Ishikawa Prefecture (石川県 Ishikawa-ken) is located in the Chubu region on Honshu island, Japan. The capital is Kanazawa.

History

Ishikawa was formed from the merger of Kaga Province and the smaller Noto Province.

Geography

Ishikawa is on the Sea of Japan coast. The northern part of the prefecture consists of the narrow Noto Peninsula, while the southern part is wider and consists mostly of mountains, with the prefecture's chief city, Kanazawa, located in the coastal plain.

Cities

• Hakui
• Kaga
• Kahoku
• Kanazawa (capital)
• Komatsu
• Matto
• Nanao
• Suzu
• Wajima

Towns and Villages

• Enuma
  • Yamanaka
• Fugeshi
  • Anamizu
  • Monzen
  • Noto
  • Yanagida
• Hakui
  • Oshimizu
  • Shika
  • Shio
  • Togi
• Ishikawa
  • Kawachi
  • Mikawa
  • Nonoichi
  • Oguchi
  • Shiramine
  • Torigoe
  • Tsurugi
  • Yoshinodani
• Kahoku
  • Tsubata
  • Uchinada
• Kashima
  • Kashima
  • Nakajima
  • Notojima
  • Rokusei
  • Tatsuruhama
  • Toriya
• Nomi
  • Kawakita
  • Neagari
  • Tatsunokuchi
  • Terai
• Suzu
  • Uchiura

Economy

Ishikawa's industry is dominated by the textile industry, particularly artifical fabrics, and the machine industry, particularly construction machinery.

Demographics

Culture

Traditional Arts & Crafts

• Nō - was introduced to the area during the rule of the fifth Maeda lord Tsuanori and was refined into the Kaga hosho style.
• Tea ceremony - was brought to Kanazawa by Maeda Toshitsune in 1666 by inviting Senbiki Soshitsu to Kanazawa.
• Kutani porcelaine (Kutani yaki) - Bright colored glazes not unlike Chinese porcelaine
• Ohi teaware (Ohi yaki) - A pottery style unique to Kanazawa.
• Kaga silk (Kaga yuzen) - A complicated silk print technique with an intentional rough look (wabi-sabi).
• Kanazawa lacquerware (Kanazawa shikki) - High quality lacquerware traditionally decorated with gold dust.
• Kanazawa gold leaf (Kanazawa haku) - A technique of beating gold into waferthin sheets.
• Kaga mizuhiki - Ribbon-like decorations made from glued Japanese paper (washi).
• Kaga inlay crafts (Kaga zogan) - A combination of thin flat and thread metal inlays.

Tourism

Prefectural symbols

Miscellaneous topics

External links

• Official Ishikawa Prefecture homepage