Fukushima City is the central city in the northern Nakadori region of Fukushima Prefecture and its prefectural capital. Sandwiched between the Ou Mountains to the west and the Abukuma Highlands to the east, the city's main area lies in the southwestern part of the Fukushima Basin and the surrounding mountainous and hilly areas. It has long been a junction between the Ou Highway and the Ushu Highway, including the Yonezawa Highway, and has flourished as a key transportation hub. In terms of industry, Fukushima is the top producer of peaches in Japan, and Kayaba pears are a specialty of the city. The city's cultural assets include the former Hiroseza Theatre and the wooden standing Thousand-Armed Kannon statue, both designated as national important cultural properties; Kanazawa's Hayamagomori, an important intangible folk cultural property; the Miyahata and Wadai ruins, designated as national historic sites; and the Yaehakusan rhododendron, a natural monument.