Fukushima Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan. It is part of the Tōhoku region on the island of Honshu.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2002). "Fukushima-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 218. The capital city of the prefecture is Fukushima.Nussbaum, "Fukushima" at p. 218.

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is in this prefecture. The power plant had a meltdown in March 2011. It forced many people in Fukushima to move away from their homes, especially in the Futaba District.

History
Until the Meiji Restoration, Fukushima prefecture was known as Mutsu Province.Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at p. 780. In 1871, the territories of eleven clans were combined into three prefectures: Fukushima, Wakamatsu and Iwaki. On August 21 in 1876, they were united to form the current Fukushima Prefecture.

 Geography 
Fukushima is the prefecture that is furthest south in the Tōhoku region. It is the part of Tōhoku closest to Tokyo. Tokyo is about 300 kilometres further south. Fukushima located between 37 and 38 degrees north latitude.

Fukushima is divided by mountain ranges into three regions: (from west to east) Aizu, Nakadōri, and Hamadōri. Hamadōri is on the coast of the Pacific Ocean and is the flattest and most temperate region. Nakadōri is the most important farming part of the prefecture. The capital city, Fukushima, is in this area. Aizu is a tourist destination and has many mountains, scenic lakes, forests, and snowy winters.

 Cities 
There are thirteen cities in Fukushima Prefecture:

 Aizuwakamatsu
 Date
 Fukushima (capital)
 Iwaki
 Kitakata
 Kōriyama
 Minamisōma

 Motomiya
 Nihonmatsu
 Shirakawa
 Sōma
 Sukagawa
 Tamura

 Towns and villages 

Towns and villages in each district:

 Adachi District
 Ōtama
 Date District
 Kawamata
 Kōri
 Kunimi
 Futaba District
 Futaba
 Hirono
 Katsurao
 Kawauchi
 Namie
 Naraha
 Ōkuma
 Tomioka
 Higashishirakawa District
 Hanawa
 Samegawa
 Tanagura
 Yamatsuri

 Ishikawa District
 Asakawa
 Furudono
 Hirata
 Ishikawa
 Tamakawa
 Iwase District
 Kagamiishi
 Tenei
 Kawanuma District
 Aizubange
 Yanaizu
 Yugawa
 Minamiaizu District
 Hinoemata
 Minamiaizu
 Shimogō
 Tadami
 Nishishirakawa District
 Izumizaki
 Nakajima
 Nishigō
 Yabuki

 Ōnuma District
 Aizumisato
 Kaneyama
 Mishima
 Shōwa
 Sōma District
 Iitate
 Shinchi
 Tamura District
 Miharu
 Ono
 Yama District
 Bandai
 Inawashiro
 Kitashiobara
 Nishiaizu

National parks
National parks cover about 13% of the total land area of the prefecture.Japan Ministry of the Environment, "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture"; retrieved 2012-3-13. They include:
 Bandai-Asahi National ParkJapan Ministry of the Environment,  "Bandai-Asahi National Park"  retrieved 2012-3-19.

 Economy 
The three main industries in Fukushima are manufacturing, commerce and farming.

Fukushima was the largest manufacturer in Tōhoku in 2008. The industry made about 5 and a half trillion yen (¥5,568,600,000,000). Manufacturers relied heavily on electrical power produced locally, much of it from nuclear power stations.

Trade, including retail businesses, was the second largest industry in 2008. It made 4.7 trillion yen (¥4,720,600,000,000).

In 2009, the prefecture produced ¥245,000,000,000 (245 billion yen) from farming products. About 40%, or ¥94,800,000,000 (94 billion yen), was from rice. Fukushima was the fifth largest rice producer in the country. It also produced large amounts of vegetables, meat, and fish. The two largest agricultural producers were the cities of Fukushima and Kōriyama. Those two areas accounted for more than 15% of agricultural production in the prefecture.
Fukushima bland product

Related pages
 Provinces of Japan
 Prefectures of Japan
 List of regions of Japan
 List of islands of Japan
 Nuclear accidents in Japan

References


Category:1876 establishments in Asia
Category:1870s establishments in Japan