親子de英語！！

国際交流『岡山』

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Come and see the many things Okayama has to offer.
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POINTS OF INTEREST

　1) There is an enormous amount of history， rich culture， and scenic views.
This includes many famous historical spots. Okayama contains 66 out of the 2，571
commemorative places in Japan. It is ranked 9th， of the 47 prefectures， as a prefecture
with rich culture heritage， historical legacy and sites， and a place of scenic beauty with
a vast amount of rare species.
　　　　 *Data taken by the Agency for Cultural Affairs- 1998.

　 Korakuen Garden

2) The improvement of road network is striking.
The highway network ranks second for length of national highways per 1，000km2 per
extention. The national average is 16 kilometers per 1，000 km2， while Okayama
contains an overwhelming 41 kilometers per 1，000km2.
　　　　 *Data from the Ministry of Construction’s road statistics annual report- 1998.

OKAYAMA’S GENERAL CONDITIONS: Mountains， rivers and the sea.

l Total Area: In 1997，the total area was calculated as 7，111.16 km2， 1.9 % of Japan.
　It was ranked 17th of Japan’s 47 prefectures.

l Geographic Features: The prefecture is greatly divided. The northern region is
　filled with the picturesque Chugoku Mountains and basin along with many onsens.
　The central region lies in the central basin of the Kibi Plateau. And the southern
　region is flat with plains， containing many beautiful islands; it is definitely a
　tranquil and peaceful place. As you can see Okayama is blessed with a variety of
　different color.

l Water: Okayama has always been affluent with an amply supply of water.
　Therefore， farming has moist and rich soil， with a plentiful amount for daily
　activities， and drinking. The manufacturing industry has also utilized this
　enormous supply of water. The mountainous region is the origin for the three
　major rivers- the Yoshii river， the Asahi river， and the Takahashi river.

l City: The spread from Okayama to Kurashiki city contains approximately
　1，050，000 people. This is about 53% of the total population concentrated in this
　region. However， the middle-northern region， containing only small cities， towns
　and villages， is decreasing due to old age. As of 1998， 41 of the 78 municipalities
　are designated as a depopulation region.

POINTS OF INTEREST
TOTAL AREA BREAKDOWN
　　　　　 1) Forest region: Japan:　　　 67.0%， Okayama 68.2%
　　　　　 2) Agriculture region:　Japan13.1%， Okayama 10.9%
　　　　　 3) Remaining:　　　　　　Japan:19.9%， Okayama 20.9%

TOTAL POPULATION: 1，955，579 people （Ranked 21st， Japan: 126，166，019 -1997
HOUSEHOLDS: 659，078 households 　　　(Ranked 18th， Japan: 44，107，856 -1995)
POPULATION DENSITY: 275 people　　　　(Ranked 24th， Average: 338 -1997)
RATE OF SENIOR CITIZENS: 19.2%　　　　　(Ranked 23rd， Average: 16.2% - 1998)
WORKFORCE: 　　Agriculture 7.1%， Industry 34.5%， and Service 58.4%
　　　　　　 Japan: (Agriculture 5.4%， Industry 31.8%， and Service 61.8%) -1997

Okayama Prefecture: THE LAND OF SUNSHINE: Fine weather， mild climate，
relatively any natural disasters -such as earthquakes and typhoons， famous sites，
plenty of natural beauty， full of high quality delicacies， and much more.

WHY IS OKAYAMA CALLED THE LAND OF SUNSHINE?
1) When was Okayama called the land of Sunshine? The expression was decided for
　　the image of Okayama， and used for advertisement and Public Relations in 1989.
2) The land of sunshine， why the motto?
　　　　　 1) Many bright and sunny days， warm/mild climate， and few disasters.
　　　　　 2) Tranquil， serene， and peaceful place.
　　　　　 3) Blessed with natures’ sea， mountains and rivers.
　　　　　 4) Full of high quality delicacies.
3) Facts about The Land of Sunshine.
　　~In 1989， Okayama was the first to declare itself the Land of Sunshine.
　　~Not everyday， but many days you are certain to have sun.
　　　　　 1) The number of days with precipitation below 1 mm is 280 days a year.
　　　　　　　 Ranked 1st -1997. *This is the least of all of Japan.
　　　　　 2) Total hours of Sunlight in a year: 2，156 hours， Ranked 11th -1997
　　　　　 3) Number of days of total sunshine， allover the prefecture: 47 days，
　　　　　　　 Ranked 7th -1997
　　　　　 4) Total precipitation: 1，048 mm.， Ranked 5th as the least amount. -1997
*In the Chu-Shikoku region， Okayama is 1st with the least amount of precipitation， 3rd
in days of total sunshine， and 3rd in total hours of sunlight.

OKAYAMA LIFESTYLE: An easy place to live.
1) Supermarkets.
　　~ The number of supermarkets in a ratio of 100，000 people to the population is
　　 ranked 4th. (National average: 14.7 shops， Okayama: 21 shops)
　　　　　 *Data taken from The Japan Supermarket Almanac. -1997
2) Vehicle Transportation:
　　~The number of sales in minor motor vehicles in a ratio of 1，000 people to the
　　 population is ranked 4th. (National average: 12.3 cars， Okayama 21.1 cars)
　　　　　 *Data taken from Japans Compact Motor Vehicle Society Federation -1998
　　~The number of bike registration in a ratio of 1，000 people to the population is
　　 ranked 7th. (National average: 49 bikes， Okayama: 53 bikes)
　　　　　 *Data taken from The National Police Agency -1997

3) Medical facilities
　　~The number of physicians in a ratio of 100，000 people to the population is
　　 ranked 10th. (National average: 191.4 people， Okayama: 231.1 people)
　　　　　 *Data taken from The Ministry of Health and Welfare the doctor， dentist， and
　　　　　 pharmacy investigative report. -1996
　　~The number of dentists in a ratio of 100，000 people to the population is ranked 5th.
　　(National average: 67.9 people， Okayama 74.8 people)
　　　　　 *Data taken from The Ministry of Health and Welfare the doctor， dentist， and
　　　　　 pharmacy investigative report. -1996
　　~The number of emergency hospitals in a ratio of 100，000 people to the population is
　　 ranked 7th. (National average: 3.4 facilities， Okayama: 4.9 facilities)
　　　　　 *Data taken from the Ministry of Health and Welfare Hospital Institution
　　　　　 investigative report -1996

OKAYAMA FACTS: Express Okayama in a single word.
　　　　　 1) Mild weather， few disasters， and easy to live in because it’s The Land of
　　　　　　　 Sunshine.
　　　　　 2) Many delicious fruits， otherwise know as the Fruit Kingdom.
　　　　　 3) The history of Kibi， and the legend of Momotarou.

OKAYAMA SYMBOLS
　　　　　 1) Prefecture Bird: Pheasant. In April 1994， the Citizens of the prefecture took
　　　　　　　 part in voting for the promotion of the pheasant as the prefecture’s bird out
　　　　　　　 of ten types of different birds.
　　　　　 2) Prefecture Tree: Japanese Red Pine， In September 1966， the citizens voted
　　　　　　　 the Red Pine out of three candidates chosen by the council from delegations
　　　　　　　 of various fields.
　　　　　 3) Prefecture Flower: The Peach blossom， Used from 1950， since Okayama’s
　　　　　　　 specialty is the peach.

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