Yamanashi Prefecture
A landlocked prefecture in central Japan, west of Tokyo, whose mountains, lakes, vineyards, and orchards shape its landscape and economy.
Mount Fuji: A 3,776-meter volcano on the border of Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures, Japan’s highest mountain. Yamanashi shares the mountain and its northern approaches with Shizuoka.
Kōfu Basin: An inland basin in central Yamanashi surrounded by mountains and drained by the Fuji River system. Its flat floor concentrates the prefecture’s capital, farms, and transport routes.
Kai Province: A historical province of Japan occupying most of the territory of present-day Yamanashi Prefecture. Yamanashi’s territory largely preserves the boundaries of this former province.
Japanese wine: Wine produced in Japan, chiefly from domestically grown grapes and made under varied regional conditions. Yamanashi is Japan’s leading wine-producing prefecture.
Shizuoka Prefecture: A prefecture on Japan’s Pacific coast, south of Yamanashi and east of Aichi. The two prefectures share Mount Fuji and several surrounding landscapes.
Fuji Five Lakes: A group of five lakes north of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture. The lakes form the prefecture’s best-known northern tourist region.
Japanese Alps: A mountain range system in central Honshu comprising the Hida, Kiso, and Akaishi ranges. The Akaishi range forms much of Yamanashi’s rugged western boundary.
Meiji Restoration: The political transformation beginning in 1868 that restored imperial rule and created Japan’s modern state. The new government replaced the old provincial order with prefectures.
Koshu grape: A pale-skinned Japanese grape variety traditionally cultivated in Yamanashi and used for wine. It is the region’s distinctive native wine grape.
Nagano Prefecture: A mountainous, landlocked prefecture in central Japan, north of Yamanashi. The prefectures meet along the Japanese Alps and share highland environments.