Kanagawa Kanagawa

To the west of Tokyo stands Kanagawa, a prefecture having major cities such as Yokohama and Kawasaki. At the same time, it is also an attractive land blessed with nature. With the Tanzawa and Hakone mountain ranges to its northwest, the eastern and southern sides of this prefecture face the plains and ocean. Its Pacific type climate makes it a warm area where it rains quite frequently.

It was Kamakura where Japan's feudal government was established during the Kamakura era (the nation's first samurai government). When the times changed to the Edo period, the Tokyo Bay coastal area was developed rapidly and the Tokaido was improved to serve as a transportation route to Edo where the feudal government was established during then.

Ever since the Port of Yokohama was opened at the end of the Edo period, this prefecture has welcomed various foreign cultures and has played a leading role in modernizing Japan. The Port of Yokosuka located at the mouth of the Tokyo Bay served as a military port in prewar times.

Even today, many American military facilities can still be found there. The prefecture has many features such as its urban areas centered around Yokohama and Kawasaki as well as Miura Peninsula and Shonan with their beautiful, forever-continuing coastlines.

Additionally, Kanagawa is blessed with nature that can be enjoyed throughout the year and with fascinating historical sites. There are also other features that captivate those who visit this prefecture such as its many hot springs found in various parts of the prefecture like the Hakone and Yugawara hot springs. These hot springs are located around the Hakone Volcano where fumarolic activity can be witnessed.