Tochigi Prefecture

The Tochigi Prefecture (Japanese栃 木 県, Tochigi-ken ) is a prefecture of Japan and is located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshu. Seat of the prefectural government is Utsunomiya.

History

Before the Meiji Restoration, Tochigi was known as the province Shimotsuke. In the early 15th century. was the university Ashikaga Gakko, Japan's oldest university, opened. In the early 17th century. Japan was united politically by the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. In the late 19th century. the Tokugawa shogunate experienced its decline and the new government introduced the prefectures. In March 2011, the radioactivity in Tochigi was as a result of the nuclear disaster at Fukushima is 33 times higher than the normal value.

Politics and Administration

  • LDP: 29
  • Minna: 11
  • DPJ: 4
  • Kōmeitō: 3
  • Kenmin daiichi no kai: 2
  • Genki Club: 1

Governor of Tochigi since 2004 Tomikazu Fukuda, former mayor of Utsunomiya, who defeated his predecessor Akio Fukuda. He was last confirmed a communist counter- candidate in office in the gubernatorial election in November 2012 against only. In Parliament, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP ) lost in the election in April 2011, an absolute majority, but remained with 22 of 50 seats by far the strongest force. The second strongest party was the Minna no Tō with 13 seats, the Democratic Party won five seats, the Kōmeitō three, and the Japanese Communist Party is no longer represented in Parliament Prefecture since 2011.

Tochigi is home prefecture of former LDP politician Yoshimi Watanabe, the 2009 liberal Minna no Tō founded, the second strongest party is not only in the prefecture of Parliament, but with Watanabe also holds one of the five seats Tochigis in the lower house of the national parliament. The remaining seats hold since the 2012 election four Liberal Democrats. In the national upper house chooses the prefecture since 2007, only one delegate per choice (previously two ) and thus it belongs to the competitive Einmandatwahlkreisen; after the elections of 2010 and 2013 represent two Liberal Democrats Tochigi.

With a " financial strength index " ( zaiseiryoku Shisu ) 0.6 Tochigi is among the relatively financially stronger prefectures of the country.

Administrative divisions

Cities (市shi )

  • Chūkakushi ( " core city " ) Utsunomiya, seat of the prefectural government
  • Other county-level cities Ashikaga
  • Kanuma
  • Mooka
  • Nasukarasuyama
  • Nasushiobara
  • Nikko
  • Otawara
  • Oyama
  • Sakura
  • Sano
  • Shimotsuke
  • Tochigi
  • Yaita

Counties (郡, gun)

List of counties of Tochigi Prefecture, as well as their towns (町, machi ).

  • Haga Haga
  • Ichikai
  • Mashiko
  • Motegi
  • Kawachi Kaminokawa
  • Nasu
  • Nakagawa
  • Shimotsuga Mibu
  • Nogi
  • Shioya Shioya
  • Takanezawa

Chuzenji

Kegon Falls

Nantaisan

The three monkeys of Nikko

Pagoda in Nikko

Administrative centre Municipalities of Japan Tree Cities of Japan Ashikaga, Tochigi Kanuma, Tochigi Mooka, Tochigi Nasushiobara, Tochigi Oyama, Tochigi Sakura (Tochigi) Sano, Tochigi Shimotsuke (Tochigi) Tochigi, Tochigi Yaita, Tochigi List of towns in Japan
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