Profile of Hiroshima

Location

Hiroshima Prefecture is located in the southwestern part of the Japanese islands. It is rich in the natural beauty of the Inland Sea and the Chugoku Mountains, with mountains, sea, rivers, valleys, plains, basins that characterize Japan’s landscape.

In addition, its climate varies from the bitter cold of the north to the warmth of the south, enabling you to enjoy a variety of products and sports. The prefecture is known as a “miniature Japan”.

Population

Hiroshima Prefecture’s population is 2.88 million, 2.3% of Japan’s total,ranking it the 12th most populous prefecture in the country.

Size and Geography

Hiroshima Prefecture stretches 130 kilometers from east to west and 120 kilometers from north to south. It encompasses an area of 8,479 square kilometers, 2.2% of Japan’s total land mass, ranking it 10th in size among Japan’s 47 prefectures and metropolises.
Its geological features include mountains, sea, islands, rivers, valleys, plains, and highlands, essentially all of the natural elements found in Japan. Mountains make up approximately 73% of the land in the prefecture, and 138 islands dot the Inland Sea.

Cliｍate

Hiroshima is blessed by a generally warm climate and is essentially free from natural disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes.
Nevertheless, the difference between the mountainous area in the north and the seaside region in the south is quite pronounced.
The average temperature and rainfall in the north is 12 Centigrade and 1,700mm, respectively, compared to 15 Centigrade and 1,500mm in the south.

History

Hiroshima’s origins can be traced to the end of the 6th century and beginning of the 7th century when the area began to prosper. At the time, Hiroshima was divided into two regions, Aki and Bingo. Towns prospered along transportation routes through the mountains and on the inland sea.

In 1589 Mori Terumoto, a regional warlord during the Sengoku period, gave Hiroshima its name and built a castle in what is now Hiroshima City. During the Edo period(1603-1867), modern-day Hiroshima Prefecture was divided into two domains, the Fukuyama Fief to the east and Hiroshima Fief to the west. Under the abolition of clans, the two regions were joined into a single Hiroshima Prefecture and by 1876 the current borders had been established.

In August 1945, the city of Hiroshima was destroyed instantaneously with the dropping of the atomic bomb. Neighboring cities also suffered damage as a result of the war. Afterwards, through the ceaseless efforts of Hiroshima citizens, the region made an impressive recovery and is now continuing to develop as a center of government, economics, and culture in the Chugoku-Shikoku Region.

 

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