Tokushima

prefecture, Japan

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Tokushima, prefecture (ken) and city, Shikoku, Japan, facing the Pacific Ocean. The prefecture is drained by the Yoshino-gawa (Yoshino River), whose valley is followed by a major railway. Since the Tokugawa era (1603–1867) salt making and the cultivation and processing of indigo and tobacco have been special activities. Other agricultural products include rice, vegetables, and flowers for the Ōsaka–Kōbe area.

Because of available land and abundant water resources, the chemical industry was established in the 1960s in the prefectural capital, Tokushima, on the lower course of the Yoshino-gawa. Traditional industries produce cotton textiles, processed foods, and wood articles. Important cities are Tokushima, famous for the annual Japanese festival with the folk dance of awa odori and puppet shows; Naruto; Komatsushima; and Anan—all on the coast of Kii Strait between the Pacific and the Inland Sea. The University of Tokushima was founded in 1949. Area prefecture, 1,600 square miles (4,145 square km). Pop. (2005) city, 267,833; prefecture, 809,950.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kenneth Pletcher.