The Chūbu region covers a large and geographically diverse area of
Honshū which leads to it generally being divided into three distinct subregions: Tōkai, Kōshin'etsu, and Hokuriku. There is also another subregion occasionally referred to in business circles called
Chūkyō.
Tōkai The Tōkai region, mostly bordering the
Pacific Ocean, is a narrow corridor interrupted in places by mountains that descend into the sea. Since the
Tokugawa period (1600–1867), this corridor has been critical in linking Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. One of old Japan's most important ancient roadways, the
Tōkaidō, ran through it connecting Tokyo (at that time called
Edo) and Kyoto, the old imperial capital. In the twentieth century, it became the route for new super-express highways and high-speed railroad lines (
shinkansen). The area consists of
Aichi,
Mie,
Shizuoka, and southern
Gifu prefectures. A number of small alluvial plains are found in the corridor section. A mild climate, favorable location relatively close to the great metropolitan complexes, and availability of fast transportation have made this area a center for truck-gardening and out-of-season vegetables. Upland areas of rolling hills are extensively given over to the growing of mandarin oranges and tea. Nagoya, which faces
Ise Bay, is a center for
heavy industry, including iron and steel and machinery manufacturing. The corridor also has a number of small but important industrial centers. The western part of Tōkai includes the Nōbi Plain, where rice was being grown by the seventh century.
Chūkyō The three Tōkai prefectures centered on
Nagoya (Aichi, Gifu, and Mie) have particularly strong economic ties, and the parts of these prefectures that are closest to the city comprise the
Chūkyō Metropolitan Area. This area boasts the third strongest economy in Japan and this influence can sometimes extend into the more remote parts of these prefectures that are farther away from Nagoya. Thus, these three prefectures are sometimes called the "Chūkyō region" in a business sense. This name does not see widespread usage throughout Japan; however, as the economy in the area strengthens, this name may become more well-known country-wide. File:Nagoya Night View.jpg|
Nagoya City File:Skyline of Hamamatsu01.jpg|
Hamamatsu City File:Higashi-Shizuoka Panorama 05.jpg|
Shizuoka City File:Gifu City Tower 43 and Gifu Sky Wing 37 from Twinarch138.jpg|
Gifu City File:YokkaichiCity NightView from TarusakaPark.jpg|
Yokkaichi City(
Kinki region) File:Skyline of Tsu City01.jpg|
Tsu City(Kinki region)
Kōshin'etsu Kōshin'etsu is an area of complex and high rugged mountains—often called the "roof of Japan"—that include the
Japanese Alps. The population is chiefly concentrated in six elevated basins connected by narrow valleys. It was long a main silk-producing area, although output declined after
World War II. Much of the labor formerly required in silk production was absorbed by the district's diversified manufacturing industry, which included precision instruments, machinery, textiles, food processing, and other light manufacturing. Kōshin'etsu means
Yamanashi,
Nagano, and
Niigata prefectures; Niigata is also included to the Hokuriku region. Yamanashi, Nagano and northern
Gifu Prefecture are sometimes referred to as
Chūō-kōchi or
Tōsan region. File:Niigata from Bandaijima Building 20200906 P4.jpg|
Niigata City File:Skyline of Nagano City03.jpg|
Nagano City File:DownTown of Kofu City.jpg|
Kōfu City Hokuriku The Hokuriku region lies on the
Sea of Japan coastline, northwest of the massive mountains that comprise Kōshin'etsu. Hokuriku includes the four prefectures of
Ishikawa,
Fukui, most of
Niigata and
Toyama, The district has very heavy snowfall (sometimes enough to block major roads) and strong winds in winter, and its turbulent rivers are the source of abundant
hydroelectric power.
Niigata Prefecture is the site of domestic gas and oil production as well. Industrial development is extensive, especially in the cities in Niigata and
Toyama;
Fukui and
Ishikawa prefectures also have large manufacturing industries. Historically, Hokuriku's development is owed to markets in the
Kansai region, however recently the urban areas at the heart of the
Kantō region and
Tōkai region are having a heavy an influence as well. Hokuriku has port facilities which are mainly to facilitate trade with Russia, Korea and China. Transportation between Niigata and Toyama used to be geographically limited and so Niigata has seen especially strong influence from the Kantō region, because of this Niigata Prefecture is often classified as being part of the
Kōshin'etsu region with Nagano and Yamanashi Prefectures. File:望湖台２.jpg|
Kanazawa City File:Toyamaken-top.JPG|
Toyama City File:Skyline of Fukui City02.jpg|
Fukui City ==Transport==