Wakayama

About Wakayama

Wakayama Prefecture lies southernmost Kinki southwestern Kii Peninsula area 4,724.65 square kilometers 30th larger than mid, population about 855,971 June 1 2026 smallest in Kinki density 181 capital Wakayama City 339,000 with middle city but urban tank. Geography Kii Mountains cover over 60 percent called Ki no Kuni land of trees forest rate above 70 percent high ridge rain shadow local name deep mountains valleys waterfall river Hoya rugged, western side Kii Channel Osaka Bay southern Kumano-nada Pacific surf eastern border Mie and Nara and Osaka total 4 borders plus scrap small Hyogo徳島 across sea. Corresponds to most former Kii Province eight provinces Nishina origin name Kii Peninsula combination Waka-no-Ura beautiful waka poem bay mentioned Manyoshu 700 poems praising scenery 8th century and Okayama hill Torafuse-yama tiger bend stone 20-meter hill merged Toyotomi Hideyoshi 1585 naming castle town building Wakayama Castle 1585 400 years history. Historically powerful Kishu Domain under Kishu Tokugawa family one Gosanke three houses Tokugawa high-ranking 555,000 koku luxurious feudal autonomy with Ando family in Tanabe 65k and Mizuno in Shingu 35k as attached vassals daimyo guardian. Modern prefecture established 1871 July廢藩置県 merging Kishu Tanabe Shingu plus parts. Climate Pacific side Kuroshio warm current wet warm mild evergreen winter 10 deg average annual 2022 average 17 degree mild yet annual precipitation exceeds 3,000 mm in southern mountains Odaigahara frequenty typhoons 2nd highest rainfall Japan after Kochi with landslides blocking roads, while northern Kainan relatively drier Setouchi style winter frost minimum snow. Northern coastal Wakayama Kainan Hino villages heavy chemical steel Japan Steel Sumitomo Metal JFE oil refining Nihon 192 composition within Kihoku Coastal Industrial Area Nippon petroleum dependency second 1950 strategy 1960s rearch strict small portion limited flat land expensive logistics restricts scale vs Osaka Hyogo megacity over. North region limited with Osaka bed town I n out commuter ratio 15 percent Osaka daily train sales. Agriculture flourishing citrus especially Satsuma Mikan second 100k tonne national Hassaku first 90 percent three knights production unique special citrus Zabon tomatoes roses flower cultivation high-end greenhouse roses carnations across Gobo city flower kingdom account national 20 percent top, Nanko ume produce Minabe Tanabe area produce about 60 percent Japan pickled umeboshi health multivitamin hot sweet Japanese sales increasing overseas healthy food exotic, persimmon Tokyo sweet widely used astringency drying persimmon first country tasteful winter sweetness, vegetables writer organic. Industry includes Kishu lacquerware national traditional craft wooden craft 600 year history art Maya pearl shine longue lacquer ware bowls printing pride, Kishu Binchotan charcoal 90 percent national production ost oak carbon extreme heat 1,000 degree white charcoal deodor sterilizing BBQ power unbelievable purity 96 percent carbon. Fisheries tuna at Nachi-Katsuura raw tuna 12k ton first Japan bluefin servicing high-class sushi worldwide bluefin trawler frontier unloading freshness 70 euros auction, swordfish Arida City first Japan Tachi-uo silvered fish 1,615 ton yearly delicacy,.