Gifu Prefecture. A Statistical Guide to. RENGE : The Chinese Milk Vetch. ICHII : The Yew. RAICHO : The Snow Grouse. AYU : The Sweetfish

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1 A Statistical Guide to Gifu Prefecture Prefectural Flower RENGE : The Chinese Milk Vetch The renge was chosen as Gifu s Prefectural flower by the public in March This flower represents the idyllic scenery of spring time. Prefectural Tree ICHII : The Yew The ichii was used to make shaku, or ornamental scepters used as offerings to the emperor in ancient times. The name ichii stems from the title of Sho- Ichii, the highest rank bestowed by the emperor to shaku manufacturers. Prefectural Bird RAICHO : The Snow Grouse The raicho inhabits mountains in the Japan Alps at altitudes exceeding 2,400 meters above sea level. Its feathers are brown in summer, turning white in winter. This bird is a nationally protected species. Prefectural Fish AYU : The Sweetfish The ayu is widely appreciated for its beautiful appearance and sweet taste. This fish is well-known all over the country for its association with ukai, cormorant fishing on the Nagara River.

2 Geography of Gifu Prefecture Situated in the heartland of Japan Gifu is one of Japan s few inland prefectures, situated approximately in the center of the Japanese archipelago. It takes about 1 hour by train from Chubu Centrair International Airport to Gifu Prefecture. Gifu is conveniently close to the three major cities of Japan: It takes 1 hour and 40 minutes from Tokyo to Nagoya by bullet train (shinkansen), 50 minutes from Osaka to Nagoya by shinkansen, and about 20 minutes from Nagoya to Gifu taking the local express train. Sapporo Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Shin-Aomori Gifu Prefecture Takayama Akita Shinjo Yamagata Shinkansen Morioka Hakata Ogaki Gifu Hiroshima Minokamo Tajimi Shin-Osaka Toyama Kanazawa Gifu-Hashima Kyoto Joetsu myoko Chubu Centrair International Kansai Airport International Airport Niigata Nagano Nagoya Tokyo International Airport Narita International Airport Tokyo Sendai Fukushima Kagoshima-Chuo Naha History of Gifu Prefecture In 1871, the Japanese national government established a prefectural system amalgamating all of Japan s former provinces into prefectures. Nine prefectures in the Mino District and one in the Hida District (Takayama Prefecture) were established on the land which composes present-day Gifu. The nine prefectures in Mino were unified to become Gifu, and Takayama initially joined Chikuma Prefecture (present Nagano Prefecture), before becoming part of Gifu Prefecture in In 2005, Yamaguchi Village in Nagano Prefecture was incorporated into Gifu, resulting in the formation of Gifu Prefecture as it is today. Municipalities in Gifu Prefecture merged to form larger districts during the Meiji and Showa period. In 1889, there were 948 municipalities but this decreased to 105 in Gifu Prefecture currently comprises 21 cities, 19 towns and 2 villages, totaling to 42 municipalities (as of July 2016).

3 Land Distribution of Land Usage(2014) Water surface, rivers and waterways 2.7% Residential areas 3.9% Agricultural land 5.4 Stateowned forests 16.8 Roads 2.9 Other 4.4 Total land area 10,621 Woodlands and forests 80.7% Total land area : 10,621 square kilometers 2.8% of Japan s total landmass Ranks 7th out of 47 prefectures in Japan Gifu is situated approximately in the center of the Japanese archipelago, occupying a total land area of approximately 10,621 square kilometers, 2.8% of Japan s total landmass. Of this area, approximately one quarter is made up of highlands in excess of 1,000 meters above sea level. Gifu has a rich natural environment, with 80.7% of the prefecture covered by woods and forests. The northern and eastern parts are mountainous and the Nobi Plain expands across the southern part, where beautiful rivers flow, converging at sea level. Privately owned forests 63.9 Source : Gifu Prefectural Government Climate The Nagara River flowing through the Nobi Plain Average Monthly Temperatures/ Precipitation in Gifu City and Takayama City There is a large difference in climate between the Mino and Hida regions There is a large difference in climate between the 30 Temperature Temperature Precipitation mm Precipitation southern and northern regions of Gifu Prefecture. The average temperature from 1981 to 2010 in the Mino Region in the south including Gifu City is 15.8, whereas the Hida Region in the north including Takayama City is Most of the Hida Region is covered with heavy snow in winter Month Source : Japan Meteorological Agency Note : Average temperature/precipitation figures from 1981 to

4 Population Population Proportion by Age (3 Groups) Population : 2,032,533 The population of Gifu has been decreasing since It was 2,032,533 in 2015, a decrease of 9,157 from the previous year. There are 752,574 households, resulting in an increase of 3,692 year on year. Each household has on average 2.70 family members in the 2015 survey, while the figure was 2.73 in These statistics indicate a trend towards the reduction of household size. Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Gifu Prefectural Government Note: 2015 shows a preliminary figure. Registered Foreign Residents in Gifu Prefecture (December 31,2015) Country Number of Residents % Difference in the previous year China 12, Philippines 10, Brazil 9, Korea(ROK) 4, (*) Vietnam 3, Peru Korea(DPRK) (*) Nepal Indonesia Cambodia Thailand U.S.A Pakistan Myanmar Other 1, Total 45, Foreign residents: 45,923 The number of registered foreign residents in Gifu Prefecture amounts to 45,923. Among them, there are 12,238 Chinese, 10,646 Filipinos, and 9,910 Brazilians. The combined population of these three nationalities accounts for 71.4% of registered foreign residents in the prefecture. Source : Ministry of Justice (*) The numbers regarding the ROK and the DPRK were added up until 2014.

5 Economy Item Gifu Japan National Ranking Year Source Gross Prefectural Product Gross Domestic Product (billions in USD) , Primary industry proportion 1.0% 1.2% Secondary industry proportion 29.9% 24.5% Tertiary industry proportion 69.1% 74.3% No. of companies 105,075 5,689, No. of employed 955,767 61,788, Source : 1. Cabinet Office, Government of Japan 2. Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Agriculture Major agricultural and livestock products (2014) Item Volume National Ranking Rice 116,200 t 26 Chestnuts 1,010 t 4 "Kaki" Japanese persimmons 13,800 t 5 Japanese summer radish 7,630 t 5 Spinach 12,200 t 6 Tomatoes 23,900 t 8 Green soybeans 1,540 t 10 Strawberry 2,820 t 13 Beef cattle 33,800 head 20 Dairy cattle 7,020 head 28 Ornamental potted plants 19,200,000 pots 3 Large Variety of Products A large variety of agricultural products, which are suited to the natural features of each region, are grown all year round throughout Gifu Prefecture. Rice is cultivated in the plains of southwestern Gifu due to the warm climate in the region. Vegetables, including summerautumn tomatoes, spinach, and natsu daikon summer radish are produced in the cooler summer climate of the high altitude plateaus in the Chuno, Tono, and Hida Regions. Beef and dairy cattle are raised in the mountains. Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ijira-Omigaki Dried Persimmons Cattle raised in bountiful nature of Gifu Edamame green soybeans

6 Industry Value of Shipments of Manufactured Goods by Industry (2014) (Establishments with 4 or more employees) Value of shipments of manufactured goods: 5,101.2 billion yen With regard to the value of manufactured goods shipments among the industries of Gifu Prefecture, transportation equipment was highest at billion yen (17.6% of the total shipment value), followed by fabricated metal products at billion yen (8.7%), plastic products at billion yen (8.6%), and production machinery at billion yen (8.4%). However, the number of business establishments engaging in the manufacture of ceramic, stone and clay products (783 establishments: 13.0% of the total number) is the highest in the manufacturing sector, followed by fabricated metal products (762 establishments: 12.6%), and textile mill products (573 establishments: 9.5%). Source : Gifu Prefectural Government Export Proportion of Exports by Industry (2014) Total exports: billion yen There are four key industries that accounted for over 75% of the total exports from Gifu Prefecture. The specifics of these industries in relation to product area is as follows: the manufacture of transportation equipment ranked highest at billion yen (32.0% of the total amount), followed by the manufacture of machinery used in production at billion yen (22.4%), the manufacture of electronic parts, devices and circuits at 86.7 billion yen (14.8%), and the manufacture of ceramic, stone and clay products at 45.8 billion yen (7.8%). Source : Gifu Prefectural Government

7 Tourism Number of Tourists by Destination Type (2014) Thanks to its rich tourist resources, more than 36.8 million tourists visit Gifu in one year Hot Springs and health promotion 13.7% Natural attractions 4.2% Urban tourism (shopping and eating) 13.2% Sports and recreation 20.2% Number of tourists 36,862,561 Roadside stations and other rest areas 24.8% Historical and cultural destinations 23.8% Gifu Prefecture is endowed with a beautiful natural environment represented by magnificent mountains, pristine streams and traditional culture, all of which have long been cherished by the local residents. A large number of people visit Gifu to experience a wide range of these great features. The number of tourists visiting roadside stations and other rest areas accounts for the highest proportion of tourists visiting Gifu Prefecture among all destination types, followed by historical and cultural destinations, sports and recreation, hot springs and health promotion, urban tourism (shopping and eating), and natural attractions. Source : Gifu Prefectural Government Magome-Juku, a old post town of the Nakasendo road Annual Number of Overnight Visitors by Home Country / Region (2015) The total number of overnight visitors from other countries to Gifu has reached 719,800. Other 21.5% China 22.8% The number of Chinese tourists is the largest among overnight visitors from other countries accounting for 22.8% of the total, followed by Taiwan (20.0%) and Hong Kong (12.0%). Singapore 2.6% Malaysia 2.6% Australia 3.0% Korea(ROK) 3.9% USA 3.9% Total number of overnight visitors from other countries 719,800 Thailand 7.6% Hong Kong 12.0% Taiwan 20.0% Source : Japan Tourism Agency Note : The survey was conducted on lodging facilities with 10 or more employees Picture Provided by the Shirakawa Village Office(Gifu) The World Heritage Site Shirakawa-go

8 Facts about Gifu Prefecture Gifu Prefecture Japan Unit Year Source Total land area 10, , km Proportion of forest area to total land area % Total population 2,032, ,110,047 persons Population per km persons / km Average life expectancy (male) years old Average life expectancy (female) years old Gross prefectural product (Gross domestic product) 7, , billion yen Prefectural income per person (National income per person) 2,726 3,065 thousand yen Gross agricultural product ,427.9 billion yen Industry (value of shipments of manufactured goods etc) *Establishments with 4 or more employees 5, , billion yen Commerce (annual sales of commercial goods) 4, , billion yen Number of overnight guests from overseas 719,800 60,509,240 persons Capacity of hydro-energy generation (potential water power) 13, ,562 GWh Regional Difference index of Consumer Prices (National average taken from 255 cities: 100) *Composite index, excluding imputed service of owner-occupied dwellings (Annual aveage) 11 Sources 1 Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. Land Survey of Prefectures, City, Ward, Town and Village 2 Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Census of Agriculture and Forestry 3 Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Population Census 4 Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Life Tables by Prefecture 5 Cabinet Office. Annual Report on Prefectural Accounts 6 Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Gross Agricultural Output 7 Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Census of Manufactures 8 Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Census of Commerce 9 Japan Tourism Agency. Statistical Research on Overnight Travel 10 Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Capacity of Hydro-Energy Generation in Japan 11 Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. "Structual Survey" of the Retail Price Survey Notes 1 Annual statistics represent the months from January through December. Fiscal data has been taken from the fiscal year period of April to March. Dates mentioned indicate survey dates for each respective group of data. 2 Some data contained within this pamphlet has been rounded off to the nearest figure. Publisher : Statistics Division MINAMO : The Official mascot for Gifu, the "Land of Clear Waters" Gifu Prefectural Government Printed July, Yabuta-minami, Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan Tel (Ext 2085) Fax http: // c11111@pref.gifu.lg.jp