The Chūbu region, Central region, or Central Japan is a region in the middle of Honshū, Japan's main island. In a wide, classical definition, it encompasses nine prefectures (ken): Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Toyama, and Yamanashi.
Ishikawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,140,573 and has a geographic area of 4,186 km². Ishikawa Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the east, Gifu Prefecture to the southeast, and Fukui Prefecture to the south.
Toyama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Toyama Prefecture has a population of 1,044,588 and has a geographic area of 4,247.61 km². Toyama Prefecture borders Ishikawa Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefecture to the south, Nagano Prefecture to the east, and Niigata Prefecture to the northeast.
The Hokuriku region was located in the northwestern part of Honshu, the main island of Japan. It lay along the Sea of Japan within the Chūbu region, which it is currently a part of. It is almost equivalent to Koshi Province and Hokurikudō area in pre-modern Japan. Due to its elongated shape, and the Noto Peninsula jutting out, the region is known as a 'rising dragon' 昇龍道. Since the Heian period until the Edo period the region was a core recipient of population, the population grew to be much larger proportionately than it is today, despite the rural character. With the growth of urban centers in the 20th century, particularly Tokyo and Chūkyō, the Hokuriku has steadily declined in importance to become relative backwaters. The region is also known for traditional culture that originated from elsewhere that has been long lost along the Taiheiyō Belt.
The Thunderbird is a limited express train service operated by the West Japan Railway Company between Osaka and Kanazawa or Wakuraonsen in Japan, using portions of the Tokaido Main Line, Kosei Line, Hokuriku Main Line, IR Ishikawa Railway Line, and Nanao Line.
The Hokuriku Shinkansen (北陸新幹線) is a high-speed shinkansen railway line jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company, connecting Tokyo with Kanazawa in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The first section, between Takasaki and Nagano in Nagano Prefecture, opened on 1 October 1997, originally called the Nagano Shinkansen (長野新幹線). The extension to Toyama in Toyama Prefecture and Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture opened on 14 March 2015. Construction of a further section onward to Fukui and Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture commenced in 2012, with scheduled opening in fiscal 2022. The route of the final section to Shin-Osaka was decided on 20 December 2016 as the Osaka–Kyoto route, with construction expected to begin in 2030 and take 15 years.
Hakusan is a city located in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 January 2018, the city had an estimated population of 113,375 in 43246 households, and a population density of 290 persons per km². The total area of the city was 754.93 square kilometres (291.48 sq mi). It is the second-most populous city in Ishikawa Prefecture after Kanazawa.
The Hokuriku Bank, Ltd. is a Japanese regional bank headquartered in Toyama, Toyama; Hokoriku refers to a greater region in Japan that encompasses Fukui, Ishikawa, and Toyoma prefectures. In addition to the Hokuriku region, the bank has branches in Kyoto, Osaka, Niigata, Nagano, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Gifu, Aichi, and Hokkaidō. The bank also operates overseas representative offices in Shanghai, Singapore, and New York City.
National Route 8 is a major highway in the Hokuriku and Kansai regions of central Japan. The 574.1-kilometer (356.7 mi) highway begins at an intersection with National Routes 7, 17, 49, 113, and 116 in Chūō-ku, Niigata. It travels southwest across central Honshu, connecting the prefecture capitals: Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui, and Ōtsu. In Kyoto it travels concurrently with National Route 1 toward its endpoint at an intersection with National Routes 9, 24, and 367 in Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto.
Kanazawa Station is a major railway station in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company, the private railway operator Hokuriku Railroad, and the third-sector operator IR Ishikawa Railway.
Komatsu Airport is an international airport located 4.2 km (2.6 mi) west southwest of Komatsu Station in the city of Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. It is the largest airport in the Hokuriku region and serves the southern portion of Ishikawa Prefecture including the capital of Kanazawa, as well as Fukui and the northern portion of Fukui Prefecture.
The Hokuriku Railroad is a transportation company in Kanazawa, Japan. The company or its lines are commonly known as Hokutetsu (北鉄). The company was founded in 1943, when all the private railway and bus operators in Ishikawa Prefecture were merged into one. Some of its lines, however, have their roots from horse car lines in the 19th century. Hokutetsu once had an extensive railway network in the prefecture with 13 heavy rail lines and 1 tram line, but only 2 heavy rail lines still survive today. Now the company primary functions as a bus operator. It also operates as the agency of All Nippon Airways in Kanazawa area.
The Hokuriku dialect is a Japanese dialect group spoken in Hokuriku region, consists of northern Fukui Prefecture, Ishikawa Prefecture, Toyama Prefecture, and Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture. Mainland Niigata dialect is classified into Tōkai-Tōsan dialect and Tōhoku dialect and southern Fukui dialect is classified into Kansai dialect.
Willer Express (ウィラー・エクスプレス) is a major highway bus company operating in Japan since 2005 with routes spanning almost the entire country, from Aomori Prefecture at the northern tip of the main island Honshu to the southern island Kyushu. Annual sales are approximately $120 million/year, with both domestic passengers and foreigners served through direct sales, a website, as well as the "Japan Bus Pass" and a double-decker tour bus route. Pricing on routes depends on day/time of travel, with significant variation between peak and off-peak travel.
ANA Hotels is a Japanese hotel chain established in 1973 by All Nippon Airways (ANA). In October 2006, ANA sold majority ownership of ANA Hotels to the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), which is now the primary shareholder. The managed properties of ANA Hotels are marketed under the ANA InterContinental, ANA Crowne Plaza, ANA Hotels and ANA Holiday Inn brands.
