Hiroshima Prefecture (広島県,Hiroshima-ken) is aprefecture ofJapan located in theChūgoku region ofHonshu.^[2] Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of 2,811,410 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 8,479km² (3,274sq mi). Hiroshima Prefecture bordersOkayama Prefecture to the east,Tottori Prefecture to the northeast,Shimane Prefecture to the north, andYamaguchi Prefecture to the southwest.

Hiroshima Prefecture 広島県
Japanese transcription(s)
• Japanese	広島県
• Rōmaji	Hiroshima-ken
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park Tomonoura Hiroshima Oyster Shipyard base inKure Panoramic view of Senkoji andOnomichi Hiroshima Castle Sandan-kyō Torii Gate inItsukushima Shrine
Flag Symbol
Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku (San'yō)
Island	Honshu
Capital	Hiroshima
Subdivisions	Districts: 5,Municipalities: 23
Government
• Governor	Hidehiko Yuzaki (since November 2009)
Area
• Total	8,479.63 km2 (3,274.00 sq mi)
• Rank	11th
Population  (June 1, 2019)
• Total	2,811,410
• Rank	12th
• Density	330/km2 (860/sq mi)
• Dialects	Aki・Bingo
GDP [1]
• Total	JP¥ 11,969 billion US$ 109.8 billion (2019)
ISO 3166 code	JP-34
Website	pref.hiroshima.lg.jp
Symbols of Japan
Bird	Red-throated diver (Gavia stellata)
Tree	Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)

Hiroshima is the capital and largest city of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region, with other major cities includingFukuyama,Kure, andHigashihiroshima.^[3] Hiroshima Prefecture is located on theSeto Inland Sea across from the island ofShikoku, and is bounded to the north by theChūgoku Mountains. Hiroshima Prefecture is one of the three prefectures of Japan with more than oneUNESCO World Heritage Site.

The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided intoBingo Province andAki Province.^[4] This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded history. Hiroshima is a traditional center of the Chūgoku region and was the seat of theMōri clan until theBattle of Sekigahara.

Together withNara andTokyo, Hiroshima is one of the three prefectures with more than oneUNESCO World Heritage Site. The two such sites in Hiroshima Prefecture are:

• TheAtomic Dome in Hiroshima, one of the few remnants of prewar Hiroshima following theatomic bombing in 1945;
• TheItsukushima Shrine inMiyajima, famed for filling with water and appearing to "float" during high tide.

Hiroshima prefecture lies in the middle of Japan. Most of the prefecture consists of mountains leading towardsShimane Prefecture; and rivers produce rich plains near the coast.

The province facesShikoku across theSeto Inland Sea.Hiroshima Bay opens on theInland Sea.^[5] The prefecture also includes many small islands.

The sheltered nature of the Inland Sea makes Hiroshima's climate very mild.

As of 1 April 2014, 4% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated asNatural Parks (the lowest percentage of any prefecture), namelySetonaikai National Park;Hiba-Dōgo-Taishaku andNishi-Chūgoku Sanchi Quasi-National Parks; and six Prefectural Natural Parks.^[6]

Fourteen cities are located in Hiroshima Prefecture:

These are the towns in eachdistrict:

Hiroshima's main industries include automobiles (Mazda is headquartered there) and tourism in twoWorld Heritage Sites: theA-Bomb dome andItsukushima Shrine.

Components of the economy are primary industry, secondary industry, and tertiary industry, which compose 0.6%, 32.6%, and 66.2% in 2015. There is 0.6% of unclassified production.^[8]

Value of production of manufacturing is 10,343 billion yen in 2016, which is the 10th largest in Japan. After 2012, production of manufacturing is continuously increasing in 2015.^[9]

• Eikei University of Hiroshima
• Elisabeth University of Music
• Fukuyama City University
• Fukuyama Heisei University
• Fukuyama University
• Hijiyama University
• Hiroshima Bunka Gakuen University
• Hiroshima Bunkyo Women's University
• Hiroshima City University
• Hiroshima Institute of Technology
• Hiroshima Jogakuin University
• Hiroshima Kokusai Gakuin University
• Hiroshima Shudo University
• Hiroshima University of Economics
• Hiroshima University
• Japan Coast Guard Academy
• Onomichi City University
• Prefectural University of Hiroshima
• Yasuda Women's University

Similar to the rest of Japan, most people in the Hiroshima Prefecture areShinto orBuddhist. in 1996 51.2% of the population was Buddhist, 2% were affiliated with Shinto Sects, 44.8% practiced Folk Shinto, and 2% were Christian.^[10]

• JR West
  • Fukuen Line
  • Geibi Line
  • Kabe Line
  • Kure Line
  • San'yō Main Line
  • San'yō Shinkansen

• Ibara Railway

• Astram Line
• Skyrail Service

• Hiroshima Electric Railway

• Chūgoku Expressway
• Hamada Expressway
• Hiroshima Expressway (urban expressway)
• Hiroshima Expressway (West Nippon Expressway Company)
• Shimanami Expressway
• Onomichi Expressway
• San'yō Expressway

• Route 2
• Route 31
• Route 54
• Route 182
• Route 183
• Route 185
• Route 186
• Route 191
• Route 261
• Route 313
• Route 314
• Route 317
• Route 375
• Route 432
• Route 433
• Route 434
• Route 486
• Route 487
• Route 488

• Fukuyama Port - International Container hub port
• Hiroshima Port - Ferry route to Miyajima, Edajima, Matsuyama, andBeppu, and also International Container hub port
• Kure Port - Ferry route to Edajima,Matsuyama
• Mihara Port
• Onomichi Port

• Hiroshima Airport

The sports teams listed below are based in Hiroshima.

American Football

• Hiroshima Hawks (Hiroshima City)

• Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Hiroshima city)
• Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina (Hiroshima city)^{[citation needed]}

• Hiroshima Toyo Carp (Hiroshima city)

• JT Thunders (Hiroshima city)

• Hiroshima Dragonflies
• Hiroshima Lightning (Defunct)

• Akitakada Handball Club (Akitakada)^{[citation needed]}
• Hiroshima Maple Reds (Hiroshima city)^{[citation needed]}

• Victoire Hiroshima

•  
  Itsukushima Shrine and Torii Gate (Hatsukaichi)
•  
  Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Hiroshima City)
•  
  Taishaku Valley (Shobara)
•  
  Road of longing (Shokei no michi) in Takehara on October
•  
  Hiroshima Castle
•  
  Tomonoura (Fukuyama)

• Onomichi Port Festival - held in April
• Hiroshima Flower Festival - held from May 3 to 5
• Fukuyama Rose Festival - held in May
• Enryuji Tokasan Festival - held in June
• Gion Festival of Onomichi - held in July
• Innoshima Water-naval Festival - held in August
• Miyajima Under-water Firework Festival - held on August 14^{[citation needed]}
• Yassa Festival of Mihara - held in August
• Saijo Sake Festival - held in October
• Onomichi Becher Festival - held on November 3
• Hiroshima Ebisu Festival - held from November 18 to 20

•  Hawaii, United States of America^[11]
•  Sichuan Province, China^[12]

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

• Official Hiroshima Prefecture homepage
• Life in Hiroshima and other Japan-related Articles
• Hiroshima Weather Forecast
• National Archives of Japan... Hiroshima map (1891)
• National Archives of Japan:Itsukushima kakei, illustrated scroll describing Itsukushima, text by Kaibara Ekiken (circa 1720)
• hiroshima-navi

34°26′N132°45′E / 34.433°N 132.750°E /34.433; 132.750