Miyagi Prefecture

Miyagi Prefecture 宮城県
Prefecture
Flag Seal
Miyagi Prefecture in Japan
Country	Japan
Capital	Sendai
Subdivisions	List Districts: 10 Municipalities: 35
Government
• Governor	Yoshihiro Murai
Area
• Total	7,282 km2 (2,812 sq mi)
Population  (October 1, 2020)
• Total	2,301,996
• Density	316.1/km2 (819/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00
Area code	04000-2
ISO 3166 code	JP-04
Website	Official website

Miyagi Prefecture (宮城県, Miyagi-ken) is a prefecture of Japan. It is part of the Tōhoku region of the island of Honshu.^[1] The capital city is Sendai.^[2]

History

Miyagi Prefecture used to be part of Mutsu Province.^[3] That province was in the northern part of Honshu. It was made from land taken from the indigenous Emishi. The province became the largest as it expanded to the north. The ancient capital was in modern Miyagi Prefecture.

During the Sengoku period, various clans ruled different parts of the province. Date Masamune was a close ally of the Tokugawa. He established Sendai, which is now the largest town of the Tōhoku region.

In the Meiji period, four new provinces were created from parts of Mutsu: Rikuchū, Rikuzen, Iwaki, and Iwashiro. In 1871, Sendai Prefecture was formed. It was renamed Miyagi prefecture the following year.

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

On March 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and major tsunami hit Miyagi Prefecture. It caused major damage to the area.^[4] The tsunami was about 10 meters high in parts of Miyagi Prefecture.^[5]

Cities

There are thirteen cities in Miyagi Prefecture:

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district:

National parks

National parks cover about 23% of the total land area of the prefecture.^[6] They include:

• Rikuchu Kaigan National Park^[7]

Economy

Farming, fishing and sake brewing are all important in Miyagi. As of March 2011, the prefecture made 4.7% of Japan's rice, 23% of its oysters, and 15.9% of its saury fish.^[8] Manufacturing around Sendai is a larger part of the economy. The area produces electronics, appliances, and processed food.

Education

Universities

• Miyagi University
• Miyagi University of Education
• Miyagi Gakuin Women's University
• Sendai University
• Sendai Shirayuri Women's College
• Tohoku University
• Tohoku Gakuin University
• Tohoku Bunka Gakuen University
• Tohoku Institute of Technology
• Tohoku Fukushi University
• Tohoku Seikatsu Bunka College
• Tohoku Pharmaceutical University
• Shokei Gakuin University
• Ishinomaki Senshu University

Transportation

Train

• JR East
  • Tohoku Shinkansen
  • Tohoku Line
  • Joban Line
  • Senseki Line
  • Senzan Line
  • Ishinomaki Line
  • Rikuu East Line
  • Ofunato Line
• Sendai Municipal Subway Nanboku Line
• Abukuma Express Railway
• Sendai Airport Railway

Airports

• Sendai Airport was badly damaged by the 2011 tsunami.

Sight-seeing

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

Miyagi Prefecture has one of Japan's Three Great Views. Matsushima Bay is full of small islands with old pine trees on them. Many visitors come here every year and many artists have painted the islands.

The following are also noted as attractions:

Festivals and events

• Aoba Festival, Suzume Dancing – May
• Sendai Tanabata Festival – August 6 to 8
• Sendai Pageant of Starlight – December
• Shiogama Port Festival – July
• Shiroishi Kokeshi Exhibition – May 3 to 5
• Narugo Kokeshi Festival – September

Shrines and temples

Shigogama jinja is the main Shinto shrine (ichinomiya) in the prefecture.^[9]

Related pages

• Provinces of Japan
• Prefectures of Japan
• List of regions of Japan
• List of islands of Japan
• Vegalta Sendai
• Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

References

Other websites

Media related to Miyagi prefecture at Wikimedia Commons

• http://www.pref.miyagi.jp/english/index.htm Archived 2012-05-24 at Archive.today; Official (in Japanese)