Sister State Agreement with Iowa
Geography
Government
Major Cities
Population
Language
Religion
Agriculture
Industry
Transportation
Scenic Areas
Recreation

Sister State Agreement with Iowa
The origin of the Iowa-Yamanashi sister states goes back to 1959 when Yamanashi was struck by a devastating typhoon. Responding to an Iowan's request for help, Iowa generously sent planeloads of aid, including Jersey cows, breeding hogs and 100,000 bushels of corn. The official agreement, signed in 1960, is the oldest between the United States and Japan. Yamanashi also has sister state relationships with Minas Gerais, Brazil (1973); Szechuan Province, China (1985); Chung Cheong Buk, South Korea (1992); and Sonu.e.Loire, France (2000).

Geography
Yamanashi Prefecture is located near the center of Honshu, the main island of Japan. It is about 120 kilometers (72 miles) from Tokyo. The prefecture has an area of 4,463 square kilometers (1,724 square miles). Yamanashi is completely surrounded by high mountains (2,000 - 3,000 m / 6,560 - 9,840 ft.) including the Southern Japan Alps to the west, and Mt. Fuji (3,776 m / 12,380 ft) is on the southern border. In Yamanashi one can find a wealth of scenic beauty in the mountains, forests, and lakes. Additionally, there are several national parks. The central Kofu basin area is urban, densely inhabited, and intensely farmed.

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Government
The executive branch is headed by the governor. The legislative branch is composed of a Prefectural Assembly.

Major Cities
Kofu (Prefectural Capital), Minami Alps, Fujiyoshida, Enzan, Nirasaki, Otsuki, Tsuru, Yamanashi City.

Population
Approximately 888,000 inhabitants.

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Language
Japanese

Major Religious Groups
Shinto, Buddhism

Main Agricultural Products
Fruit, peaches, plums and grapes.

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Industries
Electronics and precision machinery, gem cutting and jewelry manufacture, wine production, hanko (seal), robotics, tourism.

Transportation
Chuo Expressway superhighway and high speed rail links.

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Scenic Areas
Mt. Fuji and Fuji Five Lakes, Southern Alps National Park, Mt. Yatsugatake and Kiyosato Highlands, Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, Shosenkyo Gorge.

Recreation
Various kinds of activities in the diverse natural environment, such as mountain climbing, hiking, sightseeing, hot spring resorts, fruit picking, etc.

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