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Toyama Prefecture

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Toyama Prefecture is a beautiful place in Japan. It sits in the Chūbu region on the island of Honshu.

Toyama Prefectural Office Building01st3200
Toyama Prefectural Office Building01st3200

To the north, it meets the Sea of Japan. Many people live near Toyama Bay, which is one of the largest bays in the country. The prefecture is surrounded by other places like Ishikawa to the west and Nagano to the east. It also borders Gifu to the south and Niigata to the northeast. Toyama is the name of its largest city and capital.

The land in Toyama is very special and full of nature. About 30% of the area is part of protected national parks. These include the Chūbu-Sangaku and Hakusan National Parks.

Kurobe Dam (14894503080)
Kurobe Dam (14894503080)

One amazing thing is that Toyama has the only known glaciers in East Asia outside of Russia. These were first recognized in 2012. The mountains also provide lots of water. This water flows down from Mount Tate to help people. This water is used for farming and for making electricity. For example, the Kurobe Dam uses the Kurobe River to create power.

Toyama has a long and changing history. A long time ago, the area was known as Etchū Province. In 1871, the way Japan was organized changed. The area became Niikawa Prefecture for a short time. Later, it was merged into Ishikawa Prefecture. However, the people re-established Toyama Prefecture in 1881. Since 1947, the prefecture has had many different leaders called governors. The current governor is Hachirō Nitta.

Today, Toyama is a very busy place for work and life. It is a leader in making things along the Japan Sea coast. People there make many things like medicines, metal products, and electronic parts.

Seizoroi
Seizoroi

Farmers also do important work here. In 2014, Toyama provided about 2.5% of all the rice grown in Japan. The population is about 993,848 people. While there are many cities like Takaoka and Nanto, Toyama has the fewest municipalities in Japan. This is because many towns merged together in the 2000s.

There is always something fun to see or do in Toyama. You can visit the UNESCO World Heritage site at Gokayama.

Toyamasogo1
Toyamasogo1

If you like festivals, you might see the Tonami Yotaka Festival in June. There are also many delicious foods to try, like firefly squid and white shrimp. If you love sports, you can watch local teams. There are teams for football, basketball, baseball, and rugby. Whether you are looking at a mountain or a stadium, Toyama has a lot to offer.

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🖼️ Images & Media (6)
File:Toyama Prefectural Office Building01st3200.jpg
Toyama Prefectural Office Building01st3200.jpg
File:Kurobe Dam (14894503080).jpg
Kurobe Dam (14894503080).jpg
File:Toyama prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg
Toyama prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg
File:Seizoroi.jpg
Seizoroi.jpg
File:Uozu-tatemon.jpg
Uozu-tatemon.jpg
File:Toyamasogo1.jpg
Toyamasogo1.jpg
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