Hiroshima広島県

Hiroshima-ken, ひろしまけん. The name ends in 県 (ken), prefecture.

Hiroshima is the largest prefecture in Chūgoku. Hiroshima City is a designated city with eight wards.

Open Hiroshima on the map

Facts

Japanese name

広島県

Reading

Hiroshima-ken / ひろしまけん

Region

Chūgoku 中国

Capital

Hiroshima 広島市

Population

2,799,702 (2020 census)

Area

8,480 km²

Density

330 people per km²

Municipalities

23: 14 cities and 9 towns

Designated cities

Hiroshima City

Districts (郡)

5

Codes

JIS 34, ISO 3166-2 JP-34

Website

www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp

Tree

maple モミジ

Flower

maple モミジ

Bird

loon アビ

The tree, flower, and bird are the prefectural symbols, chosen by ordinance. Every prefecture has all three.

The most populous municipalities

2020 census. Share is the municipality's part of the prefecture's population. The other 13 are listed below.

How an address here begins

The prefecture name is written first, then the municipality name, then the name of one of Hiroshima's 8 wards. The guide explains the rest of the address, and the map finds any address you paste into it.

Neighbouring prefectures

• Tottori鳥取県
• Shimane島根県
• Okayama岡山県
• Yamaguchi山口県

Questions about Hiroshima

Is Hiroshima a city or a prefecture?

Hiroshima (広島県) is a prefecture, one of Japan's 47. Hiroshima City (広島市) is a municipality inside it and its capital. On its own, the name usually means the city. With 県 on the end it means the prefecture.

What is the capital of Hiroshima?

Hiroshima City (広島市). The prefectural office is there. It is also the largest municipality in the prefecture. It is a designated city, divided into wards.

What does 県 mean in 広島県?

県 (ken) means prefecture. It is the ordinary word for prefecture, used by 43 of the 47. The other four are Tokyo (都), Hokkaidō (道), Osaka, and Kyoto (府), which are the same kind of government with a different word at the end of the name.

How many municipalities are in Hiroshima?

23: 14 cities and 9 towns. Each is a local government with its own mayor and assembly. One of them is a designated city, divided into wards: Hiroshima City (8 wards). The wards are offices of the city, not governments. The towns and villages are grouped into five districts (郡), names used in addresses, not governments.

What is the population of Hiroshima?

2,799,702 at the 2020 census, on 8,480 km², which is 330 people per km². Hiroshima is the 12th most populous of the 47 prefectures and the 11th largest by area.

Which prefectures border Hiroshima?

Four prefectures: Tottori (鳥取県), Shimane (島根県), Okayama (岡山県), and Yamaguchi (山口県). Borders across water are not counted.

What region is Hiroshima in?

Chūgoku (中国). A region is a customary grouping of prefectures, not a government, so Hiroshima elects a governor and an assembly but the region elects nothing.

How is Hiroshima written in Japanese?

広島県, read Hiroshima-ken and written ひろしまけん in hiragana. The last character, 県, is the word for prefecture, and the name is often used without it in English.

How does an address in Hiroshima begin?

With the prefecture name, then the municipality name: 広島県広島市… (Hiroshima-ken, Hiroshima-shi, …). In Hiroshima the ward name is written after the city name, since it is a designated city. After that are written the named area, the chōme, the block, and the building number.

What is the largest city in Hiroshima?

Hiroshima City (広島市), with 1,200,754 people at the 2020 census. It is also the capital. The three most populous municipalities are Hiroshima City (広島市, 1,200,754), Fukuyama City (福山市, 460,930), and Kure City (呉市, 214,592).

What are the symbols of Hiroshima?

The prefectural tree is the maple (モミジ), the flower the maple (モミジ), and the bird the loon (アビ). Hiroshima chose them by ordinance, as every prefecture has.