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

Chūgoku region The , also known as the region, is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 7,328,339 ...

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 ...

. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,826,059 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 7,114 km² (2,746

sq mi The square mile (abbreviated as sq mi and sometimes as mi2)Rowlett, Russ (September 1, 2004) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved February 22, 2012. is an imperial and US unit of measure for area. One square mile is equa ...

). Okayama Prefecture borders

Tottori Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Tottori Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, least populous prefecture of Japan at 538,525 (2023) and has a geographic area of . ...

to the north,

Hyōgo Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to th ...

to the east, and Hiroshima Prefecture to the west.

Okayama is the prefectural capital, capital Cities of Japan, city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The Okayama metropolitan area, centered around the city, has the largest urban employment zone in the Chugoku region of western J ...

is the capital and largest city of Okayama Prefecture, with other major cities including Kurashiki, Tsuyama, and

Sōja file:Bitchu Kokubunji, zenkei.jpg, 270px, Bitchū Kokubun-ji is a Cities of Japan, city located in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 69,428 and a population density of 330 persons per km2. The total area of the ...

. Okayama Prefecture's south is located on the

Seto Inland Sea The , sometimes shortened to the Inland Sea, is the body of water separating Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, three of the four main islands of Japan. It serves as a waterway connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan. It connects to Osaka Ba ...

coast across from

Kagawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kagawa Prefecture has a population of 949,358 (as of 2020) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, smallest prefecture by geographic area at . Kagawa Pr ...

on the island of

Shikoku is the smallest of the List of islands of Japan#Main islands, four main islands of Japan. It is long and between at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu ...

, which are connected by the Great Seto Bridge, while the north is characterized by the Chūgoku Mountains.

History

Prior to the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

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 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 ...

(1868–1912), and the borders of the prefecture were set in 1876.

Geography

Okayama Prefecture borders

, and Hiroshima Prefecture. It faces

across the

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

. 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

Okayama city view from Sankunjinja remains

Fifteen cities are located in Okayama Prefecture:

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 ...

Mergers

Demographics

Okayama prefecture population pyramid in 2020

Per Japanese census data, and, Okayama prefecture has had continual negative population growth since 2005

Education

Universities

* Okayama ** Notre Dame Seishin University ** Okayama Shoka University ** Okayama University ** Okayama University of Science ** Sanyo Gakuen University ** Shujitsu University * Kurashiki ** Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare ** Kurashiki Sakuyo University ** Okayama Gakuin University * Soja ** Okayama Prefectural University * Tsuyama ** Mimasaka University * Niimi ** Niimi Public University

High schools

* Okayama **Kurashiki High School **Okayama Asahi Senior High School ** Okayama Takahashi High School **Okayama Ichinomiya Senior High School **Okayama Hosen Senior High School **Okayama Joto Senior High School **Okayama Sakuyo High School **Okayama Sozan Senior High School

Transportation

Rail

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...

** Ako Line ** Geibi Line ** Inbi Line ** Hakubi Line ** Kibi Line **

Kishin Line is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) between Himeji, Hyōgo and Niimi, Okayama, Japan. The name of the line comes from the first kanji of Himeji () and Niimi () which the line connects. Stations *S: Trains stop *s: ...

** Sanyo Shinkansen ** Sanyo Line **

Tsuyama Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting and in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Stations All-stations and limited-stop services called operate over the line. In the "Rapid" column in the table below, "O ...

** Uno Line * JR West and JR Shikoku ** Honshi-bisan Line ** Seto-Ōhashi Line * Chizu Express * Ibara Railway * Mizushima Rinkai Railway

Tramways

* Okayama Electric Tramway

Roads

Expressways

* Chugoku Expressway * Okayama Expressway * Sanyo Expressway * Seto Central Expressway * Tottori Expressway * Yonago Expressway

National highways

* Route 2 (

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

Kobe Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...

Himeji 260px, Himeji City Hall is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of 980 persons per km2. The total area of the city is ...

-Bizen-Okayama-Kurashiki-Asakuchi- Onomichi-

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...

Shūnan file:Tokuyama district Shunan city Aerial photograph.2008.jpg, 270px, Shūnan city center is a Cities of Japan, city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 137,019 in 6828 households and a population density o ...

Shimonoseki file:141122 Shimonoseki City Hall Yamaguchi pref Japan01s3.jpg, 260px, Shimonoseki city hall is a Cities of Japan, city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 248,193 in 128,762 households and a pop ...

Kitakyushu is a Cities of Japan, city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fuk ...

) * Route 30 (Okayama-Uno-

Takamatsu file:Takamatsu City Hall.jpg, 270px, Takamatsu City Hall file:Takamatsu city center area Aerial photograph.2007.jpg, 270px, Aerial view of Takamatsu city center file:Takamatsu200910cut.JPG, 270px, View from Yashima to Takashima port is a capital ...

* Route 53 (Okayama-Tsuyama- Tottori) * Route 179 * Route 180 (Okayama-Takahashi-Niimi) * Route 181 (Tsuyama-Maniwa-

Yonago is a Cities of Japan, city in western Tottori Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 146,139 in 68,534 households and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It is the prefecture's second ...

Yasugi is a Cities of Japan, city located in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 35,965 in 14257 households and a population density of 85 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Yasugi is located ...

- 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 is a Folk hero, popular hero of Japanese folklore. His name is often translated as ''Peach Boy'', but is directly translated as ''Peach + Tarō (given name), Tarō'', a common Japanese given name. ''Momotarō'' is also the title of various books, ...

. 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.

Arts

* Inryoji Temple *

Hayashibara Museum of Art The is an art museum owned by the Hayashibara Group, and located at 2-7-15 Marunouchi, Kita-ku, Okayama, Japan. It is on the site of a former guesthouse beside the inner moat of Okayama Castle. Its 6,832 square meter interior was designed by Ku ...

* Okayama Orient Museum * Okayama Prefectural Museum * Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art * Okayama Symphony Hall * Yumeji Art Museum

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Okayama.

Football

* Fagiano Okayama FC ( Okayama city) * Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima FC ( Kurashiki)

Volleyball

* Okayama Seagulls ( Okayama city)

Basketball

* Tryhoop Okayama (B3 League, Okayama city)

Tourism

Some tourist attractions are: * , Kurashiki * , Ibara Town (following dissolution of Bisei Town) * Bitchu Matsuyama Castle, Takahashi * Brazilian Park Washuzan Highland, Kurashiki * Kakuzan Park, Tsuyama * Koraku-en Japanese garden in Okayama *

Ki Castle was an ancient ''kōgoishi'' type castle located in the city of Sōja, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Its ruins have been protected as a Historic Sites of Japan, National Historic Site since 1986. Portions of the castle were Reconstruction (arch ...

, Sōja * Maki-do Cave, in Niimi * Ohara Museum of Art, Kurashiki * Okayama Castle, Okayama * Shizutani School, Bizen

Notable people

* Yuko Arimori (born 1966), marathon runner * Kenji Doihara (1883–1948), army officer * Tesshō Genda (born 1948), voice actor * Morihiro Hashimoto (1977–2017), darts player * Naoki Hoshino (1892–1978), politician *

Koshi Inaba is a Japanese singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock duo B'z, the best-selling music act in their native Japan. He also has a successful solo career, with six studio albums and ...

(born 1964), singer * Masaki Kajishima (born 1962), creator of '' Tenchi Muyo!'' * Shiro Kawase (1889–1946), admiral * Sadahiko Miyake (1891–1956), general * Chiura Obata (1885–1975), artist * Mori Takashi, former member of '' Gentouki'' * Yōji Takikawa (born 1949), pedagogist * Mutsuo Toi (1917–1938), perpetrator of the Tsuyama massacre *

Inukai Tsuyoshi Inukai Tsuyoshi (, 4 June 1855 – 15 May 1932) was a Japanese statesman who was Prime Minister of Japan, prime minister of Japan from 1931 to his assassination in 1932. At the age of 76, Inukai was Japan's second oldest serving prime minister, ...

(1855–1932), former

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

of Japan * Jiro Watanabe (born 1955), boxer * Takeo Yasuda (1889–1964), lieutenant general * Eisuke Yoshiyuki (1906–1940), author * Fujii Kaze (born 1997), singer * Nishimura Riki, also known as Ni-ki of ENHYPEN (born 2005), K-pop idol, dancer, singer, rapper * Issei Mamehara (born 2002), singer, dancer, member of JO1

Notes

References

* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth (2005)
''Japan Encyclopedia''
Cambridge:

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is an academic publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University. It is a member of the Association of University Presses. Its director since 2017 is George Andreou. The pres ...

. ; .

External links

*
Official tourism site
* * {{Authority control Chūgoku region Prefectures of Japan