Kōfu is the capital and largest city of Yamanashi Prefecture, with other major cities includingKai,Minamiarupusu, andFuefuki.[3] Yamanashi Prefecture is one of only eightlandlocked prefectures, and the majority of the population lives in the central Kōfu Basin surrounded by theAkaishi Mountains, with 27% of its total land area being designated asNatural Parks. Yamanashi Prefecture is home to many of thehighest mountains in Japan, andMount Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan andcultural icon of the country, is partially located in Yamanashi Prefecture on the border with Shizuoka Prefecture.
As in most other Japanese regions, prehistoric society in Yamanashi progressed through the hunting, fishing and gathering stage of theJōmon period, then the rice-producing stage of theYayoi period and subsequent village and regional formation. The Maruyama and ChoshizukaKofun (earthen burial mounds) located on Sone Hill of Nakamichi Town (SouthernKōfu) are believed to have been built from the end of the 4th century. From these remains it can be assumed that the people of Sone Hill had great influence.
Among the many Kaigenji generations, those of theTakeda, Ogasawara, and Nanbu families were particularly prosperous. During theSengoku period of the 16th century,Takeda Shingen attained the status ofdaimyō and built Tsuzuji Mansion and the Yōgai Castle in Kōfu. From this base, he attempted to unify and control Japan.
After Takeda's death in 1582, Kai-no-Kuni came under the control of theOda andToyotomi clans before being subsumed into theTokugawa shogunate during theEdo period. Beneath the Edo shogunate, the Kōfu clan (based in Kuninaka, or Central and Western Yamanashi) and the Yamura clan (based in Gunnai, or Eastern Yamanashi) were formed, but in 1724 the area came under the direct control of the Shogunate. With the development of theKōshū Kaidō (highway) andFuji River transport, goods, materials and culture flowed into the region.
By the mid-19th century, the contradictions of military government and clan system caused stability to erode and resistance to erupt across Japan, paving the way for theMeiji Restoration of 1868.
Meiji Restoration (1868) to end of World War II (1945)
During theBoshin War, theBattle of Kōshū-Katsunuma on the 29 March 1868 was a significant battle between pro-Imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces immediately prior to the Imperial Forces march onEdo Castle. Preceding the Kōshū-Katsunuma battle, Kōfu Castle had been captured by troops loyal to theEmperor Meiji.
The province was renamedKōfu Prefecture in 1869 and then Yamanashi Prefecture in 1871.[5] The anniversary of this event on November 20, 1872, is now celebrated as Prefectural Citizen's Day in Yamanashi.
In the early part of theMeiji period (1868–1911), industrial promotion policies furtheredsericulture, silktextile production andwine making industries. In 1903, after seven years of construction, including the building of a nearly three mile long tunnel at the Sasago Pass, theChūō Railway Line fromHachiōji and centralTokyo finally reachedKōfu. The reduced journey times to the capital and the port of Yokohama brought significant change to local industry and culture.[6]
Agricultural production in farming communities was still on a small scale at the turn of the century and land reforms had yet to be introduced. From the 1920s however, tenancy and contract disputes between landowners and farmers in Yamanashi grew increasingly common.[7]
The capital city,Kōfu, suffered extensive damage during amajor air raid on the night of 6 July 1945.[8] From 1945 onwards, as part of economic initiatives introduced under thepost war Government of Occupation, agricultural land reforms significantly increased the number of individual farms and promoted fruit farming andviticulture throughout the prefecture. At first with limited success in 1946, but on a much more sustained basis in 1951, dairy farming, introduced by AmericanPaul Rusch, became a feature of highland pastures surrounding the town ofKiyosato.[9]
Small scale manufacturing industries and commerce grew at rapid speed during the expansion of the post-war Japanese economy. The 1982 opening of theChūō Expressway also led to significant growth in service industries, transport logistics and tourism.
In common with many similar sized cities during the 1990s, rapid growth in car ownership, out of town shopping, and improved transportation links to Tokyo, caused a drop in commercial activity and land values in the center of the prefectural capitalKōfu. To counterbalance this trend the prefectural government launched a city center revitalization plan in 2008, promoting downtown tourist attractions such as redeveloped land North of Kōfu station,Maizuru Castle Park and new residential, cultural and government office facilities.
MLX01 maglev train at the Yamanashi test track
Planned changes in transportation infrastructure also promise to significantly impact the Yamanashi economy in the coming decades; under mountains in the eastern part of the prefecture is a completed 42.8 km section of theSCMaglev test track, a section of the plannedChūō Shinkansen.
Themaglev line is designed to ultimately connectTokyo,Nagoya, andOsaka with a station also planned to the South ofKōfu.[10]
Central Government permission to proceed with an extension to the existing test track was granted on May 27, 2011. At the end of 2013 construction was already well advanced as far asFuefuki.
JR Central is considering opening a demonstration service from a new station inKōfu by the2020 Summer Olympics so that visitors can also ride on the experimental track through the Yamanashi mountains.[11]
Prefectural OfficeMap of Yamanashi Prefecture City Town VillageKōfu Basin, Kōfu City and view of Mt. FujiMount Kita, Yamanashi, Japan's Second Highest PeakYatsugatake-Kogen Higashizawa Bridge nearKiyosato
78% of the prefecture is covered by forests, making it one of the most densely wooded prefectures in Japan. Land cultivated for agriculture is mainly restricted to the lower elevations of the Kōfu basin.[13]
Yamanashi has a sizable industrial base in and around Kōfu city, withjewelry androbotics industries being particularly prominent. The headquarters ofFANUC, manufacturer of factory automation systems, is based inOshino in the south of the prefecture.[14]
The prefecture is also host to numerous fruit farms and vineyards. Yamanashi is one of the major fruit producing regions in Japan, being the top domestic producer of grapes, peaches, plums as well aswine.
In addition, roughly 40% of themineral water bottled in Japan comes from Yamanashi, mainly from around theSouthern Alps,Mount Fuji, and Mitsutōge areas. The quality of the water sources in the Southern Alps promptedSuntory Group to open theHakushu distillery in the northern Yamanashi town ofHokuto.
Per Japanese census data, Yamanashi prefecture had negative population growth from 1950 to 1970 and again in the 21st century, with the population peaking at roughly 890,000 around the turn of the millennium.
Nishizawa Waterfall on the Fuefuki River, Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, YamanashiMount Fuji,Fuji Five Lakes region, Yamanashi
The natural scenery and cultural sights of Yamanashi are popular destinations for both domestic and international tourists due to the prefecture's proximity to the crowdedTokyo conurbation and ease of access by road and rail.Mount Fuji, theFuji Five Lakes region, the highland resort region ofKiyosato, the city of Kōfu, theSenga Falls,Koshuwineries, the temple of Erin-ji in Koshu, and theKuonji Temple at Minobu are a few of the most popular places to visit.
TheFuji-Q Highland amusement park atFujiyoshida with roller coastersEejanaika, andTakabisha, the world's steepest roller coaster, is also a popular destination for day trips. It also featuresDo-Dodonpa, the world's fastest accelerating roller coaster. At one point, it was also the world's fastest roller coaster beforeCedar Point'sTop Thrill Dragster took the record in 2003.
The natural topography of the region makes Yamanashi popular with mountaineering, hiking and climbing enthusiasts throughout the year. The highest mountain in Japan,Mount Fuji, at 3,776 m (12,388 ft) and the second highest mountain in Japan,Mount Kita, at 3,193 m (10,476 ft) are both located within Yamanashi. The Mt. Fuji summer hiking season in July and August attracts thousands of overnight hikers typically starting at the Fifth Station in the late evening and climbing through the night to witness the sunrise at the summit.
Given the area's volcanic activity, natural hot springs, oronsens, are found in abundance. Some of the more well known are Shimobe Onsen, Isawa Onsen and Yamanami Onsen.
The mascot of the prefecture is Hishimaru (菱丸), aKai Ken dog who is based on the local Sengoku-era daimyō Takeda Shingen. He wears akabuto with the crest of theTakeda clan.[16]
Fujiyoshida fire festival, marks the end of the summer climbing season on Mount Fuji. Held on the last weekend in August.
Yatsugatake county fair and Paul Rusch festival. Held each October inKiyosato to celebrate the life and work ofPaul Rusch, his contributions to local agricultural development and US Japan friendship.
^Ericson, Steven (1996).The Sound of the Whistle: Railroads and the State in Meiji Japan. Harvard University Press. p. 46.ISBN0-674-82167-X.
^Smethurst, Andrew (1986).Agricultural Development and Tenancy Disputes in Japan, 1870-1940. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. p. 367.ISBN0-691-05468-1.
^Ijiri, Toshiyuki (1991).Paul Rusch. Cincinnati, Ohio: Forward Movement Publications. p. 167.
