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Biwa

(Encyclopedia)Biwa bēˈwä [key], lake, c.40 mi (60 km) long and from 2 to 12 mi (3.2–19 km) wide, Shiga prefecture, S Honshu, Japan. The lake, shaped like the biwa, a musical instrument, is the largest in Japan...

Shiga

(Encyclopedia)Shiga shēˈgä [key], prefecture (1990 pop. 1,222,401), S Honshu, Japan. Otsu (the capital) and Hikone are the chief cities. It is predominantly an agricultural region, with rice the principal crop. ...

Gumma

(Encyclopedia)Gumma go͞omˈmä [key], prefecture, 2,446 sq mi (6,335 sq km), central Honshu, Japan. Ma...

Hachinohe

(Encyclopedia)Hachinohe hächēˈnōhā [key], city, Aomori prefecture, N Honshu, Japan, on the Oirase River and ...

Kawasaki

(Encyclopedia)Kawasaki käwäˈsäkē [key], city (1990 pop. 1,173,603), Kanagawa prefecture, central Honshu, Japan, on Tokyo Bay. Located in the Tokyo-Yokohama industrial area, it has steel mills, shipyards, oil r...

Liancourt Rocks

(Encyclopedia)Liancourt Rocks, Jap. Takeshima, Korean Dokdo or Tokdo, island group, 58 acres (23 hectares), in the SW Sea of Japan, roughly midway between the Japanese island of Honshu and the Korean peninsula. Con...

Kurashiki

(Encyclopedia)Kurashiki ko͞oräˈshēkē [key], city (1990 pop. 414,693), Okayama prefecture, SW Honshu, Japan. A rail junction, the city produces refined petroleum and petrochemicals, motor vehicles, textiles. an...

Taisha

(Encyclopedia)Taisha sīˈshä [key], town, Shimane prefecture, SW Honshu, Japan, on the Sea of Japan. It is a religious center, famous as the site of the ancient Izumo shrine. The shrine, said to be the oldest in ...

Takamatsu

(Encyclopedia)Takamatsu täkäˈmätso͞o [key], city (1990 pop. 329,684), capital of Kagawa prefecture, NE Shikoku, Japan, a port on the Inland Sea. It is the chief communications point between Shikoku and Honshu ...

Yamanashi

(Encyclopedia)Yamanashi yämäˈnäshē [key], prefecture (1990 pop. 852,980), 1,724 sq mi (4,465 sq km), central Honshu, Japan. Kofu is the capital. The mountainous region is drained by the Fuji River. Yamanashi i...