Yamaguchi山口県

Yamaguchi-ken, やまぐちけん. The name ends in 県 (ken), prefecture.

Yamaguchi is the western end of Honshū. A tunnel and a bridge at Shimonoseki join it to Kyūshū.

Open Yamaguchi on the map

Facts

Japanese name

山口県

Reading

Yamaguchi-ken / やまぐちけん

Region

Chūgoku 中国

Capital

Yamaguchi 山口市

Largest municipality

Shimonoseki City 下関市, 255,051 people, more than the capital

Population

1,342,059 (2020 census)

Area

6,113 km²

Density

220 people per km²

Municipalities

19: 13 cities and 6 towns

Designated cities

None

Districts (郡)

4

Codes

JIS 35, ISO 3166-2 JP-35

Website

www.pref.yamaguchi.lg.jp

Tree

red pine アカマツ

Flower

natsumikan blossom 夏みかんの花

Bird

hooded crane ナベヅル

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 9 are listed below.

How an address here begins

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

Neighbouring prefectures

• Shimane島根県
• Hiroshima広島県

Questions about Yamaguchi

Is Yamaguchi a city or a prefecture?

Yamaguchi (山口県) is a prefecture, one of Japan's 47. Yamaguchi City (山口市) 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 Yamaguchi?

Yamaguchi City (山口市). The prefectural office is there. It is not the largest municipality: Shimonoseki City (下関市) had more people at the 2020 census, 255,051.

What does 県 mean in 山口県?

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 Yamaguchi?

19: 13 cities and 6 towns. Each is a local government with its own mayor and assembly. The towns and villages are grouped into four districts (郡), names used in addresses, not governments.

What is the population of Yamaguchi?

1,342,059 at the 2020 census, on 6,113 km², which is 220 people per km². Yamaguchi is the 27th most populous of the 47 prefectures and the 23rd largest by area.

Which prefectures border Yamaguchi?

Two prefectures: Shimane (島根県) and Hiroshima (広島県). Borders across water are not counted.

What region is Yamaguchi in?

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

How is Yamaguchi written in Japanese?

山口県, read Yamaguchi-ken and written やまぐちけん 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 Yamaguchi begin?

With the prefecture name, then the municipality name: 山口県山口市… (Yamaguchi-ken, Yamaguchi-shi, …). After that are written the named area, the chōme, the block, and the building number.

What is the largest city in Yamaguchi?

Shimonoseki City (下関市), with 255,051 people at the 2020 census. The capital, Yamaguchi, is not the largest. The three most populous municipalities are Shimonoseki City (下関市, 255,051), Yamaguchi City (山口市, 193,966), and Ube City (宇部市, 162,570).

What are the symbols of Yamaguchi?

The prefectural tree is the red pine (アカマツ), the flower the natsumikan blossom (夏みかんの花), and the bird the hooded crane (ナベヅル). Yamaguchi chose them by ordinance, as every prefecture has.