Aichi Prefecture

Aichi Prefecture (愛知県 Aichi-ken) is located in the Chubu region of Japan. The capital is Nagoya.

History

Originally the region was divided into the three provinces of Owari, Mikawa and Ho. After the Taika era, Mikawa and Ho were united into a single entity. In 1871, after the abolition of the Han system, Owari, with the exception of the Chita peninsula, was institutionalized as Nagoya prefecture, while Mikawa combined with the Chita peninsula formed the Nukata prefecture. Nagoya prefecture was renamed to Aichi prefecture in April of 1872 and on November 27 was united with Nukata prefecture.

Geography

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 to the east, Nagano to the northeast, Gifu to the north, and Mie to the west. It measures 106 km east to west and 94 km south to north. With 5,153.81 km² it accounts for approximately 1.36% of the total surface area of Japan. The highest spot is Chausuyama at 1415 m above sea level.

The western part of the prefecture is dominated by Nagoya, Japan's fourth largest city, and its suburbs, while the eastern part is relatively less densely populated but still contains several major industrial centers.

Cities

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district.

Economy

Aichi's industrial output is higher than any other prefecture in Japan: the prefecture is known as the center of Japan's automotive and aerospace industries. Companies headquartered in Aichi include:

• Aisin Seiki (Kariya)
• Brother Industries, Ltd. (Nagoya)
• Central Japan Railway Company (Nagoya)
• Matsuzakaya (Nagoya)
• Nagoya Railroad (Nagoya)
• Nippon Sharyo (Nagoya)
• Noritake (Nagoya)
• Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota)

Companies such as Daimler Chrysler, Fuji Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Motors, Pfizer, Sony, Suzuki, and Volkswagen also operate plants in Aichi.

Demographics

As of 2001 Aichi prefecture's population was 50.03% male and 49.97% female [1]. 139,540 residents or 0.2% are of foreign nationality [2].

Culture

Tourism

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

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

Because of Aichi's location along the Eastern seacoast, there are some scenic spots, but no significant beach destinations when compared to neighboring Shizuoka prefecture. Rather, most attractions are man-made destinations, dealing with the region's history or modern marvels.

Prefectural symbols

Miscellaneous topics

The Expo 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan, will be held in Toyota, Seto and Nagakute.

2005 World Exposition website

External links

• Official Aichi prefecture homepage
• Aichi prefectural tourist association
• Wikitravel: Aichi