Okayama Prefecture

Okayama Prefecture

岡山県
Okayama Prefecture 岡山県
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
• Japanese	岡山県
• Rōmaji	Okayama-ken
	A street in Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture at night
	Flag Symbol
	Anthem: Okayama-ken no uta
	Coordinates: 34°39′42″N 133°56′05″E / 34.6617°N 133.9347°E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku (Sanyō)
Island	Honshu
Capital	Okayama
Subdivisions	Districts: 10, Municipalities: 27
Government
• Governor	Ryūta Ibaragi
Area
• Total	7,114.50 km2 (2,746.92 sq mi)
• Rank	17th
Population (1 October 2025)
• Total	1,815,165
• Rank	20th
• Density	255.136/km2 (660.799/sq mi)
GDP
• Total	JP¥ 7,345 billion; US$ 54.2 billion (2022)
ISO 3166 code	JP-33
Website	www.pref.okayama.jp
Symbols of Japan
Bird	Lesser cuckoo (Cuculus poliocephalus)
Flower	Peach blossom (Prunus persica var. vulgaris)
Tree	Red pine (Pinus densiflora)

Okayama Prefecture (岡山県, Okayama-ken; Japanese pronunciation: [o.kaꜜ.ja.ma, o.ka.ja.maꜜ.keɴ]^[2]) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu.^[3] Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,815,165 (1 October 2025) and has a geographic area of 7,114 km² (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefecture borders Tottori Prefecture to the north, Hyōgo Prefecture to the east, and Hiroshima Prefecture to the west.

Okayama is the capital and largest city of Okayama Prefecture, with other major cities including Kurashiki, Tsuyama, and Sōja.^[4]^[5]^[6] Okayama Prefecture's south is located on the Seto Inland Sea coast across from Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, which are connected by the Great Seto Bridge, while the north is characterized by the Chūgoku Mountains.

History

Prior to the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the area of present-day Okayama Prefecture was divided between Bitchū, Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces. Okayama Prefecture was formed and named in 1871 as part of the large-scale administrative reforms of the early Meiji period (1868–1912), and the borders of the prefecture were set in 1876.^[5]^[7]

Geography

Okayama Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture, and Hiroshima Prefecture.^[5] It faces Kagawa Prefecture in Shikoku across the Seto Inland Sea and includes 90 islands in the sea.

Okayama Prefecture is home to the historic town of Kurashiki. Most of the population is concentrated around Kurashiki and Okayama. The small villages in the northern mountain region are aging and declining in population - more than half of the prefecture's municipalities are officially designated as depopulated.^[8]

As of 1 April 2014, 11% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Daisen-Oki and Setonaikai National Parks; the Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park; and seven Prefectural Natural Parks.^[9]

Cities

Tsuyama

Fifteen cities are located in Okayama Prefecture:

Name		Area (km²)	Population	Map
Rōmaji	Kanji	Area (km²)	Population	Map
Akaiwa	赤磐市	209.43	44,498
Asakuchi	浅口市	66.46	35,022
Bizen	備前市	258.23	35,610
Ibara	井原市	243.36	41,460
Kasaoka	笠岡市	136.03	50,160
Kurashiki	倉敷市	355.63	483,576
Maniwa	真庭市	828.43	44,265
Mimasaka	美作市	429.19	28,502
Niimi	新見市	793.27	30,583
Okayama (capital)	岡山市	789.92	720,841
Setouchi	瀬戸内市	125.51	37,934
Sōja	総社市	212	67,059
Takahashi	高梁市	547.01	31,556
Tamano	玉野市	103.61	60,101
Tsuyama	津山市	506.36	102,294

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Name		Area (km²)	Population	District	Type	Map
Rōmaji	Kanji	Area (km²)	Population	District	Type	Map
Hayashima	早島町	7.62	12,671	Tsukubo District	Town
Kagamino	鏡野町	419.69	14,651	Tomata District	Town
Kibichūō	吉備中央町	268.73	11,989	Kaga District	Town
Kumenan	久米南町	78.65	4,962	Kume District	Town
Misaki	美咲町	232.15	17,776	Kume District	Town
Nagi	奈義町	69.54	5,861	Katsuta District	Town
Nishiawakura	西粟倉村	57.93	1,437	Aida District	Village
Satoshō	里庄町	12.23	11,204	Asakuchi District	Town
Shinjō	新庄村	67.1	951	Maniwa District	Village
Shōō	勝央町	54.09	11,237	Katsuta District	Town
Wake	和気町	144.21	14,191	Wake District	Town
Yakage	矢掛町	90.62	14,041	Oda District	Town

Mergers

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[10] and,^[11] Okayama prefecture has had continual negative population growth since 2005

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1920	1,218,000	—
1930	1,284,000	+5.4%
1940	1,329,000	+3.5%
1950	1,661,000	+25.0%
1960	1,670,000	+0.5%
1970	1,707,000	+2.2%
1980	1,871,000	+9.6%
1990	1,926,000	+2.9%
2000	1,950,828	+1.3%
2010	1,945,276	−0.3%
2020	1,920,739	−1.3%

Education

Universities

High schools

Okayama
- Kurashiki High School
- Okayama Asahi Senior High School
- Okayama Takahashi High School
- Okayama Ichinomiya Senior High School
- Okayama Hosen Senior High School
- Okayama Joto Senior High School
- Okayama Sakuyo High School^[12]
- Okayama Sozan Senior High School

Transportation

Rail

JR West

JR West and JR Shikoku
- Honshi-bisan Line
- Seto-Ōhashi Line
Chizu Express
Ibara Railway
Mizushima Rinkai Railway

Tramways

Okayama Electric Tramway

Roads

Expressways

National highways

Route 2 (Osaka-Kobe-Himeji-Bizen-Okayama-Kurashiki-Asakuchi-Onomichi-Hiroshima-Shūnan-Shimonoseki-Kitakyushu)
Route 30 (Okayama-Uno-Takamatsu
Route 53 (Okayama-Tsuyama-Tottori)
Route 179
Route 180 (Okayama-Takahashi-Niimi)
Route 181 (Tsuyama-Maniwa-Yonago-Yasugi-Matsue)
Route 182
Route 183
Route 250 (Okayama-Setouchi-Ako-Aioi-Takasago-Akashi)
Route 313 (Fukuyama-Takahashi-Maniwa-Kurayoshi)
Route 373
Route 374
Route 429
Route 430
Route 482 (Kyotango-Toyooka-Wakasa-Kagamino-Maniwa-Kōfu of Tottori
Route 484

Airport

Okayama Airport

Culture

Bizen-yaki (Bizen pottery)
Bizen Osafune/Bitchu Aoe swords

Association with Momotarō legend

Okayama Prefecture is closely associated with the folklore hero, Momotarō. This tale is said to have roots in the legendary story of Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto and Ura which explains that the Prince Ura of Kudara used to live in Kinojo (castle of the devil) and was a cause of trouble for the people living in the village. The emperor's government sent Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto (Momotarō) to defeat Ura. The city of Okayama holds an annual Momotarō-matsuri, or Momotarō Festival.^[6]^[13]

Arts

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Okayama.

Football

Volleyball

Okayama Seagulls (Okayama city)

Basketball

Tryhoop Okayama (B3 League, Okayama city)^{[citation needed]}

Tourism

Some tourist attractions are:

Bikan Historical Area (倉敷美観地区, Kurashiki Bikan Chiku), Kurashiki
Bisei Astronomical Observatory (美星天文台, Bisei Tenmondai), Ibara Town (following dissolution of Bisei Town)
Bitchu Matsuyama Castle, Takahashi
Brazilian Park Washuzan Highland, Kurashiki
Kakuzan Park, Tsuyama
Koraku-en Japanese garden in Okayama
Ki Castle, Sōja
Maki-do Cave, in Niimi
Ohara Museum of Art, Kurashiki
Okayama Castle, Okayama
Shizutani School, Bizen

Notable people

Yuko Arimori (born 1966), marathon runner^[14]
Kenji Doihara (1883–1948), army officer
Tesshō Genda (born 1948), voice actor
Morihiro Hashimoto (1977–2017), darts player
Naoki Hoshino (1892–1978), politician
Koshi Inaba (born 1964), singer
Masaki Kajishima (born 1962), creator of Tenchi Muyo!
Shiro Kawase (1889–1946), admiral
Sadahiko Miyake (1891–1956), general
Chiura Obata (1885–1975), artist
Mori Takashi, former member of Gentouki
Yōji Takikawa (born 1949), pedagogist
Mutsuo Toi (1917–1938), perpetrator of the Tsuyama massacre
Inukai Tsuyoshi (1855–1932), former Prime Minister of Japan
Jiro Watanabe (born 1955), boxer
Takeo Yasuda (1889–1964), lieutenant general
Eisuke Yoshiyuki (1906–1940), author
Fujii Kaze (born 1997), singer
Nishimura Riki, also known as Ni-ki of ENHYPEN (born 2005), K-pop idol,^[15] dancer, singer, rapper
Issei Mamehara (born 2002), singer, dancer, member of JO1

Notes

^ "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). Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, ed. (24 May 2016). NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典 (in Japanese). NHK Publishing.
^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Okayama-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 745, p. 745, at Google Books; "Chūgoku" at p. 127, p. 127, at Google Books.
^ Nussbaum, "Okayama" at p. 745, p. 745, at Google Books.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Okayama Prefecture". Encyclopedia of Japan. Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 56431036. Archived from the original on 25 August 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
^ ^a ^b "岡山（県）" [Okayama Prefecture]. Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 153301537. Archived from the original on 25 August 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
^ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
^ Okayama official website Archived 2 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine accessed November 2007
^ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. 1 April 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
^ "Okayama (Japan): Prefecture, Major Cities & Towns - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Archived from the original on 2022-05-12. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
^ "Japan Prefectures Population from 1920 and Area". www.demographia.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-29. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
^ "岡山県作陽高等学校". www.sakuyo-h.ed.jp. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
^ "Okayama History". Archived from the original on 22 May 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
^ "Yuko Arimori's profile". Archived from the original on 2015-06-17. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
^ "ENHYPEN's profile". Archived from the original on 2022-08-10. Retrieved 2024-01-28.

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 website
Official tourism site
Official account's channel on YouTube
Geographic data related to Okayama Prefecture at OpenStreetMap

[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). Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.

[2] NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, ed. (24 May 2016). NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典 (in Japanese). NHK Publishing.

[3] Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Okayama-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 745, p. 745, at Google Books; "Chūgoku" at p. 127, p. 127, at Google Books.

[4] Nussbaum, "Okayama" at p. 745, p. 745, at Google Books.

[enc-5] "Okayama Prefecture". Encyclopedia of Japan. Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 56431036. Archived from the original on 25 August 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2012.

[nipponika-6] "岡山（県）" [Okayama Prefecture]. Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 153301537. Archived from the original on 25 August 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2012.

[7] Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.

[8] Okayama official website Archived 2 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine accessed November 2007

[9] "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. 1 April 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2015.

[10] "Okayama (Japan): Prefecture, Major Cities & Towns - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Archived from the original on 2022-05-12. Retrieved 2022-05-12.

[11] "Japan Prefectures Population from 1920 and Area". www.demographia.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-29. Retrieved 2020-11-25.

[12] "岡山県作陽高等学校". www.sakuyo-h.ed.jp. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.

[13] "Okayama History". Archived from the original on 22 May 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.

[14] "Yuko Arimori's profile". Archived from the original on 2015-06-17. Retrieved 2013-05-31.

[15] "ENHYPEN's profile". Archived from the original on 2022-08-10. Retrieved 2024-01-28.

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