Miyagi Prefecture

is located in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island, Japan. The capital is Sendai.

History

Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Date Masamune built a castle at Sendai as his seat to rule Mutsu. In 1871, Sendai Prefecture was formed. It was renamed Miyagi prefecture the following year.

Geography

Miyagi Prefecture is located in the central part of Tōhoku, facing the Pacific Ocean, and contains Tohoku's largest city, Sendai. There are high mountains on the west and along the northeast coast, but the central plain around Sendai is fairly large.

Matsushima is known as one of the three most scenic views of Japan, with a bay full of 260 small island covered in pine groves.

Oshika Peninsula projects from the northern coastline of the prefecture.

Cities

13 cities are located in Miyagi Prefecture.

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district.

Mergers

Through nine separate mergers under the revised municipality merger promotion law, which was designed to streamline local governments and decrease the burdens of small towns throughout the country, the total municipality count in Miyagi Prefecture was reduced from 71 to 36.

On April 1, 2003, the town of Kami (in Kami District was formed from a merger between three towns in the district: Miyazaki, Nakaniida, and Onoda.

On April 1, 2005, the towns of Naruse and Yamoto (in the former Monou district) merged and created the city of Higashimatsushima. This merger, combined with the simultaneous Ishinomaki expansion, dissolved Monou district.

On April 1, 2005, all towns and villages in the Kurihara district (dissolved by this action) merged and created the city of Kurihara. One village and nine towns were involved in the merger. They were the towns of Ichihasama, Kannari, Kurikoma, Semine, Shiwahime, Takashimizu, Tsukidate, Wakayanagi, and the village of Hanayama.

On April 1, 2005, all towns in the Tome district (dissolved by this action) merged with Tsuyama town in the Motoyoshi district and created the city of Tome. Nine towns merged, which were Hasama, Ishikoshi, Minamikata, Nakada, Tome, Towa, Toyosato, Tsuyama, and Yoneyama

On April 1, 2005, five towns from the Monou District and Oshika town from the Oshika District merged with the city of Ishinomaki to create the new city of Ishinomaki. This expansion, combined with the Higashimatsushima merger, dissolved Monou district. The five towns from Monou district were Kahoku, Kanan, Kitakami, Monou and Ogatsu.

On October 1, 2005, the town of Shizugawa and the town of Utatsu from the Motoyoshi District merged to form the new town of Minamisanriku.

On January 1, 2006, the towns of Kogota and Nangou from Toda District merged into the new town of Misato.

On March 31, 2006, the city of Kesennuma merged with the town of Karakuwa from Motoyoshi District to create the new city of Kesennuma.

On March 31, 2006, the city of Furukawa merged with the towns of Iwadeyama and Naruko from Tamatsukuri District and Kashimadai, Matsuyama and Sanbongi from Shida District and Tajiri from Toda District to create the new city of Osaki. Tamatsukuri District and Shida District were dissolved as a result of this merger.

Economy

Although Miyagi has a good deal of fishing and agriculture, producing a great deal of rice and livestock, it is dominated by the manufacturing industries around Sendai, particularly electronics, appliances, and food processing.

Demographics

Culture

Tourism Attractions

Sendai was the castle town of the daimyo Date Masamune. The remains of Sendai Castle stand on a hill above the city.

Miyagi Prefecture boasts one of Japan's three greatest sights. Matsushima, the pine-clad islands, dot the waters off the coast of the prefecture.

Prefectural symbols

Miscellaneous topics

External links

Official Miyagi Prefecture homepage last accessed on July 9, 2006
Official information of each merger in Miyagi Prefecture last accessed on July 9, 2006

Miyagi Prefecture | Tohoku region | Prefectures of Japan

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