Fukushima is the southernmost prefecture in the Tohoku region. It is the third largest prefecture in Japan, following Hokkaido and Iwate, with a total area of 13,782.75 km ². This is nearly comparable to the state of Connecticut in the USA (14,357 km ²) and half the size of Massachusetts (27,336 km ²). Fukushima City, the prefectural capital, is located about 260km from Tokyo, or 90 minutes by the Shinkansen (bullet train) operated by JR (Japan Railways) Tohoku. The population of the capital is less than 300,000. Koriyama City, the commercial center of Fukushima prefecture, boasts the 2nd highest annual sales of commercial products in the Tohoku region. The population of Koriyama is around 340,000. The total population of the prefecture is approximately 2 million people, but more than 160,000 people have been forced to flee outside the prefecture due to the nuclear accident.
Fukushima Prefecture is a coastal prefecture and is divided into three regions, which are (from east to west) Hamadoori, Nakadoori, and Aizu. In cities such as Date, Soma, Fukushima, Shirakawa and Sukagawa, a strong regional identity dating back to the Middle Ages still remains, and therefore differences in lifestyles between the regions can be seen. The JR Tohoku Line, Tohoku Shinkansen (bullet train), and Tohoku Expressway run through Nakadoori, and the JR Joban Line (including the section under construction) and Joban Expressway pass through Hamadoori. The Joban Iwaki Expressway and Ban-etsu Expressway connecting Koriyama to Niigata cross the prefecture.
The Abukuma Highlands and Ou Mountains strongly affect the climate of each region. Because the seasonal wind from the northwest is blocked by mountains, the coastal Hamadoori has little snow and is relatively warm in the winter. It is cool in summer because of the northeast wind from the Pacific Ocean. The weather in Aizu is very cold and has heavy snowfall in winter, but summer is sunny with a high temperature, which is good for rice cultivation. The climate of Nakadoori is between the two.
The primary industries in Fukushima prefecture are marine products such as bonito in Iwaki and carp in Koriyama (No. 1 in shipments in Japan) and agricultural products such as rice and fruits like peaches. According to statistics released by the Ministry of Agriculture, the amount of agricultural output in Fukushima Prefecture in 2009 was ¥245 billion (approx. $3.06 billion). With respect to fishery, sea fishing produced ¥16 billion ($200 million), while the amount of the aquaculture industry was unknown.
As for the main secondary industry, the shipment of manufactured goods, Fukushima is number one in the Tohoku region, followed by the neighboring prefecture of Miyagi. This is due to companies moving to the prefecture in order to take advantage of the proximity to the metropolitan area. According to the statistical data, the amount of manufactured goods shipped in 2008 was over ¥5.56 trillion (approx. $69.07 billion) in Fukushima, ranking it highest in the Tohoku region. Miyagi prefecture trailed behind in second place with ¥3.57 trillion (approx. $44.63 billion).
Another important industry, commercial product sales, placed Fukushima Prefecture in second for the amount of annuals sales in the Tohoku region in 2008. Fukushima’s sales were ¥4.72 trillion (approx. $59 billion), while neighboring Miyagi prefecture’s sales were over ¥10.23 trillion (approx. $127.96 billion).
(The rate of $1 is ¥80)
As of 2012/09/20
MAP:Municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture
Tags:Aizu, hamadoori, industry, nakadoori, population
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