is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,906,464 (1 February 2018) 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. 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.
Geography
Okayama Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture, and Hiroshima Prefecture. 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.
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.
Cities
Fifteen cities are located in Okayama Prefecture:
Towns and villages
These are the towns and villages in each district:
Mergers
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, and, Okayama prefecture has had continual negative population growth since 2005
Education
Universities
Okayama
Okayama University
Notre Dame Seishin University
Okayama University of Science
Okayama Shoka University
Sanyo Gakuen University
Shujitsu University
Kurashiki
Okayama Gakuin University
Kurashiki Sakuyo University
Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare
Soja
Okayama Prefectural University
Tsuyama
Mimasaka University
Niimi
Niimi Public University
High schools
Okayama
Okayama Ichinomiya Senior High School
Okayama Asahi Senior High School
Okayama Sozan Senior High School
Okayama Hosen Senior High School
Okayama Joto Senior High School
Okayama Sakuyo High School
Kurashiki High School
Transportation
Rail
JR West
Sanyo Shinkansen
Sanyo Line
Hakubi Line
Tsuyama Line
Kibi Line
Ako Line
Uno Line
Kishin Line
Geibi Line
Inbi Line
JR West and JR Shikoku
Seto-Ōhashi Line
Honshi-bisan Line
Chizu Express
Ibara Railway
Mizushima Rinkai Railway
Tramways
Okayama Electric Tramway
Roads
Expressways
Sanyo Expressway
Chugoku Expressway
Seto Central Expressway
Yonago Expressway
Okayama Expressway
Tottori Expressway
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.