is a

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

located in the

Kantō region The is a geography, geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures of Japan, prefectures: Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefe ...

Honshu , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...

. Kanagawa Prefecture is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at . Its geographic area of makes it fifth-smallest. Kanagawa Prefecture borders

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

to the north,

Yamanashi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Yamanashi Prefecture has a population of 787,592 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,465 km2 (1,724 sq mi). Yamanashi Prefecture borders Saitama Prefecture to the n ...

to the northwest and

Shizuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,555,818 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Pref ...

to the west.

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

is the capital and largest city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second-largest city in Japan, with other major cities including Kawasaki, Sagamihara, and Fujisawa. Kanagawa Prefecture is located on Japan's eastern

Pacific coast Pacific coast may be used to reference any coastline that borders the Pacific Ocean. Geography Americas North America Countries on the western side of North America have a Pacific coast as their western or south-western border. One of th ...

Tokyo Bay is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan spanning the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture, on the southern coast of the island of Honshu. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. Th ...

and

Sagami Bay lies south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshu, central Japan, contained within the scope of the Miura Peninsula, in Kanagawa, to the east, the Izu Peninsula, in Shizuoka Prefecture, to the west, and the Shōnan coastline to the north, while the i ...

, separated by the

Miura Peninsula is a peninsula located in Kanagawa, Japan. It lies south of Yokohama and Tokyo and divides Tokyo Bay, to the east, from Sagami Bay, to the west. Cities and towns on the Miura Peninsula include Yokosuka, Miura, Hayama, Zushi, and Kamak ...

, across from

Chiba Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama ...

on the Bōsō Peninsula. Kanagawa Prefecture is part of the

Greater Tokyo Area The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefecture, Gunma, Ibaraki Prefecture, ...

, the most populous

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

in the world, with Yokohama and many of its cities being major commercial hubs and southern

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

s of Tokyo. Kanagawa Prefecture was the political and economic center of Japan during the

Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...

when

Kamakura , officially , is a city of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. It is located in the Kanto region on the island of Honshu. The city has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 people per km2 over the tota ...

was the de facto capital and largest city of Japan as the seat of the

Kamakura shogunate The was the feudal military government of Japan during the Kamakura period from 1185 to 1333. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Kamakura-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 459. The Kamakura shogunate was established by Minamoto no Yori ...

from 1185 to 1333. Kanagawa Prefecture is a popular tourist area in the Tokyo region, with Kamakura and

Hakone is a List of towns in Japan, town in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had a population of 10,965, and total area of . Hakone is a notable spa town and a popular tourist destination due to its many onsen, hot springs being within view of ...

being two popular side trip destinations.

History

The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the

Jōmon period In Japanese history, the is the time between , during which Japan was inhabited by the Jōmon people, a diverse hunter-gatherer and early agriculturalist population united by a common culture, which reached a considerable degree of sedentism an ...

(around 400 BCE). About 3,000 years ago, Mount Hakone produced a volcanic explosion which resulted in Lake Ashi on the western area of the prefecture. It is believed that the

imperial dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...

ruled this area from the 5th century onwards. In the ancient era, its plains were very sparsely inhabited. In medieval Japan, Kanagawa was part of the provinces of Sagami and Musashi.

in central Sagami was the capital of Japan during the

(1185–1333). During the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

, the western part of Sagami Province was governed by the ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...

'' of Odawara Castle, while the eastern part was directly governed by the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

in Edo (modern-day Tokyo). Commodore

Matthew Perry Matthew Langford Perry (August 19, 1969 – October 28, 2023) was an American and Canadian actor, comedian, director and screenwriter. He gained international fame for starring as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom ''Friends'' (1994– ...

landed in Kanagawa in 1853 and 1854 and signed the Convention of Kanagawa to force open Japanese ports to the United States.

, the largest deep-water port in

, was opened to foreign traders in 1859 after several more years of foreign pressure, and eventually developed into the largest trading port in Japan. Nearby

Yokosuka is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has a population of 373,797, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th-most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region. The city i ...

, closer to the mouth of Tokyo Bay, developed as a naval port and now serves as headquarters for the U.S. 7th Fleet and the fleet operations of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. After the

Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

, many foreigners lived in Yokohama City, and visited

. The

Meiji government The was the government that was formed by politicians of the Satsuma Domain and Chōshū Domain in the 1860s. The Meiji government was the early government of the Empire of Japan. Politicians of the Meiji government were known as the Meiji ...

developed the first railways in Japan, from

Shinbashi , sometimes transliterated Shimbashi, is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Name Read literally, the characters in Shinbashi mean "new bridge". History The area was the site of a bridge built across the Shiodome River in 1604. The river was l ...

(in Tokyo) to Yokohama in 1872. The epicenter of the

1923 Great Kantō earthquake The 1923 Great Kantō earthquake (, or ) was a major earthquake that struck the Kantō Plain on the main Japanese island of Honshu at 11:58:32 JST (02:58:32 UTC) on Saturday, 1 September 1923. It had an approximate magnitude of 8.0 on the mom ...

was deep beneath Izu Ōshima Island in Sagami Bay. It devastated Tokyo, the port city of

, surrounding prefectures of Chiba,

Kanagawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

, and Shizuoka, and caused widespread damage throughout the

. The sea receded as much as 400 metres from the shore at Manazuru Point, and then rushed back towards the shore in a great wall of water which swamped Mitsuishi-shima. At

, the total death toll from earthquake, tsunami, and fire exceeded 2,000 victims. At

Odawara is a Cities of Japan, city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 188,482 and a population density of 1,700 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Odawara lies in the Ashigara Plains, in ...

, ninety percent of the buildings collapsed immediately, and subsequent fires burned the rubble along with anything else left standing. Yokohama, Kawasaki, and other major cities were heavily damaged by the U.S. bombing in 1945. Total casualties amounted to more than several thousand. After the war, General

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...

, the

Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers The Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (), or SCAP, was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the United States-led Allied occupation of Japan following World War II. It issued SCAP Directives (alias SCAPIN, SCAP Index Number) ...

for the

Occupation of Japan Japan was occupied and administered by the Allies of World War II from the surrender of the Empire of Japan on September 2, 1945, at the war's end until the Treaty of San Francisco took effect on April 28, 1952. The occupation, led by the ...

, landed in Kanagawa, before moving to other areas. U.S. military bases still remain in Kanagawa, including Camp Zama (

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

), Yokosuka Naval Base,

Naval Air Facility Atsugi is a joint Japan-US naval air base located in the cities of Yamato, Kanagawa, Yamato and Ayase, Kanagawa, Ayase in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy (USN) air base in the Pacific Ocean, and once housed ...

(

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

Demographics

Kanagawa prefecture population pyramid in 2020

In 1945, Kanagawa was the 15th most populous prefecture in Japan, with a population of about 1.9 million. In the years after the war, the prefecture underwent rapid urbanization as a part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The population is estimated to be 9.1 million. Kanagawa became the second most populous prefecture in 2006.

Geography

Prefectural office of Kanagawa in Yokohama

Kanagawa is a relatively small prefecture located at the southeastern corner of the

Kantō Plain The , in the Kantō region of central Honshu, is the largest plain in Japan. Its 17,000 km2 covers more than half of the region extending over Tokyo, Saitama Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture, Tochigi Prefe ...

wedged between Tokyo on the north, the foothills of

Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano located on the Japanese island of Honshu, with a summit elevation of . It is the highest mountain in Japan, the second-highest volcano on any Asian island (after Mount Kerinci on the Indonesian island of Sumatra), a ...

on the northwest, and the

and

on the south and east. The eastern side of the prefecture is relatively flat and heavily urbanized, including the large port cities of

and Kawasaki. The southeastern area nearby the

is less urbanized, with the ancient city of

drawing tourists to temples and shrines. The western part, bordered by

and

on the west, is more mountainous and includes resort areas like

and

. The area, stretching from west to east and from north to south, contains of land, accounting for 0.64% of the total land area of Japan. , 23% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park is a national park in Yamanashi, Shizuoka, and Kanagawa Prefectures, and western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It consists of Mount Fuji, Fuji Five Lakes, Hakone, the Izu Peninsula, and the Izu Islands. Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park covers . Rat ...

; Tanzawa-Ōyama Quasi-National Park; and Jinba Sagamiko, Manazuru Hantō, Okuyugawara, and Tanzawa-Ōyama Prefectural Natural Parks.

Topography

Topographically, the prefecture consists of three distinct areas. The mountainous western region features the Tanzawa Mountain Range and the volcano Mount Hakone. The hilly eastern region is characterized by the

Tama Hills is an area of hills stretching across southwest Tokyo and northeast Kanagawa Prefecture in the Kantō Plain on Honshū, Japan. Its total area is approximately 300 km2. The Tama River marks its northeastern boundary. The Tama Hills border th ...

and

. The central region, which surrounds the Tama Hills and Miura Peninsula, consists of flat stream terraces and low lands around major rivers including the

Sagami River The is a river in Kanagawa and Yamanashi Prefectures on the island of Honshū, Japan. The upper reaches of the river in Yamanashi prefecture are also sometimes known as the , and the portion near the river mouth as the . The river overall was ...

, Sakai River,

Tsurumi River The is a river in Kanagawa and Tokyo Prefectures on Honshū, Japan. It begins in Kamioyamada-machi, Machida and flows 42.5 kilometers before emptying into Tokyo Bay is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan spanning the coast ...

, and

Tama River The is a major river in Yamanashi Prefecture, Yamanashi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa and Tokyo Prefectures on Honshū, Japan. It is officially classified as a Class 1 river by the Government of Japan, Japanese government. It is long, an ...

. The

forms much of the boundary between Kanagawa and Tokyo. The

flows through the middle of the prefecture. In the western region, the Sakawa runs through a small lowland, the Sakawa Lowland, between Mount Hakone to the west and the Ōiso Hills to the east, and flows into Sagami Bay. The Tanzawa Mountain Range, part of the Kantō Mountain Range, contains

Mount Hiru Mount Hiru (蛭ヶ岳 ''Hiru-ga-take'') is the tallest mountain of the Tanzawa Mountains with a height of . Gallery Image:Mt.Hirugatake from Mt.Onigaiwanoatama01.JPG, Image:Tanzawa-shumyaku from Mt.Nabewari.jpg, Image:Tanzawa-shumyaku from ...

(), the highest peak in the prefecture. Other mountains measure similar mid-range heights: Mount Hinokiboramaru (), Mount Tanzawa, (), Mount Ōmuro (), Mount Himetsugi (), and Mount Usu (). The mountain range is lower in height southward leading to Hadano Basin to the Ōiso Hills. At the eastern foothills of the mountain range lies the Isehara Plateau and across the Sagami River the Sagamino plateau.

Cities

Nineteen cities are located in Kanagawa Prefecture. *

Atsugi is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 223,960 and a population density of 2400 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . While the name "Atsugi" is often associated with the United ...

* Ayase *

Chigasaki is a Cities of Japan, city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 242,798 and a population density of 6800 people per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography The city is located on the eastern ban ...

* Ebina * Fujisawa * Hadano * Hiratsuka * Isehara *

* Kawasaki * Minamiashigara * Miura *

* Sagamihara *

Yamato was originally the area around today's Sakurai, Nara, Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a Names of Japan, name for the whole of Japan. Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial ...

(capital) *

* Zama * Zushi

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

: * Aikō District ** Aikawa ** Kiyokawa * Ashigarakami District ** Kaisei **

Matsuda Matsuda (written: lit. "pine ricefield") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese badminton athlete * Aoko Matsuda (松田青子, born 1979), Japanese writer and translator * Eiji Matsuda (1894–1978), Mexican ...

** Nakai ** Ōi ** Yamakita * Ashigarashimo District **

** Manazuru **

Yugawara is a List of towns in Japan, town located in Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 23,267 and a population density of 570 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Geography Yugaw ...

* Kōza District **

Samukawa is a List of towns in Japan, town located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 48,679 and a population density of 3600 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Geography Samukawa is located in the fl ...

* Miura District ** Hayama * Naka District ** Ninomiya **

Ōiso file:OISO.jpg, 260px, Ōiso Long Beach resort is a List of towns in Japan, town located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 31,262 and a population density of 1820 persons per km². The total area of the town ...

Mergers

Festivals and events

*Chigasaki Hamaori Festival (July) *Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival (July) *Kamakura Festival (April) *Odawara Hōjō Godai Festival (May) *Tama River Firework event *Yokohama Port Anniversary Festival (June) *Yugawara Kifune Festival (July)

Transportation

Kanagawa's transport network is heavily intertwined with that of Tokyo (''see: Transportation in Greater Tokyo''). Shin-Yokohama and

stations on the

Tōkaidō Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the San'yō Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opening in 19 ...

are located in the prefecture, providing high-speed rail service to Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and other major cities.

Railways

East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in ...

** Tōkaidō Main Line **

Nambu Line The Nambu Line () is a Japanese railway line which connects Tachikawa Station in Tachikawa, Tokyo and Kawasaki Station in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. For most of its length, it parallels the Tama River, the natural border between Tokyo and Kanagawa prefec ...

Tsurumi Line The Tsurumi Line () is a group of 3 railway lines operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Originally built to service the port and adjacent industrial area, the lines provide passenger services (especia ...

** Yokohama Line **

Negishi Line The Negishi Line () is a Japanese railway line which connects Yokohama Station, Yokohama and Ōfuna Station, Ōfuna stations. It is operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Freight trains also operate on this line, and it is essential f ...

Yokosuka Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The Yokosuka Line connects Tokyo Station with in Yokosuka, Kanagawa. Officially, the name Yokosuka Line is assigned to the segment between and Kurihama sta ...

Sagami Line The is a railway line in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It approximately parallels the east bank of the Sagami River. The line connects Hashimoto Station (Kanagawa), Hashimoto Station in Sagami ...

** Chūō Main Line *

Central Japan Railway Company is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and occasionally as JR Tokai (). The term ''Tōkai'' refers to the southern portion of Central Japan, ...

Tokaido Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the San'yō Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opening in 19 ...

** Gotemba Line *

Keikyu (), also known as or, more recently, , is a private railroad that connects inner Tokyo to Kawasaki, Yokohama, Yokosuka and other points on the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture. It also provides rail access to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. ...

** Main Line ** Daishi Line ** Kurihama Line ** Zushi Line * Odakyu ** Odawara Line ** Enoshima Line ** Tama Line * Sagami Railway ** Main Line ** Izumino Line ** Shin-Yokohama Line * Tokyu ** Tōyoko Line **

Den-en-toshi Line The is a major commuter line operated by the private railway operator Tokyu Corporation and connecting south-western suburbs of Tokyo and neighbouring Kanagawa Prefecture, with its western terminus of , to a major railway junction of western dow ...

** Ōimachi Line ** Meguro Line *

Minatomirai Line The Minatomirai 21 Line (みなとみらい21線 ''Minato-mirai-21-sen''), commonly known as the Minatomirai Line (みなとみらい線 ''Minatomirai-sen''), is a subway line in Yokohama, Japan that runs from Yokohama Station to Motomachi-Ch� ...

* Keio ** Sagamihara Line * Izuhakone Railway ** Daiyūzan Line * Enoshima Electric Railway

Subways

Yokohama Municipal Subway is the rapid transit network in the city of Yokohama, Japan, south of Tokyo in Kanagawa Prefecture. It is operated by Yokohama City Transportation Bureau as two lines, though three continuous lines exist. Lines The Yokohama Municipa ...

**Blue Line **Green Line

Monorail

* Shonan Monorail

People movers

* Kanazawa Seaside Line

Road

Expressway

* Chūō Expressway *

Shuto Expressway The is a network of Toll road, tolled expressways in the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is operated and maintained by the . Most routes are Grade separation, grade separated and have many sharp curves and multi-lane merges that require cauti ...

* Tōmei Expressway * Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line

National highways

* Route 1 * Route 15 * Route 16 * Route 20 * Route 129 (Hiratsuka-Atsugi-Sagamihara) * Route 132 * Route 133 * Route 134 * Route 135 ( Shimoda– Atami-Odawara) * Route 138 * Route 246 (

Chiyoda, Tokyo , known as Chiyoda City in English,
." ''City of Chiyoda''. Retrieved on December 28, 2008. is a S ...

-Kawasaki- Machida-Atsugi-Isehara- Gotenba– Numazu) * Route 255 * Route 357 ( Chiba–

Funabashi is a Cities of Japan, city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 644,668 in 309,238 households and a population density of . The total area of the city is . It is the Greater Tokyo Area's 7th most populat ...

– Daiba of Tokyo-Yokohama-Yokosuka) * Route 409 * Route 412 * Route 413 (

Fujiyoshida is a Cities of Japan, city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 48,782 in 19,806 households and a population density of 400 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Fujiyoshida lie ...

– Lake Yamanaka-Sagamihara) * Route 466 (

Setagaya, Tokyo is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in the Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. It is also the name of a neighborhood and administrative district within the ward. Its official bird is the azure-winged magpie, its flower is the Habenaria radi ...

-Kawasaki-Yokohama) * Route 467

Ports

*Misaki Port – Ferry Route to Kisarazu * Yokohama Port – International container hub port

Education

The Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education manages and oversees individual municipal school districts. The board of education also directly operates most of the public high schools in the prefecture.

University facilities

*Kawasaki **

Keio University , abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university located in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally established as a school for Rangaku, Western studies in 1858 in Edo. It was granted university status in 1920, becomi ...

– Shin Kawasaki Campus **

Meiji University is a Private university, private research university in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Originally founded as Meiji Law School () by three lawyers in 1881, it became a university in April 1920. As of May 2023, Meiji has 32,261 undergradu ...

– Ikuta Campus ** Senshu University – Ikuta Campus **

Japan Women's University is the oldest and largest of private Japanese women's universities. The university was established on 20 April 1901 by education reformist . The university has around 6000 students and 200 faculty. It has two campuses, named after the neighbo ...

** Showa University of Music ** Den-en Chofu University – Aso Ward ** Nippon Medical School **St. Marianna University, School of Medicine – Miyamae **Japan Cinema School ** Tokyo City University – Aso Ward *Yokohama **

Tokyo Institute of Technology The Tokyo Institute of Technology () was a public university in Meguro, Tokyo, Japan. It merged with Tokyo Medical and Dental University to form the Institute of Science Tokyo on 1 October 2024. The Tokyo Institute of Technology was a De ...

– Suzukakedai **

Tokyo University of the Arts or is a school of art and music in Japan. Located in Ueno Park, it also has facilities in Toride, Ibaraki, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Kitasenju and Adachi, Tokyo. The university has trained artists in the fields of painting, sculpture, crafts, inter ...

– Naka Ward ** Yokohama National University – Hodogaya ** Yokohama City University – Kanazawa Ward ** Kanagawa University – Kanagawa Ward **

Kanto Gakuin University is a private university located in Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Japan. History It traces its roots to The Baptist Theological Seminary of Yokohama established by Albert Arnold Bennett, a missionary of the American Baptist Churches, American Baptist ...

– Kanazawa Ward ** Toin University of Yokohama – Aoba Ward ** Tsurumi University – Tsurumi Ward ** Yokohama College of Commerce – Tsurumi Ward ** Yokohama College of Pharmacy – Totsuka Ward **

– Hiyoshi Campus **Tokyo City University – Tsuzuki Ward ** Meiji Gakuin University – Totsuka Ward ** Nippon Sport Science University – Aoba Ward ** Toyo Eiwa University – Midori Ward ** Kokugakuin University – Tama Plaza ** Senzoku Gakuen College of Music *Sagamihara **

Aoyama Gakuin University is a private Christian university in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Originally established in 1874 by missionaries from the Methodist Episcopal Church, it was reconfigured in its current form in 1949 as tertiary component of the Aoyama Gakuin. The u ...

Azabu University is a private university in Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1890. The school has no relation to Azabu High School in Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capita ...

** Kitasato University ** Sagami Women's University **Obirin University **Joshi University of Art and Design **

Teikyo University is a private university headquartered in the Itabashi, Tokyo, Itabashi ward of Tokyo, Japan. It was established in 1931 as Teikyo shogyo, Commercial High School (帝京商業高等学校). It became Teikyo University in 1966. It is part of Teik ...

*Yokosuka ** Kanagawa Dental College ** Kanagawa University of Human Services * Hiratsuka **

Tokai University is a private non-sectarian higher education institution located in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded by Dr. Shigeyoshi Matsumae. It was accredited under Japan's old educational system in 1946 and under the new system in 1950. In 2008, Tokai Uni ...

– Hiratsuka Campus ** Shoin University – Hiratsuka Campus **Kanagawa University *Isehara **Tokai University – Isehara Campus ** Sanno University *Odawara **Kanto Gakuin University – Odawara Campus ** International University of Health and Welfare *Chigasaki ** Bunkyo University – Chigasaki Campus *Atsugi ** Shoin University **

Tokyo University of Agriculture The , abbreviated as Nodai (農大, ''nōdai'') or Tokyo nodai (東京農大, ''Tōkyō nōdai''), is a private university of agriculture in Japan. Tokyo University of Agriculture is a Japanese private university headquartered at 1-1-1 Sakurag ...

– Atsugi Campus ** Kanagawa Institute of Technology **

Tokyo Polytechnic University is a private university in Honchō, Tokyo, Honchō, Nakano, Tokyo. Its nickname is ''Shadai'' (写大). It was formerly known as Tokyo College of Photography (, ''Tōkyō Shashin Daigaku''). The university was founded as Konishi Professional Sc ...

– Atsugi Campus *Hayama ** Graduate University for Advanced Studies

Sports

Facilities

Football and athletics

* Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium *Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium ( Mitsuzawa Stadium)—in Yokohama, only for football *Nissan Stadium ( International Stadium Yokohama)—in Yokohama, the final venue of

2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea/Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...

FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup (FIFA CWC) is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (FIFA), the sport's global sports governing body, governing body. The compe ...

in 2005–2007 and

2019 Rugby World Cup The 2019 Rugby World Cup () was the ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's rugby union teams. It was hosted in Japan from 20 September to 2 November in 12 venues all across the country. The opening matc ...

* Todoroki Athletics Stadium—in Kawasaki, the final venue of 2007 IFAF World Cup (American football).

Baseball

* Kawasaki Stadium—former homeground of Taiyo Whales (now Yokohama BayStars) and Lotte Orions (now

Chiba Lotte Marines The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba, Chiba, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by Lotte Holdings, Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd. The Marines were a founding member of the Pacific Le ...

). * Yokohama Stadium—for baseball ( Yokohama DeNA BayStars) and hosted

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

* Yokosuka Stadium—home field of Shonan Searex, minor league team of Yokohama BayStars

Indoor

*Odawara Arena—2020 Kanagawa Pre-Games training facilities * Todoroki Arena—in Kawasaki and multi-purpose venue (including basketball) *

Yokohama Arena is an indoor arena located in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden in New York City. It is a five-minute walk from the ...

—also for music concert *

Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium , abbreviated to , was an indoor sports arena located in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 5,000 people and was opened in 1962. It is a five-minute walk from the closest subway station, Kannai Station, on the JR/ Yokoha ...

—a volleyball venue of

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subseq ...

in Tokyo

Other

Enoshima is a small offshore island, about in circumference, at the mouth of the Katase River which flows into the Sagami Bay of Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Administratively, Enoshima is part of the mainland city of Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Fujisawa, and is ...

Yacht Course—used for

. *

Hakone Ekiden , officially called the , is one of the most prominent university ''ekiden'' (relay marathon) races of the year held between Tokyo and Hakone in Japan on January 2 and 3. The race is telecast on Nippon Television. This two-day race from Ōtemac ...

Course—from Tokyo to

, 108.0 km, mostly on Japan National Route 1 and Route 15. Runners run on the divided route for ten parts on January 2 (to Hakone) and January 3 (to Tokyo) every year. * Lake Sagami—hosted

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or Canadian. A few of the recreational ...

and

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

for the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Teams

Association football

* Kawasaki Frontale ( Kawasaki)—Todoroki Athletics *

Shonan Bellmare is a Japanese professional football club based in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture, part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. Their home stadium is Hiratsuk ...

( Hiratsuka,

and some cities and towns in central and western area of Kanagawa)—Hiratsuka Athletic Stadium (football) and Odawara Arena (futsal) * Yokohama F.C. (

)—Mitsuzawa Ballpark * Yokohama F. Marinos (

)—Nissan Stadium

Baseball

* Yokohama BayStars (

)—Yokohama Stadium, and Yokosuka Stadium (for its farm team, " Shonan Searex").

Basketball

* Toshiba Brave Thunders Kanagawa ( Kawasaki)— Todoroki Arena

Volleyball

* NEC Red Rockets ( Kawasaki)—Todoroki Arena

Visitors attractions and places of interest

* Yokohama Chinatown * Yokohama Municipal Children's Botanical Garden * Yokohama War Cemetery

Notable people

* Ryoko Mima (born 1984), model and entertainer

International relations

Kanagawa Prefecture has sister relationships with these places: *

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, United States (1981) *

Liaoning Province ) , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = Clockwise: Mukden Palace in Shenyang, Xinghai Square in Dalian, Dalian coast, Yalu River at Dandong , image_map = Liaoning in China (+all claims hatched).svg , ...

, China (1983) *

Odesa Oblast Odesa Oblast (), also referred to as Odeshchyna (Одещина), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) of southwestern Ukraine, located along the northern coast of the Black Sea. Its administrative centre is the city of Ode ...

, Ukraine (1986) *

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...

, Germany (1989) *

Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi Province (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Seoul, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administered as a provincial-level ''special city'' since 1946. Incheon, ...

, Republic of Korea (1990) *

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia (1990) *

Penang Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...

, Malaysia (1991) *

Västra Götaland County Västra Götaland County () is a county or '' län'' on the western coast of Sweden. The county is the second most populous of Sweden's counties and it comprises 49 municipalities (''kommuner''). Its population of 1,616,000 amounts to 17% of S ...

, Sweden (1998) *

Aguascalientes Aguascalientes, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Aguascalientes, is one of the 32 states which comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. At 22°N and with an average altitude of above sea level it is pre ...

, México (2013)

In popular culture

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

's stage musical '' Pacific Overtures'', about the "opening" of Japan to Western influence by Commodore Perry, contains the song "Welcome to Kanagawa". *The main team in the Japanese

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

and

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

series ''

Slam Dunk A slam dunk, also simply known as a dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with on ...

'', Shohoku, is from Kanagawa. *The Hinata Inn and surrounding town from the

and

series '' Love Hina'' are located in Kanagawa. *The Japanese

series ''

Elfen Lied is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Lynn Okamoto. It was serialized in Shueisha's Seinen manga, manga magazine ''Weekly Young Jump'' from June 2002 to August 2005, with its 107 chapters collected into twelve volumes. ''El ...

'' takes place in Kanagawa, mainly in Kamakura and Enoshima (Fujisawa). *The Japanese

series '' S-CRY-ED'' takes place in Kanagawa Prefecture, after a seismic event raises it from the ground. *The Japanese

and

series '' Kenkō Zenrakei Suieibu Umishō'' takes place in the fictional Kanagawa city of Umineko. *The Japanese

series ''

Gundam Wing ''Mobile Suit Gundam Wing'', also known in Japan as , is a 1995 Japanese mecha anime series directed by Masashi Ikeda and written by Katsuyuki Sumizawa. It is the sixth installment in the ''Gundam'' franchise, taking place in the "After ...

s early episodes feature Kanagawa prominently, mainly Yokohama and Yokosuka. *The Japanese

and

series '' Area no Kishi'' takes place in Kanagawa, mostly Kamakura. *The Japanese

and

series '' Anonymous Noise'' takes place in Kanagawa, mostly Kamakura (Kamakura Yuigahama Beach). *The Japanese

and

series '' Hamatora'' takes place in Kanagawa, mainly in Yokohama. *The Japanese

and

series '' His and Her Circumstances'' takes place in Kanagawa Prefecture, mainly in Kawasaki city and

. *The Japanese

and

series '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'' takes place in Tokyo-3, which is located in the village of

, in the Ashigarashimo District *A team from the Japanese

and

series '' Kuroko's Basketball'', Kaijo, is from Kanagawa. *The manga ''Shonan Junai Gum''i, along with its prequel ''

Bad Company Bad Company were an English rock supergroup formed in London in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke (both ex- Free), guitarist Mick Ralphs (ex- Mott the Hoople) and bassist Boz Burrell (ex-King Crimson). Kirke was the only m ...

'', and the sequel '' Great Teacher Onizukas spin off '' GTO: 14 Days in Shonan'', are set in Shonan, in Kanagawa *The Japanese

and

series '' Yowamushi Pedal'', Hakone Academy is from Hakone, Kanagawa. *The Japanese

and

series '' Initial D'' Fifth Stage is set in Kanagawa, and Final Stage is set in

. *The Japanese

and

series ''

Bungo Stray Dogs , also abbreviated as ''B-S-D'', is a Japanese manga series written by Kafka Asagiri and illustrated by Sango Harukawa, which has been serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Seinen manga, manga magazine ''Young Ace'' since 2012. Each cha ...

'' is set in Yokohama. *The Japanese

and

series '' Aoi Hana'' is set in Kamakura. *The Japanese

and

series '' Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai'' takes place in various places in Kanagawa Prefecture, such as Fujisawa and

. *The Japanese

and

series '' Astro Fighter Sunred'' is set in Kanagawa Prefecture, specifically Kawasaki City and the area around the

. *It's never been said, but the Japanese manga series Komi-San Wa Komyushou Desu is set in Kanagawa. One of the characters lives in a building complex in the city of

that exists in real life.

Citations

General references

* Hammer, Joshua (2006). ''Yokohama Burning: The Deadly 1923 Earthquake and Fire that Helped Forge the Path to World War II''. New York: Simon & Schuster. ; . * Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth (2005)
''Japan Encyclopedia''
Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ; .

External links

Kanagawa Prefecture Official Website

Kanagawa Prefecture Tourism Website
* {{Authority control Kantō region Prefectures of Japan

History

Demographics

Geography

Topography

Cities

Towns and villages

Mergers

Festivals and events

Transportation

Railways

Subways

Monorail

People movers

Road

Expressway

National highways

Ports

Education

University facilities

Sports

Facilities

Football and athletics

Baseball

Indoor

Other

Teams

Association football

Baseball

Basketball

Volleyball

Visitors attractions and places of interest

Notable people

International relations

In popular culture

See also

Citations

General references

External links