Sanyo region - Sanyo region

Located on the slope of the Seto Inland Sea in the Chugoku region, this region includes Okayama Prefecture, Hiroshima Prefecture, and southern Yamaguchi Prefecture, and is the name given to the San'in region on the Sea of ​​Japan side. It can also include southern Hyogo Prefecture. The ancient Sanyo Road included the provinces of Harima, Mimasaka, Bizen, Bitchu, Bingo, Aki, Suo, and Nagato, and played an important role in politics, culture, and transportation as a corridor connecting Kinai and Kitakyushu.

The Kibi Plateau and Suo Plateau stretch out to the south of the Chugoku Mountain Range, with basins such as Tsuyama, Miyoshi, and Yamaguchi in between. The inland sea coast has been submerged, creating a complex coastline with many islands, with a few small plains in Okayama, Fukuyama, Hiroshima, and Hofu. The area generally has a Seto Inland Sea climate, and is sheltered by the Chugoku Mountains to the north and the Shikoku Mountains to the south, so it has little rainfall and is warm, with many sunny days in winter.

It is a region with a long history of development, with a high population density. In the early modern period, reclaimed land was actively developed in Kojima Bay and other areas, and after the Meiji period, it became a pioneer in mechanized agriculture, salt production, and fruit and vegetable horticulture. Spinning, shipbuilding, and chemical industries also emerged, and after World War II, Mizushima, Fukuyama, Iwakuni, and Tokuyama in particular developed mainly in steel and petrochemicals, forming a distinctive Setouchi industrial region. Along the coast are the prefectural capitals of Okayama, Hiroshima, and Yamaguchi, as well as many other commercial and industrial cities such as Kurashiki, Onomichi, and Shimonoseki, which are linked by the Sanyo Main Line and the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen, and the JR Inyo Line and inland sea routes. Setonaikai National Park and Akiyoshidai Quasi-National Park are known as excellent natural parks.

[Hajime Miura]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国地方の瀬戸内斜面にあたり、岡山県、広島県と山口県南部を含む地域で、日本海側の山陰地方に対する呼称。兵庫県南部まで含めることもある。古代の山陽道は、播磨(はりま)、美作(みまさか)、備前(びぜん)、備中(びっちゅう)、備後(びんご)、安芸(あき)、周防(すおう)、長門(ながと)の諸国が属し、畿内(きない)と北九州を結ぶ回廊地域として政治、文化、交通上重要な役割を果たしてきた地方である。

　中国脊梁(せきりょう)山地の南側には吉備(きび)高原や周防高原が広がり、その間に津山、三次(みよし)、山口などの盆地が並ぶ。内海沿岸は沈水して島の多い複雑な海岸線となり、わずかに岡山、福山、広島、防府(ほうふ)などに小平野がみられる。おおむね瀬戸内式気候に属し、北側の中国山地と南側の四国山地に遮られて、降雨は少なく温暖で、冬は晴天が多い。

　開発の古い地方で、人口密度が高く、近世には児島(こじま)湾をはじめ各地で盛んに干拓新田が開かれ、明治以降も機械化農業や製塩業、果樹・野菜の園芸農業の先進地となった。また紡績、造船、化学の諸工業もおこり、第二次世界大戦後、とくに水島、福山、岩国、徳山などは鉄鋼や石油化学を中心に発展し、特色ある瀬戸内工業地域を形成している。沿岸には岡山、広島、山口の県庁都市のほか、倉敷(くらしき)、尾道(おのみち)、下関(しものせき)など多くの商工業都市があり、これらを結んで山陽本線、東海道・山陽新幹線が走り、JRの陰陽連絡線、内海航路も発達している。瀬戸内海国立公園、秋吉台(あきよしだい)国定公園は優れた自然公園として知られる。

［三浦　肇］

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