Hyogo Prefecture ,Atami , Japan

 Hyogo Prefecture (兵庫県) is a prefecture in the Kansai region of central Japan. It covers an area of ​​8,393 km2 and is the 12th largest prefecture in the country. Hyogo Prefecture has a population of 5.6 million (2011 est.), ranking eighth among Japan's 47 prefectures.The capital of the prefecture is the city of Kobe.

In , Hyogo Prefecture was created by merging the former provinces of Harima, Tajima, Awaji and parts of Tamba and Settsu. The city of Kobe was once the temporary capital of Japan during the Heian period when Emperor Antoku moved the imperial court there in 1180. It was then known as Fukuhara and served as the capital for only five months.

Hyogo Prefecture encompasses both sides of Honshu Island, with the Sea of ​​Japan to the north and the Inland Sea to the south.It is bordered by Kyoto Prefecture to the northeast, Osaka Prefecture to the east, Okayama Prefecture to the southwest, and Tottori Prefecture to the northwest. In the inland sea between Hyogo Prefecture and Shikoku Island lies Awaji Island, which also belongs to Hyogo Prefecture. Most of Hyogo Prefecture's population is concentrated in the south, in the Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe metropolitan area.

Go to Hyogo Prefecture

By plane

You can fly into Kobe Airport (UKB) or choose Kansai International Airport (KIX) for better connections. Osaka Itami Airport (ITM) is also an option as it is the busiest domestic airport in the Kansai region.

By train The Nozomi Shinkansen bullet train takes you from Tokyo Station to Shin-Kobe Station in 2 hours 50 minutes and costs 14,670 yen. The Hikari Shinkansen bullet train takes 3 hours 20 minutes for JPY 14,270 (free if you have a Japan Rail Pass).

Learn more about Atami

Atami is a coastal town on the eastern end of the Izu Peninsula. The city sits on the slope of a submerged volcanic caldera in Sagami Bay. It is famous for its thermal springs, known since the 8th century AD.

The great Kantō earthquake of 1923 had its epicenter under the island of Izu Oshima, very close to Atami. Needless to say, this caused great damage to the city. The modern city was formed on April 10, 1937 by merging the city of Atami with the village of Taga.

Planning a trip to Atami

yon reach Atami from Tokyo on the mainland Tokaido Shinkansen. The journey takes 50 minutes and costs 3,570 yen for an unreserved seat.All Kodama trains and some Hikari trains stop at Atami. Atami can be reached from Shizuoka by Kodama Train in 40 minutes (unreserved seat JPY 2,960) and from Hamamatsu in 70 minutes (unreserved seat JPY 4,930).