Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kyushu, Shikoku, Okinawa regions

Aomori

Aomori Prefecture has a population of about 1.2 million people. Aomori city is the capital and largest city and Hachinohe is the other major city in the prefecture. A lot of the prefecture is covered in forested mountain ranges and is home to Lake Towada. Aomori is famous worldwide for their apples.

Akita

Akita Prefecture has a population of slightly under 1 million. Akita is the capital and largest city of Akita Prefecture. Akita is famous for its rice production and sake breweries, it is also known for the Japanese Akita dog. Visitors keen on history or nature would be attracted to visiting Akita.

Kagoshima

Kagoshima Prefecture is home to over 1.5 million people. Kagoshima city is the capital and largest city. Kagoshima is home to the active volcano Mt Sakura and it is significant tourist area. Major industries include food and beverage production, electrical and electronics, ceramics, machine and metal production.

Yamagata

Yamagata Prefecture has a population of just over 1 million. Yamagata is the capital and largest city with other major cities including Tsuruoka, Sakata, and Yonezawa. 17% of its total land area is designated as Natural Parks. It is a popular tourist area for skiing, beach goers and hiking. Yamagata is significant in food production, but is also quite vibrant in local industries and is focusing on developing its advantages in ultra precision machining technology and other cutting-edge technologies to help develop the nano technology industry.

Kumamoto

Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of over 1.7 million and Kumamoto city is the capital and largest city. Other major cities include Yatsushiro, Amakusa, and Tamana. It is home to Mt Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan one of the largest. Major industries include semiconductor production and food industries. Kumamoto castle is considered one of Japan’s best castles but suffered substantial damage during a recent earthquake. The government has committed to repairing the castle to it former glory using original stones at a cost of many hundreds of million of dollars.

Miyazaki

Miyazaki Prefecture has a population of just over 1 million. Miyazaki city is the capital and largest city. Major industries include food products with medical and battery related industries also growing. Miyazaki was a major honeymoon destination in the past however recently is more known for its nature tourism and is quite popular as a golfing destination.

Miyagi

Miyagi Prefecture is the most populated prefecture in Tohoku and is home to almost 2.4 million people. Sendai is the capital and largest city and is home to over a million people. It is the largest city in Tohoku. Miyagi is a major industrial and tourist area. Major industries include high tech industries, electronics, automotive and food industries.

Kochi

Kōchi Prefecture is one of the 4 prefectures in Shikoku and is home to just over 750,000 people. Kōchi is the capital and largest city. Kochi is home to a castle which is considered the most intact Japanese castle. Major industries include agriculture, marine products, some general machinery, electrical machinery, ceramics and stone products.

Nagasaki

Nagasaki Prefecture has a population of over 1.3 million. Nagasaki is the capital and largest city with other major cities including Sasebo, Isahaya, and Ōmura. Nagasaki is famous for its long trading history with the Europeans while the rest of was closed to the outside world. Due to this history there are a number of historical sites with a more western influence. It is also the only one of two places to suffer from nuclear attack.

Ehime

Ehime Prefecture has a population of just over 1.3 million. It is famous for its hot springs and it is also a major producer of citrus fruit and has a number of major industries including ship building and towel production. Ehime is one of the 4 prefectures in Shikoku. Matsuyama is the capital and largest city in Shikoku.

Fukuoka

Fukuoka Prefecture has a population over 5 million and is the most populated prefecture in Kyushu. Fukuoka is the capital and the largest city in Kyushu. Other major cities in Fukuoka are Kitakyushu, Kurume and Ōmuta. Fukuoka is a significant international port is considered one of the best major cities in Japan to live in. Fukuoka is a major financial and industrial centre in Japan.

Iwate

Iwate Prefecture is the second-largest Japanese prefecture and has a population of just over 1.2 million. Morioka is the capital and largest city other significant cities include Ichinoseki, Ōshū, and Hanamaki. Iwate has a number of sightseeing attractions such as Morioka Castle, Hiraizumi temples, hot springs and some well known Cherry blossom viewing spots.

Saga

Saga Prefecture has a population of about 800,000. Saga is the capital and largest city, with other significant cities including Karatsu, Tosu, and Imari. Saga is famous for the production of ceramics and porcelain, particularly in the towns of Karatsu, Imari, and Arita.

Okinawa

Okinawa Prefecture has a population of roughly 1.5 million. Naha is the capital and largest city with other major cities including Okinawa, Uruma, and Urasoe. Okinawa island is home to the majority of the Okinawan population. Okinawa was ruled by the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1429 and unofficially annexed by Japan after the Invasion of Ryukyu in 1609. Okinawa Prefecture was officially founded in 1879. Okinawa has a large American military base which is controversial. Okinawa’s major industries are tourism and agriculture/fisheries along with civil engineering/construction and some petroleum.

Hokkaido

Hokkaido is the largest prefecture and is home to roughly 5.3 million people. The largest city and the capital is Sapporo with a population of almost 2 million. The metropolitan area of Sapporo is almost 2.7 million. Major industries are fisheries, food production, biotech and tourism. It also has automotive and electronic component industries. It is popular for skiing, nature and hot springs.

Fukushima

Fukushima Prefecture has a population of almost 2 million. Fukushima is the capital and Iwaki is the largest city of Fukushima Prefecture. Other  major cities include Kōriyama, Aizuwakamatsu, and Sukagawa. It is home to Lake Inawashiro, the fourth-largest lake in Japan. The prefecture has many mountains and is a famous Cherry blossom viewing destination. Major industries in Fukushima include medical equipment and robotics. Fukushima also produces quite a lot of high quality agricultural products.

Kagawa

Kagawa is one of the prefectures on the island of Shikoku. The population is just under 1 million. It is the smallest prefecture in Japan. Takamatsu is the capital and largest city. The prefecture is connected to Honshu by the Great Seto Bridge, world’s longest 2 tier bridge system. Kagawa produces a wide variety of crops including rice, wheat, vegetables, fruit, horticultural products and livestock, they have a high productivity rate, and its produce is of high quality. It also has a number of significant tourist attractions.

Tokushima

Tokushima Prefecture has a population of over 700,000 and Tokushima city is the capital and largest city. Other major cities include Anan, Naruto, and Yoshinogawa. Tokushima Prefecture is connected to Awaji Island across the Naruto Strait by the Ōnaruto Bridge as part of the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway, connecting the prefecture to Honshu. Tokushima is a popular place for more active minded tourists still wanting to experience Japanese culture. Tokushima’s industries include pharmaceuticals, food, machinery, and metal-related industries also it is home to a number of companies significant in LED and lithium-ion battery markets.

Oita

Ōita Prefecture is home to over 1.1 million and Ōita is capital and largest city. Other major cities include Beppu, Nakatsu and Saiki. Ōita Prefecture is famous for its hot springs and is a popular tourist destination. Major industries include agriculture, metal, oil, chemicals, shipbuilding, semiconductors and auto.