Saga Prefecture

Japanese: 佐賀[県] - さが

A prefecture in the northwest of Kyushu. The prefectural capital is Saga City. It has an area of 2,440.68 ^km2 and a population of 849,788 (2010). [History] Formerly the eastern half of Hizen Province. The Matsuura region is identified with Matsuro Province, as described in the Gishiwajinden, and is believed to have had contact with the continent since ancient times. The Saga Plain was also established under the jori system around the time of the Taika Reforms. During the Edo period, the Nabeshima clan of Saga Domain held 357,000 koku of land. In 1871, the six domains of Saga, Karatsu, Ogi, Hasuike, Kashima, and Izuhara each became prefectures, and merged to form Imari Prefecture, which was renamed Saga Prefecture the following year. In 1876, it was merged with Nagasaki Prefecture, and in 1883 it was separated and the current prefectural boundaries were established. [Nature] In the north, the Sefuri Mountains, which belong to the Chikushi Mountains, and the Tenzan Mountains form the border with Fukuoka Prefecture. In the northwest, the area faces the Genkai Sea, with the Higashimatsuura Peninsula protruding, and small islands scattered on the sea. In the center, the Saga Plain formed by the Chikugo River and the Rokkaku River spreads out, and in the south, it faces the Ariake Sea, and reclaimed land has been developed along the bay coast since the Edo period. In the west, there is a low mountain area facing the Sefuri Mountains by a fault valley, and at the southern end, the Tara volcano, it borders Nagasaki Prefecture. It is warm and has relatively heavy rainfall. The Ariake Coast has a slightly inland climate, while the coast of the Genkai Sea is marine and warm in winter. In the Saga Plain, the amount of rainfall in summer varies greatly from year to year, and the area is subject to both flooding and drought. [Industry] The population composition by industry is 11.0% primary, 24.8% secondary, and 63.8% tertiary (2005). The prefecture has a high proportion of primary industries and is strongly characterized as an agricultural prefecture. Creeks run through the Saga Plain, including the Ariake Sea reclaimed land, forming a large rice paddy area. Before World War II, it was a model for rice cultivation, known as "Saga Stage." After the war, however, the prefecture switched from monoculture to diversification, and mandarin orange cultivation and dairy cow breeding developed rapidly. In addition to rice, which is the largest product of the prefecture, wheat, onions, lotus root, strawberries, lettuce, and tea are also produced in abundance. Pig farming is also popular in the Shiroishi region to the south, and chicken farming is also popular in the Saga City suburbs. In the fishing industry, squid, horse mackerel, mackerel, and other fish are caught in the Genkai Sea, seaweed and shellfish are cultivated in the Ariake Sea, and sea bream, yellowtail, and pearl farming is active in Imari Bay and Kariya Bay. Soft-shelled turtle farming is also popular, with the prefecture having the largest production in the country. In mining, there are the Sasebo and Karatsu coalfields, but all of the coal mines closed in 1972. The main industries in the prefecture are processed agricultural and marine foods, electrical equipment, and metals, but they have been relatively slow to develop, and in terms of industrial shipment value, at 1.463 trillion yen (2003), the prefecture is 40th out of 47 prefectures, and is sluggish. In recent years, with the development of a high-speed transportation network, industrialization has been progressing, centered on the transportation hub of Tosu City. Imari ware is a specialty product. In terms of tourism, there are scenic spots such as Niji-no-Matsubara and Nanatsugama within the Genkai Quasi-National Park, as well as Kiyama, a famous spot for azaleas, Yutoku Inari Shrine, and the hot springs of Ureshino, Takeo, and Furuyu. [Transportation] The Nagasaki Main Line, which branches off from the Kagoshima Main Line at Tosu and runs through the Saga Plain after passing through Shin-Tosu, where it connects to the Kyushu Shinkansen, is an important transportation route. National Route 34 between Tosu and Nagasaki, and the Nagasaki Expressway are also important transportation routes. Other routes connecting various cities and towns include the Sasebo Line, Chikuhi Line, Karatsu Line, Matsuura Railway, and National Route 35.
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Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

九州地方北西部の県。県庁所在地は佐賀市。2440.68km²。84万9788人（2010）。〔沿革〕　かつての肥前国東半部。松浦地方は《魏志倭人伝》所載の末盧(まつろ)国に比定され，古くから大陸との交流があったとみられ，佐賀平野も大化改新ごろには条里制がしかれていた。江戸時代には佐賀藩鍋島氏35万7000石の所領であった。1871年佐賀，唐津，小城，蓮池，鹿島，厳原(いずはら)の６藩がそれぞれ県となり，合併して伊万里県となったが，翌年佐賀県と改称，1876年長崎県と統合，1883年分離して現県域が確定。〔自然〕　北部は筑紫山地に属する脊振(せふり)山地，天山山地が福岡県境をなし，北西部は玄界灘に面し東松浦半島が突出，海上に小島が点在する。中部は筑後川や六角川が形成した佐賀平野が広がり，南は有明海に臨み，湾岸には江戸時代以来の干拓地が展開する。西部は断層谷で脊振山地と対する低山地帯，南端は多良火山で，長崎県に接する。温暖で，比較的多雨。有明海岸はやや内陸性気候，玄界灘沿岸は海洋性で冬も暖かい。佐賀平野では年によって夏の雨量の変動が大きく，水害も干害も受ける。〔産業〕　産業別人口構成は第１次11.0％，第２次24.8％，第３次63.8％（2005）。第１次産業の比率が高く，農業県としての性格が強い。有明海干拓地を含む佐賀平野には縦横にクリークが通じて大水田地帯をなし，第２次大戦前は〈佐賀段階〉の名で米作の範となったが，戦後は米の単作から多角経営に転換，ミカン栽培，乳牛飼育が飛躍的に発展した。県物産の首位を占める米のほか麦，タマネギ，レンコン，イチゴ，レタス，茶も多産し，南の白石地方で養豚，佐賀市近郊で養鶏も盛んである。水産業では，玄界灘でのイカ，アジ，サバなどの漁獲と，有明海でのノリ・貝養殖，伊万里湾，仮屋湾などでのタイ・ハマチ・真珠養殖が活発である。スッポン養殖も盛んで全国一の生産量がある。鉱業では佐世保・唐津両炭田があるが，1972年にはすべての炭鉱が閉山。工業は農水産加工の食品，電機，金属などが主要であるが，比較的発展が遅れ，工業出荷額でみると，１兆4630億円（2003）は47都道府県中40位にあり，低迷している。近年は高速交通網の整備に伴い，交通要地である鳥栖市を中心に工業化が進められている。特産に伊万里焼がある。観光面では玄海国定公園内に虹ノ松原，七ッ釜などの景勝があり，ツツジの名所基山(きやま)，祐徳稲荷神社，温泉の嬉野(うれしの)，武雄，古湯がある。〔交通〕　鳥栖で鹿児島本線から分岐し，九州新幹線と接続する新鳥栖を経て佐賀平野を走る長崎本線と，鳥栖〜長崎の国道34号線，長崎自動車道が重要交通路で，他に佐世保線，筑肥線，唐津線，松浦鉄道，国道35号線が各市町を結ぶ。
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