Overview

Wakayama Prefecture is located on the Kii Peninsula, the largest peninsula in Japan, in the Kansai region which is also home to Osaka and Kyoto. The prefectural capital is Wakayama City. Wakayama has a warm climate and abundant nature, and produces more fruit (including mandarin oranges, Japanese persimmons, and ume [an apricot like fruit] ) than anywhere else in Japan. It also has thriving farming, fishing, and forestry industries, including fresh seafood such as tuna and skipjack tuna.

Wakayama Prefecture is also one of Japan's premiere hot springs areas. Many hot springs are located near mountains, rivers, and the ocean, and are visited by many tourists.

Koyasan, the Kumano Sanzan (Three Grand Shrines of Kumano), and the pilgrimage routes that connect them were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 7, 2004, and are also famous tourist attractions.

Location

Wakayama Prefecture adjoins Osaka Prefecture to the north and Nara Prefecture and Mie Prefecture to the east. The south part of Wakayama Prefecture faces the ocean. Wakayama City, home of the prefectural office, has a latitude of 34.14 and a longitude of 135.10. It is located approximately one hour from Osaka and about two hours from Kyoto. It is also situated conveniently close to Kansai International Airport, the second largest airport in Japan, which can be reached in 40 minutes.

Area

Wakayama Prefecture occupies an area of 4,726 square kilometers, about 80 percent of which is occupied by mountains.

Climate

The climate of Wakayama Prefecture is warm throughout the entire year; the weather is so mild that bougainvillea bloom even during the winter. Annual precipitation is around 1,000 millimeters in the northern part of the prefecture and over 2,000 millimeters in the south. The mountain districts are areas of heavy rain with over 3,000 millimeters each year.

Population

The estimated population of Wakayama Prefecture is 997,623 people as of January 1, 2011.

Ume, Wakayama's prefectural flower

Ubamegashi (the tree from which Kishu Bincho charcoal is made), Wakayama's prefectural tree

Tuna, Wakayama's prefectural fish

Related website Wakayama Prefecture