Seinō

Seinō (西濃) is the southwestern portion of Gifu Prefecture in the Chūbu region of Japan. Before Gifu became a prefecture, the area was part of Mino Province. The Seinō region received its name as a combination of the kanji for "west" (西) and "Mino" (美濃) and is sometimes referred to by the unabbreviated name of Nishi Mino. The borders of this region are not officially set, but it generally consists of the following cities and towns: Ōgaki, Kaizu, Gōdo, Wanouchi, Anpachi, Ibigawa, Ōno, Ikeda, Yōro, Tarui and Sekigahara.

Geography

The northern part of the region is separated from Fukui Prefecture by mountain peaks that reach over 1,000 m (3,281 ft) high, whereas the western part is separated from Mie and Shiga prefectures by Mount Ibuki and the Ibuki Mountains. The southern part of the region lies at sea level and connects to Aichi and Mie prefectures. The Kiso Three Rivers flow through the eastern part of the region and connect Seinō with the Gifu region and Aichi Prefecture.

Population

Approximately 300,000 people live in the Seinō region. Of those, about half live in the main city of Ōgaki.