Wakayama Prefecture

Prefecture of Japan

Prefecture in Kansai, Japan

Wakayama Prefecture

和歌山県

Prefecture

Japanese transcription(s)
• Japanese| 和歌山県
• Rōmaji| Wakayama-ken

Seiganto-ji's pagoda and Nachi Falls

Kushimoto

Shirahama

Kongōbu-ji

Wakayama Castle

Flag

Symbol

Anthem: Wakayama kenminka
Country| Japan
Region| Kansai
Island| Honshū
Capital| Wakayama (city)
Subdivisions| Districts: 6, Municipalities: 30
Government

• Governor| Izumi Miyazaki
Area

• Total

| 4,724.69 km2 (1,824.21 sq mi)
• Rank| 30th
Population

(1 February 2025)

• Total

| 876,030
• Rank| 39th
• Density| 185/km2 (480/sq mi)
• Dialects

| Kishū
GDP

[1]

• Total| JP¥ 3,745 billion
US$ 34.4 billion (2019)
ISO 3166 code| JP-30
Website| www.wakayama.lg.jp/
english/
Symbols of Japan

Bird| Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonica)
Flower| Ume blossom (Prunus mume)
Tree| Ubame oak (Quercus phillyraeoides)

Wakayama Prefecture (和歌山県, Wakayama-ken; Japanese pronunciation: [wa.kaꜜ.ja.ma, wa.ka.ja.maꜜ.keɴ][2]) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu.[3]: 1026 Wakayama Prefecture has a population of 876,030 (as of 1 February 2025[update]) and a geographic area of 4,724 square kilometres (1,824 sq mi). Wakayama Prefecture borders Osaka Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture to the northeast.

Wakayama is the capital and largest city of Wakayama Prefecture, with other major cities including Tanabe, Hashimoto, and Kinokawa.[4]: 1025 Wakayama Prefecture is located on the southwestern coast of the Kii Peninsula on the Kii Channel, connecting the Pacific Ocean and Seto Inland Sea, across from Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku.

## History

[edit]

See also: Historic Sites of Wakayama Prefecture

Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.[5]

### 1953 flood disaster

[edit]

Main article: 1953 Wakayama flood

On July 17–18, 1953, a torrential heavy rain occurred, followed by collapse of levees, river flooding and landslides in a wide area. Many bridges and houses were destroyed.[6][7][8] According to an officially confirmed report by the Government of Japan, 1,015 people died, with 5,709 injured and 7,115 houses lost.[citation needed]

## Geography

[edit]

Map of Wakayama Prefecture.
City Town Village

As of 31 March 2020, 13 percent of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Setonaikai and Yoshino-Kumano National Parks; Kongō-Ikoma-Kisen and Kōya-Ryūjin Quasi-National Parks; and Enju Kaigan, Hatenashi Sanmyaku, Hikigawa, Jōgamori Hokodai, Kōyasanchō Ishimichi-Tamagawakyō, Kozagawa, Nishiarida, Oishi Kōgen, Ōtōsan, Ryūmonzan, Shiramisan-Wadagawakyō, and Shirasaki Kaigan Prefectural Natural Parks.[9]

### Cities

[edit]

See also: List of cities in Wakayama Prefecture by population

Nine cities are in Wakayama Prefecture:

Name  | Area (km2)  | Population  | Map

|
|
|

Rōmaji | Kanji
Arida | 有田市  | 36.91  | 27,963  |
Gobō | 御坊市  | 43.78  | 27,483  |
Hashimoto | 橋本市  | 130.31  | 62,941  |
Iwade | 岩出市  | 38.5  | 53,280  |
Kainan | 海南市  | 101.18  | 51,112  |
Kinokawa | 紀の川市  | 228.24  | 61,850  |
Shingū | 新宮市  | 255.43  | 26,815  |
Tanabe | 田辺市  | 1,026.91  | 70,410  |
Wakayama (capital)  | 和歌山市  | 210.25  | 360,664  |

### Towns and villages

[edit]

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Name  | Area (km2)  | Population  | District  | Type  | Map

|
|
|
|
|

Rōmaji | Kanji
Aridagawa | 有田川町  | 351.77  | 26,245  | Arida District | Town  |
Hidaka | 日高町  | 46.42  | 7,666  | Hidaka District | Town  |
Hidakagawa | 日高川町  | 331.61  | 9,615  | Hidaka District | Town  |
Hirogawa | 広川町  | 65.35  | 7,059  | Arida District | Town  |
Inami | 印南町  | 113.63  | 7,949  | Hidaka District | Town  |
Kamitonda | 上富田町  | 57.49  | 15,047  | Nishimuro District | Town  |
Katsuragi | かつらぎ町  | 151.73  | 16,686  | Ito District | Town  |
Kimino | 紀美野町  | 128.31  | 8,989  | Kaisō District | Town  |
Kitayama | 北山村  | 48.21  | 432  | Higashimuro District | Village  |
Kōya | 高野町  | 137.08  | 3,279  | Ito District | Town  |
Kozagawa | 古座川町  | 294.52  | 2,749  | Higashimuro District | Town  |
Kudoyama | 九度山町  | 44.19  | 4,295  | Ito District | Town  |
Kushimoto | 串本町  | 135.78  | 16,243  | Higashimuro District | Town  |
Mihama | 美浜町  | 12.79  | 7,391  | Hidaka District | Town  |
Minabe | みなべ町  | 120.26  | 12,561  | Hidaka District | Town  |
Nachikatsuura | 那智勝浦町  | 183.45  | 17,261  | Higashimuro District | Town  |
Shirahama | 白浜町  | 201.04  | 23,325  | Nishimuro District | Town  |
Susami | すさみ町  | 174.71  | 4,011  | Nishimuro District | Town  |
Taiji | 太地町  | 5.96  | 3,428  | Higashimuro District | Town  |
Yuasa | 湯浅町  | 20.8  | 11,960  | Arida District | Town  |
Yura | 由良町  | 30.74  | 5,738  | Hidaka District | Town  |

### Mergers

[edit]

Main article: List of mergers in Wakayama Prefecture

## Demographics

[edit]

Wakayama prefecture population pyramid in 2020

Since 1996, population of Wakayama Prefecture has kept declining, and since 2010, it has been the only prefecture in Kansai region with population below 1,000,000. In 2017, Wakayama is ranked 40th by population in Japan with a population of 944,320. In the 2020 census, close to 32% of the population was over 65 years of age - the highest percentage in Japan and one of the highest for national subdivisions worldwide.[10]

## Politics

[edit]

See also: 1999 Wakayama gubernatorial election, 2006 Wakayama gubernatorial election, and 2018 Wakayama gubernatorial election

Governor Shūhei Kishimoto was elected on 27 November 2022.[11]

### Prefectural assembly

[edit]

As of 17 May 2023[12] Political party | Number of seats

|

Liberal Democratic Party | 28
Reform Club (改新クラブ) | 5
Komeito | 3
Nippon Ishin no Kai | 3
Japanese Communist Party | 1
Independent society | 1
Independent | 1

## List of governors of Wakayama

[edit]

State-appointed governors:

* Masaomi Tsuda (津田正臣): from 25 November 1871 to 25 January 1872
* Hidetomo Kitajima (北島秀朝): from 25 January 1872 to 13 October 1873
* Kunikiyo Kōyama (神山郡廉): from 13 October 1873 to 20 October 1873
* Kanae Matsumoto (松本鼎): from 20 October 1873 to 26 December 1889
* Tadaakira Ishii (石井忠亮): from 26 December 1889 to 9 April 1891
* Sadaaki Senda (千田貞暁): from 9 April 1891 to 15 January 1892
* Morikata Oki (沖守固): from 15 January 1892 to 7 April 1897
* Kan'ichi Kubota (久保田貫一): from 7 April 1897 to 8 October 1898
* Masaaki Nomura (野村政明): from 8 October 1898 to 7 April 1899
* Hisashi Ogura (小倉久): from 7 April 1899 to 25 October 1900
* Shin'ichirō Tsubaki (椿蓁一郎): from 25 October 1900 to 29 June 1903
* Ienori Kiyosu (清棲家教): from 29 June 1903 to 11 January 1907
* Takio Izawa (伊沢多喜男): from 11 January 1907 to 30 July 1909
* Chikaharu Kawakami (川上親晴): from 30 July 1909 to 4 September 1911
* Takeji Kawamura (川村竹治): from 4 September 1911 to 9 June 1914
* Kogorō Kanokogi (鹿子木小五郎): from June 1914 to 17 December 1917
* Tokikazu Ikematsu (池松時和): from 17 December 1917 to 3 February 1920
* Shinzō Obara (小原新三): from 3 February 1920 to 6 June 1923
* Yoshibumi Satake (佐竹義文): from 6 June 1923 to 24 June 1924

* Kyūichi Hasegawa (長谷川久一): from 24 June 1924 to 22 March 1927
* Tokutarō Shimizu (清水徳太郎): from 22 March 1927 to 17 May 1927
* Umekichi Miyawaki (宮脇梅吉): from 17 May 1927 to 17 November 1927
* Taeru Node (野手耐): from 17 November 1927 to 5 July 1929
* Senzō Tomobe (友部泉蔵): from 5 July 1929 to 26 August 1930
* Toshikatsu Kurahara (蔵原敏捷): from 26 August 1930 to 18 December 1931
* Toshiki Karasawa (唐沢俊樹): from 18 December 1931 to 28 July 1932
* Ryōsaku Shimizu (清水良策): from 28 July 1932 to 10 November 1934
* Nagakazu Fujioka (藤岡長和): from 10 November 1934 to 22 April 1936
* Tokiji Yoshinaga (吉永時次): from 22 April 1936 to 11 January 1939
* Shigeo Shimizu (清水重夫): from 11 January 1939 to 15 October 1940
* Jirō Imamatsu (今松治): from 15 October 1940 to 20 October 1941
* Seizō Hirose (広瀬永造): from 20 October 1941 to 1 August 1944
* Chiaki Kobayashi (小林千秋): from 1 August 1944 to 27 October 1945
* Uichirō Koike (小池卯一郎): from 27 October 1945 to 25 January 1946
* Masao Kanai (金井正夫): from 25 January 1946 to 8 July 1946
* Wakichi Kawakami (川上和吉): from 8 July 1946 to 28 February 1947
* Yoshimaro Takahashi (高橋良麿): from 28 February 1947 to 15 April 1947

|

Publicly elected governors:

* Shinji Ono (小野真次): from 19 April 1947 to 22 April 1967
* Masao Ohashi (大橋正雄): from 23 April 1967 to 4 October 1975
* Shiro Kariya (仮谷志良): from 23 November 1975 to 22 November 1995
* Isamu Nishiguchi (西口勇): from 23 November 1995 to 13 July 2000

* Yoshiki Kimura (木村良樹): from 3 September 2000 to 2 December 2006
* Yoshinobu Nisaka (仁坂吉伸): from 17 December 2006 to 16 December 2022
* Shūhei Kishimoto (岸本周平): from 17 December 2022 to 15 April 2025
* Izumi Miyazaki (宮崎泉): from 15 April 2025 to present

|

## Culture

[edit]

Mount Kōya (高野山, Kōya-san) in the Ito District is the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. It is home to one of the first Japanese style Buddhist temples in Japan and remains a pilgrimage site and an increasingly popular tourist destination as people flock to see its ancient temples set amidst the towering cedar trees at the top of the mountain. The Sacred sites and pilgrimage routes in the Kii Mountain Range extend for miles throughout the prefecture and together have been recognized as Japan's 11th UNESCO World Heritage Site.[13]

The Kumano Shrines are on the southern tip of the prefecture. Tomogashima (a cluster of four islands) is part of the prefecture.

## Agriculture

[edit]

### Orange

[edit]

Wakayama Prefecture ranks first in the production of oranges in Japan. Wakayama has its own brand of oranges, which is produced in Arida District and called 'Arida-Orange'. Arida District, where oranges have been produced for more than 400 years,[14] yields about half of the orange crops in Wakayama today.[15] Furthermore, the yield of Arida-Oranges accounts for about 10 percent of Japanese domestic production of oranges.[16]

### Chinese flowering plum (Ume)

[edit]

According to the survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, Wakayama stands first in the production of Chinese flowering plum, or ume in Japanese, in Japan. As of 2016, Wakayama made up about 70 percent of Japanese domestic production of ume.[17]

## International relations

[edit]

Wakayama Prefecture has friendship and sister relationships with six places outside Japan:[18]

* Florida, United States
* Galicia, Spain
* Pyrénées-Orientales, France
* Shandong, People's Republic of China
* Sichuan, People's Republic of China
* Sinaloa, Mexico

## Tourism

[edit]

Wakayama Prefecture has hot springs such as Nanki-Shirahama Onsen, Kawayu Onsen [ja], and Yunomine Onsen.

* Saikazaki, Wakanoura

* Wakayama Castle

* The Museum of Modern Art, Wakayama

* Konpon Daido
(Mount Kōya)

* Chōhō-ji

* Nanki-Katsuura Onsen

* Nachi Falls

* Daimonzaka
(Kumano Kodō)

## Transportation

[edit]

### Rail

[edit]

* JR Central
* Kisei Line
* JR West
* Hanwa Line
* Kinokuni Line
* Wakayama Line
* Kishu Railway
* Nankai
* Kada Line
* Koya Line
* Nankai Line
* Wakayama Electric Railway

### Road

[edit]

#### Expressway

[edit]

* Hanwa Expressway
* Keinawa Expressway
* Nachi Katsuura Road
* Yuasa Gobo Road

#### National highways

[edit]

* Route 24
* Route 26
* Route 42
* Route 168 (Shingu-Gojo-Ikoma-Hirakata)
* Route 169 (Shingu-Kumano-Kawakami-Yoshino-Asuka-Kashihara-Nara)
* Route 311 (Kamitonda-Tanabe-Shingu-kumano-Owase)
* Route 370 (Kainan-Hashimoto-Gojo-Uda-Nara)
* Route 371 (Kawachinagano-Hashimoto-Koya-Kushimoto)
* Route 424

### Ferry

[edit]

* Wakayama-Tokushima

### Airport

[edit]

* Nanki Shirahama Airport

## Education

[edit]

### Universities

[edit]

* Kinki University
* Koyasan University
* Wakayama Medical University
* Wakayama University

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "2020年度国民経済計算（2015年基準・2008SNA） : 経済社会総合研究所 - 内閣府". 内閣府ホームページ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-05-18.
2. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, ed. (24 May 2016). NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典 (in Japanese). NHK Publishing.
3. ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Wakayama prefecture" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 1026, p. 1026, at Google Books; "Kansai" in p. 477, p. 477, at Google Books.
4. ^ Nussbaum, "Wakayama" in p. 1025, p. 1025, at Google Books.
5. ^ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" in p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
6. ^ "南紀豪雨 昭和28年（1953年） ７月16日～７月25日". www.data.jma.go.jp. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
7. ^ "紀州大水害 ｜日本の災害について｜携帯メール連絡網のマ・メール". メール連絡網 マ・メール (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-05-16.
8. ^ NHK. "1953年 南紀豪雨｜災害｜NHKアーカイブス". 1953年 南紀豪雨｜災害｜NHKアーカイブス (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-05-16.
9. ^ 自然公園都道府県別面積総括 [General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture] (PDF) (in Japanese). Ministry of the Environment. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
10. ^ 2020 population census of Japan. https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kokusei/2020/summary.html
11. ^ "Kishimoto Wins 1st Term as Governor of Japan's Wakayama Pref". 時事通信ニュース. 28 November 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
12. ^ "和歌山県議会会派名簿" [List of factions in the Wakayama Prefectural Assembly] (PDF). Wakayama Prefecture (in Japanese). 17 May 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
13. ^ UNESCO.org
14. ^ 今月の旬 Archived 2020-09-26 at the Wayback Machine Wakayama Prefecture website, accessed May 31, 2017
15. ^ 農林水産 特産品 Archived 2013-06-22 at the Wayback Machine Wakayama Prefecture website, accessed May 31, 2017
16. ^ 有田みかんについて JA Arida website, accessed May 31, 2017
17. ^ 作況調査（果樹）： 農林水産省 The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries website, accessed June 1, 2017
18. ^ 友好・姉妹提携 Archived 2011-06-11 at the Wayback Machine Wakayama Prefecture website, retrieved May 16, 2008

## References

[edit]

* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wakayama prefecture.

* Official Wakayama Prefecture Web Site
* The Official Wakayama, Kansai Travel Guide

34°3′N 135°21′E﻿ / ﻿34.050°N 135.350°E﻿ / 34.050; 135.350

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Wakayama Prefecture

Wakayama (capital)

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