Yamaguchi Prefecture

Yamaguchi Prefecture (山口県, Yamaguchi-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi located in the center of the Prefecture: The largest city, by contrast, is Shimonoseki. Yamaguchi Prefecture was made up of seven counties which were integrated into the two provinces of Suō and Nagato in the 7th century. During the rise of the samurai class during the Heian and Kamakura Periods (... more

Yamaguchi Prefecture (山口県, Yamaguchi-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi located in the center of the Prefecture: The largest city, by contrast, is Shimonoseki. Yamaguchi Prefecture was made up of seven counties which were integrated into the two provinces of Suō and Nagato in the 7th century. During the rise of the samurai class during the Heian and Kamakura Periods (794–1333), the Ouchi family of Suo Province and the Koto family of Nagato Province gained influence as powerful warrior clans. In the Muromachi Period (1338—1573), Ouchi Hiroyo, the 24th ruler of the Ouchi family conquered both areas of Yamaguchi Prefecture. The Ouchi clan imitated the city planning of Kyoto. They gained great wealth through cultural imports from the continent and trade with Korea and the Ming Dynasty in China. As a result, Yamaguchi came to be known as the "Kyoto of the West", and Ouchi Culture flourished. Sue Harutaka... less