Hiroshima Prefecture, Administrative prefecture in southwestern Honshu, Japan
Hiroshima Prefecture lies in southwestern Honshu, stretching from mountain ranges in the north to islands scattered across the Seto Inland Sea. The territory includes forested valleys, rivers flowing into the sea, and coastal towns nestled along bays and inlets.
This territory formed in 1871 from the older provinces of Bingo and Aki during the Meiji administrative reforms. Over the following decades, trade and industry grew along the coast while the interior remained focused on farming and forestry.
On Miyajima, a shrine displays a red gate rising from the sea at high tide, drawing pilgrims and visitors throughout the year. Along the coast, fishermen set out early in the morning while farmers in the mountain valleys tend rice on terraced slopes, preserving methods passed down through generations.
Bullet trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen line connect larger cities like Hiroshima and Fukuyama to other regions, while local trains serve smaller towns along the coast. Ferries run regularly to the inhabited islands, with more frequent service on weekends and during summer months.
More than 139 inhabited islands lie off the coast, each with its own traditions and ways of life centered on fishing and small workshops. Some of these islands can only be reached by ferry and have no paved roads, so residents rely on bicycles or small boats for daily travel.
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