Oranda-zaka ("Dutch Slope") in Nagasaki
The island of Hirado boasts a fine castle
Nagasaki Prefecture (長崎県; Nagasaki-ken) is located on Kyushu island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.
History
Nagasaki Prefecture, an unification of former provinces of Hizen, Tsushima, and Iki, has had close ties with foreign civilization for centuries. Facing China and Korea, the region around Hirado was a traditional center for traders and pirates.
During the 16th century, Catholic missionaries and traders from Portugal arrived and became active in Hirado and Nagasaki, which became a major center for foreign traders. The Christian belief in equality between men, however, did not comply with the political structure of Japan, and after being given free reign in Oda Nobunaga's period, the missionaries were forced out little by little, until finally, in the Tokugawa era, Christianity was banned under the Sakoku policy. After the prohibition of Christianity in the Edo period, foreign trade was restricted to Chinese and Dutch traders in Nagasaki, Dejima, but Kirishitan (Japanese Christian) worship continued underground. These Kakure Kirishitan (hidden Christians) were tried at every step, forced to step on fumi-e ("trample pictures"--images of the Holy Mother Mary and saints) to prove that they were non-Christian. And with the banishment of all Catholic missionaries, traders from Catholic countries were also forced out of the country. Along with them, their children, half Japanese and half European, were also forced to leave the country. The majority was sent to Jagatara (Jakarta) and are still remembered by the locals as the people who wrote the poignant letters which were smuggled across the sea to their homeland. Today, Nagasaki has a prominent Chinatown[1] and Catholic churches[2].
During the Meiji Restoration, Nagasaki and Sasebo became major ports for foreign trade, and eventually major naval bases and shipbuilding centers up to World War II. On August 9, 1945, a United States bomber dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, which was reconstructed after the war.
Geography
Nagasaki borders Saga Prefecture on the east, and is otherwise surrounded by water, including Ariake Bay, the Tsushima Straits, and the East China Sea. It also includes a large number of islands such as Tsushima and Iki. Most of the prefecture is near the coast and there are a number of ports such as Nagasaki and the United States naval base at Sasebo.
Subprefecture
Cities
Nagoya(not to be confused with Nagoya, Aichi) was located in the prefecture before.
Towns and villages
These are the towns and villages in each district.
Mergers
(as of 01/01/06)
The towns of Izuhara, Mitsushima, Toyotama, Mine, Kamiagata and Kamitsushima merged to form the city of Tsushima.
The towns of Gonoura, Katsumoto, Ashibe and Ishida merged to form the city of Iki.
The city of Fukue and the towns of Tomie, Tamanoura, Miiraku, Kishiku and Naru merged to form the city of Goto.
The Merger Council of the One City and Five Towns in Shimo-Goto (in Japanese)
The towns of Wakamatsu, Kamigoto, Shin'uonome, Arikawa and Narao merged to form the town of Shinkamigoto.
The towns of Koyagi, Iojima, Takashima, Nomozaki, Sanwa and Sotome (all from Nishisonogi District), merged into the city of Nagasaki. The Merger Council of Nagasaki Area (in Japanese)
The city of Isahaya and the towns of Tarami, Moriyama, Iimori, Takaki and Konagai merged to form the new city of Isahaya. The district of Kitatakaki was dissolved due to this merger.
The towns of Saikai, Seihi, Oshima, Sakito and Oseto merged to form the city of Saikai. The Merger Council of the Northern Area of Seihi (in Japanese)
- Absorption: Sasebo, Yoshii and Sechibaru (1 April 2005)
The towns of Yoshii and Sechibaru merged into the city of Sasebo. The Merger Council of Sasebo, Yoshii and Sechibaru (in Japanese)
The towns of Ikitsuki and Tabira and the village of Oshima (all from Kitamatsura District) merged into the city of Hirado.
The towns of Aino, Azuma, Chidiwa, Kunimi, Mizuho, Obama and Minamikushiyama (all from Minamitakaki District) merged to form the new city of Unzen.
The town of Ariake from Minamitakaki District) merged into the city of Shimabara.
The towns of Fukushima and Takashima from Kitamatsura District merged into the city of Matsuura.
The town of Kinkai from Nishisonogi District merged into the city of Nagasaki.
Economy
Culture
Religion
Nagasaki is the most christianized area in Japan. As of 2002, there are 68,617 Catholics in Nagasaki Prefecture, accounting for 4.52 percent of the total population of the prefecture.
Tourism
Sofukuji Obaku Zen temple in Nagasaki
Prefectural symbols
External links
The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagasaki_Prefecture under GFDL
