| Okayama Prefecture | |||||||||||
| Settlement Type: | Prefecture | ||||||||||
| Translit Lang1: | Japanese | ||||||||||
| Translit Lang1 Type: | Japanese | ||||||||||
| Translit Lang1 Info: | Japanese: 岡山県 | ||||||||||
| Translit Lang1 Type1: | Rōmaji | ||||||||||
| Translit Lang1 Info1: | Japanese: Okayama-ken | ||||||||||
| Flag Size: | 100px | ||||||||||
| Image Blank Emblem: | Emblem of Okayama Prefecture.svg | ||||||||||
| Blank Emblem Size: | 80px | ||||||||||
| Blank Emblem Type: | Symbol | ||||||||||
| Subdivision Type: | Country | ||||||||||
| Subdivision Name: |  Japan | ||||||||||
| Subdivision Type1: | Region | ||||||||||
| Subdivision Name1: | Chūgoku (Sanyō) | ||||||||||
| Subdivision Type2: | Island | ||||||||||
| Subdivision Name2: | Honshu | ||||||||||
| Seat Type: | Capital | ||||||||||
| Seat: | Okayama | ||||||||||
| Parts Type: | Subdivisions | ||||||||||
| Parts Style: | para | ||||||||||
| P1: | Districts 10 | ||||||||||
| P2: | Municipalities 27 | ||||||||||
| Leader Title: | Governor | ||||||||||
| Leader Name: | Ryūta Ibaragi | ||||||||||
| Area Total Km2: | 7,114.50 | ||||||||||
| Area Water Percent: | 0.3 | ||||||||||
| Area Rank: | 17th | ||||||||||
| Population Total: | 1,906,464 | ||||||||||
| Population As Of: | 1 February 2018 | ||||||||||
| Population Rank: | 21st | ||||||||||
| Population Density Km2: | auto | ||||||||||
| Demographics Type2: | GDP | ||||||||||
| Demographics2 Footnotes: | [1] | ||||||||||
| Demographics2 Title1: | Total | ||||||||||
| Demographics2 Info1: | JP¥ 7,842 billion US$ 71.9 billion (2019) | ||||||||||
| Iso Code: | JP-33 | ||||||||||
| Anthem: | Okayama-ken no uta | ||||||||||
| Module: |
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is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu.[2] 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.[3] [4] [5] 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.
See also: Historic Sites of Okayama Prefecture. 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.[6]
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.[7]
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.[8]
See also: List of cities in Okayama Prefecture by population. Fifteen cities are located in Okayama Prefecture:
These are the towns and villages in each district:
| Name | Area (km2) | Population | District | Type | Map | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rōmaji | Kanji | ||||||
| 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 | ||
See main article: List of mergers in Okayama Prefecture.
Per Japanese census data,[9] and,[10] Okayama prefecture has had continual negative population growth since 2005
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.[12]
The sports teams listed below are based in Okayama.
Some tourist attractions are: