Map of Aichi Prefecture Government Ordinance Designated City City Town VillageAichi Prefectural Government OfficeSatellite photo of Mikawa Bay
Located near the center of the Japanese main island ofHonshu, Aichi Prefecture faces theIse andMikawa Bays to the south and bordersShizuoka Prefecture to the east,Nagano Prefecture to the northeast,Gifu Prefecture to the north, andMie Prefecture to the west. It measures 106 km (66 mi) east to west and 94 km (58 mi) south to north and forms a major portion of theNōbi Plain. With an area of 5,172.48 square kilometres (1,997.11 sq mi) it accounts for approximately 1.36% of the total surface area of Japan. The highest spot isChausuyama at 1,415 m (4,642 ft) above sea level.
The western part of the prefecture is dominated byNagoya, Japan's third largest city, and its suburbs, while the eastern part is less densely populated but still contains several major industrial centers. Due to its robust economy, for the period from October 2005 to October 2006, Aichi was the fastest growing prefecture in terms of population, beatingTokyo, at 7.4% and around with afterSaitama Prefecture.
Source: Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications[4]
As of 2001, Aichi Prefecture's population was 50.03% male and 49.97% female. 139,540 residents (nearly 2% of the population) are of foreign nationality.
Originally, the region was divided into two provinces ofOwari andMikawa.[2]: 780 After theMeiji Restoration, Owari and Mikawa were united into a single entity. In 1871, after theabolition of the han system, Owari, with the exception of theChita Peninsula, was established as Nagoya Prefecture, while Mikawa combined with the Chita Peninsula and formedNukata Prefecture. Nagoya Prefecture was renamed to Aichi Prefecture in April 1872 and was united with Nukata Prefecture on November 27 of the same year.
The government of Aichi Prefecture is located in theAichi Prefectural Government Office in Nagoya, which is the old capital of Owari. TheAichi Prefectural Police and its predecessor organisations have been responsible for law enforcement in the prefecture since 1871.
In the third volume of theMan'yōshū there is a poem by Takechi Kurohito that reads: "The cry of the crane, calling to Sakurada; it sounds like the tide, draining from Ayuchi flats, hearing the crane cry". Ayuchi is the original form of the nameAichi, and theFujimae tidal flat is all that remains of the earlier Ayuchi-gata. It is now a protected area.[5][6]
Gross domestic product (2018) is the second largest in Japan, the shipment value of manufactured goods (2018) is the first in Japan, annual product sales (2019) is the third largest in Japan, and its agricultural output (2018) is eighth in Japan. Aichi's agriculture industry and commerce are all ranked high in Japan, and the industrial structure is well-balanced.
Notable sites in Aichi include theMeiji Mura open-air architectural museum inInuyama, which preserves historic buildings from Japan'sMeiji andTaishō periods, including the reconstructed lobby ofFrank Lloyd Wright's oldImperial Hotel (which originally stood in Tokyo from 1923 to 1967).
Other popular sites in Aichi include the tour ofToyota car factory in the city by the same name, the monkey park in Inuyama, and the castles inNagoya,Okazaki,Toyohashi, and Inuyama.
Aichi Prefecture has many wonderful beaches. For example,Himakajima Beach, Shinojima Beach, Akabane Beach and Utsumi Beach.
^"Summary of Aichi Prefecture".Aichi Prefectural Government Official Site. Aichi Prefectural Government Office. n.d.Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved11 November 2020.