Quicknation    Japan Miyagi Prefecture

Images of Miyagi Prefecture: G Y AOL AV MSN News of Miyagi Prefecture: G Y Books of Miyagi Prefecture: B

Miyagi Prefecture

Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Date Masamune built a castle at Sendai as his seat to rule Mutsu. In 1871, Sendai Prefecture was formed. It was renamed Miyagi prefecture the following year.

Miyagi Prefecture is located in the central part of Tōhoku, facing the Pacific Ocean, and contains Tohoku's largest city, Sendai. There are high mountains on the west and along the northeast coast, but the central plain around Sendai is fairly large.

Matsushima is known as one of the three most scenic views of Japan, with a bay full of 260 small island covered in pine groves.

On April 1, 2003, Kami town was formed from a merger between three towns in the Kami district; Miyazaki, Nakaniida, and Onoda.

On April 1, 2005, Naruse town and Yamoto town from the Monou district merged and created the city of Higashimatsushima. This merger, combined with the simultaneous Ishinomaki expansion, dissolved Monou district.

On April 1, 2005, all towns and villages in the Kurihara district merged and created the city of Kurihara. One village and nine towns were involved in the merger. They were Ichihasama, Kannari, Kurikoma, Semine, Shiwahime, Takashimizu, Tsukidate, Wakayanagi, along with Hanayama village.

On April 1, 2005, all towns in the Tome district merged with Tsuyama town in the Motoyoshi district and created the city of Tome. Nine towns merged, which were Hasama, Ishikoshi, Minamikata, Nakada, Tome, Towa, Toyosato, Tsuyama, and Yoneyama

On April 1, 2005, five towns from the Monou District and Oshika town from the Oshika District merged into the city of Ishinomaki. This expansion, combined with the Higashimatsushima merger, dissolved Monou district. The five towns from Monou district were Kahoku, Kanan, Kitakami, Monou and Ogatsu.

On October 1, 2005, the town of Shizugawa and the town of Utatsu from the Motoyoshi District merged to form the new town of Minamisanriku. (Merger Information Page)

On January 1, 2006, the towns of Kogota and Nangou from Toda District merged into the new town of Misato. (Merger Information Page)

On March 31, 2006, the town of Karakuwa will merge into the city of Kesennuma. (Merger Information Page)

Although Miyagi has a good deal of fishing and agriculture, producing a great deal of rice and livestock, it is dominated by the manufacturing industries around Sendai, particularly electronics, appliances, and food processing.

Sendai was the castle town of the daimyo Date Masamune. The remains of Sendai Castle stand on a hill above the city.

Miyagi Prefecture boasts one of Japan's three greatest sights. Matsushima, the pine-clad islands, dot the waters off the coast of the prefecture.