1.
Miyazaki Prefecture
–
Miyazaki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Miyazaki, historically, after the Meiji Restoration, Hyūga Province was renamed Miyazaki Prefecture. It is one of two locations on Earth where the fungus Chorioactis geaster is found. Miyazaki is the home of the hyuganatsu fruit, nine cities are located in Miyazaki Prefecture, These are the towns and villages of each district, The sports teams listed below are based in Miyazaki. Honda Lock S. C. Miyazaki United F. C. Japan encyclopedia, ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5, OCLC58053128 Official Miyazaki Prefecture website Official Miyazaki Prefecture website Miyazaki and Vicinity Information from the JNTO
2.
Geographic coordinate system
–
A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
3.
Japan
–
Japan is a sovereign island nation in Eastern Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies off the eastern coast of the Asia Mainland and stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea, the kanji that make up Japans name mean sun origin. 日 can be read as ni and means sun while 本 can be read as hon, or pon, Japan is often referred to by the famous epithet Land of the Rising Sun in reference to its Japanese name. Japan is an archipelago consisting of about 6,852 islands. The four largest are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, the country is divided into 47 prefectures in eight regions. Hokkaido being the northernmost prefecture and Okinawa being the southernmost one, the population of 127 million is the worlds tenth largest. Japanese people make up 98. 5% of Japans total population, approximately 9.1 million people live in the city of Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Archaeological research indicates that Japan was inhabited as early as the Upper Paleolithic period, the first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other regions, mainly China, followed by periods of isolation, from the 12th century until 1868, Japan was ruled by successive feudal military shoguns who ruled in the name of the Emperor. Japan entered into a period of isolation in the early 17th century. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan is a member of the UN, the OECD, the G7, the G8, the country has the worlds third-largest economy by nominal GDP and the worlds fourth-largest economy by purchasing power parity. It is also the worlds fourth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer, although Japan has officially renounced its right to declare war, it maintains a modern military with the worlds eighth-largest military budget, used for self-defense and peacekeeping roles. Japan is a country with a very high standard of living. Its population enjoys the highest life expectancy and the third lowest infant mortality rate in the world, in ancient China, Japan was called Wo 倭. It was mentioned in the third century Chinese historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms in the section for the Wei kingdom, Wa became disliked because it has the connotation of the character 矮, meaning dwarf. The 倭 kanji has been replaced with the homophone Wa, meaning harmony, the Japanese word for Japan is 日本, which is pronounced Nippon or Nihon and literally means the origin of the sun. The earliest record of the name Nihon appears in the Chinese historical records of the Tang dynasty, at the start of the seventh century, a delegation from Japan introduced their country as Nihon
4.
Kyushu
–
Kyushu is the third biggest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternative ancient names include Kyūkoku, Chinzei, and Tsukushi-no-shima, the historical regional name Saikaidō referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands. In the 8th century Taihō Code reforms, Dazaifu was established as an administrative term for the region. As of 2016, Kyushu has a population of 12,970,479, the island is mountainous, and Japans most active volcano, Mt Aso at 1,591 metres, is on Kyushu. There are many signs of tectonic activity, including numerous areas of hot springs. The most famous of these are in Beppu, on the east shore, the island is separated from Honshu by the Kanmon Straits. The name Kyūshū comes from the nine ancient provinces of Saikaidō situated on the island, Chikuzen, Chikugo, Hizen, Higo, Buzen, Bungo, Hyūga, Osumi, excepting Oita and Miyazaki cities, the eastern seaboard shows a general decline in population. Designated cities Fukuoka Kitakyushu Kumamoto Core cities Kagoshima Ōita Nagasaki Miyazaki Naha Kurume Parts of Kyushu have a climate, particularly Miyazaki. Major agricultural products are rice, tea, tobacco, sweet potatoes, the island is noted for various types of porcelain, including Arita, Imari, Satsuma, and Karatsu. Heavy industry is concentrated in the north around Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, Nagasaki, and Oita and includes chemicals, automobiles, semiconductors, in 2010, the graduate employment rate in the region was the lowest nationwide, at 88. 9%. Besides the volcanic area of the south, there are significant mud hot springs in the part of the island, around Beppu. These springs are the site of occurrence of certain extremophile micro-organisms, the Kanmon Bridge also connects the island with Honshu. Railways on the island are operated by the Kyushu Railway Company, and Nishitetsu Railway
5.
Prefectures of Japan
–
The Prefectures of Japan consist of 47 prefectures. They form the first level of jurisdiction and administrative division of Japan and they consist of 43 prefectures proper, two urban prefectures, one circuit or territory and one metropolis. The Meiji Fuhanken sanchisei administration created the first prefectures to replace the provinces of Japan in 1868, each prefectures chief executive is a directly-elected governor. Ordinances and budgets are enacted by an assembly whose members are elected for four-year terms. Under the current Local Autonomy Law, each prefecture is subdivided into cities and districts and each district into towns, for example, Hokkaido has 14 subprefectures that act as branch offices of the prefecture. Some other prefectures also have offices that carry out prefectural administrative functions outside the capital. Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is a merged city-prefecture, the Wests use of prefecture to label these Japanese regions stems from 16th-century Portuguese explorers and traders use of prefeitura to describe the fiefdoms they encountered there. Its original sense in Portuguese, however, was closer to municipality than province and those fiefs were headed by a local warlord or family. Though the fiefs have long since been dismantled, merged, and reorganized multiple times, and been granted legislative governance and oversight, the Meiji government established the current system in July 1871 with the abolition of the Han system and establishment of the prefecture system. Although there were initially over 300 prefectures, many of them being former Han territories, this number was reduced to 72 in the part of 1871. The Local Autonomy Law of 1947 gave more power to prefectures. In 2003, then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi proposed that the government consolidate the current prefectures into about 10 regional states, the plan called for each region to have greater autonomy than existing prefectures. This process would reduce the number of administrative regions and cut administrative costs. As of August 2012, no reorganization has been scheduled, the central government delegates many functions to the prefectures and municipalities, but retains the overall right to control them. Although local government expenditure accounts for 70 percent of government expenditure, the central government controls local budgets, tax rates. Historically, during the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate established bugyō-ruled zones around the nine largest cities in Japan, and 302 township-ruled zones elsewhere. When the Meiji government began to create the system in 1868, the nine bugyō-ruled zones became fu, while the township-ruled zones. Later, in 1871, the government designated Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto as fu, during World War II, in 1943, Tokyo became a to, a new type of pseudo-prefecture
6.
Districts of Japan
–
As of 2008, cities belong directly to prefectures and are independent from districts. In Japan, towns and villages belong to districts and the districts possess little to no administrative authority, the districts are used primarily in the Japanese addressing system and to identify the relevant geographical areas and collections of nearby towns and villages. The district was initially called kōri and has ancient roots in Japan, although the Nihon Shoki says they were established during the Taika Reforms, kōri was originally written 評. It was not until the Taihō Code that kōri came to be written 郡, under the Taihō Code, the administrative unit of province was above district, and the village was below. Each jurisdiction refers to its position along the river from which the former province. Kamikawa means upper course of the river, Nakagawa means middle course, jacobs at Urban Studies Research, Vol.2011, doi,10. 1155/2011/692764 Graphic shows relationships among Japanese cities at p.7 of Large City System of Japan Text of the Local Government Law
7.
Michelia
–
Michelia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Magnolia family. The genus includes about 50 species of trees and shrubs, native to tropical and subtropical south and southeast Asia. The Magnoliaceae are an ancient family, fossil plants identifiably belonging to the Magnoliaceae date back 95 million years, a primitive aspect of the Magnolia family is that their large, cup-shaped flowers lack distinct petals or sepals. The large non-specialized flower parts, resembling petals, are called tepals, the leaves, flowers, and form of Michelia resemble Magnolia, but the blossoms of Michelia generally form clusters among the leaves, rather than singly at the branch ends as Magnolia does. Several of the species are locally important sources of timber. Some species, including the Champak and M. doltsopa are grown for their flowers, Champak flowers are also used to produce an essential oil for perfume. A few species have been introduced to gardens or as street trees outside of the Indomalaya region, including Michelia figo, M. doltsopa, the genus is named after the Florentine botanist Pietro Antonio Micheli. Morphological data and molecular data showed that the genus Michelia is very closely related to subgenus Yulania of genus Magnolia. Many botanists now treat the genus Michelia accordingly, new combinations of names have been provided for. For further information see under genus Magnolia, wu Michelia cavaleriei Finet & Gagnep. Native to India, Java, and the Philippines, a tree or shrub which grows from 3 to 6 meters high and wide. Glossy bright green leaves to 16 cm, produces fragrant orange, yellow, or creamy white flowers in the spring. The flowers of this plant produce an oil that is used in perfume. Michelia chapensis Dandy Michelia compressa Sarg, Michelia coriacea Chang & Chen Michelia crassipes Y. -W. Large shrubs and trees, growing to 30 meters, native to the eastern Himalayas and Meghalaya subtropical forests. Varies in form from bushy to narrow and upright, leathery dark-green leaves,6 to 17 cm in length. Clusters of creamy white flowers in winter, growing in popularity as a street tree in coastal California. Wu Michelia elliptilimba Chen & Noot, a slow growing shrub or small tree that can grow up to 5 meters high and nearly as wide
8.
Wisteria
–
Wisteria is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, that includes ten species of woody climbing bines native to the Eastern United States and to China, Korea, and Japan. Some species are popular ornamental plants, an aquatic flowering plant with the common name wisteria or water wisteria is in fact Hygrophila difformis, in the family Acanthaceae. The botanist Thomas Nuttall said he named the genus Wisteria in memory of Dr. Caspar Wistar, as the spelling is apparently deliberate, there is no justification for changing the genus name under the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. However, some spell the plants common name wistaria, and Fowler is decisively for the wistaria spelling, genetic analysis shows Callerya, Afgekia and Wisteria to be each others closest relatives and quite distinct from other members of the tribe Millettieae. The following is a list of accepted Wisteria species, Wisteria brachybotrys Siebold & Zucc, Wisteria brevidentata Rehder Wisteria floribunda DC. – Japanese wisteria Wisteria frutescens Poir, – American wisteria Wisteria macrostachya Nutt. – Kentucky wisteria Wisteria sinensis DC, – Chinese wisteria Wisteria venusta Rehder & Wils. – Silky wisteria Wisteria villosa Rehder Wisterias climb by twining their stems either clockwise or counterclockwise round any available support and they can climb as high as 20 m above the ground and spread out 10 m laterally. The worlds largest known wisteria is in Sierra Madre, California, measuring more than 1 acre in size, planted in 1894, it is of the Chinese lavender variety. The leaves are alternate,15 to 35 cm long, pinnate, the flowers are produced in pendulous racemes 10 to 80 cm long, similar to those of the genus Laburnum, but are purple, violet, pink or white. There is no yellow on the leaves, flowering is in spring in some Asian species, and in mid to late summer in the American species and W. japonica. The flowers of species are fragrant, most notably W. sinensis. Wisteria species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including brown-tail, the seeds are produced in pods similar to those of Laburnum, and, like the seeds of that genus, are poisonous. All parts of the plant contain a saponin called wisterin which is toxic if ingested and may cause dizziness, confusion, speech problems, nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, diarrhea and collapse. Wisterias have caused poisoning in children and pets of many countries, producing mild to severe gastroenteritis, Wisteria, especially Wisteria sinensis, is very hardy and fast-growing. It can grow in fairly poor-quality soils, but prefers fertile, moist and it can be propagated via hardwood cutting, softwood cuttings, or seed. However, specimens grown from seed can take decades to bloom, for this reason, another reason for failure to bloom can be excessive fertilizer. Wisteria has nitrogen fixing capability, and thus mature plants may benefit from added potassium and phosphate, finally, wisteria can be reluctant to bloom because it has not reached maturity
9.
Meadow bunting
–
The meadow bunting or Siberian meadow bunting is a passerine bird of eastern Asia which belongs to the genus Emberiza in the bunting family Emberizidae. The meadow bunting is 15 to 16.5 cm long, the male is mostly rufous-brown with dark streaks on the back. The boldly-patterned head is brown with white eyebrows, moustachial stripe and throat, the outer tail-feathers are white and the legs are pinkish-brown. Females are similar but are duller and paler with a less well-defined head pattern, the song is a short, hurried phrase given from a prominent perch. The call is a series of up to four sharp notes and it breeds in southern Siberia, northern and eastern China, eastern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Korea and Japan. It is fairly non-migratory but northern birds move south as far as southern China, there are several records from Europe but many of these are considered to be escapes from captivity rather than genuine vagrants. It occurs in dry, open habitats such as scrub, farmland, grassland, the nest is built low in bushes or on the ground. Three to five eggs are laid and are incubated for 11 days, the young birds fledge after another 11 days. Pairs are monogamous and use the area for breeding several years in a row. Lewington, Ian, Alström, Per & Colston, Peter, a Field Guide to the Rare Birds of Britain and Europe. A Field Guide to the Birds of China
10.
Japan Standard Time
–
Japan Standard Time or JST is the standard timezone in Japan, and is 9 hours ahead of UTC, i. e. it is UTC+09,00. There is no daylight saving time, though its introduction has been debated several times, during World War II, it was often called Tokyo Standard Time. Japan Standard Time is the same as Korean Standard Time, Indonesian Eastern Standard Time, before the Meiji era, each local region had its own timezone in which noon was when the sun was exactly at its zenith. As modern transportation methods, such as trains, were adopted, in 1886, Ordinance 51 was issued in response to this problem, which stated, Ordinance 51 - July 13,1886 The prime meridian passes through Englands Greenwich Observatory. Longitudes are calculated using the prime meridian, counting 180 degrees either east or west, positive degrees are east, negative degrees are west. On January 1,1888,135 degrees east longitude will be set as the meridian for all of Japan. According to this, the time was set 9 hours ahead of GMT. In the ordinance, the first clause mentions GMT, the second defines east longitude and west longitude, the city of Akashi in Hyōgo Prefecture is located exactly on 135 degrees east longitude and subsequently became known as Toki no machi. While Korea came under Japanese rule in 1910, Korea Standard Time of UTC+8,30 continued to be used until 1912, when it was changed to Central Standard Time. Western Standard Time, which was used in Taiwan and some parts of Okinawa, was abolished by Ordinance 529 in 1937 and replaced by Central Standard Time in those areas. Territories occupied by Japan during World War II, including Singapore and Malaya, adopted Japan Standard Time for the duration of their occupation, more recently there have been efforts to bring back DST in Japan, but so far this has not happened. The two-time-zone system was implemented in Japan between January 1896 and September 1937, From October 1937, Central Standard Time was also used in western Okinawa, the IANA time zone database contains one zone for Japan in the file zone. tab, named Asia/Tokyo. From 1948–51, Japan observed DST between May and September every year under an initiative of the U. S. -led occupation army, since then, DST has never been officially implemented nationwide in Japan. Starting in the late 1990s, a movement to reinstate DST in Japan gained some popularity, aiming at saving energy, in the early 2000s, a few local governments and commerce departments promoted unmandated hour-earlier work schedule experiments during the summer without officially resetting clocks. The Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy is expected to propose that the Japanese government begin studying DST in an attempt to combat global warming. Japanese PM Shinzo Abe made a significant effort to introduce daylight saving time, however, it is not clear that DST would conserve energy in Japan. JJY Japanese calendar UTC+09,00 Japanese clock
11.
Kumamoto Prefecture
–
Kumamoto Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kumamoto, historically, the area was called Higo Province, and the province was renamed Kumamoto during the Meiji Restoration. The creation of prefectures was part of the abolition of the feudal system, the current Japanese orthography for Kumamoto literally means bear root/origin, or origin of the bear. Kumamoto Prefecture is in the center of Kyushu, the southernmost of the four major Japanese islands, mount Aso, an extensive active volcano, is in the east of Kumamoto Prefecture. This volcano is located at the centre of the Aso caldera, fourteen cities are located in Kumamoto Prefecture, These are the towns and villages in each district, The population is 1,812,255. The prefecture ranks 23rd in Japan, the population density is 244.76 people per square kilometer. There is a Honda automobile plant, mount Aso is one of the worlds largest active volcanoes. Kumamoto has a city located in Texas named San Antonio. In 2015 the mascot, Kumamon visited as an ambassador during the festival located at the Japanese Tea Gardens. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5, OCLC58053128 Official website National Archives of Japan
12.
Miyazaki, Miyazaki
–
Miyazaki is the capital city of Miyazaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Located on the coast and crossed by rivers, Miyazaki City enjoys scenic views of both ocean and nearby, verdant mountains. A popular resort destination for Japanese tourists, the city offers many attractions, including the SeaGaia event center, the Phoenix Zoo, the city is the primary shopping destination for eastern Kyushu residents in smaller towns around the prefecture. The city was founded on April 1,1924, as of this merger, the city has an estimated population of 365,311 and a population density of 612 persons per km². The total area is 596.68 km², as of December 2010, the current population is 399,834. Miyazaki Airport and Miyazaki seaport serve the city, in 1940, the imperialist Shōwa regime constructed the 37 meter Hakkō Ichiu pillar upon the legendary site of Emperor Jimmus palace. Located near Miyazaki, it was intended to symbolize the divine right of the Empire of Japan to unify the eight corners of the world. The tower survived the war and is now the piece of the Heiwadai-koen peace park. On January 1,2006, the towns of Sadowara and Tano, on March 23,2010, the town of Kiyotake was merged into Miyazaki. Miyazaki District was dissolved as a result of this merger, skynet Asia Airways has its headquarters in Miyazaki. Asiana Airlines operates an office on the sixth floor of the Miyazaki Daiichi Seimei Building in Miyazaki. Dell Inc has their two centers in Japan then had opened the one on the 5th floor of Carino Miyazaki Building in Miyazaki. Miyazaki Prefectural Office became famous as a tourist spot when Hideo Higashikokubaru, miyazaki-jingū, a shrine in the citys center, is one of Miyazakis sacred dedications to Japans first emperor, Jinmu. Heiwadai Tower or Peace Tower, in the expansive Heiwadai park, is a must-see for tourists, originally the Tower of the Emperor, symbolizing Japanese imperial expansion, it was renamed for peace after the events of World War II. The fascinating Aoshima Subtropical Botanical Garden is also located nearby, the Tom Watson Golf Course was produced by Tom Watson, an American professional golfer. Miyazaki-city Phoenix Zoo The Citizens Forest, a Large park near Phoenix Zoo. L Located on its grounds is the Misogi-ike, Pound of Purification, the Ikimen Burial Mounds are located in Miyzaki and include the Ikime-no-mori Yukokan, Activity Centre, where visitors learn the history of the burial mounds and learn about ancient activities. Miyazaki City is known for its excellent surfing conditions year-round, and Kisakihama Beach, Aoshima Beach, the JR Kyushu Nichinan Line serves the area
13.
Kumamoto
–
Kumamoto is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. As of March 1,2010, the city has an population of 731,286. The total area is 389.53 km2, greater Kumamoto had a population of 1,460,000, as of the 2000 census. As of 2010, Kumamoto Metropolitan Employment Area has a GDP of US$39.8 billion and it is not considered part of the Fukuoka–Kitakyushu metropolitan area, despite their shared border. The city was designated on April 1,2012 by government ordinance, katō Kiyomasa, a contemporary of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was made daimyo of half of the administrative region of Higo in 1588. After that, Kiyomasa built Kumamoto Castle, due to its many innovative defensive designs, Kumamoto Castle was considered impregnable, and Kiyomasa enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest castle-builders in Japanese history. After Kiyomasa died in 1611, his son, Tadahiro, succeeded him, the current administrative body of the City of Kumamoto was founded on April 1,1889. Near the end of World War II, Kumamto experienced several air raids, about one third of the city was burned, and more than 300 people died. On February 1,1991, the towns of Akita, Kawachi, Tenmei, on October 6,2008, the town of Tomiai was merged into Kumamoto. On March 23,2010, the town of Jōnan, a series of earthquakes struck the area beginning April 14,2016, including a tremor with moment magnitude 7.1 early in the morning of April 16,2016, local time. Kumamoto has a subtropical climate with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is much heavier around the summer, especially the months of June, the citys most famous landmark is Kumamoto Castle, a large and, in its day, extremely well fortified Japanese castle. It was during this time that the tradition of eating basashi originated, basashi remains popular in Kumamoto and, to a lesser extent, elsewhere in Japan, though these days it is usually considered a delicacy. Within the outer walls of Kumamoto Castle is the Hosokawa Gyobu-tei and this traditional wooden mansion has a fine Japanese garden located on its grounds. Miyamoto Musashi lived the last part of his life in Kumamoto and his tomb and the cave where he resided during his final years is situated close by. He penned the famous Go Rin no Sho whilst living here, Kumamoto is also home to Suizen-ji Jōju-en, a formal garden neighboring Suizenji Temple approximately 3 kilometers southeast of Kumamoto Castle. A notable shrine is Takahashi Inari Shrine, Suizenji Park is also home to the Suizenji Municipal Stadium, where the citys football team, Roasso Kumamoto used to play regularly, but nowadays they use the larger KKWing Stadium in Higashi Ward. The downtown area has a district centred on two shopping arcades, the Shimotori and Kamitori, which extend for several city blocks
14.
National highways of Japan
–
Japan has a nationwide system of national highways distinct from the expressways. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and other government agencies administer the national highways, beginning in 1952, Japan classified these as Class 1 or Class 2. Class 1 highways had one- or two-digit numbers, while Class 2 highways had three-digit numbers, for example, Routes 1 and 58 were Class 1 highways while 507 was a Class 2 highway. A1964 amendment to the law resulted in a unification of the classes. Highways numbered since that time have had three-digit numbers, so the numbers 58–100, however, when Okinawa Prefecture was reverted to Japanese control in 1972, Route 58, with its southern endpoint in Okinawas capital city of Naha, was established. The numbers from 59 to 100 remain unused, some other numbers have been vacated by the joining or changing of routes,109,110,111, 214–216
15.
Mount Aso
–
Mount Aso is the largest active volcano in Japan, and is among the largest in the world. It stands in Aso Kujū National Park in Kumamoto Prefecture, on the island of Kyushu and its peak is 1,592 metres above sea level. Mt. Aso has a large caldera with a circumference of around 120 km. The central cone group of Aso consists of five peaks, Mt. Neko, Mt. Taka, Mt. Naka, Mt. Eboshi, the highest point is the summit of Mt. Taka, at 1592 m above sea level. The crater of Mt. Naka, the west side of which is accessible by road, only the northernmost crater has been active for the last 70 years—1974,1979, 1984–1985, 1989–1991,2009,2011,2015 and 2016. The present Aso caldera formed as a result of four huge caldera eruptions occurring over a range of 90, the caldera, one of the largest in the world, contains the city of Aso as well as Aso Takamori-cho and South Aso-mura. The somma enclosing the caldera extends about 18 km east to west, viewpoints from the somma overlooking the caldera are perched upon lava formed before the volcanic activity which created the present caldera. Ejecta from the caldera eruption 90,800 years ago covers more than 600 km3 and roughly equals the volume of Mount Fuji. The eruption which formed the present somma occurred approximately 300,000 years ago, four large-scale eruptions occurred during a period extending from 300,000 to 90,000 years ago. As large amounts of flow and volcanic ash were emitted from the volcanic chamber. The fourth eruption was the largest, with volcanic ash covering the entire Kyushu region, Mt. Taka, Mt. Naka, Mt. Eboshi, and Mt. Kishima are cones formed following the fourth above-mentioned huge caldera eruption. It is presumed that Mt. Neko is older than the huge caldera eruption. Asos pyroclastic flow deposits were utilized for bridge construction in the region, there are approximately 320 arched stone bridges in Kumamoto Prefecture, including the Tsujun-kyo and Reitai-kyo bridges on the Midorikawa River, which are important national cultural properties. Mount Asos climate data was taken at an elevation of 1,143 metres, at this elevation there is a transition between a humid subtropical climate and a humid continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. Precipitation is high throughout the year, and is heavy in June. Recently, the number of visiting the area from Asian countries has been increasing. Previously, visitors could not drive their own vehicles up to the crater, the Mount Aso Ropeway also provides access. At the foot of the mountain there are various campsites
16.
Gokase, Miyazaki
–
Gokase is a town located in Nishiusuki District, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the town had an population of 4,965. The total area is 171.77 km², much of the population work as farmers and fisherman, producing sansai and seema. Media related to Gokase, Miyazaki at Wikimedia Commons Gokase official website
17.
Hinokage, Miyazaki
–
Hinokage is a town located in Nishiusuki District, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the town has an population of 5,211. The total area is 277.68 km², like many districts in rural Japan, the area has been struggling with an aging population and an exodus of young people to Tokyo and other major cities. The towns population peaked in the 1950s at 16,199 people, between 2000 and 2005 four area elementary and middle schools were closed, and more closures are planned in the future. The region was damaged in the September,2005 Typhoon Nabi / Number 14. Media related to Hinokage, Miyazaki at Wikimedia Commons Hinokage official website Hinokage-town Sightseeing Guide Cort, Louise Allison and Kenji Nakamura
18.
Higashiusuki District, Miyazaki
–
Higashiusuki is a district located in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2006, the district has an population of 31,269. The total area is 1,292.99 km², kadogawa Misato Morotsuka Shiiba On January 1,2006 the villages of Kitagō, Nangō and Saigō merged to form the new town of Misato. On February 20,2006 the towns of Kitakata and Kitaura merged into the city of Nobeoka. On February 25,2006 the town of Tōgō merged into the city of Hyūga. On March 31,2007 the town of Kitagawa merged into the city of Nobeoka
19.
Morotsuka, Miyazaki
–
Morotsuka is a village located in Higashiusuki District, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the village has an population of 2,202. The total area is 187.59 km² and its industry is forestry and farming, and its local products include shiitake mushrooms, tea, and miso. Despite the small size of the village, it has a strong community, to get to Morotsuka, travel northwest from Hyuga up route 327. Media related to Morotsuka, Miyazaki at Wikimedia Commons Morotsuka official website
20.
Takamori, Kumamoto
–
Takamori is a town located in Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. As of October 1,2007 the town has an population of 7,018. The total area is 174.90 km², located at the easternmost point of Kumamoto Prefecture, it is located in the caldera of Mount Aso. It touches Ōita prefecture to the northeast and Miyazaki prefecture to the east, the town is divided into four areas, called Takamori, Shikimi, Kusakabe, and Nojiri. The city hall is situated in the Takamori area, where half of the town population resides
21.
Japanese mythology
–
Japanese mythology embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculturally-based folk religion. The Shinto pantheon comprises innumerable kami and this article will discuss only the typical elements present in Asian mythology, such as cosmogony, important deities, and the best-known Japanese stories. Japanese myths, as recognized in the mainstream today, are based on the Kojiki, the Nihon Shoki. The Kojiki, or Record of Ancient Matters, is the oldest surviving account of Japans myths, legends, the Shintōshū describes the origins of Japanese deities from a Buddhist perspective, while the Hotsuma Tsutae records a substantially different version of the mythology. One notable feature of Japanese mythology is its explanation of the origin of the Imperial Family, the title of the Emperor of Japan, tennō, means heavenly sovereign. Later, the seven generations of kami, known as Kamiyonanayo, emerged, following the formation of heaven and earth. The first two generations are individual deities called hitorigami, while the five that followed came into being as male/female pairs of kami, in this chronicle, the Kamiyonanayo comprise 12 deities in total. Japans creation narrative can be divided into the birth of the deities, to help them to achieve this, Izanagi and Izanami were given a naginata decorated with jewels, named Ame-no-nuboko. The two deities then went to the bridge between heaven and earth, Amenoukihashi and churned the sea below with the halberd, drops of salty water formed the island, Onogoro. The deities descended from the bridge of heaven and made their home on the island, eventually, they fell in love and wished to mate. So they built a pillar called Amenomihashira around which they built a palace called Yashirodono, Izanagi and Izanami circled the pillar in opposite directions, and when they met on the other side, Izanami, the female deity, spoke first in greeting. Izanagi didnt think that this was proper, but they mated anyway and they had two children, Hiruko and Awashima, but the children were badly formed and are not considered gods in their original form. The parents, who were dismayed at their misfortune, put the children into a boat and sent them to sea, so Izanagi and Izanami went around the pillar again, and this time, when they met, Izanagi spoke first. Izanami died giving birth to Kagutsuchi, also called Homusubi due to severe burns and she was then buried on Mount Hiba, at the border of the old provinces of Izumo and Hoki, near modern-day Yasugi of Shimane Prefecture. His death also created dozens of deities, the gods who were born from Izanagi and Izanami are symbolic aspects of nature and culture. Izanagi lamented the death of Izanami and undertook a journey to Yomi, Izanagi found little difference between Yomi and the land above, except for the eternal darkness. However, this suffocating darkness was enough to make him ache for light, quickly, he searched for Izanami and found her. At first, Izanagi could not see her for she was hidden in the shadows
22.
Amaterasu
–
Amaterasu, Amaterasu-ōmikami or Ōhirume-no-muchi-no-kami is a part of the Japanese myth cycle and also a major deity of the Shinto religion. She is seen as the goddess of the sun, but also of the universe, the name Amaterasu derived from Amateru means shining in heaven. The meaning of her name, Amaterasu-ōmikami, is the great august kami who shines in the heaven. According to the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki in Japanese mythology, the Emperors of Japan are considered to be descendants of Amaterasu. Amaterasu appears to be the Japanese expression of a historical pan-Asiatic solar goddess, another possible expression is the Chinese Xihe. The oldest tales of Amaterasu come from the ca.712 A. D. Kojiki, Nihon Shoki, the oldest records of Japanese history. In Japanese mythology, Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, is the sister of Susanoo, the god of storms and the sea, and of Tsukuyomi and it was written that Amaterasu had painted the landscape with her siblings to create ancient Japan. All three were born from Izanagi when he was purifying himself after entering Yomi, the underworld, Amaterasu was born when Izanagi washed out his left eye, Tsukuyomi was born from the washing of the right eye, and Susanoo from the washing of the nose. She became the ruler of the sun and the heavens along with her brother, Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon and ruler of the night. Originally, Amaterasu shared the sky with Tsukuyomi, her husband and brother until, out of disgust, he killed the goddess of food, Uke Mochi, when she pulled food from her rectum, nose, and mouth. This killing upset Amaterasu causing her to label Tsukuyomi an evil god and split away from him, the texts also tell of a long-standing rivalry between Amaterasu and her other brother, Susanoo. When he was to leave Heaven by orders of Izanagi, he went to bid his sister goodbye, Amaterasu was suspicious, but when Susanoo proposed a challenge to prove his sincerity, she accepted. Each of them took an object of the others and from it birthed gods, Amaterasu birthed three women from Susanoos sword while he birthed five men from her necklace. Claiming the gods were hers because they were born of her necklace, Amaterasu, who was in fury and grief, hid inside the Ama-no-Iwato, thus effectively hiding the sun for a long period of time. Though she was persuaded to leave the cave, Susanoo was punished by being banished from Heaven, both later amended their conflict when Susanoo gave her the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi sword as a reconciliation gift. When they both reconciled the moon became visible, according to legend, Amaterasu bequeathed to her descendant Ninigi, the mirror, Yata no Kagami, the jewel, Yasakani no Magatama, and the sword, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. This sacred mirror, jewel, and sword collectively became the three Imperial Regalia of Japan, the Ise Shrine located in Ise, Honshū, Japan houses the inner shrine, Naiku, dedicated to Amaterasu. Her sacred mirror, Yata no Kagami, is said to be kept at this shrine as one of the Imperial Regalia of Japan, at this shrine, a ceremony known as Shikinen Sengu is held every 20 years to honor Amaterasu
23.
Shinto shrine
–
A Shinto shrine is a structure whose main purpose is to house one or more Shinto kami. Its most important building is used for the safekeeping of sacred objects, structurally, a Shinto shrine is usually characterized by the presence of a honden or sanctuary, where the kami is enshrined. The honden may however be completely absent, as for example when the stands on a sacred mountain to which it is dedicated. There may be a haiden and other structures as well, however, a shrines most important building is used for the safekeeping of sacred objects rather than for worship. Miniature shrines can occasionally be found on roadsides, large shrines sometimes have on their precincts miniature shrines. The portable shrines which are carried on poles during festivals enshrine kami and are therefore true shrines. in 927 CE and this work listed all of the 2,861 Shinto shrines existing at the time, and the 3,131 official-recognized and enshrined Kami. Certainly, that number has grown and greatly exceeded this figure through the following generations, in Agency for Cultural Affairs in Japan placed the number of shrines at 79,467, mostly affiliated with the Association of Shinto Shrines. Some shrines, such as the Yasukuni Shrine are totally independent of any outside authority, the number of Shinto shrines in Japan is estimated to be around 100,000. This figure may, or may not, include private shrines in homes and owned by groups, abandoned or derelict shrines. Ancestors are kami to be worshiped, yayoi-period village councils sought the advice of ancestors and other kami, and developed instruments to evoke them. Yoshishiro means approach substitute and were conceived to attract the kami to allow them physical space, village-council sessions were held in quiet spots in the mountains or in forests near great trees or other natural objects that served as yorishiro. These sacred places and their yorishiro gradually evolved into todays shrines, whose origins can be seen in the Japanese words for mountain and forest. Many shrines have on their grounds one of the original great yorishiro, the first buildings at places dedicated to worship were surely huts built to house some yorishiro. A trace of this origin can be found in the term hokura, deity storehouse, which evolved into hokora, true shrines arose with the beginning of agriculture, when the need arose to attract kami to ensure good harvests. These were, however, just temporary structures built for a particular purpose, Ōmiwa Shrine in Nara, for example, contains no sacred images or objects because it is believed to serve the mountain on which it stands. Those images or objects are therefore unnecessary, for the same reason, it has a worship hall but no place to house the kami. Archeology confirms that, during the Yayoi period, the most common shintai in the earliest shrines were nearby mountain peaks that supplied water to the plains where people lived. Besides the already mentioned Ōmiwa Shrine, another important example is Mount Nantai, significantly, the name Nantai means mans body
24.
Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto
–
Ame-no-Uzume-no-mikoto is the goddess of dawn, mirth and revelry in the Shinto religion of Japan, and the wife of fellow-god Sarutahiko Ōkami. She famously relates to the tale of the sun deity. Her name can also be pronounced as Ama-no-Uzume and she is also known as Ōmiyanome-no-ōkami, an inari kami possibly due to her relationship with her husband. Amaterasus brother, the storm god Susanoo, had vandalized her rice fields, threw a flayed horse at her loom, in turn, Amaterasu became furious with him and retreated into the Heavenly Rock Cave, Amano-Iwato. The world, without the illumination of the sun, became dark, the clever Uzume overturned a tub near the cave entrance and began a dance on it, tearing off her clothing in front of the other deities. They considered this so comical that they laughed heartily at the sight and this dance is said to have founded the Japanese ritual dance, Kagura. Uzume had hung a mirror and a beautiful jewel of polished jade. Amaterasu heard them, and peered out to see all the fuss was about. When she opened the cave, she saw the jewel and her glorious reflection in a mirror which Uzume had placed on a tree, at that moment, the god Ame-no-Tajikarawo-no-mikoto dashed forth and closed the cave behind her, refusing to budge so that she could no longer retreat. Another god tied a magic shimenawa across the entrance, the deities Ame-no-Koyane-no-mikoto and Ame-no-Futodama-no-mikoto then asked Amaterasu to rejoin the divine. She agreed, and light was restored to the earth, Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto is still worshiped today as a Shinto kami, spirits indigenous to Japan. She is also known as Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, The Great Persuader, and she is depicted in kyōgen farce as Okame, a woman who revels in her sensuality. Music, Ame-no-Uzume Op.4 composed by Hiroaki Zakōji Littleton, mythology, The Illustrated Anthology of World Myth and Storytelling. A substantial article on this subject Amaterasu and Uzume, Goddesses of Japan, at Goddess Gift A one-paragraph glossary entry in Italian
25.
Kumamoto Airport
–
Kumamoto Airport, also known as Aso Kumamoto Airport, is an airport in Mashiki, Kumamoto, Japan. The first Kumamoto Airport opened in 1960 on the site of a former Imperial Japanese Army air base and had a 1,200 m runway and it was replaced by the current Kumamoto Airport in 1971. The new airports 2,500 m runway was extended to 3,000 m in 1980, Kumamoto was one of three nationally-owned airports to turn a profit in fiscal year 2011. In 2013, the government passed legislation aimed at allowing the sale of an operating concession at the airport. China Airlines charter service to Kaohsiung was announced in 2014 in order to cater to packaged tours from Taiwan
26.
Takachiho Railway
–
Takachiho Railway was a Japanese railway company. The company in Miyazaki Prefecture suspended operation of the railway after a disaster in 2005 and was liquidated in 2009. The company operated the Takachiho Line connecting Nobeoka Station in Nobeoka, Miyazaki and Takachiho Station in Takachiho, the government authorization of the railway business was abolished for a half of the line in 2007 and for the remaining half in 2008. Distance 50.0 km Nobeoka — Makinine 29.1 km officially closed on 2007-09-06 Makimine — Takachiho 20, Following some extensions, the line reached Takachiho Station on July 22,1972 and was renamed the Takachiho Line same day. In 1982 all service was suspended for four months due to typhoon damage, on September 6,2005, flooding triggered by Typhoon Nabi washed away two bridges on the line, halting all operations. By December, it was clear that no government funding for rebuilding was available, attempts by local communities to rebuilt the railway went for nothing. A shareholders resolution made on January 6,2009 started the companys liquidation procedures which ended in March 2009 with no distribution to shareholders. After the line opened in 1972, construction of the 23 km section from Takachiho to the Takamori line continued until 1975, construction was formally abandoned in 1980. TR100 TR200 TR400 Following the closure of the line, two truck-style sightseeing cars, TR401 and TR402, were purchased by JR Kyushu upon an offer from Takachiho Railway. They will be refurbished and used on the new Umisachi Yamasachi limited express service on the Nichinan Line from October 2009, among ordinary railcars, TR201 was given to Asa Kaigan Railway without compensation. It will go into service in autumn 2009, tR104 and TR105 were given to the town of Hinokage and are preserved at Hinokage-Onsen Station. TR101 and TR202 were given to the town of Takachiho and are preserved at Takachiho Station, tR300 Takachiho-Amaterasu Railway Co. has a plan to operate the line between Takachiho and Amanoiwato as a heritage railway. Takachiho Railway official site Takachiho-Amaterasu Railway Official site Akaboshi Tamiko Official site
27.
Roadside station
–
A Roadside Station is a government-designated rest area found along roads and highways in Japan. In addition to providing places for travelers to rest, they are intended to promote local tourism, shops may sell local produce, snacks, souvenirs, and other goods. All roadside stations provide 24-hour access to parking, public toilets, michi-no-eki official website Japan Road Bureau website Flickr photos 道の駅
28.
Shonenji Temple, Takachiho
–
Shonen-ji is a temple of the Jōdo Shinshū school of Buddhism. It is located in Takachiho Town, Miyazaki, on Kyūshū, the Shonen-ji temple complex is situated at the base of Genbuzan mountain, about 12 km outside central Takachiho. It was established there in 1578 by Tanio Yoshimura following the destruction of Genbu-jo, Genbu-jo was burned and the principal Yoshimura family members killed when the Christian daimyo, Ōtomo Sōrin, invaded from Bungo Province in the north. In accordance with Jōdo Shinshū tradition, the position of head priest at Shonen-ji is hereditary through the eldest son, the present head priest, Junsho Yoshimura, is the seventeenth generation of his family to serve at Shonen-ji. Shonen-ji is unique among Japanese temples in that the English wife of the head priest is herself an ordained Kiyoshi, in May 2006, Shonen-ji established a branch temple in the Kishinoue section of central Takachiho. The Kishinoue Kaikan includes a hall, a mausoleum. A Shōrō-mon stands at the entrance to the temple. In 1978, a new bell was installed to mark the 400th anniversary of Shonen-jis founding, the tower itself was rebuilt as a 3x2 ken structure in 1986. The hall has been destroyed by fire twice in its history, the present structure dates from the early 20th century. Community Hall Kishinoue Kaikan in the Kishinoue section of central Takachiho, Takachiho Town Amanoiwato-jinja - Shinto shrine Hongwanji International Center. Shonen-ji Temple, Takachiho - Official Site Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha - Official Site Takachiho Tourism Site Takachiho travel guide from Wikivoyage
29.
Onsen
–
An onsen is a Japanese hot spring and the bathing facilities and inns frequently situated around them. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsens scattered throughout all of its major islands, onsens were traditionally used as public bathing places and today play a central role in Japanese domestic tourism. Onsens come in types and shapes, including outdoor and indoor baths. Baths may be either publicly run by a municipality or privately, often as part of a hotel, ryokan, or bed and breakfast. Onsens are a feature of Japanese tourism, typically found in the countryside. They are a major tourist attraction drawing Japanese couples, families, Japanese often talk of the virtues of naked communion for breaking down barriers and getting to know people in the relaxed atmosphere of a ryokan with an attached onsen. Japanese television channels often feature special programs about local onsens, the presence of an onsen is often indicated on signs and maps by the symbol ♨ or the kanji 湯. Sometimes the simpler hiragana character ゆ, understandable to younger children, is used, traditionally, onsens were located outdoors, although a large number of inns have now built indoor bathing facilities as well. Onsens by definition use naturally hot water from geothermally heated springs, onsens are different from sentō, indoor public bath houses where the baths are filled with heated tap water. Stratifications exist for waters of different temperatures, major onsen resort hotels often feature a wide variety of themed spa baths and artificial waterfalls in the bathing area utaseyu. Onsen water is believed to have healing powers derived from its mineral content, a particular onsen may feature several different baths, each with water of a different mineral composition. The outdoor bath tubs are often made from Japanese cypress, marble, or granite, while indoor tubs may be made from tile, acrylic glass, particular onsens may also promote the special mineral composition of their waters, together with the healing properties these may have. Other services, such as massages, may also be offered, traditionally, men and women bathed together at both onsens and sentōs, but gender separation has been enforced since the opening of Japan to the West during the Meiji Restoration. Mixed bathing persists at some special onsen in rural areas of Japan, men may cover their genitals with a small towel while out of the water, while women usually wrap their bodies in full-size towels. Children of either sex may be seen in both the mens and the womens baths, in some prefectures of Japan, including Tokyo, where nude mixed bathing is banned, people are required to wear swimsuits or yugi, which are specifically designed for bathing. At an onsen, as at a sentō, all guests are expected to wash their bodies, bathing stations are equipped with stools, faucets, wooden buckets, and toiletries such as soap and shampoo, nearly all onsen also provide removable shower heads for bathing convenience. Entering the onsen while still dirty or with traces of soap on the body is socially unacceptable, bathers are not normally allowed to wear swimsuits in the baths. However, some modern onsen with a waterpark atmosphere require their guests to wear a suit in their mixed baths
30.
National Diet Library
–
The National Diet Library is the only national library in Japan. It was established in 1948 for the purpose of assisting members of the National Diet of Japan in researching matters of public policy, the library is similar in purpose and scope to the United States Library of Congress. The National Diet Library consists of two facilities in Tokyo and Kyoto, and several other branch libraries throughout Japan. The Diets power in prewar Japan was limited, and its need for information was correspondingly small, the original Diet libraries never developed either the collections or the services which might have made them vital adjuncts of genuinely responsible legislative activity. Until Japans defeat, moreover, the executive had controlled all political documents, depriving the people and the Diet of access to vital information. The U. S. occupation forces under General Douglas MacArthur deemed reform of the Diet library system to be an important part of the democratization of Japan after its defeat in World War II. In 1946, each house of the Diet formed its own National Diet Library Standing Committee, hani Gorō, a Marxist historian who had been imprisoned during the war for thought crimes and had been elected to the House of Councillors after the war, spearheaded the reform efforts. Hani envisioned the new body as both a citadel of popular sovereignty, and the means of realizing a peaceful revolution, the National Diet Library opened in June 1948 in the present-day State Guest-House with an initial collection of 100,000 volumes. The first Librarian of the Diet Library was the politician Tokujirō Kanamori, the philosopher Masakazu Nakai served as the first Vice Librarian. In 1949, the NDL merged with the National Library and became the national library in Japan. At this time the collection gained a million volumes previously housed in the former National Library in Ueno. In 1961, the NDL opened at its present location in Nagatachō, in 1986, the NDLs Annex was completed to accommodate a combined total of 12 million books and periodicals. The Kansai-kan, which opened in October 2002 in the Kansai Science City, has a collection of 6 million items, in May 2002, the NDL opened a new branch, the International Library of Childrens Literature, in the former building of the Imperial Library in Ueno. This branch contains some 400,000 items of literature from around the world. Though the NDLs original mandate was to be a library for the National Diet. In the fiscal year ending March 2004, for example, the library reported more than 250,000 reference inquiries, in contrast, as Japans national library, the NDL collects copies of all publications published in Japan. The NDL has an extensive collection of some 30 million pages of documents relating to the Occupation of Japan after World War II. This collection include the documents prepared by General Headquarters and the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, the Far Eastern Commission, the NDL maintains a collection of some 530,000 books and booklets and 2 million microform titles relating to the sciences
31.
Virtual International Authority File
–
The Virtual International Authority File is an international authority file. It is a joint project of national libraries and operated by the Online Computer Library Center. The project was initiated by the US Library of Congress, the German National Library, the National Library of France joined the project on October 5,2007. The project transitions to a service of the OCLC on April 4,2012, the aim is to link the national authority files to a single virtual authority file. In this file, identical records from the different data sets are linked together, a VIAF record receives a standard data number, contains the primary see and see also records from the original records, and refers to the original authority records. The data are available online and are available for research and data exchange. Reciprocal updating uses the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting protocol, the file numbers are also being added to Wikipedia biographical articles and are incorporated into Wikidata. VIAFs clustering algorithm is run every month, as more data are added from participating libraries, clusters of authority records may coalesce or split, leading to some fluctuation in the VIAF identifier of certain authority records
32.
Core cities of Japan
–
A core city is a class or category of Japanese city. It is an administrative division created by the national government. Core cities are delegated many functions normally carried out by prefectural governments, application for designation is made by a city with the approval of both the city and prefectural assemblies. The term core city was created by the first clause of Article 252, as of February 2017,48 cities have been designated core cities, The following cities have populations greater than 300,000 but have not yet been nominated. Nagaoka, Niigata - Seeking merger with Ojiya and Mitsuke, administrative division Urban area Japans Evolving Nested Municipal Hierarchy, The Race for Local Power in the 2000s, by A. J
33.
Ebino, Miyazaki
–
Ebino is a city located in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. Ebino shares borders with Kagoshima Prefecture, Kumamoto Prefecture and Kobayashi, as of October 1,2005, the city has an estimated population of 23,079 and a population density of 81.55 persons per km². The total area is 283.00 km², the town of Ebino was created through the administrative merging of the towns of Masaki, Kakutō and Īno in 1966. Ebino was designated a city on December 1,1970, Ebino is the 8th physically largest city in Miyazaki Prefecture. Locally produced crafts include Ebino-yaki pottery and bamboo craftwork, among others, Ebino can be reached via the Kyūshū Expressway as well as national highway routes 221,268, and 447. Ebino is also accessible via express and regular buses, the following train lines and stations operate in Ebino. Ebino City official website Ebino City official website Ebino City photo gallery Green Net Ebino Ebino-Kougen International High School Ebino-Kougen International College
34.
Kobayashi, Miyazaki
–
Kobayashi is a city located in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on April 1,1950, as of May 1,2011, the city has an estimated population of 47,328, with 19,924 households and a population density of 80.45 persons per km². The total area is 563.09 km², like the city of Miyakonojō, Kobayashi is suffering from a declining population. On March 20,2006, the village of Suki was merged into Kobayashi, on March 23,2010, the town of Nojiri was also merged into Kobayashi. Kobayashi is famous for producing pears, inyoseki A fertility shrine a which people pray to conceive children. The site has a rock formation that resembles a phallus. Ikoma Plateau At an elevation of 540 m, the plateau offers a view of the city from its magnificent flower garden with the Kirishima Mountain Range at its back, october is Cosmos season while April/May feature Icelandic poppies. Idenoyama Park Home of the Firefly Festival every May, features a freshwater aquarium, restaurants specializing in carp dishes, and beautiful lakefront scenery. Sannomiya Gorge Featuring a cliff which is 32 m high and stretching 60 m wide, Suki Suspension Bridge and Mamako Falls Crossing the bridge leads to a view of this waterfall cluster. The falls are named after a legend tells of a cruel stepmother who took her six-year-old stepdaughter to the falls to murder her. However, the child had tied their sashes together without the stepmother realizing, features flower viewing and local events in locations all over Kobayashi. Features annual Christmas Lights Display at Kobayashi Station, the lights were designed by students of the local technical school, now Kobayashi Shuho High School. It has three high schools after the combination of Kobayashi Commercial and Kobayashi Technical high school in 2010, media related to Kobayashi, Miyazaki at Wikimedia Commons Kobayashi City official website Kobayashi City official website
35.
Kushima, Miyazaki
–
Kushima is a city located in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on November 3,1954, as of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 22,727 and a population density of 77.06 persons per km². The total area is 294.91 km²
Takachiho travel guide from Wikivoyage
