Okayama岡山県

Okayama-ken, おかやまけん. The name ends in 県 (ken), prefecture.

Okayama is on the Inland Sea and has a mild, dry climate. The Seto Ōhashi bridge to Shikoku starts here.

Open Okayama on the map

Facts

Japanese name

岡山県

Reading

Okayama-ken / おかやまけん

Region

Chūgoku 中国

Capital

Okayama 岡山市

Population

1,888,432 (2020 census)

Area

7,114 km²

Density

265 people per km²

Municipalities

27: 15 cities, 10 towns, and 2 villages

Designated cities

Okayama City

Districts (郡)

10

Codes

JIS 33, ISO 3166-2 JP-33

Website

www.pref.okayama.jp

Tree

red pine アカマツ

Flower

peach blossom ももの花

Bird

green pheasant キジ

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 17 are listed below.

How an address here begins

The prefecture name is written first, then the municipality name, then the name of one of Okayama's 4 wards. The guide explains the rest of the address, and the map finds any address you paste into it.

Neighbouring prefectures

• Hyōgo兵庫県
• Tottori鳥取県
• Hiroshima広島県

Questions about Okayama

Is Okayama a city or a prefecture?

Okayama (岡山県) is a prefecture, one of Japan's 47. Okayama City (岡山市) 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 Okayama?

Okayama City (岡山市). 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 岡山県?

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 Okayama?

27: 15 cities, 10 towns, and 2 villages. Each is a local government with its own mayor and assembly. One of them is a designated city, divided into wards: Okayama City (4 wards). The wards are offices of the city, not governments. The towns and villages are grouped into 10 districts (郡), names used in addresses, not governments.

What is the population of Okayama?

1,888,432 at the 2020 census, on 7,114 km², which is 265 people per km². Okayama is the 20th most populous of the 47 prefectures and the 17th largest by area.

Which prefectures border Okayama?

Three prefectures: Hyōgo (兵庫県), Tottori (鳥取県), and Hiroshima (広島県). Borders across water are not counted.

What region is Okayama in?

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

How is Okayama written in Japanese?

岡山県, read Okayama-ken and written おかやまけん 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 Okayama begin?

With the prefecture name, then the municipality name: 岡山県岡山市… (Okayama-ken, Okayama-shi, …). In Okayama 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 Okayama?

Okayama City (岡山市), with 724,691 people at the 2020 census. It is also the capital. The three most populous municipalities are Okayama City (岡山市, 724,691), Kurashiki City (倉敷市, 474,592), and Tsuyama City (津山市, 99,937).

What are the symbols of Okayama?

The prefectural tree is the red pine (アカマツ), the flower the peach blossom (ももの花), and the bird the green pheasant (キジ). Okayama chose them by ordinance, as every prefecture has.