Yamagata Prefecture

Japanese: 山形[県] - やまがた

A prefecture in the southwest of the Tohoku region, facing the Sea of Japan. The prefectural capital is Yamagata City. Area is 9,323.15 ^km2 . Population 1,168,924 (2010). [History] Formerly the southern half of Dewa Province, this was Uzen Province when Dewa was divided in 1868. In ancient times, this was Ezo land, but development progressed centering on Dewanoki, which was established in Shonai, and in the Heian period, manors developed in various places. In the Kamakura period, the Muto clan and the Oe clan, and in the Muromachi period, the Mogami clan wielded influence, and in the Edo period, various clans were separated, including the Sakai clan of Shonai, the Uesugi clan of Yonezawa, and the Tozawa clan of Shinjo. In 1868, the three prefectures of Yamagata, Sakata, and Okitama were created, and after several reforms and abolitions, in 1876 it became Yamagata Prefecture. [Nature] In the east, the Ou Mountains run north to south, and parallel to them are volcanoes such as Funagatayama, Zaoyama, and Azumayama, which belong to the Nasu volcanic belt. In the west, the low Dewa Mountains and Echigo Mountains run north to south, and parallel to them are Chokaisan, Gassan, and Yudonosan, which belong to the Chokai volcanic belt. The Mogami River flows north through the center, and in its basin, the Yonezawa, Yamagata, and Shinjo basins have developed from the south, forming the main rice-producing areas of the prefecture. The Mogami River crosses the Dewa Mountains and forms the Shonai Plain downstream. The inland basins have large differences in temperature between hot and cold, and between day and night, and in July 1933, the Yamagata Basin recorded the highest temperature in Japan, 40.8°C. Meanwhile, in winter, the Yonezawa, Shinjo, and Obanazawa basins in the south are areas of deep snow. [Industry] The population composition by industry is 10.9% primary, 30.3% secondary, and 58.2% tertiary (2005), with the proportion of primary, especially agriculture, being high. Rice is the main focus of agriculture in the Shonai Plain and Yamagata Basin, where rice is the only crop grown. Fruit cultivation of grapes, cherries, apples, peaches, and pears is one of the leading fruit growing areas in the country, and in addition to beef and dairy cattle breeding, centered around Yonezawa, pig farming is also active. Forestry is sluggish, but beech wood is cut and nameko mushrooms are cultivated. The coastline is the shortest of the six Tohoku prefectures, and the fishery industry is sluggish. In terms of industry, there are traditional industries such as silk reeling in Miyauchi (Nanyo City), Nagai, and Takahata, silk weaving in Yonezawa and Tsuruoka, casting in Yamagata, Japanese paper, and shogi pieces in Tendo, but all of these are in decline. After World War II, modern industry was established with chemical factories in Sakata and iron factories in Yamagata, and coastal industrial areas were developed with Sakata as the center. Other examples include carpets in Yamanobe, electrodes in Oguni, and dairy industries in Kaminoyama and Shinjo. In addition to Mt. Iide, Mt. Asahi, Mt. Azuma, and the Dewa Sanzan mountains, which are all part of the Bandai-Asahi National Park, Mt. Chokai in the Chokai Quasi-National Park, and volcanic landscapes in the Zao and Kurikoma Quasi-National Parks, there are hot springs scattered throughout the area, and many historical sites such as Yamadera Risshakuji Temple. [Transportation] The Ou Main Line and National Route 13, which connect the cities that developed in the basin chain, the Uetsu Main Line that connects to the Japan Coast, and National Route 7 are the main arteries, and the Rikuu West Line and Yonesaka Line, which connect the two arteries, run from east to west. The Rikuu East Line, Senzan Line, and Yamagata Expressway cross the Ou Mountain Range to connect with Miyagi Prefecture. In 1992, the Ou Main Line was converted to gauge between Fukushima and Yamagata, and the Yamagata Shinkansen began operation, which was extended to Shinjo in 1999. Yamagata Airport is located in Higashine City, and Shonai Airport opened in Sakata City in 1991.
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Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

東北地方南西部，日本海に面する県。県庁所在地は山形市。9323.15km²。116万8924人（2010）。〔沿革〕　かつての出羽国南半部，1868年出羽分割の際の羽前国にあたる。古代には蝦夷(えぞ)地であったが，庄内に設けられた出羽柵(でわのき)を中心に開拓が進み，平安時代には各地に荘園が発達。鎌倉時代，武藤氏，大江氏，室町時代には最上氏が勢力をふるい，江戸時代には庄内の酒井氏，米沢の上杉氏，新庄の戸沢氏など諸藩が分立。1868年山形，酒田，置賜(おきたま)の３県となり，数次の改廃を経て1876年山形県となった。〔自然〕　東には奥羽山脈が南北に走り，これに並行して那須火山帯の船形山，蔵王山，吾妻山などの火山が噴出する。西部には低山性の出羽山地と越後山脈が南北に走り，これに並行して鳥海火山帯に属する鳥海山，月山(がっさん)，湯殿山などが噴出。中央部を最上川が北流し，流域には南から米沢，山形，新庄の各盆地が発達，県の米の主要生産地域をなしている。最上川は出羽山地を横断して下流に庄内平野を形成している。内陸の諸盆地は寒暑の差，昼夜の気温差が大きく，山形盆地では1933年７月に40.8℃の日本最高気温が記録された。一方冬季，南部の米沢，新庄，尾花沢の諸盆地は深雪地帯をなす。〔産業〕　産業別人口構成は第１次10.9％，第２次30.3％，第３次58.2％（2005）で，第１次，特に農業の比率が高い。庄内平野，山形盆地などの水田単作地帯があり米作中心の農業を営み，ブドウ，サクランボ，リンゴ，モモ，セイヨウナシなどの果樹栽培が全国有数の産地を形成し，米沢を中心とする肉牛・乳牛飼育のほか，養豚も活発。林業は不振であるが，ブナ材の切出し，ナメコ栽培が行われる。海岸線は東北６県中最短で水産業は不振。工業では，伝統産業の宮内（南陽市），長井，高畠の製糸，米沢，鶴岡の絹織物，山形の鋳物，和紙，天童の将棋駒などがあるが，いずれも衰微の傾向にある。近代工業は第２次大戦後酒田に化学，山形に鉄工業などの工場が立地，酒田を中心に臨海工業地の造成が進められた。他に山辺(やまのべ)のじゅうたん，小国の電極，上山，新庄の乳業などがある。磐梯朝日国立公園に属する飯豊山(いいでさん)，朝日岳，吾妻山，出羽三山，鳥海国定公園の鳥海山，蔵王・栗駒両国定公園に属する火山景観のほか各地に温泉が散在し，山寺立石(りっしゃく)寺などの史跡も多い。〔交通〕　盆地列に発達する諸都市を結ぶ奥羽本線と国道13号線，日本海岸に通じる羽越本線，国道７号線が主要幹線をなし，両幹線を結んで陸羽西線，米坂線などが東西に通じる。宮城県とは奥羽山脈を越える陸羽東線，仙山線，山形自動車道で連絡する。1992年奥羽本線の福島〜山形間を改軌し，山形新幹線が運行され，1999年には新庄まで延長された。東根市には山形空港があり，酒田市には1991年庄内空港が開港した。
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