the crane cry". Ayuchi is the original form of the name Aichi, and the Fujimae tidal flat is all that remains of the earlier Ayuchi-gata. It is now a protected area.[5][6]

For a time, an Aichi Station existed on the Kansai Line (at the time the Kansai Railway) between Nagoya and Hatta stations, but its role was overtaken by Sasashima-raibu Station on the Aonami Line and Komeno Station on the Kintetsu Nagoya Line.

Economy

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Chūkyō Metropolitan Area

Gross domestic product (2018) is the second largest in Japan, the shipment value of manufactured goods (2018) is the first in Japan, annual product sales (2019) is the third largest in Japan, and its agricultural output (2018) is eighth in Japan. Aichi's agriculture industry and commerce are all ranked high in Japan, and the industrial structure is well-balanced.

Main industry

Companies headquartered in Aichi include the following.

Aichi Steel Tōkai
Aisin Seiki Kariya
Brother Industries, Ltd. Nagoya
Central Japan Railway Company Nagoya
Denso Corporation Kariya
Eisaku Noro Company Ichinomiya
Kanesue Corporation Ichinomiya
Makita Corporation Anjō
Matsuzakaya Nagoya
Mizkan Corporation Handa
Nagoya Railroad Nagoya
Nippon Sharyo Nagoya
Noritake Nagoya
Okuma Corporation Ōguchi
Sumitomo Riko Komaki[7]
Toyota Motor Corporation Toyota

Companies such as Fuji Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Motors, Pfizer, Sony, Suzuki, Bodycote, and Volkswagen Group also operate plants or branch offices in Aichi.

International relations

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Expo 2005

Sister regions

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Transport

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Rail

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Nagoya Station and Nagoya Station building
 
Toyohashi Station and Toyohashi Railroad
 
Komaki Junction
 
Nagoya Expressway
 
Chubu Centrair International Airport, constructed on an artificial island
 
Nagoya Airfield
 
Port of Nagoya
 
Port of Mikawa
 JR Central
 Tokaido Shinkansen
Tokaido Line
Chūō Main Line
Kansai Line
Taketoyo Line
Iida Line
 Meitetsu
 NH Nagoya Line
 IY Inuyama Line
 KM Komaki Line
 TA Centrair Line
 TA Tokoname Line
 ST Seto Line
 TK Toyokawa Line
 GN Gamagori Line
 TT Toyota Line
 KC Chita Line
 MU  MY Mikawa Line
 TB Bisai Line
 CH Chikko Line
 TB Tsushima Line
 Kintetsu
 E Nagoya Line
 Aonami Line
 Nagoya Municipal Subway
 Higashiyama Line
 Meijo Line
 Tsurumai Line (connecting to Meitetsu Toyota and Inuyama Line)
 Sakura-dori Line
 Meiko Line
 Kamiiida Line (connecting to Meitetsu Komaki Line)
 Toyohashi Railroad
 Aichi Loop Line

People movers and tramways

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  • Linimo
  • Nagoya Guideway Bus
  • Toyohashi Railroad

Road

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Expressways and toll roads

National highways

Airports

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Ports

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  • Kinuura Port – Handa and Hekinan
  • Mikawa Port – mainly automobile and car parts export and part of inport base
  • Nagoya Port – International Container hub and ferry route to Sendai and Tomakomai, Hokkaido

Education

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Universities

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National universities

Public universities

Private universities

Senior high schools

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Sports

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Nagoya Dome
NagoyaHigashi-ku
 
Toyota Stadium
Toyota
 
Wing Arena Kariya
Kariya
 
Teva Ocean Arena
NagoyaMinato-ku
 
Paloma Mizuho Stadium
NagoyaMizuho-ku

The sports teams listed below are based in Aichi.

Baseball

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Central League

Soccer

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J.League
JFL
Tokai Regional League
L.League

Basketball

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B.League

Volleyball

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V.League

Rugby

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Japan Rugby League One

Futsal

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F.League

Football

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X-League
AFL

Tourism

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Nagoya Castle
 
Ōsu Kannon, Naka, Nagoya
 
Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology
 
SCMaglev and Railway Park
 
Daiju-ji
 
Akabane Beach, Tahara
 
Twin Arch 138 Tower in Kiso River Park, Ichinomiya

Notable sites in Aichi include the Meiji Mura open-air architectural museum in Inuyama, which preserves historic buildings from Japan's Meiji and Taishō periods, including the reconstructed lobby of Frank Lloyd Wright's old Imperial Hotel (which originally stood in Tokyo from 1923 to 1967).

Other popular sites in Aichi include the tour of Toyota car factory in the city by the same name, the monkey park in Inuyama, and the castles in Nagoya, Okazaki, Toyohashi, and Inuyama.

Aichi Prefecture has many wonderful beaches. For example, Himakajima Beach, Shinojima Beach, Akabane Beach and Utsumi Beach.

Notable people from Aichi

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Festival and events

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UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage[10]
Others

References

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  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 2023-05-18.
  2. ^ a b c Frédéric, Louis (31 May 2002). Japan Encyclopedia. Translated by Roth, Käthe. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0674007703. OCLC 58053128. OL 7671330M.
  3. ^ "General overview of area figured for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Government of Japan. Ministry of the Environment. 1 April 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  4. ^ "Statistics Bureau Home Page". Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Statistics Bureau. n.d. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Summary of Aichi Prefecture". Aichi Prefectural Government Official Site. Aichi Prefectural Government Office. n.d. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  6. ^ Sadamichi, Kato (1 July 2000). "Rediscovering an Ancient Poem to Save a Tidal Flat". International Studies in Literature and Environment. 7 (2). Oxford University Press: 189–197. doi:10.1093/isle/7.2.189. eISSN 1759-1090. ISSN 1076-0962. OCLC 819414712.
  7. ^ "Business Locations". Sumitomo Riko. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  8. ^ Yoon, John; Notoya, Kiuko (8 March 2024). "Akira Toriyama, Creator of 'Dragon Ball,' Dies at 68". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  9. ^ "STモデル プロフィール:森川 葵(もりかわ あおい)Aoi Morikawa|Seventeen(セブンティーン)". Seventeen On Line (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  10. ^ "Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan". Website of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. UNESCO. Secretariat of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. n.d. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
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