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Hyogo

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Hyōgo prefecture (兵庫県 Hyōgo-ken) is in the western Kansai region of the main Japanese island Honshu.

Culture and History

When Japan's prefecture system was inagurated in the first years of the Meiji era, most of the modern prefectures were made out of one or two of the old Japanese provinces (Hiroshima was once the provinces of Bingo and Aki, Nara was once the province of Yamato). Hyogo, however, inherited three whole provinces and sections of two others. These include:

  • Tajima - In the north of Hyogo along the Sea of Japan
  • Harima - In the southwest of Hyogo along the Inland Sea, home to Himeji
  • Awaji Island - At the entrance of the Inland Sea, culturally linked to Shikoku
  • Tamba - Shared with Kyoto Prefecture, in the northweast of Hyogo
  • Settsu - Shared with Osaka Prefecture, home to Kobe and the Hanshin area

While these provinces no longer exist in any administrative sense, they came in to Hyogo with distinct regional dialects and identities. This combination has made Hyogo one of the most geographically and culturally diverse prefectures in Japan, and the only one to span the width of the central island of Honshu.

Cities

  • Kobe - The prefectural capital, a cosmopolitain port city with an international flavor
  • Himeji - Home to Japan's most beautiful castle
  • Nishinomiya - Home of Koshien Ball Park and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Other destinations

Talk

Travel to Hyogo & Visa Requirements

Flights and airtickets to Hyogo

By train

Buses to Hyogo

Tours & Getting around Hyogo

Hyogo attractions and sightseeing

  • Japan's Belly Button Park (日本のへそ公園 Nihon no Heso Kouen). Located in Nishiwaki city, this park marks the geographic center of Japan, which is locally called its belly button. There is a large monument to the belly button, and the park is also home to a children's science museum. If you go in they will eagerly make you watch their planetarium show and then let you use their massive telescope. NOTE that the actual geographic center is not in the park, but down a hill, past the 日本のへそ公園 train station, through a small tunnel and along the Kakogawa river. Don't miss the charming art gallery next to the train station.

Hyogo city tours

  • Meditation. Antaiji (安泰寺), Kutoyama, Shin-onsen-cho, Mikata-gun. Homepage: antaiji.dogen-zen.de [1]. This is no guest house. Antaiji is a monastery in the Soto Zen school. It was founded in 1923, and made famous as a place for serious meditation and simple living by Sawaki Kodo Roshi and his student, and later abbot, Kosho Uchiyama Roshi. Many foreigners have practiced at Antaiji, and it continues to welcome serious overseas trainees for short and long term stays.

Hyogo Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Hyogo nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Get out

Destinations in Hyogo:

Arima Onsen / Awaji Island / Fukusaki / Harima / Himeji / Kobe /

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This page was last edited at 07:45, on 22 December 2008 by Wikitravel user Claymander. Based on work by Jani Patokallio and Evan Prodromou, Wikitravel user(s) Episteme and WindHorse and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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