The largest Kansai prefecture, Hyogo has the second largest population in Kansai after Osaka. The northern end of the prefecture touches the Japan Sea, while the southern end opens to the Pacific Ocean via the Seto Inland Sea. For this location, the climatic difference is large between the north and the south: fewer sunny days and heavy rain and snowfalls in the north, and warm and moderate weather with low precipitations in the south.

Kobe, Hyogo’s capital, prospered with trade with the Sung dynasty (China) in the 12th century and later developed as an international trade port. Many other cities in the prefecture, such as Himeji, Izushi, Ako and Akashi, prospered as castle towns.

Hyogo is Japan’s top-ranking industrial prefecture with high-performance industrial zones in Amagasaki and Himeji. The prefecture’s industrial shipments are among the highest in Japan in electric equipment, general machinery, foodstuffs, chemical products and iron and steel. Hyogo also has a high concentration of fashion-related industries such as textile, shoe manufacturing and jewelry processing. At present, the Kobe medical industry development project is under way to turn Port Island into a center of health care industry mainly consisting of regenerative medicine. In February 2006, Kobe Airport was opened off Port Island. Nada-Gogo, situated across Nishinomiya and Kobe Cities, is a major sake production center boasting the largest market share in Japan.

Hyogo’s well-known tourist attractions include Himeji Castle, designated National Treasure and the World Heritage site, Japan’s oldest hot spring Arima, foreigners’ quarter in Kitano Town in Kobe. Many other hot springs are found in the northern part of the prefecture, including such famous ones as Kinosaki, Yumura and Kasumi.