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Kagoshima

2024-07-07T07:40:19Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{About|the city in Japan|the prefecture with the same name where this city is located|Kagoshima Prefecture|other uses}}
{{Infobox settlement

|name = Kagoshima
|native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ja|鹿児島市}}}}
|official_name = Kagoshima City
|settlement_type = [[Core cities of Japan|Core city]]

|image_skyline = Kagoshima Montage.jpg
|image_caption = From top, left to right: Senga-en Garden, [[Saigō Takamori]] statue, [[Kagoshima Aquarium]], Ohara Festival, Tenmonkan, Hirakawa Zoological Park
|image_flag = Flag of Kagoshima, Kagoshima.svg
|flag_alt =
|image_seal = Emblem of Kagoshima, Kagoshima.svg
|seal_alt =
|image_shield =
|shield_alt =
|image_blank_emblem =
|nickname = "City of [[Meiji Restoration|Ishin]]"
|motto =

|image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|frame-align=center|plain=yes|frame-width=265|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=8}}
|image_map1 = Location of Kagoshima city Kagoshima prefecture Japan.svg
|map_alt =
|map_caption1 = Location of Kagoshima in [[Kagoshima Prefecture]]
|image_dot_map =
|dot_mapsize =
|dot_map_base_alt =
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|dot_x = |dot_y =
|pushpin_map = Japan#Asia
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|coordinates = {{coord|31|36|N|130|33|E|region:JP-46|display=it}}
|coor_pinpoint = 
|coordinates_footnotes = 

| subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = Japan
|subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
|subdivision_name1 = [[Kyushu]]
|subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
|subdivision_name2 = [[Kagoshima Prefecture]]
|subdivision_type3 =
|subdivision_name3 =

|established_title = First official recorded
|established_date = 1053 AD
|established_title2 = City Settled
|established_date2 = April 1, 1889
|founder =
|named_for =

|seat_type = 
|seat =

|government_footnotes = 
|leader_party =
|leader_title = Mayor
|leader_name = [[:ja:下鶴隆央|Takao Shimozuru]]
|leader_title1 =
|leader_name1 = 

|total_type = 
|unit_pref = 

|area_magnitude = 
|area_footnotes = 
|area_total_km2 = 547.58
|area_total_sq_mi = 
|area_land_km2 =
|area_land_sq_mi =
|area_water_km2 =
|area_water_sq_mi =
|area_water_percent =
|area_note =

|elevation_footnotes = 
|elevation_m =
|elevation_ft =

|population_footnotes = 
|population_total = 595049
|population_as_of = January 1, 2020
|population_density_km2 = auto
|population_density_sq_mi=
|population_est =
|pop_est_as_of =
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|timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time]]
|utc_offset1 = +9

|postal_code_type =
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|area_code =

|blank_name_sec1 = City Symbols
|blank1_name_sec1 = – Tree
|blank1_info_sec1 = [[Cinnamomum camphora|Camphor]]
|blank2_name_sec1 = – Flower
|blank2_info_sec1 = Kyōchikutō
|blank3_name_sec1 =
|blank3_info_sec1 =
|blank4_name_sec1 =
|blank4_info_sec1 =
|blank5_name_sec1 =
|blank5_info_sec1 =
|blank6_name_sec1 =
|blank6_info_sec1 =
|blank7_name_sec1 =
|blank7_info_sec1 =

|blank_name_sec2 = Phone number
|blank_info_sec2 = 099-224-1111
|blank1_name_sec2 = Address
|blank1_info_sec2 = 11-1 Yamashita-machi, Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima-ken 892-8677

|website = {{URL|www.city.kagoshima.lg.jp}}
|footnotes =
}}
{{nihongo|'''Kagoshima'''|鹿児島|extra={{IPA-ja|kaɡoɕima|IPA}}|lead=yes}}, officially {{nihongo|'''Kagoshima City'''|鹿児島市|Kagoshima-shi|extra={{IPA-ja|kaɡoɕimaɕi|IPA}}}}, is the capital [[Cities of Japan|city]] of [[Kagoshima Prefecture]], [[Japan]]. Located at the southwestern tip of the island of [[Kyūshū]], Kagoshima is the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "[[Naples]] of the [[Eastern world]]" for its bay location ([[Aira Caldera]]), hot climate, and emblematic [[stratovolcano]], [[Sakurajima]]. The city was officially founded on April 1, 1889. It merged with [[Taniyama]] City on April 29, 1967 and with [[Yoshida, Kagoshima|Yoshida Town]], [[Sakurajima, Kagoshima|Sakurajima Town]], [[Kiire, Kagoshima|Kiire Town]], [[Matsumoto, Kagoshima|Matsumoto Town]] and [[Kōriyama, Kagoshima|Kōriyama Town]] on November 1, 2004.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.city.kagoshima.lg.jp/kikakuzaisei/kikaku/seisaku-k/shise/shokai/shoitachi.html |title=「鹿児島市の生い立ち」 - 鹿児島市公式webサイト (Kagoshima City official website) |language=Japanese |date=2020-09-28 |accessdate=2021-09-22}}</ref>

Kagoshima is constantly bombarded by ash from the eruptions of Sakurajima and is at risk of a major volcanic disaster; the residents have developed methods to cope with this including school-children wearing helmets to protect from volcanic debris.

The city is historically important as the capital of the powerful Satsuma Domain from 1602 to 1871.

==Etymology==
While the [[kanji]] used to spell {{transl|ja|Kagoshima}} ({{linktext|lang=ja|鹿|児|島}}) literally mean "deer child island", or "island of the fawn", the source etymology is not clear, and may refer to "cliff" or "sailor" in the [[Kagoshima dialect|local dialect]].

Local names for the city include {{nihongo||かごっま|Kagomma}}, {{nihongo||かごんま|Kagonma}}, {{nihongo||かごいま|Kagoima}} and {{nihongo||かごひま|Kagohima}}.<ref>{{Cite web|title=JLect - かごっま・かごんま・かごいま・かごひま【鹿児島】 : kagomma · kagonma · kagoima · kagohima {{!}} define meaning|url=https://www.jlect.com/entry/12/kagomma-kagonma-kagoima-kagohima/|access-date=2020-10-14|website=www.jlect.com}}</ref><ref>A Voyage in Time Glenn Forbes Junshin Immaculate Heart Bulletin No. 52. January, 31st, 2022</ref>

== History ==
Kagoshima Prefecture (also known as the [[Satsuma Domain]]) was the center of the territory of the [[Shimazu clan]] for many centuries. Kagoshima City was a busy political and commercial port city throughout the medieval period and into the [[Edo period]] (1603–1868) when it formally became the capital of the Shimazu's [[han (country subdivision)|fief]], the Satsuma Domain. The official emblem is a modification of the Shimazu's [[Mon (emblem)|kamon]] designed to resemble the character {{Nihongo krt||市|shi|"city"}}. Satsuma remained one of the most powerful and wealthiest domains in the country throughout the period, and though international trade was [[sakoku|banned]] for much of this period, the city remained quite active and prosperous. It served not only as the political center for Satsuma, but also for the semi-independent vassal kingdom of [[Ryūkyū Kingdom|Ryūkyū]]; [[Ryukyuan people|Ryūkyūan]] traders and emissaries frequented the city, and a special [[Ryūkyū-kan|Ryukyuan embassy building]] was established to help administer relations between the two [[polity|polities]] and to house visitors and emissaries. Kagoshima was also a significant center of [[Kirishitan|Christian]] activity in Japan prior to the [[Kakure Kirishitan|imposition of bans]] against that religion in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

[[Bombardment of Kagoshima|Kagoshima was bombarded]] by the British [[Royal Navy]] in 1863 to punish the ''[[daimyō]]'' of [[Satsuma Province|Satsuma]] for the murder of [[Charles Lennox Richardson]] on the [[Tōkaidō (road)|Tōkaidō]] highway the previous year and its refusal to pay an [[indemnity]] in compensation.

Kagoshima was the birthplace and scene of the [[last stand]] of [[Saigō Takamori]], a legendary figure in [[Meiji Era]] Japan in 1877 at the end of the [[Satsuma Rebellion]].

Japan's [[industrial revolution]] is said to have started here, stimulated by the young students' train station. Nineteen young men of Satsuma broke the [[Tokugawa shogunate|Tokugawa]] [[sakoku|ban on foreign travel]], traveling to various industrial locations in The UK before returning to share the benefits of the best of Western science and technology.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G2fQYReqBNIC&q=Seventeen+young+men+of+Satsuma&pg=PA271|title=Collected Writings of Modern Western Scholars on Japan: Carmen Blacker, Hugh Cortazzi and Ben-Ami Shillony|first1=Carmen|last1=Blacker|first2=Hugh|last2=Cortazzi|date=1 September 1999|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=9781873410967|via=Google Books}}</ref> A statue was erected outside the train station as a tribute to them.

Kagoshima was also the birthplace of [[Tōgō Heihachirō]]. After naval studies in [[England]] between 1871 and 1878, Togo's role as Chief Admiral of the Grand Fleet of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] in the [[Russo-Japanese War]] made him a legend in Japanese military history, and earned him the nickname '[[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Nelson]] of the Orient' in Britain. He led the Grand Fleet to two startling victories in 1904 and 1905, completely destroying Russia as a naval power in the East, and thereby contributing to the failed [[Russian Revolution of 1905|revolution in Russia]] in 1905.

The Japanese diplomat [[Sadomitsu Sakoguchi]] revolutionized Kagoshima's environmental economic plan with his dissertation on water pollution and orange harvesting.

In 1912, the first tram line was established in Kagoshima.

The 1914 eruption of the volcano across the bay from the city spread ash throughout the municipality, but relatively little disruption ensued.<ref>"Kagoshima", ''Illustrated London News.'' 24 January 1914.</ref>

<gallery widths="200">
File:Bombing of Kagoshima Map - 1863.PNG|Map of the [[Bombardment of Kagoshima]] on 15 to 18 August 1863
File:Kagoshima 1914.jpg|The city covered deep in ash after the 1914 eruption of the [[Sakurajima]] volcano which is seen in the distance across the bay
</gallery>

=== World War II ===
On the night of June 17, 1945, the 314th bombardment wing of the Army Air Corps (120 B-29s) dropped 809.6 tons of incendiary and cluster bombs destroying {{convert|2.11|mi2|2|abbr=out}} of Kagoshima (44.1 percent of the built-up area). Kagoshima was targeted because of its largely expanded naval port as well as its position as a railway terminus. A single B-29 was lost to unknown circumstances. Area bombing was chosen over precision bombing because of the cloudy weather over Japan during the middle of June. The planes were forced to navigate and bomb entirely by radar.<ref>Headquarters, XXI Bomber Command APO 234, "Tactical Mission Report Mission No. 206-209." June 18, 1945.</ref>

Japanese intelligence predicted that the [[Allies of World War II|Allied Forces]] would [[Operation Downfall|assault]] Kagoshima and the [[Ariake Bay]] areas of southern [[Kyushu]] to gain naval and air bases to strike Tokyo.

<gallery widths="200">
File:Firebombing of Kagoshima Kyushu.jpg|The [[Tarumizu, Kagoshima|Tarumiza district]] of Kagoshima burns after B-29 air raids on the city, 17 Jun 1945
File:Kagoshima after the 1945 air raid.JPG|The bombed out ruins of a Kagoshima residential area with Sakurajima in the background, 1 November 1945
</gallery>

==Administrative division==
* On August 1, 1934 – the Villages of Yoshino, Nakagōriu and Nishitakeda, all from [[Kagoshima District, Kagoshima|Kagoshima District]], were merged into Kagoshima.<ref name="kadokawa678">[[#kadokawa|角川日本地名大辞典 46 鹿児島県]] p.678</ref>
* On October 1, 1950 – the Villages of Ishiki and Higashisakurajima (both from Kagoshima District) were merged into Kagoshima.<ref name="kadokawa678"/>
* On April 29, 1967 – the Cities of Kagoshima and Taniyama were merged and became city of new Kagoshima.<ref>[[#kadokawa|角川日本地名大辞典 46 鹿児島県]] p.417</ref>
* On November 1, 2004 – the Towns of [[Yoshida, Kagoshima|Yoshida]] and [[#Sakurajima Town|Sakurajima]] (both from Kagoshima District); the Towns of [[Matsumoto, Kagoshima|Matsumoto]] and [[Koriyama, Kagoshima|Koriyama]] (both from [[Hioki District, Kagoshima|Hioki District]]); and the town of [[Kiire, Kagoshima|Kiire]] (from [[Ibusuki District, Kagoshima|Ibusuki District]]) were merged into Kagoshima.

=== Sakurajima Town ===
[[File:SakurajimaFerry.jpg|right|thumb|250x250px|[[Sakurajima Ferry]], linking former Sakurajima Town and Kagoshima City (Taken on July 9, 2004)]]
{{nihongo|Sakurajima|桜島町|Sakurajima-chō}} is a settlement on Sakurajima island that was previously a municipally distinct [[List of towns in Japan|town]] located in [[Kagoshima District, Kagoshima|Kagoshima District]], [[Kagoshima Prefecture]], [[Japan]]. As of 2003, the town had an estimated [[population]] of 4,504 and a [[Population density|density]] of 139.88 persons per km2. The total area was 32.20 km2.

==Geography==
Kagoshima City is approximately 40 minutes from [[Kagoshima Airport]], and features shopping districts and malls located wide across the city. Transportation options in the city include the ''[[Shinkansen]]'' (bullet train), local train, city trams, buses, and ferries to-and-from Sakurajima. The large and modern Kagoshima City Aquarium, situated near the Sakurajima Ferry Terminal, was established in 1997 along the docks and offers a direct view of Sakurajima. One of the best places to view the city (and Sakurajima) is from the [[Amuran|Amuran Ferris wheel]] atop of [[Amu Plaza Kagoshima]], and the shopping center attached to the central [[Kagoshima-Chūō Station]]. Just outside the city is the early-Edo Period [[Sengan-en]] Japanese Garden. The garden was originally a villa belonging to the [[Shimazu clan]] and is still maintained by descendants today. Outside the garden grounds is a Satsuma "kiriko" [[cut glass]] factory where visitors are welcome to view the glass blowing and cutting processes, and the Shoko Shūseikan Museum, which was built in 1865 and registered as a National Historic Site in 1959. The former Shuseikan industrial complex and the former machine factory were submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage as part of a group list titled ''Modern Industrial Heritage Sites in Kyushu and Yamaguchi Prefecture''.

<gallery widths="200">
File:Sakurajima at Sunset (4506849144).jpg|Sakurajima: a volcano in Kagoshima
File:Sakurajima n700.jpg|Urban area around the Kagoshima-Chūō Station with Shinkansen (bullet train)
File:Kagoshima Shiden 9500 Kajiyacho Station 2013-03-15.jpg|Kajiyachō Tram Stop with its back to the Kagoshima-Chūō Station Building having ferris wheel
File:Tenmonkan G3 Kagoshima Japan.jpg|Tenmonkan shopping arcade
File:Kagoshima City Hall 1.jpg|Kagoshima City Hall Main Building
File:Koutsuki River - Cherry trees are in full bloom.jpg|Kotsuki River that runs through Kagoshima City
File:Kagoshima Aquarium and Kagoshima Port Sakurajima Ferry Terminal from ship of Sakurajima Ferry.jpg|Kagoshima City Aquarium and Sakurajima Ferry Terminal
File:ISS034-E-027139.jpg|An image taken from the International Space Station showing Kagoshima and its surroundings on January 10, 2013
</gallery>

=== Neighboring municipalities ===
*Cities: [[Aira, Kagoshima|Aira]], [[Hioki, Kagoshima|Hioki]], [[Ibusuki, Kagoshima|Ibusuki]], [[Minamikyūshū, Kagoshima|Minamikyūshū]], [[Minamisatsuma, Kagoshima|Minamisatsuma]], [[Satsumasendai, Kagoshima|Satsumasendai]], [[Tarumizu, Kagoshima|Tarumizu]]
{{Clear}}

=== Climate ===
Kagoshima has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfa''), possessing the highest year average temperature and winter average temperature in mainland Japan. It is marked by mild, relatively dry winters; warm, humid springs; hot, humid summers; and mild, relatively dry autumns.

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Kagoshima (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1883−present)
|Jan record high C = 23.9
|Feb record high C = 24.1
|Mar record high C = 27.6
|Apr record high C = 30.2
|May record high C = 31.7
|Jun record high C = 34.5
|Jul record high C = 36.6
|Aug record high C = 37.4
|Sep record high C = 35.7
|Oct record high C = 32.4
|Nov record high C = 29.5
|Dec record high C = 24.7
|Jan record low C = -5.7
|Feb record low C = -6.7
|Mar record low C = -3.9
|Apr record low C = -1.0
|May record low C = 3.9
|Jun record low C = 9.0
|Jul record low C = 15.9
|Aug record low C = 16.5
|Sep record low C = 9.3
|Oct record low C = 2.6
|Nov record low C = -1.5
|Dec record low C = -5.5
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 78.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 112.7
|Mar precipitation mm = 161.0
|Apr precipitation mm = 194.9
|May precipitation mm = 205.2
|Jun precipitation mm = 570.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 365.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 224.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 222.9
|Oct precipitation mm = 104.6
|Nov precipitation mm = 102.5
|Dec precipitation mm = 93.2
|year precipitation mm = 2434.7
|Jan mean C = 8.7
|Feb mean C = 9.9
|Mar mean C = 12.8
|Apr mean C = 17.1
|May mean C = 21.0
|Jun mean C = 24.0
|Jul mean C = 28.1
|Aug mean C = 28.8
|Sep mean C = 26.3
|Oct mean C = 21.6
|Nov mean C = 16.2
|Dec mean C = 10.9
|year mean C = 18.8
|Jan high C = 13.1
|Feb high C = 14.6
|Mar high C = 17.5
|Apr high C = 21.8
|May high C = 25.5
|Jun high C = 27.5
|Jul high C = 31.9
|Aug high C = 32.7
|Sep high C = 30.2
|Oct high C = 25.8
|Nov high C = 20.6
|Dec high C = 15.3
|year high C = 23.1
|Jan low C = 4.9
|Feb low C = 5.8
|Mar low C = 8.7
|Apr low C = 12.9
|May low C = 17.3
|Jun low C = 21.3
|Jul low C = 25.3
|Aug low C = 26.0
|Sep low C = 23.2
|Oct low C = 18.0
|Nov low C = 12.2
|Dec low C = 6.9
|year low C = 15.2
|Jan humidity = 66
|Feb humidity = 65
|Mar humidity = 66
|Apr humidity = 68
|May humidity = 71
|Jun humidity = 78
|Jul humidity = 76
|Aug humidity = 74
|Sep humidity = 72
|Oct humidity = 67
|Nov humidity = 68
|Dec humidity = 67
|year humidity = 70
|Jan sun = 132.6
|Feb sun = 139.3
|Mar sun = 163.2
|Apr sun = 175.6
|May sun = 178.2
|Jun sun = 109.3
|Jul sun = 185.5
|Aug sun = 206.9
|Sep sun = 176.4
|Oct sun = 184.0
|Nov sun = 157.7
|Dec sun = 143.2
|year sun = 1942.1
|Jan snow cm = 1
|Feb snow cm = 0
|Mar snow cm = 0
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 0
|Dec snow cm = 1
|year snow cm = 2
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 10.2
|Feb precipitation days = 10.2
|Mar precipitation days = 13.2
|Apr precipitation days = 11.1
|May precipitation days = 10.7
|Jun precipitation days = 16.9
|Jul precipitation days = 12.8
|Aug precipitation days = 12.2
|Sep precipitation days = 11.3
|Oct precipitation days = 8.0
|Nov precipitation days = 8.9
|Dec precipitation days = 9.9
|year precipitation days = 135.4
| Jan uv =4
| Feb uv =5
| Mar uv =7
| Apr uv =9
| May uv =10
| Jun uv =11
| Jul uv =11
| Aug uv =11
| Sep uv =9
| Oct uv =7
| Nov uv =4
| Dec uv =3
| Jan dew point C =2
| Feb dew point C =4
| Mar dew point C =6
| Apr dew point C =10
| May dew point C =15
| Jun dew point C =20
| Jul dew point C =23
| Aug dew point C =24
| Sep dew point C =21
| Oct dew point C =15
| Nov dew point C =10
| Dec dew point C =4
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=88&block_no=47827&year=&month=&day=&view=
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]
| access-date = May 19, 2021}}</ref>
|source 2 = Weather Atlas (UV),<ref>{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/japan/kagoshima-climate
|title = Kagoshima, Japan – Detailed climate information and monthly weather forecast
|publisher = Weather Atlas
|access-date = 4 August 2022}}</ref> Time and Date<ref>{{cite web
|url = https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/japan/kagoshima/climate
|title = Climate & Weather Averages at Kagoshima weather station
|publisher = Time and Date
|access-date = 4 August 2022}}</ref>
}}
{{Weather box
|width = auto
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = [[Kiire, Kagoshima|Kiire]], Kagoshima (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present)
|Jan record high C = 23.6
|Feb record high C = 23.7
|Mar record high C = 26.7
|Apr record high C = 29.2
|May record high C = 32.2
|Jun record high C = 34.5
|Jul record high C = 36.4
|Aug record high C = 37.4
|Sep record high C = 36.5
|Oct record high C = 33.1
|Nov record high C = 28.7
|Dec record high C = 25.5
|Jan record low C = -6.3
|Feb record low C = -3.6
|Mar record low C = -1.4
|Apr record low C = 2.1
|May record low C = 6.0
|Jun record low C = 12.1
|Jul record low C = 17.2
|Aug record low C = 18.2
|Sep record low C = 11.5
|Oct record low C = 5.8
|Nov record low C = 0.7
|Dec record low C = -2.6
|Jan high C = 13.1
|Feb high C = 14.5
|Mar high C = 17.6
|Apr high C = 22.0
|May high C = 25.7
|Jun high C = 27.7
|Jul high C = 32.1
|Aug high C = 32.9
|Sep high C = 30.3
|Oct high C = 25.8
|Nov high C = 20.5
|Dec high C = 15.3
|Jan mean C = 8.6
|Feb mean C = 9.6
|Mar mean C = 12.5
|Apr mean C = 16.5
|May mean C = 20.4
|Jun mean C = 23.6
|Jul mean C = 27.6
|Aug mean C = 28.2
|Sep mean C = 25.5
|Oct mean C = 20.8
|Nov mean C = 15.5
|Dec mean C = 10.5
|Jan low C = 4.1
|Feb low C = 4.9
|Mar low C = 7.6
|Apr low C = 11.4
|May low C = 15.6
|Jun low C = 20.2
|Jul low C = 24.1
|Aug low C = 24.6
|Sep low C = 21.7
|Oct low C = 16.4
|Nov low C = 10.8
|Dec low C = 6.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 98.9
|Feb precipitation mm = 136.8
|Mar precipitation mm = 193.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 229.9
|May precipitation mm = 231.2
|Jun precipitation mm = 634.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 385.2
|Aug precipitation mm = 228.2
|Sep precipitation mm = 249.8
|Oct precipitation mm = 115.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 126.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 107.5
|year precipitation mm = 2765.7
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 10.2
|Feb precipitation days = 10.2
|Mar precipitation days = 12.9
|Apr precipitation days = 10.7
|May precipitation days = 10.5
|Jun precipitation days = 16.8
|Jul precipitation days = 12.6
|Aug precipitation days = 11.6
|Sep precipitation days = 11.0
|Oct precipitation days = 7.9
|Nov precipitation days = 8.5
|Dec precipitation days = 9.5
|Jan sun = 123.8
|Feb sun = 133.1
|Mar sun = 161.7
|Apr sun = 183.1
|May sun = 182.1
|Jun sun = 107.3
|Jul sun = 192.4
|Aug sun = 220.1
|Sep sun = 173.9
|Oct sun = 181.1
|Nov sun = 151.8
|Dec sun = 132.7
|year sun = 1938.2
|source 1 = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=88&block_no=0890&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = March 28, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=88&block_no=0890&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = March 28, 2022}}</ref>}}
<div style="width: 80%;"></div>
{{Graph:Weather monthly history
| table=Ncei.noaa.gov/weather/Kagoshima.tab
| title=Kagoshima temperature
}}

==Demographics==
[[File:Kagoshima prefecture population pyramid 2020.svg|thumb|Kagoshima prefecture population pyramid in 2020]]
As of 1 January 2020, Kagoshima City has an [http://www.city.kagoshima.lg.jp/ estimated population] of 595,049 and a [[population density]] of 1,087 persons per km2. The total area is {{convert|547.58|km²|0|abbr=on}}. According to the [http://www.pref.kagoshima.jp/ac01/tokei/oshirase/kankobutu/gaiyou23.html April 2014 issue of the Kagoshima Prefectural Summary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123100418/http://www.pref.kagoshima.jp/ac01/tokei/oshirase/kankobutu/gaiyou23.html |date=2015-01-23 }} by the Kagoshima Prefecture Department of Planning and Promotion, the population of the prefecture at large was 1,680,319. The city's total area nearly doubled between 2003 and 2005 as a result of five towns: the towns of [[Kōriyama, Kagoshima|Kōriyama]] and [[Matsumoto, Kagoshima|Matsumoto]] (both from [[Hioki District, Kagoshima|Hioki District]]) the town of [[Kiire, Kagoshima|Kiire]] (from [[Ibusuki District, Kagoshima|Ibusuki District]]) and the towns of [[Sakurajima, Kagoshima|Sakurajima]] and [[Yoshida, Kagoshima|Yoshida]] (both from [[Kagoshima District, Kagoshima|Kagoshima District]]). All areas were merged into Kagoshima City on 1 November 2004.
{{Historical populations
| 1960 | 383,418
| 1965 | 415,439
| 1970 | 444,165
| 1975 | 496,802
| 1980 | 547,756
| 1985 | 574,672
| 1990 | 582,252
| 1995 | 594,430
| 2000 | 601,693
| 2005 | 604,367
| 2010 | 605,940
| 2015 | 599,814
| 2020 | 593,128
|align = none
|cols=3
| footnote = Kagoshima population statistics<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/japan/kagoshima/ Kagoshima population statistics]</ref>
}}

== Points of interest ==
* [[Ishibashi Park]]
* Kagoshima City Aquarium
* [[Kagoshima Botanical Garden]]
* [[Museum of the Meiji Restoration]]
* [[Sengan-en|Sengan-en Garden]]

== Education ==
===Universities and Colleges===
*[[Kagoshima University]]
*[[The International University of Kagoshima]]
*[[Shigakukan University]]
*[[Kagoshima Prefectural College]]
*[[Kagoshima Immaculate Heart College]]
*[[Kagoshima Women's Junior College|Kagoshima Women's College]]

===High schools===
* [[Kagoshima Prefectural Konan High School]]
* [[Tsurumaru High School|Kagoshima Prefectural Tsurumaru High School]]
* [[Japanese La Salle Academy|La Salle Junior and Senior High School]]
etc.

== Transportation ==
[[File:Kagoshima-Chuo Station 20180505.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Kagoshima-Chūō Station]]]]
[[File:高見馬場 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|200px|Kagoshima city tram Taniyama Line]]
[[File:Ibusuki Skyline Ends.JPG|thumb|200px|[[Kyushu Expressway]]]]

=== Railways ===
All lines are operated by [[Kyushu Railway Company]] (JR Kyushu)
*[[Kyushu Shinkansen]]
** [[Kagoshima-Chūō Station]]
*[[Kagoshima Main Line]]
** [[Satsuma-Matsumoto Station]] – [[Kami-Ijuin Station]] – [[Hiroki Station]] – Kagoshima-Chuo Station – [[Kagoshima Station]]
*[[Nippo Main Line]]
** [[Ryugamizu Station]] – Kagoshima Station
*[[Ibusuki Makurazaki Line]]
** Kagoshima-Chuo Station – [[Korimoto Station (JR Kyushu)|Korimoto Station]] – [[Minami-Kagoshima Station]] – [[Usuki Station (Kagoshima)|Usuki Station]] – [[Taniyama Station (JR Kyushu)|Taniyama Station]] – [[Jigenji Station]] – [[Sakanoue Station]] – [[Goino Station]] – [[Hirakawa Station]] – [[Sesekushi Station]] – [[Nakamyo Station]] – [[Kiire Station]] – [[Maenohama Station]] – [[Nukumi Station]]

=== Tramway ===
*[[Kagoshima City Transportation Bureau]] Taniyama Line
*[[Kagoshima City Transportation Bureau]] Korimoto Line

=== Highways ===
*[[Japan National Route 3|National Route 3]]
*[[Japan National Route 10|National Route 10]]
*[[Japan National Route 58|National Route 58]]
*[[Japan National Route 224|National Route 224]]
*[[Japan National Route 225|National Route 225]]
*[[Japan National Route 226|National Route 226]]
*[[Japan National Route 328|National Route 328]]
*[[Kyushu Expressway]]
*[[Minamikyushu Expressway]]
*Ibusuki Skyline

=== Bus ===
*Kagoshima City Bus
*Kagoshima Kotsu
*Iwasaki Bus Network
*Nangoku Kotsu
*JR Kyushu bus
*MTA Bus

=== Ferry/Jetfoil ===
*[[Sakurajima Ferry]]
*A Line (to southern islands)
*Marix Line (to southern islands)
*RKK Line (to Okinawa, cargo only)
*Toppy (to [[Tanegashima]] and [[Yakushima]])
*Seahawk (to Koshikijima Islands)

===Airport===
[[Kagoshima Airport]] in [[Kirishima, Kagoshima|Kirishima]] ({{convert|35|km|0|abbr=in}} NE of Kagoshima)

==Sports==
Kagoshima was one of the host cities of the official [[1998 Women's Volleyball World Championship]]. Kagoshima is home to [[Kagoshima United FC|Kagoshima United]]. They play their home games at [[Kagoshima Kamoike Stadium]].

==Sister cities and friendship cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Japan}}
Kagoshima is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=姉妹・友好・兄弟・協定都市|url=https://www.city.kagoshima.lg.jp/soumu/shichoshitu/kokusai/shise/kokusaikoryu/kyodai/index.html|website=city.kagoshima.lg.jp|publisher=Kagoshima|language=ja|access-date=2020-12-10}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Changsha]], China (1982)
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Miami]], United States (1990)
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Naples]], Italy (1960)
*{{flagicon|AUS}} [[City of Perth|Perth]], Australia (1974)
*{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Tsuruoka, Yamagata|Tsuruoka]], Japan (1969)
{{div col end}}

<gallery widths="180">
File:Napoli Street in Kagoshima.JPG|Naples Street in Kagoshima
File:Perth_Street_in_Kagoshima_20201128.jpg|Perth Street in Kagoshima
File:Miami Street in Kagoshima.JPG|Miami Street in Kagoshima
File:Kyougetsu-Tei Kagoshima Japan.jpg|Kyogetsu-Tei in Kagoshima commemorating the friendship city relationship with Changsha
</gallery>

== Notable people ==
* [[Akitsune Imamura]] – Japanese seismologist
* [[Bernardo the Japanese]] – Japanese Christian convert, disciple of Saint [[Francis Xavier]], and first Japanese to set foot in Europe
* [[Emi Hashino]] – Japanese comedian
* [[Hiroko Ōta]] – Japanese politician, economic researcher
* [[Hiroshi Kawauchi]] – Japanese politician
* [[Ikki Sawamura]] – Japanese model, actor, TV presenter
* [[Izumi Inamori]] – Japanese actress
* [[Junichi Miyashita]] – Japanese swimmer
* [[Kabayama Sukenori]] – Japanese [[samurai]] [[military leader]] and statesman
* [[Kaneta Kimotsuki]] – Japanese voice actor (1935–2016)
* [[Kazuo Inamori]] – Japanese philanthropist, entrepreneur, founder of [[Kyocera|Kyocera Corporation]] and [[KDDI|KDDI Corporation]], and chairman of [[Japan Airlines]]
* [[Kawasaki Shōzō]] – Industrialist, founder of the [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries]] and [[K Line]] groups
* [[Kōhei Miyauchi]] – Japanese actor
* [[Koji Maeda]] – Japanese football player
* [[Kuroda Kiyotaka|Kiyotaka Kuroda]] – Japanese politician, second Prime Minister of Japan
* [[Masao Suenaga]] – Japanese drifting driver
* [[Miyo Yoshida]] – Japanese [[professional boxer]]
* [[Mone Kamishiraishi]] – Japanese singer and actress
* [[Morihiko Nakahara]] – Japanese conductor
* [[Norihiro Nakajima]] – Japanese manga artist of Astro Team, etc.
* [[Ryuji Fujiyama]] – Japanese football player
* [[Saigō Takamori]] – Japanese politician, samurai
* [[Sakura Miyawaki]] – Japanese idol singer and actress, member of [[Le Sserafim]]
* [[Saori Sakoda]] – Japanese volleyball player
* [[Seiki Kuroda]] – Japanese artist
* [[Shinobu Kaitani]] – Japanese manga artist
* [[Taisei Okazaki]] – Japanese DJ & music producer
* [[Takuya Shiihara]] – Japanese football player
* [[Tōgō Heihachirō]] - Admiral of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]]
* [[Toru Kamikawa]] – Japanese football referee
* [[Ōkubo Toshimichi|Toshimichi Ōkubo]] – Japanese statesman, samurai, and one of the [[Three great nobles|Three Great Nobles]] who led to the [[Meiji Restoration]]
* [[Yasuhito Endō]] – Japanese football player
* [[Yoshito Kajiya]] – Japanese politician
* [[Yuki Kashiwagi]] – Japanese idol singer
* [[Yuya Hikichi (footballer, born 1983)|Yuya Hikichi]] – Japanese football player

==See also==
{{Portal|Japan|Geography}}
* [[1993 Kagoshima Heavy Rain]]
* [[Kagoshima ramen]]
* [[Sakurajima daikon]]
* [[Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

* Amu Plaza Visitors Guide (2006) available in Amu Plaza, Chūō Station, Kagoshima, Japan
*{{Cite book|script-title=ja:[[:ja:角川日本地名大辞典|角川日本地名大辞典]] 46 鹿児島県|date=1983-03-08|publisher=[[Kadokawa Shoten]]|isbn=4-04-001460-X|ref=kadokawa}}

== External links ==
{{Commons|鹿児島市|Kagoshima}}
*{{osmrelation-inline|3962762}}
*[http://www.city.kagoshima.lg.jp Kagoshima City official website] {{in lang|ja}}
* [http://www.synapse.ne.jp/~update/index.html Kagoshima Visitor's Guide from the Kagoshima Internationalization Council]

{{Kagoshima}}
{{Metropolitan cities of Japan}}
{{Most populous cities in Japan}}
{{Subject bar |portal1=Geography |portal2=Japan |portal3=Asia |commons=yes |commons-search=Category:Kagoshima |n=yes |n-search=Kagoshima |wikt=yes |wikt-search=鹿児島 |b=yes |q=yes |s=yes |s-search=ja:カテゴリ:鹿児島市 |v=yes |voy=yes |voy-search=Kagoshima |d=yes |d-search=Q15674}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Kagoshima| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Kagoshima Prefecture]]
[[Category:Imperial Japanese Navy]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Japan]]

Akita (city)

2024-07-07T07:22:15Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303:

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Akita
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ja|秋田市}}}}
| official_name = Akita City
| settlement_type =[[Core cities of Japan|Core city]]

| image_skyline = Akita montage.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = From the top, left to right: Mount Taihei, [[Kubota Castle]], Akita-Araya Wind Farm, Hitotsumori Park, Akita Skydome, Akita Museum of Art, Akita Akarengakan Museum, Akita City Gymnasium
| image_flag = Flag of Akita, Akita.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_seal = Emblem of Akita, Akita.svg
| seal_alt =
| image_shield =
| shield_alt =
| image_blank_emblem =
| nickname =
| motto =

| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=9}}
| image_map1 = Akita in Akita Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Akita in Akita Prefecture
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =  
| coordinates = {{coord|39|43|12.1|N|140|6|9.3|E|region:JP-05|display=it}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 

| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = [[Japan]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Tōhoku region|Tōhoku]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Akita Prefecture|Akita]]
| subdivision_type3 =
| subdivision_name3 =

| established_title = First official recorded
| established_date = 659 AD
| established_title2 = City Settled
| established_date2 = April 1, 1889
| founder =
| named_for =

| seat_type = 
| seat =

| government_footnotes = 
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Motomu Hozumi
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 = 

| total_type = 
| unit_pref = 

| area_magnitude = 
| area_footnotes = 
| area_total_km2 = 906.07
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =

| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m =

| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 300502
| population_as_of = August 1, 2023
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_est =
| pop_est_as_of =
| population_demonym = 
| population_note =

| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time]]
| utc_offset1 = +9

| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type = 
| area_code =

| blank_name_sec1 = Phone number
| blank_info_sec1 = 018-863-2222
| blank1_name_sec1 = Address
| blank1_info_sec1 = 1-1 Sanno 1-chome, Akita-shi 010-8560

| blank_name_sec2 = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info_sec2 = [[Humid subtropical climate|Cfa]]

| website = {{Official|1=https://www.city.akita.lg.jp/}}
| footnotes =
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
| tree = [[Zelkova serrata]]
| flower = [[Satsuki azalea]]
| bird =
| flowering_tree =
| butterfly =
| fish =
| other_symbols =
}}
}}

{{Nihongo|'''Akita'''|秋田市|Akita-shi||{{IPA-ja|aꜜki̥ta|IPA}}; {{lit}}"Autumn field City"|lead=yes}} is the capital [[Cities of Japan|city]] of [[Akita Prefecture]], [[Japan]], and has been designated a [[Core cities of Japan|core city]] since 1 April 1997. {{As of|2023|08|01}}, the city has an estimated [[population]] of 300,502 persons in 136,628 households<ref name="Population">{{Cite web|url=https://www.city.akita.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/003/568/r02-01-02.pdf|title=Akita City official statistics|accessdate=28 April 2023}}</ref> and a [[population density]] of 332 persons per km². The total area of the city is {{convert|906.07|sqkm|sqmi}}.

==History==
The area of present-day Akita was part of ancient [[Dewa Province]], and has been inhabited for thousands of years. The [[Jizōden Site|Jizōden ruins]] within the city limits are a [[major archaeological site]] with artifacts from the [[Japanese Paleolithic]] period through the [[Jōmon period|Jōmon]] and [[Yayoi period]]s. During the [[Nara period]], the [[Yamato dynasty|Yamato court]] established [[Akita Castle]] in 733 AD to bring the local [[Emishi]] tribes under its control. The area was ruled by a succession of local [[samurai]] clans in the [[Sengoku period]], before coming under the control of the [[Satake clan]] of [[Kubota Domain]] during the [[Edo period]]. Under the [[Tokugawa shogunate]], a [[castle town]] developed around [[Kubota Castle]].

===Meiji and Taishō Eras===
With the start of the [[Meiji period]], Kubota Domain was abolished, and its castle town divided into the towns of Akita and Kubota. Akita Prefecture was established in 1871, and [[Shima Yoshitake]] was named the first governor. Ancient [[Akita District]] was divided into [[Kitaakita District, Akita|Kitaakita]] and [[Minamiakita District, Akita|Minamiakita]] Districts in 1878. Most of Akita town burned down in a great fire on 30 April 1886.

With the establishment of the modern municipalities system on 1 April 1889, the city of Akita was officially established, including former Kubota and Akita towns. The port area was separated into [[Tsuchizaki-Minato Town]], which became part of Minamiakita District. The first city hall was located inside the former Minamiakita District office. In September 1898, the [[Imperial Japanese Army]]'s 17th Infantry Regiment was based in Akita. The first public library was opened in 1898, electrification of [[Tsuchizaki]] began in 1901, and [[Akita Station]] was opened in 1902, as well as running water and telephone services in 1907.

The [[Taishō period]] brought further development to Akita with Nippon Oil Corporation developing the nearby Kurokawa Oil Fields in 1914, and a branch of the [[Bank of Japan]] opening in Akita in 1917.

===Shōwa Era===
In 1935, Nippon Kogyo (the forerunner of [[Japan Energy|Jomo]]) began development of the nearby Yabase Oil Fields. [[Akita Bank]] was established in 1941.

War devastated the city on 14 August 1945. During the [[bombing of Akita in World War II|Tsuchizaki air raid]], over 250 people were killed when 134 [[USAAF]] [[B-29 Superfortress]], attacked the city from midnight to the early dawn. A [[Nippon Oil]] [[oil refinery]] in the [[Tsuchizaki Station|Tsuchizaki]] area was targeted.

During the post-war period, the 16th [[National Sports Festival of Japan]] was held in Akita in 1961. During the [[tsunami]] following the [[1983 Sea of Japan earthquake]], three Akita residents were killed.

===Heisei Era===
[[File:Akita City Hall main building 20160509b.jpg|thumb|Akita City Hall]]

On 1 April 1997, Akita was designated as a [[Core cities of Japan|core city]] with increased autonomy. The [[Akita Shinkansen]] began operations the same year. In August 2001, the [[World Games]] were held in Akita, with the opening ceremony held in the [[Soyu Stadium|Yabase Track and Field Stadium]]. In 2004, the city celebrated its 400th anniversary and its beginnings as Kubota Castle town.

On 11 January 2005, the towns of [[Kawabe, Akita|Kawabe]] and [[Yūwa, Akita|Yūwa]] (both from [[Kawabe District, Akita|Kawabe District]]) were merged into Akita. Kawabe District was dissolved as a result of this merger. The location of Akita City Hall did not change, and former Kawabe and Yūwa Town Halls are used as civic centers. The 62nd [[National Sports Festival of Japan]] was held in Akita in 2007.

==Geography==
The city of Akita is located in the coastal plains of central Akita Prefecture, bordered by the [[Sea of Japan]] to the west. The [[Omono River]] runs through the center of the city.

===Neighboring municipalities===
*Akita Prefecture
**[[Kitaakita, Akita|Kitaakita]]
**[[Katagami, Akita|Katagami]]
**[[Yurihonjo, Akita|Yurihonjō]]
**[[Daisen, Akita|Daisen]]
**[[Senboku, Akita|Senboku]]
**[[Minamiakita District, Akita|Minamiakita District]]: [[Gojome, Akita|Gojōme]], [[Ikawa, Akita|Ikawa]]
**[[Kitaakita District, Akita|Kitaakita District]]: [[Kamikoani, Akita|Kamikoani]]

===Demography===
Censuses have been conducted in Akita since as early as 1873.<ref>{{cite book |title=Le Japon à l'exposition universelle de 1878. Géographie et histoire du Japon |author= Japanese Imperial Commission |date=1878 |language=fr |page=21}}</ref> Per Japanese census data since 1950,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-akita.php|title=Akita (Japan): Prefecture, Cities, Towns and Villages - Population Statistics, Charts and Map|website=www.citypopulation.de}}</ref> the population of Akita peaked in around the year 2000 and has been in decline since then.

{{Historical populations
| 1873 | 38,118
| 1950 | 200,525
| 1960 | 229,933
| 1970 | 257,532
| 1980 | 304,823
| 1990 | 322,698
| 2000 | 336,646
| 2010 | 323,363
| 2020 | 305,625
|align = none
| footnote =
}}

===Climate===
Akita belongs to a climatic transition zone [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Cfa'') and is the most populous city having absolute northern extremity of this climate zone within Japan, bordering very closely with the [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfa'') zone, comparable to [[New York City]], USA. Akita is characterized with cold, very snowy, winters, and hot, humid summers. Monthly averages range from {{convert|0.1|C|1}} in January to {{convert|24.9|C|1}} in August. Due to its location near the [[Sea of Japan]] coast, it receives heavy snowfall, with just above {{convert|377|cm|in|0}} per season, with accumulation occurring mostly from December to March. Precipitation is well-distributed and significant throughout the year, but is greater in the latter half. Over two thirds of all days see some precipitation, either rain or snow.

{{Weather box
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Akita (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1882−present)
|Jan record high C = 13.7
|Feb record high C = 20.1
|Mar record high C = 21.0
|Apr record high C = 28.2
|May record high C = 31.8
|Jun record high C = 33.8
|Jul record high C = 37.9
|Aug record high C = 38.5
|Sep record high C = 36.1
|Oct record high C = 30.1
|Nov record high C = 25.2
|Dec record high C = 21.4
|Jan record low C = -19.8
|Feb record low C = -24.6
|Mar record low C = -19.5
|Apr record low C = -7.2
|May record low C = -1.4
|Jun record low C = 4.1
|Jul record low C = 8.9
|Aug record low C = 9.0
|Sep record low C = 3.1
|Oct record low C = -1.4
|Nov record low C = -5.4
|Dec record low C = -18.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 118.9
|Feb precipitation mm = 98.5
|Mar precipitation mm = 99.5
|Apr precipitation mm = 109.9
|May precipitation mm = 125.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 122.9
|Jul precipitation mm = 197.0
|Aug precipitation mm = 184.6
|Sep precipitation mm = 161.0
|Oct precipitation mm = 175.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 189.1
|Dec precipitation mm = 159.8
|year precipitation mm = 1741.6
|Jan mean C = 0.4
|Feb mean C = 0.8
|Mar mean C = 4.0
|Apr mean C = 9.6
|May mean C = 15.2
|Jun mean C = 19.6
|Jul mean C = 23.4
|Aug mean C = 25.0
|Sep mean C = 21.0
|Oct mean C = 14.5
|Nov mean C = 8.3
|Dec mean C = 2.8
|year mean C = 12.1
|Jan high C = 3.1
|Feb high C = 4.0
|Mar high C = 7.9
|Apr high C = 14.0
|May high C = 19.6
|Jun high C = 23.7
|Jul high C = 27.1
|Aug high C = 29.2
|Sep high C = 25.4
|Oct high C = 19.0
|Nov high C = 12.2
|Dec high C = 5.9
|year high C = 15.9
|Jan low C = -2.1
|Feb low C = -2.1
|Mar low C = 0.4
|Apr low C = 5.2
|May low C = 11.1
|Jun low C = 16.0
|Jul low C = 20.4
|Aug low C = 21.6
|Sep low C = 17.1
|Oct low C = 10.4
|Nov low C = 4.5
|Dec low C = 0.0
|year low C = 8.5
|Jan humidity = 74
|Feb humidity = 72
|Mar humidity = 68
|Apr humidity = 67
|May humidity = 71
|Jun humidity = 74
|Jul humidity = 79
|Aug humidity = 76
|Sep humidity = 74
|Oct humidity = 73
|Nov humidity = 73
|Dec humidity = 74
|year humidity = 73
|Jan sun = 39.0
|Feb sun = 64.3
|Mar sun = 121.5
|Apr sun = 168.6
|May sun = 184.9
|Jun sun = 179.5
|Jul sun = 150.3
|Aug sun = 186.9
|Sep sun = 160.8
|Oct sun = 143.1
|Nov sun = 83.2
|Dec sun = 45.3
|year sun = 1527.4
|Jan snow cm = 100
|Feb snow cm = 79
|Mar snow cm = 30
|Apr snow cm = 1
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 6
|Dec snow cm = 58
|year snow cm = 273
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 23.8
|Feb precipitation days = 20.0
|Mar precipitation days = 17.4
|Apr precipitation days = 13.2
|May precipitation days = 12.7
|Jun precipitation days = 11.4
|Jul precipitation days = 13.2
|Aug precipitation days = 11.7
|Sep precipitation days = 13.5
|Oct precipitation days = 16.0
|Nov precipitation days = 19.6
|Dec precipitation days = 23.6
|year precipitation days = 196.0
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=32&block_no=47582&year=&month=&day=&view=
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]
| access-date = May 19, 2021}}</ref><ref>https://twitter.com/sayakasofiamori/status/1759534345298252150</ref>}}
{{Weather box
|width=auto
|collapsed = Y
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|location = [[Yūwa, Akita|Yūwa]], Akita (2003−2020 normals, extremes 2003−present)
|Jan record high C = 9.8
|Feb record high C = 17.0
|Mar record high C = 20.3
|Apr record high C = 29.1
|May record high C = 31.4
|Jun record high C = 33.3
|Jul record high C = 35.3
|Aug record high C = 37.2
|Sep record high C = 34.8
|Oct record high C = 28.8
|Nov record high C = 24.3
|Dec record high C = 14.9
|Jan high C = 1.7
|Feb high C = 2.9
|Mar high C = 7.1
|Apr high C = 13.4
|May high C = 19.8
|Jun high C = 23.8
|Jul high C = 26.8
|Aug high C = 28.7
|Sep high C = 24.8
|Oct high C = 18.2
|Nov high C = 11.4
|Dec high C = 4.4
|Jan mean C = -0.9
|Feb mean C = -0.5
|Mar mean C = 2.9
|Apr mean C = 8.4
|May mean C = 14.6
|Jun mean C = 18.9
|Jul mean C = 22.5
|Aug mean C = 24.1
|Sep mean C = 19.8
|Oct mean C = 13.2
|Nov mean C = 7.1
|Dec mean C = 1.5
|Jan low C = -3.6
|Feb low C = -3.8
|Mar low C = -1.0
|Apr low C = 3.4
|May low C = 9.7
|Jun low C = 14.7
|Jul low C = 19.2
|Aug low C = 20.3
|Sep low C = 15.8
|Oct low C = 8.9
|Nov low C = 3.3
|Dec low C = -1.2
|Jan record low C = -13.0
|Feb record low C = -12.9
|Mar record low C = -9.2
|Apr record low C = -4.2
|May record low C = 1.1
|Jun record low C = 6.1
|Jul record low C = 13.0
|Aug record low C = 12.2
|Sep record low C = 6.1
|Oct record low C = 0.8
|Nov record low C = -4.3
|Dec record low C = -9.6
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 120.1
|Feb precipitation mm = 97.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 105.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 118.6
|May precipitation mm = 117.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 133.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 225.7
|Aug precipitation mm = 207.2
|Sep precipitation mm = 176.3
|Oct precipitation mm = 184.8
|Nov precipitation mm = 205.7
|Dec precipitation mm = 170.7
|year precipitation mm = 1862.0
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 21.4
|Feb precipitation days = 16.7
|Mar precipitation days = 15.4
|Apr precipitation days = 12.9
|May precipitation days = 11.2
|Jun precipitation days = 9.7
|Jul precipitation days = 12.9
|Aug precipitation days = 10.8
|Sep precipitation days = 13.7
|Oct precipitation days = 14.4
|Nov precipitation days = 18.6
|Dec precipitation days = 23.3
|Jan snow cm = 77
|Feb snow cm = 75
|Mar snow cm = 7
|Apr snow cm = 3
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 4
|Dec snow cm = 65
|year snow cm = 230
|unit snow days = 1 cm
|Jan snow days = 9.5
|Feb snow days = 8.0
|Mar snow days = 1.0
|Apr snow days = 0.5
|May snow days = 0
|Jun snow days = 0
|Jul snow days = 0
|Aug snow days = 0
|Sep snow days = 0
|Oct snow days = 0
|Nov snow days = 0.5
|Dec snow days = 6.0
|source 1 = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=32&block_no=1511&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = February 27, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=32&block_no=1511&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = February 27, 2022}}</ref>}}
{{Weather box
|width=auto
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = {{ill|Iwamisannai|ja|岩見三内村|vertical-align=sup}}, Akita (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present)
|Jan record high C = 11.2
|Feb record high C = 16.1
|Mar record high C = 19.9
|Apr record high C = 29.0
|May record high C = 32.5
|Jun record high C = 33.4
|Jul record high C = 37.7
|Aug record high C = 37.3
|Sep record high C = 34.8
|Oct record high C = 29.8
|Nov record high C = 24.8
|Dec record high C = 18.6
|Jan record low C = -16.4
|Feb record low C = -14.6
|Mar record low C = -12.9
|Apr record low C = -8.2
|May record low C = -1.2
|Jun record low C = 3.2
|Jul record low C = 9.6
|Aug record low C = 9.7
|Sep record low C = 3.4
|Oct record low C = -1.6
|Nov record low C = -5.8
|Dec record low C = -12.9
|Jan high C = 1.9
|Feb high C = 2.9
|Mar high C = 6.9
|Apr high C = 13.9
|May high C = 19.9
|Jun high C = 24.0
|Jul high C = 27.0
|Aug high C = 28.8
|Sep high C = 24.9
|Oct high C = 18.4
|Nov high C = 11.2
|Dec high C = 4.5
|Jan mean C = -1.3
|Feb mean C = -0.9
|Mar mean C = 2.2
|Apr mean C = 8.2
|May mean C = 14.2
|Jun mean C = 18.7
|Jul mean C = 22.5
|Aug mean C = 23.7
|Sep mean C = 19.4
|Oct mean C = 12.6
|Nov mean C = 6.4
|Dec mean C = 1.1
|Jan low C = -4.5
|Feb low C = -4.5
|Mar low C = -2.2
|Apr low C = 2.4
|May low C = 8.6
|Jun low C = 13.8
|Jul low C = 18.6
|Aug low C = 19.4
|Sep low C = 14.6
|Oct low C = 7.5
|Nov low C = 2.0
|Dec low C = -2.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 141.8
|Feb precipitation mm = 120.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 119.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 129.1
|May precipitation mm = 149.2
|Jun precipitation mm = 156.8
|Jul precipitation mm = 258.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 230.4
|Sep precipitation mm = 184.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 189.6
|Nov precipitation mm = 198.5
|Dec precipitation mm = 175.6
|year precipitation mm = 2052.9
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 21.8
|Feb precipitation days = 19.0
|Mar precipitation days = 16.8
|Apr precipitation days = 13.4
|May precipitation days = 12.7
|Jun precipitation days = 11.7
|Jul precipitation days = 14.3
|Aug precipitation days = 12.1
|Sep precipitation days = 13.6
|Oct precipitation days = 15.4
|Nov precipitation days = 18.5
|Dec precipitation days = 22.1
|Jan sun = 40.9
|Feb sun = 61.6
|Mar sun = 100.3
|Apr sun = 147.8
|May sun = 178.3
|Jun sun = 174.3
|Jul sun = 143.0
|Aug sun = 177.5
|Sep sun = 149.3
|Oct sun = 130.4
|Nov sun = 85.5
|Dec sun = 45.6
|year sun = 1431.1
|source 1 = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=32&block_no=0192&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = May 29, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=32&block_no=0192&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = May 29, 2022}}</ref>}}
{{Weather box
|width=auto
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = {{ill|Daishōji|ja|大正寺村|vertical-align=sup}}, Akita (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present)
|Jan record high C = 11.9
|Feb record high C = 14.8
|Mar record high C = 20.8
|Apr record high C = 28.8
|May record high C = 31.8
|Jun record high C = 32.8
|Jul record high C = 36.4
|Aug record high C = 37.2
|Sep record high C = 34.3
|Oct record high C = 29.9
|Nov record high C = 23.5
|Dec record high C = 17.4
|Jan record low C = -15.1
|Feb record low C = -16.1
|Mar record low C = -12.8
|Apr record low C = -8.8
|May record low C = -1.5
|Jun record low C = 4.6
|Jul record low C = 8.4
|Aug record low C = 9.9
|Sep record low C = 3.5
|Oct record low C = -1.4
|Nov record low C = -8.1
|Dec record low C = -12.4
|Jan high C = 2.1
|Feb high C = 3.1
|Mar high C = 7.1
|Apr high C = 14.2
|May high C = 20.1
|Jun high C = 24.1
|Jul high C = 27.1
|Aug high C = 28.8
|Sep high C = 24.7
|Oct high C = 18.3
|Nov high C = 11.3
|Dec high C = 4.5
|Jan mean C = -0.9
|Feb mean C = -0.6
|Mar mean C = 2.3
|Apr mean C = 8.2
|May mean C = 14.1
|Jun mean C = 18.6
|Jul mean C = 22.4
|Aug mean C = 23.6
|Sep mean C = 19.2
|Oct mean C = 12.5
|Nov mean C = 6.3
|Dec mean C = 1.2
|Jan low C = -3.8
|Feb low C = -3.9
|Mar low C = -1.8
|Apr low C = 2.4
|May low C = 8.5
|Jun low C = 13.8
|Jul low C = 18.5
|Aug low C = 19.3
|Sep low C = 14.7
|Oct low C = 7.7
|Nov low C = 2.0
|Dec low C = -1.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 169.7
|Feb precipitation mm = 121.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 115.4
|Apr precipitation mm = 117.4
|May precipitation mm = 130.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 148.1
|Jul precipitation mm = 229.6
|Aug precipitation mm = 226.2
|Sep precipitation mm = 193.9
|Oct precipitation mm = 198.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 227.0
|Dec precipitation mm = 212.9
|year precipitation mm = 2089.0
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 23.9
|Feb precipitation days = 19.5
|Mar precipitation days = 17.2
|Apr precipitation days = 12.8
|May precipitation days = 12.4
|Jun precipitation days = 11.0
|Jul precipitation days = 13.9
|Aug precipitation days = 12.2
|Sep precipitation days = 14.0
|Oct precipitation days = 16.1
|Nov precipitation days = 19.7
|Dec precipitation days = 23.9
|Jan snow cm = 199
|Feb snow cm = 160
|Mar snow cm = 73
|Apr snow cm = 2
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 12
|Dec snow cm = 119
|year snow cm = 564
|unit snow days = 3 cm
|Jan snow days = 21.5
|Feb snow days = 18.2
|Mar snow days = 10.0
|Apr snow days = 0.3
|May snow days = 0
|Jun snow days = 0
|Jul snow days = 0
|Aug snow days = 0
|Sep snow days = 0
|Oct snow days = 0
|Nov snow days = 1.0
|Dec snow days = 12.4
|Jan sun = 32.6
|Feb sun = 53.0
|Mar sun = 106.9
|Apr sun = 167.3
|May sun = 188.2
|Jun sun = 177.5
|Jul sun = 150.2
|Aug sun = 185.4
|Sep sun = 150.7
|Oct sun = 132.3
|Nov sun = 80.9
|Dec sun = 39.9
|year sun = 1464.8
|source 1 = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=32&block_no=1050&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = May 29, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=32&block_no=1050&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = May 29, 2022}}</ref>}}

==Government==
Akita has a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] [[Deliberative assembly|city assembly]] with 39 members. The city contributes 12 members to the Akita Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Akita District 1 of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].

==Economy==
[[File:Paddy fields Akita.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A sunset in the northern outskirts of Akita City]]
The economy of Akita remains heavily dependent on agriculture (particularly rice cultivation), forestry and mineral extraction. Akita contains one of the most important [[Petroleum|oil]] fields in Japan. [[Oil refining]], woodworking, metalworking, and the production of silk textiles are the main industries. Akita is also home to two regional banks that serve Akita prefecture and the greater Tōhoku region: [[Akita Bank]] and [[Hokuto Bank]].

The [[Akita Thermal Power Station]] is located in the city.

==Education==
===Universities===
*[[Akita University]]
*[[Akita Prefectural University]]
*[[Akita International University]]
*[[North Asia University]]
*[[Seirei Women's Junior College]]
*[[Japanese Red Cross Akita College of Nursing]]
*[[Akita University of Art]]
*[[Akita Nutrition Junior College]]
*[[Misono Gakuen Junior College]]
*[[Open University of Japan]] Akita learning center

===Primary and secondary education===
Akita has 44 city and one national elementary schools, 22 city, one prefectural, one national and one private middle schools, and one combined city middle/high school. There are eight prefectural, one city and seven private high schools, as well as four prefectural and one national special education school.

====High schools====
*[[Akita High School]]

==Transportation==

===Airports===
*[[Akita Airport]]

===Railway===
*[[East Japan Railway Company|JR East]] – [[Akita Shinkansen]]
**[[Akita Station|Akita]]
[[File:JR logo (east).svg|20px]] [[East Japan Railway Company]] - [[Ōu Main Line]]
* {{STN|Ōbarino}} - {{STN|Wada}} - {{STN|Yotsugoya}} - {{STN|Akita}} - {{STN|Tsuchizaki}} - {{STN|Kami-Iijima}} - {{STN|Oiwake|Akita}}
[[File:JR logo (east).svg|20px]] [[East Japan Railway Company]] - [[Uetsu Main Line]]
* {{STN|Shimohama}} - {{STN|Katsurane}} - {{STN|Araya|Akita}} - {{STN|Ugo-Ushijima}} - {{STN|Akita}}
[[File:JR logo (east).svg|20px]] [[East Japan Railway Company]] - [[Oga Line]]
* {{STN|Oiwake|Akita}}
*Akita Rinkai Railway Company (freight)

===Highway===
* [[File:JP Expressway E7.svg|27px|link=|alt=]] {{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E46|dab1=A}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E7|dab1=N}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|7}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|13}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|46}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|101}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|285}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|341}}

===Bus===
*{{ill|Akita Chūō Kōtsū|tl|vertical-align=sup}}

===Seaports===
*[[Port of Akita]]

==Mass media==
*[[Akita Asahi Broadcasting]]
*[[Akita Broadcasting System]]
*[[Akita Community Broadcasting]]
*[[Akita Television]]
*[[Cable Networks Akita]]
*[[FM Tsubakidai]]

== Local attractions ==
[[Image:Jizouden4.jpg|thumb|right|Thatched roof in Jizōden Archaeological Park]]
[[Image:Kogetsu-pond in Senshu Park 20180520.jpg|thumb|right|Akita Senshu Park]]
[[Image:Akita Castle East Gate2.jpg|thumb|right|Reconstructed East Gate of Akita Castle]]
*Site of [[Kubota Castle]] (Senshu Park)
*Site of [[Akita Castle]] (Takashimizu Park), National Historic Site
*[[Minato Castle]] (Tsuchizaki Gaiku Park, Shinmeisha)
*[[Jizōden Site|Jizōden ruins]], National Historic Site
*[[Akita Prefectural Museum]]
*[[Akita Senshū Museum of Art]]
*[[Akita Museum of Art]]
*[[Akita Omoriyama Zoo]]
*[[Akita Port Tower Selion]]
*[[CNA Arena Akita]]
*[[Sakigake Yabase Baseball Stadium]]
*[[Akita Prefectural Baseball Stadium]]
*[[Akita Yabase Athletic Field]]
*[[Akita Prefectural Gymnasium]]
*[[Akita Prefectural Central Park]]
*[[Akita Prefectural General Pool]]
*[[Akita Prefectural Budokan]]
* Akita [[Peace Pagoda]]
*[[Koshiō Shrine]]

== Local events ==

===Akita Kanto Festival===
{{See also|Akita Kantō}}
This representative [[matsuri|summer festival]] began 350 years ago, with similar to ''[[tanabata]]'' festivals held elsewhere in Japan. During this festival, participants balance 15 meter poles with 230 lanterns on their chins; the main event is held during the evening and night hours, between the 3rd and 6 August each year.

During the festival, Kanto stunt events are held in Senshu Park during daylight hours involving many amateur participants. This event was first held in 1931 and every subsequent year, except between 1935 and 1946 and in 1953 and 1965. {{Citation needed|date=December 2010}} Overseas exhibitions of the festival were performed in [[Hamburg]], Germany, in 1988, [[Honolulu]], [[Hawaii]], in 2002, [[London]], UK, in 2004, and as an opening event at the 2001 [[World Games]].

===Narayama Kamakura Festival===
{{Main|Kamakura (snow dome)}}

In the Narayama Otamachi district of central Akita each February 12–15 a Shinto festival honoring
both ''Suijin'' and ''Kamakura Daimyojin'' is held inside a shrine made from walls of snow. A rice bale
is set afire at the end of this festival.<ref>{{cite web
|url= https://4travel.jp/travelogue/11105623
|language= Japanese
|script-title= ja:伝統を守る(秋田市・楢山かまくら)
|trans-title= Preserving tradition (Akita City, Narayama Kamakura)
|title= Dentō o mamoru (Akita-shi Narayama kamakura)
|publisher= Kakaku.com
|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220125023022/https://4travel.jp/travelogue/11105623
|archive-date= January 25, 2022
|access-date= March 22, 2022
|url-status= live
}}</ref>

===Tsuchizaki Minato Festival===
{{Main|Tsuchizaki Shinmeisha Shrine Annual Celebration And The Float Festival}}
Each neighbourhood in [[Tsuchizaki Minato]] contributes a [[Float (parade)|float]] decorated with giant figures from 20 to 21 July. In 1997 it was designated an [[List of Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties|Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property]].

===Marian apparitions===
[[Our Lady of Akita]] is the title of [[Marian apparitions]] reported in 1973 by Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa in Yuzawadai, Soegawa, Akita City. The apparitions were approved by the [[Holy See]] in 1988.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ewtn.com/library/mary/akita.htm|title=EWTN on Akita approval|accessdate=28 April 2023}}</ref> The 1988 approval was issued by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became [[Pope Benedict XVI]].

==Sister city relations==

===International sister / friendship cities===
*{{flagdeco|PRC}} - [[Lanzhou]], [[Gansu]], China,<ref name=International>{{cite web|url=http://www.clair.or.jp/cgi-bin/simai/e/03.cgi?p=05&n=Akita%20Prefecture|title=International Exchange|work=List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures|publisher=Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR)|access-date=21 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121141212/http://www.clair.or.jp/cgi-bin/simai/e/03.cgi?p=05&n=Akita%20Prefecture|archive-date=21 November 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> since August 5, 1982
*{{flagdeco|Germany}} - [[Passau]], [[Lower Bavaria]], Germany,<ref name=International/> since 8 April 1984
*{{flagdeco|Philippines}} - [[Malabon]], Philippines, since 15 July 1987
*{{flagdeco|US}} - [[Kenai, Alaska]], United States of America
*{{flagdeco|US}} - [[St. Cloud, Minnesota]], United States of America (with Yūwa, Akita, which merged into Akita, Akita), since 1993
*{{flagdeco|Russia}} - [[Vladivostok]], [[Primorsky Krai]], Russia,<ref name=International/> since 29 June 1992
*{{flagdeco|China}} - [[Nanning]], [[Guangxi]], China, since 22 November 2021

===Domestic sister cities===
*[[Hitachiota, Ibaraki|Hitachiōta]], [[Ibaraki Prefecture]]
*[[Daigo, Ibaraki|Daigo]], [[Kuji District, Ibaraki|Kuji District]] Ibaraki

==Notable people==
*[[Masamichi Amano]], composer<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sakigake.jp/news/article/20190330AK0020/|title = 遠い風近い風［天野正道］秋田弁絶やさないで｜秋田魁新報電子版}}</ref>
*[[Michio Ashikaga]], professional soccer player
*[[Yukiko Ebata]], professional women's volleyball player<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sakigake.jp/news/article/20200407AK0012/|title=秋田のメダリスト：ロンドン・女子バレー銅江畑幸子さん（３０）＝秋田市出身｜秋田魁新報電子版|website=秋田魁新報電子版}}</ref>
*[[Hiroki Endo]], manga artist<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mangaseek.net/person/hometown/5.html|title = 秋田県出身の漫画家リスト | まんがseek(漫画データベース)}}</ref>
*[[Yukio Endō]], Olympic gymnast<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sakigake.jp/news/article/20190904AK0016/|title=北斗星（９月４日付）｜秋田魁新報電子版|website=秋田魁新報電子版}}</ref>
*[[Hiroyuki Enoki]], professional boxer<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.adnet-sakigake.com/kyo/interview/enoki/enoki.html|title=榎洋之|website=www.adnet-sakigake.com}}</ref>
*[[Shirō Fukai]], composer
*[[Takunosuke Funakawa]], footballer<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blaublitz.jp/whatsnew/31724.html|title=船川琢之介選手加入内定のお知らせ {{pipe}} ブラウブリッツ秋田|website=ブラウブリッツ秋田公式ホームページ}}</ref>
*[[Masanori Ishikawa]], professional baseball player<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sotsuken.core-akita.ac.jp/furusato/search/5_culture/82_ishikawamasanori.html|title=石川雅規|website=sotsuken.core-akita.ac.jp|accessdate=28 April 2023}}</ref>
*[[Taka Kato]], adult movie actor
*Yudai Koga (K), member of Japanese boy-group [[&Team]]
*[[Machida Chūji|Chūji Machida]], politician, cabinet minister
*[[Hiroya Matsumoto]], actor
*[[Hiroko Nagasaki]], Olympic swimmer<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.toben.or.jp/message/libra/pdf/2017_01/p22-25.pdf|title=Interview
|website=toben.or.jp|date=January 2017|language=ja}}</ref>
*[[Emiko Okuyama]], politician
*[[Akira Ota]], Olympic wrestler
*[[Junko Sakurada]], singer<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.shonan-rockets.com/column/2006/01/09.html|title=成人式で思い出したこと（桜田淳子の実家）|website=www.shonan-rockets.com}}</ref>
*[[Nozomi Sasaki (model)|Nozomi Sasaki]], model, actress
*[[Takenori Sato]], professional mixed martial artist
*[[Tadashi Settsu]], professional baseball player
*[[Kohei Shimoda]], professional soccer player<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blaublitz.jp/whatsnew/51046.html|title=下田光平選手、現役引退のお知らせ {{pipe}} ブラウブリッツ秋田|website=ブラウブリッツ秋田公式ホームページ}}</ref>
*[[Taro Shoji]], singer<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.akita-yulala.jp/see/200010097|title=東海林太郎音楽館・大鵬ギャラリー {{pipe}} 秋田市観光・イベント情報総合サイトアキタッチ＋(プラス)|website=www.akita-yulala.jp}}</ref>
*{{ill|Tensho Sugimoto|ja|vertical-align=sup}}, basketball player<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://2020.yahoo.co.jp/column/detail/201908130006-spnavi|title=新競技・バスケ3x3で杉本天昇が羽ばたく五輪目指す大学トップスコアラー - 東京オリンピック・パラリンピックガイド - Yahoo! JAPAN|website=スポーツナビ}}</ref>
*[[Kenji Suzuki (footballer)]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blaublitz.jp/whatsnew/46959.html|title=鈴木健児氏スクールコーチ就任のお知らせ {{pipe}} ブラウブリッツ秋田|website=ブラウブリッツ秋田公式ホームページ}}</ref>
*[[Mitsuhisa Taguchi]], professional soccer player
*[[Kenta Tateyama]], professional basketball player<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sakigake.jp/news/article/20200630AK0027/|title=記事が見つかりませんでした｜秋田魁新報電子版|website=秋田魁新報電子版|accessdate=28 April 2023}}</ref>
*[[Go Togashi]], footballer for [[Blaublitz Akita]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blaublitz.jp/column/326.html|title=PLAYER'S COLUMN 創刊号 FW 9 富樫豪 {{pipe}} ブラウブリッツ秋田|website=ブラウブリッツ秋田公式ホームページ}}</ref>
*[[Setsurō Wakamatsu]], movie director
*[[Ren Yamamoto (footballer, born 1999)]]
*[[Koharu Yonemoto]], professional badminton player
*[[Yu Takahashi (singer-songwriter)|Yu Takahashi]], singer-songwriter

==Sports==
*Basketball: [[Akita Northern Happinets]], [[Prestige International Aranmare Akita]]
*Football: [[Blaublitz Akita]], [[Saruta Kōgyō S.C.]], [[Akita FC Cambiare]]
*Rugby union: [[Akita Northern Bullets]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Akita, Akita}}
{{wikivoyage|Akita}}
{{Portal|Japan}}
*[https://www.city.akita.lg.jp/ Official Website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Akita}}

{{Metropolitan cities of Japan}}
{{Most populous cities in Japan}}
{{World Games Host Cities}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Akita (city)| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Akita Prefecture]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Japan]]

Aomori

2024-07-07T07:20:49Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303:

{{About|the Japanese city|the prefecture that is named after this city|Aomori Prefecture|other uses|}}
{{distinguish|Māori language|Amorites}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement

| name = Aomori
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ja|青森市}}}}
| native_name_lang = ja
| official_name = Aomori City
| settlement_type = [[Core cities of Japan|Core city]]
| image_skyline = File:Aomori Montage.jpg
| imagesize = 305px
| image_caption = From top to bottom, left to right: The [[Hakkōda Mountains]], [[Aomori Nebuta Matsuri]], [[Sannai-Maruyama Site]], [[Seikan Ferry]] Memorial Ship ''Hakkōda Maru'', the waterfront of Aomori as seen from [[Aomori Bay]], the [[Aomori City Forestry Museum]], and [[Asamushi Onsen]]
| image_alt =
| image_flag = Flag of Aomori, Aomori.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_seal = Aomori City Emblem.svg
| seal_alt =
| image_shield =
| shield_alt =
| image_blank_emblem =
| nickname =
| motto =
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=260|plain=yes|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=9}}
| image_map1 = Aomori in Aomori Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Aomori in Aomori Prefecture
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =
| coordinates = {{coord|40|49|22|N|140|44|49|E|region:JP-02|display=it}}
| coor_pinpoint =
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{JPN}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Tōhoku region|Tōhoku]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = {{Flag|Aomori}}
| subdivision_type3 =
| subdivision_name3 =
| established_title = Utō-mura
| established_date = ?
| established_title2 = Aomori-mura
| established_date2 = 1626
| established_title3 = Aomori-machi
| established_date3 = 1 April 1889
| established_title4 = Aomori-shi
| established_date4 = 1 April 1898
| founder =
| named_for =
| seat_type =
| seat =
| government_footnotes =
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Hideki Nishi (since June 2023)
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 =
| total_type =
| unit_pref =
| area_magnitude =
| area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 = 824.61
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =
| elevation_m = 0 to 1584
| elevation_ft = 0 to 5197
| elevation_footnotes =
| population_total = 264945
| population_as_of = 1 August 2023
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_est =
| pop_est_as_of =
| population_metro = 310,640
| population_demonym = Aomorian
| population_note =
| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time|JST]]
| utc_offset1 = +09:00
| postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code =
| area_code_type =
| area_code = 02201-2
| blank_name_sec1 =
| blank_info_sec1 =
| blank1_name_sec1 =
| blank1_info_sec1 =
| blank_name_sec2 = Phone number
| blank_info_sec2 = 017-734-1111
| blank1_name_sec2 = Address
| blank1_info_sec2 = 1-22-5 Chūō, Aomori-shi, Aomori-ken
| blank2_name_sec2 = [[Expressways of Japan|Expressways]]
| blank2_info_sec2 = [[File:JP Expressway E4.svg|x20px|link=Tōhoku Expressway]] [[File:JP Expressway E4A.svg|x20px|link=Aomori Expressway]] [[File:JP Expressway E4A.svg|x20px|link=Michinoku Toll Road]] [[File:JP Expressway E64.svg|x20px|link=Tsugaru Expressway]]
| website = {{Official|1=http://www.city.aomori.aomori.jp/}}
| module = {{Infobox place symbols
|embedded = yes
|tree = [[Abies mariesii|Maries' fir]]
|flower = ''[[Rosa rugosa]]''
|bird = [[Ural owl]]
|insect = [[Firefly]]
|fish =
}}
}}
[[File:Aomori City Hall.jpg|thumb|Aomori City Hall]]
[[File:Hakkoda Ropeway.jpg|thumb|Hakkoda Ropeway]]

{{nihongo|'''Aomori'''|青森|Aomori|extra={{IPA-ja|aoꜜmoɾi|IPA}}; {{lit}} "Blue Forest"| lead=yes}}, officially '''Aomori City''' ({{lang-ja|青森市|label=none}}, {{Transliteration|ja|Aomori-shi}}), is the capital [[Cities of Japan|city]] of [[Aomori Prefecture]], in the [[Tōhoku region]] of [[Japan]]. {{As of|2023|08|01}}, the city had an estimated population of 264,945 in 136,781 households,<ref>{{cite web |title=人口・世帯数等（住民基本台帳） |trans-title=Population and number of households (Basic Resident Register) |url=http://www.city.aomori.aomori.jp/shimin/shiseijouhou/aomorishi-konnamati/toukei/jinkou-seitaisuu.html |language=ja |date=1 April 2020 |access-date=24 April 2020 |archive-date=8 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508131819/http://www.city.aomori.aomori.jp/shimin/shiseijouhou/aomorishi-konnamati/toukei/jinkou-seitaisuu.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and a population density of 321 people per square kilometer spread over the city's total area of {{cvt|824.61|sqkm|sqmi|sp=us}}. Aomori is one of Japan's 62 [[core cities of Japan|core cities]] and the core of the [[Aomori metropolitan area]].<ref>{{cite web |title=2010 Metropolitan Employment Map |url=http://www.csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/UEA/uea_map_e.htm |work=[[University of Tokyo]] |access-date=6 July 2020 |archive-date=29 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729211717/http://www.csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/UEA/uea_map_e.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Geography==
Aomori is located in central Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost prefecture of [[Honshu]]. It is located in the northeastern part of the Tsugaru region, which refers to the western half of the prefecture, and is centered on Aomori Plain, facing Aomori Bay, a branch bay of [[Mutsu Bay]], to the north, and the [[Hakkōda Mountains|Hakkōda]] and Higashidake Mountains, which are the northern end of the [[Ōu Mountains]] to the south to the east. Among other smaller rivers, the city has two large rivers flowing through it, the [[Komagome River]] and its tributary, the Arakawa River. Parts of the city in the southeast are within the borders of [[Towada-Hachimantai National Park]] and is a tourist destination throughout the four seasons. In the northeast is [[Asamushi-Natsudomari Prefectural Natural Park]]. There are many [[onsen|hot springs]] in the city, including [[Sukayu Onsen]] at the foot of Mt. Hakkōda and [[Asamushi Onsen]] on the coast.
{{wide image|Aomori bay 2007 APR cropped.jpg|700px|View of Aomori from Aomori Bay with [[Hakkōda Mountains]]||none|dir=rtl}}

===Surrounding municipalities===
[[Aomori Prefecture]]
*[[Fujisaki, Aomori|Fujisaki]]
*[[Goshogawara, Aomori|Goshogawara]]
*[[Hirakawa, Aomori|Hirakawa]]
*[[Hiranai, Aomori|Hiranai]]
*[[Itayanagi, Aomori|Itayanagi]]
*[[Kuroishi, Aomori|Kuroishi]]
*[[Shichinohe, Aomori|Shichinohe]]
*[[Towada, Aomori|Towada]]
*[[Yomogita, Aomori|Yomogita]]

===Climate===
Like most of the Tōhoku region, Aomori has a humid temperate climate with warm summers, and cold, though not extreme, winters. The city has a cold, [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfa'') characterized by warm, short summers and long, cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Aomori is {{cvt|10.7|°C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|1285|mm|in|sp=us}} with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around {{cvt|23.5|°C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{cvt|-2.1|°C}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/aomori/aomori-5405/ |title=Aomori climate data |access-date=24 April 2020 |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112024222/https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/aomori/aomori-5405/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Aomori and the surrounding areas are known for having the [[Snowfall#Records|heaviest snowfall]] in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ogura |first=Jon Jensen,Junko |date=2019-02-25 |title=Aomori, Japan: World’s snowiest city? |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/aomori-japan-snowiest-cities/index.html |access-date=2024-06-29 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> In February 1945, the city recorded a maximum snow cover of {{cvt|209|cm|in|sp=us}}, but the record low of {{cvt|−24.7|C|0}} was recorded 14 years earlier. In contrast, [[Sapporo]]'s heaviest snowfall which occurred in 1939 was {{cvt|164|cm|in|sp=us}}, and [[Wakkanai, Hokkaido|Wakkanai]] which is located further north has recorded similar maxima. The particularly heavy snow is caused by several winds that collide around the city and make the air rise and cool, resulting in quick, thick cloud formation followed by intense [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]].

In summer, a cool wind called "Yamase" often blows from the east, which sometimes results in abnormally cool weather and poor harvests. Additionally, thick fogs from the [[Oyashio Current]] are often observed in mountainous areas in the summer. Due to this fog, flights to [[Aomori Airport]] are often cancelled.<ref>{{cite web |author=Hiroshi Takai |title=Characteristics of the Yamase Winds over Oceans around Japan Observed by the Scatterometer-Derived Ocean Surface Vector Winds |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/84/2/84_2_365/_pdf/-char/en |work=Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan |pages=365–373 |year=2006 |access-date=17 July 2020 |archive-date=17 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717053857/https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj/84/2/84_2_365/_pdf/-char/en |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{Weather box
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Aomori (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1882−present)
|Jan record high C = 13.5
|Feb record high C = 19.4
|Mar record high C = 21.4
|Apr record high C = 28.3
|May record high C = 33.6
|Jun record high C = 33.5
|Jul record high C = 35.9
|Aug record high C = 36.7
|Sep record high C = 36.1
|Oct record high C = 30.5
|Nov record high C = 24.1
|Dec record high C = 21.1
|Jan record low C = -23.5
|Feb record low C = -24.7
|Mar record low C = -18.4
|Apr record low C = -12.2
|May record low C = -1.4
|Jun record low C = 4.0
|Jul record low C = 6.5
|Aug record low C = 8.9
|Sep record low C = 3.0
|Oct record low C = -2.4
|Nov record low C = -12.1
|Dec record low C = -20.6
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 139.9
|Feb precipitation mm = 99.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 75.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 68.7
|May precipitation mm = 76.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 75.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 129.5
|Aug precipitation mm = 142.0
|Sep precipitation mm = 133.0
|Oct precipitation mm = 119.2
|Nov precipitation mm = 137.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 155.2
|year precipitation mm = 1350.7
|Jan mean C = -0.9
|Feb mean C = -0.4
|Mar mean C = 2.8
|Apr mean C = 8.5
|May mean C = 13.7
|Jun mean C = 17.6
|Jul mean C = 21.8
|Aug mean C = 23.5
|Sep mean C = 19.9
|Oct mean C = 13.5
|Nov mean C = 7.2
|Dec mean C = 1.4
|year mean C = 10.7
|Jan high C = 1.8
|Feb high C = 2.7
|Mar high C = 6.8
|Apr high C = 13.7
|May high C = 18.8
|Jun high C = 22.1
|Jul high C = 26.0
|Aug high C = 27.8
|Sep high C = 24.5
|Oct high C = 18.3
|Nov high C = 11.2
|Dec high C = 4.5
|year high C = 14.9
|Jan low C = -3.5
|Feb low C = -3.3
|Mar low C = -0.8
|Apr low C = 4.1
|May low C = 9.4
|Jun low C = 14.1
|Jul low C = 18.6
|Aug low C = 20.0
|Sep low C = 15.8
|Oct low C = 9.1
|Nov low C = 3.4
|Dec low C = -1.4
|year low C = 7.1
|Jan humidity = 78
|Feb humidity = 76
|Mar humidity = 70
|Apr humidity = 65
|May humidity = 71
|Jun humidity = 78
|Jul humidity = 80
|Aug humidity = 78
|Sep humidity = 76
|Oct humidity = 73
|Nov humidity = 73
|Dec humidity = 78
|year humidity = 75
|Jan sun = 48.5
|Feb sun = 72.3
|Mar sun = 126.0
|Apr sun = 179.1
|May sun = 201.4
|Jun sun = 180.0
|Jul sun = 161.4
|Aug sun = 178.0
|Sep sun = 162.4
|Oct sun = 144.4
|Nov sun = 85.4
|Dec sun = 50.4
|year sun = 1589.2
|snow colour = green
|Jan snow cm = 195
|Feb snow cm = 141
|Mar snow cm = 64
|Apr snow cm = 4
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 23
|Dec snow cm = 143
|year snow cm = 567
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 24.0
|Feb precipitation days = 20.0
|Mar precipitation days = 16.7
|Apr precipitation days = 12.2
|May precipitation days = 11.3
|Jun precipitation days = 9.5
|Jul precipitation days = 10.2
|Aug precipitation days = 10.8
|Sep precipitation days = 11.6
|Oct precipitation days = 14.6
|Nov precipitation days = 18.9
|Dec precipitation days = 23.6
|year precipitation days = 183.3
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=31&block_no=47575&year=&month=&day=&view= |script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値） |publisher=[[Japan Meteorological Agency]] |access-date=19 May 2021 |archive-date=21 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521153223/https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=31&block_no=47575&year=&month=&day=&view= |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>https://twitter.com/sayakasofiamori/status/1759534345298252150</ref>}}

==Demographics==
A person living in or from Aomori is referred to as an Aomorian.<ref>{{cite book |author=Nanette Gottlieb |title=Language in Public Spaces in Japan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9pjJAwAAQBAJ&q=Aomorian&pg=PA96 |page=96 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0415818391 |date=2012 |access-date=6 July 2020 |archive-date=13 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313013226/https://books.google.com/books?id=9pjJAwAAQBAJ&q=Aomorian&pg=PA96 |url-status=live }}</ref> Per Japanese census data,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-aomori.php |title=Aomori population statistics |access-date=20 January 2018 |archive-date=15 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515074427/http://citypopulation.de/php/japan-aomori.php |url-status=live }}</ref> the population of Aomori has remained relatively steady over the past 40 years.
{{Historical populations
| percentages = pagr
| align = none
| cols = 1
| graph-pos = bottom
| 1920 |48941
| 1930 |77103
| 1940 |99065
| 1950 |106417
| 1960 |235116
| 1970 |261743
| 1980 |309768
| 1990 |308782
| 2000 |318,732
| 2010 |299,520
| 2020 |275,340
| 2023 |264,945
}}

==Etymology==
[[file:Wiki-utou2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Rhinoceros auklet]] (ウトウ)]]
The original name of the Aomori was Utō, named for the {{Nihongo|[[Rhinoceros auklet]]|ウトウ}}, a seabird that is closely related to the [[puffin]]. In 1626 the name was changed to {{Nihongo||青森|Aomori|extra2="blue forest"}}, but this was not fully embraced until 1783.<ref name="「青森」地名伝承の誤解＝４１"/>

==History==
[[File:SannaiMaruyama.jpg|thumb|Sannai-Maruyama Site]]
''Aomori'' literally means blue forest, although it could possibly be translated as "[[Distinguishing blue from green in language#Japanese|green]] forest". The name is generally considered to refer to a small forest on a hill which existed near the town. This forest was often used by fishermen as a landmark. A different theory suggests the name might have been derived from the [[Ainu language]].

The area has been settled extensively since prehistoric times, and numerous [[Jōmon period]] sites have been found by archaeologists, the most famous being the [[Sannai-Maruyama Site]] located just southwest of the city center dating to 5500–4000 BC, and the [[Komakino Site]] slightly farther south dating to around 4000 BC. The large scale of these settlements revolutionized theories on Jōmon period civilization. During the [[Heian period]], the area was part of the holdings of the [[Northern Fujiwara]] clan, but remained inhabited by the [[Emishi]] people well into the historic period. After the fall of the Northern Fujiwara in the [[Kamakura period]], the territory was part of the domain assigned to the [[Nambu clan]], and into the [[Sengoku period]], it came under the control of the rival [[Tsugaru clan]], whose main castle was located in [[Namioka, Aomori|Namioka]]. After the start of the [[Edo period]], what would become the core of present-day Aomori was a minor port settlement in the [[Hirosaki Domain]] called {{Nihongo|Utō|善知鳥村|Utō-mura}}. The town was rebuilt in 1626 under orders of the ''[[daimyō]]'', [[Tsugaru Nobuhira]] and renamed "Aomori", but this name did not come into common use until after 1783; however, the historical accuracy of this claim is debated since there is no written material from the time to definitively connect Utō to Aomori. Some evidence even claims that Aomori and Utō co-existed in different parts of the city in its current state. It was not until 1909 that a local scholar claimed that the village of Utō became Aomori.<ref name="「青森」地名伝承の誤解＝４１">{{cite web |title=「青森」地名伝承の誤解＝４１ |url=http://www.mutusinpou.co.jp/%E6%B4%A5%E8%BB%BD%E3%81%AE%E8%A1%97%E3%81%A8%E9%A2%A8%E6%99%AF/2016/02/39973.html |language=ja |date=1 February 2016 |access-date=27 November 2019 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920012047/http://www.mutusinpou.co.jp/%E6%B4%A5%E8%BB%BD%E3%81%AE%E8%A1%97%E3%81%A8%E9%A2%A8%E6%99%AF/2016/02/39973.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

After the [[Meiji Restoration]], the [[abolition of the han system|feudal domains were abolished]] and replaced with [[Prefectures of Japan|prefectures]], of which a total of six were initially created in the territory of modern Aomori Prefecture. These were merged into the short-lived Hirosaki Prefecture in July 1871. However, due to the historic enmity between the former Tsugaru territories in the west and the former [[Nambu clan|Nambu territories]] in the east, the prefectural capital was relocated from Hirosaki to the more centrally-located Aomori immediately after the merger and the prefecture was renamed Aomori Prefecture on 23 September 1871. However, the municipality of Aomori was not given town status within [[Higashitsugaru District, Aomori|Higashitsugaru District]] until 1 April 1889, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. It was later designated as a city on 1 April 1898.

The [[Ministry of Colonial Affairs (Japan)|Hokkaidō Colonization Office]] began operations of a ferry service from Aomori to [[Hakodate, Hokkaido|Hakodate]] in Hokkaido from 1872. In September 1891, Aomori was connected with Tokyo by rail with the opening of the [[Tōhoku Main Line]]. The [[Ōu Main Line]] running along the [[Sea of Japan]] coast opened in December 1894. The development of modern Aomori was primarily due to its prefectural capital status and the singular importance as the terminus of these rail lines and the [[Seikan Ferry]], which officially opened in 1908. The [[8th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)|8th Division]] of the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] were stationed in Aomori from 1896. In the winter of 1902, 199 of 210 soldiers on a military cold-weather readiness exercise perished while attempting to cross the Hakkōda Mountains from Aomori to Towada in what was later called the [[Hakkōda Mountains incident]].

Much of the town burned down in a large fire on 3 May 1910. The port facilities were expanded in 1924, and the city received its first [[Aomori City Bus|bus]] services in 1926. [[Japan Air Transport]] began scheduled air services from 1937.

Towards the final stages of [[World War II]], on the night of 28–29 July 1945, Aomori was subject to an [[strategic bombing|air raid]] as part of the [[strategic bombing]] campaign waged by the United States against military and civilian targets and population centers during the [[Japan campaign|Japan home islands campaign]]. The [[Bombing of Aomori in World War II|28–29 July bombing]] claimed 1,767 lives and destroyed 88% of the city.

In the post-war period, Aomori was rebuilt as the local political and commercial center. The [[Tsugaru Line]] railway opened between Aomori Station and [[Kanita Station]] in 1951. [[Aomori Airport]] was opened in 1964 in nearby Namioka.<ref name="airport">{{cite web |title=概要 |trans-title=Overview |url=http://aomori-airport.jp/wordpress/?page_id=8 |publisher=Aomori Airport Administration Office |access-date=8 February 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416074516/http://aomori-airport.jp/wordpress/?page_id=8 |archive-date=16 April 2015}}</ref> The city was connected to Tokyo by highway in 1979 with the opening of the [[Tōhoku Expressway]].<ref>{{cite web |title=高速道路開通の歴史 |trans-title=Expressway History |url=https://www.ne.jp/asahi/expressway/dataroom/tohoku_expwy.htm |language=ja |access-date=8 January 2020 |archive-date=5 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405071708/https://www.ne.jp/asahi/expressway/dataroom/tohoku_expwy.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Construction began on a new airport within the city of Aomori in 1982. Aomori's landmark pyramidal [[Aomori Prefecture Tourist Center]] opened in 1986. The new airport was completed on 19 July 1987.<ref name="airport" /> On 1 October 2002, Aomori was proclaimed a [[Core cities of Japan|core city]], granting it an increased level of local autonomy.

On 1 April 2005, Aomori absorbed the town of [[Namioka, Aomori|Namioka]] to create the new and expanded city of Aomori; but lost a portion of Namioka to the town of [[Fujisaki, Aomori|Fujisaki]] (from [[Minamitsugaru District, Aomori|Minamitsugaru District]]) on 1 September 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=青森市が進めるコンパクトシティについて |trans-title=Aomori Compact City Promotion |url=http://www.thr.mlit.go.jp/compact-city/contents/study/200704/newpage003_01.htm |language=ja |date=April 2007 |access-date=8 February 2020 |archive-date=24 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924120624/http://www.thr.mlit.go.jp/compact-city/contents/study/200704/newpage003_01.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=広報あおもり平成19年9月15日号PDF版 |trans-title=Aomori Public Information 15 September Heisei 19-PDF version |url=http://www.city.aomori.aomori.jp/contents/kohoaomori/H190915/20070915_04.pdf |work=Aomori Official Website |publisher=Aomori City |access-date=8 February 2020 |language=ja |date=19 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110324105150/http://www.city.aomori.aomori.jp/contents/kohoaomori/H190915/20070915_04.pdf |archive-date=24 March 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Government==
Aomori has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city legislature of 35 members. The city also contributes 10 members of the 48 member Aomori Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city falls within the [[Aomori 1st district]], a single-member constituency of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|House of Representatives]] in the national [[Diet of Japan]], which also includes the city of [[Mutsu, Aomori|Mutsu]], the [[Higashitsugaru District, Aomori|Higashitsugaru District]], the [[Shimokita District, Aomori|Shimokita District]], and the northern half of the [[Kamikita District, Aomori|Kamikita District]].<ref>{{cite web |title=青森県の衆議院小選挙区の区割りについて(平成29年以降) |trans-title=About the division of Aomori Prefecture's House of Representatives single-member constituency (2017-) |url=https://www.pref.aomori.lg.jp/soshiki/senkan/suugiin_kuwariH29.html |language=ja |access-date=23 April 2020 |archive-date=4 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604054250/https://www.pref.aomori.lg.jp/soshiki/senkan/suugiin_kuwariH29.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Economy==
Aomori serves as the regional commercial center for central Aomori Prefecture. Agriculture and [[commercial fishing]] form only 4% of the city economy, with [[Secondary sector of the economy|manufacturing]] forming 16.2% and the [[Tertiary sector of the economy|service sector]] forming 78.2%.

==Education==
Aomori is the only prefectural capital in Japan which has no [[List of national universities in Japan|national university]], instead, nearby Hirosaki became the site for the prefecture's highest educational facility. The city has 45 public elementary schools and 19 public junior high schools operated by the city government, as well as two private junior high schools. The city has 10 public high schools operated by the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education and three private high schools. The prefecture also operates eight special education schools for the handicapped.

{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Universities and colleges===
*[[Aomori Public University]]
*[[Aomori University of Health and Welfare]]
*[[Aomori University]]
*[[Aomori Chuo Gakuin University]]
*[[Aomori Akenohoshi Junior College]]
*[[Aomori Chuo Junior College]]

===High schools===
*[[Aomori Prefectural Aomori High School]]
*Aomori Prefectural Aomori Chūō High School
*Aomori Prefectural Aomori Higashi High School
*Aomori Prefectural Aomori Kita High School
*Aomori Prefectural Aomori Hokuto High School
*Aomori Prefectural Aomori Kōgyō High School
*Aomori Prefectural Aomori Minami High School
*Aomori Prefectural Aomori Nishi High School
*Aomori Prefectural Aomori Shōgyō High School
*Aomori Prefectural Aomori Toyama High School
*Aomori Akenohoshi High School
*Aomori Yamada High School
*Tōō Gakuen High School
{{col-2}}

===Junior high schools===
*Aburakawa Junior High School
*Arakawa Junior High School
*Asamushi Junior High School
*Furukawa Junior High School
*Higashi Junior High School
*Kita Junior High School
*Koda Junior High School
*Minami junior High School
*Namioka Junior High School
*Namiuchi Junior High School
*Nishi Junior High School
*Okidate Junior High School
*Sannai Junior High School
*Shinjo Junior High School
*Takada Junior High School
*Toyama Junior High School
*Tsukuda Junior High School
*Tsukurimichi Junior High School
*Tsutsui Junior High School
*Uramachi Junior High School
*Yokouchi Junior High School
{{col-end}}

==Transportation==
===Airport===
*[[Aomori Airport]] - (established in 1964 with international flights from 1995) is about a 35-minute drive from the city center, with a bus service available. There are daily flights to [[Haneda Airport|Tokyo]], [[Itami Airport|Osaka]], [[Nagoya Airfield|Nagoya]] and [[New Chitose Airport|Sapporo]]. There are also international flights to [[Incheon Airport|Seoul–Incheon]] and [[Tianjin Binhai International Airport|Tianjin]].

===Railways===
[[Aomori Station]] has been the main station of the city since 1891. The two trunk lines of the Tōhoku region, the [[Tōhoku Main Line]] (now the [[Aoimori Railway]]) and the [[Ōu Main Line]], terminated at Aomori Station and continued to Hakodate by the [[Seikan Ferry]]. In 1988, [[Seikan Tunnel]] replaced the ferry's role as the connector of Honshu and Hokkaido's rail networks, but the station still functioned as the connecting point between main line trains and trains for the Aomori-Hakodate section.

The [[Tōhoku Shinkansen]] opened in 2010 with a new terminal at [[Shin-Aomori Station]]. The Shinkansen provides high-speed service between {{STN|Shin-Aomori}}, {{STN|Hachinohe}}, {{STN|Morioka}}, {{STN|Sendai|Miyagi}} and {{STN|Tokyo}}.
{{East Japan Railway inline}} – [[Tōhoku Shinkansen]]
*{{STN|Shin-Aomori}}
{{JR East inline}} – [[Ōu Main Line]]
*{{STN|Aomori}} - {{STN|Shin-Aomori}} - {{STN|Tsugaru-Shinjō}} - {{STN|Tsurugasaka}} - {{STN|Daishaka}} - {{STN|Namioka}}
{{JR East inline}} – [[Tsugaru Line]]
*Aomori - {{STN|Aburakawa}} - {{STN|Tsugaru-Miyata}} - {{STN|Okunai}} - {{STN|Hidariseki}} - {{STN|Ushirogata}} - {{STN|Nakasawa}}
{{Aoimori Railway Line inline}}
*Aomori - {{STN|Higashi-Aomori}} - {{STN|Koyanagi|Aomori}} - {{STN|Yadamae}} - {{STN|Nonai}} - {{STN|Asamushi-Onsen}}

===Highways===
*{{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E4}} – Namioka Interchange – [[Aomori Interchange]]
*{{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E4A|dab1=A}} – [[Aomori Interchange]] – [[Aomori-chūō Interchange]] – [[Aomori-higashi Interchange]]
*{{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E4A|dab1=M}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E64}} – Namioka Interchange
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|4}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|7}}
**[[Aomori Belt Highway]]
**[[Aomori West Bypass]]
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|45}} (unsigned)
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|101}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|103}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|280}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|394}}

===Seaports===
*[[Port of Aomori]] – The [[Seikan Ferry]] and [[Tsugaru Kaikyō Ferry]] operates ferries to [[Hakodate, Hokkaido|Hakodate]]. It takes about four hours to go by ferry from Aomori to Hakodate. From 1908 to 1988 the ferry served as the primary transport between the island of [[Honshū]] and the northern island of Hokkaido. In March 1988, the [[Seikan Tunnel]] opened up, traveling under the [[Tsugaru Strait]], this quickly replaced the slow-moving ferry as the primary transportation between the two islands.{{fact|date=October 2023}}

==Sports==
Aomori has hosted several international [[curling]] events, two in 2003 (including the [[2003 Asian Winter Games|Asian Winter Games]]), and the local women's "[[Team Aomori]]" was selected to represent Japan at the [[2006 Winter Olympics]] in [[Turin]], Italy[https://web.archive.org/web/20070311012729/http://wcc2007-aomori.jp/english/aomori/curling.html] and at the [[2010 Winter Olympics]] in [[Vancouver|Vancouver, British Columbia]], Canada. From 17 to 25 March 2007, Aomori hosted the World Women's Curling Championships[https://web.archive.org/web/20070323042853/http://wcc2007-aomori.jp/english/index.html].

===Sports facilities===
*[[Aomori City Baseball Stadium]], otherwise known as Gappo Park Stadium
*[[Aomori Stadium]]
*[[Aomori Velodrome]]

==Parks and recreation==
[[Gappo Park]] is Aomori's oldest public park and its most iconic green space. Located to the east of the center of the city, it contains a public beach, [[water gardens]], various ornamental trees, and the [[Aomori City Baseball Stadium]].<ref>{{cite news |title=面積広げた合浦公園-１４ |trans-title=Expanded area of Gappo Park-14 |url=http://www.mutusinpou.co.jp/%E6%B4%A5%E8%BB%BD%E3%81%AE%E8%A1%97%E3%81%A8%E9%A2%A8%E6%99%AF/2014/11/33737.html |language=ja |newspaper=Mutsu Shimpō |date=3 November 2014 |access-date=14 April 2020 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920013422/http://www.mutusinpou.co.jp/%E6%B4%A5%E8%BB%BD%E3%81%AE%E8%A1%97%E3%81%A8%E9%A2%A8%E6%99%AF/2014/11/33737.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Other parks in the city include the centrally-located [[Aoimori Park]]<ref>{{cite web |title=青い森公園 |trans-title=Aoimori Park |url=https://www.pref.aomori.lg.jp/kotsu/build/kouen_03_01.html |publisher=Aomori Prefecture Government |language=ja |date=8 May 2020 |access-date=28 August 2020 |archive-date=29 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029045744/https://www.pref.aomori.lg.jp/kotsu/build/kouen_03_01.html |url-status=live }}</ref>,[[Aoimori Central Park]], and [[Nogiwa Park]].<ref>{{cite web |title=都市公園 |trans-title=City parks |url=http://www.city.aomori.aomori.jp/koen-kasen/shiseijouhou/aomorishi-konnamati/koukyoushisetsu/itiran/37.html |publisher=Aomori City |language=ja |date=16 January 2020 |access-date=28 August 2020 |archive-date=28 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028033050/http://www.city.aomori.aomori.jp/koen-kasen/shiseijouhou/aomorishi-konnamati/koukyoushisetsu/itiran/37.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Local attractions==
[[file:Tohoku epco n1.jpg|thumb|right|A float from Aomori's Nebuta Festival]]
[[file:HakkodaStatue2.jpg|thumb|right|The Memorial Statue of the Hakkoda Death March portrays [[Fusanosuke Gotō]]]]
[[Aomori Nebuta Matsuri]] is a famous [[Japanese festivals|festival]] performed from 2–7 August annually and is listed as one of the [[100 Soundscapes of Japan]] by the Japanese [[Ministry of the Environment (Japan)|Ministry of the Environment]].<ref name="Hundred">{{cite web |url=http://www.env.go.jp/air/life/nihon_no_oto/index.html |title=100 Soundscapes of Japan |publisher=[[Ministry of the Environment (Japan)|Ministry of the Environment]] |access-date=8 December 2015 |archive-date=20 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620230830/https://www.env.go.jp/air/life/nihon_no_oto/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Besides this, major attractions of Aomori include ruins, museums, and mountains. The [[Hakkōda Mountains]] have good locations for trekking with hot spas (''[[onsen]]''), such as [[Sukayu Onsen]].{{fact|date=October 2023}}

*[[Aomori Bay Bridge]]
*[[Aomori City Forestry Museum]]
*[[Aomori City History and Folk Arts Museum]]
*[[Aomori Museum of Art]]
*[[Aomori Prefectural Museum]]
*[[Asamushi Aquarium]]
*[[Asamushi Onsen]]
*[[Komakino Site]], a National Historic Site
*[[Munakata Shiko Memorial Museum of Art]]
*[[Namioka Castle]] ruins, A National Historic Site
*[[Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse]]
*[[Ōmori Katsuyama Site]], a National Historic Site
*[[Sannai-Maruyama Site]], a Special National Historic Site <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://sannaimaruyama.pref.aomori.jp/english/index.html |title=Sannai-Maruyama Site official website |access-date=8 June 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820154014/http://sannaimaruyama.pref.aomori.jp/english/index.html |archive-date=20 August 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Seiryū-ji]]
*[[Shinmachi Street]]
*[[Sukayu Onsen]]
*[[Takayashikidate Site]], a National Historic Site
*[[Uramachi Shinmeigū]]

==Sister city relations==
*{{flagdeco|JPN}} – [[Hakodate, Hokkaido|Hakodate]], Hokkaido<ref>{{cite web |title=青森・函館ツインシティ |url=http://www.city.aomori.aomori.jp/kikakuchousei/shiseijouhou/aomorishi-konnamati/kokusai-kouikikouryuu/seikan_twin/index.html |language=ja |access-date=3 December 2019 |archive-date=3 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203010457/http://www.city.aomori.aomori.jp/kikakuchousei/shiseijouhou/aomorishi-konnamati/kokusai-kouikikouryuu/seikan_twin/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> – since 1989. Aomori and Hakodate share a "[[twin cities]]" relationship referred to as the "Seikan Economic and Cultural Area".
*{{flagdeco|HUN}} – [[Kecskemét]], [[Bács-Kiskun County]], Hungary<ref name=International>{{cite web |url=http://www.clair.or.jp/e/exchange/shimai/prefectures/detail/2 |title=International Exchange |work=List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures |publisher=Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR) |access-date=27 November 2019 |archive-date=20 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220101836/http://www.clair.or.jp/e/exchange/shimai/prefectures/detail/2 |url-status=live }}</ref> – since August 1994
*{{flagdeco|ROK}} – [[Pyeongtaek]], [[Gyeonggi-do]], South Korea<ref name=International/> – since 1995
*{{flagdeco|PRC}} – [[Dalian]], Liaoning, People's Republic of China<ref name=International/> – since December 2004
*{{flagdeco|ROC}} – [[Hsinchu County]], Taiwan<ref name=International/> – friendship city since October 2014

==Notable people from Aomori==
*[[Noriko Awaya]], singer
*[[Takaharu Furukawa]], archer
*[[Takanori Hatakeyama]], professional boxer
*[[Yuji Hayami]], science-fiction writer
*[[Shigeru Izumiya]], entertainer
*[[Yaho Kitabatake]], children's fiction writer
*[[Ichirō Kojima]], photographer
*[[Ibuki Kido]], voice actress
*[[Daimaou Kosaka]], comedian
*[[Daisuke Matsuzaka]], baseball player
*[[Keizo Miura]], skier
*[[Yuichiro Miura]], skier
*[[Shiko Munakata]], woodblock artist
*[[Ren Narita]], professional wrestler
*[[Hitoshi Saito]], judoka
*[[Kyoichi Sawada]], photographer
*[[Akimitsu Takagi]], crime fiction writer
*[[Bushūyama Takashi|Bushuyama Takashi]], sumo wrestler
*[[Kiyoshi Tanabe]], professional boxer
*[[Shūji Terayama]], modern artist
*[[Takanosato Toshihide]], sumo wrestler
*[[Daigo Umehara]], professional fighting game player
*[[Ryushi Yanagisawa]], professional wrestler and mixed martial artist
*[[Akiko Yano]], singer-songwriter
*[[Kodai Naraoka]], badminton player

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official|1=http://www.city.aomori.aomori.jp/}} {{in lang|ja}}

{{Sister bar|auto=y}}
{{Aomori}}
{{Metropolitan cities of Japan}}
{{Most populous cities in Japan}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Aomori (city)| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Aomori Prefecture]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Japan]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]
[[Category:Aomori metropolitan area]]
[[Category:1898 establishments in Japan]]

Takamatsu

2024-07-07T07:17:11Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{other}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name =
| official_name =
| native_name = {{nobold|高松市}}
| native_name_lang = ja
| settlement_type = [[Core cities of Japan|Core city]]
| other_name =
| image_skyline = Takamatsu montage.png
| image_caption = From top left: Central Takamatsu, [[Japan National Route 11|Chūō dōri street]], [[Takamatsu Castle (Sanuki)|Takamatsu Castle]], Marugame-machi shopping mall, [[Ritsurin Garden]]
| image_flag = Flag of Takamatsu, Kagawa.svg
| image_seal = Emblem of Takamatsu, Kagawa.svg
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-width=265|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=8}}
| map_caption = Location of Takamatsu in Kagawa Prefecture
|image_map1 = Kagawa-takamatsu-city.svg
| map_caption1 =
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Japan
| coordinates = {{coord|34|21|N|134|3|E|region:JP-37|display=it}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Japan}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Shikoku]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Kagawa Prefecture|Kagawa]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Districts of Japan|District]]
| subdivision_name3 =
| established_title =
| established_date =
| established_title2 =
| established_date2 =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = [[Hideto Ōnishi]]
| leader_title1 = Vice Mayor
| leader_name1 =
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_total_km2 = 375.41
| population_total = 414,134
| population_as_of = November 1, 2022
| population_density_km2 = auto
| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time|JST]]
| utc_offset1 = +09:00
| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| blank_name_sec1 = City hall address
| blank_info_sec1 = 1-8-15 Banchō, Takamatsu-shi, Kagawa-ken 760-8571
| blank_name_sec2 = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info_sec2 = [[Humid subtropical climate|Cfa]]
| website = {{Official|1=www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/}}
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
| tree = [[Pine]]
| flower = [[Azalea]]
| bird =
| butterfly =
| fish =
}}
}}
[[file:Takamatsu City Hall.jpg|thumb|right|270px|Takamatsu City Hall]]
[[file:Takamatsu city center area Aerial photograph.2007.jpg|thumb|right|270px|Aerial view of Takamatsu city center]]
[[file:Takamatsu200910cut.JPG|thumb|right|270px|View from Yashima to Takashima port]]
{{nihongo|'''Takamatsu'''|高松市|Takamatsu-shi|extra={{IPA-ja|takaꜜmatsɯ|lang}}}} is a capital [[Cities of Japan|city]] located in [[Kagawa Prefecture]], Japan. {{As of|2022|11|01}}, the city had an estimated [[population]] of 414,134 in 190,120 households and a [[population density]] of 1,100 persons per km2.<ref name="Takamatsu-hp">{{cite web |url=https://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/kurashi/index.htmll|title= Takamatsu city official statistics|location= Japan|language= ja}}</ref> The total area of the city is {{convert|375.41|sqkm|sqmi}}. It is the capital city of the prefecture.

==Geography==
Takamatsu is located in central [[Kagawa Prefecture]] on the island of [[Shikoku]]. The city is located in the Takamatsu Plain, which is part of the Sanuki Plain, and is occupied by a gentle slope as a whole. The northern part faces the [[Seto Inland Sea]], forming a semicircular urban area centered on Takamatsu Port and Takamatsu New Port (commonly known as Shinminato).The western part of the city consists of an [[alluvial fan]] formed by the sedimentation of the Koto River. The eastern part is a flooded plain formed by the Kasuga River and Shinkawa River. In the northeastern part of the island, there is [[Yashima, Kagawa|Yashima]], a table-shaped plateau protruding into the Seto Inland Sea, which was the site of the [[Battle of Yashima]] in the [[Genpei War]], and Cape Takei, the northernmost tip of the main island of Shikoku. Parts of the city are located within the borders of the [[Setonaikai National Park]]. The city area also includes a number of small inhabited islands in the Seto Inland Sea.

=== Neighbouring municipalities ===
Kagawa Prefecture
*[[Sakaide, Kagawa |Sakaide]]
*[[Sanuki, Kagawa |Sanuki]]
*[[Miki, Kagawa |Miki]]
*[[Ayagawa, Kagawa |Ayagawa]]
*[[Honnō, Kagawa | Honnō]]
Tokushima Prefecture
* [[Mima, Tokushima|Mima]]

===Climate===
Takamatsu has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfa'') with hot, humid summers, and cool winters. Some rain falls throughout the year, but the months from May to September have the heaviest rain.

{{Weather box
|width=auto
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Takamatsu (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1941−present)
|Jan record high C = 18.9
|Feb record high C = 24.0
|Mar record high C = 25.5
|Apr record high C = 30.9
|May record high C = 32.6
|Jun record high C = 36.5
|Jul record high C = 38.2
|Aug record high C = 38.6
|Sep record high C = 37.6
|Oct record high C = 34.0
|Nov record high C = 26.6
|Dec record high C = 21.2
|Jan record low C = -7.7
|Feb record low C = -6.0
|Mar record low C = -4.4
|Apr record low C = -2.4
|May record low C = 2.8
|Jun record low C = 7.5
|Jul record low C = 15.3
|Aug record low C = 15.8
|Sep record low C = 9.4
|Oct record low C = 2.0
|Nov record low C = -1.8
|Dec record low C = -5.3
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 39.4
|Feb precipitation mm = 45.8
|Mar precipitation mm = 81.4
|Apr precipitation mm = 74.6
|May precipitation mm = 100.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 153.1
|Jul precipitation mm = 159.8
|Aug precipitation mm = 106.0
|Sep precipitation mm = 167.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 120.1
|Nov precipitation mm = 55.0
|Dec precipitation mm = 46.7
|year precipitation mm = 1150.1
|Jan mean C = 5.9
|Feb mean C = 6.3
|Mar mean C = 9.4
|Apr mean C = 14.7
|May mean C = 19.8
|Jun mean C = 23.3
|Jul mean C = 27.5
|Aug mean C = 28.6
|Sep mean C = 24.7
|Oct mean C = 19.0
|Nov mean C = 13.2
|Dec mean C = 8.1
|year mean C = 16.7
|Jan high C = 9.7
|Feb high C = 10.5
|Mar high C = 14.1
|Apr high C = 19.8
|May high C = 24.8
|Jun high C = 27.5
|Jul high C = 31.7
|Aug high C = 33.0
|Sep high C = 28.8
|Oct high C = 23.2
|Nov high C = 17.5
|Dec high C = 12.1
|year high C = 21.1
|Jan low C = 2.1
|Feb low C = 2.2
|Mar low C = 5.0
|Apr low C = 9.9
|May low C = 15.1
|Jun low C = 19.8
|Jul low C = 24.1
|Aug low C = 25.1
|Sep low C = 21.2
|Oct low C = 15.1
|Nov low C = 9.1
|Dec low C = 4.3
|year low C = 12.8
|Jan humidity = 63
|Feb humidity = 63
|Mar humidity = 62
|Apr humidity = 62
|May humidity = 64
|Jun humidity = 72
|Jul humidity = 73
|Aug humidity = 70
|Sep humidity = 72
|Oct humidity = 70
|Nov humidity = 69
|Dec humidity = 66
|year humidity = 67
|Jan sun = 141.4
|Feb sun = 143.8
|Mar sun = 175.0
|Apr sun = 194.5
|May sun = 210.1
|Jun sun = 158.2
|Jul sun = 191.8
|Aug sun = 221.2
|Sep sun = 159.6
|Oct sun = 164.6
|Nov sun = 145.5
|Dec sun = 142.7
|year sun = 2046.5
|Jan snow cm = 0
|Feb snow cm = 1
|Mar snow cm = 0
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 0
|Dec snow cm = 0
|year snow cm = 1
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 7.5
|Feb precipitation days = 8.0
|Mar precipitation days = 10.8
|Apr precipitation days = 10.1
|May precipitation days = 9.4
|Jun precipitation days = 11.5
|Jul precipitation days = 10.5
|Aug precipitation days = 7.9
|Sep precipitation days = 10.5
|Oct precipitation days = 9.3
|Nov precipitation days = 7.8
|Dec precipitation days = 7.9
|year precipitation days = 111.3
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=72&block_no=47891&year=&month=&day=&view=
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]
| access-date = May 19, 2021}}</ref>
}}
{{Weather box
|width=auto
|collapsed = Y
|location = [[Kōnan, Kagawa|Kōnan]], Takamatsu (2003−2020 normals, extremes 2003−present)
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|Jan record high C = 16.6
|Feb record high C = 22.8
|Mar record high C = 25.2
|Apr record high C = 29.6
|May record high C = 31.9
|Jun record high C = 34.8
|Jul record high C = 36.0
|Aug record high C = 37.8
|Sep record high C = 35.5
|Oct record high C = 31.9
|Nov record high C = 26.1
|Dec record high C = 19.4
|Jan record low C = -5.6
|Feb record low C = -5.5
|Mar record low C = -3.6
|Apr record low C = -1.1
|May record low C = 2.9
|Jun record low C = 9.7
|Jul record low C = 16.3
|Aug record low C = 15.9
|Sep record low C = 11.0
|Oct record low C = 4.6
|Nov record low C = -0.4
|Dec record low C = -4.9
|Jan high C = 8.2
|Feb high C = 9.3
|Mar high C = 13.1
|Apr high C = 18.8
|May high C = 23.7
|Jun high C = 26.4
|Jul high C = 30.2
|Aug high C = 31.7
|Sep high C = 27.5
|Oct high C = 21.9
|Nov high C = 16.3
|Dec high C = 10.5
|Jan mean C = 4.1
|Feb mean C = 4.9
|Mar mean C = 8.0
|Apr mean C = 13.3
|May mean C = 18.3
|Jun mean C = 21.8
|Jul mean C = 25.6
|Aug mean C = 26.7
|Sep mean C = 22.8
|Oct mean C = 17.3
|Nov mean C = 11.8
|Dec mean C = 6.5
|Jan low C = 0.4
|Feb low C = 0.7
|Mar low C = 3.0
|Apr low C = 7.9
|May low C = 13.0
|Jun low C = 17.7
|Jul low C = 22.0
|Aug low C = 22.8
|Sep low C = 19.1
|Oct low C = 13.3
|Nov low C = 7.7
|Dec low C = 2.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 41.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 54.8
|Mar precipitation mm = 84.8
|Apr precipitation mm = 77.8
|May precipitation mm = 105.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 160.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 193.2
|Aug precipitation mm = 150.1
|Sep precipitation mm = 214.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 148.4
|Nov precipitation mm = 64.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 59.0
|year precipitation mm = 1353.9
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 6.6
|Feb precipitation days = 8.4
|Mar precipitation days = 10.1
|Apr precipitation days = 9.8
|May precipitation days = 8.3
|Jun precipitation days = 11.1
|Jul precipitation days = 10.5
|Aug precipitation days = 8.7
|Sep precipitation days = 10.2
|Oct precipitation days = 8.5
|Nov precipitation days = 8.0
|Dec precipitation days = 7.9
|source 1 = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=72&block_no=1475&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = April 24, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=72&block_no=1475&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = April 24, 2022}}</ref>}}

===Demographics===
Per Japanese census data, the population of Takamatsu in 2020 is 417,496 people.<ref name=zensus/> Takamatsu has been conducting censuses since 1920.
{{Historical populations
| 1920 | 186963
| 1925 | 199141
| 1930 | 213001
| 1935 | 222545
| 1940 | 219082
| 1945 | 246809
| 1950 | 269159
| 1955 | 284684
| 1960 | 295178
| 1965 | 307549
| 1970 | 327170
| 1975 | 360024
| 1980 | 386547
| 1985 | 401020
| 1990 | 406853
| 1995 | 412626
| 2000 | 416680
| 2005 | 418125
| 2010 | 419291
| 2015 | 420748
| 2020 | 417496
|align = none
|cols = 1
|footnote = Takamatsu population statistics<ref name=zensus>[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/japan/kagawa/ Takamatsu population statistics]</ref>
}}

== History ==
The area of Takamatsu was part of ancient [[Sanuki Province]]. During the [[Heian period|Heian]] and [[Kamakura period]], as the closest port to [[Honshu]] from Shikoku island, the area was a transportation center and gateway for pilgrims to the [[Kotohira-gū|Kotohira Shrine]]. During the [[Sengoku period]], [[Ikoma Chikamasa]] suit the first [[Takamatsu Castle (Sanuki)|Takamatsu Castle]] in 1588. In 1642, [[Matsudaira Yorishige]], the son of [[Tokugawa Yorifusa]] of [[Mito Domain]] and grandson of [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]], was awarded the 120,000 ''koku'' [[Takamatsu Domain]], which his descendants would continue to rule until the [[Meiji restoration]].<ref name="Nakayama">{{cite book |last1=Nakayama |first1=Yoshiaki |title=江戸三百藩大全全藩藩主変遷表付 |date=2015 |publisher=Kosaido Publishing |isbn= 978-4331802946}}{{in lang|ja}}</ref>

Following the Meiji restoration, the city of Takamatsu was created with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on February 15, 1890. The [[tenshu|castle tower]] formerly used as the symbol of the city was destroyed during the [[Meiji period]]. The city borders expanded in several iterations by the annexation on neighboring villages and towns. During [[World War II]], Takamatsu was selected as a target by the United States' [[XXI Bomber Command]] because the city was an important focal point of Shikoku's rail and road transit systems, and containing some industry vital to supporting the war effort. On July 3, 1945, at 6:40 PM ([[Japan Standard Time|JST]]) 128 [[B-29 Superfortress]] bombers dropped over 800 tons of incendiary bombs on Takamatsu, destroying 78% of the built-up areas of the city and killing 1359 people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/61702152/21st-Bomber-Command-Tactical-Mission-Report-247-250-Ocr|title = 21st Bomber Command Tactical Mission Report 247, 250, Ocr | Aviation | Armed Conflict}}</ref>

The city quickly recovered after the war, and its borders continued to expand. On April 1, 1999 it was designated a [[Core cities of Japan|core city]] with increased local autonomy.

On September 26, 2005, the town of [[Shionoe, Kagawa|Shionoe]] (from [[Kagawa District, Kagawa|Kagawa District]]) was merged into Takamatsu. On January 10, 2006, Takamatsu absorbed the following towns: [[Aji, Kagawa|Aji]] and [[Mure, Kagawa|Mure]] (from [[Kita District, Kagawa|Kita District]]), [[Kagawa, Kagawa|Kagawa]] and [[Kōnan, Kagawa|Kōnan]] (from [[Kagawa District, Kagawa|Kagawa District]]), and [[Kokubunji, Kagawa|Kokubunji]] (from [[Ayauta District, Kagawa|Ayauta District]]).

==Government==
Takamatsu has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city council of 40 members. Takamatsu contributes 15 members to the Kagawa Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between Kagawa 1st district and Kagawa 2nd district of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].

===Crime and safety===
The [[Shinwa-kai]] [[yakuza]] syndicate is based in Takamatsu. The Shinwa-kai is the only [[Yakuza#Designated bōryokudan|designated yakuza group]] based in the [[Shikoku]] region.<ref name="PWP2010">[https://www.npa.go.jp/hakusyo/r03/pdf/10_dai3sho.pdf "2021 Police White Paper Chapter 2 : Furtherance of Organized Crime Countermeasures"], 2021, ''[[National Police Agency (Japan)|National Police Agency]]'' {{in lang|ja}}</ref>

In October 2017, ''[[Japan Today]]'' reported 5 people received minor injuries when a [[wild boar]] entered a local [[AEON (company)|Aeon]] mall.<ref name="JT2007">[https://japantoday.com/category/national/5-injured-after-wild-boar-goes-on-rampage-through-kagawa-mall "5 injured after wild boar goes on rampage through Kagawa mall], 2007, ''[[Japan Today]]'' {{in lang|en}}</ref>

==Economy==
[[File:Takamatsu Symbol Tower M3446.jpg|thumb|Symbol Tower]]
Takamatsu is the largest municipality in Shikoku and is a city with a large concentration of nationwide companies' branch offices, which play a large role in its economy. It also contains most of the national government's branch offices for Shikoku. In 2004, construction of the Symbol Tower, the new symbol of Takamatsu, was completed. The Symbol Tower is in the [[Sunport Takamatsu|Sunport]] area of the city. The Symbol Tower is the tallest building in Takamatsu, and is right next to another tall building The JR Clement Hotel (formerly the ANA Clement Hotel), which is also part of the Sunport complex. Sunport Takamatsu is also connected to the ports of Takamatsu.

Companies headquartered in the city include:
*[[Shikoku Railway Company]]<ref>"[http://www.jr-shikoku.co.jp/04_company/company/gaiyou.shtm Company Information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324005655/http://www.jr-shikoku.co.jp/04_company/company/gaiyou.shtm |date=2010-03-24 }}." [[Shikoku Railway Company]]. Retrieved on March 27, 2010.</ref>
*[[Tadano Limited]]<ref>"[http://www.tadano.com/company/coprofile/index.html Corporate Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000853/http://www.tadano.com/company/coprofile/index.html |date=2016-03-04 }}." [[Tadano Limited]]. Retrieved on April 15, 2015.</ref>
*Shikoku Shimbun

==Education==
Takamatsu has 48 public elementary schools, 22 public middle schools and one public high school operated by the city government. The city has eight public high schools and one combined middle/high school operated by the Kagawa Prefectural Board of Education. There are also two private combined middle/high schools, seven private high schools and one national elementary, one national middle and one national high school.The Kagawa Prefectural government also operates three special education schools for the handicapped.

===Universities===
*[[Kagawa University]]
*[[Kagawa Prefectural College of Health Sciences]]
*[[Takamatsu University]]

== Transportation ==
The main train station is [[Takamatsu Station (Kagawa)|Takamatsu Station]], operated by [[Shikoku Railway Company|JR Shikoku]]. Trains from here run to destinations around Shikoku, as well as [[Okayama Station]] on Honshū via the [[Seto-Ōhashi Bridge]]. The private [[Kotoden]] railway connects much of Takamatsu, with a hub and department store at [[Kawaramachi Station (Kagawa)|Kawaramachi Station]], and Takamatsu-Chikko Station nearby Takamatsu Station. Buses and trains operated by Kotoden accept a [[contactless payment]] card for travel called an IruCa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reviewmylife.co.uk/blog/2009/12/21/takamatsu-japan-what-to-do-there/ |title=Takamatsu Japan, what to do there |date=20 December 2009 |access-date=2010-03-13}}</ref>

===Airports===
*[[Takamatsu Airport]]

=== Railways ===
[[File:JR_logo_(shikoku).svg|22 px]] [[Shikoku Railway Company]] - [[Yosan Line]]
* {{STN|Takamatsu|Kagawa}} - {{STN|Kōzai}} - {{STN|Kinashi}} - {{STN|Hashioka}} - {{STN|Kokubu|Kagawa}}

[[File:JR_logo_(shikoku).svg|22 px]] [[Shikoku Railway Company]] - [[Kōtoku Line ]]
* {{STN|Sanuki-Mure}} - {{STN|Yakuriguchi}} - {{STN|Furutakamatsu-Minami}} - {{STN|Yashima|Kagawa}} - {{STN|Kitachō}} - {{STN|Ritsurin}} - {{STN|Ritsurin-Kōen-Kitaguchi}} - {{STN|Shōwachō|Kagawa}} - {{STN|Takamatsu|Kagawa}}

[[File:Kotoden Logo V.svg|20px]] [[Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad]] - [[Kotoden Kotohira Line]]
* {{STN|Takamatsu-Chikkō}}- {{STN|Kataharamachi|Kagawa}} - {{STN|Kawaramachi|Kagawa}} - {{STN|Ritsurin-Kōen}} - {{STN|Sanjō|Kagawa}} - {{STN|Fuseishi}} - {{STN|Ōta|Kagawa}} - {{STN|Busshōzan}} - {{STN|Kūkō-dōri}} - {{STN|Ichinomiya}} - {{STN|Enza}} - {{STN|Okamoto|Kagawa}}
[[File:Kotoden Logo V.svg|20px]] [[Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad]] - [[Kotoden Nagao Line]]
* ({{STN|Takamatsu-Chikkō}} - {{STN|Kataharamachi|Kagawa}}) - {{STN|Kawaramachi|Kagawa}} - {{STN|Hanazono|Kagawa}} - {{STN|Hayashimichi}} - {{STN|Kita-Higashiguchi}} - {{STN|Motoyama|Takamatsu}} - {{STN|Mizuta}} - {{STN|Nishi-Maeda}} -{{STN|Takata|Kagawa}}
[[File:Kotoden Logo V.svg|20px]] [[Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad]] - [[Kotoden Shido Line]]
* {{STN|Kawaramachi|Kagawa}} - {{STN|Imabashi}} - {{STN|Matsushima-Nichōme}} - {{STN|Oki-Matsushima}} - {{STN|Kasugagawa}} - {{STN|Katamoto}} - {{STN|Kotoden-Yashima}} - {{STN|Furu-Takamatsu}} - {{STN|Yakuri}} - {{STN|Rokumanji}} - {{STN|Ōmachi|Kagawa}} - {{STN|Yakuri-Shinmichi}} - {{STN|Shioya|Kagawa}} - {{STN|Fusazaki}} - {{STN|Hara|Kagawa}}

=== Highways ===
* [[File:JP Expressway E11.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] [[Takamatsu Expressway]]
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|11}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|30}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|32}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|193}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|377}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|436}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|492}}

===Ports===
*[[Port of Takamatsu]]

==Local attractions==
*[[Ritsurin Garden]], a [[Japanese garden]] designated as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty by the Japanese government
*[[Takamatsu Castle (Sanuki)|Takamatsu Castle]] is known for using seawater in its moat and recently the old keep of the castle was successfully restored and opened for public viewing.<ref>{{Cite web |script-title=ja:高松城天守閣復元|url = http://www.takamatsujyo.com/tensyukaku.htm|website = www.takamatsujyo.com|access-date = 2016-01-19}}</ref>
*[[Yashima, Kagawa|Yashima]] plateau which is home to various sightseeing spots. At the base of the mountain is the open air museum [[Shikoku Mura]] where aspects of regional history and culture are exhibited. On the mountain itself is [[Yashima-ji]], number 84 of the [[Shikoku pilgrimage]]. At the top of the mountain there is also an observation deck which offers views across the Seto Inland Sea.
*Takamatsu also acts as a hub to access various islands of the Seto Inland Sea. These include, [[Megijima]], [[Ogijima]], [[Naoshima, Kagawa|Naoshima]], [[Teshima]] and [[Shōdoshima]]. Since 2010, Takamatsu, along with these islands and more, has been host to the [[Setouchi Triennale]], a contemporary art festival with many outdoor exhibitions by prominent artists from across the world.

===Sports teams===
*[[Kagawa Five Arrows]] (Basketball, [[B.League]])
*[[Kagawa Olive Guyners]] (Baseball)
*[[Kamatamare Sanuki]] (Football)
*Kagawa Ice Fellows (Ice Hockey)

==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Japan}}

===Twin towns – Sister cities===
Takamatsu is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
* {{flagdeco|US}} [[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]], United States<ref>{{cite web | title=St. Petersburg | url=http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/profile/st-petersburg/ | publisher=Takamatsu city | access-date=2009-05-26 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090611035610/http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/profile/st-petersburg/ | archive-date=2009-06-11 }}</ref>
* {{flagdeco|FRA}} [[Tours]], France<ref>{{cite web | title=Tours | url=http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/profile/tours/ | publisher=Takamatsu city | access-date=2009-05-26 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090611035615/http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/profile/tours/ | archive-date=2009-06-11 }}</ref>

===Friendship cities===
Takamatsu has friendship arrangements with:
* {{flagdeco|PRC}} [[Nanchang]], China (since 1990)<ref>{{cite web | title=Nanchang | url=http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/profile/nanchang/ | publisher=Takamatsu city | access-date=2009-05-26 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090611035555/http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/profile/nanchang/ | archive-date=2009-06-11 }}</ref><ref name="Nanchang twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://english.nc.gov.cn/aboutnanchang/sistercity/|title=Nanchang City and Sister Cities Intercommunion|access-date=2013-11-05|work=Nanchang Municipal Party Committee of the CPC and Nanchang Municipal Government|publisher=Nanchang Economic Information Center|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522211744/http://english.nc.gov.cn/aboutnanchang/sistercity/|archive-date=2013-05-22}}</ref>

==In literature==
[[File:Shikokumura27s3200.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Shikoku Mura]]]]
*Takamatsu is the main setting for [[Haruki Murakami]]'s novel ''[[Kafka on the Shore]]''.
*The naval commander [[Tameichi Hara]], born in Takamatsu in 1900, recounts his childhood there in the memoir ''Japanese Destroyer Captain''.<ref>{{cite book| last = Hara| first = Tameichi| author-link = Tameichi Hara| year = 1961| chapter = Born A Samurai| title = Japanese Destroyer Captain| publisher = [[Ballantine Books]]| location = New York & Toronto| isbn = 978-1-59114-354-3| oclc = 255849609}}</ref>
*Takamatsu is the main setting for the manga and anime [[Poco's Udon World]].

==Notable people from Takamatsu==
The following politicians, celebrities, and other well-known people are from Takamatsu (listed alphabetically by surname):

*[[Ema Fujisawa]] (actor, born 1982)
*[[Shinichiro Furumoto]] (politician, born 1956)
*[[Yoshihiro Hamaguchi]] (Olympic athlete, 1926-2011)
*[[Takuya Hirai]] (politician, born 1958)
*[[Ikuko Kawai]] (musician and composer, born 1968)
*[[Kan Kikuchi]] (writer and publisher, 1888-1948)
*[[Akiko Kinouchi]] (actor, born 1981)
*[[Makoto Kitano]] (soccer player, born 1967)
*[[Kenji Kobayashi]] (shogi player, born 1957)
*[[Akihito Kondo]] (baseball player, 1938-2019)
*[[Yasuhiro Konishi]] (karateka, 1893-1983)
*[[Bukichi Miki]] (politician, 1884-1956)
*[[Ryuki Miki]] (tennis player, 1904-1967)
*[[Haruka Morita-WanyaoLu|Lu Wanyao]] (golfer, born 1996)
*[[Yoshiro Maeda]] (mixed martial artist, born 1981)
*[[Shigeru Makino]] (baseball player, 1928-1984)
*[[Ryuya Matsumoto]] (baseball player, born 1994)
*[[Kojin Nakakita]] (sledge hockey coach, born 1963)
*[[Futoshi Nakanishi]] (baseball player, born 1933)
*[[Kiyotaka Nanbara]] (comedian and TV personality, born 1965)
*[[Ayano Ninomiya]] (violinist, born 1971)
*[[Tetsuya Noguchi]] (artist, born 1980)
*[[Junya Ogawa]] (politician, born 1971)
*[[Kentaro Sonoura]] (politician, born 1972)
*[[Mikuru Suzuki]] (darts player, born 1982)
*[[Daisuke Tsuda (musician)|Daisuke Tsuda]] (singer and drummer, born 1977)
*[[Ayako Uehara (pianist)|Ayako Uehara]] (pianist, born 1980)
*[[Emiko Uematsu]] (politician, born 1967)
*[[Satoru Uyama]] (fencer, born 1991)

==See also==
{{Portal|Japan}}
* [[Busshozan]]
* [[Yashima, Kagawa]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp Takamatsu City official website] {{in lang|ja}}
*[https://www.art-takamatsu.com/ Experience Takamatsu-Sense of Wonder-] － Official account of Takamatsu city about tourism.
*{{osmrelation-inline|4051287}}
*{{Wikivoyage-inline|Takamatsu}}
*{{Commons category-inline|Takamatsu, Kagawa}}

{{Kagawa}}
{{Metropolitan cities of Japan}}
{{Most populous cities in Japan}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Takamatsu, Kagawa| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Kagawa Prefecture]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Japan]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]

Matsuyama

2024-07-07T07:14:10Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{Other uses}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Matsuyama
| native_name = {{nobold|松山市}}
| native_name_lang = ja
| settlement_type = [[Core cities of Japan|Core city]]
| other_name = 
| image_skyline = Matsuyama montage.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_caption = From top left:Dōgo Onsen Honkan, Stone monument of Shiki Masaoka, Matsuyama Castle, Botchan train, The gate of Ishite-ji, Iyotetsu Matsuyama-shi Station, Gintengai Street
| image_flag = Flag of Matsuyama, Ehime.svg
| image_seal = Emblem of Matsuyama, Ehime.svg
| seal_type = Emblem

| image_map = {{maplink|frame-align=center|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-width=265|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=8}}
| image_map1 = Ehime-matsuyama-city.svg
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Matsuyama in Ehime Prefecture
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_relief =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Japan
| coordinates = {{coord|33|50|N|132|46|E|region:JP-38|display=it}}
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Japan
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Shikoku]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Ehime Prefecture|Ehime]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Districts of Japan|District]]
| subdivision_name3 = 
| established_title =
| established_date =
| established_title2 =
| established_date2 =
| extinct_title = Now part of
| extinct_date =
| founder =
| named_for = 
| seat_type = 
| seat = 
| government_footnotes = 
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = [[Katsuhito Noshi]] (since December 2010)
| leader_title1 = Vice Mayor
| leader_name1 = 
| total_type = 
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_magnitude = 
| area_footnotes = 
| area_total_km2 = 429.35
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note = 
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m = 
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 505948
| population_as_of = October 1, 2022
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_est =
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| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time|JST]]
| utc_offset1 = +09:00
| postal_code_type =
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| blank_name_sec1 = City hall address
| blank_info_sec1 = 4-7-2 Nibanchō, Matsuyama-shi, Ehime-ken 790-8571
| website = {{Official website|1=www.city.matsuyama.ehime.jp/lang/en}}
| footnotes =
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
| tree =
| flower = [[Camellia]]
| bird =
| flowering_tree =
| butterfly =
| fish =
| other_symbols =
}}
}}
[[file:Matsuyama city office Ehime prefecture Japan.jpg|right|thumb|270px|Matsuyama City Hall]]
[[file:Ehimekencho-20040417.JPG|right|thumb|270px|Ehime Prefectural Capital Building]]
[[File:2007-07-01 Matsuyama Panorama.jpg|thumb|right|270px|A panoramic view of the city from [[Matsuyama Castle (Iyo)|Matsuyama Castle]]]]
{{nihongo|'''Matsuyama'''|松山市|Matsuyama-shi|extra={{IPA-ja|matsɯꜜjama|lang}}}} is the capital [[cities of Japan|city]] of [[Ehime Prefecture]], on the island of [[Shikoku]], in [[Japan]] and is also Shikoku's largest city. {{As of|2022|10|01}}, the city had an estimated [[population]] of 505,948 in 243,541 households and a [[population density]] of 1200 persons per km2.<ref name="Matsuyama-hp">{{cite web |url=https://www.city.matsuyama.ehime.jp/shisei/tokei/toukei2.html|title= Matsuyama city official statistics|location= Japan|language= ja}}</ref> The total area of the city is {{convert|429.35|sqkm|sqmi}}.

==Geography==
Matsuyama is located in central Ehime Prefecture, facing the [[Seto Inland Sea]] to the north, the mountains of the Takanawa Peninsula to the north and east, and the Saragamine Mountain Range, an extension of the [[Shikoku Mountains]], to the south. It is located on the northeastern portion of the Dōgo Plain. The city also includes the Kutsuna Islands, an archipelago of 29 islands in the Seto Inland Sea.

=== Neighbouring municipalities ===
Ehime Prefecture
*[[Tōon, Ehime|Tōon]]
*[[Imabari, Ehime|Imabari]]
*[[Tobe, Ehime|Tobe]]
*[[Masaki, Ehime|Masaki]]
*[[Kumakōgen, Ehime|Kumakōgen]]

==Climate==
Matsuyama has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfa''; [[Trewartha climate classification]] ''Cf'') with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, and is heavier from April to July as well as in September.<ref>[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/ehime-prefecture/matsuyama-2015/ Matsuyama climate data]</ref>

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Matsuyama (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1890−present)
|Jan record high C = 24.4
|Feb record high C = 24.5
|Mar record high C = 27.5
|Apr record high C = 31.1
|May record high C = 32.3
|Jun record high C = 35.6
|Jul record high C = 37.0
|Aug record high C = 37.4
|Sep record high C = 36.7
|Oct record high C = 33.3
|Nov record high C = 28.0
|Dec record high C = 25.2
|Jan record low C = -7.0
|Feb record low C = -8.3
|Mar record low C = -6.3
|Apr record low C = -2.6
|May record low C = 1.4
|Jun record low C = 5.7
|Jul record low C = 14.3
|Aug record low C = 15.6
|Sep record low C = 9.1
|Oct record low C = 2.2
|Nov record low C = -1.2
|Dec record low C = -5.8
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 50.9
|Feb precipitation mm = 65.7
|Mar precipitation mm = 105.1
|Apr precipitation mm = 107.3
|May precipitation mm = 129.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 228.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 223.5
|Aug precipitation mm = 99.0
|Sep precipitation mm = 148.9
|Oct precipitation mm = 113.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 71.3
|Dec precipitation mm = 61.8
|year precipitation mm = 1404.6
|Jan mean C = 6.2
|Feb mean C = 6.8
|Mar mean C = 9.9
|Apr mean C = 14.8
|May mean C = 19.4
|Jun mean C = 22.9
|Jul mean C = 27.1
|Aug mean C = 28.1
|Sep mean C = 24.6
|Oct mean C = 19.1
|Nov mean C = 13.6
|Dec mean C = 8.5
|year mean C = 16.8
|Jan high C = 10.2
|Feb high C = 11.0
|Mar high C = 14.4
|Apr high C = 19.6
|May high C = 24.2
|Jun high C = 27.0
|Jul high C = 31.2
|Aug high C = 32.6
|Sep high C = 29.1
|Oct high C = 23.8
|Nov high C = 18.1
|Dec high C = 12.6
|year high C = 21.1
|Jan low C = 2.6
|Feb low C = 2.8
|Mar low C = 5.6
|Apr low C = 10.3
|May low C = 15.0
|Jun low C = 19.4
|Jul low C = 23.8
|Aug low C = 24.6
|Sep low C = 21.0
|Oct low C = 15.1
|Nov low C = 9.6
|Dec low C = 4.8
|year low C = 12.9
|Jan humidity = 63
|Feb humidity = 63
|Mar humidity = 63
|Apr humidity = 62
|May humidity = 64
|Jun humidity = 73
|Jul humidity = 72
|Aug humidity = 70
|Sep humidity = 70
|Oct humidity = 68
|Nov humidity = 67
|Dec humidity = 65
|year humidity = 67
|Jan sun = 129.2
|Feb sun = 142.2
|Mar sun = 175.1
|Apr sun = 190.8
|May sun = 205.9
|Jun sun = 151.1
|Jul sun = 189.0
|Aug sun = 218.1
|Sep sun = 164.3
|Oct sun = 174.1
|Nov sun = 144.9
|Dec sun = 129.8
|year sun = 2014.5
|Jan snow cm = 0
|Feb snow cm = 0
|Mar snow cm = 0
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 0
|Dec snow cm = 0
|year snow cm = 1
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 8.2
|Feb precipitation days = 8.5
|Mar precipitation days = 11.2
|Apr precipitation days = 10.5
|May precipitation days = 9.5
|Jun precipitation days = 13.1
|Jul precipitation days = 10.9
|Aug precipitation days = 8.2
|Sep precipitation days = 9.8
|Oct precipitation days = 8.2
|Nov precipitation days = 8.2
|Dec precipitation days = 8.9
|year precipitation days = 115.1
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=73&block_no=47887&year=&month=12&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]
| access-date = May 19, 2021}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-ehime.php Matsuyama population statistics]</ref> the population of Matsuyama has been increasing steadily since the 1940s.

{{Historical populations
| 1920 | 181496
| 1930 | 208446
| 1940 | 205939
| 1950 | 265678
| 1960 | 307372
| 1970 | 362998
| 1980 | 442147
| 1990 | 480854
| 2000 | 508266
| 2010 | 517088
| 2020 | 511192
|align = none
| footnote =
}}

== History ==
The area of Uwajima was part of ancient [[Iyo Province]]. [[Dōgo Onsen]] was already famous in the [[Asuka period]], and [[Shōtoku Taishi]] visited the spa in the year 596. It is also mentioned in passing in ''[[The Tale of Genji]]''. At the end of the [[Heian period]], Kōno Michinobu supported [[Minamoto no Yoritomo]] against the [[Heike clan]] during the [[Genpei War]] and was awarded with a position as ''[[shugo]]'' of Iyo Province. In the [[Muromachi period]], the clan made their stronghold at [[Yuzuki Castle]], near Dōgo Onsen, and developed the port of [[Mitsuhama]] to the west to link the area to [[Honshū]] and [[Kyūshū]]. The clan was conquered by [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] during his invasion of Shikoku, and later the area became part of [[Iyo-Matsuyama Domain]] under the [[Tokugawa shogunate]]. A ''[[jōkamachi]]'' developed around [[Matsuyama Castle (Iyo)|Matsuyama Castle]], and this is the core of the modern city. The city was established with the creation of the modern municipality system on December 15, 1889. The city was bombed on July 26, 1945, in the final stages of [[World War II]], with 251 civilians killed and over 55% of the city area destroyed.

In the twentieth century, various [[Onsen District, Ehime|mergers]] joined Matsuyama with neighboring towns of [[Dōgo Onsen|Dōgo]], [[Mitsuhama]], and other townships, aided by [[urban sprawl]], creating a seamless modern city that now ranks as the largest in Shikoku. On October 1, 2018, Matsuyama absorbed the city of [[Hōjō, Ehime|Hōjō]], and town of [[Nakajima, Ehime|Nakajima]] (from the former [[Onsen District, Ehime|Onsen District]]).

==Government==
Matsuyama has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city council of 42 members. Matsuyama, together with Kumakōgen, contributes 16 members to the Ehime Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is split between Ehime 1st district And Ehime 2nd district of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].

==Economy==
Matsuyama is a major regional commercial center. Key industries include agriculture represented by [[mandarin orange]]s, tourism centered around Dōgo Onsen and Matsuyama Castle, and manufacturing centered on chemical fibers. Industrial areas spread along the coast near airports and harbors, including the Teijin Group's largest production base, and factories of Miura ([[boiler]] manufacturer), [[Iseki]] ([[tractor]] and engine equipment),<ref>"[http://www.iseki.co.jp/english/company/profile/ Company Outline]." [[Iseki]]. Retrieved on March 31, 2018.</ref> Hatada Ichiroku (Japanese style [[confectionery]]), Poem, a food processing division of Pom (Ehime Drink Company), and the [[Retailer|retailing]] companies Fuji and Daiki all have their headquarters in Matsuyama.

==Education==

===Universities and colleges===
*[[Ehime University]]
*[[Matsuyama Junior College]]
*[[Matsuyama University]]
*[[Matsuyama Shinonome College]]
*[[St. Catherine University (Japan)|St. Catherine University]]

===Primary and secondary education===
Matsuyama has 62 public elementary schools and 31 public middle schools operated by the city government. The city has seven public high schools operated by the Ehime Prefectural Board of Education, including the [[Ehime Prefectural Matsuyama Central Senior High School]] and the [[Ehime Prefectural Matsuyama Higashi High School]] and two national high schools operated by Ehime University. There are two private combined middle/high schools and 11 private high schools. The prefecture also operates two special education schools for the handicapped.

===International schools===
Matsuyama has one Korean school (Chōsen gakkō), the {{Nihongo|Shikoku Korean Elementary and Junior High School|[[:ja:四国朝鮮初中級学校|四国朝鮮初中級学校]]}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chongryon.com/j/cr/link3.html |script-title=ja:ウリハッキョ一覧 |publisher=[[Chongryon]] |access-date=October 14, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150726160235/http://www.chongryon.com/j/cr/link3.html |archive-date=July 26, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}().</ref>

== Transportation ==
===Airports===
[[File:Matsuyama Airport（MYJ）2.JPG|thumb|right|Matsuyama Airport（MYJ）]]
*[[Matsuyama Airport]], with flights to [[Tokyo]], [[Seoul]], [[Shanghai]], and various other cities.

=== Railways ===
[[File:JR_logo_(shikoku).svg|22 px]] [[Shikoku Railway Company]] - [[Yosan Line]]
* {{STN|Asanami}} - {{STN|Ōura}} - {{STN|Iyo-Hōjō}} - {{STN|Yanagihara|Ehime}} - {{STN|Awai}} - {{STN|Kōyōdai}} - {{STN|Horie}} - {{STN|Iyo-Wake}} - {{STN|Mitsuhama}} - {{STN|Matsuyama|Ehime}} - {{STN|Ichitsubo}}
[[File:IYOTETSU logo.svg|50px]] [[Iyotetsu]] - [[Takahama Line]]
* {{STN|Takahama|Ehime}} - {{STN|Baishinji}} - {{STN|Minatoyama}} - {{STN|Mitsu}} - {{STN|Yamanishi}} - {{STN|Nishi-Kinuyama}} - {{STN|Kinuyama}} - {{STN|Komachi}} - {{STN|Ōtemachi|Ehime}} - {{STN|Matsuyama City}}
[[File:IYOTETSU logo.svg|50px]] [[Iyotetsu]] - [[Yokogawara Line]]
* {{STN|Matsuyama City}} - {{STN|Ishitegawa Park}} - {{STN|Iyo-Tachibana}} - {{STN|Fukuonji}} - {{STN|Kita-Kume}} - {{STN|Kume}} - {{STN|Takanoko}} - {{STN|Hirai|Ehime}} - {{STN|Umenomoto}}
[[File:IYOTETSU logo.svg|50px]] [[Iyotetsu]] - [[Gunchū Line]]
* {{STN|Matsuyama City}} - {{STN|Dobashi|Ehime}} - {{STN|Doida}} - {{STN|Yōgo}} - {{STN|Kamata|Ehime}}

===Trams===
Iyo Railway also operates a system of trams and buses that serve as the city's main modes of public transportation. Matsuyama is one of the few Japanese cities that did not do away with its original [[tram]] system, which has been continually operated since 1887.
* [[Jōhoku Line (Iyotetsu)|Jōhoku Line]]: Komachi — Heiwadōri 1
* [[Jōnan Line]]: Dōgo Onsen — Nishi-Horibata, Kamiichiman — Heiwadōri 1
* [[Honmachi Line]]: Nishi-Horibata — Hommachi 6
* [[Ōtemachi Line]]: Nishi-Horibata — JR Matsuyama Station — Komachi
* [[Hanazono Line]]: Matsuyama City Station — Minami-Horibata

=== Highways ===
* [[File:JP Expressway E56.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] [[Matsuyama Expressway]]
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|11}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|33}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|56}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|196}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|317}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|379}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|437}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|196}}

===Ports===
*[[Port of Matsuyama]], with regular ferry service to [[Hiroshima]] and regular night ferries to [[Kobe]], [[Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyūshū]], and several other destinations. Also, a [[hydrofoil]] service exists between [[Hiroshima]] and a few other destinations.

==Sister cities==
Matsuyama has three [[town twinning|sister cities]], as designated by [[Sister Cities International]]:
* {{flagdeco|United States}} [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]], [[California]], United States
* {{flagdeco|Germany}} [[Freiburg]], [[Baden-Württemberg]], Germany
* {{flagdeco|South Korea}} [[Pyeongtaek]], [[Gyeonggi]], South Korea
* {{flagdeco|Taiwan}} [[Taipei]], [[Taiwan]], friendship city since 2016

==Local attractions==
[[File:Dogo Hot Spring5(Matsuyama City).JPG|thumb|right|Dōgo Onsen Honkan]]
[[File:Dogo-station2004-7-3.jpg|thumb|right|Botchan Ressha at Dogo Station, Matsuyama]]

The city is known for its [[hot springs]] ([[onsen]]), among the oldest in Japan, and is home to the [[Dōgo Onsen|Dōgo Onsen Honkan]], a Meiji Period wooden public bathhouse dating from 1894.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5502.html|title=Dogo Onsen}}</ref> A second favorite tourist spot is [[Matsuyama Castle (Iyo)|Matsuyama Castle]]. Eight of the eighty-eight temples in the [[Shikoku Pilgrimage]] are in Matsuyama.

Buddhist temples in Matsuyama include [[Ishite-ji]] (石手寺), [[Taisan-ji (Matsuyama)|Taisan-ji]] (太山寺), and [[Jōdo-ji (Matsuyama)|Jōdo-ji]] (浄土寺), all dating back to the 8th century, although the oldest surviving buildings are from the early 14th century, as well as [[Hōgon-ji (Matsuyama)|Hōgon-ji]] (宝厳寺), [[Taihō-ji (Matsuyama)|Taihō-ji]] (大宝寺) and [[Enmyō-ji (Matsuyama)|Enmyō-ji]] (円明寺). Shrines of the city include [[Isaniwa Jinja]] (伊佐爾波神社), built in 1667.

The [[haiku]] poet [[Masaoka Shiki]] lived in Matsuyama. His house, now known as the [[Shiki-do]], and a museum, the [[Shiki Memorial Museum]], are popular attractions, and the centerpieces of the city's claim as a center of the international haiku movement. Other haiku poets associated with Matsuyama include [[Kurita Chodō]], whose [[Kōshin-an]] was visited by [[Kobayashi Issa]], Shiki's followers, [[Takahama Kyoshi]] and [[Kawahigashi Hekigoto]], and [[Taneda Santōka]]. Santoka's house, known as Isso-an, is also a tourist attraction and is periodically open to the public. The Matsuyama Declaration of 1999 proposed the formation of the International Haiku Research Center, and the first [[Masaoka Shiki International Haiku Awards]] were given in 2000. Recipients have included [[Yves Bonnefoy]] (2000), [[Cor van den Heuvel]] (2002) and [[Gary Snyder]] (2004).

The famed novel ''[[Botchan]]'' by [[Natsume Sōseki]] is set in Matsuyama. As a result, there are numerous sites and locales named after the main character, including [[Botchan Stadium]], the [[Botchan Ressha]] (an antique train that runs on the city's tramway), and Botchan [[dango]].

Matsuyama also figures in several works by [[Shiba Ryōtarō]], notably his popular novel, ''[[Saka no Ue no Kumo]]'' [Clouds Above the Hill] (1969). In anticipation of the upcoming [[NHK]] [[Taiga drama]] [[Saka no Ue no Kumo (TV series)|adaptation of ''Saka no Ue no Kumo'']], a [[Saka no Ue no Kumo Museum]] was established in 2007.

Matsuyama was also the setting of a 1907 novel about the [[Russo-Japanese War]], ''As the Hague Ordains'', by American writer [[Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore]]. Matsuyama figures in the novel because the city housed a camp for Russian prisoners during the war. A Russian cemetery commemorates this important episode in Matsuyama history. The [[Russo-Japanese War]] is also remembered in Matsuyama because of the contributions of two Japanese military leaders, the Akiyama brothers, [[Akiyama Saneyuki]] and [[Akiyama Yoshifuru]], who were born in the city.

Matsuyama has several important museums. [[The Museum of Art, Ehime]] is the city's main art museum, its collections emphasizing the works of regional artists. The [[Shiki Memorial Museum]] is a museum that focuses on the life and work of [[Masaoka Shiki]], with special attention to his contribution to [[haiku]]. The [[Saka no Ue no Kumo Museum]] features exhibits connected with the novel and television series. There is a [[Juzo Itami]] museum dedicated to the film director.

Products ([[meibutsu]]) of Matsuyama include [[tart]]s and Botchan [[dango]]. In the 17th century, the lord of Matsuyama castle Sadayuki Matsudaira (松平定行) introduced the process of tart-making, originally brought to Japan by the Portuguese, to Matsuyama. At first it was a [[Castella]] with jam. According to legend Sadayuki made some changes, such as adding [[red bean paste]]. Now there are many kinds and makers of tarts in Matsuyama; some add [[yuzu]] paste or [[chestnut]] to the red bean paste. In addition to tarts, [[Botchan dango]] is also a product of Matsuyama. Botchan dango was named after the novel ''[[Botchan]]'' by [[Natsume Sōseki]]. It consists of three bean paste beads of three flavors, [[matcha]], egg, and red bean paste. Within the paste is contained [[Mochi (food)|mochi]].

Matsuyama is the site of a number of festivals, including the Dogo Festival, held in the spring, the Matsuyama Festival, held in August, and the Fall Festival, held in October, which features battling [[mikoshi]].

==Sports==
The city is represented in the [[J. League]] of [[football (soccer)|football]] with its local club, [[Ehime FC]]. The [[Ehime Mandarin Pirates]] also represent the city in the [[baseball]] [[Shikoku Island League Plus]].

==Notable people from Matsuyama==
{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2012}}
{{see also|Category:People from Matsuyama, Ehime}}
*[[Kenta Abe]], baseball player
*[[Akiyama Saneyuki]], admiral in the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]]
*[[Akiyama Yoshifuru]], general in the [[Imperial Japanese Army]]
*[[Kotomi Aoki]], manga artist
*[[Ryō Aono]], snowboarder
*[[Sidney Gulick]], missionary
*[[Harada Sanosuke]], 10th unit captain of the [[Shinsengumi]]
*[[Tomoko Honda]], announcer
*[[Ippen]], [[Buddhist]] preacher
*[[Juzo Itami]], film director
*[[Mansaku Itami]], film director
*[[Masaru Kageura]], baseball player
*[[Katō Yoshiaki]], ''[[daimyō]]''
*[[Kurita Chodō]], haiku poet
*[[Chiaki Kusuhara]], beach volleyball player
*[[Loveli]], fashion model and television personality
*[[Kanako Murata]], Professional mixed martial artist
*[[Alan Shirahama]], performer, actor, and DJ
*[[Masaoka Shiki]], poet
*[[Hideki Matsuyama]], golfer
*[[Yōko Matsuyama]], actress
*[[Yasuyuki Muneta]], judoka
*[[Riki Nakaya]], judoka
*[[Kenzaburō Ōe]], writer
*[[Nathaniel Rosen]], cellist
*[[Mika Saiki]], beach volleyball player
*[[Koshiro Shimada]], Figure Skater
*[[Hisui Sugiura]], graphic designer
*[[Kyoshi Takahama]], poet
*[[Makoto Tamada]], motorcycle racer
*[[Tadao Tannaka]], mathematician
*[[Taneda Santōka]], haiku poet
*[[Toshirō Tomochika]], football player and politician
*[[Reiko Tosa]], athlete
*[[Tetsu Yano]], writer

==See also==
*[[Matsuyama tengu|Matsuyama tengu (Noh play)]]
*[[Rakuzan ware (Ehime)]]
*[[Songshan District, Taipei]], named after Matsuyama

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Matsuyama}}
* [http://www.city.matsuyama.ehime.jp/ Matsuyama City official website] {{in lang|ja}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080918121655/http://www.city.matsuyama.ehime.jp/lang/en/ Matsuyama City official website] {{in lang|en}}
* [http://www.sophia-club.net/en/en_index.html Sophia Club] An NPO that creates a friendly environment for foreigners
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20020626093712/http://ecf.or.jp/shiki/1999/dec7.html Matsuyama Declaration]
* [http://www.citymayors.com/economics/matsuyama.html CityMayors.com city profile by Mayor Nakamura]

{{Ehime}}

{{Metropolitan cities of Japan}}
{{Most populous cities in Japan}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Matsuyama, Ehime| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Ehime Prefecture]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Japan]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]

Kōchi, Kōchi

2024-07-07T07:11:18Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{Short description|City in Japan}}
{{For|the city in India|Kochi}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Kōchi
| official_name = Kōchi City
| native_name = {{nobold|高知市}}
| native_name_lang = ja
| settlement_type = [[Core cities of Japan|Core city]]
| other_name =

| image_skyline = Kochi montage.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_caption = From top left: Katsurahama, Statue of Sakamoto Ryoma, View of Kōchi from Mt. Godai, Yosakoi Festival, Harimayabashi, Tosa Electric Railway, [[Kōchi Castle]]
| image_flag = Flag of Kochi, Kochi.svg
| image_seal = Emblem of Kochi, Kochi.svg
| seal_type = Chapter

| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|frame-align=center|plain=yes|frame-width=265|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=8}}
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Kōchi in Kōchi Prefecture
|image_map1 = Kochi in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_caption1 =
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_relief =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Japan
| coordinates = {{coord|33|33|32|N|133|31|53|E|region:JP-39|display=it}}
| coordinates_footnotes =


| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Japan
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Shikoku]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Kōchi Prefecture|Kōchi]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Districts of Japan|District]]
| subdivision_name3 =

| established_title =

| established_date =
| extinct_title = Now part of
| extinct_date =
| founder =
| named_for =

| seat_type =

| seat =

| government_footnotes =

| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Ryugo Kuwana
| leader_title1 = Vice Mayor
| leader_name1 =

| total_type =

| unit_pref = Metric

| area_magnitude = 
| area_footnotes = 
| area_total_km2 = 309.00
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =

| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m =

| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 318,520
| population_as_of = April 1, 2023
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_est =
| pop_est_as_of =

| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time|JST]]
| utc_offset1 = +09:00

| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type = 
| area_code =

| blank_name_sec1 = City hall address
| blank_info_sec1 = 5-1-45 Honmachi, Kōchi-shi 780-0571

| website = {{Official website|1=http://www.city.kochi.kochi.jp/}}
| footnotes =
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
| tree = [[Chinaberry]]<ref name="symbols">[http://www.city.kochi.kochi.jp/info/english/vis-003-02.htm ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014114040/http://www.city.kochi.kochi.jp/info/english/vis-003-02.htm |date=October 14, 2008 }}</ref>
| flower = [[Winter-hazel]]<ref name="symbols"/>
| bird = [[Japanese wagtail]]<ref name="symbols"/>
| flowering_tree =
| butterfly =
| fish =
| other_symbols =
}}
}}
{{nihongo|'''Kōchi'''|高知市|Kōchi-shi|extra={{IPA-ja|koːtɕi ꜜɕi|pron}}}} is the capital [[Cities of Japan|city]] of [[Kōchi Prefecture]] located on the island of [[Shikoku]] in Japan. With over 40% of the prefectural population, Kōchi is the main commercial and industrial centre and the "[[primate city]]" of the prefecture. {{As of|2023|04|01}}, the city had an estimated population of 318,520 in 154,048 households, and a population density of 1,000 persons per km2.<ref name="Kōchi-hp">{{cite web |url=https://www.city.kochi.kochi.jp/index2.html|title= Kōchi city official statistics|location= Japan|language= ja}}</ref> The total area of the city is {{convert|309.00|sqkm|sqmi}}.

==Overview==
A symbol of the city is its most famous dish, [[Skipjack tuna|katsuo]] ''[[tataki]]'', made by lightly [[searing]] and seasoning bonito.<ref>[http://www.city.kochi.kochi.jp/info/english/vis-001-04.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081103130658/http://www.city.kochi.kochi.jp/info/english/vis-001-04.htm|date=November 3, 2008}}</ref>

===Cityscape===
<gallery>
File:Kochi Japan.jpg|[[Skyline]] of Kōchi City（2006）
File:080229 Obiyamachi Street Kochi Kochi pref Japan01s.jpg|Obiyamachi in Downtown Kōchi City（2008）
File:Nichiyoichi.jpg|Sunday street markets（2009）
File:Kochi-City.jpg|CBD of Kōchi City（2010）
File:高知城天守からの景色3 Kochi Castle - panoramio.jpg|Views from [[Kōchi Castle]] Keep Tower（2013）
File:Kochi Castle, enkei.jpg|[[Kōchi Castle]]（2020）
</gallery>

==Geography==
[[File:Urado, Kochi, Kochi Prefecture 781-0262, Japan - panoramio (2).jpg|thumb|200px|none|Katsura Hama]]
Kōchi is located on the southern coast of Kōchi Prefecture, facing the Pacific Ocean to the south. The city area can be divided into three distinct geographic sections. The urban centre lies at the head of [[Urado Bay]], in a narrow [[alluvial plain]] crossed by several rivers, notably the [[Kagami River]] and [[Kokubu River]]. The plain is bounded by mountains to the north and a range of hills to the south and west.

The northern mountains form the least densely populated part of the city, with the only settlement being along narrow river valleys. The highest point in Kōchi is Kuishi-yama at {{convert|1176|m|ft|0}}.

To the south of the city centre, Urado Bay cuts through the hills to its outlet into the Pacific Ocean. The land surrounding the bay and a small strip of the coastline form the third part of the city. This area, although hillier and less dense than the plain, is nevertheless a major location of housing and port-related [[Industrial sector|industry]].

=== Neighbouring municipalities ===
Kōchi Prefecture
* [[Nankoku, Kōchi|Nankoku]]
* [[Tosa, Kōchi|Tosa City]]
* [[Tosa, Kōchi (town)|Tosa Town]]
* [[Ino, Kōchi|Ino]]

===Climate===
Kōchi has a very wet [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfa''), receiving twice as much rainfall as Shikoku's other chief cities [[Matsuyama]] and [[Takamatsu, Kagawa|Takamatsu]]. It is also the most [[typhoon]]-prone of Japan's major cities owing to its location directly exposed to the open Pacific Ocean from which the storms enter the country, and has twice received over {{convert|50|cm|abbr=on}} of rainfall in a day from a typhoon.

{{Weather box
|width=auto
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Kochi (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1886-present)
|Jan record high C = 23.5
|Feb record high C = 25.2
|Mar record high C = 26.3
|Apr record high C = 30.0
|May record high C = 32.3
|Jun record high C = 34.7
|Jul record high C = 38.3
|Aug record high C = 38.4
|Sep record high C = 37.3
|Oct record high C = 32.2
|Nov record high C = 28.0
|Dec record high C = 23.5
|Jan record low C = -7.6
|Feb record low C = -7.9
|Mar record low C = -6.5
|Apr record low C = -0.9
|May record low C = 3.8
|Jun record low C = 9.1
|Jul record low C = 14.6
|Aug record low C = 15.9
|Sep record low C = 10.0
|Oct record low C = 2.5
|Nov record low C = -1.9
|Dec record low C = -6.6
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 59.1
|Feb precipitation mm = 107.8
|Mar precipitation mm = 174.8
|Apr precipitation mm = 225.3
|May precipitation mm = 280.4
|Jun precipitation mm = 359.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 357.3
|Aug precipitation mm = 284.1
|Sep precipitation mm = 398.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 207.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 129.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 83.1
|year precipitation mm = 2666.4
|Jan mean C = 6.7
|Feb mean C = 7.8
|Mar mean C = 11.2
|Apr mean C = 15.8
|May mean C = 20.0
|Jun mean C = 23.1
|Jul mean C = 27.0
|Aug mean C = 27.9
|Sep mean C = 25.0
|Oct mean C = 19.9
|Nov mean C = 14.2
|Dec mean C = 8.8
|year mean C = 17.3
|Jan high C = 12.2
|Feb high C = 13.2
|Mar high C = 16.3
|Apr high C = 20.9
|May high C = 24.8
|Jun high C = 27.1
|Jul high C = 30.8
|Aug high C = 32.1
|Sep high C = 29.5
|Oct high C = 25.0
|Nov high C = 19.6
|Dec high C = 14.4
|year high C = 22.2
|Jan low C = 2.1
|Feb low C = 3.1
|Mar low C = 6.4
|Apr low C = 10.9
|May low C = 15.5
|Jun low C = 19.7
|Jul low C = 23.9
|Aug low C = 24.5
|Sep low C = 21.4
|Oct low C = 15.6
|Nov low C = 9.7
|Dec low C = 4.2
|year low C = 13.1
|Jan humidity = 61
|Feb humidity = 60
|Mar humidity = 62
|Apr humidity = 65
|May humidity = 70
|Jun humidity = 78
|Jul humidity = 79
|Aug humidity = 76
|Sep humidity = 74
|Oct humidity = 68
|Nov humidity = 68
|Dec humidity = 64
|year humidity = 69
|Jan sun = 190.7
|Feb sun = 177.2
|Mar sun = 192.2
|Apr sun = 197.3
|May sun = 195.7
|Jun sun = 133.8
|Jul sun = 173.7
|Aug sun = 204.0
|Sep sun = 162.0
|Oct sun = 179.6
|Nov sun = 168.8
|Dec sun = 184.6
|year sun = 2159.7
|Jan snow cm = 0
|Feb snow cm = 0
|Mar snow cm = 0
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 0
|Dec snow cm = 0
|year snow cm = 1
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 6.0
|Feb precipitation days = 7.5
|Mar precipitation days = 10.5
|Apr precipitation days = 10.4
|May precipitation days = 11.1
|Jun precipitation days = 15.1
|Jul precipitation days = 13.7
|Aug precipitation days = 12.9
|Sep precipitation days = 13.2
|Oct precipitation days = 9.0
|Nov precipitation days = 7.3
|Dec precipitation days = 6.4
|year precipitation days = 123.2
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=74&block_no=47893&year=&month=&day=&view=
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]
| access-date = May 19, 2021}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-kochi.php Kōchi population statistics]</ref> the population of Kōchi increased rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s before peaking around the year 2000 and going into decline.

{{Historical populations
| 1920 | 133,277
| 1930 | 159,010
| 1940 | 163,182
| 1950 | 190,452
| 1960 | 221,737
| 1970 | 265,571
| 1980 | 318,266
| 1990 | 335,287
| 2000 | 348,979
| 2010 | 343,393
| 2020 | 326,545
|align = none
| footnote =
}}

==History==
===Feudal period===
As with all of Kōchi Prefecture, the area of Nahari was part of ancient [[Tosa Province]]. The river plain now containing the city centre was originally settled as a [[jōkamachi|castle town]] around [[Kōchi Castle]], the seat of the ''[[daimyō]]'' of [[Tosa Domain]]. The castle site was chosen by [[Yamauchi Kazutoyo]] in 1601 to replace the earlier seats of the [[Chōsokabe clan]] who had previously ruled in province. The city takes its name from that of the castle. As the centre of administration for the province, and the prefecture which succeeded it, the town rapidly grew to become the largest settlement of the region.

<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Chosokabe.jpg|[[Chōsokabe Motochika]]
File:Yamauchi Katsutoyo01s3872.jpg|[[Yamauchi Kazutoyo]]
File:Kochi Castle08s3872.jpg|[[Kōchi Castle]]
</gallery>

===Meiji period===
During the time of the [[Meiji Restoration]], Kōchi became famous as a centre of pro-imperial ideology, and later for incubating democratic and [[Human rights in Japan|human rights]] movements. The city was incorporated on April 1, 1889, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system..

Tram service began in the city on May 2, 1904, and the city was connected to the national [[Rail transport in Japan|rail network]] on November 12, 1951.

<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Statue Sakamoto Ryouma.JPG|[[Sakamoto Ryouma]]
File:Itagaki Taisuke01.JPG|[[Itagaki Taisuke]]
</gallery>

===WWII air raid===
Kōchi was selected as a target by the United States' [[XXI Bomber Command]] because of the city's status as a prefectural capital, and the fact that it was a centre for industry and commercial trade. On July 3, 1945, at 6:22 pm (JST) 129 aircraft took off to bomb Kōchi. 1060 tons of incendiary bombs were dropped on Kōchi, destroying 48% of the built up areas of the city, killing 401 civilians and rendering over 40,000 homeless.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/61702152/21st-Bomber-Command-Tactical-Mission-Report-247-250-Ocr |title=21st Bomber Command Tactical Mission Report 247, 250, Ocr |publisher=Scribd.com |access-date=2013-12-09}}</ref>

===Modern period===
On April 1, 1998, the city was designated as the first [[Core cities of Japan|core city]] on Shikoku.

On January 1, 2005, the villages of [[Kagami, Kōchi (Tosa)|Kagami]] and [[Tosayama, Kōchi|Tosayama]], both from [[Tosa District, Kōchi|Tosa District]] were merged into Kōchi.

On January 1, 2008, the town of [[Haruno, Kōchi|Haruno]] (from [[Agawa District, Kōchi|Agawa District]]) was also merged into Kōchi.

==Government==
[[File:Kochi City Hall 20230615 1700.jpg|thumb|200px|Kōchi city hall]]
Kōchi has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city council of 42 members.
The current mayor (since 2023) is Ryugo Kuwana.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ようこそ！市長室へ|language=ja|trans-title=welcome! To the Mayor's Office|website=Kōchi City |url=https://www.city.kochi.kochi.jp/soshiki/174/info-gaiyou-msg.html|access-date=June 29, 2022}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

Kōchi contributes 15 members to the Kōchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the Kōchi 1st district and Kōchi 2nd districts of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].

==External relations==
===Twin towns/sister cities===
====International====
;Sister Cities
{|class="wikitable"
!City!!Country!![[State (polity)|State]]!!since
|-
|[[Fresno, California|Fresno]]
|{{Flagicon|USA}}United States
|California
|February 11, 1965
|-
|[[Surabaya]]
|{{flagdeco|INA}}[[Indonesia]]
|[[East Java]]
|April 17, 1997<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.surabaya.go.id/eng/comunity.php?page=twin_city |title=The Twin City|publisher=Surabaya.go.id|access-date=2013-12-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214214312/http://www.surabaya.go.id/eng/comunity.php?page=twin_city |archive-date=2013-12-14}}</ref>
|}
;Friendship city
{|class="wikitable"
!City!!Country!![[State (polity)|State]]!!since
|-
|[[Wuhu City|Wuhu]]
|{{Flagicon|CHN}}China
|[[Anhui]]
|April 19, 1985
|-
|[[Mokpo]]
|{{flagdeco|KOR}}[[South Korea]]
|[[South Jeolla Province]]
|November 9, 2012
|}
;Sister ports
{|class="wikitable"
!City!!Country!![[State (polity)|State]]!!since
|-
|[[Subic Bay]]
|{{Flagicon|PHI}}[[Philippines]]
|[[Zambales]]
|February 17, 1998
|-
|[[Qingdao Port|Port of Qingdao]]
|{{Flagicon|CHN}}China
|[[Shandong]]
|April 4, 1998
|-
|[[Port of Colombo]]
|{{Flagicon|SRI}}[[Sri Lanka]]
|[[Colombo District]]
|April 4, 1998
|-
|[[Port of Tanjung Perak]]
|{{Flagicon|IDN}}Indonesia
|[[Surabaya]]
|May 12, 1998
|}

====National====
;Sister city
{|class="wikitable"
!City!![[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]!![[List of regions of Japan|region]]!!since
|-
|[[Kitami, Hokkaido|Kitami]]
|{{Flagicon|Hokkaido}}[[Okhotsk Subprefecture|Okhotsk]]
|[[Hokkaido|Hokkaidō region]]
|April 28, 1986
|}

==Education==
[[File:Kochi University 20120520.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Kōchi University]]]]
[[File:University of Kochi, Eikokuji Campus.jpg|thumb|200px|[[University of Kochi|Kōchi Prefectural University]]]]

===Universities===
Kōchi is home to two universities, [[Kōchi University]] (national) and [[University of Kochi]] (prefectural), and four [[junior college]]s including [[Kochi Junior College]].
;National university
*[[Kōchi University]]
;Public university
*[[University of Kochi]]（[[University of Kochi|Kōchi Prefectural University]]）
;Private university
*Kochi gakuen university
*[[The Open University of Japan]]
*University of Kochi Health Sciences

===Schools===
;Elementary and secondary education
Kōchi has 39 public elementary schools, 17 public middle schools and one public high school operated by the city government, one private and one national elementary school, and five private combined middle/high schools. The city has eight public high schools administered by the Kōchi Prefectural Department of Education. The prefecture also operates one middle school and one combined middle/high school.

==Transport==
[[File:Kochiryomaairport.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Kōchi Ryōma Airport]]]]
[[File:Kochi-STA.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Kōchi Station (Kōchi)|Kōchi Station]]]]
[[File:Tosaden 100.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Tosaden Kōtsū]]]]
[[File:KochiEXPWY Kagami river bridge.jpg|thumb|200px|Kochi Expwy]]
[[File:Uradooohasi.jpg|thumb|200px|Port of Kochi]]

=== Airport ===
*[[Kōchi Ryōma Airport]], located in nearby [[Nankoku, Kōchi|Nankoku]]

===Railways===
Kōchi is located on the [[JR Shikoku]]'s [[Dosan Line]] connecting it to northern Shikoku, and via interchanges with the [[Tosa Kuroshio Railway]] to the eastern and western parts of Kōchi Prefecture. JR's central station in Kōchi is [[Kōchi Station (Kōchi)|Kōchi Station]].

====Conventional lines====
[[File:JR logo (shikoku).svg|20px]] [[Shikoku Railway Company]] [[JR Shikoku]] {{Color|#e25885|■}}[[Dosan Line]]
* {{STN|Tosa-Ōtsu}}{{•}}{{STN|Nunoshida}}{{•}}{{STN|Tosa-Ikku}}{{•}}{{STN|Azōno}}{{•}}'''{{STN|Kōchi|Kōchi}}'''{{•}}{{STN|Iriake}}{{•}}{{STN|Engyōjiguchi}}{{•}}{{STN|Asahi|Kōchi}}{{•}}{{STN|Kōchi-Shōgyō-Mae}}{{•}}{{STN|Asakura|JR Shikoku}}

===Tramways===
The most visible form of transport within Kōchi is the tram service run by [[Tosaden Kōtsū]]. Its three lines with historic cars service the major north–south and east–west axes of the city.
;[[Tosaden Kōtsū]]
*{{Color|green|■}}[[Tosaden Kōtsū Sanbashi Line|Sanbashi Line]]
*{{Color|green|■}}[[Tosaden Kōtsū Gomen Line|Gomen Line]]
*{{Color|green|■}}[[Tosaden Kōtsū Ino Line|Ino Line]]

===Busways===
The city also has an extensive bus network.

===Highways===
Kōchi is also serviced by the Kōchi [[Interchange (road)|interchange]] of the [[Kōchi Expressway]] which connects to the [[Expressways of Japan|national expressway system]].

====Expressway====
*[[File:JP Expressway E32.svg|30px|link=|alt=]] [[Kōchi Expressway]]
*[[File:JP Expressway E55.svg|30px|link=|alt=]] [[Kōchi-Tōbu Expressway]]

====Japan National Route====
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|32}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|33}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|55}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|56}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|194}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|195}}

===Seaways===
*Port of Kōchi
{{Clear}}

==Tourism==
[[File:Kochi Katsurahama Daytime 1.JPG|thumb|200px|Katsurahama Beach]]
[[File:Harimaya-bashi (6453595247).jpg|thumb|200px|Harimaya-bashi]]
[[Kōchi Castle]] still exists in its pre-[[Meiji Restoration|restoration]] form, and is one of the main tourist attractions. Other places of interest in the city centre are the {{nihongo|Obiyamachi|帯屋町}} shopping arcade, the regular Sunday street markets which are close to a kilometre in length, and {{nihongo|[[Harimaya]]-bashi|はりまや橋}}, a bridge that featured in a famous Kōchi song about the forbidden love of a Buddhist priest.

===Local attractions===
The mountain {{nihongo|Godaisan|五台山}} holds a public park with views of the city, and is home to stop 31 on the [[Shikoku Pilgrimage]], [[Chikurin-ji (Kōchi)|Chikurin-ji]], as well as the [[Makino Botanical Garden]].

Off Museum Road (Kenritsu Bijutsukandori) is [[The Museum of Art, Kōchi]], where the main collection is composed of expressionistic works related to Kōchi.<ref>[http://kochi-bunkazaidan.or.jp/~museum/english_page/welcome.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080125210204/http://kochi-bunkazaidan.or.jp/~museum/english_page/welcome.htm|date=January 25, 2008}}</ref>

The [[Former Yamauchi Residence]] and [[Tosa Yamauchi Family Treasury and Archives]] are also to be found in the city.
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Katsurahama Aquarium 01.jpg|Katsurahama Aquarium
File:200104 Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden01s5.jpg|[[Makino Botanical Garden]]
File:Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum.jpg|[[Sakamoto Ryōma Memorial Museum]]
File:Kochi City Sawada Mansion Aug. 12, 2016.jpg|Sawada Mansion
</gallery>

===Historic spots===
;Castle
*[[Kōchi Castle]]
*Urado Castle ruins
;Shrine
The [[Shinto Shrine]] ''[[Tosa jinja]]'' is located to the west.<ref>Kōchi Prefectural Museum of History, [http://www.kochi-bunkazaidan.or.jp/~rekimin/pdf/english.pdf map]; retrieved August 9, 2011</ref>
;Temples
Temples No.30 ([[Zenrakuji]], No.31([[Chikurin-ji (Kōchi)|Chikurin-ji]]) and No.33 ([[Sekkei-ji]]) on the [[Shikoku Pilgrimage]] are located in the city.

At the mouth of Urado Bay, the remnants of Urado Castle (an earlier provincial seat) stand above {{nihongo|Katsurahama|桂浜}}, a famous beach with an aquarium and statue of the Kōchi hero [[#Notable natives and residents|Sakamoto Ryōma]].

Nearby on the grounds is the [[Sakamoto Ryōma Memorial Museum]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kochi-bunkazaidan.or.jp/~ryoma/english1.htm |title=The Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum |publisher=Kochi-bunkazaidan.or.jp |access-date=2013-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523005834/http://www.kochi-bunkazaidan.or.jp/~ryoma/english1.htm |archive-date=2014-05-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Tosa-jinja haiden-1.JPG|[[Tosa jinja]]
File:Chikurin-ji Temple - panoramio (1).jpg|[[Chikurin-ji (Kōchi)|Chikurin-ji]]
</gallery>
{{Clear}}

==Culture==
[[File:Yosakoi Performers at Kochi Yosakoi Matsuri 2008 40.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Yosakoi]]]]
[[File:The Museum of Art Kochi01s3872.jpg|thumb|200px|[[The Museum of Art, Kōchi]]]]
[[File:Katsuo.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Skipjack tuna|Katsuo-no-tataki]]]]

===Festival・Events===
;Festival
Kōchi's most famous festival is the [[Yosakoi]] which is held in August. Teams of dancers dance to traditional and modern songs at various places around Kōchi. The total number of dancers is in the thousands.
*[[Yosakoi]]
;Events
*Sunday street markets

===Gourmet===
*[[Skipjack tuna|Katsuo-no-tataki]]
*[[Katsuobushi]]
*SawachiDish Sushi
*Tosa-maki

===Museums===
* [[Kōchi Castle Museum of History]]
* [[Kōchi Literary Museum]]
* [[Ryōma's Birthplace Memorial Museum]]
* [[Sakamoto Ryōma Memorial Museum]]
* [[The Museum of Art, Kōchi]]

===Sports===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!scope="col"| Club
!scope="col"| Sport
!scope="col"| League
!scope="col"| Venue
!scope="col"| Established
|-
| style="background:black"|[[Kōchi Fighting Dogs|Kōchi Fighting Dogs]]
| Baseball
| [[Shikoku Island League Plus]]
| Kochi Municipal Baseball Park, Kochi Prefectural Haruno Baseball Stadium
| 2005
|-
| style="background:red;"| [[Kochi United SC|Kochi United SC]]
| Soccer
| [[Japan Football League]]
| [[Kochi Haruno Athletic Stadium]]
| 2016
|}
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Haruno baseball park.JPG|[[Kōchi Fighting Dogs]] （Kochi Prefectural Haruno Baseball Stadium）
File:Harunokyu20090213a.jpg|[[Kochi United SC]] （[[Kochi Haruno Athletic Stadium]]）
File:Kochi Racecouse 20080720.jpg|[[Kochi Racecourse]] [[Horse racing]]
File:Ryouma st1.JPG|Kōchi [[Velodrome]]（Ryoma Stadium） [[Keirin]]
File:Kochi Prefectural Gymnasium01ss3200.jpg|Kochi Prefectural Gymnasium
</gallery>
{{Clear}}

==Notable people from Kōchi==
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2012}}
[[File:Sakamoto Ryoma.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Sakamoto Ryōma]]]]
*[[Nakahama Manjirō]] (1827–1898) was one of the first Japanese people to visit the United States and an important translator during the [[opening of Japan]].
*[[Okada Izō]] (1832–1865) was a samurai of the late [[Edo period]], feared as one of the four most notable assassins of the [[Bakumatsu]] period.
*[[Sakamoto Ryōma]] (1836–1867) was a leader of the movement to overthrow the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] during the Bakumatsu period.
*[[Itagaki Taisuke]] (1837–1919) was a politician and leader of the [[Freedom and People's Rights Movement]], which evolved into Japan's first political party.
*[[Tsutomu Seki]] (born 1930) is an astronomer who has discovered a number of comets and asteroids.
*[[Nobuo Uematsu]] (born 1959) is a video game composer, best known for scoring the majority of titles in the ''Final Fantasy'' series.
*[[Ryōko Hirosue]] (born 1980) is an actress and pop star, best known in the West for her roles in the Luc Besson-produced ''[[Wasabi (film)|Wasabi]]'' and the Academy Award-winning Japanese film ''[[Departures (2008 film)|Departures]]''.
*Aaron Zagory (born 1985) is a Kōchi-born former US college football player, and the starting kicker for Stanford University in 2006 and 2008.
*[[Sumi Shimamoto]] (born 1954) is an [[anime]] voice actress, best known for playing Kyoko Otonashi in ''[[Maison Ikkoku]]'' and Nausicaa in ''[[Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (film)|Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind]]''.
*[[Noa Tsurushima]] (born 2001) is a model and actress, best known for portraying Is and As in ''[[Kamen Rider Zero-One]]''.
*[[Tomitaro Makino]] (1862–1957) was a pioneering botanist, sometimes referred to as the Father of Japanese Botany.
*[[Kusunose Kita]] (1836–1920) was an advocate for Women's rights in Japan, particularly in Kochi.
*[[Tetsuya Nomura]] (born 1970) is a video game artist, designer and director who currently works for Square Enix. Famous for being a character designer for the Final Fantasy Series.
*[[Nakamura Kazuha]] (born 2003) is a member of Korean girl group [[Le Sserafim]].
*Nonaka Shana (born 2003) is a member of Korean girl group [[Lapillus (group)|Lapillus]].
*[[Hideshi Matsuda]] (born 1954) is a racing driver and TV reporter
*[[Fumio Nutahara]] (born 1963) is a rally driver

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Kochi, Kochi}}
{{Wikivoyage|Kochi_(Shikoku)|Kōchi}}
*[http://www.city.kochi.kochi.jp Kōchi City official website] {{in lang|ja}}
*[http://www.city.kochi.kochi.jp/life/5/ Kōchi City official website] {{in lang|en}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110427210526/http://attaka.or.jp/foreign/english/index.html Kōchi Visitors and Convention Association official website]
* [http://cgi2.nhk.or.jp/michi/cgi/detail.cgi?dasID=D0004200005_00000 Yosakoi Festival in Kōchi City] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526085810/http://cgi2.nhk.or.jp/michi/cgi/detail.cgi?dasID=D0004200005_00000 |date=May 26, 2015 }}[[NHK]]
* {{OSM relation|4028510|Kōchi}}
{{Kōchi Prefecture}}

{{Metropolitan cities of Japan}}
{{Most populous cities in Japan}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kochi, Kochi}}
[[Category:Cities in Kōchi Prefecture]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Japan]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]
[[Category:Kōchi, Kōchi| ]]

Ōita (city)

2024-07-07T07:09:36Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{Infobox settlement
| name = Ōita
| official_name =
| native_name = {{nobold|大分市}}
| native_name_lang = ja
| settlement_type = [[Core cities of Japan|Core city]]
| other_name =
| image_skyline = Oita montage.jpg
| image_caption = From top, left to right: [[Funai Castle]], Monkeys in [[Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden|Mount Takasaki]], [[Ōita Motomachi Stone Buddhas|Motomachi Stone Buddhas]], [[Ōita Stadium]], Old Ōita Bank, Shopping street in central Ōita
| image_flag = Flag of Oita, Oita.svg
| image_seal = Emblem of Oita, Oita.svg
| image_map= {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=8}}
| image_map1 = Oita in Oita Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_caption = Location of Ōita in Ōita Prefecture
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Japan
| coordinates = {{coord|33|14|0|N|131|36|24|E|region:JP-44|display=it}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Japan
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kyushu]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Ōita Prefecture| Ōita]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Districts of Japan|District]]
| subdivision_name3 =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Shinya Adachi (since April 2023)
| leader_title1 = Vice Mayor
| leader_name1 =
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_total_km2 = 502.38
| population_total = 474804
| population_as_of = November 30, 2023
| population_density_km2 = auto
| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time|JST]]
| utc_offset1 = +09:00
| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| blank_name_sec1 = City hall address
| blank_info_sec1 = 2–31 Niage-machi, Ōita-shi, Ōita-ken 870-8504
| website = {{Official|1=http://www.city.oita.oita.jp}}
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
| tree = ''[[Elaeocarpus sylvestris]]''
| flower = ''[[Camellia sasanqua]]''
| bird =
| butterfly =
| fish =
}}
}}
[[file:Oita City Hall.jpg|thumb| Ōita City Hall]]
[[File:Oita Chuo Dori.jpg|right|thumb|Main street of Ōita]]
[[File:Oita takasago.jpg|thumb|right|City view from city centre]]
{{nihongo|'''Ōita'''|大分市|Ōita-shi}} is the capital [[Cities of Japan|city]] of [[Ōita Prefecture]], located on the island of [[Kyushu]], [[Japan]]. {{As of|2023|11|30}}, the city had an estimated [[population]] of 474,804 in 230,867 households, and a [[population density]] of 950 persons per km2. <ref name="Ōita-hp">{{cite web |url=https://www.city.oita.oita.jp/o001/shisejoho/annai/1269847174200-3.htmll|title= Ōita City official statistics|location= Japan|language= ja}}</ref> The total area of the city is {{cvt|502.38|km2}}.

==Geography==
Ōita city is located in east-central Ōita Prefecture, facing Beppu Bay on the [[Seto Inland Sea]]. The Ōno River flows from the south to the east, and the Ōita River flows from the west to the west, with the main urban center on the west side of the mouth of the Ōita River, with the Ōita Plain consisting of deltas and alluvial plains formed by the Ōita River and the Ōno River, and surrounding hills. The Takashima area in of the city is within the borders of the [[Seto Inland Sea National Park]].

===Neighboring municipalities===
[[Ōita Prefecture]]
*[[Beppu, Ōita|Beppu]] to the northwest
*[[Yufu, Ōita|Yufu]] to the west
*[[Taketa, Ōita|Taketa]] to the southwest
*[[Bungo-Ōno, Ōita|Bungo-Ōno]] to the south
*[[Usuki, Ōita|Usuki]] to the southeast

===Climate===
Ōita has a [[humid subtropical climate]] (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Ōita is 15.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1663 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.3 °C, and lowest in January, at around 5.1 °C.<ref>[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/oita/oita-4528/ Ōita climate: Average Temperature, weather by month]</ref>

{{Weather box
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Oita City Nagahama District、elevation 5 meters
|Jan record high C = 24.6
|Feb record high C = 25.5
|Mar record high C = 29.3
|Apr record high C = 31.2
|May record high C = 32.7
|Jun record high C = 35.4
|Jul record high C = 37.8
|Aug record high C = 37.6
|Sep record high C = 36.5
|Oct record high C = 33.1
|Nov record high C = 28.0
|Dec record high C = 25.0
|year record high C = 37.8

|Jan high C = 10.7
|Feb high C = 11.5
|Mar high C = 14.6
|Apr high C = 19.7
|May high C = 24.1
|Jun high C = 26.5
|Jul high C = 30.9
|Aug high C = 32.2
|Sep high C = 28.2
|Oct high C = 23.3
|Nov high C = 18.1
|Dec high C = 13.0
|year high C = 21.1

|Jan mean C = 6.5
|Feb mean C = 7.2
|Mar mean C = 10.2
|Apr mean C = 14.8
|May mean C = 19.3
|Jun mean C = 22.6
|Jul mean C = 26.8
|Aug mean C = 27.7
|Sep mean C = 24.2
|Oct mean C = 19.1
|Nov mean C = 13.8
|Dec mean C = 8.7
|year mean C = 16.8

|Jan low C = 2.6
|Feb low C = 3.0
|Mar low C = 5.9
|Apr low C = 10.3
|May low C = 15.0
|Jun low C = 19.3
|Jul low C = 23.5
|Aug low C = 24.3
|Sep low C = 20.9
|Oct low C = 15.2
|Nov low C = 9.5
|Dec low C = 4.6
|year low C = 12.8

|Jan record low C = -7.3
|Feb record low C = -7.8
|Mar record low C = -5.2
|Apr record low C = -2.1
|May record low C = 1.7
|Jun record low C = 7.2
|Jul record low C = 14.0
|Aug record low C = 14.1
|Sep record low C = 8.8
|Oct record low C = 2.0
|Nov record low C = -2.0
|Dec record low C = -6.1
|year record low C = -7.8

|Jan precipitation mm = 49.8
|Feb precipitation mm = 64.1
|Mar precipitation mm = 99.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 119.7
|May precipitation mm = 133.6
|Jun precipitation mm = 313.6
|Jul precipitation mm = 261.3
|Aug precipitation mm = 165.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 255.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 144.8
|Nov precipitation mm = 72.9
|Dec precipitation mm = 47.1
|year precipitation mm = 1727.0

|Jan snow cm = 0
|Feb snow cm = 0
|Mar snow cm = 0
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 0
|Dec snow cm = 0
|year snow cm = 1

|Jan humidity = 62
|Feb humidity = 63
|Mar humidity = 65
|Apr humidity = 65
|May humidity = 68
|Jun humidity = 77
|Jul humidity = 77
|Aug humidity = 75
|Sep humidity = 74
|Oct humidity = 70
|Nov humidity = 69
|Dec humidity = 64
|year humidity = 69

|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 5.9
|Feb precipitation days = 7.7
|Mar precipitation days = 10.0
|Apr precipitation days = 10.0
|May precipitation days = 9.7
|Jun precipitation days = 14.0
|Jul precipitation days = 12.0
|Aug precipitation days = 10.6
|Sep precipitation days = 11.1
|Oct precipitation days = 7.7
|Nov precipitation days = 6.9
|Dec precipitation days = 5.5
|year precipitation days = 111.0

|Jan snow days = 6.4
|Feb snow days = 4.6
|Mar snow days = 1.5
|Apr snow days = 0.0
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.1
|Dec snow days = 4.6
|year snow days = 17.3

|Jan sun = 149.4
|Feb sun = 149.1
|Mar sun = 175.0
|Apr sun = 190.1
|May sun = 194.6
|Jun sun = 135.7
|Jul sun = 180.8
|Aug sun = 202.8
|Sep sun = 151.5
|Oct sun = 164.2
|Nov sun = 148.2
|Dec sun = 151.2
|year sun = 1992.4
|source = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]] (Averages：1991-2020, Peaks：1887-present)<ref>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_sfc_ym.php?prec_no=83&block_no=47815&year=&month=&day=&view=
| title = 平年値ダウンロード
| accessdate = December 16, 2023
| publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency
| lang = ja}}
</ref>}}

== Demographics==
Ōita is the most populous city in Ōita Prefecture. Per Japanese census data, the population of Ōita is as shown below

{{Historical populations
| 1960 | 242001
| 1970 | 289951
| 1980 | 385635
| 1990 | 429927
| 2000 | 454424
| 2010 | 473955
| 2020 | 477393
|align = none
| footnote =
}}

==History==
The area of Ōita city was part of ancient [[Bungo Province]], and the location of the [[Bungo Kokubun-ji]] and presumably the Bungo ''[[kokufu]]'' were located in this area. According to the [[Fudoki|''Bungo no Kuni Fudoki'']], the name ''Ōita'' was given by [[Emperor Keiko]] when he visited this area in the late [[Kofun period]]; however, the main urban center was the port of {{nihongo|Funai|府内}} on the coast. During the [[Kamakura period]], the [[Ōtomo clan]] was appointed ''[[shugo]]'' of the province, and made Funai their ''[[jōkamachi]]''. By the [[Sengoku period]], the Ōtomo has conquered most of Kyushu and had embraced [[Nanban trade|Nanban culture]], with Funai becoming a stronghold of the [[Kirishitan]] religion and western technology. However, the Ōtomo were destroyed by the [[Shimazu clan]] and after the establishment of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]], their territories were divided, with Funai becoming the center of [[Funai Domain]] ruled by the [[Matsudaira clan|Ogyū-Matsudaira clan]].

The town of Ōita was established on May 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system, and was raised to city status in 1911. On April 1, 1997, it was designated as a [[Core cities of Japan|core city]] with greater local autonomy.

On January 1, 2005, the town of [[Notsuharu, Ōita|Notsuharu]] (from [[Ōita District, Ōita|Ōita District]]) and the town of [[Saganoseki, Ōita|Saganoseki]] (from [[Kitaamabe District, Ōita|Kitaamabe District]]) were merged into Ōita.

==Government==
Ōita has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city council of 44 members. Ōita contributes 13 members to the Ōita Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the [[Ōita 1st district]] and [[Ōita 2nd district]] of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].

== Economy ==
{{Unreferencedsect|date=December 2023}}
During the 1960s and 1970s, an [[industrial region]] was formed along the Beppu Gulf coast. Among the plants in the region were flagship plants of [[Nippon Steel]] and [[Showa Denko]].

In the 1970s, [[Toshiba]] and [[Canon (company)|Canon]] built and expanded their plants in inland area. By then, the city emerged as a major production center of electronics products such as [[Integrated circuit#SSI, MSI, LSI|LSIs]] and [[digital camera]]s.

The downtown and shopping districts are located to the north of [[Oita Station]]. However, the area has been gradually declining because the main commercial areas have been dispersed due to the construction of big [[shopping mall]]s in the suburbs.

==Education==
===National universities===
*[[Oita University]]

===Prefectural universities===
*[[Oita University of Nursing and Health Sciences]]
*[[Oita Prefectural College of Arts and Culture]]

===Private universities===
*[[Nippon Bunri University]]
*[[Beppu University]] – Oita Campus
*[[Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University]]
*[[Oita Junior College]]

===Primary and secondary schools===
Ōita has 54 public elementary schools, 25 public junior high schools, and two combined elementary/junior high schools operated by the city government. The city has 14 public high schools and one combined middle/high school operated by the Ōita Prefectural Board of Education, six private high schools and three private combined middle/high schools. The city also operates four and the prefecture operates one special education schools for the handicapped.

==Transportation==
===Airports===
*[[Oita Airport]] is located in neighbouring [[Kunisaki, Oita|Kunisaki]], and used to be accessible in 30 minutes via [[hovercraft]]. This service has been suspended since late 2009, but the hovercraft service is planned to resume in fall of 2024.<ref>[https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/general-news/20230903-134235/ "Hovercraft to Return to Oita, Ferrying Passengers to Airport"] ''The Japan News'' September 3, 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2024. </ref> Other ways of accessing the airport include by bus, taxi or private vehicle.

===Railways===
The luxury ''[[Aru Ressha]]'' train was designed by [[Eiji Mitooka]]. It runs between Ōita and Hita and is in service to also revive tourism and the local economy.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/08/08/national/luxury-dream-train-designed-over-100-years-ago-goes-into-service-in-kyushu/#.VeV_hn3Qgse |title=Luxury 'dream train' designed over 100 years ago goes into service in Kyushu |date=August 8, 2015 |newspaper=[[The Japan Times]] |location=Tokyo |language=en |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929083551if_/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/08/08/national/luxury-dream-train-designed-over-100-years-ago-goes-into-service-in-kyushu/#.VgpNduj7SUk |archive-date=29 September 2015}}</ref>
[[File:JR logo (west).svg|frameless|20x20px]] [[Kyushu Railway Company|JR Kyushu]] - [[Nippō Main Line]]
* {{STN|Nishi-Ōita}} - {{STN|Ōita}} - {{STN|Maki|Ōita}} - {{STN|Takajō}} - {{STN|Tsurusaki}} - {{STN|Ōzai}} - {{STN|Sakanoichi}} - {{STN|Kōzaki|Ōita}}
[[File:JR logo (west).svg|frameless|20x20px]] [[Kyushu Railway Company|JR Kyushu]] - [[Hōhi Main Line]]
* {{STN|Takenaka}} - {{STN|Naka-Handa}} - {{STN|Ōita-Daigaku-mae}} - {{STN|Shikido}} - {{STN|Takio}} - {{STN|Ōita}}
[[File:JR logo (west).svg|frameless|20x20px]] [[Kyushu Railway Company|JR Kyushu]] - [[Kyūdai Main Line]]
* {{STN|Bungo-Kokubu}} - {{STN|Kaku}} - {{STN|Minami-Ōita}} - {{STN|Furugō}} - {{STN|Ōita}}

=== Highways ===
[[File:Japan National Route 10 at Oita Oita.JPG|thumb|Japan National Route 10 at Oita, Oita]]
* [[File:JP Expressway E10.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] [[Higashikyushu Expressway]]
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|10}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|57}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|197}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|210}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|217}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|442}}

===Ports===
*[[Port of Oita]]

==Sister city relations==
* {{flagdeco|Portugal}} - [[Aveiro, Portugal]], sister city since October 1978
* {{flagdeco|USA}} - [[Austin, Texas]], United States, sister city since October 1990
* {{flagdeco|China}} - [[Wuhan]], China, friendship city since September 1979
* {{flagdeco|China}} - [[Guangzhou]], China, Exchange promotion city partnership since September 1997

== Local attractions ==
[[File:Marine Palace UmiTamago.jpg|thumb|Marine Palace AKA "Umi Tamago"]]
[[File:Takasaki Mountain.JPG|right|thumb|Takasaki Mountain]]

* {{Nihongo|[[Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden|Takasaki Mountain]]|高崎山}} that borders [[Beppu]] is famous for wild monkeys, specifically the [[Japanese macaque]]. Facing the entrance to the Takasaki-yama park is the "[[Oita Marine Palace Aquarium]]", also known as "Umi-Tamago", or "Sea Egg".<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://umitamago.jp/ | title=大分マリーンパレス水族館「うみたまご」公式サイト | access-date=10 January 2019}}</ref>
*[[Resonac Dome Oita]] (originally the Ōita Stadium), also known as Big Eye, is situated along the city expressway. It is the home field of the [[J.League]] football club [[Oita Trinita|Ōita Trinita]] and is used for large local events.

== Sports ==
Annual sporting events include:
* [[Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon]], which traces a path between Ōita and its neighbouring city of [[Beppu]]. The competition has been held every year since 1952 and is classed as an [[IAAF]] Silver Label road race.<ref>[https://www.arrs.run/HP_BpOMa.htm Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon]. [[Association of Road Racing Statisticians|ARRS]] (2009-12-24). Retrieved on 2010-02-08.</ref>
* The [[Kyūshū Ekiden]], beginning in [[Nagasaki, Nagasaki|Nagasaki]] and ending in [[Fukuoka, Fukuoka|Fukuoka]], the world's longest [[relay race]]

Sporting events held in Oita include:
*1966 [[National Sports Festival of Japan]]
*2001 [[Kirin Cup]]
*[[2002 FIFA World Cup]]
*2003, 2006, 2007 [[Kirin Challenge Cup]]
*2005 [[J. League All-Star Soccer]]
*[[2019 Rugby World Cup]]

=== Sports teams and facilities ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Club
! Sports
! League
! Venue
! Established
|-
| [[Oita Trinita|Ōita Trinita]]
| [[Football (soccer)|Football]]
| [[J.League]] Division 1
| [[Resonac Dome Oita]]
| 1994 (as Ōita Trinity, changed to current name in 1999)
|-
| [[Vasagey Oita]]
| [[Futsal]]
| [[F.League]]
| Oita Prefectural General Gymnasium
| 2003
|-
| [[Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler]]
| [[Volleyball]]
| [[V.League (Japan)|V.League]]
| [[Toto Ltd.|Toto]] Oita factory gymnasium
| 1996 (as Miyoshi Department of Cardiology EKG, changed to current name in 2006)
|}

==Notable people from Ōita==
*[[Mao Abe]], singer-songwriter
*[[Takamasa Anai]], judo wrestler
*[[Yuya Ando]], baseball player
*[[Chiyotaikai Ryūji]], sumo wrestler
*[[Eri Fukatsu]], actress
*[[Arata Isozaki]], architect
*[[Yūko Kotegawa]], actress
*[[Atsuhiro Miura]], football player
*[[Daisuke Miyazaki (handball player)|Daisuke Miyazaki]], handball player
*[[Tomiichi Murayama]], 81st [[Prime Minister of Japan]]
*[[Shigeichi Nagano]], photographer
*[[Yūsuke Santamaria]], [[tarento]]
*[[Rino Sashihara]], [[HKT48]], former [[AKB48]]
*[[Seiichi Uchikawa]], baseball player
*[[Naomi Zaizen]], actress
*[[Misa Eto]], former [[Nogizaka46]]
*[[Sosuke Genda]], baseball player
*[[Kenichi Shinoda]] (also known as [[Shinobu Tsukasa]]), [[Oyabun|yakuza godfather]], current ''kumicho'' of [[Yamaguchi-gumi]], [[Japan]]'s largest [[yakuza]] organization

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Oita}}
{{Commons category|Oita, Oita}}
*[http://www.city.oita.oita.jp Ōita City official website] {{in lang|ja}}
*[http://www.city.oita.oita.jp/en/index.html Ōita City official website] {{in lang|en}}

{{Oita}}
{{Metropolitan cities of Japan}}
{{Most populous cities in Japan}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oita, Oita}}
[[Category:Ōita (city)| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Ōita Prefecture]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Japan]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]

Tokushima (city)

2024-07-07T07:07:09Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{Infobox settlement
| name = Tokushima
| official_name =
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ja|徳島市}}}}
| settlement_type = [[Cities of Japan|City]]

| image_skyline = Tokushima Montage2.jpg
| image_caption = Top:[[:ja:吉野川大橋|Yoshino River Bridge]], Second:[[:ja:徳島市阿波おどり|Awa Odori on August]], Tokushima Station, Third:[[Mount Bizan]], Senshukaku Garden in [[Tokushima Castle]], Bottom:[[:ja:阿波十郎兵衛|Awa Jūrōbei House]], [[Aibahama Park]], all item for left to right
| image_flag = Flag of Tokushima, Tokushima.svg
| image_seal = Emblem of Tokushima, Tokushima.svg

| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-width=265|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=8}}
| image_map1 = Tokushima in Tokushima Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_caption = Location of Tokushima in Tokushima Prefecture
| coordinates = {{Coord|34|4|N|134|33|E|region:JP-23|display=it}}

| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name = {{JPN}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Shikoku]]
| subdivision_type2 = Prefecture
| subdivision_name2 ={{flag|Tokushima}}

| established_title = City Status
| established_date = October 1, 1889
| established_title2=
| established_date2=

| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = {{ill|Akiyoshi Endō|jp|遠藤彰良}}

| area_total_km2 = 191.52

| population_total = 249865
| population_as_of = July 1, 2022
| population_density_km2 =auto

| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time|JST]]
| utc_offset1 = +9

| postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code =

| blank_name_sec1 = Symbols
| blank_info_sec1 =  
| blank1_name_sec1 = • Tree
| blank1_info_sec1 = ''[[Elaeocarpus sylvestris]]''
| blank2_name_sec1 = • Flower
| blank2_info_sec1 = ''[[Prunus serrulata]]''

| blank_name_sec2 = Phone number
| blank_info_sec2 = 088-621-5111
| blank1_name_sec2 = Address
| blank1_info_sec2 = 2-5 Saiwaichō, Tokushima-shi, Tokushima-ken 770-8571

| website = {{Official|1=www.city.tokushima.tokushima.jp/}}
}}
{{nihongo|'''Tokushima'''|徳島市|Tokushima-shi|extra={{IPA-ja|tokɯ̥ꜜɕima|lang}}}} is the capital [[Cities of Japan|city]] of [[Tokushima Prefecture]] on [[Shikoku island]] in [[Japan]]. {{As of|2022|07|01}}, the city had an estimated [[population]] of 249,865 in 122085 households and a [[population density]] of 1305 persons per km².<ref name="Tokushima-hp">{{cite web |url=https://www.city.anan.tokushima.jp/top.html|title= Tokushima city official statistics|location= Japan|language= ja}}</ref> The total area of the city is {{convert|191.52|sqkm|sqmi}}.

==Geography==
The city is situated in the north-eastern part of Tokushima Prefecture at the mouth of the [[Yoshino River]]. In terms of layout and organization, Tokushima displays the typical characteristics of a [[Jōkamachi|Japanese castle town]]. Most of the city is located in the Tokushima plain and is flat, but the symbol of the city, Mt. Bizan, rises in the center, creating a scenic landscape. The southern part is a mountainous area with forests.

=== Mountains ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Name||Height||Notes
|-
| [[Mount Bizan|Bizan]] (眉山)
| 277 m ||
|-
| Shiroyama (城山)
| 62 m ||
|-
| Nakatsu Mineyama (中津峰山)
| 773 m ||{{small|The highest mountain in the Tokushima City district.}}
|-
| Nishi Ryuo-san (西竜王山)
| 495 m ||
|-
| Higashi Ryuo-san (東龍王山)
| 408m ||
|-
| Kinobeyama (気延山)
| 212 m ||
|-
| Bentenyama (弁天山)
| 6.1 m || {{small|Claimed to be the smallest natural mountain in Japan.}}
|}

===Rivers===
* [[Akui River]]
* [[Imagire River]]
* [[Shinmachi River]]
* [[Suketō River]]
* [[Yoshino River]]

=== Neighbouring municipalities ===
Tokushima Prefecture
* [[Komatsushima, Tokushima|Komatsushima]]
* [[Katsuura, Tokushima|Katsuura]]
* [[Matsushige, Tokushima|Matsushige]]
* [[Kitajima, Tokushima|Kitajima]]
* [[Aizumi, Tokushima|Aizumi]]
* [[Ishii, Tokushima|Ishii]]
* [[Kamiyama, Tokushima|Kamiyama]]
* [[Sanagōchi, Tokushima|Sanagōchi]]

==Demographics==
Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-tokushima.php Tokushima population statistics]</ref> the population of Tokushima has been growing steadily for the past century.

{{Historical populations
| 1920 | 140534
| 1930 | 158688
| 1940 | 164572
| 1950 | 177363
| 1960 | 203326
| 1970 | 223451
| 1980 | 249343
| 1990 | 263356
| 2000 | 268218
| 2010 | 264764
|align = none
| footnote =
}}

==Climate==
Tokushima has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfa'') with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is high, but there is a pronounced difference between the wetter summers and drier winters.

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Tokushima (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1891−present)
|Jan record high C = 22.5
|Feb record high C = 23.2
|Mar record high C = 26.4
|Apr record high C = 30.1
|May record high C = 32.9
|Jun record high C = 35.7
|Jul record high C = 38.4
|Aug record high C = 38.2
|Sep record high C = 36.2
|Oct record high C = 33.4
|Nov record high C = 27.1
|Dec record high C = 26.7
|Jan record low C = -5.4
|Feb record low C = -6.0
|Mar record low C = -3.6
|Apr record low C = -0.7
|May record low C = 4.6
|Jun record low C = 9.7
|Jul record low C = 15.3
|Aug record low C = 16.6
|Sep record low C = 11.9
|Oct record low C = 4.5
|Nov record low C = -1.3
|Dec record low C = -4.3
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 41.9
|Feb precipitation mm = 53.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 87.8
|Apr precipitation mm = 104.3
|May precipitation mm = 146.6
|Jun precipitation mm = 192.6
|Jul precipitation mm = 177.0
|Aug precipitation mm = 193.0
|Sep precipitation mm = 271.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 199.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 89.2
|Dec precipitation mm = 63.9
|year precipitation mm = 1619.9
|Jan mean C = 6.3
|Feb mean C = 6.8
|Mar mean C = 9.9
|Apr mean C = 15.0
|May mean C = 19.6
|Jun mean C = 23.0
|Jul mean C = 26.8
|Aug mean C = 28.1
|Sep mean C = 24.8
|Oct mean C = 19.3
|Nov mean C = 13.8
|Dec mean C = 8.7
|year mean C = 16.8
|Jan high C = 10.0
|Feb high C = 10.8
|Mar high C = 14.3
|Apr high C = 19.6
|May high C = 24.0
|Jun high C = 26.8
|Jul high C = 30.6
|Aug high C = 32.3
|Sep high C = 28.5
|Oct high C = 23.1
|Nov high C = 17.7
|Dec high C = 12.5
|year high C = 20.9
|Jan low C = 2.9
|Feb low C = 3.1
|Mar low C = 5.8
|Apr low C = 10.6
|May low C = 15.6
|Jun low C = 19.8
|Jul low C = 23.9
|Aug low C = 24.9
|Sep low C = 21.6
|Oct low C = 15.9
|Nov low C = 10.1
|Dec low C = 5.2
|year low C = 13.3
|Jan humidity = 61
|Feb humidity = 61
|Mar humidity = 61
|Apr humidity = 62
|May humidity = 67
|Jun humidity = 75
|Jul humidity = 77
|Aug humidity = 73
|Sep humidity = 72
|Oct humidity = 69
|Nov humidity = 66
|Dec humidity = 63
|year humidity = 67
|Jan sun = 160.3
|Feb sun = 152.5
|Mar sun = 179.8
|Apr sun = 197.9
|May sun = 205.7
|Jun sun = 151.9
|Jul sun = 192.0
|Aug sun = 230.6
|Sep sun = 162.0
|Oct sun = 163.6
|Nov sun = 150.4
|Dec sun = 160.1
|year sun = 2106.8
|Jan snow cm = 1
|Feb snow cm = 1
|Mar snow cm = 0
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 0
|Dec snow cm = 0
|year snow cm = 2
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 6.5
|Feb precipitation days = 7.1
|Mar precipitation days = 10.3
|Apr precipitation days = 10.1
|May precipitation days = 9.7
|Jun precipitation days = 13.2
|Jul precipitation days = 11.2
|Aug precipitation days = 9.0
|Sep precipitation days = 11.4
|Oct precipitation days = 9.4
|Nov precipitation days = 7.7
|Dec precipitation days = 6.5
|year precipitation days = 112.2
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=71&block_no=47895&year=&month=&day=&view=
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]
| access-date = May 19, 2021}}</ref>
}}

== History ==
As with all of Tokushima Prefecture, the area of Tokushima was part of ancient [[Awa Province (Tokushima)|Awa Province]]. Tokushima was developed around [[Tokushima Castle]], the seat of the [[Hachisuka clan]], ''[[daimyo]]'' of [[Tokushima Domain]] under the [[Edo Period]] [[Tokugawa shogunate]]. Its prosperity was built on a strong [[indigo dye]] industry. Following the [[Meiji restoration]], the city of Tokushima was established on October 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. At the time, it was the 10th largest city in Japan.

===World War II air raid===
Tokushima was selected as a target by the United States' [[XXI Bomber Command]] during [[World War II]] because of the city's role as an agricultural center for the region. On July 3, 1945, at 5:45 PM (JST) 137 aircraft took off to bomb Tokushima. 1,050 tons of incendiary bombs were dropped on Tokushima, destroying 74% of the built up areas of the city.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/61702152/21st-Bomber-Command-Tactical-Mission-Report-247-250-Ocr|title = 21st Bomber Command Tactical Mission Report 247, 250, Ocr | PDF | Aviation | Armed Conflict}}</ref> Over 1000 people were killed in the bombing (431 men, 553 women, 17 of unknown gender) and over 2000 people were injured. The number of incendiary bombs dropped on Tokushima City was enormous at 354,664, and since the population of Tokushima City was 115,508 in 1944, it is calculated that 3.07 incendiary bombs were dropped per citizen.

==Government==
Tokushima has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city council of 30 members. Tokushima contributes ten members to the [[Tokushima Prefectural Assembly]]. In terms of national politics, the city is part of [[Tokushima 1st district]] of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].

==Economy==
Tokushima has been the economic center of eastern Shikoku since the Edo period, when prospered as a distribution center for indigo and timber, and was one of the leading commercial cities in Japan. It has a deep connection with the [[Kansai region]] especially [[Osaka]], which has become even more prominent in modern times after the opening of the [[Akashi Kaikyo Bridge]]. Following the decline of the indigo industry, the accumulated wealth of the merchant class led to the development of banks and financial institutions, which in turn led to modern industries such as spinning, papermaking, pharmaceuticals, food processing and electric power. Although the city area was burnt to the ground due to the Tokushima air raid in World War II, it was quickly reconstructed. There are numerous [[industrial park]]s.

Agriculture and forestry both remain as major contributors the local economy. The Tokushima Plain in the Yoshino and Katsuura river basins have fertile agricultural land, and in addition to rice, some items such as cauliflower and carrots are major local products.

==Education==
===Universities and colleges===
* [[University of Tokushima]]
* [[Tokushima Bunri University]]
* [[Shikoku University]]

==Primary and secondary education==
Tokushima has 30 public elementary schools and 18 public middle schools operated by the city government and nine public high schools operated by the Tokushima Prefectural Department of Education. There are also one private elementary school, three private middle schools and five private high schools. The prefecture also operates one night school and four special education schools for the disabled.

==Transportation==

===Airport===
*[[Tokushima Airport]], which is located in neighboring town of Matsushige

===Railway===
[[File:JR_logo_(shikoku).svg|22 px]] [[Shikoku Railway Company]] – [[Kōtoku Line]]
* {{STN|Tokushima}} - {{STN|Sako}} - {{STN|Yoshinari}}
[[File:JR_logo_(shikoku).svg|22 px]] [[Shikoku Railway Company]] – [[Mugi Line]]
* {{STN|Tokushima}} - {{STN|Awa-Tomida}} - {{STN|Niken'ya}} - {{STN|Bunkanomori}} - {{STN|Jizōbashi}}
[[File:JR_logo_(shikoku).svg|22 px]] [[Shikoku Railway Company]] – [[Tokushima Line]]
* {{STN|Sako}} - {{STN|Kuramoto|Tokushima}} - {{STN|Akui}} - {{STN|Kō|Tokushima}}

=== Highways ===
* [[File:JP Expressway E11.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] [[Tokushima Expressway]]
* [[File:JP Expressway E55.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] [[Tokushima-Nanbu Expressway]]
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|11}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|28}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|55}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|192}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|195}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|318}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|438}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|439}}

== Sister cities ==
*{{flagdeco|United States}} [[Saginaw, Michigan|Saginaw]], [[Michigan]], United States, since December 1961
*{{flagdeco|Portugal}} [[Leiria]], Portugal, since October 1969
*{{flagdeco|PRC}} [[Dandong]], [[Liaoning]], China, since October 1991

==Local attractions==
*[[Tokushima Castle]]
*[[Tokushima Castle Museum]]
*[[Tokushima Archaeological Museum]]
*[[Tokushima Prefectural Museum]]
*[[Tokushima Domain Hachisuka clan cemetery]], National Historic Site
*[[Dainichi-ji (Tokushima)|Dainichi-ji]], 13th temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage
*[[Jōraku-ji (Tokushima)|Jōraku-ji]], 14th temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage
*[[Awa Kokubun-ji]], 15th temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage
*[[Kan'on-ji]], 16th temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage
*[[Ido-ji]], 17th temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage
*[[Shibunomaruyama Kofun]], National Historic Site
*[[Ichinomiya Shrine (Tokushima)|Ichinomiya Jinja]], one of the [[ichinomiya]] of former Awa Province

==Culture==
Every August, during the [[Obon Festival]], Tokushima holds a cultural dance festival, the [[Awa Dance Festival|Awa Odori]]. Awa Odori literally translates as "Awa Dance" ([[Awa Province (Tokushima)|Awa]] being Tokushima Prefecture's ancient name). During the festival, residents ranging from young children to professional dance troupes perform a distinctive style of Japanese traditional dance in regional costumes, accompanied by strings, drums, and singing (usually by the dancers themselves).

==Sports==
The city's [[Asty Tokushima]] arena hosted the official [[2007 Asian Basketball Championship]].

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Tokushima Station Bus Terminal.jpg|Tokushima Station Bus Terminal
File:Awa-odori in Tokushima City.jpg|Awa Dancing Festival, well-known Bon Festival
File:Tokushima Hachisuka Iemasa M3753.jpg|statue of [[Hachisuka Iemasa]]
</gallery>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Tokushima, Tokushima}}
* [http://www.city.tokushima.tokushima.jp Tokushima City official website] {{in lang|ja}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061005233334/http://www.city.tokushima.tokushima.jp/english/index.html Tokushima City official website] {{in lang|en}}
* {{Wikivoyage-inline|Tokushima}}
* {{osmrelation-inline|4058068}}
{{Tokushima}}

{{Metropolitan cities of Japan}}
{{Most populous cities in Japan}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Tokushima Prefecture]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Japan]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]
[[Category:1889 establishments in Japan]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1889]]
[[Category:Tokushima (city)| ]]

Shizuoka (city)

2024-07-07T07:00:53Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{Short description|City in Shizuoka prefecture, Japan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Shizuoka
| native_name = {{lower|0.1em|{{nobold|{{lang|ja|静岡市}}}}}}
| official_name = City of Shizuoka<ref name="CityOfficialWebsite">{{Cite web | url=https://www.city.shizuoka.lg.jp/foreign_languages.html | title=Foreign Languages | date=2019-09-10 | website=City of Shizuoka | agency=Public Relations Section, Mayor's Office, General Affairs Bureau | access-date=2020-10-30 | language=ja,en,zh,ko,es,pt | url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018050607/https://www.city.shizuoka.lg.jp/foreign_languages.html | archive-date =2020-10-18 | df=dmy-all}}</ref>
| settlement_type = [[Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan|Designated city]]

| image_skyline = 静岡市モンタージュ画像.png
| imagesize =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Top left: Aoba Symbol Road; Top right: [[Shimizu Port]] Middle: [[Tōkaidō Shinkansen]] & [[Urban area]] [[Aoi Tower]],Keyaki Street,Higashi-Shizuoka subcenter,Gofukucho, [[Kunozan Toshogu]]
| image_flag = Flag of Shizuoka, Shizuoka.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_blank_emblem = Emblem of Shizuoka, Shizuoka.svg
| blank_emblem_type = Emblem
| nickname =
| motto =

| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=8}}
| image_map1 = Location of Shizuoka city Shizuoka prefecture Japan.svg
| map_alt1 =
| map_caption1 = Location of Shizuoka in [[Shizuoka Prefecture]]
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =  
| coordinates = {{coord|34|58|32|N|138|22|58|E|region:JPN-22|display=it}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 

| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = [[Japan]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Chūbu region|Chūbu]] ([[Tōkai region|Tōkai]])
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Shizuoka Prefecture]]
| subdivision_type3 =
| subdivision_name3 =

| established_title = First official record
| established_date = 663 AD
| established_title2 = City Status
| established_date2 = {{start date and age|df=yes|1889|04|01|br=y}}
| founder =
| named_for =

| seat_type = 
| seat =

| government_footnotes = 
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = [[Takashi Namba]]
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 =

| total_type = 
| unit_pref = 

| area_magnitude = 
| area_footnotes = 
| area_total_km2 = 1,411.90
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =

| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m =

| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 677867
| population_as_of = September 1, 2023
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_est =
| pop_est_as_of =
| population_demonym = 
| population_note =
| population_metro_footnotes =

| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time]]
| utc_offset1 = +9

| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type = 
| area_code =

| blank_name_sec1 = Symbols
| blank_info_sec1 =  
| blank1_name_sec1 = • Tree
| blank1_info_sec1 = [[Cornus florida|Flowering dogwood]]
| blank2_name_sec1 = • Flower
| blank2_info_sec1 = [[Alcea rosea|Hollyhock]]
| blank3_name_sec1 = • Bird
| blank3_info_sec1 = [[Common kingfisher]]
| blank4_name_sec1 =
| blank4_info_sec1 =
| blank5_name_sec1 =
| blank5_info_sec1 =
| blank6_name_sec1 =
| blank6_info_sec1 =
| blank7_name_sec1 =
| blank7_info_sec1 =

| blank_name_sec2 = Phone number
| blank_info_sec2 = 054-254-2111
| blank1_name_sec2 = Address
| blank1_info_sec2 = 5-1 Ōtemachi, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka-ken 420-8602

| website = {{Official|1= http://www.city.shizuoka.jp }}
| footnotes =
}}
{{nihongo|'''Shizuoka'''|静岡市|Shizuoka-shi|extra={{IPAc-ja|si|zu|'|o|ka}}}} is the capital city of [[Shizuoka Prefecture]], [[Japan]], and the prefecture's second-largest city in both population and area. It has been populated since prehistoric times. {{As of|2023|09|01|post=,}} the city had an estimated [[population]] of 677,867 in 106,087 households,<ref name="Shizuoka City">{{cite web | url=http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/000_001588_00001.html | title=Tsukibetsu jinkō dēta（Shizuoka shi no jinkō setaisū | script-title=ja:月別人口データ（静岡市の人口・世帯数 | trans-title=Monthly population data (population and number of households in Shizuoka City) | date=2020-10-10 | language=ja | website=City of Shizuoka | agency=Shizuoka City Planning Bureau, Planning Division, Statistics Section | access-date=2020-10-30 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030040324/https://www.city.shizuoka.lg.jp/000_001588_00001.html | archive-date=2020-10-30 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all}}</ref> and a [[population density]] of {{convert|480|PD/km2}}.

==Overview==
The city's name is made up of two ''[[kanji]]'', {{lang|ja|静}} ''shizu'', meaning "still" or "calm"; and {{lang|ja|岡}} ''oka'', meaning "hill(s)".<ref name="PlacenamesOfTheWorld" /> In 1869, Shizuoka Domain was first created out of the older [[Sunpu Domain]], and that name was retained when the city was incorporated in 1885. In 2003, Shizuoka absorbed neighboring Shimizu City (now [[Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka|Shimizu Ward]]) to create the new and expanded city of Shizuoka, briefly becoming the largest city by land area in Japan. In 2005, it became one of Japan's "[[Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan|designated cities]]".

===Cityscapes===
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="Gallery" heights="120px" perrow="3">
File:Sunpu-castle tatsumi-yagura.JPG|[[Sunpu Castle]] (2014)
File:Shizuoka Station 201016a.jpg|[[Central Business District|CBD]] of Shizuoka City (2020)
File:Higashi-Shizuoka Panorama 05.jpg|[[Skyline]] of Shizuoka City (2021)
File:Shichikencho Street（3）.jpg|[[Downtown]] of Shichikenchō (2021)
File:Konyacho Shopping Street (Gofukucho Dori) 2.jpg|Konyachō (2021)
File:Ryogae-cho （1）.jpg|Ryōgaechō (2021)
File:S-pulse dream plaza 201016a.jpg|Port of Shimizu (2022)
File:The sunrise over the Shizuoka Plain seen from the Choseniwa.jpg|Sunrise of Shizuoka City (2020)
</gallery>

==Geography==
Shizuoka City lies in central [[Shizuoka Prefecture]], about halfway between [[Tokyo]] and [[Nagoya]] along the [[Taiheiyō Belt|Tōkaidō Corridor]], between [[Suruga Bay]] to the south and the [[Akaishi Mountains|Minami Alps]] in the north. Shizuoka had the largest area of any municipality in Japan after merging with Shimizu City in April 2003, until February 2005, when [[Takayama, Gifu|Takayama]] in [[Gifu Prefecture]] superseded it by merging with nine surrounding municipalities.

The total area of the city is {{convert|1411.90|km2|sqmi|2|abbr=on}}.<ref name=2015stats>{{Cite web |url=http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/000163754.pdf |title=Shizuoka statistics |access-date=5 January 2016 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304131531/http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/000163754.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Shizuoka is the 5th largest city in Japan in terms of geographic area after Takayama, [[Hamamatsu]], [[Nikkō, Tochigi|Nikkō]], and [[Kitami, Hokkaido|Kitami]]. It is also the 2nd largest city in Shizuoka Prefecture in terms of both geographic area and population after [[Hamamatsu]], but ranks higher as an [[Urban Employment Area]],<ref name="2015_UEA_Data">{{Cite web | first1=Yoshitsugu | last1=Kanemoto | title=Urban Employment Area Population Data, Metropolitan Employment Area (MEA) (2015 Standards) | url=http://www.csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/UEA/MEA2015P.csv | website=Center for Spatial Information Science | language=ja,en |publisher=[[University of Tokyo]] | format=CSV | access-date=2010-10-30 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322072115/http://www.csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/UEA/MEA2015P.csv | archive-date=2019-03-22 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all}}</ref> and leads as a [[metropolitan area]] and business region.

The fan-like shape of the Shizuoka Plain and Miho Peninsula were formed over the ages by the fast-flowing [[Abe River]], carrying along collapsed sand and earth. These areas form the foundations of the city today.<ref name="APWS242" />{{rp|page=242}} The isolated [[Mount Kunō]] separates the Suruga coastline from the Shimizu coastline.
{{clear|left}}

=== Basic data ===
* Area of densely populated region
**{{convert|103.99|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
* Urban planning area
**{{convert|234.80|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
* Area zoned for urbanization
**{{convert|104.0|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}

===Nature===
[[File:Mount Aino fom Mount Kita 2001-7-2.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of Mount Aino|[[Mount Aino]], one of the [[100 Famous Japanese Mountains]], and the fourth tallest peak in Japan]]
[[File:Hatanagi I Dam 2007-11-14.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Photograph of Hatanagi-I Dam|The hydroelectric [[Hatanagi-I Dam]]—tallest [[concrete]] [[gravity dam]] in the world ]]
{{colbegin|colwidth=20em}}

====Mountains====
*{{nihongo|[[Mount Aino]]|間ノ岳|Aino-dake}}
*{{nihongo|[[Mount Shiomi]]|塩見岳|Shiomi-dake}}
*{{nihongo|[[Mount Warusawa]]|悪沢岳(荒川岳)|Warusawa-dake (Arakawa-dake)}}
*{{nihongo|[[Mount Akaishi]]|赤石岳|Akaishi-dake}}
*{{nihongo|[[Mount Hijiri]]|聖岳|Hijiri-dake}}
*{{nihongo|[[Mount Tekari]]|光岳|Tekari-dake}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Yanbushi|山伏|Yanbushi}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Daimugen|大無間山|Daimugen-zan}}
*{{nihongo|Mankan Pass|満観峠|Mankan-tōge}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Mafuji|真富士山|Mafuji-san}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Jūmai|十枚山|Jūmai-san}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Ryūsō|竜爪山|Ryūsō-zan}}
*{{nihongo|[[Mount Shizuhata]]|賤機山|Shizuhata-yama}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Yatsu|谷津山|Yatsu-yama}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Yahata|八幡山|Yahata-san}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Udo ([[Nihondaira]])|有度山(日本平)|Udo-san (Nihondaira)}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Kajiwara|梶原山|Kajiwara-yama}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Satta (Satta Pass)|薩埵山(薩埵峠)|Satta-yama (Satta-tōge)}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Hamaishi|浜石岳|Hamaishi-dake}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Ōmaru|大丸山|Ōmaru-yama}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Ōhira|大平山|Ōhira-yama}}

====Rivers====
*{{nihongo|[[Ōi River]]|大井川|Ōi-gawa}} (upstream)
*{{nihongo|[[Abe River]]|安倍川}}
*{{nihongo|Warashina River|藁科川|Warashina-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Mariko River|丸子川|Mariko-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Tomoe River|巴川|Tomoe-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Ōya River Drainage Ditch|大谷川放水路|Ōya-gawa Hōsui-ro}}
*{{nihongo|Nagao River|長尾川|Nagao-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|[[Fuji River]]|富士川|Fuji-kawa}}
*{{nihongo|Okitsu River|興津川|Okitsu-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Ōzawa River|大沢川|Ōzawa-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Ihara River|庵原川|Ihara-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Yamakiri River|山切川|Yamakiri-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Nakagōchi River|中河内川|Nakagōchi-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Ōhashi River|大橋川|Ōhashi-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Kogōchi River|小河内川(興津川支流)|Kogōchi-gawa}}

====Lakes====
*{{nihongo|Lake Ikawa|井川湖|Ikawa-ko}} ([[Ikawa Dam]])
*{{nihongo|Lake Hatanagi|畑薙湖|Hatanagi-ko}} ([[Hatanagi-I Dam]])
*{{nihongo|Asahata Marsh (Asahata Anti-flood Pond)|麻機沼(麻機遊水地)|Asahata-numa (Asahata Yūsuichi)}}
*{{nihongo|Kujira Pond|鯨ヶ池|Kujira-ike}}
*{{nihongo|Udosaka Pond|有東坂池|Udosaka-ike}}
*{{nihongo|Futatsu Pond (Oshika Pond)|二ツ池(小鹿池)|Futatsu-ike (Oshika-ike)}}
*{{nihongo|Funakoshi Dike|船越堤|Funakoshi-tsutsumi}}
{{colend}}

===Climate===
On the south-central Pacific coast Shizuoka has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfa''), which is hot and humid in the summer, and rarely snows in the winter.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/monthly_s3_en.php?block_no=47656&view=14 | title=Monthly total of snowfall depth (cm) | date=2020 | website=[[Japan Meteorological Agency]] | access-date=2020-10-30 | df=dmy-all}}</ref> It is close to the warm [[Kuroshio Current]] and is wet even by Japanese standards with only slightly less precipitation than [[Kanazawa]] on the opposite side of Honshū, but it is paradoxically the sunniest of Japan's major cities owing to the absence of summer fog and its sheltered location from the northwesterly winds off the [[Sea of Japan]]. Further north, the mountainous [[Ikawa, Shizuoka|Ikawa]] area is part of the Japanese [[Snow country (Japan)|snow country]], where there are ski areas.

{{Weather box
|width=auto
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Shizuoka (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1940−present)
|Jan record high C = 25.7
|Feb record high C = 26.2
|Mar record high C = 28.0
|Apr record high C = 33.3
|May record high C = 33.9
|Jun record high C = 38.3
|Jul record high C = 40.0
|Aug record high C = 38.7
|Sep record high C = 37.1
|Oct record high C = 33.9
|Nov record high C = 28.0
|Dec record high C = 24.5
|Jan record low C = -6.8
|Feb record low C = -5.8
|Mar record low C = -4.6
|Apr record low C = -1.4
|May record low C = 5.1
|Jun record low C = 12.5
|Jul record low C = 15.4
|Aug record low C = 16.9
|Sep record low C = 10.6
|Oct record low C = 3.9
|Nov record low C = -1.7
|Dec record low C = -5.1
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 79.6
|Feb precipitation mm = 105.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 207.1
|Apr precipitation mm = 222.2
|May precipitation mm = 215.3
|Jun precipitation mm = 268.9
|Jul precipitation mm = 296.6
|Aug precipitation mm = 186.5
|Sep precipitation mm = 280.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 250.3
|Nov precipitation mm = 134.2
|Dec precipitation mm = 80.7
|year precipitation mm = 2327.3
|Jan mean C = 6.9
|Feb mean C = 7.7
|Mar mean C = 10.7
|Apr mean C = 15.2
|May mean C = 19.2
|Jun mean C = 22.4
|Jul mean C = 26.1
|Aug mean C = 27.4
|Sep mean C = 24.5
|Oct mean C = 19.4
|Nov mean C = 14.3
|Dec mean C = 9.3
|year mean C = 16.9
|Jan high C = 11.7
|Feb high C = 12.6
|Mar high C = 15.5
|Apr high C = 19.8
|May high C = 23.5
|Jun high C = 26.1
|Jul high C = 29.9
|Aug high C = 31.3
|Sep high C = 28.4
|Oct high C = 23.6
|Nov high C = 18.8
|Dec high C = 14.1
|year high C = 21.3
|Jan low C = 2.1
|Feb low C = 2.9
|Mar low C = 6.0
|Apr low C = 10.6
|May low C = 15.1
|Jun low C = 19.2
|Jul low C = 23.1
|Aug low C = 24.2
|Sep low C = 21.1
|Oct low C = 15.6
|Nov low C = 9.9
|Dec low C = 4.6
|year low C = 12.9
|Jan humidity = 57
|Feb humidity = 57
|Mar humidity = 62
|Apr humidity = 65
|May humidity = 71
|Jun humidity = 77
|Jul humidity = 79
|Aug humidity = 76
|Sep humidity = 75
|Oct humidity = 71
|Nov humidity = 67
|Dec humidity = 60
|year humidity = 68
|Jan sun = 207.9
|Feb sun = 187.5
|Mar sun = 189.9
|Apr sun = 189.7
|May sun = 192.0
|Jun sun = 135.9
|Jul sun = 157.9
|Aug sun = 201.8
|Sep sun = 157.3
|Oct sun = 157.7
|Nov sun = 173.3
|Dec sun = 200.5
|year sun = 2151.5
|Jan snow cm = 0
|Feb snow cm = 0
|Mar snow cm = 0
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 0
|Dec snow cm = 0
|year snow cm = 0
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 5.8
|Feb precipitation days = 6.5
|Mar precipitation days = 10.2
|Apr precipitation days = 10.5
|May precipitation days = 10.9
|Jun precipitation days = 13.6
|Jul precipitation days = 12.9
|Aug precipitation days = 10.6
|Sep precipitation days = 12.8
|Oct precipitation days = 10.9
|Nov precipitation days = 7.6
|Dec precipitation days = 6.1
|year precipitation days = 118.3
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=50&block_no=47656&year=&month=&day=&view=
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]
| access-date = May 19, 2021}}</ref>
}}

===Area===
[[File:Shizuoka wards.png|thumb|200px|alt=Coloured map|Wards of Shizuoka]]

====Wards====
;{{nihongo|[[Aoi-ku, Shizuoka|Aoi Ward]]|葵区|Aoi-ku}}
:Administrative center, made up of the former Shizuoka north of the [[Tōkaidō Main Line]] excluding [[Osada (Japan)|Osada]] district
;{{nihongo|[[Suruga-ku, Shizuoka|Suruga Ward]]|駿河区|Suruga-ku}}
:Former Shizuoka south of the Tōkaidō Main Line and Osada district
;{{nihongo|[[Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka|Shimizu Ward]]|清水区|Shimizu-ku}}
:Former city of Shimizu and towns of [[Kanbara, Shizuoka|Kanbara]] and [[Yui, Shizuoka|Yui]].

====Administrative district "image colours"====
On 22 December 2006, colours and logos were established for each of the wards.<ref>[http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/simin/sankucolor.html District Image Colours and Logo Marks] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928201448/http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/simin/sankucolor.html |date=28 September 2011 }}</ref>
{|class="wikitable"
! scope="row" | [[Aoi-ku, Shizuoka|Aoi Ward]]
|{{Color|#338958|■}} Aoi Ward Green
|-
! scope="row" | [[Suruga-ku, Shizuoka|Suruga Ward]]
|{{Color|#b22a3a|■}} Suruga Ward Red
|-
! scope="row" | [[Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka|Shimizu Ward]]
|{{Color|#58a7d1|■}} Shimizu Ward Blue
|}

===Demographics===
{{As of|2019|08|post=,}} the city had an estimated [[population]] of 704,989 in 286,013 households<ref name="Shizuoka City"/> and a [[population density]] of {{convert|507|PD/km2}}.

[[File:Shizuoka 2008-01-02.jpg|thumb|Shizuoka City seen from the South]]
{| class="wikitable"
! scope="col" | Demographic
! scope="col" | Population
! scope="col" | As of
|-
! scope="row" | Male
| align="right"| 343,339
| rowspan="3"|August 2019<ref name="Shizuoka City"/>
|-
! scope="row" | Female
| align=right| 361,651
|-
! scope="row" | Households
| align=right| 286,013<ref name="Shizuoka City"/>
|-
! scope="row" | Foreign
| align=right| 9,389
| May 2019<ref name="Shizuoka City"/>
|-
! scope="row" | Total
| align=right| 704,989
| August 2019<ref name="Shizuoka City"/>
|}

====Historic population====
Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-shizuoka.php Shizuoka population statistics]</ref> the population of Shizuoka has been declining slowly since 1990.

{{Historical populations
| 1940 | 395,189
| 1950 | 467,782
| 1960 | 576,482
| 1970 | 681,797
| 1980 | 727,260
| 1990 | 739,300
| 2000 | 729,980
| 2010 | 716,328
| 2020 | 693,389
|align = none
| footnote =
}}

===Bordering municipalities===
{{col-begin|width=auto}}
{{col-break}}
;{{flagdeco|Shizuoka}}[[Shizuoka Prefecture]]
*[[Fuji, Shizuoka|Fuji]]
*[[Fujieda, Shizuoka|Fujieda]]
*[[Yaizu, Shizuoka|Yaizu]]
*[[Shimada, Shizuoka|Shimada]]
*[[Fujinomiya, Shizuoka|Fujinomiya]]
*[[Kawanehon]] ([[Haibara District, Shizuoka|Haibara District]])
{{col-break|gap=2em}}
;{{flagdeco|Yamanashi}}[[Yamanashi Prefecture]]
*[[Minami-Alps, Yamanashi|Minami-Alps]]
*[[Hayakawa, Yamanashi|Hayakawa]] ([[Minamikoma District, Yamanashi|Minamikoma District]])
*[[Minobu, Yamanashi|Minobu]] ([[Minamikoma District, Yamanashi|Minamikoma District]])
*[[Nanbu, Yamanashi|Nanbu]] ([[Minamikoma District, Yamanashi|Minamikoma District]])
{{col-break|gap=2em}}
;{{flagdeco|Nagano}}[[Nagano Prefecture]]
*[[Iida, Nagano|Iida]]
*[[Ina, Nagano|Ina]]
*[[Ōshika, Nagano|Ōshika]] ([[Shimoina District, Nagano|Shimoina District]])
{{col-end}}

== History ==
[[File:Toro3.jpg|thumb|200px|Reconstructed building at the Toro archeological site]]
[[File:Suruga Kokubunji hondou.JPG|thumb|200px|Suruga Kokubunji]]
[[File:Sunpu castle tatsumiyagura.jpg|thumb|200px|Reconstructed Tatsumi [[Yagura (tower)|yagura]] of [[Sunpu Castle]] ]]

===Ancient history===
The area that is now the city of Shizuoka has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Numerous [[kofun]] have been found within the city limits, and the [[Toro (archaeological site)|Toro]] [[archaeological site]] indicates that a major [[Yayoi period]] (circa 400 BC–300 AD) settlement existed in what is now part of the central city area.

[[Suruga province|Suruga]] was established as a province of Japan in the early [[Nara period]]. At some point between the year 701 and 710, the provincial capital was relocated from what is now [[Numazu, Shizuoka|Numazu]], to a more central location on the banks of the [[Abe River]] at a location named {{nihongo|Sunpu|駿府}} (a contraction of {{nihongo|"Suruga no Kokufu"|駿河の国府}}) or alternatively {{nihongo|"Fuchū"|府中}}.

=== Pre-modern Shizuoka ===
During the [[Muromachi period]], Sunpu was the capital of the [[Imagawa clan]]. The Imagawa were defeated at the [[Battle of Okehazama]], and Sunpu was subsequently ruled by [[Takeda Shingen]], followed by [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]. However, [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] relocated Ieyasu, and installed Nakamura Kazutada to rule Sunpu. After the Toyotomi were defeated in the [[Battle of Sekigahara]], Ieyasu recovered Sunpu, reassigning it to his own retainer, [[Naitō Nobunari]] in 1601. This marked the start of [[Sunpu Domain]].

In April 1606, Ieyasu officially retired from the post of ''[[shōgun]]'', and retired to Sunpu, where he established a secondary court, from which he could influence ''Shōgun'' [[Tokugawa Hidetada]] from behind the scenes. Subsequently, aside for brief periods, Sunpu was ''[[Tokugawa shogunate|tenryō]]'' (territory under direct administration by the Shogunate), ruled by the {{nihongo|''[[Sunpu jōdai]]''|駿府城代}}, an appointed official based in Sunpu.

===From the Meiji period to World War II===
In 1869, after the fall of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]], the former shogunal line, headed by [[Tokugawa Iesato]] was sent to Sunpu and assigned the short-lived [[Sunpu Domain]]. The same year, Sunpu was renamed "Shizuoka". Shizuoka Domain became [[Shizuoka Prefecture]] with the [[abolition of the han system]] in 1871, which was expanded in 1876 through merger with the former Hamamatsu Prefecture and western portions of [[Ashigaru Prefecture]] in 1876. [[Shizuoka Station]] on the [[Tōkaidō Main Line]] was opened on 1 February 1889. The same day, a fire burned down most of downtown Shizuoka.

The modern city was founded on 1 April 1889. At the time, the population was 37,681, and Shizuoka was one of the first 31 cities established in Japan.

An electric [[tram]] service began in 1911. In 1914, due to heavy rains caused by a [[typhoon]], the [[Abe River]] flooded, inundating the downtown area.<ref>{{cite journal | trans-title=The landslide dam and outburst floods at Warabino area of the Abe River in 1914 | script-title=ja:安倍川中流・蕨野地区の西側山腹崩壊で生じた河道閉塞と１９１４年の水害 | last1=Inoue | first1=Kimio | first2=Junichi | last2=Kanbara | first3=Kazushi | last3= Motohashi | first4=Yasuhiro | last4=Watanabe | journal=Journal of the Japan Society of Erosion Control Engineering | volume=61 | issue=2 | pages=30{{hyphen}}35 | date=2008-07-15 | language=ja,en | publisher=[[Japan Society of Civil Engineers|Japan Society of Erosion Control Engineering]] | doi=10.11475/sabo.61.2_30 | df=dmy-all}}</ref> In the national census of 1920, the population of Shizuoka was 74,093. The area of the city continued to expand through the 1920s and 1930s through merger with outlying towns and villages. In 1935, the city was struck by a 6.4 magnitude [[earthquake]], resulting in much damage. Although soon rebuilt, a large fire in 1940 again destroyed much of the center of the city.

During [[World War II]], Shizuoka lacked targets of major military significance, and was initially only lightly bombed during several [[Japan campaign|American air raids]]. However, in a major [[firebombing]] [[Bombing of Shizuoka in World War II|raid of 19 June 1945]], the city suffered an extreme amount of damage with high civilian casualties.

===Post-war Shizuoka===
The area of the city continued to expand through the 1950s and 1960s through merger with outlying towns and villages. On 1 October 1964, the [[Tōkaidō Shinkansen]] began services to Shizuoka, and on 25 April 1969 the city was connected to the [[Tōmei Expressway]]. On 7 July 1974, the Abe River flooded, and landslides occurred during heavy rains, killing 23 people.{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}
On 16 August 1980, a major gas leak in an underground shopping center near Shizuoka Station resulted in an explosion, killing 15 people and seriously injuring 233 others. The Shizuoka City Hall moved to new premises in 1986. On 1 April 1992, Shizuoka was designated a [[Core cities of Japan|core city]] by the central government, giving it increased autonomy.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20130629153438/http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000215647.pdf List of Core Cities, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications</ref>

The 1 April 2003 [[Municipal mergers and dissolutions in Japan|merger]] with Shimizu City (current [[Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka|Shimizu Ward]]) greatly expanded the area and population of Shizuoka,<ref>[http://www.city.shizuoka.jp.e.qv.hp.transer.com/556_000097.html Shizuoka city home page, Shimizu merger documents]</ref> which then became a [[Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan|designated city]] on 1 April 2005,<ref name="DecodingBoundaries148" /> and was divided into three wards. {{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}

Despite being somewhat geographically isolated from the rest of the city, the town of [[Kanbara, Shizuoka|Kanbara]] (from [[Ihara District, Shizuoka|Ihara District]]) was merged into Shizuoka on 31 March 2006,<ref>[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20060411f1.html City mergers seen tailing off as the initial excitement fades | The Japan Times]</ref> becoming part of Shimizu-ku. On 1 November 2008, the town of [[Yui, Shizuoka|Yui]] (also from [[Ihara District, Shizuoka|Ihara District]]) was also merged into Shimizu-ku, resulting in the dissolution of Ihara District.<ref>http://www.city.shizuoka.jp.e.qv.hp.transer.com/000_001670.html Shizuoka city home page, Yui merger documents</ref>

==Government==
[[File:Shizuoka Prefectural Government Office Main Building 201910.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Shizuoka Prefecture|Shizuoka Prefectural Government Office]]]]
[[File:Shizuoka City Hall (3).jpg|thumb|200px|left|Shizuoka City Hall]]
Shizuoka has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city legislature of 48 members. The city contributes 13 members to the Shizuoka Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between [[Shizuoka 1st district]] and Shizuoka 4th district in the [[House of Representatives (Japan)|lower house]] of the [[Japanese Diet]].

===Mayors===
====Former Shizuoka city from 1889 to 2003====
{{col-start}}
{{col-3}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Mayors of Shizuoka (from 1889 to 2003)
|-
! scope="col" | Term
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Start
! scope="col" | Finish
|-
! scope="row" |1
|Tetsutaro Hoshino (星野鉄太郎)||13 May 1889||17 April 1902
|-
! scope="row" |2
|Hiroyasu Nagashima (長嶋弘裕)||14 May 1902||13 May 1914
|-
! scope="row" |3
|Keisuke Komori (小森慶助)||28 May 1914||27 May 1918
|-
! scope="row" |4
|Kinpei Banno (伴野欣平)||18 June 1918||2 July 1926
|-
! scope="row" |5
|Genzaburo Kojima (小島源三郎)||8 September 1926||7 September 1929
|-
! scope="row" |6
|Michinosuke Miyazaki (宮崎通之助)||3 March 1931||25 January 1933
|}
{{col-3}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Mayors of Shizuoka (from 1889 to 2003)
|-
! scope="col" | Term
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Start
! scope="col" | Finish
|-
! scope="row" |7
|Sadahito Suga (菅貞仁)||14 March 1933||12 August 1935
|-
! scope="row" |8
|Motojiro Ozaki (尾崎元次郎)||12 October 1935||30 June 1938
|-
! scope="row" |9
|Seiji Inamori (稲森誠次)||29 August 1938||5 August 1942
|-
! scope="row" |10
|Motojiro Ozaki (second term)||7 October 1942||21 August 1944
|-
! scope="row" |11
|Michinosuke Miyazaki (second term)||11 September 1944||11 November 1946
|-
! scope="row" |12
|Shigeru Masuda (増田茂)||5 April 1947||9 April 1955
|}
{{col-3}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Mayors of Shizuoka (from 1889 to 2003)
|-
! scope="col" | Term
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Start
! scope="col" | Finish
|-
! scope="row" |13
|Jyunsaku Yamada (山田順策)||2 May 1955||1 May 1959
|-
! scope="row" |14
|Hikoo Matsunaga (松永彦雄)||2 May 1959||1 May 1963
|-
! scope="row" |15
|Jyunpei Ogino (荻野準平)||2 May 1963||1 May 1983
|-
! scope="row" |16
|Daigo Kawai (河合代悟)||2 May 1983||1 May 1987
|-
! scope="row" |17
|Shingo Amano (天野進吾)||2 May 1987||31 July 1994
|-
! scope="row" |18
|Zenkichi Kojima (小嶋善吉)||28 August 1994||31 March 2003
|}
{{col-end}}

====Former Shimizu city from 1924 to 2003====
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Mayors of Shimizu (from 1924 to 2003)
|-
! scope="col" | Term
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Start
! scope="col" | Finish
|-
! scope="row" |1
|Yozo Oshima (大島要蔵)||7 July 1924||9 September 1925
|-
! scope="row" |2
|Katsushiro Yamada (山田勝四郎)||13 January 1926||8 March 1929
|-
! scope="row" |3
|Tokisaburo Shiobara (塩原時三郎)||12 October 1929||22 February 1932
|-
! scope="row" |4
|Enao Oishi (大石恵直)||18 March 1932||14 June 1937
|-
! scope="row" |5
|Katsushiro Yamada (second term)||11 July 1937||15 November 1946
|-
! scope="row" |6
|Masaharu Yamamoto (山本正治)||6 April 1947||7 April 1955
|-
! scope="row" |7
|Heiichiro Suzuki (鈴木平一郎)||30 April 1955||30 April 1959
|-
! scope="row" |8
|Toru Ina (稲名徹)||1 May 1959||22 July 1960
|-
! scope="row" |9
|Kamezo Ina (稲名亀造)||15 September 1960||12 September 1964
|-
! scope="row" |10
|Zensaku Ikegami (池上善作)||13 September 1964||6 July 1965
|-
! scope="row" |11
|Torajiro Sato (佐藤虎次郎)||20 August 1965||19 August 1977
|-
! scope="row" |12
|Yoshio Ina (稲名嘉男)||20 August 1977||19 August 1985
|-
! scope="row" |13
|Hiromasa Miyagishima (宮城島弘正)||20 August 1985||31 March 2003
|}
{{col-end}}

====Since 2003 merger====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Mayors of Shizuoka
|-
! scope="col" | Term
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Start
! scope="col" | Finish
|-
! scope="row" |1–2
|[[Zenkichi Kojima]]||14 April 2003||12 April 2011
|-
! scope="row" |3–6
|[[Nobuhiro Tanabe]]||13 April 2011||12 April 2023
|-
! scope="row" |7
| [[Takashi Namba]]||13 April 2023||current
|}

===Administration===
====Ward offices====
*'''Shizuoka City Office/Aoi Ward Office''': 5-1 Ōtemachi, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi 420-8602
**'''Aoi Ward Ikawa Branch Office''': 656-2 Ikawa, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi 428-0504
*'''Suruga Ward Office''': 10-40 Minamiyahata-chō, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka-shi 422-8550
**'''Suruga Ward Osada Branch Office''': 13-1 Kami-Kawahara Suruga-ku, Shizuoka-shi 421-0132
*'''Shimizu City Office/Shimizu Ward Office''': 6-9 Asahi-chō, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka-shi 424-8701
**'''Shimizu Ward Kanbara Branch Office''': 1-21-1 Kanbara Shinden, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka-shi 421-3211

==External relations==
===Twin towns – Sister cities===
Shizuoka has twin and friendship relationships with several cities.<ref>[http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/kokusai/kokusai_17_sister-cities_e.html International Sister Cities & Friendship Cities ‐ 静岡市] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612221901/http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/kokusai/kokusai_17_sister-cities_e.html |date=12 June 2008 }} Shizuoka website retrieved 8 July 2008</ref><ref>[http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/kokusai/sister_kokunai.e.html Domestic Sister Cities & Friendship Cities ‐ 静岡市] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317085207/http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/kokusai/sister_kokunai.e.html |date=17 March 2009 }} Shizuoka website retrieved 8 July 2008</ref>

====International====
;Sister cities
{|class="wikitable"
![[City]]!![[Country]]!![[State (polity)|State]]!!since
|-
|[[Stockton, California|Stockton]]
|{{Flagicon|USA}}[[United States]]
|[[California]]
|October 16, 1959
|-
|[[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]]
|{{Flagicon|USA}}[[United States]]
|[[Nebraska]]
|April 1, 1965
|-
|[[Shelbyville, Indiana|Shelbyville]]
|{{Flagicon|USA}}[[United States]]
|[[Indiana]]
|November 3, 1989
|-
|[[Cannes]]
|{{Flagicon|FRA}}[[France]]
|[[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]]
|November 5, 1991<ref name=International>{{cite web|url=http://www.clair.or.jp/cgi-bin/simai/e/03.cgi?p=22&n=Shizuoka%20Prefecture|title=International Exchange|work=List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures|publisher=Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR)|access-date=21 November 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113132810/http://www.clair.or.jp/cgi-bin/simai/e/03.cgi?p=22&n=Shizuoka%20Prefecture|archive-date=13 January 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
|}
;Friendship cities
{|class="wikitable"
![[City]]!![[Country]]!![[State (polity)|State]]!!since
|-
|[[Huế]]
|{{Flagicon|VIE}}[[Vietnam]]
|[[Thừa Thiên Huế province]]
|April 12, 2005
|}

====National====
;Sister cities
{|class="wikitable"
![[City]]!![[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]!![[List of regions of Japan|region]]!!since
|-
|[[Muroran, Hokkaido|Muroran]]
|{{Flagicon|Hokkaido}}[[Iburi Subprefecture|Iburi]]
|[[Hokkaido|Hokkaidō region]]
|December 24,1976
|-
|[[Jōetsu, Niigata|Jōetsu]]
|{{Flagicon|Niigata}}[[Niigata Prefecture|Niigata]]
|[[Chūbu region]]
|October 12, 1995
|}
;Friendship cities
{|class="wikitable"
![[City]]!![[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]!![[List of regions of Japan|region]]!!since
|-
|[[Saku, Nagano|Saku]]
|{{Flagicon|Nagano}}[[Nagano Prefecture|Nagano]]
|[[Chūbu region]]
|October 12, 1989
|}

== Economy ==
[[File:Shizuoka Metropolitan Employment Area 2010.svg|thumb|200px|A map showing Shizuoka [[Urban Employment Area|Metropolitan Employment Area]]]]
[[File:Mount Fuji and Shizuoka Station.jpg|thumb|200px|left|[[Mount Fuji]] and Shizuoka City]]
[[File:Bank of Japan Shizuoka Branch.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Bank of Japan]] Shizuoka Branch]]
[[File:Denmacho intersection 03.jpg|thumb|200px|left|[[Downtown]] Shizuoka City]]
[[File:BANDAI Hobby Center バンダイホビーセンター - panoramio.jpg|thumb|200px|Bandai Hobby Center]]
[[File:Miyukicho intersection（1）.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Miyukicho]]

Shizuoka has 35,579 businesses as of 2012.<ref name=2015stats/>

Employment by industry: Agriculture 0.1%, Manufacturing: 26.9%, Service 73.0%

Greater Shizuoka, Shizuoka [[Urban Employment Area|Metropolitan Employment Area]], has a GDP of US$45.8 billion as of 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/UEA/uea_data_e.htm|title = Metropolitan Employment Area (MEA) Data|author = Yoshitsugu Kanemoto|publisher = Center for Spatial Information Science, The [[University of Tokyo]]}}</ref><ref>[https://data.oecd.org/conversion/exchange-rates.htm Conversion rates - Exchange rates] - OECD Data</ref>

Shizuoka's GDP per capita (PPP) 2014 was US$41,472.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.brookings.edu/research/global-metro-monitor/|title = Global Metro Monitor|date = 30 November 2001}}</ref>

[[Fuji Dream Airlines]] is headquartered in [[Aoi-ku, Shizuoka]].<ref>"[http://www.fujidreamairlines.com/ 会社概要]." ''[[Fuji Dream Airlines]]''. Retrieved on 20 May 2009.</ref>

===Agriculture===
;[[Green tea]]: Varieties such as ''Motoyama'' and ''Yabukita'' are grown in all corners of the city, and the varieties grown especially in the Warashina area in Aoi Ward and the Ryōgōchi area of Shimizu Ward are known for their high quality
;[[Strawberry|Strawberries]]: {{nihongo|"Stonewall strawberries"|石垣いちご|ishigaki ichigo}} are strawberries that grow in holes on inclined stone walls, grown especially along an {{convert|8|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} stretch of Kunō Kaidō (route 150), also known as "Strawberry Road", along the coast of [[Suruga Bay]].<ref>''[http://shizuoka-guide.com/blog-trip/index.php?ID=112 What is cool and hot in this season – Strawberry Picking around Kuno]''</ref>
;[[Wasabi]] :especially in areas such as Utōgi in Aoi Ward
;[[Mandarin orange]] and other [[citrus]] fruits:especially [[Citrus unshiu|Satsuma]], a seedless and easy-peeling citrus mutant, known as {{nihongo|''mikan''|みかん}} or formally {{nihongo|''unshū mikan''|ウンシュウミカン}}<ref name="Hanelt" /><ref name="Wiersema" /><ref name="IPNI unshiu" /><ref name="GRIN" />
;[[Nelumbo nucifera|Lotus roots]]: especially in the Asahata area of Aoi Ward
;[[Rose]]s: especially in the Ihara and Okitsu areas in Shimizu Ward
;[[Peach]]es:especially in the Osada area:::
:'''[[Potato]]es'''
:Especially the Sebago potato. Originally exported to [[Crookwell, New South Wales|Crookwell]]

===Fishery===
Shimizu Port boasts the largest haul of [[tuna]] in all Japan.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}} Kanbara Harbour enjoys a prosperous haul of ''sakura ebi'', and Mochimune Harbour enjoys a prosperous haul of ''[[whitebait|shirasu]]'' sardines.

===Products===
''Abekawa Mochi'' is a type of rice cake (or ''[[mochi]]'') made with ''[[kinako]]'' soy flour that is a specialty of Shizuoka.

Shizuoka has a long history of being involved in the craft industries going back over 400 years ago, using trees, including {{lang|ja|[[Chamaecyparis obtusa|hinoki]]}} cypress. The model industry goes back to the late 1920s when wood was used to produce model toys, using [[sashimono]] woodworking joinery techniques, purely for educational purposes. Craftsmen later moved on to lighter woods including [[Ochroma pyramidale|balsa]], but following the war, with the importation of US built scale models, many companies either turned to plastic models to compete or went under.<ref>[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/product-description/4770028512 Amazon.co.uk: Master Modeler: Creating the Tamiya Style: Shunsaku Tamiya, Giles Murray: Books]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=T7RXfpXNORMC&dq=master+modeler+creating+the+tamiya+style&pg=PA21 田宮模型の仕事: Creating the Tamiya Style By Shunsaku Tamiya]</ref>

The town has since become internationally notable for its plastic [[scale model]] kits<ref>[http://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/a_foreign/english/glance/business.html Business & Industry]</ref> and is resident to long-established companies such as [[Aoshima Bunka Kyozai|Aoshima]], [[Fujimi Mokei|Fujimi]], [[Hasegawa Corporation|Hasegawa]], and [[Tamiya Corporation|Tamiya]]. Another model brand, [[Bandai]], produces its [[Gundam model]]s exclusively at its Bandai Hobby Center plant in the city.<ref>[http://en.gigazine.net/news/20100419_bandai_hobby_center_1/ Tour of Gundam Model Factory "Bandai Hobby Center" in Shizuoka - GIGAZINE]</ref> The city hosts the long-running Shizuoka Hobby Show annually in May at [[Twin Messe Shizuoka]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.shizuoka-cvb.or.jp/convention/scbEng/6e/6e.html |title=Record of Past International Conferences |access-date=8 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216044552/http://www.shizuoka-cvb.or.jp/convention/scbEng/6e/6e.html |archive-date=16 February 2008 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

== Media ==
[[File:Shizuoka Shimbun-SBS Building.jpg|right|thumb|alt=Photograph of SBS/Shizuoka Shimbun building|The headquarters of [[Shizuoka Broadcasting System]] (SBS) and the ''[[Shizuoka Shimbun]]'' newspaper]]

===Print media===
The ''[[Shizuoka Shimbun]]'' is the area's primary newspaper.

The book trilogy “Paper Gods” by Amanda Sun takes place in this city.

===Broadcast media===
====Television====
* [[NHK]] Shizuoka (Analogue Channel 9; Digital Channel 1)
* NHK Shizuoka Educational Channel (Analogue Channel 2; Digital Channel 2)
* [[Shizuoka Broadcasting System]] (SBS) (Analogue Channel 11; Digital Channel 6)
* [[TV Shizuoka]] (Analogue Channel 35; Digital Channel 8)
* [[Shizuoka Daiichi Television]] (Analogue Channel 31; Digital Channel 4)
* [[Shizuoka Asahi Television]] (Analogue Channel 33; Digital Channel 5)

====Cable television====
Shizuoka Cable Television (Dream Wave Shizuoka)

====Radio====
* NHK1 882 kHz
* NHK2 639 kHz
* NHK-FM 88.8 MHz
* SBS 1404 kHz / 93.9 MHz
* K-MIX 79.2 MHz
* FM-Hi！76.9 MHz
* Marine Pal (FM Shimizu) 76.3 MHz
* Guzen Media Japan—A podcast and vidcast based in Shizuoka, Japan<ref>{{cite web |url=http://guzenmediajapan.com/ |title=Home |website=guzenmediajapan.com}}</ref>

==Education==
[[File:Shizuoka University Shizuoka Campus 2.JPG|thumb|200px|alt=Photograph of Shizuoka University|The main campus of [[Shizuoka University]] ]]
[[File:Shizuoka Prefectural University Kusanagi Campus.jpg|thumb|200px|[[University of Shizuoka|Shizuoka Prefectural University]]]]

=== Colleges and universities ===
*[[Shizuoka University]]
:[[Japanese national university|National university]], founded 1949. Main campus in [[Suruga-ku, Shizuoka|Suruga Ward]]. Abbreviated to 静大 (''Shizudai'').
*[[University of Shizuoka]] ([[University of Shizuoka|Shizuoka Prefectural University]])
:[[Public university]] whose main campus is in [[Suruga-ku, Shizuoka|Suruga Ward]], close to [[Kusanagi Station (JR Central)|Kusanagi Station]].
*[[Tokai University]]
:[[Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka|Shimizu]] campus of the Tokyo-based private university
*[[Tokoha Gakuen University]]
:Private university founded in 1946
*[[Shizuoka Eiwa Gakuin University]]
:Co-educational [[private university]] in [[Suruga-ku, Shizuoka|Suruga Ward]], founded by missionaries from the [[Methodist Church of Canada]] with the support of the Shizuoka prefectural government. First institution in Shizuoka Prefecture to offer [[secondary education]] for girls, it became a four-year coeducational university in 2002.
*[[University of Shizuoka Junior College]]
:[[Junior college]] in [[Suruga-ku, Shizuoka|Suruga Ward]], affiliated with [[University of Shizuoka]].
*[[Tokai University Junior College]]
:[[Junior college]] in [[Aoi-ku, Shizuoka|Aoi Ward]], affiliated with [[Tokai University]].
*[[Tokoha Gakuen Junior College]]
:[[Junior college]] in [[Aoi-ku, Shizuoka|Aoi Ward]], affiliated with [[Tokoha Gakuen University]].

===Primary and secondary education===
Shizuoka has 91 elementary schools, 57 middle schools and 27 high schools. In addition there are 29 vocations schools and 12 public libraries.

== Transportation ==
[[File:Shizuoka Airport 20220724e.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Shizuoka Airport]]]]
[[File:Shizuoka station 02.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Shizuoka Station]] North exit ]]
[[File:Shin-Shizuoka Cenova 02.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Shin-Shizuoka Station|Shin-Shizuoka Cenova]]]]

===Airways===
====Airports====
The nearest airport is [[Shizuoka Airport]], situated between [[Makinohara, Shizuoka|Makinohara]] and [[Shimada, Shizuoka|Shimada]].

===Railways===
Shizuoka lies on the [[Tōkaidō Main Line]], the [[JR Central]] main railway line from Tokyo to Osaka, and is well-served by the [[Tōkaidō Shinkansen]], limited express and regional trains. The central station of Shizuoka is in the city centre. Shizuoka also has an [[Light rail|LRT]] line, the [[Shizuoka Railway Shizuoka-Shimizu Line|Shizuoka Railway]], administered by the [[Shizuoka Railway]] Co., Ltd. at [[Shizuoka Station]]. The under construction [[Chūō Shinkansen]] will pass through the mountainous area in the northern tip of the city. However, the line is not planned to have a station in Shizuoka.

====High-Speed Rail====
;[[File:JR logo (central).svg|20px]] [[Central Japan Railway Company]] (JR Tōkai)
*[[Tōkaidō Shinkansen]]: - '''{{STN|Shizuoka}}''' -

====Conventional lines====
;[[File:JR logo (central).svg|20px]] [[Central Japan Railway Company]] (JR Tōkai)
*[[Tōkaidō Main Line]]: - {{STN|Shin-Kambara}}{{•}}{{STN|Kambara}}{{•}}{{STN|Yui}}{{•}}{{STN|Okitsu}}{{•}}{{STN|Shimizu|Shizuoka}}{{•}}{{STN|Kusanagi|JR Central}}{{•}}{{STN|Higashi-Shizuoka}}{{•}}'''{{STN|Shizuoka}}'''{{•}}{{STN|Abekawa}}{{•}}{{STN|Mochimune}}{{•}} -
;[[File:Shizuoka Railway logo.jpg|15px]] [[Shizuoka Railway]] (Shizutetsu)
*[[Shizuoka Railway Shizuoka-Shimizu Line]]: '''{{STN|Shin-Shizuoka}}''' – {{STN|Hiyoshichō}} – {{STN|Otowachō}} – {{STN|Kasugachō}} – {{STN|Yunoki|Shizuoka, Shizuoka}} – {{STN|Naganuma|Shizuoka}} – {{STN|Furushō}} – {{STN|Ken-Sōgō Undōjō}} – {{STN|Kenritsu Bijutsukanmae}} – {{STN|Kusanagi|Shizuoka Railway}} – {{STN|Mikadodai}} – {{STN|Kitsunegasaki}} – {{STN|Sakurabashi|Shizuoka}} – {{STN|Irieoka}} – {{STN|Shin-Shimizu}}
;[[File:Daitetsu logomark.svg|15px]] [[Ōigawa Railway]] (Daitetsu)
*[[Ōigawa Railway Ikawa Line]]: - {{STN|Kanzō}} – {{STN|Ikawa}} -

===Buses===
====Buse terminal====
*[[Shin-Shizuoka Station|Shin-Shizuoka Cenova]]

===Roads===
====Expressway====
*[[File:JP Expressway E1.svg|24px|link=|alt=E1]] [[Tōmei Expressway]]
*[[File:JP Expressway E1A.svg|24px|link=|alt=E1A]] [[Shin-Tōmei Expressway]]
*[[File:JP Expressway E52.svg|24px|link=|alt=E52]] [[Chūbu-Ōdan Expressway]]

====Japan National Route====
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|1}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|52}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|149}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|150}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|362}}

===Seaways===
====Sea port====
The Port of Shimizu-ku, in Shimizu City (now [[Shimizu Ward]]), is a long established mid-size sea port, catering to container ships, dry bulk ships and cruise ships.<ref name="PortOfShimizu">{{cite web | url=https://www.portofshimizu-intl.com/ | title=Port of Shimizu | website=Shimizu Port Authority | access-date=2020-10-30 | language=en | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024050004/https://www.portofshimizu-intl.com/ | archive-date=2020-10-24 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all}}</ref>

It is well located, being in between the two major port areas of Japan, i.e. the [[Tokyo Bay]] ports of Tokyo, Kawasaki and Yokohama ([[Keihin region|Keihin]] ports) and the [[Osaka Bay]] ports of Osaka and Kobe ([[Hanshin Industrial Region|Hanshin]] ports). The Port of Shimizu has a water depth of about {{convert|12|m|ft}}; its attractiveness has been enhanced over the past years by the construction of new road and rail links which contribute to expanding its commercial hinterland.

In tonnage, imports (about {{convert|6.5|e6t}}) are close to twice export volumes, but in trade value exports are twice as valuable as imports.

The Port of Shimizu container traffic is about balanced, with over 250,000 [[Twenty-foot equivalent unit|TEU]] in each direction, with auto parts and chemicals amongst the main cargo types. Major international container lines provide weekly services on major trade routes, including North America, Europe and Asia, with about 110 calls per months on 28 trade routes.

The port of Shimizu also includes a terminal to receive [[LNG]] tankers and store imported Liquefied natural gas; it is operated by Shimizu LNG, a subsidiary of Shizuoka Gas (Japan is the world's largest importer of [[LNG]]).

The Port of Shimizu is also connected to other Japan ports. In particular, it is served by a Roll-on/roll-off service serving the port of [[Ōita Prefecture|Ōita]], on the north-east coast of the southern island of [[Kyushu]]. This service, which sails three times a week and has a transit time of 20 hours, has enabled a modal shift of freight trucks from road to sea, thereby contributing to decreasing congestion and pollution on roads.

==Tourism==
{{See also|Tourism in Japan}}
[[File:Shizuoka Schrein Kunozan tosho-gu 06.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Kunōzan Tōshō-gū]]]]
[[File:Shizuoka Sengen Shrine Ohaiden.jpg|right|thumb|alt=Photograph of Shizuoka Sengen Shrine|[[Shizuoka Sengen Shrine]] ]]
[[File:Tokaido20 Mariko.jpg|thumb|right|[[Hiroshige]]'s Mariko-juku]]

===Local attractions===
====Museums====
* [[Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art]]
* [[Shizuoka City Tokaido Hiroshige Museum of Art]]
* [[Museum of Natural and Environmental History, Shizuoka]]

===Major attractions===
* [[Nihondaira]]
* [[Miho no Matsubara]]

===Historic spots===
====In Aoi Ward====
;[[Shizuoka Sengen Shrine]]
:A collection of [[Shinto shrine]]s that was patronised by powerful warrior clans since ancient times, most notably the [[Tokugawa clan]].
;Sunpu Park/[[Sunpu Castle]] ruins
:The castle of the [[Imagawa clan|Imagawa]] and [[Tokugawa clan]]s, originally built in 1599, was destroyed in 1869. Today, only the moats remain. The rest was turned into a park, and is now a popular place for [[hanami]].

====In Suruga Ward====
;[[Toro, Shizuoka|Toro]]
:[[Yayoi period|Late Yayoi]] [[archaeological site]] notable as the first archaeological site excavated in Japan in which remains of a 1st-century AD Yayoi-era wet-rice [[Paddy field]]s were found.
;[[Kunōzan Tōshō-gū]]
:[[Shinto shrine]] that was the original burial place of [[Shōgun]] [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]], and the oldest of the [[Tōshō-gū]] shrines in Japan. The main festival of the shrine is held annually on 17 April, although its spring festival from 17–18 February is a larger event.<ref name="FestivalsOfJapan" />
;[[Mariko-juku]]
:Twentieth of the [[53 Stations of the Tōkaidō|fifty-three stations]] of the old [[Tōkaidō (road)|Tōkaidō]] road, an old travel route during the [[Edo period]].

====In Shimizu Ward====
;[[Miho Peninsula]]
:Famous for the scenic {{nihongo|[[Miho no Matsubara]]|三保の松原|Miho Pine Grove}}, renowned as a seashore with beautiful green [[pine trees]] and white sands spanning over seven kilometers, designated as one of {{nihongo|''[[New Three Views of Japan]]''|新日本三景|Shin Nihon Sankei}}. Also known as the scene of the legend of ''[[Hagoromo (play)|Hagoromo]]'', which is based on the traditional [[swan maiden]] motif.

==Culture==
===Festivals===
;{{nihongo|Daidogei World Cup|大道芸ワールドカップ|Daigougei Waarudo kappu}}: The [[Daidogei World Cup]] is an annual international [[street performer]]s' festival, held over various locations around the city in November over four days. It was first held in 1992.<ref>{{cite web | title=Daidogei World Cup 2022 | website=JapanTravel | url=https://en.japantravel.com/shizuoka/shizuoka-street-performance/39734 | access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref>

;{{nihongo|Shizuoka Festival|静岡まつり|Shizuoka Matsuri}}: The festival, which begun in 1957 but whose origins date back to traditions hundreds of years old, takes place in April, during the high point of the year for [[cherry blossoms]]. A flower-viewing procession echoes the [[shōgun]] [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]'s custom of taking ''[[daimyō]]s'' (feudal lords) to [[Shizuoka Sengen Shrine|Sengen Shrine]] to view the cherry blossoms in the 17th century.<ref>{{cite web | title=Origin of the Shizuoka Festival | website=Shizuoka Festival | url=https://shizuokamatsuri.com/en/knowledge/origin/ | access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref>

;{{nihongo|Abekawa Fireworks|安倍川花火|Abekawa Hanabi}}: A gigantic fireworks display held upstream on Shizuoka's [[Abekawa River]] in late July. It was first held 1953, to remember those who died during [[World War II]] and to pray for a national revival. Today, around 15,000 fireworks are .<ref>{{cite web | title=Abekawa River Fireworks Festival Details| website=Japan Travel by Navitime | date=13 December 2021 | url=https://japantravel.navitime.com/en/area/jp/spot/90012-ff00073/ | access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref>

===Cuisine===
;[[Oden]]
:a Japanese dish consisting of several ingredients such as boiled eggs, ''[[daikon]]'' radish, ''[[Conjac|konnyaku]],'' and processed fish cakes stewed in a light, [[Soy sauce|soy]]-flavoured ''[[dashi]]'' broth. Oden in Shizuoka uses a dark coloured broth flavoured with beef stock and dark soy sauce. All ingredients are skewered. Dried, ground fish (sardine, mackerel, or ''[[katsuobushi]]'') and ''[[aonori]]'' powder (edible seaweed) are sprinkled on top before eating.
:
;[[Gyoza]]
:
;[[Soba]] noodles
:
;[[Seafood]]
:
;[[Zōni]] soup
:[[Mochi|rice cakes]] in a broth cooked with vegetables, popular at New Year
;[[Tororo (food)|''Tororo-jiru'']]
:A grated yam soup. Chojiya, a ''tororo-jiru'' restaurant founded in 1598 in [[Mariko-juku]] area of Shizuoka, west of the [[Abe River]], was made famous by [[Hiroshige]] when he depicted it in his series of ''[[ukiyo-e]]'' [[The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō|prints of the 53 stops]] along the [[Tōkaidō (road)|Tōkaidō]].

===Shizuoka Performing Arts Center ===

The Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC) was founded in 1995 by the Shizuoka Prefecture.<ref name=aboutspac>{{cite web | title=What's SPAC | website=SPAC | date=5 March 2019 | url=https://spac.or.jp/en/about | access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref> The building was designed by architect [[Arata Isozaki]]<ref name=miyagi>{{cite interview | title=Artist Interview: Satoshi Miyagi (Artistic Director of Shizuoka Performing Arts Center)|first=Satoshi| last=Miyagi| interviewer-first= Hiroko | interviewer-last=Yamaguchi | website=Performing Arts Network Japan | date=29 October 2012 | url=https://performingarts.jp/E/art_interview/1907/1.html | access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref> and was opened in 1999 for the second [[Theatre Olympics]].<ref>{{cite web | title=A Triumphant 'Olympics' in Japan | website=[[The New York Times]]|first=Gilles |last=Kennedy | date=16 June 1999 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/16/style/IHT-a-triumphant-olympics-in-japan.html | access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref>

The [[arts center]] is the first publicly funded cultural organization in Japan to have its own [[acting troupe|troupe of actors]] and other staff to manage its own venues and facilities for artistic purposes. Suzuki Tadashi was the first [[Artistic Director]], appointed in 1997 and staying in the position until March 2007, after which Miyagi Satoshi took up the appointment.<ref name=aboutspac/> SPAC has organised the World Theatre Festival Shizuoka each year since 2011,<ref name=aboutfest>{{cite web | title=World Theatre Festival Shizuoka | website=SPAC | date=19 March 2019 | url=https://spac.or.jp/en/project/festival | language=la | access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref> as well as creating its own theatre productions (some of which tour abroad), having students to learn at the center, and other theatrical activities.<ref name=aboutspac/>

The World Theatre Festival Shizuoka was formerly called the Shizuoka Spring Festival (2000-2010<ref name=aboutfest/>), being changed to "World Theater Festival Shizuoka under Mt. Fuji" in 2012 by the artistic director of the centre, Miyagi Satoshi. His intention was "to connect Shizuoka to the world through theater", to have performances from every corner of the world, for "people to see that the world isn't a set and finished quantity and there is still plenty of room for change. I wanted to communicate that theater is a window to the world".<ref name=miyagi/> The festival includes stage plays, puppetry, film, dance and other performance arts.<ref name=aboutfest/>

In 2020, due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], it was announced on 3 April that the festival, scheduled to begin from 25 April to 6 May, would be cancelled. Instead, Miyagi staged an online version of the festival.<ref>{{cite web | last=Tanaka | first=Nobuko | title=World Theatre Festival Shizuoka heads online in desperate times | website=[[The Japan Times]] | date=5 June 2020 | url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2020/06/05/stage/world-theatre-festival-shizuoka-online/ | access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref>

===Sport===
With the Shimizu merger, [[Shimizu S-Pulse]] became the major [[football (soccer)|football]] club in the city. Recently, however, a new rival club, [[Fujieda MYFC]] (from nearby [[Fujieda, Shizuoka|Fujieda]]), has been rising in the regional league ranks as a contender for a place in the [[Japan Football League]].
The city hosted the official [[Asian Basketball Championship for Women]] in [[1995 Asian Basketball Championship for Women|1995]] and [[1999 Asian Basketball Championship for Women|1999]].
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!scope="col"| Club
!scope="col"| Sport
!scope="col"| League
!scope="col"| Venue
!scope="col"| Established
|-
| style="background:#FF00BA;"|[[Chanson V-Magic|Chanson V-Magic]]
| [[Basketball]]
| [[Women's Japan Basketball League|W.League]]
| [[Konohana Arena]]
| 1961
|-
| style="background:#FF8709;"| [[Shimizu S-Pulse|Shimizu S-Pulse]]
| [[Soccer|Football]]
| [[J.League]]
| [[IAI Stadium Nihondaira]]
| 1991
|-
| style="background:orange;"| [[Veltex Shizuoka|Veltex Shizuoka]]
| [[Basketball]]
| [[B.League]]
| [[Shizuoka City Central Gymnasium]]
| 2018
|}
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Nihondaira stadium20090412.jpg|[[IAI Stadium Nihondaira]]
File:Arena of konohana arena-1.JPG|[[Konohana Arena]]
</gallery>

== Notable people ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2012}}
*[[Princess Akishino]] – [[princess]] in the [[Japanese Imperial Family]]
*[[Yoshitaka Amano]] – illustrator and animator, designed the characters for the early ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' video game series
*[[Kazuyoshi Hoshino]] – racecar driver
*[[Daisuke Ichikawa]] – professional football player
*[[Shohei Ikeda]] – professional football player
*[[Toru Irie]] – professional football player
*[[Teruyoshi Ito]] – professional football player
*[[Yahiro Kazama]] – professional football player
*[[Naoya Kikuchi]] – professional football player
*[[Hiroki Kobayashi]] – professional football player
*[[Tomoaki Kuno]] – professional football player
*[[Hidetaka Miyazaki]] – video game director, creator of the ''[[Dark Souls]]'' series<ref>{{cite web|last1=Parkin|first1=Simon|title=Bloodborne creator Hidetaka Miyazaki: 'I didn't have a dream. I wasn't ambitious'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/31/bloodborne-dark-souls-creator-hidetaka-miyazaki-interview|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=31 March 2015|access-date=8 May 2015}}</ref>
*[[Fumitake Miura]] – professional football player
*[[Kazuyoshi Miura]] – professional football player
*[[Yasutoshi Miura]] – professional football player
*[[Koki Mizuno]] – professional football player
*[[Hisashi Mizutori]] – Olympic gold medal gymnast
*[[Kazuyori Mochizuki]] – professional football player
*[[Shigeyoshi Mochizuki]] – professional football player
*[[Riyo Mori]] – Miss Universe Japan 2007, Miss Universe 2007
*[[Yusuke Mori]] – professional football player
*[[Ushiomaru Motoyasu]] – sumo wrestler
*[[Jun Muramatsu]] – professional football player
*Fuma Murata - Member and sub-leader of J-pop group [[&Team]]
*[[Go Oiwa]] – professional football player
*[[Katsumi Oenoki]] – professional football player
*[[Takeshi Oki]] – professional football player
*[[Keisuke Ota (footballer, born 1979)|Keisuke Ota]] – professional football player
*[[Toshihide Saito]] – professional football player
*[[Momoko Sakura]] – [[Mangaka|cartoonist]], creator of ''[[Chibi Maruko-chan]]''
*[[Yuya Sano]] – professional football player
*[[Masanori Sekiya]] – racecar driver
*[[Hideaki Sena]] – novelist and pharmacologist
*[[Keisuke Serizawa]] – textile designer
*[[Masatoshi Shima]] – inventor of the microprocessor
*[[Kotobuki Shiriagari]] – Manga artist
*[[Tadashi Suzuki]] – Stage director
*[[Yūichi Suzumoto]] – novelist
*[[Toranosuke Takagi]] – racecar driver
*[[Nobuhiro Tanabe]] – politician
*[[Yoshito Usui]] – creator of [[Crayon Shin-chan]] comics
*[[Takahiro Yamazaki (baseball, born 1976)|Takahiro Yamazaki]] – professional baseball player
*[[Kaito Yamamoto]] – professional football player
*[[Takahiro Yamanishi]] – professional football player
*[[Kotaro Yamazaki]] – professional football player
*[[Takuya Yokoyama]] – professional football player
*[[Kiyoe Yoshioka]] – singer, vocalist of [[Ikimono-gakari]]

==City song==
{{nihongo|''Watashi no Machi, Shizuoka''|わたしの街静岡}}<ref name="CitySong" />
* Written: 13 April 2005
* Lyrics: Citizen competition entry
* Music, additions: Kei Ogura
* Arranged: Shin Kawabe
* [[Eri Itō]] sang on the CD release

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="FestivalsOfJapan">{{cite book | last1=Plutschow | first1=Herbe | title=Matsuri: The Festivals of Japan | edition=1st | publisher=[[Routledge|Curzon]] | date=1996-10-17 | isbn=978-1873410639 | ol=OL8653650M | oclc=924886456 | df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="Hanelt">{{cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=10IMFSavIMsC&q=%22Citrus+unshiu%22&pg=PA1033 | page=1033 | title = Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Except Ornamentals | last1=Hanelt | first1=Peter | others=Illustrated by R. Kilian | publisher = [[Springer Publishing|Springer]] | oclc=925011140 | ol=OL12774481M | date=2001-05-11 |isbn = 978-3540410171 | df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="Wiersema">{{cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=hQL-2sdxgDAC&q=%22Citrus+unshiu%22&pg=PA13 | page=136 | title=World Economic Plants: A Standard Reference | first1=John H. | last1=Wiersema | first2=Blanca | last2=León | edition=1st| publisher=[[CRC Press]] | ol=OL8259509M | oclc=317789267 | date=1999-02-26 | isbn=978-0849321191 | df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="IPNI unshiu">{{cite web | url =http://www.ipni.org/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do?id=772094-1&back_page=%2Fipni%2FeditSimplePlantNameSearch.do%3Ffind_wholeName%3Dcitrus%2Bunshiu%26output_format%3Dnormal | title = Plant Name Details: Rutaceae Citrus unshiu Marcow.|publisher = [[International Plant Names Index]]}}</ref>

<ref name="GRIN">{{GRIN | ''Citrus unshiu'' | 10793 | access-date = 11 December 2017}}</ref>

<ref name="CitySong">{{Cite web|url=http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/soumu/sika.html|script-title=ja:市歌|trans-title=City Song|publisher=City of Shizuoka|year=2007|access-date=9 May 2011|language=ja|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609170954/http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/soumu/sika.html|archive-date=9 June 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="PlacenamesOfTheWorld">{{cite book | last1=Room | first1=Adrian | title=Placenames of the World: Origins and Meanings of the Names for 6,600 Countries, Cities, Territories, Natural Features and Historic Sites | edition=2nd | pages=344–345 | publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] | date=2015-02-25 | isbn=978-0-7864-2248-7 | ol=OL3402578M | lccn=2005017522 | oclc=1194921674 | df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="DecodingBoundaries148">{{cite book | last1=Hook | first1= Glenn D. | title=Decoding Boundaries in Contemporary Japan | page=148 | publisher=Taylor & Francis | date=2011 | isbn=978-0-415-60044-6 | df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="APWS242">{{cite conference | last1=Yamaguchi | first1=Noriko | title=The Proceedings of the 1st Asia-Pacific Water Summit: Water Security: Leadership and Commitment| chapter= Abe River: The Crystal Waters that Gave Rise to a City for the Ages | location=[[Beppu|Beppu City]], [[Ōita Prefecture]], [[Japan]] | publisher=[[World Scientific]] | date=2008-06-20 | isbn=978-981-283-327-3 | ol=OL23934454M | lccn=2008339415 | oclc=836957213 | df=dmy-all}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
{{Commons|静岡市|Shizuoka}}
* {{Official website|http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/chinese/gaikokugo.html}}
* [http://www.daidogei.com/ Daidogei World Cup in Shizuoka]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202445/http://www.knowshizuoka.com/ Know Shizuoka – The independent Guide] (archived website)
* {{osmrelation-inline|4674742}}

{{Geographic location
| Centre = Shizuoka
| North = {{Plainlist|
*[[Ina, Nagano|Ina (Nagano)]]
*[[Minami-Alps, Yamanashi|Minami-Alps (Yamanashi)]]}}
| Northeast = {{Plainlist|
*[[Hayakawa, Yamanashi|Hayakawa (Yamanashi)]]
*[[Minobu, Yamanashi|Minobu (Yamanashi)]]
*[[Nanbu, Yamanashi|Nanbu (Yamanashi)]]
*[[Fujinomiya, Shizuoka|Fujinomiya]]}}
| East = [[Fuji, Shizuoka|Fuji]]
| Southeast =
| South =
| Southwest = {{Plainlist|
*[[Fujieda, Shizuoka|Fujieda]]
*[[Yaizu, Shizuoka|Yaizu]]}}
| West = {{Plainlist|
*[[Kawanehon|Kawane-honchō]]
*[[Shimada, Shizuoka|Shimada]]}}
| Northwest = {{Plainlist|
*[[Iida, Nagano|Iida (Nagano)]]
*[[Ōshika, Nagano|Ōshika (Nagano)]]}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|list =
{{Shizuoka}}
{{Metropolitan cities of Japan}}
{{JPLargestMetros}}
{{Most populous cities in Japan}}
}}
{{Subject bar |portal1=Geography |portal2=Japan |portal3=Asia |commons=yes |commons-search=Category:Shizuoka, Shizuoka |n=yes |wikt=yes |wikt-search=静岡 |b=yes |q=yes |q-search=Shizuoka |s=yes |s-search=Shizuoka |v=yes |v-search=Shizuoka |voy=yes |voy-search=Shizuoka |d=yes |d-search=Q174691}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Shizuoka (city)| ]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Japan]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]
[[Category:Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan]]

Yokohama

2024-07-06T05:09:10Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303:

{{Short description|Designated city in Kantō, Japan}}
{{About|the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture|other uses|Yokohama (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2012}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Yokohama
| native_name = {{nobold|横浜市}}
| official_name = City of Yokohama
| settlement_type = [[Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan|Designated city]]

| image_skyline = {{multiple image
| border = infobox
| total_width = 270
| perrow = 1/3/2
| image1 = Minato Mirai In Blue.jpg
| alt1 = Minato Mirai 21
| caption1 = [[Minato Mirai 21]]
| image2 = Nippon Maru DSC06302 (14082656106).jpg
| alt2 = Nippon Maru Memorial Park
| caption2 = [[Nippon Maru (1930)|Nippon Maru Memorial Park]]
| image3 = Yokohama_Chinatown_signage_2015.jpg
| alt3 = Yokohama Chinatown
| caption3 = [[Yokohama Chinatown]]
| image4 = Motomachi shopping street.jpg
| alt4 = Motomachi Shopping Street
| caption4 = [[Motomachi, Yokohama|Motomachi Shopping Street]]
| image5 = View from the garden entrance, Senkeien, Yokohama (2503870817).jpg
| alt5 = Sankei-en
| caption5 = [[Sankei-en]]
| image6 = Harbor View Park, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan - panoramio (1).jpg
| alt6 = Harbor View Park (Yokohama)
| caption6 = [[Harbor View Park (Yokohama)|Harbor View Park]]
| image7 = Yamashita Park, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan - panoramio (11).jpg
| alt7 = Yamashita Park and Yokohama Marine Tower
| caption7 = [[Yokohama Marine Tower]]
| image8 = Osanbashi_Pier_from_see.JPG
| alt8 = Ōsanbashi Pier
| caption8 = [[Yamashita Park]] and [[Ōsanbashi Pier]]
}}
| imagesize =
| image_alt =
| image_caption =
| image_flag = Flag of Yokohama, Japan.svg
| flag_size = 120px
| flag_alt =
| image_seal = 横浜市き章.svg
| seal_alt =
| image_shield =
| shield_alt =
| nickname =
| motto =

| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=9}}
| image_map1 = Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_alt1 =
| map_caption1 = Map of [[Kanagawa Prefecture]] with Yokohama highlighted in purple
| pushpin_map = Japan#Asia
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =  
| coordinates = {{coord|35|26|39|N|139|38|17|E|region:JP-14|display=it}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 

| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = [[Japan]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kantō region|Kantō]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Kanagawa Prefecture]]

| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =

| seat_type = 
| seat = 
| government_footnotes = 
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = [[Takeharu Yamanaka]]
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 = 

| total_type = 
| unit_pref = Metric

| area_footnotes = 
| area_total_km2 = 437.38
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =

| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m =

| population_footnotes =
| population_total = 3769595
| population_as_of = January 1, 2023
| population_density_km2 = 8606
| population_est =
| pop_est_as_of =
| population_demonym = 
| population_note =

| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time]]
| utc_offset1 = +9
| postal_code_type = 
| postal_code =
| area_code_type = 
| area_code = 
| blank_name_sec1 = City Symbols
| blank1_name_sec1 = – Tree
| blank1_info_sec1 = [[Camellia]], [[Castanopsis|Chinquapin]], [[Viburnum odoratissimum|Sangoju]] [[Camellia sasanqua|Sasanqua]], [[Ginkgo biloba|Ginkgo]], [[Zelkova]]
| blank2_name_sec1 = – Flower
| blank2_info_sec1 = [[Dahlia]] [[Rose]]

| blank1_name_sec2 = Address
| blank1_info_sec2 = 1-1 Minato-chō, Naka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken 231-0017

| website = {{URL|http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/}}
| footnotes =
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| pic = Yokohama (Chinese characters).svg
| piccap = "Yokohama" in new-style (''[[shinjitai]]'') ''[[kanji]]''
| picupright = 0.425
| kyujitai = 橫濱
| shinjitai = 横浜
| romaji = Yokohama
}}

{{Nihongo|'''Yokohama'''|{{linktext|横浜}}||{{IPA-ja|jokohama|pron|ja-Yokohama.ogg}}|lead=yes}} is the [[List of cities in Japan|second-largest city]] in [[Japan]] by population<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/yokohama |title=YOKOHAMA | Meaning & Definition for UK English | Lexico.com |publisher=En.oxforddictionaries.com |date= |accessdate=2022-02-19 |archive-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401093507/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/yokohama |url-status=live }}</ref> and by area, and the country's most populous [[Municipalities of Japan|municipality]].{{efn|Although [[Tokyo]] has over 10 million more people than Yokohama, there has been no single [[Tokyo City|Tokyo municipality]] since 1943.}} It is the capital and most populous city in [[Kanagawa Prefecture]], with a population of 3.7 million in 2023. It lies on [[Tokyo Bay]], south of [[Tokyo]], in the [[Kantō region]] of the main island of [[Honshu]]. Yokohama is also the major economic, cultural, and commercial hub of the [[Greater Tokyo Area]] along the [[Keihin region|Keihin Industrial Zone]].

Yokohama was one of the cities to open for trade with the [[Western world|West]] following the 1859 end of the [[Sakoku|policy of seclusion]] and has since been known as a cosmopolitan port city, after [[Kobe]] opened in 1853. Yokohama is the home of many Japan's firsts in the [[Meiji (era)|Meiji period]], including the first foreign trading port and Chinatown (1859), European-style sport venues (1860s), English-language newspaper (1861), confectionery and beer manufacturing (1865), daily newspaper (1870), gas-powered street lamps (1870s), railway station (1872), and power plant (1882). Yokohama developed rapidly as Japan's prominent [[port|port city]] following the end of Japan's relative isolation in the mid-19th century and is today one of its major ports along with [[Kobe]], [[Osaka]], [[Nagoya]], [[Fukuoka]], Tokyo and [[Chiba (city)|Chiba]].

Yokohama is the largest port city and high tech industrial hub in the Greater Tokyo Area and the Kantō region. The city proper is headquarters to companies such as [[Isuzu]], [[Nissan]], [[JVCKenwood]], [[Keikyu]], [[Koei Tecmo]], [[Sagami Railway|Sotetsu]], [[Salesforce|Salesforce Japan]] and [[Bank of Yokohama]]. Famous landmarks in Yokohama include [[Minato Mirai 21]], [[Nippon Maru (1930)|Nippon Maru Memorial Park]], [[Yokohama Chinatown]], [[Motomachi, Yokohama|Motomachi Shopping Street]], [[Yokohama Marine Tower]], [[Yamashita Park]], and [[Ōsanbashi Pier]].

==Etymology==
Yokohama (横浜) means "horizontal beach".<ref name="Japan Times">{{cite web|url= https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/1999/05/19/general/memories-of-old-honmoku/#.W0K2LNj-jfY|title= Memories of old Honmoku|publisher= [[The Japan Times]]|date= May 19, 1999|access-date= March 3, 2021|archive-date= April 15, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210415063542/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/1999/05/19/general/memories-of-old-honmoku/#.W0K2LNj-jfY|url-status= live}}</ref> The current area surrounded by Maita Park, the [[Ōoka River]] and the Nakamura River have been a gulf divided by a sandbar from the open sea. This sandbar was the original Yokohama fishing village. Since the sandbar protruded perpendicularly from the land, or horizontally when viewed from the sea, it was called a "horizontal beach".<ref name="City of Yokohama">{{cite web|url=https://www.rekihaku.city.yokohama.jp/cms_files_zaidn/hasseiden/About_Hasseiden_Local_Musium20160901.pdf|title=Yokohama City History, pg. 3|access-date=July 9, 2018|archive-date=July 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709064720/https://www.rekihaku.city.yokohama.jp/cms_files_zaidn/hasseiden/About_Hasseiden_Local_Musium20160901.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

==History==
{{For timeline}}

===Opening of the Treaty Port (1859–1868)===
Before the Western foreigners arrived, Yokohama was a small fishing village up to the end of the feudal [[Edo period]], when Japan held [[Sakoku|a policy of national seclusion]], having little contact with foreigners.<ref>''Der Große Brockhaus.'' 16. edition. Vol. 6. F. A. Brockhaus, Wiesbaden 1955, p. 82</ref> A major turning point in Japanese history happened in 1853–54, when Commodore [[Matthew C. Perry|Matthew Perry]] arrived just south of Yokohama with a fleet of American warships, demanding that Japan open several ports for commerce, and the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] agreed by signing the [[Treaty of Peace and Amity]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.city.yokohama.jp/me/kyoiku/library/perry/ |title=Official Yokohama city website it is fresh |publisher=City.yokohama.jp |access-date=May 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612234615/http://www.city.yokohama.jp/me/kyoiku/library/perry/ |archive-date=June 12, 2010 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

It was initially agreed that one of the ports to be opened to foreign ships would be the bustling town of [[Kanagawa-juku]] (in what is now [[Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama|Kanagawa Ward]]) on the [[Tōkaidō (road)|Tōkaidō]], a strategic highway that linked [[Edo]] to Kyoto and Osaka. However, the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] decided that Kanagawa-juku was too close to the Tōkaidō for comfort, and port facilities were instead built across the inlet in the sleepy fishing village of Yokohama. The [[Port of Yokohama]] was officially opened on June 2, 1859.<ref>Arita, Erika, "[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20090524x1.html Happy Birthday Yokohama!] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100831235409/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20090524x1.html |date=August 31, 2010 }}", ''[[The Japan Times]]'', May 24, 2009, p. 7.</ref>

Yokohama quickly became the base of foreign trade in Japan. Foreigners initially occupied the low-lying district of the city called [[Kannai]], residential districts later expanding as the settlement grew to incorporate much of the elevated [[Yamate]] district overlooking the city, commonly referred to by English-speaking residents as ''The Bluff''. Under pressure from United States and United Kingdom officials, the Tokugawa government built a commercial sex district which opened on November 10, 1859, with 6 brothels and 200 indentured sex workers.'''<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Driscoll |first=Mark W. |title=The Whites are Enemies of Heaven: Climate Caucasianism and Asian Ecological Protection |date=2020 |publisher=[[Duke University Press]] |isbn=978-1-4780-1121-7 |location=Durham}}</ref>'''{{Rp|page=68}} The area of Yokohama with the highest concentration of brothels was known as Bloodtown.<ref name=":6" />{{Rp|page=67}}

[[Kannai]], the foreign trade and commercial district (literally, ''inside the barrier''), was surrounded by a moat, foreign residents enjoying extraterritorial status both within and outside the compound. Interactions with the local population, particularly young samurai, outside the settlement inevitably caused problems; the [[Namamugi Incident]], one of the events that preceded the [[Bakumatsu|downfall of the shogunate]], took place in what is now [[Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama|Tsurumi Ward]] in 1862, and prompted the [[Bombardment of Kagoshima]] in 1863.

To protect British commercial and diplomatic interests in Yokohama a [[Yamate#British Military Garrison|military garrison]] was established in 1862. With the growth in trade increasing numbers of Chinese also came to settle in the city.<ref>Fukue, Natsuko, "[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090528f1.html Chinese immigrants played vital role] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100824044629/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090528f1.html |date=August 24, 2010 }}", ''[[Japan Times]]'', May 28, 2009, p. 3.</ref> Yokohama was the scene of many notable firsts for Japan including the growing acceptance of western fashion, photography by pioneers such as [[Felice Beato]], Japan's first English language newspaper, the ''Japan Herald'' published in 1861 and in 1865 the first ice cream confectionery and [[William Copeland (brewer)|beer]] to be produced in Japan.<ref>Matsutani, Minoru, "[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090529f2.html Yokohama – city on the cutting edge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100826113559/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090529f2.html |date=August 26, 2010 }}", ''[[Japan Times]]'', May 29, 2009, p. 3.</ref> Recreational sports introduced to Japan by foreign residents in Yokohama included European style [[Horse racing in Japan#History|horse racing]] in 1862, [[Yokohama Country & Athletic Club|cricket]] in 1863<ref>{{cite news|last1=Galbraith|first1=Michael|title=Death threats sparked Japan's first cricket game|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/06/16/national/history/death-threats-sparked-japans-first-cricket-game/#.Vv25ETGCjL8|access-date=1 April 2016|newspaper=Japan Times|date=16 June 2013|archive-date=April 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401134140/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/06/16/national/history/death-threats-sparked-japans-first-cricket-game/#.Vv25ETGCjL8|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Rugby union in Japan#History|rugby union]] in 1866. A great fire destroyed much of the foreign settlement on November 26, 1866, and [[smallpox]] was a recurrent public health hazard, but the city continued to grow rapidly – attracting foreigners and Japanese alike.

<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="Gallery" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Commodore-Perry-Visit-Kanagawa-1854.jpg|Landing of Commodore [[Matthew C. Perry|Perry]] and men to meet the Imperial commissioners at Yokohama, 14 July 1853
File:YokohamaTradersSadahide1861.jpg|Foreign ships in Yokohama harbor in 1861
File:Sales Room at Foreign Trade Building Yokohama MET DP147653.jpg|A foreign trading house in Yokohama in 1861
</gallery>

===Meiji and Taisho Periods (1868–1923)===
After the [[Meiji Restoration]] of 1868, the port was developed for trading [[silk]], the main trading partner being Great Britain. Western influence and technological transfer contributed to the establishment of Japan's first daily newspaper (1870), first gas-powered street lamps (1872) and Japan's first [[railway]] constructed in the same year to connect Yokohama to [[Shinagawa]] and [[Shinbashi]] in Tokyo. In 1872 [[Jules Verne]] portrayed Yokohama, which he had never visited, in an episode of his widely read novel ''[[Around the World in Eighty Days]]'', capturing the atmosphere of the fast-developing, internationally oriented Japanese city.

In 1887, a British merchant, [[Samuel Cocking]], built the city's first power plant. At first for his own use, this coal power plant became the basis for the Yokohama Cooperative Electric Light Company. The city was officially incorporated on April 1, 1889.<ref name="interesting1">{{cite web|url= https://www.yokohamajapan.com/about/|title= Interesting Tidbits of Yokohama|website= Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau| access-date= February 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505110044/https://www.yokohamajapan.com/about/ | archive-date=May 5, 2009}}</ref> By the time the [[extraterritoriality]] of foreigner areas was abolished in 1899, Yokohama was the most international city in Japan, with foreigner areas stretching from Kannai to the [[Yamate|Bluff]] area and the large [[Yokohama Chinatown]].

The early 20th century was marked by rapid growth of industry. Entrepreneurs built factories along reclaimed land to the north of the city toward [[Kawasaki, Kanagawa|Kawasaki]], which eventually grew to be the [[Keihin Industrial Area]]. The growth of Japanese industry brought affluence, and many wealthy trading families constructed sprawling residences there, while the rapid influx of population from Japan and Korea also led to the formation of Kojiki-Yato, then the largest slum in Japan.

<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="Gallery" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Yokohama_Street_Scene_c1880.jpg|Street scene {{circa|1880}}
File:Kusakabe_Kimbei_-_Yokohama_Foreign_Settlement_Pano.jpg|Yokohama {{circa|1880}}
File:Akarenga_Yokohama_2012.jpg|[[Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse]] was built in 1913.
</gallery>

===Great Kantō earthquake and the Second World War (1923–1945)===
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="Gallery" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:HIH the Prince Regent viewing devastated Yokohama-restored.jpg|Crown Prince [[Hirohito]] (later Emperor) visited Yokohama immediately after the [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake]].
File:Yokohama post bombing 1945.jpg|View of Yokohama after the bombing in 1945
</gallery>

Much of Yokohama was destroyed on September 1, 1923, by the [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake|Great Kantō earthquake]]. The Yokohama police reported casualties at 30,771 dead and 47,908 injured, out of a pre-earthquake population of 434,170.<ref>Hammer, Joshua. (2006). [https://books.google.com/books?id=6O8VyhDbUPgC&q=Tokyo+1923&pg=PA243 ''Yokohama Burning: The Deadly 1923 Earthquake and Fire that Helped Forge the Path to World War II'', p. 143.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205103140/https://books.google.com/books?id=6O8VyhDbUPgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Tokyo+1923&lr=&source=gbs_summary_r#PPA243,M1 |date=February 5, 2017 }}</ref> Fuelled by rumors of rebellion and sabotage, vigilante mobs thereupon murdered many Koreans in the Kojiki-yato slum.<ref>Hammer, [https://books.google.com/books?id=6O8VyhDbUPgC&q=Tokyo+1923&pg=PA149 pp. 149] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205103140/https://books.google.com/books?id=6O8VyhDbUPgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Tokyo+1923&lr=&source=gbs_summary_r#PPA149,M1 |date=February 5, 2017 }}-170.</ref> Many people believed that Koreans used [[black magic]] to cause the earthquake. [[Martial law]] was in place until November 19. Rubble from the quake was used to reclaim land for parks, the most famous being the [[Yamashita Park]] on the waterfront which opened in 1930.

Yokohama was rebuilt, only to be destroyed again by U.S. air raids during World War II. The first bombing was in the April 18, 1942 [[Doolittle Raid]]. An estimated 7,000–8,000 people were killed in a single morning on May 29, 1945, in what is now known as the Great Yokohama Air Raid, when [[B-29 Superfortress|B-29s]] firebombed the city and in just one hour and nine minutes, reducing 42% of it to rubble.<ref name="interesting1"/>

===Postwar growth and development===
During the [[Occupied Japan|American occupation]], Yokohama was a major transshipment base for American supplies and personnel, especially during the [[Korean War]]. After the occupation, most local U.S. naval activity moved from Yokohama to an American base in nearby [[Yokosuka]].

Four years after the [[Treaty of San Francisco]] signed, the city was designated by [[Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan|government ordinance]] on September 1, 1956.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} The city's tram and [[trolleybus]] system was abolished in 1972, the same year as the opening of the first line of [[Yokohama Municipal Subway]]. Construction of [[Minato Mirai 21]] ("Port Future 21"), a major urban development project on reclaimed land started in 1983, nicknamed the "[[Philadelphia]] and [[Boston]] of the Orient" was compared to [[Center City, Philadelphia]] and [[Downtown Boston]] located in the [[East Coast of the United States]]. Minato Mirai 21 hosted the Yokohama Exotic Showcase in 1989, which saw the first public operation of [[maglev train]]s in Japan and the opening of [[Cosmo Clock 21]], then the tallest [[Ferris wheel]] in the world. The {{convert|860|m|ft|adj=mid|-long}} [[Yokohama Bay Bridge]] opened in the same year. In 1993, Minato Mirai 21 saw the opening of the [[Yokohama Landmark Tower]], the [[List of tallest structures in Japan|second-tallest building in Japan]].

The [[2002 FIFA World Cup]] final was held in June at the [[International Stadium Yokohama]]. In 2009, the city marked the 150th anniversary of the opening of the port and the 120th anniversary of the commencement of the City Administration. An early part in the commemoration project incorporated the Fourth [[Tokyo International Conference on African Development]] (TICAD IV), which was held in Yokohama in May 2008. In November 2010, Yokohama hosted the [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]] (APEC) meeting.

<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="Gallery" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Yokohama Koreanwar.jpg|In 1951, during the [[Korean War]], a troopship, the [[USS General George M. Randall (AP-115)|USS ''General George M. Randall'' (AP-115)]], departs Yokohama, repatriating war dead to the U.S.
File:Yokohama_Landmark_Tower_201507.JPG|[[Yokohama Landmark Tower]], Japan's [[List of tallest structures in Japan|second-tallest building]], was built in 1993.
File:Minato Mirai In Blue.jpg|The [[Minato Mirai 21]] project, also known as the "[[Philadelphia]] and [[Boston]] of the Orient", started in 1983.
</gallery>

== Geography ==
[[File:Yokohama by Sentinel-2, 2020-10-27.jpg|thumb|Sentinel-2 image of Yokohama (2020)]]

===Topography===
Yokohama has a total area of {{convert|437.38|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} at an elevation of {{convert|5|m|ft}} above sea level. It is the capital of [[Kanagawa Prefecture]], bordered to the east by [[Tokyo Bay]] and located in the middle of the [[Kantō plain]]. The city is surrounded by hills and the characteristic mountain system of the island of [[Honshū]], so its growth has been limited and it has had to gain ground from the sea. This also affects the population density, one of the highest in Japan with 8,500 inhabitants per km2.

The highest points within the urban boundary are Omaruyama ({{convert|156|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=sqbr}}) and Mount Enkaizan ({{convert|153|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=sqbr}}). The main river is the [[Tsurumi River]], which begins in the Tama Hills and empties into the [[Pacific Ocean]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.japanriver.or.jp/EnglishDocument/DB/file/004%20Kanto%2023/02.htm|title= Tsurumi River Multipurpose Retarding Basin|access-date= January 9, 2016|website=japanriver.or.jp|archive-date= September 26, 2017|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170926223749/http://www.japanriver.or.jp/EnglishDocument/DB/file/004%20Kanto%2023/02.htm|url-status= live}}</ref>

These municipalities surround Yokohama: [[Kawasaki, Kanagawa|Kawasaki]], [[Yokosuka]], [[Zushi, Kanagawa|Zushi]], [[Kamakura]], [[Fujisawa, Kanagawa|Fujisawa]], [[Yamato, Kanagawa|Yamato]], [[Machida, Tokyo|Machida]].

===Geology===
The city is very prone to natural phenomena such as [[earthquakes]] and [[tropical cyclones]] because the island of [[Honshū]] has a high level of seismic activity, being in the middle of the Pacific [[Ring of Fire]].

Most seismic movements are of low intensity and are generally not perceived by people. However, Yokohama has experienced two major tremors that reflect the evolution of [[Earthquake engineering]]: the [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake]] devastated the city and caused more than 100,000 fatalities throughout the region,<ref name=":5">{{cite web |title = Collection of 1923 Japan earthquake massacre testimonies released |url = http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/601938.html |website = hani.co.kr |access-date = January 8, 2016 |date = September 3, 2013 |archive-date = March 4, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304133217/http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/601938.html |url-status = live }}</ref> while the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami]], with its epicenter on the east coast, was felt in the locality but only material damage was lamented because most buildings were already prepared to withstand them.<ref>{{cite web|title = FNN Remembering 3/11: Yokohama station and surrounding areas at time of earthquake occurrence.|url = http://www.fnn-news.com/en/311/kanto/articles/201103110039.html|website = fnn-news.com|access-date = January 10, 2016|archive-date = March 5, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160305015603/http://www.fnn-news.com/en/311/kanto/articles/201103110039.html|url-status = live}}</ref>

===Climate===
Yokohama features a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfa'') with hot, humid summers and chilly winters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=7674&cityname=Yokohama,+Japan|title=Yokohama, Japan Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase|access-date=2019-07-09|archive-date=December 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221101308/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=7674&cityname=Yokohama,+Japan|url-status=live}}</ref> Weatherwise, Yokohama has a pattern of rain, clouds and sun, although in winter, it is surprisingly sunny, more so than Southern Spain. Winter temperatures rarely drop below freezing, while summer can seem quite warm, because of the effects of humidity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yokohama.world-guides.com/yokohama_weather.html|title=Yokohama Weather, When to Go and Yokohama Climate Information|publisher=world-guides.com|access-date=2010-01-11|archive-date=April 30, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430190249/http://www.yokohama.world-guides.com/yokohama_weather.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The coldest temperature was on 24 January 1927 when {{convert|-8.2|C|F}} was reached, whilst the hottest day was 11 August 2013 at {{convert|37.4|C|F}}. The highest monthly rainfall was in October 2004 with {{convert|761.5|mm|in|1}}, closely followed by July 1941 with {{convert|753.4|mm|in}}, whilst December and January have recorded no measurable precipitation three times each.

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Yokohama (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1896−present)
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|Jan record high C = 20.8
|Feb record high C = 24.8
|Mar record high C = 24.5
|Apr record high C = 28.7
|May record high C = 31.3
|Jun record high C = 36.1
|Jul record high C = 37.2
|Aug record high C = 37.4
|Sep record high C = 36.2
|Oct record high C = 32.4
|Nov record high C = 26.2
|Dec record high C = 23.7
|Jan record low C = -8.2
|Feb record low C = -6.8
|Mar record low C = -4.6
|Apr record low C = -0.5
|May record low C = 3.6
|Jun record low C = 9.2
|Jul record low C = 13.3
|Aug record low C = 15.5
|Sep record low C = 11.2
|Oct record low C = 2.2
|Nov record low C = -2.4
|Dec record low C = -5.6
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 64.7
|Feb precipitation mm = 64.7
|Mar precipitation mm = 139.5
|Apr precipitation mm = 143.1
|May precipitation mm = 152.6
|Jun precipitation mm = 188.8
|Jul precipitation mm = 182.5
|Aug precipitation mm = 139.0
|Sep precipitation mm = 241.5
|Oct precipitation mm = 240.4
|Nov precipitation mm = 107.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 66.4
|year precipitation mm = 1730.8
|Jan mean C = 6.1
|Feb mean C = 6.7
|Mar mean C = 9.7
|Apr mean C = 14.5
|May mean C = 18.8
|Jun mean C = 21.8
|Jul mean C = 25.6
|Aug mean C = 27.0
|Sep mean C = 23.7
|Oct mean C = 18.5
|Nov mean C = 13.4
|Dec mean C = 8.7
|year mean C = 16.2
|Jan high C = 10.2
|Feb high C = 10.8
|Mar high C = 14.0
|Apr high C = 18.9
|May high C = 23.1
|Jun high C = 25.5
|Jul high C = 29.4
|Aug high C = 31.0
|Sep high C = 27.3
|Oct high C = 22.0
|Nov high C = 17.1
|Dec high C = 12.5
|year high C = 20.2
|Jan low C = 2.7
|Feb low C = 3.1
|Mar low C = 6.0
|Apr low C = 10.7
|May low C = 15.5
|Jun low C = 19.1
|Jul low C = 22.9
|Aug low C = 24.3
|Sep low C = 21.0
|Oct low C = 15.7
|Nov low C = 10.1
|Dec low C = 5.2
|year low C = 13.0
|Jan humidity = 53
|Feb humidity = 54
|Mar humidity = 60
|Apr humidity = 65
|May humidity = 70
|Jun humidity = 78
|Jul humidity = 78
|Aug humidity = 76
|Sep humidity = 76
|Oct humidity = 71
|Nov humidity = 65
|Dec humidity = 57
|year humidity = 67
|Jan sun = 192.7
|Feb sun = 167.2
|Mar sun = 168.8
|Apr sun = 181.2
|May sun = 187.4
|Jun sun = 135.9
|Jul sun = 170.9
|Aug sun = 206.4
|Sep sun = 141.2
|Oct sun = 137.3
|Nov sun = 151.1
|Dec sun = 178.1
|year sun = 2018.3
|Jan snow cm = 4
|Feb snow cm = 4
|Mar snow cm = 0
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 0
|Dec snow cm = 0
|year snow cm = 9
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 5.7
|Feb precipitation days = 6.3
|Mar precipitation days = 11.0
|Apr precipitation days = 10.7
|May precipitation days = 11.1
|Jun precipitation days = 13.5
|Jul precipitation days = 12.0
|Aug precipitation days = 8.8
|Sep precipitation days = 12.7
|Oct precipitation days = 12.1
|Nov precipitation days = 8.6
|Dec precipitation days = 6.2
|year precipitation days = 118.8
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=46&block_no=47670&year=&month=&day=&view=
| script-title = ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]
| access-date = May 19, 2021
| archive-date = May 17, 2021
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210517161817/http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=46&block_no=47670&year=&month=&day=&view=
| url-status = live
}}</ref>
}}

==Cityscape==
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:The night view of Minato Mirai 21 - 4.jpg|Yokohama night view (2014)
File:View from Mosaic Mall Kohoku, Yokohama 20150201-004.jpg|View from Mosaic Mall Kohoku (2015)
File:Minato mirai view from Yokohama bay bridge (2039218244).jpg|View from the [[Yokohama Bay Bridge]] (2007)
File:View from Hikawa maru, Yokohama (15988315167).jpg|View from [[Hikawa Maru]] (2014)
</gallery>

{{wide image|Yokohamaskyline-from-grandorientalhotelroof-april19-2015.jpg|800px|Yokohama skyline from Grand Oriental Hotel rooftop (2015)}}

==Demographics==
===Population===
{{Historical populations
|title = Historical population
|type = Japan
|align = right
|width =
|state =
|shading =
|percentages =
|footnote =
|1870|64602<ref>{{cite book |title=Le Japon à l'exposition universelle de 1878. Géographie et histoire du Japon |author= Japanese Imperial Commission |date=1878 |language=fr}}</ref>
| 1880 | 72,630
| 1890 | 132,627
| 1900 | 196,653
| 1910 | 403,303
| 1920 | 422,942
| 1925 | 405,888
| 1930 | 620,306
| 1935 | 704,290
| 1940 | 968,091
| 1945 | 814,379
| 1950 | 951,188
| 1955 | 1,143,687
| 1960 | 1,375,710
| 1965 | 1,788,915
| 1970 | 2,238,264
| 1975 | 2,621,771
| 1980 | 2,773,674
| 1985 | 2,992,926
| 1990 | 3,220,331
| 1995 | 3,307,136
| 2000 | 3,426,651
| 2005 | 3,579,628
| 2010 | 3,688,773
| 2015 | 3,724,844
| 2020 | 3,777,491
}}

Yokohama's foreign population of 92,139 includes [[Chinese people in Japan|Chinese]], [[Koreans in Japan|Koreans]], [[Filipinos in Japan|Filipinos]], and [[Vietnamese people in Japan|Vietnamese]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/ex/stat/jinko/non-jp/new-j.html|script-title=ja:横浜市区別外国人登録人口（平成30年3月末現在）|access-date=April 13, 2018|archive-date=March 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170311173435/http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/ex/stat/jinko/non-jp/new-j.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Wards===
Yokohama has 18 [[Wards of Japan|wards]] (''ku''):
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; width:810px;"
|-
! colspan="7" | Wards of Yokohama
|-
! rowspan="2" |
! colspan="2" | Place Name
!
!
!
!Map of Yokohama
|-
! style="width: 190px;" |[[Romanization of Japanese|Rōmaji]]
! style="width: 190px;" |[[Kanji]]
!Population
!''Land area in km2''
!Pop. density
''per km2''
!
|-
| style="text-align: center;" "width: 20px;" | 1
|[[Aoba-ku, Yokohama|Aoba-ku]]
|青葉区
|302,643
|35.14
|8,610
| rowspan="18" |[[File:Yokohama Wards.png|alt=|border|center|510x510px|A map of Yokohama's Wards]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 2
|[[Asahi-ku, Yokohama|Asahi-ku]]
|{{nihongo2|旭区}}
|249,045
|32.77
|7,600
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 3
|[[Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama|Hodogaya-ku]]
| 保土ヶ谷区
|205,887
|21.81
|9,400
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 4
|[[Isogo-ku, Yokohama|Isogo-ku]]
|{{nihongo2|磯子区}}
|163,406
|19.17
|8,520
|-
|5
|[[Izumi-ku, Yokohama|Izumi-ku]]
|泉区
|155,674
|23.51
|6,620
|-
|6
|[[Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama|Kanagawa-ku]]
|神奈川区
|230,401
|23.88
|9,650
|-
|7
|[[Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama|Kanazawa-ku]]
|{{nihongo2|金沢区}}
|209,565
|31.01
|6,760
|-
|8
|[[Kōhoku-ku, Yokohama|Kōhoku-ku]]
|港北区
|332,488
|31.40
|10,588
|-
|9
|[[Kōnan-ku, Yokohama|Kōnan-ku]]
|港南区
|221,536
|19.87
|11,500
|-
|10
|[[Midori-ku, Yokohama|Midori-ku]]
|緑区
|176,038
|25.42
|6,900
|-
|11
|[[Minami-ku, Yokohama|Minami-ku]]
|{{nihongo2|南区}}
|197,019
|12.67
|15,500
|-
|12
|[[Naka-ku, Yokohama|Naka-ku]] (administrative center)
|中区
|146,563
|20.86
|7,030
|-
|13
|[[Nishi-ku, Yokohama|Nishi-ku]]
|西区
|93,210
|7.04
|13,210
|-
|14
|[[Sakae-ku, Yokohama|Sakae-ku]]
|{{nihongo2|栄区}}
|124,845
|18.55
|6,750
|-
|15
|[[Seya-ku, Yokohama|Seya-ku]]
|瀬谷区
|126,839
|17.11
|7,390
|-
|16
|[[Totsuka-ku, Yokohama|Totsuka-ku]]
|戸塚区
|274,783
|35.70
|7,697
|-
|17
|[[Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama|Tsurumi-ku]]
|鶴見区
|270,433
|33.23
|8,140
|-
|18
|[[Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama|Tsuzuki-ku]]
|都筑区
|211,455
|27.93
|7,535
|}

==Government and politics==
[[File:Kanagawa Prefectural Office.jpg|thumb|[[Yokohama Three Towers|Kanagawa Prefectural Office]]]]
[[File:Yokohama City Hall 2021-8-30.jpg|thumb|Yokohama City Hall]]
The [[Yokohama City Council]] consists of 86 members elected from a total of 18 Wards. The [[Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)|LDP]] has minority control with 36 seats. The incumbent mayor is [[Takeharu Yamanaka]], who defeated [[Fumiko Hayashi (mayor)|Fumiko Hayashi]] in the [[2021 Yokohama mayoral election]].

===List of mayors (from 1889)===
{{col-begin|width=auto}}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Nº
!Name
!Term start
!Term end
|-
! 1
| Tomo Masuda (増田知) 
| 18 June 1889
| 15 February 1890
|-
! 2
| Kigiemon Sato (佐藤喜左衛門) 
| 3 March 1890
| 2 March 1896
|-
! 3
| Yoshinobu Umeda (梅田義信) 
| 3 June 1896
| 20 September 1902
|-
! 4
| Morihiro Ichihara (市原盛宏) 
| 9 January 1903
| 2 May 1906
|-
! 5
| Nobutaka Mitsuhashi (三橋信方) 
| 28 September 1906
| 25 June 1910
|-
! 6
| Yoshitaro Arakawa (荒川義太郎) 
| 10 September 1910
| 13 November 1913
|-
! 7
| Kensuke Ando (安藤謙介) 
| 24 July 1914
| 23 July 1918
|-
! 8
| Kiyochika Kubota (久保田政周) 
| 26 August 1918
| 27 May 1922
|-
! 9
| Katsusaburo Watanabe (渡辺勝三郎) 
| 29 November 1922
| 10 April 1925
|-
! 10
| Chuichi Ariyoshi (有吉忠一) 
| 7 May 1925
| 26 February 1931
|-
! 11
| Ichiro Onishi (大西一郎) 
| 3 March 1931
| 18 July 1935
|-
! 12
| Shuzo Aoki (青木周三) 
| 3 August 1935
| 10 February 1941
|}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Nº
!Name
!Term start
!Term end
|-
! 13
| Kiyoshi Nakarai (半井清) 
| 10 February 1941
| 30 November 1946
|-
! 14
| Kyoichi Ishikawa (石河京市) 
| 9 April 1947
| 4 April 1951
|-
! 15–16
| Ryozo Hiranuma (平沼亮三) 
| 25 April 1955
| 13 February 1959
|-
! 17
| Kiyoshi Nakarai
| 25 April 1959
| 22 April 1963
|-
! 18–21
| Ichiyo Asukata (飛鳥田一雄) 
| 23 April 1963
| 1 March 1978
|-
! 22–24
| Michikazu Saigo (細郷道一) 
| 16 April 1978
| 15 February 1990
|-
! 25–27
| Hidenobu Takahide (高秀秀信) 
| 8 April 1990
| 7 April 2002
|-
! 28–29
| Kiyoshi Nakada (中田宏) 
| 8 April 2002
| 17 August 2009
|-
! 30–33
| Fumiko Hayashi (林文子) 
| 30 August 2009
| 30 August 2021
|-
! 33
| Takeharu Yamanaka (山中竹春) 
| 30 August 2021
| Incumbent
|}
{{col-end}}

==Culture and sights==
[[File:Minato mirai 21 sakura-0332.jpg|thumb|Cherry blossoms on the Kisha-michi Promenade]]

Yokohama's cultural and tourist sights include:
{{Div col}}
* [[Yokohama Chinatown]]
* [[Yokohama Three Towers]]
* [[Yamashita Park]] (at the harbor)
* [[Harbor View Park (Yokohama)|Harbor View Park]]
* The [[Hikawa Maru]], historic passenger and cargo ship
* [[Yokohama Marine Tower]]
* Yokohama Triennale
* [[Minato Mirai 21]]
* [[Yokohama Landmark Tower|Landmark Tower]], 296 m high, second tallest skyscraper in Japan
* [[Nippon Maru (1930)|Nippon Maru]], museum ship
* [[Yokohama Stadium]] (the [[Yokohama DeNA BayStars]] [[Pro baseball]] teams's home field)
* [[Yokohama Foreign Cemetery]]
* [[Sankei-en]] Garden
* Kishine-Park
* [[Kanazawa Bunko]], preserves the cultural heritage of the Hōjō clan
* Zō-no-Hana Terrace (象の鼻テラス)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.zounohana.com/about/index_en.html |title=Webseite des Kulturzentrums |access-date=April 16, 2021 |archive-date=April 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417203138/https://zounohana.com/about/index_en.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Gumyōji]], oldest temple in the city
{{Div col end}}

===Museums===
[[File:Yokohama Triennale 2005 Yamashita Pier Venue.jpg|thumb|Yokohama Triennale at Yamashita Pier venue]]
There are 42 museums in the city area, including.<ref name="Pocket2018">{{cite web |url=http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/ex/stat/handy/data/2018-a3.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016032712/http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/ex/stat/handy/data/2018-a3.pdf |archive-date=October 16, 2018 |title=Statistical Booklet Book of Yokohama 2018 |website= www.city.yokohama.lg.jp |access-date= November 2, 2020}}</ref>
{{Div col}}
* [[CupNoodles Museum Yokohama|CupNoodles Museum]] ([[Momofuku Andō]] Instant Ramen Museum): Several-floors of interactive exhibits related to the invention of the [[Ramen|Japanese instant noodle soup]], including soup kitchens where you can try the culture-specific noodle soups.
*[[Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History]]: Located in the historic [[Yokohama Specie Bank]] building.
*[[Kanazawa Bunko]]: Traditional Japanese and Chinese art objects, many dating from the Kamakura period.
*[[Matsuri]] Museum: Dedicated to the shrine festivals (Japanese Matsuri) taking place in Yokohama.
*Silk Museum: Exhibits focusing on the production and processing of silk; including many clothes.
*[[Yokohama Archives of History]]: Located in the former British Consulate building with exhibits related to port development and the arrival of [[Matthew C. Perry|Matthew Perry]].
*[[Yokohama Museum of Art]]: Founded in 1989, featuring modern works by well-known international and Japanese artists.
{{Div col end}}

===Gallery===
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Sangkaien Garden.jpg|[[Sankei-en|Sankei-en Garden]]
File:伊勢佐木町2012年8月24日(金).jpg|[[Isezakichō|Isezaki San Francisco Lane]]
File:Saint Patricks Day in Motomachi Yokohama.jpg|[[Motomachi, Yokohama|Motomachi]]
File:Chinatown in Yokohama 10.jpg|[[Yokohama Chinatown]]
File:Yokohama3Towers From Akarenga.JPG|[[Yokohama Three Towers]] and [[Ronald Reagan]] Boulevard.
File:Harbour View Park, Yamate, Yokohama.jpg|Harbor View Park towards the [[Yokohama Bay Bridge]]
File:Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History 2009.jpg|[[Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History]]
File:Cupnoodles Museum Yokohama 2017.jpg|[[CupNoodles Museum Yokohama|CupNoodles Museum]]
File:Left-side view of Hikawa-maru.jpg|[[Hikawa Maru]]
File:横浜マリンタワー2.jpg|[[Yokohama Marine Tower]]
File:Nippon maru.JPG|[[Nippon Maru (1930)|Nippon Maru Memorial Park]]
File:Yokohama_Red_Brick_Warehouse_2012.JPG|[[Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse]] and [[Douglas MacArthur]] Memorial Square
File:Yokohama World Porters.JPG|Yokohama World Porters
File:YokohamaBaysideMarina01.jpg|Mitsui Outlet Park Yokohama Bayside
File:横浜市立金沢動物園.jpg|[[Matthew C. Perry]] Zoo (formerly Yokohama Municipal Kanazawa Zoo)
File:Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise.jpg|[[Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise]]
File:Cosmo Clock 21 at night.jpg|[[Yokohama Cosmo World]]
File:Yokohama-west-station-building-202009.jpg|[[Yokohama Station]]
File:Gaijin bochi.JPG|Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery
File:Yokohama Museum of Art 2009.jpg|[[Yokohama Museum of Art]]
File:Yokohama Archives of History02.jpg|[[Yokohama Archives of History]]
File:Negishi Horse Racing Track.jpg|[[Negishi Racecourse|Negishi Park]]
File:Iseyama koutai-jingu Torii.jpg|Iseyama Kotai Shrine
File:Sōjiji Daisodo 2009.jpg|[[Sōji-ji]]
</gallery>

===Excursion destinations===
In 2016, 46,017,157 tourists visited the city, 13.1% of whom were overnight guests.<ref name="Pocket2018" />
* Kodomo no kuni: Means "Children's country". A nice destination to spend an eventful day with the family. Lots of space for walking and playing. There is also a petting zoo.
* Nogeyama Zoo: One of the few zoos that do not charge admission. It has a large number of animals and a petting zoo where children can play with small animals.
* Zoorasia: Nice zoo with lots of play options for children. However, in this zoo admission costs.
* Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise: A large park with an aquarium. Otherwise rides, shops, restaurants, etc.
* Since 2020, after six years of development, a giant robot named [[Gundam]], which is 18 meters high and weighs 25 tons, has been watching over the port area as a tourist attraction. The giant robot, in which there is a cockpit and whose hands are each two meters long, is based as a figure on a science fiction television series, can move and sink to its knees.<ref>''[[Tagesthemen]]''. Beitrag in der Nachrichtensendung der ARD, Moderation: [[Ingo Zamperoni]], 30. November 2020, 35 Min. Eine Produktion von [[Das Erste]]</ref> The giant robot was manufactured by the company "Gundam Factory Yokohama" under Managing Director Shin Sasaki.
* [[Kamonyama Park]]

== In popular media ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2024}}
* [[Yukio Mishima]]'s novel ''[[The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea]]'' is set mainly in Yokohama. Mishima describes the city's port and its houses, and the Western influences that shaped them.
* ''[[From Up on Poppy Hill]]'' is a 2011 [[Studio Ghibli]] animated drama film directed by [[Gorō Miyazaki]] set in the [[Yamate]] district of Yokohama. The film is based on the serialized Japanese comic book of the same name.
* The main setting of [[James Clavell]]'s book ''[[Gai-Jin (novel)|Gai-Jin]]'' is in historical Yokohama.
* Vermilion City in the Kanto region from the Pokémon franchise is based on Yokohama. During the closing ceremony of the 2022 [[Pokémon World Championships]] in [[London]], Yokohama was announced as the 2023 host city by using footage of Vermilion City from [[Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow]]. The 2023 World Championships were held at the [[Pacifico Yokohama]] between August 11–13, 2023. In the video game division, the host country won the finals of all three age divisions.
* One of the ''[[Pretty Cure]]'' crossover movies takes place in Yokohama. In the fourth movie of the series, ''Pretty Cure All Stars New Stage: Friends of the Future'', the Pretty Cure appear standing on top of the [[Cosmo Clock 21]] in [[Minato Mirai]].
* The main setting of the Japanese [[visual novel]] series ''[[Muv-Luv]]'', first a school and then, in an alternate history, a military base is built in Yokohama with the objective of carrying out the Alternative IV Plan meant to save humanity.
* In ''[[Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3]]'', Yokohama is under siege by the Soviet Union and Allied Nations to stop the Empire of The Rising Sun. The player must defend Yokohama and then lead a counterattack as the Empire.
* The manga ''[[Bungo Stray Dogs]]'' is set in Yokohama.
* The Japanese mixed-media project, ''[[Hamatora]]'' takes place in Yokohama.
* The final battles in ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]'' (1992) and ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'' (2001) take place in Yokohama.
* In ''[[My Hero Academia]]'', it is the location of the Nomu Warehouse where they created artificial Humans (a.k.a. Nomus).
* Sumaru City in the ''[[Persona 2]]'' duology is based on Yokohama.
* Miyabi City in ''[[The Caligula Effect]]'' is based on Yokohama, including depictions of landmarks such as an unfinished Landmark Tower and [[Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise]] (referred to in game as Sea Paraiso).
* The video game ''[[Yakuza (series)#Yakuza: Like a Dragon|Yakuza: Like a Dragon]]'' is set in Isezaki Ijincho, a fictional district in Yokohama based on [[Isezakichō]].
* Yokohama is also represented in the multimedia project by [[King Records (Japan)|King Records]], ''[[Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle]]''
* Yokohama is the main setting of Japanese manga and anime series ''[[Komi Can't Communicate]]''. Multiple of the cities' landmarks are featured on the manga, most notably in the more recently released chapters.
* Yokohama is the setting of the anime ''[[After the Rain (manga)|After the Rain]]'' as well as manga series with the same title by [[Jun Mayuzuki]].
*In April 2022, The Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau announced the launch of a new interactive website to aid in the tourism and MICE elements of the city.<ref>{{cite journal|date=28 April 2022|url= https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220428005059/en/Virtual-Yokohama-Interactive-Website-Launched|title= Virtual Yokohama: Interactive Website Launched|journal=Business Wire|access-date=29 April 2022}}</ref>

== Sports ==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Yokohama stadium 2020 wing.jpg|[[Yokohama Stadium]] exterior
File:Yokohama Stadium, Baseball Stadium.jpg|[[Yokohama Stadium]] crowd
File:Yokohama Arena 2013.jpg|[[Yokohama Arena]] exterior
File:Nissan International Stadium Yokohama.jpg|[[Nissan Stadium (Yokohama)|Nissan Stadium]] exterior
File:International Stadium Yokohama-1.jpg|[[Nissan Stadium (Yokohama)|Nissan Stadium]] crowd
</gallery>

*Baseball: [[Yokohama DeNA BayStars]]
*Football/Soccer: [[Yokohama F. Marinos]] ([[J1 League]]), [[Yokohama FC]] ([[J2 League]]), [[YSCC Yokohama]] ([[J3 League]]), NHK Yokohama FC Seagulls (Nadeshiko League Div.2)
*Velodrome: [[Kagetsu-en Velodrome]]
*Basketball: [[Yokohama B-Corsairs]]
*Rugby Union: [[Yokohama Canon Eagles|Yokohama Eagles]]
*[[Tennis]]: [[Ai Sugiyama]]
*[[American football]]: [[Yokohama Harbors]]

==Economy==
The city has a strong economic base, especially in the [[freight transport|shipping]], [[biotechnology]], and [[semiconductor]] industries. [[Nissan]] moved its headquarters to Yokohama from [[Chūō, Tokyo]], in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=7647 |title=Nissan To Create New Global and Domestic Headquarters in Yokohama City by 2010 |publisher=Japancorp.net |access-date=2009-05-06 |archive-date=September 14, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070914071025/http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=7647 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Yokohama's GDP per capita (Nominal) was $30,625 ($1=¥120.13).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/ex/stat/sna/sna01-1.html |title=Yokohama GDP 2015 |access-date=August 22, 2018 |archive-date=May 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511164544/http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/ex/stat/sna/sna01-1.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/ex/stat/census/kokucho1510/01jinko/jinko-kihon-gaiyo.pdf |title=Yokohama 2015 population |access-date=August 22, 2018 |archive-date=February 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203225626/http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/ex/stat/census/kokucho1510/01jinko/jinko-kihon-gaiyo.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{As of|2016}}, the total production in Yokohama city reached ¥13.56 billion. It is located between [[Shizuoka Prefecture|Shizuoka]] and [[Hiroshima Prefecture]]s compared to domestic prefectures.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/city-info/koho-kocho/press/seisaku/2019/0725_tokei-chosa_sna.files/20190725press.pdf|title=「平成28年度横浜市の市民経済計算」がまとまりました。|accessdate=March 24, 2021|publisher=横浜市|archive-date=June 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604100918/https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/city-info/koho-kocho/press/seisaku/2019/0725_tokei-chosa_sna.files/20190725press.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> It is located between [[Hungary]], which ranks 26th, and [[New Zealand]], which ranks 27th compared to [[OECD]] countries. Generally, the primary industry is 0.1%, the secondary industry is 21.7%, and the tertiary industry is 82.3%. The ratio of the primary industry is low, and the ratio of the secondary industry and the tertiary industry is high. Compared to other ordinance-designated cities, it is about 60% of the size of [[Osaka]], which is almost the same as [[Nagoya]]. As shown in the attached table, there are not a few head office companies, {{Clarify|date=January 2022|text=but the major inferiority to Osaka is the traditional difference, the strong bed.}} In connection with this, the absence of large block-type companies ([[Japan Railways Group|JR]], [[Nippon Telegraph and Telephone|NTT]], electric power, gas, major commercial broadcasters, etc.) has had an impact.

The breakdown is ¥11.9 million yen (0.1%) for the primary industry, ¥2.75 billion (21.7%) for the secondary industry, and ¥10.44 billion yen (82.3%) for the tertiary industry.{{when|date=May 2023}}{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} Compared to other government-designated cities, the amount of the primary industry, the ratio of the construction industry of the secondary industry, and the ratio of the real estate industry of the tertiary industry are large, and the finance, insurance, wholesale, and retail of the tertiary industry The ratio of industry and service industry is small, but the tertiary industry is almost the same as [[Nagoya]].{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

===Major companies headquartered===
<gallery>
File:Nissan headquarters 2022.jpg|[[Nissan]] Global Headquarters in [[Nishi-ku, Yokohama|Nishi-ku]]
File:JVCKENWOOD001.jpg|[[JVCKenwood]] headquarters in [[Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama|Kanagawa-ku]]
File:Koei Tecmo headquarters -01.jpg|[[Koei Tecmo]] headquarters in [[Kōhoku-ku, Yokohama|Kōhoku-ku]]
File:Keikyu Group Headquarters.jpg|[[Keikyu|Keikyu Group]] headquarters in Nishi-ku
File:Sotetsu HQ Building.jpg|[[Sagami Railway|Sotetsu]] headquarters in Nishi-ku
File:Yokohama Gate Tower - 04a.jpg|[[Isuzu]] headquarters in Nishi-ku
</gallery>

==Transport==
{{See also|Transport in Greater Tokyo}}

[[File:YokosukaLineStations.png|thumb|upright|A route map in Yokohama and Tokyo ([[East Japan Railway Company|JR East]])]]

Yokohama is serviced by the [[Tōkaidō Shinkansen]], a high-speed rail line with a stop at [[Shin-Yokohama Station]]. [[Yokohama Station]] is also a major station, with two million passengers daily. The [[Yokohama Municipal Subway]], [[Minatomirai Line]] and [[Kanazawa Seaside Line]] provide metro services.

===Air transport===
Yokohama does not have an airport, but is served by Tokyo's two main airports [[Haneda Airport]] which is 17.4 km away and [[Narita International Airport]] which is 77 km away.

===Maritime transport===
Yokohama is the world's 31st largest seaport in terms of total cargo volume, at 121,326 freight tons {{As of|2011|lc=y}}, and is ranked 37th in terms of TEUs ([[Twenty-foot equivalent units]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aapa-ports.org/Industry/content.cfm?ItemNumber=900#|title=Ports & World Trade|website=www.aapa-ports.org|access-date=July 3, 2014|archive-date=May 4, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504233752/http://www.aapa-ports.org/Industry/content.cfm?ItemNumber=900|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2013, [[APM Terminals]] Yokohama facility was recognized as the most productive container terminal in the world averaging 163 crane moves per hour, per ship between the vessel's arrival and departure at the berth.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chinese Ports Lead the World in Berth Productivity, JOC Group Inc. Data Shows|url=http://www.joc.com/port-news/port-productivity/chinese-ports-lead-world-berth-productivity-joc-group-inc-data-shows_20140624.html|access-date=20 March 2015|work=Press Release|agency=JOC Inc|publisher=AXIO Data Group|date=24 June 2014|archive-date=April 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406011504/http://www.joc.com/port-news/port-productivity/chinese-ports-lead-world-berth-productivity-joc-group-inc-data-shows_20140624.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Rail transport ===
==== Railway stations ====
; {{color|green|■}} [[East Japan Railway Company|East Japan Railway Company (JR East)]]
: {{color|DarkOrange|■}} [[Tōkaidō Main Line]]
:* – {{STN|Yokohama}} – {{STN|Totsuka}} –
: {{color|navy|■}} [[Yokosuka Line]]
:* – Yokohama – {{STN|Hodogaya}} – {{STN|Higashi-Totsuka}} – Totsuka –
: {{color|deepskyblue|■}} [[Keihin-Tōhoku Line]]
:* – {{STN|Tsurumi}} – {{STN|Shin-Koyasu}} – {{STN|Higashi-Kanagawa}} – Yokohama
: {{color|deepskyblue|■}} [[Negishi Line]]
:* Yokohama – {{STN|Sakuragichō}} – {{STN|Kannai}} – {{STN|Ishikawachō}} – {{STN|Yamate}} – {{STN|Negishi|Kanagawa}} – {{STN|Isogo}} – {{STN|Shin-Sugita}} – {{STN|Yōkōdai}} – {{STN|Kōnandai}} – {{STN|Hongōdai}} –
: {{color|yellowgreen|■}} [[Yokohama Line]]
:* Higashi-Kanagawa – {{STN|Ōguchi}} – {{STN|Kikuna}} – {{STN|Shin-Yokohama}} – {{STN|Kozukue}} – {{STN|Kamoi}} – {{STN|Nakayama|Kanagawa}} – {{STN|Tōkaichiba|Kanagawa}} – {{STN|Nagatsuta}} –
: {{color|Yellow|■}} [[Nambu Line]]
:* – {{STN|Yakō}} –
: {{color|Yellow|■}} [[Tsurumi Line]]
:* '''Main Line''' : Tsurumi – {{STN|Kokudō}} – {{STN|Tsurumi-Ono}} – {{STN|Bentembashi}} – {{STN|Asano}} – {{STN|Anzen}} –
:* '''Umi-Shibaura Branch''' : Asano – {{STN|Shin-Shibaura}} – {{STN|Umi-Shibaura}}
; {{color|orange|■}} [[Central Japan Railway Company|Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central)]]
: {{color|mediumblue|■}} [[Tōkaidō Shinkansen]]
:* – Shin-Yokohama –
; {{color|deepskyblue|■}} [[Keikyu]]
: {{color|deepskyblue|■}} [[Keikyu Main Line]]
:* – {{STN|Tsurumi-Ichiba}} – {{STN|Keikyū Tsurumi}} – {{STN|Kagetsuen-mae}} – {{STN|Namamugi}} – {{STN|Keikyū Shin-Koyasu}} – {{STN|Koyasu}} – {{STN|Kanagawa-Shinmachi}} – {{STN|Naka-Kido}} – {{STN|Kanagawa|Kanagawa}} – Yokohama – {{STN|Tobe}} – {{STN|Hinodechō}} – {{STN|Koganechō}} – {{STN|Minami-Ōta}} – {{STN|Idogaya}} – {{STN|Gumyōji|Keikyū}} – {{STN|Kami-Ōoka}} – {{STN|Byōbugaura}} – {{STN|Sugita|Kanagawa}} – {{STN|Keikyū Tomioka}} – {{STN|Nōkendai}} – {{STN|Kanazawa-Bunko}} – {{STN|Kanazawa-Hakkei}} –
: {{color|deepskyblue|■}} [[Keikyu Zushi Line]]
:* Kanazawa-Hakkei – {{STN|Mutsuura}} –
; {{color|red|■}} [[Tokyu Corporation|Tokyu Railways]]
: {{color|Crimson|■}} [[Tōkyū Tōyoko Line|Tōyoko Line]]
:* – {{STN|Hiyoshi|Kanagawa}} – {{STN|Tsunashima}} – {{STN|Ōkurayama|Kanagawa}} – Kikuna – {{STN|Myōrenji}} – {{STN|Hakuraku}} – {{STN|Higashi-Hakuraku}} – {{STN|Tammachi}} – Yokohama
: {{color|DodgerBlue|■}} [[Tōkyū Meguro Line|Meguro Line]]
:* – Hiyoshi
: {{color|SeaGreen |■}} [[Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line|Den-en-toshi Line]]
:* – {{STN|Tama-Plaza}} – {{STN|Azamino}} – {{STN|Eda|Kanagawa}} – {{STN|Ichigao}} – {{STN|Fujigaoka|Kanagawa}} – {{STN|Aobadai}} – {{STN|Tana}} – Nagatsuta –
: {{color|blue|■}} [[Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Kodomonokuni Line|Kodomonokuni Line]]
:* Nagatsuta – {{STN|Onda}} – {{STN|Kodomonokuni|Kanagawa}}
; {{color|orange|■}} [[Sagami Railway]]
: {{color|orange|■}} [[Sagami Railway Main Line]]
:* Yokohama – {{STN|Hiranumabashi}} – {{STN|Nishi-Yokohama}} – {{STN|Tennōchō}} – {{STN|Hoshikawa|Kanagawa}} – {{STN|Wadamachi}} – {{STN|Kamihoshikawa}} – {{STN|Nishiya}} – {{STN|Tsurugamine}} – {{STN|Futamata-gawa}} – {{STN|Kibōgaoka}} – {{STN|Mitsukyō}} – {{STN|Seya}} –
: {{color|orange|■}} [[Sagami Railway Izumino Line|Izumino Line]]
:* Futamata-gawa – {{STN|Minami-Makigahara}} – {{STN|Ryokuentoshi}} – {{STN|Yayoidai}} – {{STN|Izumino}} – {{STN|Izumi-chūō|Kanagawa}} – {{STN|Yumegaoka}}
; {{color|blue|■}} [[Yokohama Minatomirai Railway]]
: {{color|mediumblue|■}} [[Minatomirai Line]]
:* Yokohama – {{STN|Shin-Takashima}} – {{STN|Minato Mirai}} – {{STN|Bashamichi}} – {{STN|Nihon-ōdōri}} – {{STN|Motomachi-Chūkagai}}
; {{color|blue|■}} [[Yokohama City Transportation Bureau|Yokohama City Transportation Bureau (Yokohama Municipal Subway)]]
: {{color|blue|■}} [[Blue Line (Yokohama)|Blue Line]]
:* – {{STN|Shimoiida}} – {{STN|Tateba}} – {{STN|Nakada}} – {{STN|Odoriba}} – Totsuka – {{STN|Maioka}} – {{STN|Shimonagaya}} – {{STN|Kaminagaya}} – {{STN|Kōnan-Chūō}} – Kami-Ōoka – {{STN|Gumyōji|Yokohama Municipal Subway}} – {{STN|Maita|Kanagawa}} – {{STN|Yoshinochō}} – {{STN|Bandōbashi}} – {{STN|Isezakichōjamachi}} – Kannai – Sakuragichō – {{STN|Takashimachō}} – Yokohama – {{STN|Mitsuzawa-shimochō}} – {{STN|Mitsuzawa-kamichō}} – {{STN|Katakurachō}} – {{STN|Kishine-kōen}} – Shin-Yokohama – {{STN|Kita Shin-Yokohama}} – {{STN|Nippa}} – {{STN|Nakamachidai}} – {{STN|Center Minami}} – {{STN|Center Kita}} – {{STN|Nakagawa|Kanagawa}} – {{STN|Azamino}}
: {{color|green|■}} [[Green Line (Yokohama)|Green Line]]
:* Nakayama – {{STN|Kawawachō}} – {{STN|Tsuzuki-Fureai-no-Oka}} – Center Minami – Center Kita – {{STN|Kita-Yamata}} – {{STN|Higashi-Yamata}} – {{STN|Takata|Kanagawa}} – {{STN|Hiyoshi-Honchō}} – Hiyoshi
; {{color|orange|■}} Yokohama New Transit
: {{color|orange|■}} [[Kanazawa Seaside Line]]
:* Shin-Sugita – {{STN|Nambu-Shijō}} – {{STN|Torihama}} – {{STN|Namiki-Kita}} – {{STN|Namiki-Chūō}} – {{STN|Sachiura}} – {{STN|Sangyō-Shinkō-Center}} – {{STN|Fukuura}} – {{STN|Shidai-Igakubu}} – {{STN|Hakkeijima}} – {{STN|Uminokōen-Shibaguchi}} – {{STN|Uminokōen-Minamiguchi}} – {{STN|Nojimakōen}} – Kanazawa-Hakkei

== Education ==
Public elementary and middle schools are operated by the city of Yokohama. There are nine public high schools which are operated by the Yokohama City Board of Education,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.city.yokohama.jp/me/kyoiku/gakkou_info/gakkou_info1000.html |title=Official Yokohama city website |publisher=City.yokohama.jp |access-date=2010-05-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619005203/http://www.city.yokohama.jp/me/kyoiku/gakkou_info/gakkou_info1000.html |archive-date=June 19, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and a number of public high schools which are operated by the [[Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education]]. [[Yokohama National University]] is a leading university in Yokohama which is also one of the highest ranking national universities in Japan.

* 46,388 children attend the 260 kindergartens.
* Almost 386,000 students are taught in 351 primary schools.
* There are 16 universities including [[Yokohama National University]]. The number of students is around 83,000.
* 19 public libraries had 9.5 million loans in 2016.<ref name = "Pocket2018" />

==International relations==
[[File:tyuukagaimon.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Yokohama Chinatown]]]]
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Japan}}

===Twin towns – sister cities===
Yokohama is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web|title=Yokohama's Sister／Friendship Cities|url=https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/lang/residents/en/about-us/other/shisei/kokusai/shimaitoshi/sisterfriendshipcity.html|website=city.yokohama.lg.jp|publisher=Yokohama|access-date=2021-02-25|archive-date=February 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203174519/https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/lang/residents/en/about-us/other/shisei/kokusai/shimaitoshi/sisterfriendshipcity.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* {{flagdeco|ROM}} [[Constanța]], [[Constanța County]], Romania (since October 1977)
* {{flagdeco|FRA}} [[Lyon]], [[Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]], France (since April 1959)
* {{flagdeco|PHL}} [[Manila]], Philippines (since July 1965)
* {{flagdeco|IND}} [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], India (since June 1965)
* {{flagdeco|UKR}} [[Odesa]], [[Odesa Oblast]], Ukraine (since July 1965)
* {{flagdeco|USA}} [[San Diego]], [[California|CA]], United States (since October 1957)
* {{flagdeco|CHN}} [[Shanghai]], China (since November 1973)
* {{flagdeco|CAN}} [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia|BC]], Canada (since July 1965)
{{Div col end}}
Yokohama also cooperates with:
*{{flagdeco|USA}} [[Los Angeles]], [[California|CA]], United States

===Partner cities===
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* {{flagdeco|CIV}} [[Abidjan]], Ivory Coast
* {{flagdeco|CHN}} [[Beijing]], China (since May 2006)
* {{flagdeco|AUS}} [[Brisbane]], [[Queensland]], Australia (since June 2008)
* {{flagdeco|KOR}} [[Busan]], South Korea (since June 2006)
* {{flagdeco|DEU}} [[Frankfurt]], [[Hesse]], Germany (since September 2011)
* {{flagdeco|VIE}} [[Hanoi]], Vietnam (since November 2007)
* {{flagdeco|VIE}} [[Ho Chi Minh City]], Vietnam (since October 2007)
* {{flagdeco|KOR}} [[Incheon]], South Korea (since December 2009)
* {{flagdeco|AUS}} [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]], Australia
* {{flagdeco|MYS}} [[Seberang Perai]], [[Penang]], Malaysia (since August 2016)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2016/08/01/mpsp-sets-sights-on-city-status-we-hope-to-achieve-this-by-2024-says-council-president/|title=MPSP sets sights on city status|date=1 August 2016|work=[[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]]|access-date=July 4, 2018|archive-date=July 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705033142/https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2016/08/01/mpsp-sets-sights-on-city-status-we-hope-to-achieve-this-by-2024-says-council-president/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{flagdeco|TWN}} [[Taipei]], Taiwan (since May 2006)
* {{flagdeco|ISR}} [[Tel Aviv]], Israel (since July 2012)
* {{flagdeco|CHN}} [[Tianjin]], China (since May 2008)
{{Div col end}}

===Sister ports===
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* {{flagdeco|ESP}} [[Port of Barcelona]], Spain (since November 1989)
* {{flagdeco|CHN}} [[Port of Dalian]] (friendship port treaty, since September 1990)
* {{flagdeco|DEU}} [[Port of Hamburg]], Germany (since October 1992)
* {{flagdeco|AUS}} [[Port of Melbourne]], Australia (since May 1986)
* {{flagdeco|USA}} [[Port of Oakland]], United States (since May 1980)
* {{flagdeco|CAN}} [[Port of Vancouver]], Canada (since May 1981)
* {{flagdeco|CHN}} [[Port of Shanghai]] (friendship port treaty, since October 1983)
{{Div col end}}

== Notable people ==
*[[Lily Abegg]], journalist
*Jo Asakura, member of Japanese boy group [[&Team]]
*The [[Brahman Brothers]], professional wrestlers
*[[Toru Furuya]], singer and voice actor
*[[Shigetoshi Hasebe]], football manager and former player
*[[Tamon Honda]], professional wrestler
*[[Joe Higuchi]], professional wrestler
*[[Antonio Inoki]], professional wrestler and politician
*[[Naoya Inoue]], boxer
*[[Yuma Kagiyama]], figure skater
*[[Shinobu Kandori]], politician and professional wrestler
*[[Crystal Kay]], singer
*[[Hana Kimura]], professional wrestler
*[[Kyoko Kimura]], professional wrestler
*[[Masahiko Kondō]], singer and racing driver
*[[Miki Koyama]], racing driver
*[[Takehito Koyasu]], singer and voice actor
*[[Ryuji Kumita]], racing driver and CEO of [[B-Max Racing]]
*[[Keisuke Kunimoto]], racing driver
*[[Yuji Kunimoto]], racing driver
*[[Natsupoi|Natsumi Maki]], known by ring name '''Natsupoi''', professional wrestler
*[[Hiro Matsuda]], professional wrestler
*[[Yūta Mochizuki]], actor
*[[Akinori Ogata]], racing driver
*[[Radwimps]], alternative rock band
*[[Takuro Shinohara]], racing driver
*[[Minoru Suzuki]], professional wrestler
*[[Kuniaki Takahashi]], drifting driver
*[[Yasuto Wakizaka]], footballer
*[[Yuta Watanabe]], NBA player for the [[Toronto Raptors]]
*[[Miki Yamane]], footballer

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

=== Sources ===
{{Refbegin}}
* Hammer, Joshua (2006). [https://books.google.com/books?id=6O8VyhDbUPgC ''Yokohama Burning: The Deadly 1923 Earthquake and Fire that Helped Forge the Path to World War II''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623153445/https://books.google.com/books?id=6O8VyhDbUPgC |date=June 23, 2016 }}. New York: [[Simon & Schuster]]. {{ISBN|978-0-7432-6465-5}} (cloth).
* Heilbrun, Jacob. [https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/17/books/review/Heilbrunn.t.html "Aftershocks"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115085735/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/17/books/review/Heilbrunn.t.html |date=January 15, 2018 }}. ''[[The New York Times]]'', September 17, 2006.
{{Refend}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Yokohama}}
*[http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/ Official Website] {{in lang|ja}}
*[http://www.yokohamajapan.com/ Yokohama Tourism Website] {{in lang|en}}
*{{OSM relation|2689482|Yokohama}}

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[[Category:Yokohama| ]]
[[Category:Environmental model cities]]
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[[Category:Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan]]

Kobe

2024-07-06T05:09:04Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303:

{{Short description|City in the Kansai region, Japan}}
{{About|the city in Japan|the basketball player|Kobe Bryant|other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement

|name = Kobe
|native_name = {{nobold|神戸市}}
|official_name = Kobe City
|settlement_type = [[Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan|Designated city]]
|image_skyline = {{multiple image
|border = infobox
|total_width = 280
|image_style = border:1;
|perrow = 1/2/2/1/2
|image1 = Kobe Harbour Area 2.jpg
|alt1 = Port of Kobe
|image2 = The old settlement hall of no15 01 1920.jpg
|alt2 = Old Kobe Residency 15th Hall (The Former American Consulate in Kobe)
|image3 = Hyogo prefectural museum of art08s3200.jpg
|alt3 = Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art
|image4 = Chang'an gate (Nankinmachi, Kobe).jpg
|alt4 = Nankin-machi
|image5 = Ikuta Shrine 201208.JPG
|alt5 = Ikuta Shrine
|image6 = Kobe kitano thomas house07 2816.jpg
|alt6 = The Former Thomas House
}}
|imagesize =
|image_alt =
|image_caption = From top left: [[Kobe Port Tower]] and [[Kobe Maritime Museum]] of the [[Meriken Park]], Old Kobe Residency 15th Hall (The Former American Consulate in Kobe) of [[Kobe foreign settlement]], [[Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of Art|Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art]], the [[Chinatown]] of [[Nankin-machi]], [[Ikuta Shrine]] and a view from The Former Thomas House of [[Kitano-chō|Kitano-cho]]
|image_flag = Flag of Kobe.svg
|flag_alt =
|image_seal = Emblem of Kobe, Hyogo.svg
|nickname =
|motto = 
|image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|type=shape-inverse|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#333333|zoom=9}}
|map_caption = Interactive map outlining Kobe
|image_map1 = Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture Ja.svg
|map_alt1 =
|mapsize1 = 290
|map_caption1 = {{color box|#ad4ce6}} Location of Kobe in [[Hyōgo Prefecture]]
|image_dot_map =
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|pushpin_map = Japan
|pushpin_mapsize = 300
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|coordinates = {{coord|34|41|24|N|135|11|44|E|type:city(1545410)_region:JP-28|display=it}}
|coor_pinpoint = 
|coordinates_footnotes = 

|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = [[Japan]]
|subdivision_type1 = [[Regions of Japan|Region]]
|subdivision_name1 = [[Kansai region|Kansai]]
|subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
|subdivision_name2 = [[Hyōgo Prefecture]]
|subdivision_type3 =
|subdivision_name3 = 
|established_title = First official record
|established_date = 201 AD
|established_title2 = City Status
|established_date2 = April 1, 1889
|founder =
|named_for = 
|seat_type = 
|seat = 
|government_footnotes = 
|leader_party =
|leader_title = Mayor
|leader_name = [[Kizō Hisamoto]]
|leader_title1 =
|leader_name1 = 

|total_type = 
|unit_pref = 

|area_magnitude = 
|area_footnotes = 
|area_total_km2 = 557.02
|area_land_km2 =
|area_water_km2 =
|area_water_percent =
|area_note = 
|elevation_footnotes = 
|elevation_m =
|elevation_ft = 
|population_footnotes = 
|population_total = 1,522,188 ([[List of Japanese cities by population|7th]])
|population_as_of = June 1, 2021
|population_density_km2 = auto
|population_est =
|pop_est_as_of =
|population_demonym = 
|population_note =
|population_metro_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web |title=UEA Code Tables |url=http://www.csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/UEA/uea_code_e.htm |publisher=Center for Spatial Information Science, University of Tokyo |access-date=January 26, 2019}}</ref> (2015)
|population_metro = 2419973 ([[List of metropolitan areas in Japan by population|6th]])

|timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time]]
|utc_offset1 = +9

|postal_code_type = 
|postal_code =
|area_code_type = 
|area_code = 
|blank_name_sec1 = Phone number
|blank_info_sec1 = 078-331-8181
|blank1_name_sec1 = Address
|blank1_info_sec1 = 6-5-1 Kano-chō, Chūō-ku, Kōbe-shi, Hyōgo-ken 650-8570

|blank_name_sec2 = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
|blank_info_sec2 = [[Humid subtropical climate|Cfa]]

|website = [https://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/foreignlanguage/index.html City of Kobe]
|footnotes =
|module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
|tree = ''[[Camellia sasanqua]]''
|flower = [[Hydrangea]]
|bird =
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|butterfly =
|fish =
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}}
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| pic = Kobe (Chinese characters).svg
| piccap = "Kobe" in new-style (''[[shinjitai]]'') ''[[kanji]]''
| picupright = 0.425
| shinjitai = 神戸
| kyujitai = 神戶
| romaji = Kōbe
}}
'''Kobe''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|oʊ|b|eɪ}} {{respell|KOH|bay}}; {{lang-ja|神戸|Kōbe}}, {{IPA|ja|koꜜːbe|pron|TomJ-Kobe.ogg}}), officially {{nihongo|'''Kobe City'''|神戸市|Kōbe-shi}}, is the capital city of [[Hyōgo Prefecture]], Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is [[Japan]]'s [[List of Japanese cities by population|seventh-largest city]] and the third-largest port city after [[Port of Tokyo|Tokyo]] and [[Port of Yokohama|Yokohama]]. It is located in the [[Kansai region]], which makes up the southern side of the main island of [[Honshu|Honshū]], on the north shore of [[Osaka Bay]]. It is part of the [[Keihanshin]] metropolitan area along with [[Osaka]] and [[Kyoto]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2016/04/13/kobe48.html|title=Kobe|author=Gabriele Zanatta|newspaper=[[la Repubblica]]|date=April 13, 2016|page=48|language=it}}</ref> The Kobe city centre is located about {{convert|35|km|0|abbr=on}} west of Osaka and {{convert|70|km|0|abbr=on}} southwest of Kyoto.

The earliest written records regarding the region come from the {{Lang|ja-latn|[[Nihon Shoki]]}}, which describes the founding of the [[Ikuta Shrine]] by [[Empress Jingū]] in AD 201.<ref name="ikutahistory">[http://www.ikutajinja.or.jp/index1.html Ikuta Shrine official website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404125132/http://www.ikutajinja.or.jp/index1.html |date=April 4, 2008 }} – "History of Ikuta Shrine" (Japanese)</ref><ref name="kobecityinfo">[http://www.kobecityinfo.com/history.html Kobe City Info] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080616060627/http://www.kobecityinfo.com/history.html |date=June 16, 2008 }} – "History". Retrieved February 2, 2007.</ref> For most of its history, the area was never a single political entity, even during the [[Tokugawa period]], when the port was controlled directly by the [[Tokugawa shogunate]]. Kobe did not exist in its current form until its founding in 1889. Its name comes from {{nihongo||神戸|Kanbe|an archaic title for supporters of the city's [[Ikuta Shrine]]}}.<ref name="nagasakiu">[http://hikoma.lb.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/en/target.php?id=5363 Nagasaki University] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516202402/http://hikoma.lb.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/en/target.php?id=5363 |date=May 16, 2007 }} – "Ikuta Shrine". Retrieved February 3, 2007.</ref><ref name="kojien_kanbe">Entry for {{lang|ja-Hani|「神戸（かんべ）」}}. [[Kōjien]], fifth edition, 1998, {{ISBN|4-00-080111-2}}</ref> Kobe became one of Japan's [[City designated by government ordinance|designated cities]] in 1956.

Kobe was one of the cities to open for trade with the [[Western world|West]] following the 1853 end of the [[Sakoku|policy of seclusion]] and has retained its cosmopolitan character ever since with a rich architectural heritage dating back to the [[Meiji era]]. While the 1995 [[Great Hanshin earthquake]] diminished some of Kobe's prominence as a port city, it remains Japan's fourth-busiest [[container port]].<ref name="busyport2006">[http://aapa.files.cms-plus.com/Statistics/worldportrankings%5F2006.xls American Association of Port Authorities] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221123213/http://aapa.files.cms-plus.com/Statistics/worldportrankings_2006.xls |date=December 21, 2008 }} – "World Port Rankings 2006". Retrieved April 15, 2008.</ref> Companies headquartered in Kobe include [[ASICS]], [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries]], and [[Kobe Steel]], while over 100 international corporations have their Asian or Japanese headquarters in the city, including [[Eli Lilly and Company]], [[Procter & Gamble]], [[Boehringer Ingelheim]], and [[Nestlé]].<ref name="foreign_hq">"Number of foreign corporations with headquarters in Kobe passes 100." (Japanese) in Nikkei Net, retrieved from [http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/retto/20070702c6b0202c02.html NIKKEI.net] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070706011802/http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/retto/20070702c6b0202c02.html |date=July 6, 2007 }} on July 3, 2007.</ref><ref name="companyhq">[http://www.hyogo-kobe.jp/english/list/company.html Hyogo-Kobe Investment Guide] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208073732/http://www.hyogo-kobe.jp/english/list/company.html |date=December 8, 2006 }} – "List of Foreign Enterprises and Examples". Retrieved February 8, 2007.</ref> The city is the point of origin and namesake of [[Kobe beef]], the home of [[Kobe University]], and the site of one of Japan's most famous [[onsen|hot spring]] resorts, [[Arima Onsen]].

==History==
{{for timeline|Timeline of Kobe}}

===Origins===
Tools found in western Kobe demonstrate the area was populated at least from the [[Jōmon period]].<ref name="oldkobehistory">[http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/15/020/youran/rekishi.html City of Kobe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070918145414/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/15/020/youran/rekishi.html |date=September 18, 2007 }} – "Kobe's History" (Japanese). Retrieved October 22, 2007.</ref>

The natural geography of the area, particularly of Wada Cape in [[Hyōgo-ku, Kobe|Hyōgo-ku]], led to the development of a port, which would remain the economic center of the city.<ref name="hyogotsu">[http://www.hyogo-tourism.jp/english/hyogotsu/index.html Hyogo International Tourism Guide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061130123308/http://www.hyogo-tourism.jp/english/hyogotsu/index.html |date=November 30, 2006 }} – "Hyogo-tsu". Retrieved February 2, 2007.</ref> Some of the earliest written documents mentioning the region include the {{Lang|ja-latn|[[Nihon Shoki]]}}, which describes the founding of the [[Ikuta Shrine]] by [[Jingū of Japan|Empress Jingū]] in AD 201.<ref name="ikutahistory" />
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="110" perrow="3" caption="Gallery">
File:Ikuta Shrine, Kobe City; April 2017 (04).jpg|[[Ikuta Shrine]]
File:Nagata Jinja Kobe Torii.jpg|[[Nagata Shrine]]
File:Taisanji31s3872.jpg|[[Taisan-ji (Kobe)|Taisan-ji]]. The main hall is a [[National Treasures of Japan|National Treasure of Japan]] (built in 716).
</gallery>

===Nara and Heian periods===
During the [[Nara period|Nara]] and [[Heian period]]s, the port was known by the name {{nihongo|Ōwada Anchorage||Ōwada-no-tomari}} and was one of the ports from which [[imperial embassies to China]] were dispatched.<ref name="kobecityinfo"/><ref name="oldkobehistory"/>
The city was briefly the [[capital of Japan]] in 1180, when [[Taira no Kiyomori]] moved his grandson [[Emperor Antoku]] to [[Fukuhara-kyō]] in present-day Hyōgo-ku.<ref name="oldkobehistory" /> The Emperor returned to Kyoto after about five months.<ref name="kobecityinfo"/>
Shortly thereafter in 1184, the [[Taira]] fortress in Hyōgo-ku and the nearby Ikuta Shrine became the sites of the [[Genpei War]] [[battle of Ichi-no-Tani]] between the Taira and [[Minamoto clan]]s. The Minamoto prevailed, pushing the Taira further.
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="110" perrow="3" caption="Gallery">
File:Taira no Kiyomori Portrait by Fujiwara Tamenobu and Takenobu.png|[[Taira no Kiyomori]]
File:Yukimi-no-gosho.jpg|Marker indicating the former location of [[Fukuhara-kyō]]
File:Genpei kassen.jpg|[[Battle of Ichi-no-Tani]] ([[Genpei War]])
</gallery>

===Kamakura period===
As the port grew during the [[Kamakura period]], it became an important hub for trade with China and other countries. In the 13th century, the city came to be known by the name {{nihongo|Hyōgo Port|兵庫津|Hyōgo-tsu}}.<ref name="hyogotsu" /> During this time, Hyōgo Port, along with northern Osaka, composed the province of [[Settsu Province|Settsu]] (most of today's Kobe belonged to Settsu except [[Nishi-ku, Kobe|Nishi Ward]] and [[Tarumi-ku, Kobe|Tarumi Ward]], which belonged to [[Harima Province|Harima]]).
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="110" perrow="3" caption="Gallery">
File:Yukai sanjurokkassen 勇魁三十六合戦 (Courageous Leaders in Thirty-six Battles) (BM 2008,3037.02214).jpg|[[Kusunoki Masashige]] ([[Battle of Minatogawa]])
File:Minatogawa-jinja shinmon.jpg|[[Minatogawa Shrine]]
</gallery>

===Edo period===
Later, during the [[Edo period]], the eastern parts of present-day Kobe came under the jurisdiction of the [[Amagasaki Domain]] and the western parts under that of the [[Akashi Domain]], while the center was controlled directly by the [[Tokugawa shogunate]].<ref>[http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/014/year/year.html#3 City of Kobe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420204218/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/014/year/year.html#3 |date=April 20, 2008 }} – "Old Kobe" (Japanese). Retrieved February 16, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.city.ashiya.hyogo.jp/english/history.html City of Ashiya] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617011231/http://www.city.ashiya.hyogo.jp/english/history.html |date=June 17, 2008 }} – "An Outline History of Ashiya". Retrieved February 16, 2007.</ref>
It was not until the [[abolition of the han system]] in 1871 and the establishment of the current [[Prefectures of Japan|prefecture system]] that the area became politically distinct.
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="110" perrow="3" caption="Gallery">
File:Hanakuma castle01s3200.jpg|Hanakuma Castle
</gallery>

===Meiji period===
Hyōgo Port was opened to foreign trade by the Shogunal government at the same time as Osaka on January 1, 1868, just before the advent of the [[Boshin War]] and the [[Meiji Restoration]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=John Whitney Hall|author2=Marius B. Jansen|title=The Cambridge History of Japan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7OFYajIf9QgC&pg=PA304|year=1988|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-22356-0|page=304}}</ref> At the time of the opening of the city for foreign trade, the area saw intense fighting resulting from the civil war in progress. Shortly after the opening of Kobe to trade, the [[Kobe Incident]] occurred, where several western soldiers sustained wounds from gunfire by troops from Bizen. The region has since been identified with the West and many foreign residences from the period remain in Kobe's [[Kitano-chō|Kitano area]].
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="110" perrow="3" caption="Gallery">
File:Kobe Bund 1979.94.6P01B.jpg|[[Kobe foreign settlement]] Kaigan-dōri Avenue around 1885
File:Shinkaichi.jpg|[[Shinkaichi]] theatre street in Kobe (Taisho era)
File:Viewofkobe.PNG|Hyōgo Port in the 19th century<ref>From the [http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/id?110089 NYPL Digital Library]</ref>
File:Kobe kaigan street01 1920.jpg|The Bund, built in the 1860s–1930s
File:Choueke house02 1920.jpg|[[Kitano-chō|Kitano area]], built in the 1880s–1910s
File:Old hyogo prefectural office bld03 1920.jpg|Former Hyogo prefectural office, built in 1902
File:Sesshu Kobe coast prosperity view.jpg|This [[nishiki-e]] (colored woodcut) shows a foreign steamboat entering Hyōgo Port shortly after its opening to the West in the late 19th century.
</gallery>

=== Modern era ===
Kobe, as it is known today, was founded on April 1, 1889, and was [[City designated by government ordinance|designated]] on September 1, 1956 by government ordinance. The history of the city is closely tied to that of the Ikuta Shrine, and the name "Kobe" derives from {{nihongo||神戸|kamube|later ''kanbe''}}, an archaic name for those who supported the shrine.<ref name="nagasakiu"/><ref name="kojien_kanbe"/>

During [[World War II]], Kobe was lightly bombed in the [[Doolittle Raid]] on April 18, 1942, along with [[Tokyo]] and a few other cities. Eventually, it was [[Bombing of Kobe in World War II|bombed again with incendiary bombs by B-29 Superfortress bombers on March 16 and 17, 1945]], causing the death of 8,841 residents and the destruction of 21% of [[Bombing of Kobe in World War II|Kobe's urban area]]. This incident inspired the well-known [[Studio Ghibli]] film ''[[Grave of the Fireflies]]'' and the [[Grave of the Fireflies (novel)|book]] by [[Akiyuki Nosaka]] on which the film was based. It also features in the motion picture ''[[A Boy Called H]]''.

Following continuous pressure from citizens, on March 18, 1975, the Kobe City Council passed an ordinance banning vessels carrying [[nuclear weapon]]s from Kobe Port. This effectively prevented any U.S. warships from entering the port, because U.S. policy is to never disclose whether any given warship is carrying nuclear weapons. This [[nuclear proliferation|nonproliferation]] policy has been termed the "[[Japan's non-nuclear policy#The Kobe Formula|Kobe formula]]".<ref>[http://www.prop1.org/prop1/jkobef.htm Kobe City Council] – "Resolution on the Rejection of the Visit of Nuclear-Armed Warships into Kobe Port", March 18, 1975. Retrieved February 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Kamimura, Naoki. "Japanese Civil Society and U.S.-Japan Security Relations in the 1990s". retrieved from [http://www.ippnw.org/MGS/V7N1Kamimura.html International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060516075014/http://www.ippnw.org/MGS/V7N1Kamimura.html |date=May 16, 2006 }} on February 2, 2007</ref>

On January 17, 1995, [[Great Hanshin earthquake|a magnitude 6.9 earthquake]] occurred at 5:46 am [[Japan Standard Time|JST]] near the city. About 6,434 people in the city were killed, 212,443 were made homeless, and large parts of the port facilities and other parts of the city were destroyed.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080625151141/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/report/january.2008.pdf The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Statistics and Restoration Progress] (Jan. 2008). Retrieved April 14, 2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.kkr.mlit.go.jp/en/topics_hanshin.html Great Hanshin Earthquake Restoration] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014224958/http://www.kkr.mlit.go.jp/en/topics_hanshin.html |date=October 14, 2014 }}. Retrieved April 14, 2008.</ref> The earthquake destroyed portions of the [[Hanshin Expressway]], an elevated freeway that dramatically toppled over. In Japan, this earthquake is known as the [[Great Hanshin earthquake]] (or the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake). To commemorate Kobe's recovery from it, the city holds an event every December called the [[Kobe Luminarie|Luminarie]], where the city center is decorated with illuminated metal archways.

The [[Port of Kobe]] was Japan's busiest port and one of Asia's top ports until the Great Hanshin earthquake.<ref name="maruhon">[https://web.archive.org/web/20010303054315/http://maruhon.com/business/port.htm Maruhon Business News] – Port Conditions in Japan. Retrieved January 23, 2007.</ref> Kobe has since dropped to fourth in Japan and, as of 2012, was the 49th-[[List of world's busiest container ports|busiest container port worldwide]].

<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="Gallery" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:KobeFormerSettelment Map JapDirectory (1905).tif|Map of the [[Kobe foreign settlement|Foreign Settlement]]
File:Kobe after the 1945 air raid.JPG|View of Kobe after the [[Bombing of Kobe in World War II|bombing]] in 1945
File:Admiralty Chart No 2265 Kobe Ko, Published 1966.jpg|Port of Kobe in 1966
File:Hanshin-Awaji earthquake 1995 337.jpg|Damage in [[Sannomiya]] after the [[Great Hanshin earthquake]] in 1995
File:Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park2.jpg|Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park
</gallery>

== Geography ==
[[File:151229_Kobe_Port_Japan01bs.jpg|thumb|260px|View of Kobe from an airplane]]

Wedged between the coast and the mountains, the city of Kobe is long and narrow. To the east is the city of [[Ashiya, Hyōgo|Ashiya]], while the city of [[Akashi, Hyōgo|Akashi]] lies to its west. Other adjacent cities include [[Takarazuka, Hyōgo|Takarazuka]] and [[Nishinomiya]] to the east and [[Sanda, Hyōgo|Sanda]] and [[Miki, Hyōgo|Miki]] to the north.

The landmark of the port area is the red steel [[Kobe Port Tower|Port Tower]]. A [[ferris wheel]] sits in nearby [[Harborland]], a notable tourist [[Esplanade|promenade]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2014}} Two artificial islands, [[Port Island]] and [[Rokkō Island]], have been constructed to give the city room to expand.

Away from the seaside at the heart of Kobe lie the [[Motomachi, Kobe|Motomachi]] and [[Sannomiya]] districts, as well as Kobe's [[Chinatown]], [[Nankin-machi]], all well-known retail areas. A multitude of train lines cross the city from east to west. The main transport hub is [[Sannomiya Station]], with the eponymous [[Kobe Station (Hyōgo)|Kobe Station]] located to the west and the [[Shinkansen]] [[Shin-Kobe Station]] to the north.

[[Mount Rokkō]] overlooks Kobe at an elevation of {{cvt|931|m}}. During autumn, it is famous for the rich change in [[autumn leaf color|colors of its forests]].

{{wide image|Panoramic view of Kobe and Kobe Harbor from the Kobe Port Tower.png|1000px|align-cap=center|A panorama of Kobe, [[Port of Kobe|its harbor]], and [[Port Island]] from [[Kobe Port Tower]]}}

=== Wards ===
Kobe has nine [[wards of Japan|wards]] (''ku''):

# [[Nishi-ku, Kobe|Nishi-ku]]: The westernmost area of Kobe, Nishi-ku overlooks the city of [[Akashi, Hyōgo|Akashi]] and is the site of [[Kobe Gakuin University]]. This ward has the largest population, with 247,000 residents.<ref>[http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/toukei/contents/kubetusihyo.html City of Kobe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014182029/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/toukei/contents/kubetusihyo.html |date=October 14, 2007 }}, "Population by Ward" (Japanese). Retrieved July 25, 2007.</ref>
# [[Kita-ku, Kobe|Kita-ku]]: Kita-ku is the largest ward by area and contains the Rokko Mountain Range, including [[Mount Rokkō]] and [[Mount Maya]]. The area is well known for its rugged landscape and hiking trails. The [[onsen]] resort town of [[Arima Onsen|Arima]] also lies within Kita-ku.
# [[Tarumi-ku, Kobe|Tarumi-ku]]: Tarumi-ku is a mostly residential area. The longest suspension bridge in the world, the [[Akashi Kaikyō Bridge]], extends from Maiko in Tarumi-ku to [[Awaji Island]] to the south. A relatively new addition to Kobe, Tarumi-ku was not a part of the city until 1946.
# [[Suma-ku, Kobe|Suma-ku]]: Suma-ku is the site of Suma beach, attracting visitors during the summer months.
# [[Nagata-ku, Kobe|Nagata-ku]]: Nagata-ku is the site of [[Nagata jinja|Nagata Shrine]], one of the three "Great Shrines" in Kobe.
# [[Hyōgo-ku, Kobe|Hyōgo-ku]]: At various times known as Ōwada Anchorage or Hyōgo Port, this area is the historical heart of the city. [[Shinkaichi]] in Hyogo-ku was once the commercial center of Kobe, but was heavily damaged during [[World War II]], and since, Hyogo-ku has lost much of its former prominence.
# [[Chūō-ku, Kobe|Chūō-ku]]: {{nihongo|''Chūō''|中央}} literally means "central" and, as such, Chūō-ku is the commercial and entertainment center of Kobe. [[Sannomiya]], [[Motomachi, Kobe|Motomachi]] and [[Harborland]] make up the main entertainment areas in Kobe. Chūō-ku includes the city hall and [[Hyōgo Prefecture|Hyōgo prefectural]] government offices. [[Port Island]] and [[Kobe Airport]] lie in the southern part of this ward.
# [[Nada-ku, Kobe|Nada-ku]]: The site of [[Oji Zoo]] and [[Kobe University]], Nada is known for [[Nada-Gogō|its sake]]. Along with [[Fushimi-ku, Kyoto|Fushimi]] in [[Kyoto]], it accounts for 45% of Japan's sake production.<ref>[http://www.kippo.or.jp/culture_e/syoku/sakejijo/sakejijo1.html Kansai Window] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619122900/http://www.kippo.or.jp/culture_e/syoku/sakejijo/sakejijo1.html |date=June 19, 2006 }}, "Japan's number one sake production". Retrieved February 6, 2007.</ref>
# [[Higashinada-ku, Kobe|Higashinada-ku]]: The easternmost area of Kobe, Higashinada-ku borders the city of [[Ashiya, Hyōgo|Ashiya]]. The man-made island of [[Rokko Island|Rokko]] makes up the southern part of this ward.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="810px"
! colspan="7" | Wards of Kobe
|-
! rowspan="2" |
! colspan="2" | Place Name
!
!
!
!Map of Kobe
|-
! style="width: 190px;" |[[Romanization of Japanese|Rōmaji]]
! style="width: 190px;" |[[Kanji]]
!Population
!''Land area in km2''
!Pop. density
per km2
!
|-
| style="text-align: center;" "width: 20px;" | 1
|[[Nishi-ku, Kobe|Nishi-ku]]
|西区
|240,386
|138.01
|1,742
| rowspan="9" |[[File:兵庫県神戸市区画図_番号.png|alt=|border|center|399x399px|A map of Kobe's Wards]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 2
|[[Kita-ku, Kobe|Kita-ku]]
| 北区
|212,211
|240.29
|883
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 3
|[[Tarumi-ku, Kobe|Tarumi-ku]]
| 垂水区
|216,337
|28.11
|7,696
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 4
|[[Suma-ku, Kobe|Suma-ku]]
| 須磨区
|158,196
|28.93
|5,468
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 5
|[[Nagata-ku, Kobe|Nagata-ku]]
| 長田区
|95,155
|11.36
|8,376
|-
|6
|[[Hyōgo-ku, Kobe|Hyōgo-ku]]
|兵庫区
|107,307
|14.68
|7,310
|-
|7
|[[Chūō-ku, Kobe|Chūō-ku]]
|中央区
|142,232
|28.97
|4,910
|-
|8
|[[Nada-ku, Kobe|Nada-ku]]
|灘区
|136,865
|32.66
|4,191
|-
|9
|[[Higashinada-ku, Kobe|Higashinada-ku]]
|東灘区
|214,255
|34.02
|6,298
|}

===Cityscape===
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="130" perrow="3" caption="Gallery">
File:Meriken-boat.jpg|View of MOSAIC and [[Meriken Park]] from ferry at dusk (2022)
File:Kobe unterwegs in Kobe 3.jpg|[[Meriken Park]] (2018)
File:151003 Port of Kobe Japan01s3.jpg|Skyline of Kobe from Kobe Bridge (2015)
File:Twilight view of Kobe, from a point near Shin-Kobe station.jpg|View of [[Sannomiya]] from [[Shin-Kobe Station]] (2009)
File:121208 Nunobiki Herb Garden Kobe Hyogo pref Japan09s3.jpg|[[Nunobiki Herb Garden]] (2012)
File:Kobe Kobe Port Tower Panoaramablick 03.jpg|Kobe [[central business district]] (2018)
File:Kobe Meriken Park area at night 2016-06-14.jpg|Kobe [[central business district]] at night (2016)
File:Kobe Chuo and Suma at night.jpeg|Downtown at night
File:View of Kikuseidai from Mount Maya Kobe.jpg|Night view from [[Kikuseidai]]
File:Views from Venus Bridge in Kobe 001.jpg|alt=|Sunset from Mt.Suwa observation deck
File:Views from Venus Bridge in Kobe 003.jpg|Chūō-ku, seen by night from Mt.Suwa observation deck
File:Views from Venus Bridge in Kobe 002.jpg|Panorama of Kobe from Mt.Suwa observation deck
</gallery>

===Climate===
Kobe has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfa'') with hot summers and cool to cold winters. Precipitation is significantly higher in summer than in winter, though on the whole lower than most parts of Honshū, and there is no significant snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kobe is {{convert|17.0|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|1277.8|mm}} with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around {{convert|28.6|C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{convert|6.2|C}}. The highest temperature ever recorded in Kobe was {{cvt|38.8|C}} on August 5, 1994; the coldest temperature ever recorded was {{cvt|-7.2|C}} on February 27, 1981.

{{Weather box
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Kobe (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1896−present)
|Jan record high C = 19.2
|Feb record high C = 20.8
|Mar record high C = 23.7
|Apr record high C = 28.5
|May record high C = 31.9
|Jun record high C = 36.3
|Jul record high C = 37.7
|Aug record high C = 38.8
|Sep record high C = 35.8
|Oct record high C = 31.9
|Nov record high C = 26.2
|Dec record high C = 23.7
|Jan record low C = -6.4
|Feb record low C = -7.2
|Mar record low C = -5.0
|Apr record low C = -0.6
|May record low C = 3.9
|Jun record low C = 10.0
|Jul record low C = 14.5
|Aug record low C = 16.1
|Sep record low C = 10.5
|Oct record low C = 5.3
|Nov record low C = -0.2
|Dec record low C = -4.3
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 38.4
|Feb precipitation mm = 55.6
|Mar precipitation mm = 94.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 100.6
|May precipitation mm = 134.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 176.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 187.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 103.4
|Sep precipitation mm = 157.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 118.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 62.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 48.7
|year precipitation mm = 1277.8
|Jan mean C = 6.2
|Feb mean C = 6.5
|Mar mean C = 9.8
|Apr mean C = 15.0
|May mean C = 19.8
|Jun mean C = 23.4
|Jul mean C = 27.1
|Aug mean C = 28.6
|Sep mean C = 25.4
|Oct mean C = 19.8
|Nov mean C = 14.2
|Dec mean C = 8.8
|year mean C = 17.0
|Jan high C = 9.4
|Feb high C = 10.1
|Mar high C = 13.5
|Apr high C = 18.9
|May high C = 23.6
|Jun high C = 26.7
|Jul high C = 30.4
|Aug high C = 32.2
|Sep high C = 28.8
|Oct high C = 23.2
|Nov high C = 17.5
|Dec high C = 12.0
|year high C = 20.5
|Jan low C = 3.1
|Feb low C = 3.4
|Mar low C = 6.3
|Apr low C = 11.4
|May low C = 16.5
|Jun low C = 20.6
|Jul low C = 24.7
|Aug low C = 26.1
|Sep low C = 22.6
|Oct low C = 16.7
|Nov low C = 10.9
|Dec low C = 5.7
|year low C = 14.0
|Jan humidity = 62
|Feb humidity = 61
|Mar humidity = 61
|Apr humidity = 61
|May humidity = 64
|Jun humidity = 72
|Jul humidity = 74
|Aug humidity = 71
|Sep humidity = 67
|Oct humidity = 64
|Nov humidity = 63
|Dec humidity = 62
|year humidity = 65
|Jan sun = 145.8
|Feb sun = 142.4
|Mar sun = 175.8
|Apr sun = 194.8
|May sun = 202.6
|Jun sun = 164.0
|Jul sun = 189.4
|Aug sun = 229.6
|Sep sun = 163.9
|Oct sun = 169.8
|Nov sun = 152.2
|Dec sun = 153.2
|year sun = 2083.7
|Jan snow cm = 0
|Feb snow cm = 0
|Mar snow cm = 0
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 0
|Dec snow cm = 0
|year snow cm = 1
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 6.0
|Feb precipitation days = 7.1
|Mar precipitation days = 10.0
|Apr precipitation days = 10.1
|May precipitation days = 10.4
|Jun precipitation days = 12.1
|Jul precipitation days = 10.9
|Aug precipitation days = 7.4
|Sep precipitation days = 10.3
|Oct precipitation days = 8.8
|Nov precipitation days = 6.4
|Dec precipitation days = 6.8
|year precipitation days = 106.2
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=63&block_no=47770&year=&month=12&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]
| access-date = May 19, 2021}}</ref>
}}
{{Weather box
|location = [[Kobe Airport]] (2006−2020 normals, extremes 2006−present)
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|Jan record high C = 17.2
|Feb record high C = 19.5
|Mar record high C = 21.3
|Apr record high C = 23.9
|May record high C = 30.2
|Jun record high C = 34.5
|Jul record high C = 36.2
|Aug record high C = 36.8
|Sep record high C = 35.2
|Oct record high C = 31.5
|Nov record high C = 24.3
|Dec record high C = 21.9
|Jan record low C = -3.6
|Feb record low C = -3.4
|Mar record low C = -1.5
|Apr record low C = 1.9
|May record low C = 7.0
|Jun record low C = 14.2
|Jul record low C = 19.4
|Aug record low C = 20.5
|Sep record low C = 14.7
|Oct record low C = 8.5
|Nov record low C = 2.7
|Dec record low C = -1.4
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 33.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 54.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 83.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 83.7
|May precipitation mm = 117.6
|Jun precipitation mm = 164.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 186.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 84.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 135.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 106.1
|Nov precipitation mm = 52.8
|Dec precipitation mm = 49.3
|year precipitation mm = 1148.4
|Jan mean C = 5.9
|Feb mean C = 6.3
|Mar mean C = 9.2
|Apr mean C = 13.7
|May mean C = 18.5
|Jun mean C = 22.2
|Jul mean C = 25.9
|Aug mean C = 27.9
|Sep mean C = 24.9
|Oct mean C = 19.7
|Nov mean C = 14.0
|Dec mean C = 8.5
|year mean C = 16.4
|Jan high C = 9.3
|Feb high C = 9.7
|Mar high C = 12.8
|Apr high C = 17.3
|May high C = 22.2
|Jun high C = 25.2
|Jul high C = 28.6
|Aug high C = 31.1
|Sep high C = 28.1
|Oct high C = 23.0
|Nov high C = 17.3
|Dec high C = 11.9
|year high C = 19.7
|Jan low C = 2.4
|Feb low C = 2.6
|Mar low C = 5.3
|Apr low C = 9.9
|May low C = 15.1
|Jun low C = 19.8
|Jul low C = 23.9
|Aug low C = 25.6
|Sep low C = 22.1
|Oct low C = 16.7
|Nov low C = 10.7
|Dec low C = 5.1
|year low C = 13.2
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 4.6
|Feb precipitation days = 6.6
|Mar precipitation days = 8.3
|Apr precipitation days = 8.8
|May precipitation days = 8.6
|Jun precipitation days = 9.8
|Jul precipitation days = 10.2
|Aug precipitation days = 6.0
|Sep precipitation days = 8.8
|Oct precipitation days = 7.9
|Nov precipitation days = 5.7
|Dec precipitation days = 5.8
|year precipitation days = 91.1
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=63&block_no=1587&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = February 26, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=63&block_no=1587&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = February 26, 2022}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{| class="infobox" style="float:right;"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | '''Foreigners in Kobe'''<ref name=pop-detail>{{cite web |url=http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/information/data/statistics/toukei/datakobe/data/dk3003.pdf |script-title=ja:神戸市統計資料 |access-date=January 9, 2020 |quote="{{Nihongo2|6. 外国人数}}" |publisher=Kobe Government |language=ja |archive-date=April 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414172429/http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/information/data/statistics/toukei/datakobe/data/dk3003.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
! Nationality || Population (2018)
|-
| {{flagu|South Korea}} ||17,175
|-
| {{flagu|Mainland China}} ||13,205
|-
| {{flagu|Vietnam}} ||5,955
|-
| {{flagu|Taiwan}} ||1,309
|-
| Others ||8,974
|-
|}
{{Historical populations
|title = Historical population
|type = Japan
|align = right
|width =
|state =
|shading =
|percentages =
|footnote =
|1870|18650
|1880|48786
|1890|142965
|1900|283839
|1910|398905
|1920|746500
|1925|818619
|1930|915234
|1935|1058053
|1940|1134458
|1945|694000
|1950|821062
|1955|986344
|1960|1113977
|1965|1216682
|1970|1288930
|1975|1360605
|1980|1367390
|1985|1410734
|1990|1477410
|1995|1423792
|2000|1493398
|2005|1525393
|2010|1544873
|2015|1537272
|2020|1521241
}}

[[File:Kobe Metropolitan Employment Area.svg|thumb|200px|The Kobe [[Urban Employment Area|Metropolitan Employment Area]]]]
As of September 2007, Kobe had an estimated [[population]] of 1,530,295 making up 658,876 [[household]]s. This was an increase of 1,347 persons or approximately 0.1% over the previous year. The [[population density]] was approximately 2,768 persons per square kilometre, while there are about 90.2 males to every 100 females.<ref name="population statistics">[http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/toukei/contents/suikeijinkou.html City of Kobe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081225010552/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/toukei/contents/suikeijinkou.html |date=December 25, 2008 }} – "Estimated Population of Kobe". Retrieved October 2, 2007.</ref> About thirteen percent of the population are between the ages of 0 and 14, sixty-seven percent are between 15 and 64, and twenty percent are over the age of 65.<ref name="pocket statistics">[http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/toukei/contents/pocket.html City of Kobe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808061701/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/toukei/contents/pocket.html |date=August 8, 2007 }} – "Statistical Summary of Kobe". Retrieved July 25, 2007.</ref>

Approximately 44,000 registered foreign nationals live in Kobe. The four most common nationalities are [[Koreans in Japan|Korean]] (22,237), [[Chinese in Japan|Chinese]] (12,516), Vietnamese (1,301), and [[Americans in Japan|American]] (1,280).<ref name="pocket statistics" />

==Economy==
[[File:Kobe Mosaic06s4s3200.jpg|thumb|200px|Kobe is the busiest port in the [[Kansai region]].]]
The [[Port of Kobe]] is both an important port and manufacturing center within the [[Hanshin Industrial Region]]. Kobe is the [[List of world's busiest container ports|busiest container port]] in the region, surpassing even [[Osaka]], and the fourth-busiest in Japan.<ref name="busyport2005">[http://aapa.files.cms-plus.com/Statistics/WORLD%20PORT%20RANKINGS%202005.xls American Association of Port Authorities] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927223354/http://aapa.files.cms-plus.com/Statistics/WORLD%20PORT%20RANKINGS%202005.xls |date=September 27, 2007 }} – "World Port Rankings 2005". Retrieved July 3, 2007.</ref>

{{As of|2004}}, the city's total real [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] was ¥6.3 trillion, which amounts to thirty-four percent of the GDP for [[Hyōgo Prefecture]] and approximately eight percent for the whole [[Kansai region]].<ref name="Kobe economy">[http://web.hyogo-iic.ne.jp/hyogoip/4-2-1.pdf Hyogo Industrial Advancement Center] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704042535/http://web.hyogo-iic.ne.jp/hyogoip/4-2-1.pdf |date=July 4, 2007 }} – "Industry Tendencies in Various Areas of Hyogo Prefecture" (Japanese). Retrieved July 3, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.esri.cao.go.jp/jp/sna/kenmin/h16/main.html Cabinet Office, Government of Japan] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716010107/http://www.esri.cao.go.jp/jp/sna/kenmin/h16/main.html |date=July 16, 2007 }} – "2004 Prefectural Economy Survey" (Japanese). Retrieved July 3, 2007.</ref> [[Per capita income]] for the year was approximately ¥2.7 million.<ref name="Kobe economy"/> Broken down by [[Three-sector hypothesis|sector]], about one percent of those employed work in the [[Primary sector of economic activity|primary sector]] (agriculture, fishing and mining), twenty-one percent work in the [[Secondary sector of economic activity|secondary sector]] (manufacturing and industry), and seventy-eight percent work in the [[Tertiary sector of economic activity|service sector]].<ref name="pocket statistics" />

The value of [[manufactured goods]] produced and exported from Kobe for 2004 was ¥2.5 trillion. The four largest sectors in terms of value of goods produced are small appliances, food products, transportation equipment, and communication equipment making up over fifty percent of Kobe's manufactured goods. In terms of numbers of employees, food products, small appliances, and transportation equipment make up the three largest sectors.<ref>[http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/toukei/pdf/kougyou/16kiji.pdf Kobe City Report on Census of Manufacturers, 2004] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528011425/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/toukei/pdf/kougyou/16kiji.pdf |date=May 28, 2008 }} (Japanese). Retrieved March 30, 2007.</ref>

The [[GDP]] in Kobe [[Urban Employment Area|Metropolitan Employment Area]] (2.4 million people) is US$96.0 billion in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/UEA/uea_data_e.htm|title = Metropolitan Employment Area (MEA) Data|author = Yoshitsugu Kanemoto|publisher = Center for Spatial Information Science, The [[University of Tokyo]]}}</ref><ref>[https://data.oecd.org/conversion/exchange-rates.htm Conversion rates – Exchange rates] – OECD Data</ref>

=== Major companies and institutes ===
Japanese companies which have their headquarters in Kobe include [[ASICS]], a shoe manufacturer; [[Daiei]], a department store chain; [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries]], [[Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation|Kawasaki Shipbuilding Co.]], [[Kinki Sharyo]], [[Mitsubishi Motors]], [[Mitsubishi Heavy Industries]] (ship manufacturer), [[Mitsubishi Electric]], [[Kobe Steel]], [[Sumitomo Rubber Industries]],<ref>"[http://www.srigroup.co.jp/english/corporate/outline.html Company Outline]." [[Sumitomo Rubber Industries]]. Retrieved on January 24, 2015.</ref> [[Sysmex Corporation]] (medical devices manufacturer)<ref>"[http://www.sysmex.co.jp/en/sysmex/profile/index.html Corporate Profile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119214307/http://www.sysmex.co.jp/en/sysmex/profile/index.html |date=2015-01-19 }}." [[Sysmex Corporation]]. Retrieved on January 21, 2015.</ref> and [[TOA Corporation]]. Other companies include the [[confectionery]] manufacturers [[Konigs-Krone]] and [[Morozoff Ltd.]], [[Sun Television (Japan)|Sun Television Japan]] and [[UCC Ueshima Coffee Co.]]

There are over 100 international corporations that have their East Asian or Japanese headquarters in Kobe. Of these, twenty-four are from China, eighteen from the United States, and nine from Switzerland.<ref name="foreign_hq" /> Some prominent corporations include [[Eli Lilly and Company]], [[Nestlé]], [[Procter & Gamble]],<ref>"[http://www.pg.com/company/who_we_are/worldwide_operations.shtml P&G Locations]." ''[[Procter & Gamble]]''. Retrieved November 14, 2008.</ref> [[Tempur-Pedic]], [[Boehringer-Ingelheim]], and [[Toys "R" Us]]. In 2018, April, [[Swift Engineering]] USA, an American aerospace engineering firm established their joint venture in Kobe called Swift Xi Inc.

Kobe is the site of a number of research institutes, such as the [[RIKEN]] Kobe Institute Center for [[developmental biology]] and [[medical imaging]] techniques,<ref>[http://www.cdb.riken.go.jp/en/index.html RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology RIKEN Kobe Institute] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070410110103/http://www.cdb.riken.go.jp/en/index.html |date=April 10, 2007 }}. Retrieved June 26, 2007.</ref> and Center for Computational Science (R-CCS, home of the [[Fugaku (supercomputer)|Fugaku supercomputer]]), the [[National Institute of Information and Communications Technology]] (NICT) Advanced ICT Research Institute,<ref>[http://www2.nict.go.jp/w/w103/en/index.html National Institute of Information and Communications Technology Kobe Advanced ICT Research Center] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702201525/http://www2.nict.go.jp/w/w103/en/index.html |date=July 2, 2007 }}. Retrieved June 26, 2007.</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=History of Advanced ICT Research Institute|url=https://www.nict.go.jp/en/advanced_ict/plan/history-en.html|website=National Institute of Information and Communications Technology|access-date=January 19, 2018}}</ref> the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention,<ref>[http://www.bosai.go.jp/e/index.html National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention]. Retrieved June 12, 2007.</ref> and the Asian Disaster Reduction Center.<ref>[http://www.adrc.or.jp Asian Disaster Reduction Center] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702000621/http://www.adrc.or.jp/ |date=July 2, 2007 }}. Retrieved June 12, 2007.</ref>

International organizations include the [[WHO Centre for Health Development]], an [[intergovernmental agency]] forming part of the [[World Health Organization]]. The [[Diplomatic missions of Panama|Consulate-General of Panama in Kobe]] is located on the eighth floor of the Moriyama Building in [[Chūō-ku, Kobe]].<ref>"[http://www.m-osaka.com/en/consulate/index.html List of Consulates in Kansai Area] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080923210956/http://www.m-osaka.com/en/consulate/index.html |date=2008-09-23 }}." ''Creation Core Higashi Osaka''. Retrieved on January 15, 2009.</ref>

<gallery>
File:Kobe crystal tower01 2048.jpg|[[Kawasaki Heavy Industries]] headquarters on [[Harborland]]
File:Kobe Kawasaki Shipbuilding Co02ds3200.jpg|[[Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation|Kawasaki Shipbuilding Co.]] headquarters on [[Port of Kobe|Kobe Harbor]]
File:P and g02 1024.jpg|[[Procter & Gamble]] Asia headquarters on [[Rokko Island]]
File:Kobe Nestle Japan HQ01ss3200.jpg|[[Nestlé|Nestlé Japan Ltd.]] headquarters on [[Sannomiya]]
File:UCC Ueshima Coffee Company02s3872.jpg|[[UCC Ueshima Coffee Co.]] headquarters on [[Port Island]]
</gallery>

==Transportation==
{{See also|Transport in Keihanshin}}
[[File:Kobe Airport06s5s3200.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Kobe Airport]]]]
[[File:Train of Sanyo Shinkansen leaving Shin-Kobe Station.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Shin-Kobe Station]]]]
[[File:Train for Sannomiya-Hanadokeimae Station at Shin-Nagata Station.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Kobe Municipal Subway]]]]
[[File:Akashi Bridge.JPG|thumb|200px|The [[Akashi Kaikyō Bridge]] extends from Kobe to [[Awaji Island]].]]
===Air===
[[Itami Airport]], in nearby [[Itami, Hyōgo|Itami]], serves primarily domestic flights throughout Japan, [[Kobe Airport]], built on a reclaimed island south of [[Port Island]], also offers mostly domestic and charter flights, while [[Kansai International Airport]] in [[Osaka]] mainly serves international flights in the area.

===Rail===
The [[JR West]] [[Sanyō Shinkansen]] stops at [[Shin-Kobe Station]]. [[Sannomiya Station]] is the main commuter hub in Kobe, serving as the transfer point for major intercity rail services: the [[JR Kobe Line]] connects Kobe to [[Osaka]] and [[Himeji, Hyōgo|Himeji]], while both the [[Hankyū Kōbe Main Line|Hankyū Kobe Line]] and the [[Hanshin Main Line]] run from Kobe to [[Umeda Station]] in Osaka. [[Sanyō Electric Railway]] trains from Himeji reach Sannomiya via the [[Kōbe Rapid Transit Railway]]. [[Kōbe Electric Railway]] runs north to [[Sanda, Hyogo|Sanda]] and [[Arima Onsen]].

[[Kobe Municipal Subway]] provides connections to Shin-Osaka and Sannomiya stations from Kobe's western and eastern suburbs. Additionally, [[Kobe New Transit]] runs two lines serving [[Kobe Airport]] and [[Rokko Island]].

===Ropeway===
Over [[Mount Rokkō]], the city has two [[funicular]] lines and three [[aerial lift]]s as well, namely [[Maya Cablecar]], [[Rokkō Cable Line]], [[Rokkō Arima Ropeway]], [[Maya Ropeway]], and [[Shin-Kobe Ropeway]].

===Road===
Kobe is a transportation hub for a number of [[Expressways of Japan|expressways]], including the [[Meishin Expressway]] ([[Nagoya]] – Kobe) and the [[Hanshin Expressway]] (Osaka – Kobe).<ref>[http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/27/kigyo-yuchi/invest-kobe/e/access/domestic/index.html Hyogo-Kobe Investment Guide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080616083057/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/27/kigyo-yuchi/invest-kobe/e/access/domestic/index.html |date=June 16, 2008 }} – "Domestic Access". Retrieved February 15, 2007.</ref> Other expressways include the [[Sanyō Expressway]] (Kobe – [[Yamaguchi Prefecture|Yamaguchi]]) and the [[Chūgoku Expressway]] (Osaka – Yamaguchi).
The [[Honshū-Shikoku Bridge Project#Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway|Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway]] runs from Kobe to [[Naruto, Tokushima|Naruto]] via [[Awaji Island]] and includes the [[Akashi Kaikyō Bridge]], the longest suspension bridge in the world.

===Maritime===
The [[Port of Kobe]] is one of Japan's busiest container ports. [[Sub Area Activity Hanshin]] of the [[Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force]]s provides monitoring across [[Osaka Bay]] and [[Harima Sea]].

== Education ==
[[File:Kobe-Univ-Rokkodai-Honkan.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Kobe University]] main building]]
{{Main|Education in Kobe}}
The city of Kobe directly administers 169 elementary and 81 middle schools, with enrollments of approximately 80,200 and 36,000 students, respectively.<ref name="Kobe schools">[http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/57/kyouikutyousa/index.html City of Kobe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927011449/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/57/kyouikutyousa/index.html |date=September 27, 2007 }} – "Number of municipal schools and students" (Japanese). Retrieved July 2, 2007.</ref> If the city's four private elementary schools and fourteen private middle schools are included, these figures jump to a total 82,000 elementary school students and 42,300 junior high students enrolled for the 2006 school year.<ref name="pocket statistics" /><ref>[http://web.pref.hyogo.jp/pa15/pa15_000000005.html Hyogo Prefectural Government] – "Private elementary schools" (Japanese). Retrieved July 2, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://web.pref.hyogo.jp/pa15/pa15_000000004.html Hyogo Prefectural Government] – "Private middle schools" (Japanese). Retrieved July 2, 2007.</ref>

Kobe also directly controls six of the city's twenty-five full-time public high schools including [[Kobe Municipal Fukiai High School|Fukiai High School]] and Rokkō Island High School. The remainder are administered by the Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education.<ref name="Kobe schools"/><ref>[http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/child/college/highschool/ City of Kobe] – "Municipal high school" (Japanese). Retrieved March 2, 2016.</ref> In addition, twenty-five high schools are run privately within the city.<ref>[http://web.pref.hyogo.jp/pa15/pa15_000000003.html Hyogo Prefectural Government] – "Private high schools" (Japanese). Retrieved July 2, 2007.</ref> The total enrollment for high schools in 2006 was 43,400.<ref name="pocket statistics" />

Kobe is home to eighteen public and private universities, including [[Kobe University]], [[Kobe Institute of Computing]] and [[Konan University]], and eight [[junior colleges]]. Students enrolled for 2006 reached 67,000 and 4,100, respectively.<ref name="pocket statistics" /> Kobe is also home to 17 Japanese language schools for international students, including the international training group Lexis Japan.

[[International school]]s serve both long-term foreign residents and expatriates living in Kobe and the Kansai region. The schools offer instruction in English, [[Deutsche Schule Kobe/European School|German]], [[Kobe Chinese School|Chinese]], and [[Chōsen gakkō|Korean]]. There are three English-language international schools: [[Canadian Academy]], [[Marist Brothers International School]], and St. Michael's International School.

== Culture ==
[[File:Kobe kitano thomas house07 2816.jpg|thumb|Weathercock House, one of the many [[:ja:異人館|foreign residences]] of the [[Kitano-cho|Kitano area]] of Kobe]]

Kobe is most famous for its [[Kobe beef]] (which is raised in the surrounding Hyōgo Prefecture) and [[Arima Onsen]] (hot springs). Notable buildings include the [[Ikuta Shrine]] as well as the [[Kobe Port Tower]]. Nearby mountains such as [[Mount Rokkō]] and [[Mount Maya]] overlook the city.

The city is widely associated with cosmopolitanism and fashion, encapsulated in the Japanese saying, "If you can't go to Paris, go to Kobe."<ref name="nytimes">Hassan, Sally. (April 9, 1989). "Where Japan Opened a Door To the West". ''[[The New York Times]]'', retrieved from [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEED6173FF93AA35757C0A96F948260&sec=travel&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink New York Times website] on February 7, 2007.</ref> The biannual fashion event Kobe Fashion Week, featuring the [[Kobe Collection]], is held in Kobe.<ref>[http://kobe-collection.com/ Kobe Collection Official Website] (Japanese). Retrieved February 27, 2007.</ref> The jazz festival "Kobe Jazz Street" has been held every October at jazz clubs and hotels since 1981.<ref>[http://www.kobejazzstreet.gr.jp/history/english.html Kobe Jazz Street] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210181938/http://www.kobejazzstreet.gr.jp/history/english.html |date=February 10, 2007 }}. Retrieved March 12, 2007.</ref> It also hosts both a Festival, as well as a statue of [[Elvis Presley]], the unveiling of which was heralded by the presence of former [[Prime Minister of Japan]] [[Junichiro Koizumi]]. Kobe is well known in Japan as being a city for the affluent, as many high-end stores and mansions line its streets.

Kobe is the site of Japan's first golf course, [[Kobe Golf Club]], established by [[Arthur Hesketh Groom]] in 1903,<ref name="golfclubatlas">[http://www.golfclubatlas.com/alison1.html Golf Club Atlas] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070218222750/http://www.golfclubatlas.com/alison1.html |date=February 18, 2007 }} – "Gliding Past Fuji – C.H. Alison in Japan". Retrieved February 7, 2007.</ref> and Japan's first [[mosque]], [[Kobe Mosque]], built in 1935.<ref>Penn, M. "Islam in Japan", ''[http://www.asiaquarterly.com/content/view/168/ Harvard Asia Quarterly] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202212653/http://www.asiaquarterly.com/content/view/168/ |date=February 2, 2007 }}'' Vol. 10, No. 1, Winter 2006. Retrieved February 15, 2007.</ref> The city hosts the [[Kobe Regatta & Athletic Club]], founded in 1870 by [[Alexander Cameron Sim]],<ref name="krac">[http://www.krac.org/history.shtml Kobe Regatta and Athletic Club] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310152249/http://www.krac.org/history.shtml |date=March 10, 2007 }} – "a distinguished history". Retrieved February 7, 2007.</ref> and a prominent [[Foreign cemeteries in Japan#Kobe|foreign cemetery]]. A number of Western-style residences – {{nihongo||[[:ja:異人館|異人館]]|ijinkan}} – from the 19th century still stand in [[Kitano-chō|Kitano]] and elsewhere in Kobe. Museums include the [[Kobe City Museum]] and [[Kobe City Museum of Literature|Museum of Literature]].

The city headquarters the [[professional wrestling promotion]] [[Dragongate]], established in 2004 as an offshoot of [[Último Dragón]]'s original [[Toryumon (Último Dragón)|Toryumon]] system.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carroll |first=John |date=January 7, 2013 |title=Dragon Gate 101 – History and Generations |url=https://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2016/01/07/dragon-gate-101-history-and-generations/ |access-date=December 21, 2023 |website=Voices of Wrestling}}</ref>

The dialect spoken in Kobe is called ''Kobe-ben'', a sub-dialect of [[Kansai dialect]].{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

== Sports ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col"| Club
! scope="col"| Sport
! scope="col"| League
! scope="col"| Venue
! scope="col"| Established
|-
| [[Orix Buffaloes]]
| [[Baseball]]
| [[Pacific League]]
| [[Kobe Sports Park Baseball Stadium]] [[Osaka Dome]]
| 1938
|-
| [[Vissel Kobe]]
| [[Association football|Football]]
| [[J. League]]
| [[Kobe City Misaki Park Stadium|Noevir Stadium Kobe]] [[Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium]]
| 1995
|-
| [[INAC Kobe Leonessa]]
| [[Association football|Football]]
| [[L. League]]
| [[Kobe City Misaki Park Stadium|Noevir Stadium Kobe]] [[Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium]]
| 2001
|-
| [[Deução Kobe]]
| [[Futsal]]
| [[F. League]]
| [[World Memorial Hall|World Hall]]
| 1993
|-
| [[Kobelco Steelers]]
| [[rugby football|Rugby]]
| [[Top League]]
| [[Kobe City Misaki Park Stadium|Noevir Stadium Kobe]] [[Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium]]
| 1928
|-
| [[Hisamitsu Springs]]
| [[Volleyball]]
| [[V.League (Japan)|V.Premier League]]
|
| 1948
|}

Kobe hosted the [[1985 Summer Universiade]] as well as the [[1991 ABC Championship|1991 Men's Asian Basketball Championship]], which was the qualifier for the [[Basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Summer Olympics Basketball Tournament]].
Kobe was one of the host cities of the [[2002 FIFA World Cup]], hosting matches at [[Kobe City Misaki Park Stadium|Noevir Stadium Kobe]] (then known as Wing Stadium Kobe), which was renovated to increase its capacity to 40,000 for the event.
Kobe was one of the host cities for the official [[2006 Women's Volleyball World Championship]].

Kobe also hosted the World Darts Federation World Cup in October 2017. The event was held in the Exhibition Hall in Port Island with over 50 countries competing.

==International relations==

'''Twin towns – sister cities'''
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Japan}}


Kobe's [[Sister city|sister cities]] are:<ref name=sisters>{{cite web |title=About Kobe|url=https://global.kobe-investment.jp/english/info-kobe.php|publisher=Global Kobe Investment|access-date=March 10, 2022}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Barcelona]], [[Catalonia]], Spain (1993)
*{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Brisbane]], [[Queensland]], Australia (1985)
*{{flagicon|KOR}} [[Incheon]], South Korea (2010)
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Genoa]], [[Liguria]], Italy (1963)
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Marseille]], [[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]], France (1961)
*{{flagicon|LVA}} [[Riga]], Latvia (1974)
*{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Rio de Janeiro]], Brazil (1969)
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|WA]], United States (1957)
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Tianjin]], China (1973)
*{{flagicon|UK}} [[Aberdeen]], United Kingdom (2022)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/news/hydrogen-twin-cities-award-aberdeen-and-kobe-japan | title=Hydrogen Twin Cities Award for Aberdeen and Kobe, Japan | Aberdeen City Council | date=November 16, 2022 }}</ref>
{{div col end}}

'''Friendship and cooperation cities'''

Kobe also cooperates with:<ref name=sisters/>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|KOR}} [[Daegu]], South Korea (2010)
*{{flagicon|PAK}} [[Faisalabad]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], Pakistan (2000)
*{{flagicon|RWA}} [[Kigali]], Rwanda (2016)
*{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], Australia
*{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Perth]], [[Western Australia]], Australia
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania|PA]], United States (1986)
{{div col end}}

A memorandum of understanding on the possible establishment of sister city relations in the future was concluded in 2019 with [[Ahmedabad]], [[Gujarat]], India.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kobe, Ahmedabad to be sister cities|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/kobe-ahmedabad-to-be-sister-cities/articleshow/69980264.cms|access-date=March 10, 2022|publisher=Times of India|date=June 27, 2019}}</ref>

'''Sister ports'''

The [[Port of Kobe]]'s sister ports are:<ref name=sisters/>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|NED}} [[Port of Rotterdam]], Netherlands (1967)
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Port of Seattle]], United States (1967)
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Port of Tianjin]], China
{{div col end}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Anyoin03 1024.jpg|[[An'yō-in (Kobe)|An'yō-in]]. Its [[Japanese rock garden|karesansui]] is one of Japan's [[Places of Scenic Beauty]].
File:140517 Kobe Municipal Arboretum Japan02bs.jpg|[[Kobe Municipal Arboretum]]
File:Kobe port tower11s3200.jpg|[[Kobe Port Tower]]
File:Mosaic04s3200.jpg|[[Harborland]]
File:Be kobe sign.jpg|"Be Kobe" sign near [[Harborland]]
File:Kobe Nankinmachi at night.jpg|[[Nankin-machi]], [[Motomachi, Kobe|Motomachi]]
File:Giant panda01 960.jpg|[[Kobe Oji Zoo]] as home of the [[giant panda|giant]] and [[red panda]]s
File:171125 Kobe Municipal Foreign Cemetery Kobe Japan01s.jpg|[[Foreign cemeteries in Japan#Kobe|Foreigners' cemetery]] on the slopes of Futatabiyama
File:Notre Dame Kobe Japan01-r.jpg|Notre Dame Kobe Wedding Hall
File:170811 Rokko-Arima Ropeway Kobe Japan00n.jpg|[[Arima Onsen]] located north of Kobe
</gallery>

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
{{Further|Timeline of Kobe#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Kobe}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Kobe}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
{{Wiktionary|神戸|Kōbe}}
{{Americana Poster|Kobé|year=1920}}
* {{Commons category-inline|Kobe by decade|History of Kobe}}
* [http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp Kobe City official website] {{in lang|ja}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120922041935/http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/foreign/english/index.html Kobe City official website]
* [http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchresult.cfm?word=Kobe%2Dshi%20%28Japan%29&s=3&notword=&f=2 New York Public Library Digital Gallery] – late 19th-century photographs of Kobe
* {{osmrelation-inline|900329|Kobe}}
* {{YouTube|u=kobecitychannel|Kobe City}} {{in lang|ja}}
* {{Cite NIE|wstitle=Kōbé|year=1905 |short=x}}
* {{Cite Collier's|wstitle=Kobe |short=x}}

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[[Category:Kobe| ]]
[[Category:Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan]]
[[Category:Populated places destroyed by earthquakes]]
[[Category:Cities in Hyōgo Prefecture]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Japan]]

Kobe

2024-07-06T04:49:39Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{Short description|City in the Kansai region, Japan}}
{{About|the city in Japan|the basketball player|Kobe Bryant|other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement

|name = Kobe
|native_name = {{nobold|神戸市}}
|official_name = Kobe City
|settlement_type = [[Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan|Designated city]]
|image_skyline = {{multiple image
|border = infobox
|total_width = 280
|image_style = border:1;
|perrow = 1/2/2/1/2
|image1 = Kobe Harbour Area 2.jpg
|alt1 = Port of Kobe
|image2 = The old settlement hall of no15 01 1920.jpg
|alt2 = Old Kobe Residency 15th Hall (The Former American Consulate in Kobe)
|image3 = Hyogo prefectural museum of art08s3200.jpg
|alt3 = Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art
|image4 = Chang'an gate (Nankinmachi, Kobe).jpg
|alt4 = Nankin-machi
|image5 = Ikuta Shrine 201208.JPG
|alt5 = Ikuta Shrine
|image6 = Kobe kitano thomas house07 2816.jpg
|alt6 = The Former Thomas House
}}
|imagesize =
|image_alt =
|image_caption = From top left: [[Kobe Port Tower]] and [[Kobe Maritime Museum]] of the [[Meriken Park]], Old Kobe Residency 15th Hall (The Former American Consulate in Kobe) of [[Kobe foreign settlement]], [[Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of Art|Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art]], the [[Chinatown]] of [[Nankin-machi]], [[Ikuta Shrine]] and a view from The Former Thomas House of [[Kitano-chō|Kitano-cho]]
|image_flag = Flag of Kobe.svg
|flag_alt =
|image_seal = Emblem of Kobe, Hyogo.svg
|nickname =
|motto = 
|image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|type=shape-inverse|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#333333|zoom=9}}
|map_caption = Interactive map outlining Kobe
|image_map1 = Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture Ja.svg
|map_alt1 =
|mapsize1 = 290
|map_caption1 = {{color box|#ad4ce6}} Location of Kobe in [[Hyōgo Prefecture]]
|image_dot_map =
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|coordinates = {{coord|34|41|24|N|135|11|44|E|type:city(1545410)_region:JP-28|display=it}}
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|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = [[Japan]]
|subdivision_type1 = [[Regions of Japan|Region]]
|subdivision_name1 = [[Kansai region|Kansai]]
|subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
|subdivision_name2 = [[Hyōgo Prefecture]]
|subdivision_type3 =
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|established_title = First official record
|established_date = 201 AD
|established_title2 = City Status
|established_date2 = April 1, 1889
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|leader_party =
|leader_title = Mayor
|leader_name = [[Kizō Hisamoto]]
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|area_magnitude = 
|area_footnotes = 
|area_total_km2 = 557.02
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|elevation_m =
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|population_total = 1,522,188 ([[List of Japanese cities by population|7th]])
|population_as_of = June 1, 2021
|population_density_km2 = auto
|population_est =
|pop_est_as_of =
|population_demonym = 
|population_note =
|population_metro_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web |title=UEA Code Tables |url=http://www.csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/UEA/uea_code_e.htm |publisher=Center for Spatial Information Science, University of Tokyo |access-date=January 26, 2019}}</ref> (2015)
|population_metro = 2419973 ([[List of metropolitan areas in Japan by population|6th]])

|timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time]]
|utc_offset1 = +9

|postal_code_type = 
|postal_code =
|area_code_type = 
|area_code = 
|blank_name_sec1 = Phone number
|blank_info_sec1 = 078-331-8181
|blank1_name_sec1 = Address
|blank1_info_sec1 = 6-5-1 Kano-chō, Chūō-ku, Kōbe-shi, Hyōgo-ken 650-8570

|blank_name_sec2 = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
|blank_info_sec2 = [[Humid subtropical climate|Cfa]]

|website = [https://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/foreignlanguage/index.html City of Kobe]
|footnotes =
|module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
|tree = ''[[Camellia sasanqua]]''
|flower = [[Hydrangea]]
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{{Infobox Chinese
|headercolor = #008000
|pic = Kobe (Chinese characters).svg
|piccap = "Kobe" in new-style (''[[shinjitai]]'') ''[[kanji]]''
|picupright = 0.425
|shinjitai = 神戸
|kyujitai = 神戶
|romaji = Kōbe
}}
'''Kobe''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|oʊ|b|eɪ}} {{respell|KOH|bay}}; {{lang-ja|神戸|Kōbe}}, {{IPA|ja|koꜜːbe|pron|TomJ-Kobe.ogg}}), officially {{nihongo|'''Kobe City'''|神戸市|Kōbe-shi}}, is the capital city of [[Hyōgo Prefecture]], Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is [[Japan]]'s [[List of Japanese cities by population|seventh-largest city]] and the third-largest port city after [[Port of Tokyo|Tokyo]] and [[Port of Yokohama|Yokohama]]. It is located in the [[Kansai region]], which makes up the southern side of the main island of [[Honshu|Honshū]], on the north shore of [[Osaka Bay]]. It is part of the [[Keihanshin]] metropolitan area along with [[Osaka]] and [[Kyoto]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2016/04/13/kobe48.html|title=Kobe|author=Gabriele Zanatta|newspaper=[[la Repubblica]]|date=April 13, 2016|page=48|language=it}}</ref> The Kobe city centre is located about {{convert|35|km|0|abbr=on}} west of Osaka and {{convert|70|km|0|abbr=on}} southwest of Kyoto.

The earliest written records regarding the region come from the {{Lang|ja-latn|[[Nihon Shoki]]}}, which describes the founding of the [[Ikuta Shrine]] by [[Empress Jingū]] in AD 201.<ref name="ikutahistory">[http://www.ikutajinja.or.jp/index1.html Ikuta Shrine official website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404125132/http://www.ikutajinja.or.jp/index1.html |date=April 4, 2008 }} – "History of Ikuta Shrine" (Japanese)</ref><ref name="kobecityinfo">[http://www.kobecityinfo.com/history.html Kobe City Info] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080616060627/http://www.kobecityinfo.com/history.html |date=June 16, 2008 }} – "History". Retrieved February 2, 2007.</ref> For most of its history, the area was never a single political entity, even during the [[Tokugawa period]], when the port was controlled directly by the [[Tokugawa shogunate]]. Kobe did not exist in its current form until its founding in 1889. Its name comes from {{nihongo||神戸|Kanbe|an archaic title for supporters of the city's [[Ikuta Shrine]]}}.<ref name="nagasakiu">[http://hikoma.lb.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/en/target.php?id=5363 Nagasaki University] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516202402/http://hikoma.lb.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/en/target.php?id=5363 |date=May 16, 2007 }} – "Ikuta Shrine". Retrieved February 3, 2007.</ref><ref name="kojien_kanbe">Entry for {{lang|ja-Hani|「神戸（かんべ）」}}. [[Kōjien]], fifth edition, 1998, {{ISBN|4-00-080111-2}}</ref> Kobe became one of Japan's [[City designated by government ordinance|designated cities]] in 1956.

Kobe was one of the cities to open for trade with the [[Western world|West]] following the 1853 end of the [[Sakoku|policy of seclusion]] and has retained its cosmopolitan character ever since with a rich architectural heritage dating back to the [[Meiji era]]. While the 1995 [[Great Hanshin earthquake]] diminished some of Kobe's prominence as a port city, it remains Japan's fourth-busiest [[container port]].<ref name="busyport2006">[http://aapa.files.cms-plus.com/Statistics/worldportrankings%5F2006.xls American Association of Port Authorities] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221123213/http://aapa.files.cms-plus.com/Statistics/worldportrankings_2006.xls |date=December 21, 2008 }} – "World Port Rankings 2006". Retrieved April 15, 2008.</ref> Companies headquartered in Kobe include [[ASICS]], [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries]], and [[Kobe Steel]], while over 100 international corporations have their Asian or Japanese headquarters in the city, including [[Eli Lilly and Company]], [[Procter & Gamble]], [[Boehringer Ingelheim]], and [[Nestlé]].<ref name="foreign_hq">"Number of foreign corporations with headquarters in Kobe passes 100." (Japanese) in Nikkei Net, retrieved from [http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/retto/20070702c6b0202c02.html NIKKEI.net] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070706011802/http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/retto/20070702c6b0202c02.html |date=July 6, 2007 }} on July 3, 2007.</ref><ref name="companyhq">[http://www.hyogo-kobe.jp/english/list/company.html Hyogo-Kobe Investment Guide] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208073732/http://www.hyogo-kobe.jp/english/list/company.html |date=December 8, 2006 }} – "List of Foreign Enterprises and Examples". Retrieved February 8, 2007.</ref> The city is the point of origin and namesake of [[Kobe beef]], the home of [[Kobe University]], and the site of one of Japan's most famous [[onsen|hot spring]] resorts, [[Arima Onsen]].

==History==
{{for timeline|Timeline of Kobe}}

===Origins===
Tools found in western Kobe demonstrate the area was populated at least from the [[Jōmon period]].<ref name="oldkobehistory">[http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/15/020/youran/rekishi.html City of Kobe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070918145414/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/15/020/youran/rekishi.html |date=September 18, 2007 }} – "Kobe's History" (Japanese). Retrieved October 22, 2007.</ref>

The natural geography of the area, particularly of Wada Cape in [[Hyōgo-ku, Kobe|Hyōgo-ku]], led to the development of a port, which would remain the economic center of the city.<ref name="hyogotsu">[http://www.hyogo-tourism.jp/english/hyogotsu/index.html Hyogo International Tourism Guide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061130123308/http://www.hyogo-tourism.jp/english/hyogotsu/index.html |date=November 30, 2006 }} – "Hyogo-tsu". Retrieved February 2, 2007.</ref> Some of the earliest written documents mentioning the region include the {{Lang|ja-latn|[[Nihon Shoki]]}}, which describes the founding of the [[Ikuta Shrine]] by [[Jingū of Japan|Empress Jingū]] in AD 201.<ref name="ikutahistory" />
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="110" perrow="3" caption="Gallery">
File:Ikuta Shrine, Kobe City; April 2017 (04).jpg|[[Ikuta Shrine]]
File:Nagata Jinja Kobe Torii.jpg|[[Nagata Shrine]]
File:Taisanji31s3872.jpg|[[Taisan-ji (Kobe)|Taisan-ji]]. The main hall is a [[National Treasures of Japan|National Treasure of Japan]] (built in 716).
</gallery>

===Nara and Heian periods===
During the [[Nara period|Nara]] and [[Heian period]]s, the port was known by the name {{nihongo|Ōwada Anchorage||Ōwada-no-tomari}} and was one of the ports from which [[imperial embassies to China]] were dispatched.<ref name="kobecityinfo"/><ref name="oldkobehistory"/>
The city was briefly the [[capital of Japan]] in 1180, when [[Taira no Kiyomori]] moved his grandson [[Emperor Antoku]] to [[Fukuhara-kyō]] in present-day Hyōgo-ku.<ref name="oldkobehistory" /> The Emperor returned to Kyoto after about five months.<ref name="kobecityinfo"/>
Shortly thereafter in 1184, the [[Taira]] fortress in Hyōgo-ku and the nearby Ikuta Shrine became the sites of the [[Genpei War]] [[battle of Ichi-no-Tani]] between the Taira and [[Minamoto clan]]s. The Minamoto prevailed, pushing the Taira further.
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="110" perrow="3" caption="Gallery">
File:Taira no Kiyomori Portrait by Fujiwara Tamenobu and Takenobu.png|[[Taira no Kiyomori]]
File:Yukimi-no-gosho.jpg|Marker indicating the former location of [[Fukuhara-kyō]]
File:Genpei kassen.jpg|[[Battle of Ichi-no-Tani]] ([[Genpei War]])
</gallery>

===Kamakura period===
As the port grew during the [[Kamakura period]], it became an important hub for trade with China and other countries. In the 13th century, the city came to be known by the name {{nihongo|Hyōgo Port|兵庫津|Hyōgo-tsu}}.<ref name="hyogotsu" /> During this time, Hyōgo Port, along with northern Osaka, composed the province of [[Settsu Province|Settsu]] (most of today's Kobe belonged to Settsu except [[Nishi-ku, Kobe|Nishi Ward]] and [[Tarumi-ku, Kobe|Tarumi Ward]], which belonged to [[Harima Province|Harima]]).
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="110" perrow="3" caption="Gallery">
File:Yukai sanjurokkassen 勇魁三十六合戦 (Courageous Leaders in Thirty-six Battles) (BM 2008,3037.02214).jpg|[[Kusunoki Masashige]] ([[Battle of Minatogawa]])
File:Minatogawa-jinja shinmon.jpg|[[Minatogawa Shrine]]
</gallery>

===Edo period===
Later, during the [[Edo period]], the eastern parts of present-day Kobe came under the jurisdiction of the [[Amagasaki Domain]] and the western parts under that of the [[Akashi Domain]], while the center was controlled directly by the [[Tokugawa shogunate]].<ref>[http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/014/year/year.html#3 City of Kobe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420204218/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/014/year/year.html#3 |date=April 20, 2008 }} – "Old Kobe" (Japanese). Retrieved February 16, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.city.ashiya.hyogo.jp/english/history.html City of Ashiya] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617011231/http://www.city.ashiya.hyogo.jp/english/history.html |date=June 17, 2008 }} – "An Outline History of Ashiya". Retrieved February 16, 2007.</ref>
It was not until the [[abolition of the han system]] in 1871 and the establishment of the current [[Prefectures of Japan|prefecture system]] that the area became politically distinct.
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="110" perrow="3" caption="Gallery">
File:Hanakuma castle01s3200.jpg|Hanakuma Castle
</gallery>

===Meiji period===
Hyōgo Port was opened to foreign trade by the Shogunal government at the same time as Osaka on January 1, 1868, just before the advent of the [[Boshin War]] and the [[Meiji Restoration]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=John Whitney Hall|author2=Marius B. Jansen|title=The Cambridge History of Japan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7OFYajIf9QgC&pg=PA304|year=1988|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-22356-0|page=304}}</ref> At the time of the opening of the city for foreign trade, the area saw intense fighting resulting from the civil war in progress. Shortly after the opening of Kobe to trade, the [[Kobe Incident]] occurred, where several western soldiers sustained wounds from gunfire by troops from Bizen. The region has since been identified with the West and many foreign residences from the period remain in Kobe's [[Kitano-chō|Kitano area]].
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="110" perrow="3" caption="Gallery">
File:Kobe Bund 1979.94.6P01B.jpg|[[Kobe foreign settlement]] Kaigan-dōri Avenue around 1885
File:Shinkaichi.jpg|[[Shinkaichi]] theatre street in Kobe (Taisho era)
File:Viewofkobe.PNG|Hyōgo Port in the 19th century<ref>From the [http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/id?110089 NYPL Digital Library]</ref>
File:Kobe kaigan street01 1920.jpg|The Bund, built in the 1860s–1930s
File:Choueke house02 1920.jpg|[[Kitano-chō|Kitano area]], built in the 1880s–1910s
File:Old hyogo prefectural office bld03 1920.jpg|Former Hyogo prefectural office, built in 1902
File:Sesshu Kobe coast prosperity view.jpg|This [[nishiki-e]] (colored woodcut) shows a foreign steamboat entering Hyōgo Port shortly after its opening to the West in the late 19th century.
</gallery>

=== Modern era ===
Kobe, as it is known today, was founded on April 1, 1889, and was [[City designated by government ordinance|designated]] on September 1, 1956 by government ordinance. The history of the city is closely tied to that of the Ikuta Shrine, and the name "Kobe" derives from {{nihongo||神戸|kamube|later ''kanbe''}}, an archaic name for those who supported the shrine.<ref name="nagasakiu"/><ref name="kojien_kanbe"/>

During [[World War II]], Kobe was lightly bombed in the [[Doolittle Raid]] on April 18, 1942, along with [[Tokyo]] and a few other cities. Eventually, it was [[Bombing of Kobe in World War II|bombed again with incendiary bombs by B-29 Superfortress bombers on March 16 and 17, 1945]], causing the death of 8,841 residents and the destruction of 21% of [[Bombing of Kobe in World War II|Kobe's urban area]]. This incident inspired the well-known [[Studio Ghibli]] film ''[[Grave of the Fireflies]]'' and the [[Grave of the Fireflies (novel)|book]] by [[Akiyuki Nosaka]] on which the film was based. It also features in the motion picture ''[[A Boy Called H]]''.

Following continuous pressure from citizens, on March 18, 1975, the Kobe City Council passed an ordinance banning vessels carrying [[nuclear weapon]]s from Kobe Port. This effectively prevented any U.S. warships from entering the port, because U.S. policy is to never disclose whether any given warship is carrying nuclear weapons. This [[nuclear proliferation|nonproliferation]] policy has been termed the "[[Japan's non-nuclear policy#The Kobe Formula|Kobe formula]]".<ref>[http://www.prop1.org/prop1/jkobef.htm Kobe City Council] – "Resolution on the Rejection of the Visit of Nuclear-Armed Warships into Kobe Port", March 18, 1975. Retrieved February 16, 2007.</ref><ref>Kamimura, Naoki. "Japanese Civil Society and U.S.-Japan Security Relations in the 1990s". retrieved from [http://www.ippnw.org/MGS/V7N1Kamimura.html International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060516075014/http://www.ippnw.org/MGS/V7N1Kamimura.html |date=May 16, 2006 }} on February 2, 2007</ref>

On January 17, 1995, [[Great Hanshin earthquake|a magnitude 6.9 earthquake]] occurred at 5:46 am [[Japan Standard Time|JST]] near the city. About 6,434 people in the city were killed, 212,443 were made homeless, and large parts of the port facilities and other parts of the city were destroyed.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080625151141/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/report/january.2008.pdf The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Statistics and Restoration Progress] (Jan. 2008). Retrieved April 14, 2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.kkr.mlit.go.jp/en/topics_hanshin.html Great Hanshin Earthquake Restoration] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014224958/http://www.kkr.mlit.go.jp/en/topics_hanshin.html |date=October 14, 2014 }}. Retrieved April 14, 2008.</ref> The earthquake destroyed portions of the [[Hanshin Expressway]], an elevated freeway that dramatically toppled over. In Japan, this earthquake is known as the [[Great Hanshin earthquake]] (or the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake). To commemorate Kobe's recovery from it, the city holds an event every December called the [[Kobe Luminarie|Luminarie]], where the city center is decorated with illuminated metal archways.

The [[Port of Kobe]] was Japan's busiest port and one of Asia's top ports until the Great Hanshin earthquake.<ref name="maruhon">[https://web.archive.org/web/20010303054315/http://maruhon.com/business/port.htm Maruhon Business News] – Port Conditions in Japan. Retrieved January 23, 2007.</ref> Kobe has since dropped to fourth in Japan and, as of 2012, was the 49th-[[List of world's busiest container ports|busiest container port worldwide]].

<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="Gallery" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:KobeFormerSettelment Map JapDirectory (1905).tif|Map of the [[Kobe foreign settlement|Foreign Settlement]]
File:Kobe after the 1945 air raid.JPG|View of Kobe after the [[Bombing of Kobe in World War II|bombing]] in 1945
File:Admiralty Chart No 2265 Kobe Ko, Published 1966.jpg|Port of Kobe in 1966
File:Hanshin-Awaji earthquake 1995 337.jpg|Damage in [[Sannomiya]] after the [[Great Hanshin earthquake]] in 1995
File:Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park2.jpg|Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park
</gallery>

== Geography ==
[[File:151229_Kobe_Port_Japan01bs.jpg|thumb|260px|View of Kobe from an airplane]]

Wedged between the coast and the mountains, the city of Kobe is long and narrow. To the east is the city of [[Ashiya, Hyōgo|Ashiya]], while the city of [[Akashi, Hyōgo|Akashi]] lies to its west. Other adjacent cities include [[Takarazuka, Hyōgo|Takarazuka]] and [[Nishinomiya]] to the east and [[Sanda, Hyōgo|Sanda]] and [[Miki, Hyōgo|Miki]] to the north.

The landmark of the port area is the red steel [[Kobe Port Tower|Port Tower]]. A [[ferris wheel]] sits in nearby [[Harborland]], a notable tourist [[Esplanade|promenade]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2014}} Two artificial islands, [[Port Island]] and [[Rokkō Island]], have been constructed to give the city room to expand.

Away from the seaside at the heart of Kobe lie the [[Motomachi, Kobe|Motomachi]] and [[Sannomiya]] districts, as well as Kobe's [[Chinatown]], [[Nankin-machi]], all well-known retail areas. A multitude of train lines cross the city from east to west. The main transport hub is [[Sannomiya Station]], with the eponymous [[Kobe Station (Hyōgo)|Kobe Station]] located to the west and the [[Shinkansen]] [[Shin-Kobe Station]] to the north.

[[Mount Rokkō]] overlooks Kobe at an elevation of {{cvt|931|m}}. During autumn, it is famous for the rich change in [[autumn leaf color|colors of its forests]].

{{wide image|Panoramic view of Kobe and Kobe Harbor from the Kobe Port Tower.png|1000px|align-cap=center|A panorama of Kobe, [[Port of Kobe|its harbor]], and [[Port Island]] from [[Kobe Port Tower]]}}

=== Wards ===
Kobe has nine [[wards of Japan|wards]] (''ku''):

# [[Nishi-ku, Kobe|Nishi-ku]]: The westernmost area of Kobe, Nishi-ku overlooks the city of [[Akashi, Hyōgo|Akashi]] and is the site of [[Kobe Gakuin University]]. This ward has the largest population, with 247,000 residents.<ref>[http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/toukei/contents/kubetusihyo.html City of Kobe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014182029/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/toukei/contents/kubetusihyo.html |date=October 14, 2007 }}, "Population by Ward" (Japanese). Retrieved July 25, 2007.</ref>
# [[Kita-ku, Kobe|Kita-ku]]: Kita-ku is the largest ward by area and contains the Rokko Mountain Range, including [[Mount Rokkō]] and [[Mount Maya]]. The area is well known for its rugged landscape and hiking trails. The [[onsen]] resort town of [[Arima Onsen|Arima]] also lies within Kita-ku.
# [[Tarumi-ku, Kobe|Tarumi-ku]]: Tarumi-ku is a mostly residential area. The longest suspension bridge in the world, the [[Akashi Kaikyō Bridge]], extends from Maiko in Tarumi-ku to [[Awaji Island]] to the south. A relatively new addition to Kobe, Tarumi-ku was not a part of the city until 1946.
# [[Suma-ku, Kobe|Suma-ku]]: Suma-ku is the site of Suma beach, attracting visitors during the summer months.
# [[Nagata-ku, Kobe|Nagata-ku]]: Nagata-ku is the site of [[Nagata jinja|Nagata Shrine]], one of the three "Great Shrines" in Kobe.
# [[Hyōgo-ku, Kobe|Hyōgo-ku]]: At various times known as Ōwada Anchorage or Hyōgo Port, this area is the historical heart of the city. [[Shinkaichi]] in Hyogo-ku was once the commercial center of Kobe, but was heavily damaged during [[World War II]], and since, Hyogo-ku has lost much of its former prominence.
# [[Chūō-ku, Kobe|Chūō-ku]]: {{nihongo|''Chūō''|中央}} literally means "central" and, as such, Chūō-ku is the commercial and entertainment center of Kobe. [[Sannomiya]], [[Motomachi, Kobe|Motomachi]] and [[Harborland]] make up the main entertainment areas in Kobe. Chūō-ku includes the city hall and [[Hyōgo Prefecture|Hyōgo prefectural]] government offices. [[Port Island]] and [[Kobe Airport]] lie in the southern part of this ward.
# [[Nada-ku, Kobe|Nada-ku]]: The site of [[Oji Zoo]] and [[Kobe University]], Nada is known for [[Nada-Gogō|its sake]]. Along with [[Fushimi-ku, Kyoto|Fushimi]] in [[Kyoto]], it accounts for 45% of Japan's sake production.<ref>[http://www.kippo.or.jp/culture_e/syoku/sakejijo/sakejijo1.html Kansai Window] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619122900/http://www.kippo.or.jp/culture_e/syoku/sakejijo/sakejijo1.html |date=June 19, 2006 }}, "Japan's number one sake production". Retrieved February 6, 2007.</ref>
# [[Higashinada-ku, Kobe|Higashinada-ku]]: The easternmost area of Kobe, Higashinada-ku borders the city of [[Ashiya, Hyōgo|Ashiya]]. The man-made island of [[Rokko Island|Rokko]] makes up the southern part of this ward.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="810px"
! colspan="7" | Wards of Kobe
|-
! rowspan="2" |
! colspan="2" | Place Name
!
!
!
!Map of Kobe
|-
! style="width: 190px;" |[[Romanization of Japanese|Rōmaji]]
! style="width: 190px;" |[[Kanji]]
!Population
!''Land area in km2''
!Pop. density
per km2
!
|-
| style="text-align: center;" "width: 20px;" | 1
|[[Nishi-ku, Kobe|Nishi-ku]]
|西区
|240,386
|138.01
|1,742
| rowspan="9" |[[File:兵庫県神戸市区画図_番号.png|alt=|border|center|399x399px|A map of Kobe's Wards]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 2
|[[Kita-ku, Kobe|Kita-ku]]
| 北区
|212,211
|240.29
|883
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 3
|[[Tarumi-ku, Kobe|Tarumi-ku]]
| 垂水区
|216,337
|28.11
|7,696
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 4
|[[Suma-ku, Kobe|Suma-ku]]
| 須磨区
|158,196
|28.93
|5,468
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 5
|[[Nagata-ku, Kobe|Nagata-ku]]
| 長田区
|95,155
|11.36
|8,376
|-
|6
|[[Hyōgo-ku, Kobe|Hyōgo-ku]]
|兵庫区
|107,307
|14.68
|7,310
|-
|7
|[[Chūō-ku, Kobe|Chūō-ku]]
|中央区
|142,232
|28.97
|4,910
|-
|8
|[[Nada-ku, Kobe|Nada-ku]]
|灘区
|136,865
|32.66
|4,191
|-
|9
|[[Higashinada-ku, Kobe|Higashinada-ku]]
|東灘区
|214,255
|34.02
|6,298
|}

===Cityscape===
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="130" perrow="3" caption="Gallery">
File:Meriken-boat.jpg|View of MOSAIC and [[Meriken Park]] from ferry at dusk (2022)
File:Kobe unterwegs in Kobe 3.jpg|[[Meriken Park]] (2018)
File:151003 Port of Kobe Japan01s3.jpg|Skyline of Kobe from Kobe Bridge (2015)
File:Twilight view of Kobe, from a point near Shin-Kobe station.jpg|View of [[Sannomiya]] from [[Shin-Kobe Station]] (2009)
File:121208 Nunobiki Herb Garden Kobe Hyogo pref Japan09s3.jpg|[[Nunobiki Herb Garden]] (2012)
File:Kobe Kobe Port Tower Panoaramablick 03.jpg|Kobe [[central business district]] (2018)
File:Kobe Meriken Park area at night 2016-06-14.jpg|Kobe [[central business district]] at night (2016)
File:Kobe Chuo and Suma at night.jpeg|Downtown at night
File:View of Kikuseidai from Mount Maya Kobe.jpg|Night view from [[Kikuseidai]]
File:Views from Venus Bridge in Kobe 001.jpg|alt=|Sunset from Mt.Suwa observation deck
File:Views from Venus Bridge in Kobe 003.jpg|Chūō-ku, seen by night from Mt.Suwa observation deck
File:Views from Venus Bridge in Kobe 002.jpg|Panorama of Kobe from Mt.Suwa observation deck
</gallery>

===Climate===
Kobe has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfa'') with hot summers and cool to cold winters. Precipitation is significantly higher in summer than in winter, though on the whole lower than most parts of Honshū, and there is no significant snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kobe is {{convert|17.0|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|1277.8|mm}} with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around {{convert|28.6|C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{convert|6.2|C}}. The highest temperature ever recorded in Kobe was {{cvt|38.8|C}} on August 5, 1994; the coldest temperature ever recorded was {{cvt|-7.2|C}} on February 27, 1981.

{{Weather box
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Kobe (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1896−present)
|Jan record high C = 19.2
|Feb record high C = 20.8
|Mar record high C = 23.7
|Apr record high C = 28.5
|May record high C = 31.9
|Jun record high C = 36.3
|Jul record high C = 37.7
|Aug record high C = 38.8
|Sep record high C = 35.8
|Oct record high C = 31.9
|Nov record high C = 26.2
|Dec record high C = 23.7
|Jan record low C = -6.4
|Feb record low C = -7.2
|Mar record low C = -5.0
|Apr record low C = -0.6
|May record low C = 3.9
|Jun record low C = 10.0
|Jul record low C = 14.5
|Aug record low C = 16.1
|Sep record low C = 10.5
|Oct record low C = 5.3
|Nov record low C = -0.2
|Dec record low C = -4.3
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 38.4
|Feb precipitation mm = 55.6
|Mar precipitation mm = 94.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 100.6
|May precipitation mm = 134.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 176.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 187.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 103.4
|Sep precipitation mm = 157.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 118.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 62.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 48.7
|year precipitation mm = 1277.8
|Jan mean C = 6.2
|Feb mean C = 6.5
|Mar mean C = 9.8
|Apr mean C = 15.0
|May mean C = 19.8
|Jun mean C = 23.4
|Jul mean C = 27.1
|Aug mean C = 28.6
|Sep mean C = 25.4
|Oct mean C = 19.8
|Nov mean C = 14.2
|Dec mean C = 8.8
|year mean C = 17.0
|Jan high C = 9.4
|Feb high C = 10.1
|Mar high C = 13.5
|Apr high C = 18.9
|May high C = 23.6
|Jun high C = 26.7
|Jul high C = 30.4
|Aug high C = 32.2
|Sep high C = 28.8
|Oct high C = 23.2
|Nov high C = 17.5
|Dec high C = 12.0
|year high C = 20.5
|Jan low C = 3.1
|Feb low C = 3.4
|Mar low C = 6.3
|Apr low C = 11.4
|May low C = 16.5
|Jun low C = 20.6
|Jul low C = 24.7
|Aug low C = 26.1
|Sep low C = 22.6
|Oct low C = 16.7
|Nov low C = 10.9
|Dec low C = 5.7
|year low C = 14.0
|Jan humidity = 62
|Feb humidity = 61
|Mar humidity = 61
|Apr humidity = 61
|May humidity = 64
|Jun humidity = 72
|Jul humidity = 74
|Aug humidity = 71
|Sep humidity = 67
|Oct humidity = 64
|Nov humidity = 63
|Dec humidity = 62
|year humidity = 65
|Jan sun = 145.8
|Feb sun = 142.4
|Mar sun = 175.8
|Apr sun = 194.8
|May sun = 202.6
|Jun sun = 164.0
|Jul sun = 189.4
|Aug sun = 229.6
|Sep sun = 163.9
|Oct sun = 169.8
|Nov sun = 152.2
|Dec sun = 153.2
|year sun = 2083.7
|Jan snow cm = 0
|Feb snow cm = 0
|Mar snow cm = 0
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 0
|Dec snow cm = 0
|year snow cm = 1
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 6.0
|Feb precipitation days = 7.1
|Mar precipitation days = 10.0
|Apr precipitation days = 10.1
|May precipitation days = 10.4
|Jun precipitation days = 12.1
|Jul precipitation days = 10.9
|Aug precipitation days = 7.4
|Sep precipitation days = 10.3
|Oct precipitation days = 8.8
|Nov precipitation days = 6.4
|Dec precipitation days = 6.8
|year precipitation days = 106.2
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=63&block_no=47770&year=&month=12&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]
| access-date = May 19, 2021}}</ref>
}}
{{Weather box
|location = [[Kobe Airport]] (2006−2020 normals, extremes 2006−present)
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|Jan record high C = 17.2
|Feb record high C = 19.5
|Mar record high C = 21.3
|Apr record high C = 23.9
|May record high C = 30.2
|Jun record high C = 34.5
|Jul record high C = 36.2
|Aug record high C = 36.8
|Sep record high C = 35.2
|Oct record high C = 31.5
|Nov record high C = 24.3
|Dec record high C = 21.9
|Jan record low C = -3.6
|Feb record low C = -3.4
|Mar record low C = -1.5
|Apr record low C = 1.9
|May record low C = 7.0
|Jun record low C = 14.2
|Jul record low C = 19.4
|Aug record low C = 20.5
|Sep record low C = 14.7
|Oct record low C = 8.5
|Nov record low C = 2.7
|Dec record low C = -1.4
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 33.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 54.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 83.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 83.7
|May precipitation mm = 117.6
|Jun precipitation mm = 164.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 186.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 84.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 135.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 106.1
|Nov precipitation mm = 52.8
|Dec precipitation mm = 49.3
|year precipitation mm = 1148.4
|Jan mean C = 5.9
|Feb mean C = 6.3
|Mar mean C = 9.2
|Apr mean C = 13.7
|May mean C = 18.5
|Jun mean C = 22.2
|Jul mean C = 25.9
|Aug mean C = 27.9
|Sep mean C = 24.9
|Oct mean C = 19.7
|Nov mean C = 14.0
|Dec mean C = 8.5
|year mean C = 16.4
|Jan high C = 9.3
|Feb high C = 9.7
|Mar high C = 12.8
|Apr high C = 17.3
|May high C = 22.2
|Jun high C = 25.2
|Jul high C = 28.6
|Aug high C = 31.1
|Sep high C = 28.1
|Oct high C = 23.0
|Nov high C = 17.3
|Dec high C = 11.9
|year high C = 19.7
|Jan low C = 2.4
|Feb low C = 2.6
|Mar low C = 5.3
|Apr low C = 9.9
|May low C = 15.1
|Jun low C = 19.8
|Jul low C = 23.9
|Aug low C = 25.6
|Sep low C = 22.1
|Oct low C = 16.7
|Nov low C = 10.7
|Dec low C = 5.1
|year low C = 13.2
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 4.6
|Feb precipitation days = 6.6
|Mar precipitation days = 8.3
|Apr precipitation days = 8.8
|May precipitation days = 8.6
|Jun precipitation days = 9.8
|Jul precipitation days = 10.2
|Aug precipitation days = 6.0
|Sep precipitation days = 8.8
|Oct precipitation days = 7.9
|Nov precipitation days = 5.7
|Dec precipitation days = 5.8
|year precipitation days = 91.1
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=63&block_no=1587&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = February 26, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=63&block_no=1587&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = February 26, 2022}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{| class="infobox" style="float:right;"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | '''Foreigners in Kobe'''<ref name=pop-detail>{{cite web |url=http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/information/data/statistics/toukei/datakobe/data/dk3003.pdf |script-title=ja:神戸市統計資料 |access-date=January 9, 2020 |quote="{{Nihongo2|6. 外国人数}}" |publisher=Kobe Government |language=ja |archive-date=April 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414172429/http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/information/data/statistics/toukei/datakobe/data/dk3003.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
! Nationality || Population (2018)
|-
| {{flagu|South Korea}} ||17,175
|-
| {{flagu|Mainland China}} ||13,205
|-
| {{flagu|Vietnam}} ||5,955
|-
| {{flagu|Taiwan}} ||1,309
|-
| Others ||8,974
|-
|}
{{Historical populations
|title = Historical population
|type = Japan
|align = right
|width =
|state =
|shading =
|percentages =
|footnote =
|1870|18650
|1880|48786
|1890|142965
|1900|283839
|1910|398905
|1920|746500
|1925|818619
|1930|915234
|1935|1058053
|1940|1134458
|1945|694000
|1950|821062
|1955|986344
|1960|1113977
|1965|1216682
|1970|1288930
|1975|1360605
|1980|1367390
|1985|1410734
|1990|1477410
|1995|1423792
|2000|1493398
|2005|1525393
|2010|1544873
|2015|1537272
|2020|1521241
}}

[[File:Kobe Metropolitan Employment Area.svg|thumb|200px|The Kobe [[Urban Employment Area|Metropolitan Employment Area]]]]
As of September 2007, Kobe had an estimated [[population]] of 1,530,295 making up 658,876 [[household]]s. This was an increase of 1,347 persons or approximately 0.1% over the previous year. The [[population density]] was approximately 2,768 persons per square kilometre, while there are about 90.2 males to every 100 females.<ref name="population statistics">[http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/toukei/contents/suikeijinkou.html City of Kobe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081225010552/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/toukei/contents/suikeijinkou.html |date=December 25, 2008 }} – "Estimated Population of Kobe". Retrieved October 2, 2007.</ref> About thirteen percent of the population are between the ages of 0 and 14, sixty-seven percent are between 15 and 64, and twenty percent are over the age of 65.<ref name="pocket statistics">[http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/toukei/contents/pocket.html City of Kobe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808061701/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/toukei/contents/pocket.html |date=August 8, 2007 }} – "Statistical Summary of Kobe". Retrieved July 25, 2007.</ref>

Approximately 44,000 registered foreign nationals live in Kobe. The four most common nationalities are [[Koreans in Japan|Korean]] (22,237), [[Chinese in Japan|Chinese]] (12,516), Vietnamese (1,301), and [[Americans in Japan|American]] (1,280).<ref name="pocket statistics" />

==Economy==
[[File:Kobe Mosaic06s4s3200.jpg|thumb|200px|Kobe is the busiest port in the [[Kansai region]].]]
The [[Port of Kobe]] is both an important port and manufacturing center within the [[Hanshin Industrial Region]]. Kobe is the [[List of world's busiest container ports|busiest container port]] in the region, surpassing even [[Osaka]], and the fourth-busiest in Japan.<ref name="busyport2005">[http://aapa.files.cms-plus.com/Statistics/WORLD%20PORT%20RANKINGS%202005.xls American Association of Port Authorities] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927223354/http://aapa.files.cms-plus.com/Statistics/WORLD%20PORT%20RANKINGS%202005.xls |date=September 27, 2007 }} – "World Port Rankings 2005". Retrieved July 3, 2007.</ref>

{{As of|2004}}, the city's total real [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] was ¥6.3 trillion, which amounts to thirty-four percent of the GDP for [[Hyōgo Prefecture]] and approximately eight percent for the whole [[Kansai region]].<ref name="Kobe economy">[http://web.hyogo-iic.ne.jp/hyogoip/4-2-1.pdf Hyogo Industrial Advancement Center] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704042535/http://web.hyogo-iic.ne.jp/hyogoip/4-2-1.pdf |date=July 4, 2007 }} – "Industry Tendencies in Various Areas of Hyogo Prefecture" (Japanese). Retrieved July 3, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.esri.cao.go.jp/jp/sna/kenmin/h16/main.html Cabinet Office, Government of Japan] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716010107/http://www.esri.cao.go.jp/jp/sna/kenmin/h16/main.html |date=July 16, 2007 }} – "2004 Prefectural Economy Survey" (Japanese). Retrieved July 3, 2007.</ref> [[Per capita income]] for the year was approximately ¥2.7 million.<ref name="Kobe economy"/> Broken down by [[Three-sector hypothesis|sector]], about one percent of those employed work in the [[Primary sector of economic activity|primary sector]] (agriculture, fishing and mining), twenty-one percent work in the [[Secondary sector of economic activity|secondary sector]] (manufacturing and industry), and seventy-eight percent work in the [[Tertiary sector of economic activity|service sector]].<ref name="pocket statistics" />

The value of [[manufactured goods]] produced and exported from Kobe for 2004 was ¥2.5 trillion. The four largest sectors in terms of value of goods produced are small appliances, food products, transportation equipment, and communication equipment making up over fifty percent of Kobe's manufactured goods. In terms of numbers of employees, food products, small appliances, and transportation equipment make up the three largest sectors.<ref>[http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/toukei/pdf/kougyou/16kiji.pdf Kobe City Report on Census of Manufacturers, 2004] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528011425/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/06/013/toukei/pdf/kougyou/16kiji.pdf |date=May 28, 2008 }} (Japanese). Retrieved March 30, 2007.</ref>

The [[GDP]] in Kobe [[Urban Employment Area|Metropolitan Employment Area]] (2.4 million people) is US$96.0 billion in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/UEA/uea_data_e.htm|title = Metropolitan Employment Area (MEA) Data|author = Yoshitsugu Kanemoto|publisher = Center for Spatial Information Science, The [[University of Tokyo]]}}</ref><ref>[https://data.oecd.org/conversion/exchange-rates.htm Conversion rates – Exchange rates] – OECD Data</ref>

=== Major companies and institutes ===
Japanese companies which have their headquarters in Kobe include [[ASICS]], a shoe manufacturer; [[Daiei]], a department store chain; [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries]], [[Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation|Kawasaki Shipbuilding Co.]], [[Kinki Sharyo]], [[Mitsubishi Motors]], [[Mitsubishi Heavy Industries]] (ship manufacturer), [[Mitsubishi Electric]], [[Kobe Steel]], [[Sumitomo Rubber Industries]],<ref>"[http://www.srigroup.co.jp/english/corporate/outline.html Company Outline]." [[Sumitomo Rubber Industries]]. Retrieved on January 24, 2015.</ref> [[Sysmex Corporation]] (medical devices manufacturer)<ref>"[http://www.sysmex.co.jp/en/sysmex/profile/index.html Corporate Profile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119214307/http://www.sysmex.co.jp/en/sysmex/profile/index.html |date=2015-01-19 }}." [[Sysmex Corporation]]. Retrieved on January 21, 2015.</ref> and [[TOA Corporation]]. Other companies include the [[confectionery]] manufacturers [[Konigs-Krone]] and [[Morozoff Ltd.]], [[Sun Television (Japan)|Sun Television Japan]] and [[UCC Ueshima Coffee Co.]]

There are over 100 international corporations that have their East Asian or Japanese headquarters in Kobe. Of these, twenty-four are from China, eighteen from the United States, and nine from Switzerland.<ref name="foreign_hq" /> Some prominent corporations include [[Eli Lilly and Company]], [[Nestlé]], [[Procter & Gamble]],<ref>"[http://www.pg.com/company/who_we_are/worldwide_operations.shtml P&G Locations]." ''[[Procter & Gamble]]''. Retrieved November 14, 2008.</ref> [[Tempur-Pedic]], [[Boehringer-Ingelheim]], and [[Toys "R" Us]]. In 2018, April, [[Swift Engineering]] USA, an American aerospace engineering firm established their joint venture in Kobe called Swift Xi Inc.

Kobe is the site of a number of research institutes, such as the [[RIKEN]] Kobe Institute Center for [[developmental biology]] and [[medical imaging]] techniques,<ref>[http://www.cdb.riken.go.jp/en/index.html RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology RIKEN Kobe Institute] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070410110103/http://www.cdb.riken.go.jp/en/index.html |date=April 10, 2007 }}. Retrieved June 26, 2007.</ref> and Center for Computational Science (R-CCS, home of the [[Fugaku (supercomputer)|Fugaku supercomputer]]), the [[National Institute of Information and Communications Technology]] (NICT) Advanced ICT Research Institute,<ref>[http://www2.nict.go.jp/w/w103/en/index.html National Institute of Information and Communications Technology Kobe Advanced ICT Research Center] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702201525/http://www2.nict.go.jp/w/w103/en/index.html |date=July 2, 2007 }}. Retrieved June 26, 2007.</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=History of Advanced ICT Research Institute|url=https://www.nict.go.jp/en/advanced_ict/plan/history-en.html|website=National Institute of Information and Communications Technology|access-date=January 19, 2018}}</ref> the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention,<ref>[http://www.bosai.go.jp/e/index.html National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention]. Retrieved June 12, 2007.</ref> and the Asian Disaster Reduction Center.<ref>[http://www.adrc.or.jp Asian Disaster Reduction Center] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702000621/http://www.adrc.or.jp/ |date=July 2, 2007 }}. Retrieved June 12, 2007.</ref>

International organizations include the [[WHO Centre for Health Development]], an [[intergovernmental agency]] forming part of the [[World Health Organization]]. The [[Diplomatic missions of Panama|Consulate-General of Panama in Kobe]] is located on the eighth floor of the Moriyama Building in [[Chūō-ku, Kobe]].<ref>"[http://www.m-osaka.com/en/consulate/index.html List of Consulates in Kansai Area] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080923210956/http://www.m-osaka.com/en/consulate/index.html |date=2008-09-23 }}." ''Creation Core Higashi Osaka''. Retrieved on January 15, 2009.</ref>

<gallery>
File:Kobe crystal tower01 2048.jpg|[[Kawasaki Heavy Industries]] headquarters on [[Harborland]]
File:Kobe Kawasaki Shipbuilding Co02ds3200.jpg|[[Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation|Kawasaki Shipbuilding Co.]] headquarters on [[Port of Kobe|Kobe Harbor]]
File:P and g02 1024.jpg|[[Procter & Gamble]] Asia headquarters on [[Rokko Island]]
File:Kobe Nestle Japan HQ01ss3200.jpg|[[Nestlé|Nestlé Japan Ltd.]] headquarters on [[Sannomiya]]
File:UCC Ueshima Coffee Company02s3872.jpg|[[UCC Ueshima Coffee Co.]] headquarters on [[Port Island]]
</gallery>

==Transportation==
{{See also|Transport in Keihanshin}}
[[File:Kobe Airport06s5s3200.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Kobe Airport]]]]
[[File:Train of Sanyo Shinkansen leaving Shin-Kobe Station.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Shin-Kobe Station]]]]
[[File:Train for Sannomiya-Hanadokeimae Station at Shin-Nagata Station.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Kobe Municipal Subway]]]]
[[File:Akashi Bridge.JPG|thumb|200px|The [[Akashi Kaikyō Bridge]] extends from Kobe to [[Awaji Island]].]]
===Air===
[[Itami Airport]], in nearby [[Itami, Hyōgo|Itami]], serves primarily domestic flights throughout Japan, [[Kobe Airport]], built on a reclaimed island south of [[Port Island]], also offers mostly domestic and charter flights, while [[Kansai International Airport]] in [[Osaka]] mainly serves international flights in the area.

===Rail===
The [[JR West]] [[Sanyō Shinkansen]] stops at [[Shin-Kobe Station]]. [[Sannomiya Station]] is the main commuter hub in Kobe, serving as the transfer point for major intercity rail services: the [[JR Kobe Line]] connects Kobe to [[Osaka]] and [[Himeji, Hyōgo|Himeji]], while both the [[Hankyū Kōbe Main Line|Hankyū Kobe Line]] and the [[Hanshin Main Line]] run from Kobe to [[Umeda Station]] in Osaka. [[Sanyō Electric Railway]] trains from Himeji reach Sannomiya via the [[Kōbe Rapid Transit Railway]]. [[Kōbe Electric Railway]] runs north to [[Sanda, Hyogo|Sanda]] and [[Arima Onsen]].

[[Kobe Municipal Subway]] provides connections to Shin-Osaka and Sannomiya stations from Kobe's western and eastern suburbs. Additionally, [[Kobe New Transit]] runs two lines serving [[Kobe Airport]] and [[Rokko Island]].

===Ropeway===
Over [[Mount Rokkō]], the city has two [[funicular]] lines and three [[aerial lift]]s as well, namely [[Maya Cablecar]], [[Rokkō Cable Line]], [[Rokkō Arima Ropeway]], [[Maya Ropeway]], and [[Shin-Kobe Ropeway]].

===Road===
Kobe is a transportation hub for a number of [[Expressways of Japan|expressways]], including the [[Meishin Expressway]] ([[Nagoya]] – Kobe) and the [[Hanshin Expressway]] (Osaka – Kobe).<ref>[http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/27/kigyo-yuchi/invest-kobe/e/access/domestic/index.html Hyogo-Kobe Investment Guide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080616083057/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/27/kigyo-yuchi/invest-kobe/e/access/domestic/index.html |date=June 16, 2008 }} – "Domestic Access". Retrieved February 15, 2007.</ref> Other expressways include the [[Sanyō Expressway]] (Kobe – [[Yamaguchi Prefecture|Yamaguchi]]) and the [[Chūgoku Expressway]] (Osaka – Yamaguchi).
The [[Honshū-Shikoku Bridge Project#Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway|Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway]] runs from Kobe to [[Naruto, Tokushima|Naruto]] via [[Awaji Island]] and includes the [[Akashi Kaikyō Bridge]], the longest suspension bridge in the world.

===Maritime===
The [[Port of Kobe]] is one of Japan's busiest container ports. [[Sub Area Activity Hanshin]] of the [[Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force]]s provides monitoring across [[Osaka Bay]] and [[Harima Sea]].

== Education ==
[[File:Kobe-Univ-Rokkodai-Honkan.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Kobe University]] main building]]
{{Main|Education in Kobe}}
The city of Kobe directly administers 169 elementary and 81 middle schools, with enrollments of approximately 80,200 and 36,000 students, respectively.<ref name="Kobe schools">[http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/57/kyouikutyousa/index.html City of Kobe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927011449/http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/57/kyouikutyousa/index.html |date=September 27, 2007 }} – "Number of municipal schools and students" (Japanese). Retrieved July 2, 2007.</ref> If the city's four private elementary schools and fourteen private middle schools are included, these figures jump to a total 82,000 elementary school students and 42,300 junior high students enrolled for the 2006 school year.<ref name="pocket statistics" /><ref>[http://web.pref.hyogo.jp/pa15/pa15_000000005.html Hyogo Prefectural Government] – "Private elementary schools" (Japanese). Retrieved July 2, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://web.pref.hyogo.jp/pa15/pa15_000000004.html Hyogo Prefectural Government] – "Private middle schools" (Japanese). Retrieved July 2, 2007.</ref>

Kobe also directly controls six of the city's twenty-five full-time public high schools including [[Kobe Municipal Fukiai High School|Fukiai High School]] and Rokkō Island High School. The remainder are administered by the Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education.<ref name="Kobe schools"/><ref>[http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/child/college/highschool/ City of Kobe] – "Municipal high school" (Japanese). Retrieved March 2, 2016.</ref> In addition, twenty-five high schools are run privately within the city.<ref>[http://web.pref.hyogo.jp/pa15/pa15_000000003.html Hyogo Prefectural Government] – "Private high schools" (Japanese). Retrieved July 2, 2007.</ref> The total enrollment for high schools in 2006 was 43,400.<ref name="pocket statistics" />

Kobe is home to eighteen public and private universities, including [[Kobe University]], [[Kobe Institute of Computing]] and [[Konan University]], and eight [[junior colleges]]. Students enrolled for 2006 reached 67,000 and 4,100, respectively.<ref name="pocket statistics" /> Kobe is also home to 17 Japanese language schools for international students, including the international training group Lexis Japan.

[[International school]]s serve both long-term foreign residents and expatriates living in Kobe and the Kansai region. The schools offer instruction in English, [[Deutsche Schule Kobe/European School|German]], [[Kobe Chinese School|Chinese]], and [[Chōsen gakkō|Korean]]. There are three English-language international schools: [[Canadian Academy]], [[Marist Brothers International School]], and St. Michael's International School.

== Culture ==
[[File:Kobe kitano thomas house07 2816.jpg|thumb|Weathercock House, one of the many [[:ja:異人館|foreign residences]] of the [[Kitano-cho|Kitano area]] of Kobe]]

Kobe is most famous for its [[Kobe beef]] (which is raised in the surrounding Hyōgo Prefecture) and [[Arima Onsen]] (hot springs). Notable buildings include the [[Ikuta Shrine]] as well as the [[Kobe Port Tower]]. Nearby mountains such as [[Mount Rokkō]] and [[Mount Maya]] overlook the city.

The city is widely associated with cosmopolitanism and fashion, encapsulated in the Japanese saying, "If you can't go to Paris, go to Kobe."<ref name="nytimes">Hassan, Sally. (April 9, 1989). "Where Japan Opened a Door To the West". ''[[The New York Times]]'', retrieved from [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEED6173FF93AA35757C0A96F948260&sec=travel&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink New York Times website] on February 7, 2007.</ref> The biannual fashion event Kobe Fashion Week, featuring the [[Kobe Collection]], is held in Kobe.<ref>[http://kobe-collection.com/ Kobe Collection Official Website] (Japanese). Retrieved February 27, 2007.</ref> The jazz festival "Kobe Jazz Street" has been held every October at jazz clubs and hotels since 1981.<ref>[http://www.kobejazzstreet.gr.jp/history/english.html Kobe Jazz Street] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210181938/http://www.kobejazzstreet.gr.jp/history/english.html |date=February 10, 2007 }}. Retrieved March 12, 2007.</ref> It also hosts both a Festival, as well as a statue of [[Elvis Presley]], the unveiling of which was heralded by the presence of former [[Prime Minister of Japan]] [[Junichiro Koizumi]]. Kobe is well known in Japan as being a city for the affluent, as many high-end stores and mansions line its streets.

Kobe is the site of Japan's first golf course, [[Kobe Golf Club]], established by [[Arthur Hesketh Groom]] in 1903,<ref name="golfclubatlas">[http://www.golfclubatlas.com/alison1.html Golf Club Atlas] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070218222750/http://www.golfclubatlas.com/alison1.html |date=February 18, 2007 }} – "Gliding Past Fuji – C.H. Alison in Japan". Retrieved February 7, 2007.</ref> and Japan's first [[mosque]], [[Kobe Mosque]], built in 1935.<ref>Penn, M. "Islam in Japan", ''[http://www.asiaquarterly.com/content/view/168/ Harvard Asia Quarterly] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202212653/http://www.asiaquarterly.com/content/view/168/ |date=February 2, 2007 }}'' Vol. 10, No. 1, Winter 2006. Retrieved February 15, 2007.</ref> The city hosts the [[Kobe Regatta & Athletic Club]], founded in 1870 by [[Alexander Cameron Sim]],<ref name="krac">[http://www.krac.org/history.shtml Kobe Regatta and Athletic Club] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310152249/http://www.krac.org/history.shtml |date=March 10, 2007 }} – "a distinguished history". Retrieved February 7, 2007.</ref> and a prominent [[Foreign cemeteries in Japan#Kobe|foreign cemetery]]. A number of Western-style residences – {{nihongo||[[:ja:異人館|異人館]]|ijinkan}} – from the 19th century still stand in [[Kitano-chō|Kitano]] and elsewhere in Kobe. Museums include the [[Kobe City Museum]] and [[Kobe City Museum of Literature|Museum of Literature]].

The city headquarters the [[professional wrestling promotion]] [[Dragongate]], established in 2004 as an offshoot of [[Último Dragón]]'s original [[Toryumon (Último Dragón)|Toryumon]] system.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carroll |first=John |date=January 7, 2013 |title=Dragon Gate 101 – History and Generations |url=https://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2016/01/07/dragon-gate-101-history-and-generations/ |access-date=December 21, 2023 |website=Voices of Wrestling}}</ref>

The dialect spoken in Kobe is called ''Kobe-ben'', a sub-dialect of [[Kansai dialect]].{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

== Sports ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col"| Club
! scope="col"| Sport
! scope="col"| League
! scope="col"| Venue
! scope="col"| Established
|-
| [[Orix Buffaloes]]
| [[Baseball]]
| [[Pacific League]]
| [[Kobe Sports Park Baseball Stadium]] [[Osaka Dome]]
| 1938
|-
| [[Vissel Kobe]]
| [[Association football|Football]]
| [[J. League]]
| [[Kobe City Misaki Park Stadium|Noevir Stadium Kobe]] [[Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium]]
| 1995
|-
| [[INAC Kobe Leonessa]]
| [[Association football|Football]]
| [[L. League]]
| [[Kobe City Misaki Park Stadium|Noevir Stadium Kobe]] [[Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium]]
| 2001
|-
| [[Deução Kobe]]
| [[Futsal]]
| [[F. League]]
| [[World Memorial Hall|World Hall]]
| 1993
|-
| [[Kobelco Steelers]]
| [[rugby football|Rugby]]
| [[Top League]]
| [[Kobe City Misaki Park Stadium|Noevir Stadium Kobe]] [[Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium]]
| 1928
|-
| [[Hisamitsu Springs]]
| [[Volleyball]]
| [[V.League (Japan)|V.Premier League]]
|
| 1948
|}

Kobe hosted the [[1985 Summer Universiade]] as well as the [[1991 ABC Championship|1991 Men's Asian Basketball Championship]], which was the qualifier for the [[Basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Summer Olympics Basketball Tournament]].
Kobe was one of the host cities of the [[2002 FIFA World Cup]], hosting matches at [[Kobe City Misaki Park Stadium|Noevir Stadium Kobe]] (then known as Wing Stadium Kobe), which was renovated to increase its capacity to 40,000 for the event.
Kobe was one of the host cities for the official [[2006 Women's Volleyball World Championship]].

Kobe also hosted the World Darts Federation World Cup in October 2017. The event was held in the Exhibition Hall in Port Island with over 50 countries competing.

==International relations==

'''Twin towns – sister cities'''
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Japan}}


Kobe's [[Sister city|sister cities]] are:<ref name=sisters>{{cite web |title=About Kobe|url=https://global.kobe-investment.jp/english/info-kobe.php|publisher=Global Kobe Investment|access-date=March 10, 2022}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Barcelona]], [[Catalonia]], Spain (1993)
*{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Brisbane]], [[Queensland]], Australia (1985)
*{{flagicon|KOR}} [[Incheon]], South Korea (2010)
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Genoa]], [[Liguria]], Italy (1963)
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Marseille]], [[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]], France (1961)
*{{flagicon|LVA}} [[Riga]], Latvia (1974)
*{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Rio de Janeiro]], Brazil (1969)
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|WA]], United States (1957)
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Tianjin]], China (1973)
*{{flagicon|UK}} [[Aberdeen]], United Kingdom (2022)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/news/hydrogen-twin-cities-award-aberdeen-and-kobe-japan | title=Hydrogen Twin Cities Award for Aberdeen and Kobe, Japan | Aberdeen City Council | date=November 16, 2022 }}</ref>
{{div col end}}

'''Friendship and cooperation cities'''

Kobe also cooperates with:<ref name=sisters/>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|KOR}} [[Daegu]], South Korea (2010)
*{{flagicon|PAK}} [[Faisalabad]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], Pakistan (2000)
*{{flagicon|RWA}} [[Kigali]], Rwanda (2016)
*{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], Australia
*{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Perth]], [[Western Australia]], Australia
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania|PA]], United States (1986)
{{div col end}}

A memorandum of understanding on the possible establishment of sister city relations in the future was concluded in 2019 with [[Ahmedabad]], [[Gujarat]], India.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kobe, Ahmedabad to be sister cities|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/kobe-ahmedabad-to-be-sister-cities/articleshow/69980264.cms|access-date=March 10, 2022|publisher=Times of India|date=June 27, 2019}}</ref>

'''Sister ports'''

The [[Port of Kobe]]'s sister ports are:<ref name=sisters/>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|NED}} [[Port of Rotterdam]], Netherlands (1967)
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Port of Seattle]], United States (1967)
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Port of Tianjin]], China
{{div col end}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Anyoin03 1024.jpg|[[An'yō-in (Kobe)|An'yō-in]]. Its [[Japanese rock garden|karesansui]] is one of Japan's [[Places of Scenic Beauty]].
File:140517 Kobe Municipal Arboretum Japan02bs.jpg|[[Kobe Municipal Arboretum]]
File:Kobe port tower11s3200.jpg|[[Kobe Port Tower]]
File:Mosaic04s3200.jpg|[[Harborland]]
File:Be kobe sign.jpg|"Be Kobe" sign near [[Harborland]]
File:Kobe Nankinmachi at night.jpg|[[Nankin-machi]], [[Motomachi, Kobe|Motomachi]]
File:Giant panda01 960.jpg|[[Kobe Oji Zoo]] as home of the [[giant panda|giant]] and [[red panda]]s
File:171125 Kobe Municipal Foreign Cemetery Kobe Japan01s.jpg|[[Foreign cemeteries in Japan#Kobe|Foreigners' cemetery]] on the slopes of Futatabiyama
File:Notre Dame Kobe Japan01-r.jpg|Notre Dame Kobe Wedding Hall
File:170811 Rokko-Arima Ropeway Kobe Japan00n.jpg|[[Arima Onsen]] located north of Kobe
</gallery>

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
{{Further|Timeline of Kobe#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Kobe}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Kobe}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
{{Wiktionary|神戸|Kōbe}}
{{Americana Poster|Kobé|year=1920}}
* {{Commons category-inline|Kobe by decade|History of Kobe}}
* [http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp Kobe City official website] {{in lang|ja}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120922041935/http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/foreign/english/index.html Kobe City official website]
* [http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchresult.cfm?word=Kobe%2Dshi%20%28Japan%29&s=3&notword=&f=2 New York Public Library Digital Gallery] – late 19th-century photographs of Kobe
* {{osmrelation-inline|900329|Kobe}}
* {{YouTube|u=kobecitychannel|Kobe City}} {{in lang|ja}}
* {{Cite NIE|wstitle=Kōbé|year=1905 |short=x}}
* {{Cite Collier's|wstitle=Kobe |short=x}}

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[[Category:Kobe| ]]
[[Category:Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan]]
[[Category:Populated places destroyed by earthquakes]]
[[Category:Cities in Hyōgo Prefecture]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Japan]]

Kyoto

2024-07-06T04:49:29Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{Short description|City in the Kansai region of Japan}}
{{About|the city in Japan|the prefecture where the city is located|Kyoto Prefecture|other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Kyoto
| native_name = {{nobold|京都市}}
| settlement_type = [[Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan|Designated city]]
| image_skyline = {{Multiple image
|border = infobox
|total_width = 275
|image_style = border:1;
|perrow = 1/2/2/2/1
|image1 = Kiyomizu.jpg
|alt1 = Kiyomizu-dera temple
|image2 = Sagaogurayama Tabuchiyamacho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture 616-8394, Japan - panoramio.jpg
|alt2 = Bamboo Forest, Arashiyama
|image3 = Kinkaku3402CBcropped.jpg
|alt3 = Kinkaku-ji temple
|image4 = Kyoto-Ryoan-Ji MG 4512.jpg
|alt4 = Rock garden, Ryōan-ji
|image5 = 二条城二の丸御殿.png
|alt5 = Ninomaru-goden, Nijō Castle
|image6 = Torii, Fushimi Inari-Taisha.jpg
|alt6 = Fushimi Inari-Taisha shrine
|image7 = Kyoto Nanzenji01s5s4272.jpg
|alt7 = Nanzen-ji
|image8 = Imperial Palace - panoramio (1).jpg
|alt8 = Kyoto Imperial Palace
}}
| imagesize =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = From top left: [[Kiyomizu-dera]] temple, [[Bamboo Forest (Kyoto, Japan)|Bamboo Forest]] of [[Arashiyama]], [[Kinkaku-ji]] temple, [[Dry garden]] of [[Ryōan-ji]], Honmaru-goden of [[Nijō Castle]], [[Fushimi Inari-taisha|Fushimi Inari-Taisha]] shrine, gate of [[Nanzen-ji]], and [[Kyoto Imperial Palace]] complex
| image_flag = Flag of Kyoto City.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_seal = Emblem of Kyoto, Kyoto.svg
| seal_alt =
| image_shield =
| shield_alt =
| image_blank_emblem =
| nickname =
| motto =
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=8}}
| image_map1 = Kyoto in Kyoto Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_alt1 =
| map_caption1 = Location of Kyoto in [[Kyoto Prefecture]]
| image_dot_map =
| pushpin_map = #Japan#Asia#World
| pushpin_label_position =
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| pushpin_relief = 1
| coordinates = {{coord|35|0|42|N|135|46|6|E|region:JP-26|display=it}}
| coor_pinpoint =
| coordinates_footnotes =
| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name = {{flagcountry|Japan}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kansai region|Kansai]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Kyoto Prefecture]]
| subdivision_type3 =
| subdivision_name3 =
| established_title = Founded
| established_date = 794
| founder =
| named_for =
| seat_type =
| seat =
| government_footnotes =
| government_type = [[Mayor–council government|Mayor–council]]
| governing_body = Kyoto City Assembly
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = [[Koji Matsui (politician)|Kōji Matsui]]
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 =
| total_type =
| unit_pref =
| area_magnitude =
| area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 = 827.83
| area_total_sq_mi =
| area_land_km2 =
| area_land_sq_mi =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_sq_mi =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m =
| elevation_ft =
| elevation_max_footnotes =
| elevation_max_m = 971
| elevation_min_footnotes =
| elevation_min_m = 9
| population_as_of = October 1, 2020
| population_footnotes = <ref name="2020population">{{cite web |url=https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kokusei/2020/summary.html |title=2020 Population Census |access-date=July 16, 2022 |archive-date=July 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220716080414/https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kokusei/2020/summary.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
| population_total = 1463723
| pop_est_as_of =
| pop_est_footnotes =
| population_est =
| population_rank = [[List of cities in Japan|9th, Japan]]
| population_metro_footnotes = <ref name="2020population"/><ref name="range">{{Cite web|title = 京都都市圏の範囲及び取組|url = http://www.kyoto-toshiken.jp/about/|publisher = 京都都市圏自治体ネットワーク|language = ja|access-date = July 16, 2022|archive-date = April 24, 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170424003753/http://www.kyoto-toshiken.jp/about/|url-status = dead}}</ref>
| population_metro = 3783014
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_sq_mi =
| population_density =
| population_density_rank =
| population_blank1_title =
| population_blank1 =
| population_density_blank1_km2 =
| population_density_blank1_sq_mi =
| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time]]
| utc_offset1 = +9
| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type =
| area_code =
| blank_name_sec1 = City Symbols
| blank1_name_sec1 = - Tree
| blank1_info_sec1 = [[Salix babylonica#Horticultural selections and related hybrids|Weeping Willow]], [[Acer palmatum|Japanese Maple]] and [[Cercidiphyllum japonicum|Katsura]]
| blank2_name_sec1 = - Flower
| blank2_info_sec1 = [[Camellia]], [[Azalea]] and Sugar [[Cherry blossom|Cherry]]
| blank_name_sec2 =
| blank_info_sec2 =
| blank1_name_sec2 =
| blank1_info_sec2 =
| website = {{URL|https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/|city.kyoto.lg.jp}}
| footnotes =
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| title = Kyoto
| pic = Kyoto (Chinese characters).svg
| piccap = "Kyoto" in ''[[kanji]]''
| picupright = 0.425
| kanji = 京都
| katakana = キョウト
| hiragana = きょうと
| l = Capital City
| revhep = Kyōto
| kunrei = Kyouto
}}

'''Kyoto''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|j|oʊ|t|oʊ}};<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Kyoto |title=Kyoto <nowiki>|</nowiki> Definition of Kyoto by Merriam-Webster |access-date=May 7, 2020 |publisher=[[Merriam-Webster]] |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803021234/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Kyoto |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Japanese language|Japanese]]: {{lang|ja|京都}}, ''Kyōto'' {{IPA-ja|kʲoꜜːto||Ja-Kyoto.ogg}}), officially {{nihongo|'''Kyoto City'''|京都市|Kyōto-shi|extra={{IPA-ja|kʲoːtoꜜɕi||Ja-Kyoto-shi.oga}}}}, is the capital city of [[Kyoto Prefecture]] in the [[Kansai region]] of [[Japan]]'s largest and most populous island of [[Honshu]]. {{As of|2020}}, the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it the [[List of cities in Japan|ninth-most populous]] city in Japan. More than half (56.8%) of Kyoto Prefecture's population resides in the city. The city is the cultural anchor of the substantially larger [[Greater Kyoto]], a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 3.8 million people. It is also part of the even larger [[Keihanshin|Keihanshin metropolitan area]], along with [[Osaka]] and [[Kobe]].

Kyoto is one of the oldest municipalities in Japan, having been chosen in 794 as the new seat of Japan's imperial court by [[Emperor Kanmu]]. The original city, named [[Heian-kyō]], was arranged in accordance with traditional Chinese [[feng shui]] following the model of the ancient Chinese capitals of [[Chang'an]] and [[Luoyang]]. The emperors of Japan ruled from Kyoto in the following eleven centuries until 1869. It was the scene of several key events of the [[Muromachi period]], [[Sengoku period]], and the [[Boshin War]], such as the [[Ōnin War]], the [[Honnō-ji Incident]], the [[Kinmon incident]], and the [[Battle of Toba–Fushimi]]. The capital was relocated from Kyoto to [[Tokyo]] after the [[Meiji Restoration]]. The modern municipality of Kyoto was established in 1889. The city was spared from large-scale destruction during [[World War II]] and, as a result, its prewar cultural heritage has mostly been preserved.

Kyoto is considered the cultural capital of Japan and is a major tourist destination. The [[agency for cultural affairs]] of the national government is headquartered in the city. It is home to numerous [[Buddhist temples in Japan|Buddhist temples]], [[Shinto shrine]]s, palaces and gardens, some of which have been designated collectively as a [[World Heritage Site]] by [[UNESCO]]. Prominent landmarks include the [[Kyoto Imperial Palace]], [[Kiyomizu-dera]], [[Kinkaku-ji]], [[Ginkaku-ji]], and [[Kyoto Tower]]. The internationally renowned video game company [[Nintendo]] is based in Kyoto. Kyoto is also a center of higher learning in the country, and its institutions include [[Kyoto University]], the second-oldest university in Japan.

==Name==
In Japanese, Kyoto was previously called '''Kyō''' ({{lang|ja|京}}), '''Miyako''' ({{lang|ja|都}}), '''Kyō no Miyako''' ({{lang|ja|京の都}}), and {{Nihongo|'''Keishi'''|{{linktext|京師}}}}. After becoming the capital of Japan at the start of the [[Heian period]] (794–1185), the city was often referred to as [[Heian-kyō]] ({{lang|ja|平安京}}, "Heian capital"), and late in the Heian period the city came to be widely referred to simply as "Kyōto" ({{lang|ja|京都}}, "capital city"). After the seat of the emperor was moved to the city of [[Edo]] and that city was renamed "[[Tokyo|Tōkyō]]" ({{Nihongo2|東京}}, meaning "eastern capital"), Kyoto was briefly known as "Saikyō" ({{Nihongo2|西京}}, meaning "western capital"). As the capital of Japan from 794 to 1868, Kyoto is sometimes called the '''thousand-year capital''' ({{lang|ja|千年の都}}).

Historically, foreign spellings for the city's name have included '''Kioto''' and '''Miaco''' or '''Meaco'''.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Editorial Paragraphs |magazine=The Missionary Herald |publication-date=April 1887 |volume=83 |issue=4 |page=126}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Nussbaum |first=Louis-Frédéric |date=2002 |translator-last=Roth |translator-first=Käthe |title=Japan Encyclopedia |publisher=Belknap Press of Harvard University Press |pages=649 |isbn=9780674017535}}</ref>

==History==
{{For timeline}}

===Origins===
{{main|Heian-kyō}}
Ample [[Archeology|archeological]] evidence suggests human settlement in the area of Kyoto began as early as the [[Japanese Paleolithic|Paleolithic]] period,<ref>{{Cite journal |url=http://www.kyotofu-maibun.or.jp/data/kankou/kankou-pdf/jyouhou/J101.pdf |script-title=ja:旧石器時代の京都 |trans-title=Kyoto in Paleolithic period |author=Nakagaawa, Kazuya |journal=京都府埋蔵文化財情報 |publisher=京都府埋蔵文化財調查研究センター |issn=0286-5424 |volume=101 |date=November 2006 |page=1 |language=ja |access-date=November 27, 2013 |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225131124/http://www.kyotofu-maibun.or.jp/data/kankou/kankou-pdf/jyouhou/J101.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> although not much published material is retained about human activity in the region before the 6th century, around which time the [[Shimogamo Shrine]] is believed to have been established.

During the 8th century, when powerful [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] clergy became involved in the affairs of the imperial government, [[Emperor Kanmu]] chose to relocate the capital in order to distance it from the clerical establishment in [[Nara (city)|Nara]]. His last choice for the site was the village of Uda, in the Kadono district of [[Yamashiro Province]].<ref name= KEA1910>Kyoto Exhibitors' Association (1910) ''Kyoto'' Kyoto Exhibitors' Association of the Japan-British exhibition, Kyoto, p. 3 {{OCLC|1244391}}</ref>

The new city, {{Nihongo|[[Heian-kyō]]|平安京||"tranquility and peace capital"}}, modeled after Chinese [[Tang dynasty]] capital [[Chang'an]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ebrey |first1=Patricia |last2=Walthall |first2=Anne |title=East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History, Third Edition |publisher=Wadsworth, Cengage Learning |isbn=978-1-133-60647-5| date=2014| pages=79, 148}}</ref> became the seat of Japan's imperial court in 794, beginning the [[Heian period]] of [[History of Japan|Japanese history]]. Although military rulers established their governments either in Kyoto ([[Muromachi shogunate]]) or in other cities such as [[Kamakura, Kanagawa|Kamakura]] ([[Kamakura shogunate]]) and [[Edo]] ([[Tokugawa shogunate]]), Kyoto remained Japan's capital until the transfer of the imperial court to [[Tokyo]] in 1869 at the time of the [[Meiji Restoration|Imperial Restoration]].

===Middle Ages===
In the [[Sengoku period]], the city suffered extensive destruction in the [[Ōnin War]] of 1467–1477, and did not really recover until the mid-16th century.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/journals/jwh/jwh061p075.pdf |title=Guns and Government: A Comparative Study of Europe and Japan* |last=Stephen |first=Morillo |date=1995 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130913234726/http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/journals/jwh/jwh061p075.pdf |archive-date=September 13, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> During the war, battles between samurai factions spilled into the streets, and came to involve court nobility (''[[kuge]]'') and religious factions as well. Nobles' mansions were transformed into fortresses, deep trenches dug throughout the city for defense and as firebreaks, and numerous buildings burned. The city has not seen such widespread destruction since.

In the late 16th century, [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] reconstructed the city by building new streets to double the number of north–south streets in central Kyoto, creating rectangle blocks superseding ancient square blocks. Toyotomi also built earthwork walls called {{Nihongo|''odoi''|御土居}} encircling the city. [[Teramachi Street]] in central Kyoto is a Buddhist temple quarter where Toyotomi gathered temples in the city.
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="Gallery" heights="130px" perrow="1">
File:Kanō Eitoku - Rakuchū rakugai zu (Uesugi) - right screen.jpg|''Rakuchū rakugai zu'', a 16th-century depiction of central Kyoto including [[Gion Matsuri]] floats (center) and [[Kiyomizu-dera]] (upper right)
</gallery>

===Early modern period===
{{Needs expansion|date=June 2024}}
Throughout the [[Edo period]], the economy of the city flourished as one of three major cities in [[Japan]], the others being [[Osaka]] and Edo. At the end of the period, the [[Kinmon Incident|Hamaguri rebellion]] of 1864 burned down 28,000 houses in the city, which showed the rebels' dissatisfaction towards the Tokugawa Shogunate.<ref name= History>{{Cite book |title=Kyoto; its History and Vicissitudes Since its Foundation in 792 to 1868 |last=Ponsonby-Fane |first=Richard |year=1931 |pages=241}}</ref>
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="Gallery" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Scenes_in_and_around_Kyoto_Funaki_1.jpg|Scenes in and around Kyoto ({{circa|1615}})
File:1696_Genroku_9_%28early_Edo%29_Japanese_Map_of_Kyoto%2C_Japan_-_Geographicus_-_Kyoto-genroku9-1696.jpg|Map of Heian-kyō, 1696
File:伏見桃山城06.jpg|[[Fushimi Castle]]
</gallery>

===Modern period===
{{Needs expansion|date=June 2024}}
At the start of the [[Meiji period]], the emperor's move from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1869 weakened the economy of Kyoto. The modern city of Kyoto was formed on April 1, 1889. The construction of [[Lake Biwa Canal]] in 1890 was one measure taken to revive the city. The population of the city exceeded one million in 1932.<ref name = "historical population">{{cite web |url=https://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/sogo/toukei/Population/Data/Estimate/Ward/26100.xlsx |script-title=ja:人口・世帯の時系列データ |publisher=City of Kyoto |access-date=April 15, 2018 |format=XLSX |archive-date=October 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017202136/http://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/sogo/toukei/Population/Data/Estimate/Ward/26100.xlsx |url-status=live }}</ref>
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="130" perrow="3" caption="Gallery">
File:Kyoto View from Kiyomizudera 1870s.jpg|alt=View of Kyoto from beside the Hondō of Kiyomizudera. – 1870s|View of Kyoto from beside the Hondō of Kiyomizudera – 1870s<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://sova.si.edu/details/FSA.A1999.35#ref124 |website=Smithsonian |title=FSA A1999.35 092: Kyoto: View from Kiyomizudera |author=Lyman, Benjamin Smith |date=2020-08-03|language=en-US |access-date=2022-07-16 |archive-date=2021-06-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626222834/https://sova.si.edu/details/FSA.A1999.35 |url-status=live }}</ref>
File:Nanzen-ji, Suirokaku (Lake Biwa Canal) -1 (November 2008) - panoramio.jpg|Nanzenji aqueduct
</gallery>

===Contemporary history===
{{Needs expansion|date=June 2024}}[[File:Kyoto International Conference Center Garden 20190330 03.jpg|thumb|200px|left|[[Kyoto International Conference Center]]]]
There was some consideration by the [[United States]] of targeting Kyoto with an [[Nuclear weapon|atomic bomb]] at the end of [[World War II]] because of the possibility that the city's importance was great enough that its loss might persuade Japan to surrender.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/nuclear-vault/2020-08-04/atomic-bomb-end-world-war-ii|title=The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War II: A Collection of Primary Sources |website=nsarchive2.gwu.edu |access-date=September 25, 2017 |archive-date=November 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116045217/https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB162/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In the end, at the insistence of [[Henry L. Stimson]], Secretary of War in the Roosevelt and Truman administrations, the city was removed from the list of targets and replaced by [[Nagasaki]]. The city was largely spared from conventional bombing as well, although small-scale air raids did result in casualties.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Oi |first1=Mariko |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33755182 |title=The man who saved Kyoto from the atomic bomb |work=BBC News |date=August 8, 2015 |access-date=October 28, 2020 |archive-date=October 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211013162151/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33755182 |url-status=live }}</ref> During the occupation, the [[Sixth United States Army|U.S. Sixth Army]] and [[I Corps (United States)|I Corps]] were headquartered in Kyoto.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/macarthur%20reports/macarthur%20v1%20sup/index.htm |title=Reports of General MacArthur |access-date=July 31, 2021 |archive-date=July 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731002414/https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/macarthur%20reports/macarthur%20v1%20sup/index.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

As a result, Kyoto is one of the few Japanese cities that still have an abundance of prewar buildings, such as the traditional townhouses known as ''[[machiya]]''. However, modernization is continually breaking down traditional Kyoto in favor of newer architecture, such as the [[Kyōto Station]] complex.

Kyoto became a [[city designated by government ordinance]] on September 1, 1956. In 1994, [[Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)|17 historic monuments in Kyoto]] were inscribed on the list as [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]s. In 1997, Kyoto hosted the conference that resulted in the [[Kyoto Protocol|protocol on greenhouse gas emissions]] ([[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change]]).

==Geography==
===Terrain===
Kyoto is located in a valley, part of the Yamashiro (or Kyoto) Basin, in the eastern part of the mountainous region known as the Tamba highlands. The Yamashiro Basin is surrounded on three sides by mountains known as Higashiyama, Kitayama and Nishiyama, with a maximum height of approximately {{convert|1000|m|0|sp=us}} [[above mean sea level|above sea level]]. This interior positioning results in hot summers and cold winters. There are three rivers in the basin, the [[Uji River]] to the south, the [[Katsura River]] to the west, and the [[Kamo River]] to the east. Kyoto City takes up 17.9% of the land in Kyoto Prefecture and has a total area of {{convert|827.9|km²|1|abbr=out|sp=us}}.

Kyoto sits atop a large natural water table that provides the city with ample freshwater wells. Due to large-scale urbanization, the amount of rain draining into the table is dwindling and wells across the area are drying at an increasing rate.

===Climate===
Kyoto has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Cfa''), featuring a marked seasonal variation in temperature and precipitation. Summers are hot and humid, but winters are relatively cold with occasional snowfall. Kyoto's [[East Asian rainy season|rainy season]] begins around the middle of June and lasts until the end of July, yielding to a hot and sunny latter half of the summer. Kyoto, like most of the Pacific coast and central areas of Japan, is prone to typhoons during the summer and autumn.
{{Weather box
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Kyoto (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1880−present)
|Jan record high C = 19.9
|Feb record high C = 22.9
|Mar record high C = 25.7
|Apr record high C = 30.7
|May record high C = 34.9
|Jun record high C = 36.8
|Jul record high C = 39.8
|Aug record high C = 39.8
|Sep record high C = 38.1
|Oct record high C = 33.6
|Nov record high C = 26.9
|Dec record high C = 22.8
|Jan record low C = -11.9
|Feb record low C = -11.6
|Mar record low C = -8.2
|Apr record low C = -4.4
|May record low C = -0.3
|Jun record low C = 4.9
|Jul record low C = 10.6
|Aug record low C = 11.8
|Sep record low C = 7.8
|Oct record low C = 0.2
|Nov record low C = -4.4
|Dec record low C = -9.4
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 53.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 65.1
|Mar precipitation mm = 106.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 117.0
|May precipitation mm = 151.4
|Jun precipitation mm = 199.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 223.6
|Aug precipitation mm = 153.8
|Sep precipitation mm = 178.5
|Oct precipitation mm = 143.2
|Nov precipitation mm = 73.9
|Dec precipitation mm = 57.3
|year precipitation mm = 1522.9
|Jan mean C = 4.8
|Feb mean C = 5.4
|Mar mean C = 8.8
|Apr mean C = 14.4
|May mean C = 19.5
|Jun mean C = 23.3
|Jul mean C = 27.3
|Aug mean C = 28.5
|Sep mean C = 24.4
|Oct mean C = 18.4
|Nov mean C = 12.5
|Dec mean C = 7.2
|year mean C = 16.2
|Jan high C = 9.1
|Feb high C = 10.0
|Mar high C = 14.1
|Apr high C = 20.1
|May high C = 25.1
|Jun high C = 28.1
|Jul high C = 32.0
|Aug high C = 33.7
|Sep high C = 29.2
|Oct high C = 23.4
|Nov high C = 17.3
|Dec high C = 11.6
|year high C = 21.1
|Jan low C = 1.5
|Feb low C = 1.6
|Mar low C = 4.3
|Apr low C = 9.2
|May low C = 14.5
|Jun low C = 19.2
|Jul low C = 23.6
|Aug low C = 24.7
|Sep low C = 20.7
|Oct low C = 14.4
|Nov low C = 8.4
|Dec low C = 3.5
|year low C = 12.1
|Jan humidity = 67
|Feb humidity = 65
|Mar humidity = 61
|Apr humidity = 59
|May humidity = 60
|Jun humidity = 66
|Jul humidity = 69
|Aug humidity = 66
|Sep humidity = 67
|Oct humidity = 68
|Nov humidity = 68
|Dec humidity = 68
|year humidity = 65
|Jan sun = 123.5
|Feb sun = 122.2
|Mar sun = 155.4
|Apr sun = 177.3
|May sun = 182.4
|Jun sun = 133.1
|Jul sun = 142.7
|Aug sun = 182.7
|Sep sun = 142.7
|Oct sun = 156.0
|Nov sun = 140.7
|Dec sun = 134.4
|year sun = 1793.1
|Jan snow cm = 5
|Feb snow cm = 7
|Mar snow cm = 1
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 0
|Dec snow cm = 2
|year snow cm = 15
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 8.1
|Feb precipitation days = 8.9
|Mar precipitation days = 11.2
|Apr precipitation days = 10.6
|May precipitation days = 10.8
|Jun precipitation days = 13.2
|Jul precipitation days = 12.6
|Aug precipitation days = 9.3
|Sep precipitation days = 11.1
|Oct precipitation days = 9.4
|Nov precipitation days = 7.4
|Dec precipitation days = 8.2
|year precipitation days = 120.8
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=61&block_no=47759&year=&month=&day=&view= |script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値 (年・月ごとの値) |publisher=[[Japan Meteorological Agency]] |access-date=May 19, 2021 |archive-date=May 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521155555/https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=61&block_no=47759&year=&month=&day=&view= |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

==Cityscape==
Kyoto contains roughly 2,000 temples and shrines.<ref name="fodors1996">Scott, David (1996). ''Exploring Japan''. Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc. {{ISBN|0-679-03011-5}}.</ref> The main business district is located to the south of the [[Kyoto Imperial Palace]]. In the center of the city, there are several [[Shōtengai|covered shopping arcades]] only open to pedestrian traffic, such as [[Teramachi Street]] and [[Shinkyōgoku Street]].

The original city was arranged in accordance with traditional [[China|Chinese]] [[feng shui]] following the model of the ancient Chinese capital of [[Chang'an]]/[[Luoyang]]. The [[Heian Palace|Imperial Palace]] faced south, resulting in Ukyō (the right sector of the capital) being on the west, while Sakyō (the left sector) is on the east. The streets in the modern-day wards of Kamigyō-ku, Nakagyō-ku, and [[Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto|Shimogyō-ku]] still follow a grid pattern. Areas outside of the city center do not follow the same grid pattern, though streets throughout Kyoto are referred to by name, a practice that is rare in most regions of Japan.

==Administrative divisions==
In the 1870s, the city was divided into a northern ward (Kamigyō-ku) and a southern ward (Shimogyō-ku), each working as individual administrative divisions of Kyoto Prefecture. The modern municipality was created by the unification of these wards into the city of Kyoto in 1889.

Due to the creation of new administrative districts and a number of [[Municipal mergers and dissolutions in Japan|municipal mergers]] that took place between the 1920s and the 1970s, the contemporary city of Kyoto is divided into eleven {{Nihongo|[[Wards of Kyoto|wards]]|区|ku}}. The central wards, located to the west of the Kamo River, are small and densely populated. The city hall is located in [[Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto|Nakagyō-ku]], and the Kyoto prefectural offices are located in present-day [[Kamigyō-ku, Kyoto|Kamigyō-ku]].

{| width="810" class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto"
! colspan="7" |Wards of Kyoto
|-
! rowspan="2" |
! colspan="2" |Place name
!
!
!
!Map of Kyoto
|-
! style="width: 190px;" |[[Romanization of Japanese|Rōmaji]]
! style="width: 190px;" |[[Kanji]]
!Population<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/sogo/toukei/Population/Census/2020/#t1|script-title=ja:令和２（２０２０）年国勢調査|publisher=City of Kyoto|access-date=September 5, 2022|archive-date=September 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905065621/https://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/sogo/toukei/Population/Census/2020/#t1|url-status=live}}</ref>
!Land area in km2
!Pop. density per km2
!
|-
|style="text-align: center;" "width: 20px;" |1
|[[Kita-ku, Kyoto|Kita-ku]]
|{{lang|ja|北区}}
|117,165
|94.88
|1,230
|rowspan="11" |[[File:Kyoto city map.png|alt=|border|center|350x350px|Map of Kyoto's wards]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;" |2
|[[Kamigyō-ku, Kyoto|Kamigyō-ku]]
|{{lang|ja|上京区}}
|83,832
|7.03
|11,900
|-
|style="text-align: center;" |3
|[[Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto|Nakagyō-ku]] (administrative center)
|{{lang|ja|中京区}}
|110,488
|7.41
|14,900
|-
|style="text-align: center;" |4
|[[Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto|Shimogyō-ku]]
|{{lang|ja|下京区}}
|82,784
|6.78
|12,200
|-
|style="text-align: center;" |5
|[[Minami-ku, Kyoto|Minami-ku]]
|{{lang|ja|南区}}
|101,970
|15.81
|6,450
|-
|style="text-align: center;" |6
|[[Nishikyō-ku, Kyoto|Nishikyō-ku]]
|{{lang|ja|西京区}}
|149,837
|59.24
|2,530
|-
|style="text-align: center;" |7
|[[Ukyō-ku, Kyoto|Ukyō-ku]]
|{{lang|ja|右京区}}
|202,047
|292.07
|690
|-
|style="text-align: center;" |8
|[[Sakyō-ku, Kyoto|Sakyō-ku]]
|{{lang|ja|左京区}}
|166,039
|246.77
|670
|-
|style="text-align: center;" |9
|[[Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto|Higashiyama-ku]]
|{{lang|ja|東山区}}
|36,602
|7.48
|4,890
|-
|style="text-align: center;" |10
|[[Yamashina-ku, Kyoto|Yamashina-ku]]
|{{lang|ja|山科区}}
|135,101
|28.70
|4,710
|-
|style="text-align: center;" |11
|[[Fushimi-ku, Kyoto|Fushimi-ku]]
|{{lang|ja|伏見区}}
|277,858
|61.66
|4,510
|}

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations
| 1873 | 238,663
| 1889 | 279,165
| 1900 | 371,600
| 1910 | 470,033
| 1920 | 736,462
| 1925 | 860,878
| 1930 | 987,777
| 1935 | 1,117,439
| 1940 | 1,127,870
| 1945 | 1,041,700
| 1950 | 1,130,185
| 1955 | 1,229,808
| 1960 | 1,295,012
| 1965 | 1,374,159
| 1970 | 1,427,376
| 1975 | 1,468,833
| 1980 | 1,473,065
| 1985 | 1,486,402
| 1990 | 1,461,103
| 1995 | 1,470,902
| 2000 | 1,467,785
| 2005 | 1,474,811
| 2010 | 1,474,015
| 2015 | 1,475,183
| 2020 | 1,463,723
|source = <ref name = "historical population" />}}
Kyoto was the largest city in Japan until the late 16th century, when its population was surpassed by those of [[Osaka]] and [[Edo]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Le Japon à l'exposition universelle de 1878. Géographie et histoire du Japon |author=Japanese Imperial Commission |date=1878 |language=fr |page=16}}</ref> Before World War II, Kyoto vied with [[Kobe]] and [[Nagoya]] to rank as the fourth or fifth largest city in Japan. Having avoided most wartime destruction, it was again the third largest city in 1947. By 1960 it had fallen to fifth again, and by 1990 it had fallen to seventh. {{As of|January 2022}}, it was the ninth largest city in Japan by population and had led the country in population decrease for two consecutive years.<ref>{{cite news|date=August 28, 2022|script-title=ja:京都市の人口減、2年連続全国最多「9位転落」が迫る背景は？|url=https://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/articles/-/866385|work=[[Kyoto Shimbun]]|access-date=September 2, 2022|archive-date=September 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220901231909/https://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/articles/-/866385|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the population of the city rises during standard working hours, and Kyoto ranks seventh in Japan in terms of [[daytime population]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stat.go.jp/data/kokusei/2020/kekka/pdf/outline_04.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.stat.go.jp/data/kokusei/2020/kekka/pdf/outline_04.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|script-title=ja:令和2年国勢調査従業地・通学地による人口・就業状態等集計結果|publisher=[[Japan Statistics Bureau]]|access-date=August 23, 2022}}</ref>

Approximately 55% of the total population of [[Kyoto Prefecture]] is concentrated in the city of Kyoto, which is the highest ratio among the prefectures of Japan.

==Government==
The city of Kyoto is governed by the mayor of Kyoto and the Kyoto City Assembly, a [[municipal council]].

===Kyoto City Assembly===
[[File:Kyoto city hall.JPG|thumb|200px|Kyoto City Hall]]
The legislative city assembly has 67 elected members, and terms are four years in length. As of 2024, the assembly is controlled by a coalition of members affiliated with the [[Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)|Liberal Democratic Party]], [[Komeito]], and the Democratic Civic Forum.
{|class="wikitable"
!Parliamentary group name
! Number of seats (as of January 18, 2024)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/shikai/meibo/index.html|script-title=ja:議員名簿・京都市会|publisher=Kyoto City Assembly|access-date=February 25, 2024|archive-date=August 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821033321/https://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/shikai/meibo/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[[Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)|Liberal Democratic Party]]
|18
|-
|[[Nippon Ishin no Kai|Japan Innovation Party]]/Kyoto Party/[[Democratic Party for the People|DPP]]
|18
|-
|[[Japanese Communist Party]]
|14
|-
|[[Komeito]]
|11
|-
|Democratic Civic Forum
|2
|-
|Independent
|4
|}

===List of mayors===
Between the founding of the modern city and 1898, the [[List of governors of Kyoto Prefecture|governor of Kyoto Prefecture]] also acted as the mayor of the city of Kyoto. From 1898 through the Second World War, mayors were nominated by the Kyoto City Assembly and appointed by the [[Home Ministry|Minister of Home Affairs]].

Since 1947, mayors of Kyoto have been chosen by [[First-past-the-post voting|direct election]] to four-year terms. As of 2024, there have been ten mayors elected using this system. While some mayors have resigned or died in office, no mayor has lost a reelection bid in the postwar period. In the [[2024 Kyoto mayoral election]], independent candidate [[Koji Matsui (politician)|Koji Matsui]] was elected for the first time, supported by the [[Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)|Liberal Democratic Party]], [[Komeito]], the [[Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan|Constitutional Democratic Party]], and the [[Democratic Party for the People]].

{|class="wikitable"
! # || Name<ref name="mayors">{{cite web|url=https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/sogo/page/0000033357.html|script-title=ja:歴代市長、副市長・助役一覧|publisher=Kyoto City|access-date=February 25, 2024|archive-date=May 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519180522/https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/sogo/page/0000033357.html|url-status=live}}</ref> || Entered office<ref name="mayors"/> || Left office<ref name="mayors"/>
|-
| 1 || Masao Kambe (神戸正雄) || April 7, 1947 || January 6, 1950
|-
| 2 || Gizō Takayama (高山義三) || February 10, 1950 || February 4, 1966
|-
| 3 || Seiichi Inoue (井上清一) || February 5, 1966 || January 8, 1967
|-
| 4 || Kiyoshi Tomii (富井清) || February 28, 1967 || February 25, 1971
|-
| 5 || Motoki Funahashi (舩橋求己) || February 26, 1971 || July 26, 1981
|-
| 6 || Masahiko Imagawa (今川正彦) || September 1, 1981 || August 29, 1989
|-
| 7 || Tomoyuki Tanabe (田邊朋之) || August 30, 1989 || January 29, 1996
|-
| 8 || [[Yorikane Masumoto]] (桝本頼兼) || February 26, 1996 || February 24, 2008
|-
| 9 || [[Daisaku Kadokawa]] (門川大作) || February 25, 2008 || February 24, 2024
|-
| 10 || [[Koji Matsui (politician)|Koji Matsui]] (松井孝治) || February 25, 2024 || present
|}

==Economy==
{| class="wikitable floatleft" style="float:right; text-align:right"
|+ style="white-space:nowrap" |GDP (PPP) per capita<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esri.cao.go.jp/jp/sna/sonota/kenmin/kenmin_top.html |script-title=ja:県民経済計算 |publisher=[[Cabinet Office (Japan)]] |access-date=October 16, 2017 |language=ja |archive-date=October 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017202328/http://www.esri.cao.go.jp/jp/sna/sonota/kenmin/kenmin_top.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://data.oecd.org/conversion/purchasing-power-parities-ppp.htm |title=Purchasing power parities (PPP) |publisher=[[OECD]] |access-date=October 16, 2017 |archive-date=November 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171104144219/https://data.oecd.org/conversion/purchasing-power-parities-ppp.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
! Year !! US$
|-
|1975 ||{{formatnum:5324}}
|-
|1980 ||{{formatnum:9523}}
|-
|1985 ||{{formatnum:13870}}
|-
|1990 ||{{formatnum:20413}}
|-
|1995 ||{{formatnum:23627}}
|-
|2000 ||{{formatnum:26978}}
|-
|2005 ||{{formatnum:32189}}
|-
|2010 ||{{formatnum:36306}}
|-
|2015 ||{{formatnum:41410}}
|}
[[File:京都経済センター外観.jpg|thumb|200px|Kyoto Economic Center]]
[[File:Nintendo Headquarters - panoramio.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Nintendo]] main headquarters]]
[[Information technology]] and electronics are key industries in Kyoto. The city is home to the headquarters of [[Nintendo]], [[Intelligent Systems]], [[SCREEN Holdings]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.screen.co.jp/eng/profile/outline.html |title=Dainippon Screen corporate profile |access-date=March 6, 2014 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928165950/https://www.screen.co.jp/en/about/outline |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Tose (company)|Tose]], [[Hatena (company)|Hatena]], [[Omron]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.omron.com/about/corporate/outline/ |title=OMRON corporate data |access-date=September 13, 2014 |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222154353/http://www.omron.com/about/corporate/outline/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Kyocera]], [[Shimadzu]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shimadzu.com/about/profile/index.html |title=Shimadzu corporate profile |access-date=April 16, 2014 |archive-date=March 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150313185741/http://www.shimadzu.com/about/profile/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Rohm]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rohm.com/web/global/corporate-data |title=Rohm corporate data |access-date=September 13, 2014 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928165955/https://www.rohm.com/company/about/profile |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Horiba]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.horiba.com/about-horiba/outlines/ |title=Horiba company outline |access-date=September 13, 2014 |archive-date=September 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913122433/http://www.horiba.com/about-horiba/outlines/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Nidec|Nidec Corporation]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nidec.com/en-Global/corporate/about/outline/ |title=Nidec company profile |access-date=February 3, 2014 |archive-date=March 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303201313/http://www.nidec.com/en-Global/corporate/about/outline |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Nichicon]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nichicon.co.jp/english/company/com_about.html |title=Nichicon company profile |access-date=June 12, 2015 |archive-date=July 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718055705/http://www.nichicon.co.jp/english/company/com_about.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Nissin Electric]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nissin.jp/e/about/company.html |title=Nissin Electric company outline |access-date=January 30, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171230135338/http://nissin.jp/e/about/company.html |archive-date=December 30, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[GS Yuasa]].

Domestic and international [[tourism]] contributes significantly to Kyoto's economy. In 2014, the city government announced that a record number of tourists had visited Kyoto.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/topics/2014_6/index.html#4 |title=Releasing the Overall Kyoto Tourism Research Result of 2013 |publisher=City of Kyoto |date=June 18, 2014 |access-date=July 17, 2014 |archive-date=July 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725120916/http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/topics/2014_6/index.html#4 |url-status=live }}</ref> As a result of a sharp decline in tourism during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the mayor acknowledged in 2021 "the possibility of bankruptcy in the next decade" and announced job cuts in the administration and cuts in social assistance, including reductions in funding for home care.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2021/11/13/en-attendant-le-retour-des-touristes-kyoto-cherche-a-eviter-la-faillite_6101935_3234.html |title=En attendant le retour des touristes, Kyoto cherche à éviter la faillite |newspaper=Le Monde.fr |date=November 13, 2021 |access-date=November 19, 2021 |archive-date=November 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119060740/https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2021/11/13/en-attendant-le-retour-des-touristes-kyoto-cherche-a-eviter-la-faillite_6101935_3234.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Traditional [[Japanese craft]]s are also a major industry of Kyoto; Kyoto's [[kimono]] weavers are particularly renowned, and the city remains the premier center of kimono manufacturing. [[Sake]] brewing is another prominent traditional industry in Kyoto, and the headquarters of major sake brewers [[Gekkeikan]] and [[Takara Holdings]] are found in Kyoto.

Other notable businesses headquartered in Kyoto include [[Aiful]], [[Ishida (company)|Ishida]], [[Seven & I Holdings#Subsidiaries|Nissen Holdings]], [[Gyoza no Ohsho]], [[Sagawa Express]], [[Volks]], and [[Wacoal]].

==Education==
{{Needs expansion|date=June 2024}}

=== Primary and secondary education ===
As of 1 May 2023, there were 154 municipal public elementary schools in Kyoto, with a total of 55,736 pupils. At the secondary level, there were 66 municipal public junior high schools with 27,046 students and 11 municipal public senior high schools with 5,117 students.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Educational statistics |url=https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/kyoiku/page/0000171194.html |access-date=2024-06-22 |website=City of Kyoto |language=ja}}</ref>

===Tertiary education===
{{see also|Higher education in Japan}}
[[File:Kyoto University Clock Tower.jpg|left|thumb|[[Kyoto University]]]]
Home to 40 institutions of [[higher education]], Kyoto is one of the academic centers in Japan.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/30/world/asia/kyoto-uses-its-many-charms-to-attract-foreign-students.html |title=Kyoto Uses Its Many Charms to Attract Foreign Students |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 29, 2014 |access-date=March 2, 2017 |archive-date=October 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005152621/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/30/world/asia/kyoto-uses-its-many-charms-to-attract-foreign-students.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Kyoto University]] is ranked highly among all universities nationwide, with eight Nobel laureates and two Prime Ministers of Japan among its alumni.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kyoto University |url=https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/kyoto-university |access-date=2024-06-22 |website=Top Universities |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-05 |title=Kyoto University |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/kyoto-university |access-date=2024-06-22 |website=Times Higher Education (THE) |language=en}}</ref> The [[Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences]] and the [[Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics]], both part of the university, have been affiliated with influential mathematicians and physicists. Private universities such as [[Doshisha University]] and [[Ritsumeikan University]] are also located in the city.

The [[Consortium of Universities in Kyoto]] is a Kyoto-based higher education network consisting of three national universities, three public (prefectural and municipal) universities, 45 private universities, five other organizations, and representatives from the city government. The Consortium does not offer degrees, but allows students of member universities to take courses at other member universities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.consortium.or.jp/english |title=English |publisher=Consortium of Universities in Kyoto |access-date=July 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720152009/http://www.consortium.or.jp/english |archive-date=July 20, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In addition to Japanese universities and colleges, educational institutions from other countries operate programs in the city. The [[Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies]] (KCJS) is a group of 14 American universities that runs overseas academic programs in Japanese language and cultural studies for university students.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kcjs.jp/index.html |title=Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies |publisher=Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies |access-date=August 17, 2022 |archive-date=August 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814161734/https://www.kcjs.jp/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Similarly, the [[Associated Kyoto Program]] runs a study-abroad academic program with a focus on cultural, language, and historical learning in and around the Kansai metropolitan area.

==Transportation==
{{See also|Transport in Keihanshin}}

===Railways===
[[File:Kyoto Station building-3.jpg|thumb|250px|The interior of [[Kyōto Station]]]]
Kyoto is served by rail transportation systems operated by several different companies and organizations. The city's main gateway terminal, [[Kyōto Station]], connects the [[Tokaido Shinkansen]] bullet train line with five [[JR West]] lines, a [[Kintetsu Railway|Kintetsu]] line, and a municipal subway line.

The [[Keihan Electric Railway]], the [[Hankyu Railway]], and other rail networks also offer frequent services within the city and to other cities and suburbs in the [[Kinki]] region. Although Kyoto does not have its own commercial airport, the limited express [[Haruka (train)|''Haruka'']] operated by [[West Japan Railway Company|JR West]] carries passengers from [[Kansai International Airport]] to Kyōto Station in 73 minutes.<ref>[http://www.westjr.co.jp/english/travel/kix/index.html JR-WEST: Travel Information > Access to Kansai Airport] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060407004442/http://www.westjr.co.jp/english/travel/kix/index.html |date=April 7, 2006 }}</ref>

The [[Kyoto Railway Museum]] in [[Shimogyō-ku]], operated by JR West, displays many steam, diesel, and electric locomotives used in Japan between the 1880s and the present.

====High-speed rail====
The [[Tokaidō Shinkansen]], operated by [[Central Japan Railway Company|JR Central]], provides [[high-speed rail]] service linking Kyoto with [[Nagoya]], [[Yokohama]], and [[Tokyo]] to the east and with nearby [[Osaka]] to the west. Beyond Osaka, many trains boarding at Kyoto continue on the [[San'yō Shinkansen]] route managed by JR West, providing access to cities including [[Kobe]], [[Okayama]], [[Hiroshima]], [[Kitakyushu]], and [[Fukuoka]]. The trip from Tokyo to Kyoto takes around 2.5 hours, and the trip from [[Hakata Station]] in Fukuoka to Kyoto takes just over three hours by the fastest train service [[Nozomi (train)|''Nozomi'']]. All Shinkansen trains stop at Kyōto Station, including [[Hikari (train)|''Hikari'']] and [[Kodama (train)|''Kodama'']] trains.

====Conventional lines====
[[File:Railway map around Kyoto City.png|thumb|300px|Railway map around Kyoto City]]
;[[West Japan Railway Company]] (JR West)
:*[[Tōkaidō Main Line]] ([[JR Kyoto Line]]/[[Biwako Line]])
:*[[San'in Main Line]] ([[Sagano Line]])
:*[[Kosei Line]]
:*[[Nara Line (JR West)|Nara Line]]
;[[Hankyu|Hankyu Railway]]
:*[[Hankyu Kyoto Main Line]]
:*[[Hankyu Arashiyama Line]]
;[[Keihan Electric Railway]]
:*[[Keihan Main Line]]
:**[[Keihan Ōtō Line]]
:*[[Keihan Uji Line]]
:*[[Keihan Keishin Line]]
;[[Kintetsu Railway]]
:*[[Kyoto Line (Kintetsu)|Kintetsu Kyoto Line]]
;[[Sagano Scenic Railway]]
:*Sagano Scenic Line

====Subways====
{{Main|Kyoto Municipal Subway}}
[[File:Kyoto Subway 1111.JPG|thumb|A [[Karasuma Line]] subway train bound for [[Takeda Station (Kyoto)|Takeda Station]]]]
The [[Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau]] operates the [[Kyoto Municipal Subway]] consisting of two lines: the [[Karasuma Line]] and the [[Tōzai Line (Kyoto)|Tōzai Line]]. The two lines are linked at [[Karasuma Oike Station]] near Kyoto's central business district.

The Karasuma Line runs primarily north to south between the terminal of [[Kokusaikaikan Station]] and [[Takeda Station (Kyoto)|Takeda Station]], and takes its name from the fact that trains run beneath [[Karasuma Street]] between [[Kitaōji Station]] in Kita-ku and [[Jūjō Station (Kyoto Municipal Subway)|Jūjō Station]] in Minami-ku. The Karasuma Line connects to the [[Hankyu Kyoto Main Line]] at the intersection of Shijō Karasuma in Kyoto's central business district and to [[Japan Railways Group|JR lines]] and the [[Kyoto Line (Kintetsu)|Kyoto Kintetsu Line]] at Kyōto Station. In addition, the Transportation Bureau and [[Kintetsu Railway|Kintetsu]] jointly operate through services which continue to [[Kintetsu Nara Station]] in [[Nara, Nara|Nara]], the capital city of [[Nara Prefecture]].

The Tōzai Line runs from the southeastern area of the city towards the center, then east to west (''tōzai'' in Japanese) through the Kyoto downtown area where trains run beneath the east–west streets of [[Sanjō Street]], [[Oike Street]], and {{Ill|Oshikōji Street|ja|押小路通}}. The [[Keihan Keishin Line]] has been integrated into this line, and thus Keihan provides through services to {{STN|Hamaōtsu}} in the neighboring city of [[Ōtsu]], the capital of [[Shiga Prefecture]]. Within the city of Kyoto, the Tōzai Line also connects to the Keihan lines at [[Yamashina Station]], [[Misasagi Station]], and [[Sanjō Keihan Station]], and to the [[Keifuku Electric Railroad]] at the terminal of [[Uzumasa Tenjingawa Station]].

====Tramways====
;[[Keifuku Electric Railroad]] (Randen)
:*Keifuku Arashiyama Main Line
:*Keifuku Kitano Line
;[[Eizan Electric Railway]] (Eiden)
:*Eizan Main Line
:*Eizan Kurama Line

===Buses===
[[File:Kyoto City Bus 200 Ka 1519.jpg|thumb|200px|A typical Kyoto Municipal Bus]]
Kyoto's [[Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau|municipal bus network]] is extensive. Private carriers also operate within the city. Many tourists join commuters on the public buses, or take tour buses. Kyoto's buses have announcements in English and electronic signs with stops written in the Latin alphabet. Buses operating on routes within the city, the region, and the nation stop at [[Kyōto Station]]. In addition to Kyōto Station, bus transfer is available at the intersection of [[Shijō Kawaramachi]], [[Sanjō Keihan Station]], and the intersection of Karasuma Kitaōji near [[Kitaōji Station]].

===Roads and waterways===
[[File:四条京阪前（バス）, Kyoto, Japan (Unsplash).jpg|thumb|200px|[[Shijō Street]]]]
Because many older streets in Kyoto are narrow, there are a significant number of one-way roads without sidewalks. [[Cycling]] is a common form of personal transportation in the city, although there are few areas set aside for bicycle parking and bicycles parked in restricted areas are impounded.

Kyoto has fewer toll-highways than other Japanese cities of comparable size. There are nine national highways in the city of Kyoto: [[Japan National Route 1|Route 1]], [[Japan National Route 8|Route 8]], [[Japan National Route 9|Route 9]], [[Japan National Route 24|Route 24]], [[Japan National Route 162|Route 162]], [[Japan National Route 171|Route 171]], [[Japan National Route 367|Route 367]], [[Japan National Route 477|Route 477]], and [[Japan National Route 478|Route 478]].

The city is connected with other parts of Japan by the [[Meishin Expressway]], which has two interchanges in the city: [[Kyoto-higashi Interchange]] (Kyoto East) in Yamashina-ku and {{Ill|Kyoto-minami Interchange|ja|京都南インターチェンジ}} (Kyoto South) in Fushimi-ku. The [[Kyoto Jūkan Expressway]] connects the city to the northern regions of Kyoto Prefecture. The [[Second Keihan Highway]] is another bypass to Osaka.

Traditionally, trade and haulage took place by waterway, and there continue to be a number of navigable rivers and canals in Kyoto. In contemporary Kyoto, however, waterways are no longer commonly used for transportation of passengers or goods, other than for limited sightseeing purposes such as excursion boats on the [[Hozu River]] and [[cormorant fishing]] boats on the [[Katsura River|Ōi River]].

==Culture==
[[File:Tsukemono shop by Gavin Anderson in Nishiki Ichiba, Kyoto.jpg|thumb|200px|upright=1|A ''[[tsukemono]]'' shop on Nishiki Street]]
Although ravaged by wars, fires, and earthquakes during its eleven centuries as the imperial capital, Kyoto suffered only minor damage in [[World War II]]. It was removed from the atomic bomb target list (which it had headed) by the personal intervention of Secretary of War [[Henry L. Stimson]], as Stimson wanted to save this cultural center, which he knew from his honeymoon and later diplomatic visits.<ref>[http://www.mbe.doe.gov/me70/manhattan/debate.htm The Manhattan Project, Department of Energy at mbe.doe.gov] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060928183956/http://www.mbe.doe.gov/me70/manhattan/debate.htm |date=September 28, 2006 }}</ref>
Kyoto remains Japan's cultural center.<ref>{{cite conference |url=http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/syugiin/190/0018/19002050018008a.html |date=February 5, 2018 |author=Shinzō Abe |title=Committee on Budget |volume=8 |conference=The 190th Ordinary [[National Diet|Diet]] session |publisher=[[House of Representatives (Japan)|House of Representatives]] |quote=京都というのは文化的な中心 |language=ja |author-link=Shinzō Abe |access-date=November 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214172714/http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/syugiin/190/0018/19002050018008a.html |archive-date=December 14, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Kyoto-Japan |title=Kyoto {{!}} History, Geography, & Points of Interest |website=Britannica |access-date=November 18, 2018 |archive-date=January 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104021133/https://www.britannica.com/place/Kyoto-Japan |url-status=live }}</ref> About 20% of Japan's [[National Treasure (Japan)|National Treasures]] and 14% of [[Important Cultural Property (Japan)|Important Cultural Properties]] exist in the city proper. The government of Japan relocated the [[Agency for Cultural Affairs]] to Kyoto in 2023.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/politics-government/20230327-99865/ |title=After Relocation to Kyoto, Cultural Affairs Agency Starts Operations |newspaper=The Japan News |date=March 27, 2023 |access-date=April 1, 2023 |archive-date=April 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401121144/https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/politics-government/20230327-99865/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Geishas in Kyoto.jpg|thumb|200px|upright=1|Geisha in Kyoto]]
With its 2,000 religious places – 1,600 [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] temples and 400 [[Shinto shrine]]s, as well as palaces, gardens and architecture intact – it is one of the best preserved cities in Japan. Among the most famous temples in Japan are [[Kiyomizu-dera]], a magnificent wooden temple supported by pillars off the slope of a mountain; [[Kinkaku-ji]], the Temple of the Golden Pavilion; [[Ginkaku-ji]], the Temple of the Silver Pavilion; and [[Ryōan-ji]], famous for its [[Japanese rock garden|rock garden]]. The [[Heian Shrine|Heian Jingū]] is a Shinto shrine, built in 1895, celebrating the imperial family and commemorating the first and last emperors to reside in Kyoto. Three special sites have connections to the imperial family: the Kyoto Gyoen area including the [[Kyoto Imperial Palace]] and [[Sentō Imperial Palace]], homes of the [[emperors of Japan]] for many centuries; [[Katsura Imperial Villa]], one of the nation's finest architectural treasures; and [[Shugakuin Imperial Villa]], one of its best [[Japanese garden]]s. In addition, the temple of Sennyu-ji houses the tombs of the emperors from [[Emperor Shijō|Shijō]] to [[Emperor Kōmei|Kōmei]].

Other sites in Kyoto include [[Arashiyama]], the [[Gion]] and [[Ponto-chō]] [[geisha]] quarters, the [[Philosopher's Walk]], and the canals that line some of the older streets.

The "[[Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)|Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto]]" are listed by the [[UNESCO]] as a [[World Heritage Site]]. These include the [[Kamo Shrine]]s (Kami and Shimo), [[Tō-ji|Kyō-ō-Gokokuji]] (Tō-ji), Kiyomizu-dera, [[Daigo-ji]], [[Ninna-ji]], [[Saihō-ji (Kyoto)|Saihō-ji]] (Kokedera), [[Tenryū-ji]], [[Kinkaku-ji|Rokuon-ji]] (Kinkaku-ji), [[Ginkaku-ji|Jishō-ji]] (Ginkaku-ji), [[Ryōan-ji]], [[Hongan-ji]], [[Kōzan-ji]], and the [[Nijō Castle]], primarily built by the [[Tokugawa shogunate|Tokugawa shōguns]]. Other sites outside the city are also on the list.

Kyoto is renowned for its abundance of delicious Japanese foods and cuisine. The special circumstances of Kyoto as a city away from the sea and home to many Buddhist temples resulted in the development of a variety of vegetables peculiar to the {{Nihongo|Kyoto area|京野菜|kyō-yasai}}. The oldest restaurant in Kyoto is [[Owariya|Honke Owariya]] which was founded in 1465.<ref name="Live Japan">{{cite web |title=Honke Owariya: Inside The Kyoto Soba Restaurant That Was Founded in 1465 (And Is Still Crazy Popular) |url=https://livejapan.com/en/in-kansai/in-pref-kyoto/in-nijo-castle_kyoto-imperial-palace/article-a2000017/ |website=Live Japan |access-date=July 18, 2020 |archive-date=July 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719011607/https://livejapan.com/en/in-kansai/in-pref-kyoto/in-nijo-castle_kyoto-imperial-palace/article-a2000017/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Japan's television and film industry has its center in Kyoto. Many ''[[jidaigeki]]'', action films featuring samurai, were shot at [[Toei Uzumasa Eigamura]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/en/theme/others/uzumasa_movie/ |title=Welcome to Kyoto — Toei Uzumasa Eigamura Movie Museum |publisher=Pref.kyoto.jp |access-date=March 7, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100311205036/http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/en/theme/others/uzumasa_movie/ |archive-date=March 11, 2010}}</ref> A film set and theme park in one, Eigamura features replicas of traditional Japanese buildings, which are used for ''jidaigeki''. Among the sets are a replica of the old [[Nihonbashi]] (the bridge at the entry to [[Edo]]), a traditional courthouse, a Meiji Period [[kōban|police box]] and part of the former [[Yoshiwara]] red-light district. Actual film shooting takes place occasionally, and visitors are welcome to observe the action.

The [[Japanese dialects|dialect]] spoken in Kyoto is known as ''Kyō-kotoba'' or ''Kyōto-ben'', a constituent dialect of the [[Kansai dialect]]. Until the late Edo period, the Kyoto dialect was the ''de facto'' standard Japanese, although it has since been replaced by [[Standard Japanese|modern standard Japanese]]. Traditional Kyoto expressions include the polite copula ''dosu'', the honorific verb ending ''-haru'', and the greeting phrase ''okoshi-yasu''.
{{Clear left}}

===Festivals===
Kyoto is well known for its traditional festivals which have been held for over 1,000 years and are a major tourist attraction.<ref>Kyoto Visitors Guide (1998). Kyoto Tourist Office, Kyoto City Council.</ref> The first is the [[Aoi Matsuri]] on May 15. Two months later (July) is the [[Gion Matsuri]] known as one of the 3 great festivals of Japan, culminating in a massive parade on July 17. Kyoto marks the [[Bon Festival]] with the [[Gozan no Okuribi]], lighting fires on mountains to guide the spirits home (August 16). The October 22 [[Jidai Matsuri]], Festival of the Ages, celebrates Kyoto's illustrious past.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
Minami Kannonyama Gion Matsuri Yoiyama.jpg|[[Gion Matsuri]]
Gozanokuribi Daimonji2.jpg|[[Gozan no Okuribi]]
</gallery>

===UNESCO World Heritage Site===
{{See also|Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)}}
The [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] [[Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)]] includes fourteen temples, shrines, and castles in Kyoto dating from between the sixth century ([[Shimogamo Shrine]], though extant structures are more recent) and the seventeenth century ([[Nijō Castle]]). The sites were designated as World Heritage in 1994.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="110">
File:KamigamoJinjya Saiden.jpg|[[Kamigamo Shrine]]
File:Shimogamo 01.jpg|[[Shimogamo Shrine]]
File:Kozanji Kyoto Kyoto11s5s4592.jpg|[[Kōzan-ji]]
</gallery>

===Museums===
{{Needs expansion|date=June 2024}}[[File:Sitting people reading outdoors at Kyoto International Manga Museum 20080608.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Kyoto International Manga Museum]]]]
[[File:KyotoBotanicalGarden.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Kyoto Botanical Garden]]]]
{{Div col}}
* Hakusasonso [[Hashimoto Kansetsu]] Garden and Museum ({{lang|ja|白沙村荘橋本関雪記念館}})
* [[Hosomi Museum]] ({{lang|ja|細見美術館}})
* Joutenkaku Museum ({{lang|ja|承天閣美術館}})
* [[Kitamura Museum]] ({{lang|ja|北村美術館}})
* [[Koryo Museum of Art]] ({{lang|ja|高麗美術館}})
* Kyoto Arashiyama Orgel Museum ({{lang|ja|京都嵐山オルゴール美術館}})
* [[Kyoto Art Center]] ({{lang|ja|京都芸術センター}})
* [[Kyoto Botanical Garden]] ({{lang|ja|京都府立植物園}})
* Kyoto City Archaeological Museum ({{lang|ja|京都市考古資料館}})
* Kyoto City Heiankyo Sosei-Kan Museum ({{lang|ja|京都市平安京創生館}})
* [[Kyoto International Manga Museum]] ({{lang|ja|京都国際マンガミュージアム}})
* Kyoto [[Kaleidoscope]] Museum ({{lang|ja|京都万華鏡ミュージアム}})
* [[Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art]] ({{lang|ja|京都市美術館}})
* [[Kyoto Museum for World Peace]] ({{lang|ja|国際平和ミュージアム}})
* Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts ({{lang|ja|京都伝統産業ふれあい館}})
* [[Kyoto National Museum]] ({{lang|ja|京都国立博物館}})
* Kyoto Prefectural Garden of Fine Arts ({{lang|ja|京都府立陶板名画の庭}})
* Kyoto Prefectural Insho-Domoto Museum of Fine Arts ({{lang|ja|京都府立堂本印象美術館}})
* [[Kyoto Railway Museum]] ({{lang|ja|京都鉄道博物館}})
* [[Kyoto University Museum]] ({{lang|ja|京都大学総合博物館}})
* [[Museum of Kyoto]] ({{lang|ja|京都府京都文化博物館}})
* Namikawa Cloisonne Museum of Kyoto ({{lang|ja|並河靖之七宝記念館}})
* [[National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto]] ({{lang|ja|京都国立近代美術館}})
* [[Nomura Art Museum]] ({{lang|ja|野村美術館}})
* Onishi Seiwemon Museum ({{lang|ja|大西清右衛門美術館}})
* [[Raku ware|Raku]] Museum ({{lang|ja|楽美術館}})
* [[Ryozen Museum of History]] ({{lang|ja|幕末維新ミュージアム霊山歴史館}})
* [[Sen-oku Hakuko Kan]] ({{lang|ja|泉屋博古館}})
* [[Shigureden]] ({{lang|ja|時雨殿}})
* Tin Toy Museum ({{lang|ja|ブリキのおもちゃ博物館}})
* [[Toei Kyoto Studio Park]] ({{lang|ja|東映太秦映画村}})
* [[Yurinkan Museum]] ({{lang|ja|藤井斉成会有鄰館}})
{{Div col end}}

===Sports===
[[File:Toshi-ya.JPG|thumb|right|''[[Kyūdō]]'' archers participating in the [[Tōshiya|Ōmato Archery Competition]] at [[Sanjūsangen-dō]]]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col"| Club
! scope="col"| Sport
! scope="col"| League
! scope="col"| Venue
! scope="col"| Established
|-
| [[Kyoto Sanga FC]]
| [[Soccer]]
| [[J.League]]
| [[Sanga Stadium by Kyocera]] [[Takebishi Stadium Kyoto]]
| 1922
|-
| [[SGH Galaxy Stars]]
| [[Softball]]
| [[Japan Diamond Softball League|JD. League]]
| Wakasa Stadium Kyoto
| 1986
|-
| [[Kyoto Hannaryz]]
| [[Basketball]]
| [[B.League]]
| [[Hannaryz Arena]]
| 2009
|-
| Kyoto Kaguyalyze
| [[Table tennis]]
| [[T.League]]
| Shimadzu Arena Kyoto
| 2022
|}

Kyoto has been the site of many annual sporting events, ranging from the 400-year-old [[Tōshiya]] archery exhibition held at the [[Sanjūsangen-dō|Sanjūsangen-dō Temple]] to the [[Kyoto Marathon]] and the [[Shimadzu All Japan Indoor Tennis Championships]].

Several sports teams are based in Kyoto, including professional [[Association football|football]] and [[basketball]] teams. In football, Kyoto has been represented by [[Kyoto Sanga FC]], a club which won the [[Emperor's Cup]] in 2002 and rose to [[J. League]]'s Division 1 in 2005. Kyoto Sanga began as an amateur non-company club in the 1920s, making it the J. League team with the longest history, although it was only after professionalization in the 1990s that it was able to compete in the Japanese top division. Until 2019, Kyoto Sanga used [[Takebishi Stadium Kyoto]] in Ukyō-ku as its home stadium, but home matches were moved to the city of [[Kameoka, Kyoto]] in 2020. There are also several amateur football clubs based in Kyoto. The amateur clubs AS Laranja Kyoto, [[Ococias Kyoto AC]], and Kyoto Shiko Soccer Club compete in the regional [[Kansai Soccer League]].

Another professional team based in Kyoto is the [[Kyoto Hannaryz]], a men's basketball team in the First Division of the [[B.League]] that plays its home games at the [[Kyoto City Gymnasium]] in Ukyō-ku. Kyoto has also been the home of other professional teams that have subsequently moved or been disbanded. Between 1949 and 1952, the [[Central League]] professional baseball team [[Shochiku Robins]] played home games at Kinugasa Ballpark in Kita-ku and Nishi-Kyōgoku Baseball Park (now known as Wakasa Stadium) in Ukyō-ku. This team eventually became the [[Yokohama DeNA BayStars]]. Kyoto also hosted two teams in the [[Japan Women's Baseball League]] before the league folded in 2021.

[[Company team]]s in Kyoto include two rugby squads, the [[Mitsubishi Motors]] Kyoto Red Evolutions and the [[Shimadzu]] Breakers, which compete in the Kansai regional rugby league [[Japan Rugby League One#Related competitions|Top West]]. In baseball, company teams have competed in the regional JABA Kyoto Tournament annually since 1947.

[[Kyoto Racecourse]] in Fushimi-ku is one of ten racecourses operated by the [[Japan Racing Association]]. It hosts notable horse races including the [[Kikuka-shō]], Spring [[Tenno Sho]], and [[Queen Elizabeth II Cup]].

==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Japan}}

===Twin towns – Sister cities===
The city of Kyoto has [[Twin towns and sister cities|sister-city]] relationships with the following cities:<ref name="Kyoto">{{cite web |url=https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/sogo/page/0000083407.html |title=Sister Cities of Kyoto City |access-date=December 6, 2015 |publisher=City of Kyoto |archive-date=March 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190315042511/https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/sogo/page/0000083407.html |url-status=live }}</ref>


{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Boston]], United States (since June 1959)
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Cologne]], Germany (since May 1963)
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Florence]], Italy (since September 1965)
*{{flagicon|MEX}} [[Guadalajara]], Mexico (since October 1980)<ref name="Guadalajara sisters">{{cite web |url=http://www.guadalajara.gob.mx/dependencias/relacionespublicas/versioningles/sistercities.html |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120302011742/http://www.guadalajara.gob.mx/dependencias/relacionespublicas/versioningles/sistercities.html |archive-date = March 2, 2012 |title=Sister Cities, Public Relations |publisher=Guadalajara municipal government |access-date = March 12, 2013}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|UKR}} [[Kyiv]], Ukraine (since September 1971)
*{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Prague]], Czech Republic (since April 1996)<ref name="Prague twinnings">{{cite web |url=http://zahranicnivztahy.praha.eu/jnp/cz/partnerska_mesta/index.html |title=Partnerská města HMP |access-date=August 5, 2013 |date=July 18, 2013 |work=Portál "Zahraniční vztahy" [Portal "Foreign Affairs"] |language=cs |trans-title=Prague - Twin Cities HMP |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130625205859/http://zahranicnivztahy.praha.eu/jnp/cz/partnerska_mesta/index.html |archive-date =June 25, 2013}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Xi'an]], China (since May 1974, friendship city)
*{{flagicon|CRO}} [[Zagreb]], Croatia (since October 1981)
{{Div col end}}

===Partner cities===
In addition to its sister city arrangements which involve multi-faceted cooperation, Kyoto has created a system of "partner cities" which focus on cooperation based on a particular topic. At present, Kyoto has partner-city arrangements with the following cities:<ref name = "Partner cities">{{cite web |url=https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/sogo/page/0000194150.html |title=Partner Cities of Kyoto City |access-date=April 15, 2018 |publisher=City of Kyoto |archive-date=August 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819143135/http://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/sogo/page/0000194150.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Brussels]], Belgium (since April 2006)
* {{flagicon|Vietnam}} [[Huế]], Vietnam (since February 2013)
* {{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Istanbul]], Turkey (since June 2013)
* {{flagicon|South Korea}} [[Jinju]], South Korea (since March 1999)
* {{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Konya]], Turkey (since December 2009)
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Paris]], France (since June 1958)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.paris.fr/pages/paris-et-kyoto-celebrent-leurs-soixante-ans-d-amitie-5957 |title=Paris et Kyoto célèbrent leurs soixante ans d'amitié |access-date=February 22, 2020 |archive-date=February 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222105912/https://www.paris.fr/pages/paris-et-kyoto-celebrent-leurs-soixante-ans-d-amitie-5957 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* {{flagicon|China}} [[Qingdao]], China (since August 2012)
* {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Quebec City]], Canada (since May 2016)
* {{flagicon|Taiwan}} [[Tainan]], Taiwan (since June 2021)
* {{flagicon|India}} [[Varanasi]], India (since August 2014)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/mbErel.aspx?relid=112120 |title=MoUs with Japan |access-date=March 3, 2019 |archive-date=January 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123063645/https://pib.gov.in/ErrorPage.html?aspxerrorpath=/newsite/mbErel.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Laos}} [[Vientiane]], Laos (since November 2015)
* {{flagicon|Taiwan}} [[Yilan City]], Taiwan (since August 2018)
{{Div col end}}

==See also==
*[[List of bridges in Kyoto]]
*[[List of Buddhist temples in Kyoto]]
*[[List of fires in Kyoto]]
*[[List of Shinto shrines in Kyoto]]
*[[Outline of Kyoto]]

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{See also|Timeline of Kyoto#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Kyoto}}
*Fiévé, Nicolas (ed.) (2008) ''Atlas historique de Kyôto. Analyse spatiale des systèmes de mémoire d'une ville, de son architecture et de ses paysages urbains''. Foreword Kôichirô Matsuura, Preface Jacques Gernet, Paris, Éditions de l'UNESCO / Éditions de l'Amateur, 528 pages, 207 maps et 210 ill. {{ISBN|978-2-85917-486-6}}.
*Fiévé, Nicolas and Waley, Paul. (2003). Japanese Capitals in Historical Perspective: Place, Power and Memory in Kyoto, Edo and Tokyo. London: Routledge. 417 pages + 75 ill. {{ISBN|978-0-7007-1409-4}}
*Lone, John. (2000). ''Old Kyoto: A Short Social History.'' Oxford: [[Oxford University Press]]. {{ISBN|0-19-590940-2}}.
*Ponsonby-Fane, Richard A. B. (1956). ''Kyoto: The Old Capital of Japan, 794–1869.'' Kyoto: The Ponsonby Memorial Society.
*Ropke, Ian Martin. ''Historical Dictionary of Osaka and Kyoto.'' 273pp Scarecrow Press (July 22, 1999) {{ISBN|978-0810836228}}.

==External links==

{{sister project links|d=QQ34600|c=Category:Kyoto|n=no|b=no|v=Kyoto|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|s=no|wikt=no|species=no}}
*[https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp Kyoto City Official Website] (in Japanese)
*[https://kyoto.travel/en/ Kyoto City Official Travel Guide], City of Kyoto and Kyoto City Tourism Association
*{{osmrelation-inline|357794|Kyoto}}
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|list =
{{Kyoto}}
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}}
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[[Category:Kyoto| ]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 8th century]]
[[Category:1889 establishments in Japan]]
[[Category:Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Japan]]
[[Category:Former capitals of Japan]]
[[Category:Environmental model cities]]
[[Category:Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan]]
[[Category:Ancient cities]]
[[Category:Kansai region]]

Osaka

2024-07-06T04:47:09Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{Short description|Designated city in Kansai, Japan}}
{{About|the city in Japan|the prefecture with the same name where this city is located|Osaka Prefecture|other uses}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Osaka
| native_name = {{nobold|大阪市}}
| settlement_type = [[Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan|Designated city]]
| image_skyline = {{multiple image
| border = infobox
| total_width = 275
| perrow = 1/2/2/2
| caption_align = center
| image1 = Osaka Castle 03bs3200.jpg
| alt1 = Osaka Castle and Osaka Business Park
| caption1 = [[Osaka Castle]] and [[Osaka Business Park]]
| image2 = Shin-Sekai：新世界 - panoramio.jpg
| alt2 = Shinsekai
| caption2 = [[Tsūtenkaku|Tsūtenkaku Tower]] at [[Shinsekai]]
| image3 = Osaka Dotonbori Ebisu Bridge.jpg
| alt3 = Dotonbori at night
| caption3 = [[Dōtonbori]]
| image4 = Sumiyoshi-taisha, hongu-2 honden.jpg
| alt4 = Sumiyoshi-taisha Hongu
| caption4 = [[Sumiyoshi-taisha]]
| image5 = Shitennoji & Abeno Harukas.jpg
| alt5 = Shitennoji and Abeno Harukas
| caption5 = [[Shitennō-ji ]] and [[Abeno Harukas]]
| image6 = Autumn in Mido-suji Osaka02n.jpg
| alt6 = Midōsuji
| caption6 = [[Midōsuji|Midōsuji Avenue]]
| image7 = Nakanoshima Skyscrapers in 201407 001.jpg
| alt7 = Nakanoshima
| caption7 = [[Nakanoshima| Nakanoshima Island]]
}}
| image_alt =
| image_caption =
| image_flag = Flag of Osaka, Osaka.svg
| image_seal = Emblem of Osaka, Osaka.svg
| nickname =
| motto = 
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=9}}
| image_map1 = Osaka in Osaka Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_alt1 =
| map_caption1 = Location of Osaka in [[Osaka Prefecture]]
| pushpin_map = Japan Kansai##Japan#Asia#Earth
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the [[Kansai region]]######
| coordinates = {{coord|34|41|38|N|135|30|8|E|type:city(2668586)_region:JP-27|display=it}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Japan
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kansai region|Kansai]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Osaka Prefecture]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[List of islands of Japan|Island]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Honshu]]
| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for = 
| seat_type = 
| seat = 
| government_footnotes = 
| governing_body = [[Osaka City Council]]
| leader_party =
| leader_title = [[Politics of Osaka City|Mayor]]
| leader_name = [[Hideyuki Yokoyama]] ([[Osaka Restoration Association|ORA]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/04/08/national/politics-diplomacy/osaka-leaders-projected-win-elections-swap-roles/|title=Osaka leaders win in elections to swap roles, but merger prospects unclear|first=Eric|last=Johnston|date=April 8, 2019|via=Japan Times Online}}</ref>
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 = 
| total_type = 
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes = 
| area_total_km2 = 225.21
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note = <ref>with undecided boundary, see Japanese wiki [[:ja:大阪市]]</ref>{{circular reference|date=March 2021}}
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m = 
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 2,753,862
| population_rank = [[List of cities in Japan|3rd in Japan]]
| population_as_of = March 1, 2021
| population_density_km2 = 12,214
| population_metro_footnotes = <ref name="japan2"/> ([[List of metropolitan areas in Japan by population|2nd]])
| population_metro = 19,303,000 (<nowiki>2019, </nowiki>[[Keihanshin]])
| population_demonym = 
| population_note = 
| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time]]
| utc_offset1 = +9
| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type = 
| area_code = 
| blank_name_sec1 = City Symbols
| blank1_name_sec1 = - Tree
| blank1_info_sec1 = [[Prunus serrulata|Cherry]]
| blank2_name_sec1 = - Flower
| blank2_info_sec1 = [[Pansy]]
| blank3_name_sec1 =
| blank3_info_sec1 =
| blank4_name_sec1 =
| blank4_info_sec1 =
| blank5_name_sec1 =
| blank5_info_sec1 =
| blank6_name_sec1 =
| blank6_info_sec1 =
| blank7_name_sec1 =
| blank7_info_sec1 = 
| blank_name_sec2 = Address
| blank_info_sec2 = Osaka City Hall: 1-3-20 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu 530-8201
| blank1_name_sec2 = Phone number
| blank1_info_sec2 = 06-6208-8181
| website = {{URL|www.city.osaka.lg.jp}}
| footnotes =
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| pic = Osaka (Chinese characters).svg
| piccap = ''Ōsaka'' in ''[[kanji]]''
| picupright = 0.425
| kanji = {{unbulleted list|大阪|{{small|(obsolete)}} 大坂}}
| revhep = Ōsaka
| kunrei = Oosaka
}}

{{nihongo|'''Osaka'''|大阪市|Ōsaka-shi|{{IPA-ja|oːsakaɕi|pron}}; commonly just {{Nihongo2|大阪}}, {{transliteration|ja|Ōsaka}} {{IPA-ja|oːsaka||ja-Osaka.ogg}}|lead=yes}} is a [[Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan|designated city]] in the [[Kansai region]] of [[Honshu]] in [[Japan]], and one of the three major cities of [[Japan]] ([[Tokyo]]-Osaka-[[Nagoya]]). It is the capital of and most populous city in [[Osaka Prefecture]], and the [[List of cities in Japan|third-most populous city]] in Japan, following the [[special wards of Tokyo]] and [[Yokohama]]. With a population of 2.7 million in the 2020 census, it is also the largest component of the [[Keihanshin|Keihanshin Metropolitan Area]], which is the [[List of metropolitan areas in Japan|second-largest metropolitan area in Japan]]<ref name="stats-boj"/> and the 10th-[[List of urban areas by population|largest urban area]] in the world with more than 19 million inhabitants.<ref name="japan2"/>

Ōsaka was traditionally considered Japan's economic hub. By the [[Kofun period]] (300–538) it had developed into an important regional port, and in the 7th and 8th centuries, it served briefly as the imperial capital. Osaka continued to flourish during the [[Edo period]] (1603–1867) and became known as a center of Japanese culture. Following the [[Meiji Restoration]], Osaka greatly expanded in size and underwent rapid industrialization. In 1889, Osaka was officially established as a municipality. The construction boom accelerated population growth throughout the following decades, and by the 1900s, Osaka was the industrial hub in the [[Meiji (era)|Meiji]] and [[Taishō]] periods. Osaka made noted contributions to redevelopment, urban planning and zoning standards in the postwar period, and the city developed rapidly as one of the major financial centers in the Keihanshin Metropolitan Area.

Osaka is a major financial center of Japan, and it is recognized as one of the most [[multiculturalism|multicultural]] and [[cosmopolitanism|cosmopolitan]] cities in Japan. The city is home to the [[Osaka Exchange]] as well as the headquarters of multinational [[electronics]] corporations such as [[Panasonic]] and [[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]]. Osaka is an international center of research and development and is represented by several major universities, notably [[Osaka University]], [[Osaka Metropolitan University]], and [[Kansai University]]. Famous landmarks in the city include [[Osaka Castle]], [[Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan]], [[Dōtonbori]], [[Tsūtenkaku]] in [[Shinsekai]], [[Tennōji Park]], [[Abenobashi Terminal Building|Abeno Harukas]], [[Sumiyoshi Taisha|Sumiyoshi Taisha Grand Shrine]], and [[Shitennō-ji]], one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan.

== Etymology ==
''Ōsaka'' means "large hill" or "large slope". It is unclear when this name gained prominence over Naniwa, but the oldest written evidence for the name dates back to 1496.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pJHArhRVYEoC&pg=PA154|first=Ōta|last=Gyūichi|publisher=Brill Publishers|isbn=978-90-04-20162-0|title=The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga|pages=153–154|year=2011|access-date=July 16, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=voerPYsAB5wC&pg=PA650|editor1-last=Ring |editor1-first=Trudy|editor2-last=Watson|editor2-first=Noelle|editor3-last=Schellinger|editor3-first=Paul|publisher=Routledge|isbn=1-884964-04-4|title=Asia & Oceania: International Dictionary of Historic Places|page=650|year=1996|access-date=July 16, 2019}}</ref>

By the [[Edo period]], {{Nihongo2|大坂}} (''Ōsaka'') and {{Nihongo2|大阪}} (''Ōsaka'') were mixed use, and the writer {{ill|Hamamatsu Utakuni|ja|浜松歌国}}, in his book ''Setsuyo Ochiboshu'' published in 1808, states that the [[kanji]] {{Nihongo2|坂}} was abhorred because it "returns to the earth," and then {{Nihongo2|阪}} was used. The kanji {{Nihongo2|土}} (earth) is also similar to the word {{Nihongo2|士}} (knight), and {{Nihongo2|反}} means against, so {{Nihongo2|坂}} can be understood as "samurai rebellion," then {{Nihongo2|阪}} was official name in 1868 after the [[Meiji Restoration]]. The older kanji (坂) is still in very limited use, usually only in historical contexts. As an abbreviation, the modern kanji {{Nihongo2|阪}} {{transliteration|ja|han}} refers to Osaka City or [[Osaka Prefecture]].

== History ==
{{For timeline}}

=== Origins: Jōmon and Yayoi period ===
During the [[Jōmon period]] (7,000 BCE), present-day Osaka was mostly submerged, and the {{Nihongo|[[Uemachi Plateau]]|上町台地|Uemachi Daichi}} formed a 12 km long and 2.5 km wide peninsula separating [[Kawachi Bay]] from the [[Seto Inland Sea]].<ref name="Uemachidaichi"/><ref name="plain"/> It is considered one of the first places where inhabitants of Japan settled, both for the favorable geological conditions, rich in fresh water and lush vegetation, and because its position was defensible against military attack.<ref name="Uemachidaichi">{{cite web |title=Uemachidaichi - A journey to ancient osaka |date=May 1, 2007 |url=http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/culture/2007may/01.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121228011113/http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/culture/2007may/01.html |archive-date=December 28, 2012 |website=www.osaka-info.jp}}</ref>

[[File:Corbicula_sandai_-_Osaka_Museum_of_Natural_History_-_DSC07755.JPG|thumb|upright|170px|Ancient shells found in the Morinomiya kaizuka ([[Jomon period]])]]
The earliest evidence of settlements in the Osaka area are the {{nihongo4|Morinomiya ruins|森ノ宮遺跡|Morinomiya iseki}} which is located in the central [[Chūō-ku, Osaka|Chuo-ku]] district.<ref name="Uemachidaichi"/> Buried human skeletons and a kaizuka (a mound containing remains), were found as well as shell mounds, oysters, and other interesting archaeological discoveries from the Jomon period.<ref name="Uemachidaichi"/> In addition to the remains of consumed food, there were arrow heads, stone tools, fishing hooks and crockery with remains from rice processing. It is estimated that the ruins contain 2,000-year-old debris between the [[Jomon period|Jomon]] and [[Yayoi period]]. The findings of the archeological sites are exhibited in an adjacent building.<ref name="osakahist"/><ref name="Uemachidaichi"/>

In the years between the end of the Jōmon period and the beginning of the Yayoi period, the sediments that were deposited north of the Uemachi peninsula / plateau transformed Kawachi Bay into a lagoon.<ref name="plain">{{cite journal| url=http://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110003025552 |title=The Developmental History of the Osaka Plain |journal=地質学論集 |year=1972 |issue=7 |pages=101–112 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201030528/https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110003025552 |archive-date=December 1, 2017|last1=Hikotaro |first1=Kajiyama |last2=Minoru |first2=Itihara }}</ref> During the [[Yayoi period]] (300 BCE-250 CE), permanent habitation on the plains grew as rice farming became popular.<ref name="osakahist">{{cite web |title=Historical Overview, the City of Osaka official homepage |url=http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/english/for_tourists/c_historical_overview.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090322141953/http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/english/for_tourists/c_historical_overview.html |archive-date=March 22, 2009 |access-date=March 21, 2009}} Navigate to the equivalent Japanese page ({{Nihongo2|大阪市の歴史タイムトリップ20,000年}} [History of Osaka, A timetrip back 20,000 years])[http://www.city.osaka.jp/city/history/history.html/] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226221108/http://www.city.osaka.jp/city/history/history.html|date=February 26, 2009}} for additional information.</ref>

At the beginning of the third century CE the grand shrine of [[Sumiyoshi-taisha]] was inaugurated near the harbor, commissioned by consort [[Empress Jingū]]. This [[Shinto]] shrine structure survived historical events,<ref>[http://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/tempio/ templi] www.treccani.it</ref> which inaugurated a new style in the construction of Shinto shrines, called [[Sumiyoshi-zukuri]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/sumiyoshi/english/view/view.html |title=Sumiyoshi Ward |website=www.city.osaka.lg.jp |date=April 21, 2011 |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201030241/https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/sumiyoshi/english/view/view.html}}</ref> The maritime panorama enjoyed from the shrine gardens inspired several artists, and nowadays the representations of that type of landscape are called ''Sumiyoshi drawings''.

Towards the end of the Yayoi period the Uemachi plateau-peninsula expanded further, transforming the Kawachi Lagoon into a lake (河内湖) connected to the mouth of the [[Yodo River]], which had widened to the south.<ref name="plain"/>

=== Kofun period ===
By the [[Kofun period]], Osaka developed into a hub port connecting the region to the western part of Japan. The port of Naniwa-tsu was established and became the most important in Japan.<ref name="sumiyoshi"/> Trade with other areas of the country and the [[Asia|Asian continent]] intensified.<ref name="sumiyoshi"/> The large numbers of increasingly larger keyhole-shaped [[Kofun]] mounds found in the plains of Osaka are evidence of political-power concentration, leading to the formation of a state.<ref name="osakahist"/><ref>{{cite book|title=Tsuneko S. Sadao, Stephanie Wada, Discovering the Arts of Japan: A Historical Overview|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zMC4RMXQkn0C&q=osaka+kofun+period&pg=RA2-PA30|access-date = March 25, 2007|isbn=978-4-7700-2939-3|author1=Wada, Stephanie|year=2003| publisher=Kodansha International }}</ref> The findings in the neighboring plains, including the mausoleum of [[Emperor Nintoku]] was discovered nearby in [[Sakai]] testify to the status of imperial city that Osaka had reached. Four of these mounds can be seen in Osaka, in which important members of the nobility are buried. They are located in the southern districts of the city and date back to the 5th century.<ref name="sumiyoshi">{{cite web| url=http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/sumiyoshi/english/attract/attrac01.html |title=Tezukayama Ancient Burial Mound |website=www.city.osaka.lg.jp |date= April 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201032332/https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/sumiyoshi/english/attract/attrac01.html |archive-date=December 1, 2017}}</ref> A group of megalithic tombs called [[Mozu Tombs]] are located in [[Sakai]], Osaka Prefecture.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.city.sakai.lg.jp/foreigner_en/spot/spot1.html |title=Enjoying Sakai - Kofun Tombs (Tumuli) |publisher=[[Sakai, Osaka|Sakai City]] |access-date=May 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722214046/http://www.city.sakai.lg.jp/foreigner_en/spot/spot1.html |archive-date=July 22, 2011 }}</ref>

Important works of the Kofun period is the excavation that diverted the course of the [[Yamato River]], whose floods caused extensive damage, and the construction of important roads in the direction of [[Sakai]] and [[Nara Prefecture|Nara]].<ref name="osakahist"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Discovering the Arts of Japan: A Historical Overview|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zMC4RMXQkn0C&q=osaka+kofun+period&pg=RA2-PA30|author=Stephanie Wada |year=2003| publisher=Kodansha International |access-date=July 4, 2010|isbn=978-4-7700-2939-3}}</ref> Maritime traffic connected to the port of Naniwa-tsu increased in such a way that huge warehouses were built to stow material arriving and departing.<ref name="osakahist"/>

=== Asuka and Nara period ===
The [[Kojiki]] records that during 390–430 CE, there was an imperial palace located at Osumi, in what is present day [[Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka|Higashiyodogawa ward]], but it may have been a secondary imperial residence rather than a capital.<ref>{{Nihongo2|大石慎三郎「日本の遷都の系譜」、『學習院大學經濟論集』第28巻第3号、学習院大学、1991年10月、 31–41頁}}、 NAID 110007523974。P.31</ref>

In 645, [[Emperor Kōtoku]] built his [[Naniwa Nagara-Toyosaki Palace]] in what is now Osaka,<ref>{{cite web |script-title=ja:史跡難波宮跡, 財団法人大阪都市協会 |trans-title=Naniwa Palace Site, by Osaka Toshi Kyokai|language=ja|url=http://www.osaka-cpa.or.jp/html/bunka/rekisi/naniwa1.html|access-date=March 25, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070502002124/http://www.osaka-cpa.or.jp/html/bunka/rekisi/naniwa1.html|archive-date=May 2, 2007}}</ref> making it the capital of Japan. The city now known as Osaka was at this time referred to as Naniwa, and this name and derivations of it are still in use for districts in central Osaka such as [[Naniwa-ku, Osaka|Naniwa]] ({{Nihongo2|浪速}}) and [[Namba]] ({{Nihongo2|難波}}).{{efn|This name was historically written as {{Nihongo2|浪華}} or {{Nihongo2|浪花}}, with the same pronunciation, though these renderings are uncommon today.}} Although the capital was moved to [[Asuka, Yamato|Asuka]] (in [[Nara Prefecture]] today) in 655, Naniwa remained a vital connection, by land and sea, between [[Yamato Province|Yamato]] (modern day [[Nara Prefecture]]), [[Korea]], and China.<ref name="osakahist"/><ref>{{cite book |author=Peter G. Stone and Philippe G. Planel |title=The constructed past: experimental archaeology, education, and the public |url=https://archive.org/details/constructedpast00plan |url-access=limited |publisher=Routledge in association with English Heritage |location=London |year=1999 |page=[https://archive.org/details/constructedpast00plan/page/n88 68] |isbn=978-0-415-11768-5 }}</ref>

Naniwa was declared the capital again in 744 by order of [[Emperor Shōmu]], and remained so until 745, when the Imperial Court moved back to [[Heijō-kyō]] (now [[Nara (city)|Nara]]). By the end of the Nara period, Naniwa's seaport roles had been gradually taken over by neighboring areas, but it remained a lively center of river, channel, and land transportation between [[Kyoto|Heian-kyō]] (Kyoto today) and other destinations. [[Sumiyoshi Taisha]] Grand Shrine was founded by Tamomi no Sukune in 211 CE.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924111551/http://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/outline/history.html|archive-date=September 24, 2015|url=http://www.sumiyoshitaisha.net/outline/history.html|title=歴史年表 (History of Sumiyoshi-taisha)|work=sumiyoshitaisha.net|access-date=November 11, 2019}}</ref> [[Shitennō-ji]] was first built in 593 CE and the oldest [[Buddhist]] temple in Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.univie.ac.at/rel_jap/bauten/anm_torii.htm#aussershinto|title=Religion in Japan|last=Scheid, Bernhard|author-link=Bernhard Scheid|work=Torii|publisher=University of Vienna|language=de|access-date=February 12, 2010}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="Gallery" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Sumiyoshi-taisha,_keidai-2.jpg|[[Sumiyoshi Taisha]] Grand Shrine
File:Shitennoji07s3200.jpg|[[Shitennō-ji]]
File:Naniwa-no-miya-ato,_zenkei-2.jpg|Remains of Naniwa-no-Miya Palace (2017)
</gallery>

=== Heian to Edo period ===
In 1496, [[Jōdo Shinshū]] [[Buddhism|Buddhists]] established their headquarters in the heavily fortified [[Ishiyama Hongan-ji]], located directly on the site of the old Naniwa Imperial Palace. [[Oda Nobunaga]] began a decade-long siege campaign on the temple in 1570 which ultimately resulted in the surrender of the monks and subsequent razing of the temple. [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] constructed [[Osaka Castle]] in its place in 1583.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/discover/learn/historical_overview.html|title=HISTORICAL OVERVIEW – DISCOVER – OSAKA INFO -Osaka Visitors' Guide|date=January 29, 2018|access-date=September 19, 2016|archive-date=September 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923040308/http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/discover/learn/historical_overview.html}}</ref> Osaka Castle played a pivotal role in the [[Siege of Osaka]] (1614–1615).

Osaka was long considered Japan's primary economic center,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/english/for_tourists/c_historical_overview.html |title=-Osaka City- |access-date=March 21, 2009 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090322141953/http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/english/for_tourists/c_historical_overview.html |archive-date=March 22, 2009 }}</ref> with a large percentage of the population belonging to the merchant class (see [[Four divisions of society]]). Over the course of the [[Edo period]] (1603–1867), Osaka grew into one of Japan's major cities and returned to its ancient role as a lively and important port. ''[[Daimyō]]s'' (feudal lords) received most of their income in the form of [[rice]]. [[chonin|Merchants]] in Osaka thus began to organize [[Warehouse|storehouse]]s where they would store a ''daimyō''{{'}}s rice in exchange for a fee, trading it for either coin or a form of receipt; essentially a precursor to [[Banknote|paper money]]. Many if not all of these [[rice brokers]] also made loans, and would actually become quite wealthy and powerful. Osaka merchants coalesced their shops around [[Dōjima]], where the [[Dōjima Rice Exchange|Rice Exchange]] was established in 1697 and where the world's first [[Futures exchange|futures]] market would come to exist to sell rice that was not yet harvested.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Moss|first1=David A.|last2=Kintgen|first2=Eugene|date=2009-01-30|title=The Dojima Rice Market and the Origins of Futures Trading |website=Harvard Business School |url=https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=36846|language=en-us}}</ref>

The popular culture of Osaka<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ukiyo-e.se/guide.html |title=A Guide to the Ukiyo-e Sites of the Internet |access-date=October 18, 2008 |archive-date=September 14, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070914023738/http://www.ukiyo-e.se/guide.html }}</ref> was closely related to ''[[ukiyo-e]]'' depictions of life in [[Edo]]. By 1780, Osaka had cultivated a vibrant arts culture, as typified by its famous [[Kabuki]] and [[Bunraku]] theaters.<ref>C. Andrew Gerstle, ''Kabuki Heroes on the Osaka Stage 1780–1830'' (2005)</ref> In 1837, [[Ōshio Heihachirō]], a low-ranking [[samurai]], led a peasant insurrection in response to the city's unwillingness to support the many poor and suffering families in the area. Approximately one-quarter of the city was razed before shogunal officials put down the rebellion, after which Ōshio killed himself.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ebrey |first=Patricia Buckley |author2=Walthall, Anne |author3=Palais, James B. |title=East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-618-13384-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/eastasiacultural00ebre_0/page/400 400] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/eastasiacultural00ebre_0/page/400}}</ref> Osaka was opened to foreign trade by the government of the [[Bakufu]] at the same time as [[Hyōgo Prefecture|Hyogo Town]] (modern [[Kobe]]) on January 1, 1868, just before the advent of the [[Boshin War]] and the [[Meiji Restoration]].<ref>{{cite book|first1=John|last1=Whitney Hall|first2=Marius B.|last2=Jansen|title=The Cambridge History of Japan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7OFYajIf9QgC&pg=PA304|year=1988|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-22356-0|page=304}}</ref> The [[Kawaguchi foreign settlement]], now the Kawaguchi subdistrict, is a legacy of the foreign presence in Osaka.

Osaka residents were stereotyped in Edo literature from at least the 18th century. [[Jippensha Ikku]] in 1802 depicted Osakans as stingy almost beyond belief. In 1809, the derogatory term "Kamigata zeeroku" was used by Edo residents to characterize inhabitants of the Osaka region in terms of calculation, shrewdness, lack of civic spirit, and the vulgarity of Osaka dialect. Edo writers aspired to samurai culture, and saw themselves as poor but generous, chaste, and public spirited. Edo writers by contrast saw "zeeroku" as obsequious apprentices, stingy, greedy, gluttonous, and lewd. To some degree, Osaka residents are still stigmatized by Tokyo observers in the same way today, especially in terms of gluttony, evidenced in the phrase, {{Nihongo4|"Residents of Osaka devour their food until they collapse"|大阪は食倒れ|"Ōsaka wa kuidaore"}}.<ref>Richard Torrance, "Literacy and Literature in Osaka, 1890–1940", ''The Journal of Japanese Studies'' 31#1 (Winter 2005), pp. 27–60</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="130" perrow="3" caption="Gallery">
File:Osaka Castle 02bs3200.jpg|[[Osaka Castle]] (first built in 1583)
File:Osaka-zu byobu.jpg|The Sumiyoshi-matsuri in the 16th century
File:The Siege of Osaka Castle.jpg|Japanese painting of the [[Siege of Osaka]] (1615)
File:Newly compiled and enlarged plan of Ōsaka (14042582876).jpg|Map of Osaka, 1686
File:Dojima-Rice-Exchange-Osaka-by-Yoshimitsu-Sasaki.png|Dōjima Rice Exchange ukiyo-e by Yoshimitsu Sasaki
</gallery>

=== Meiji to Heisei period ===
With the enormous changes that characterized the country after the [[Meiji Restoration]] (1868), and the relocation of the capital from [[Kyoto]] to [[Tokyo]], Osaka entered a period of decline. From being the capital of the economy and finance, it became a predominantly industrial center.<ref name="osaka-info.jp"/> The modern municipality was established<ref name="osaka-info.jp">{{cite web |url=http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/about/historical.html |title=Osaka city |publisher=Osaka-info.jp |access-date=May 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100306155741/http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/about/historical.html |archive-date=March 6, 2010 }}</ref> in 1889 by [[City designated by government ordinance|government ordinance]], with an initial area of {{convert|15|km2|0|abbr=out}}, overlapping today's [[Chūō-ku, Osaka|Chuo]] and [[Nishi-ku, Osaka|Nishi]] wards. Later, the city went through three major expansions to reach its current size of {{convert|223|km2|0|abbr=out}}. Osaka was the industrial center most clearly defined in the development of capitalism in Japan. It became known as the "[[Manchester]] and [[Melbourne]] of the Orient".<ref name="osaka-info.jp"/> In 1925, it was the largest and most populous city in Japan and sixth in the world.<ref name="osaka-info.jp"/>

The rapid industrialization attracted many Asian immigrants (Indians, Chinese, and Koreans), who set up a life apart for themselves.<ref>Chisato Hotta, "The Construction of the Korean Community in Osaka between 1920 and 1945: A Cross-Cultural Perspective." PhD dissertation U. of Chicago 2005. 498 pp. DAI 2005 65(12): 4680-A. DA3158708 Fulltext: [[ProQuest]] Dissertations & Theses</ref> The political system was pluralistic, with a strong emphasis on promoting industrialization and modernization.<ref>Blair A. Ruble, ''Second Metropolis: Pragmatic Pluralism in Gilded Age Chicago, Silver Age Moscow, and Meiji Osaka.'' (2001)</ref> Literacy was high and the educational system expanded rapidly, producing a middle class with a taste for literature and a willingness to support the arts.<ref>Richard Torrance, "Literacy and Literature in Osaka, 1890–1940," ''Journal of Japanese Studies'' 31#1 (Winter 2005), p.27-60 in [[Project MUSE]]</ref> In 1927, [[General Motors]] operated a factory called [[List of General Motors factories|Osaka Assembly]] until 1941, manufacturing [[Chevrolet]], [[Cadillac]], [[Pontiac (automobile)|Pontiac]], [[Oldsmobile]], and [[Buick]] vehicles, operated and staffed by Japanese workers and managers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.autonews.com/article/20080914/ANA03/809150388/gm-had-early-start-in-japan-but-was-hobbled-by-nationalism|title=GM had early start in Japan but was hobbled by nationalism|date=August 25, 2008}}</ref> In the nearby city of [[Ikeda, Osaka|Ikeda]] in Osaka Prefecture is the headquarters of [[Daihatsu]], one of Japan's oldest automobile manufacturers.

Like its European and American counterparts, Osaka displayed slums, unemployment, and poverty. In Japan it was here that municipal government first introduced a comprehensive system of poverty relief, copied in part from British models. Osaka policymakers stressed the importance of family formation and mutual assistance as the best way to combat poverty. This minimized the cost of welfare programs.<ref>Kingo Tamai, "Images of the Poor in an Official Survey of Osaka, 1923–1926." ''Continuity and Change'' 2000 15(1): 99–116. {{ISSN|0268-4160}} Fulltext: [[Cambridge UP]]</ref>

During [[World War II]], [[Bombing of Osaka|Osaka came under air raids]] in 1945 by the [[United States Army Air Forces]] as part of the [[air raids on Japan]]. On March 13, 1945, a total of 329 [[Boeing B-29 Superfortress]] [[heavy bombers]] took part in the raid against Osaka. According to an American [[prisoner of war]] who was held in the city, the air raid took almost the entire night and destroyed {{convert|25|sqmi|km2}} of the city. The U.S. bombed the city again twice in June 1945 and again on August 14, a day before [[Japan's surrender]].<ref>Andy Raskin, "The Ramen King and I: How the Inventor of Instant Noodles Fixed My Love Life".</ref>

In the decades after World War II, the reconstruction plan and the industriousness of its inhabitants ensured Osaka even greater prosperity than it had before the war. Osaka's population regrew to more than three million in the 1960s when large-scale prefectural suburbanization began and doubled to six million by the 1990s. The factories were rebuilt and trade revived, the city were developed rapidly it became a major multicultural and financial center in the postwar period [[Japanese economic miracle|between the 1950s and the 1980s]], it is known as the "[[Chicago]] and [[Toronto]] of the Orient".{{cite quote|date=November 2022}} Osaka Prefecture was chosen as the venue for the prestigious [[Expo '70]], the first [[world's fair]] ever held in an Asian country. Since then, numerous international events have been held in Osaka, including the 1995 [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation|APEC Summit]].

The modern municipality, which when it was established in 1889 occupied an area of just 15 km2 including the districts of Chūō and Nishi, following three successive expansions has reached an area of 222 km2. It was one of the first cities in Japan to obtain [[Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan|designated city]] status in 1956.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Jacobs, A.J. |title="Japan's Evolving Nested Municipal Hierarchy: The Race for Local Power in the 2000s"|journal=Urban Studies Research |date=2011 |volume=2011 |pages=1–14 |publisher=Hindawi, Urban Studies Research, Vol. 2011 (2011), [[doi:10.1155/2011/692764]] |doi=10.1155/2011/692764 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

===21st century to present===
The plan to reorganize Osaka and its province into a metropolis like Tokyo met with stiff opposition in some municipalities, particularly the highly populated [[Sakai]]. He{{Who|date=May 2024}} then fell back on a project that included the suppression of the 24 wards of Osaka, thus dividing the city into 5 new special districts with a status similar to that of the 23 [[Special wards of Tokyo]]. It was introduced by former mayor [[Tōru Hashimoto]], leader of the reform party [[Osaka Restoration Association]] which he founded. The referendum of May 17, 2015 called in Osaka for the approval of this project saw the narrow victory of no, and consequently Hashimoto announced his withdrawal from politics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/17/national/politics-diplomacy/osaka-referendum-rejects-merger-plan-possibly-ending-hashimotos-political-career/ |title=Hashimoto announces exit from politics after Osaka rejects merger plan in referendum |date=May 19, 2017|language= en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127212535/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/17/national/politics-diplomacy/osaka-referendum-rejects-merger-plan-possibly-ending-hashimotos-political-career/ |archive-date=November 27, 2020}}</ref> A second referendum for a merger into 4 semi-autonomous wards was narrowly voted down by 692,996 (50.6%).<ref name="metropolis-2020"/>

According to the [[Forbes]] list of ''The World's Most Expensive Places To Live 2009'', Osaka was the second most expensive in the world after [[Tokyo]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/06/most-expensive-cities-lifestyle-real-estate-daily-costs_slide_20.html|title=In Depth: World's Most Expensive Cities To Live |website=Forbes|date=July 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304131736/http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/06/most-expensive-cities-lifestyle-real-estate-daily-costs_slide_20.html|archive-date=March 4, 2016|access-date=August 20, 2016}}</ref> By 2020 it slipped to 5th rank of most expensive cities.<ref name="forbes-2020"/>

On March 7, 2014, the 300-meter tall [[Abeno Harukas]] opened, which is the tallest skyscraper in Japan surpassing the [[Yokohama Landmark Tower]] in [[Yokohama]], until it was surpassed by the 330-meter tall [[Azabudai Hills|Azabudai Hills Main Tower]] in [[Tokyo]] since 2022.<ref name="Tallest high-rise nears completion">{{cite news | url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/10/23/business/tallest-high-rise-nears-completion/#.UnoXmb-lf-k | title=Tallest high-rise nears completion | work=[[The Japan Times]] | date=October 23, 2013 | access-date=November 6, 2013}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="130" perrow="3" caption="Gallery">
File:Osaka Umeda Sky Building Panoramablick 05.jpg|Skyscrapers in [[Umeda]] district
File:Sennichimae Osaka ca1916.JPG|Sennichimae area in 1916
File:Osaka after the 1945 air raid.JPG|View of Osaka after the [[Bombing of Osaka|bombing]] in 1945
File:Abeno Harukas 20140507-002.jpg|[[Abeno Harukas]], second-tallest building in Japan
</gallery>

== Geography ==
[[File:Osaka by Sentinel-2, 2020-10-27.jpg|thumb|260x260px|Satellite image of Osaka]]
The city's west side is open to [[Osaka Bay]], and is otherwise completely surrounded by more than ten satellite cities, all of them in [[Osaka Prefecture]], with one exception: the city of [[Amagasaki]], belonging to [[Hyōgo Prefecture]], in the northwest. The city occupies a larger area (about 13%) than any other city or village within Osaka Prefecture. When the city was established in 1889, it occupied roughly the area known today as the Chuo and Nishi wards, only {{Convert|15.27|km2|mi2|0}} that would eventually grow into today's {{Convert|222.30|km2|mi2|0}} via incremental expansions, the largest of which being a single {{Convert|126.01|km2|mi2|0|adj=on}} expansion in 1925. Osaka's highest point is {{Convert|37.5|m|ft|1}} Tokyo Peil in [[Tsurumi-ku, Osaka|Tsurumi-ku]], and the lowest point is in [[Nishiyodogawa-ku, Osaka|Nishiyodogawa-ku]] at {{Convert|-2.2|m|ft|1}} Tokyo Peil.<ref>http://www.city.osaka.jp/keikakuchousei/toukei/G000/Gyh19/Gb00/Gb00.html{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=Darkmorpher |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Osaka has a [[latitude]] of 34.67 (near the [[35th parallel north]]), which makes it more southern than [[Rome]] (41.90), [[Madrid]] (40.41), [[San Francisco]] (37.77) and [[Seoul]] (37.53).<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 2022|title=Osaka, Japan Geographic Information|url=https://www.latlong.net/place/osaka-japan-27244.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506195604/https://www.latlong.net/place/osaka-japan-27244.html |archive-date=May 6, 2021|access-date=April 22, 2022|website=Latlong.net}}</ref>

=== Climate ===
Osaka is located in the [[humid subtropical climate]] zone ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Cfa''), with four distinct seasons. Its winters are generally mild, with January being the coldest month having an average high of {{convert|9.7|°C|0|abbr=on}}. The city rarely sees snowfall during the winter. Spring in Osaka starts off mild, but ends up being hot and humid. It also tends to be Osaka's wettest season, with the {{Nihongo4|''[[East Asian rainy season|tsuyu]]''|梅雨|tsuyu|"plum rain"}}—the rainy season—occurring between early June and late July. The average starting and ending dates of the rainy season are June 7 and July 21 respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.data.jma.go.jp/fcd/yoho/baiu/kako_baiu07.html |script-title=ja:気象庁 - 過去の梅雨入りと梅雨明け（近畿）|script-website=ja:気象庁 |website=Japan Meteorological Agency}}</ref> Summers are very hot and humid. In August, the hottest month, the average daily high temperature reaches {{convert|33.7|°C|0|abbr=on}}, while average nighttime low temperatures typically hover around {{convert|25.8|°C|0|abbr=on}}. Fall in Osaka sees a cooling trend, with the early part of the season resembling summer while the latter part of fall resembles winter. Precipitation is abundant, with winter being the driest season, while monthly rainfall peaks in June with the "tsuyu" rainy season, which typically ends in mid to late July. From late July through the end of August, summer's heat and humidity peaks, and rainfall decreases somewhat. Osaka experiences a second rainy period in September and early October, when tropical weather systems, including typhoons, coming from the south or southwest are possible.

{{Weather box
|single line = Y
|metric first = y
|location = Osaka (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1883−present)
|Jan record high C = 19.1
|Feb record high C = 23.7
|Mar record high C = 24.2
|Apr record high C = 30.7
|May record high C = 32.7
|Jun record high C = 36.1
|Jul record high C = 38.4
|Aug record high C = 39.1
|Sep record high C = 36.4
|Oct record high C = 33.1
|Nov record high C = 27.2
|Dec record high C = 24.5
|Jan record low C = -7.5
|Feb record low C = -6.5
|Mar record low C = -5.2
|Apr record low C = -2.6
|May record low C = 3.5
|Jun record low C = 8.9
|Jul record low C = 14.8
|Aug record low C = 13.6
|Sep record low C = 10.4
|Oct record low C = 3.0
|Nov record low C = -2.2
|Dec record low C = -4.5
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 47.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 60.5
|Mar precipitation mm = 103.1
|Apr precipitation mm = 101.9
|May precipitation mm = 136.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 185.1
|Jul precipitation mm = 174.4
|Aug precipitation mm = 113.0
|Sep precipitation mm = 152.8
|Oct precipitation mm = 136.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 72.5
|Dec precipitation mm = 55.5
|year precipitation mm = 1338.3
|Jan mean C = 6.2
|Feb mean C = 6.6
|Mar mean C = 9.9
|Apr mean C = 15.2
|May mean C = 20.1
|Jun mean C = 23.6
|Jul mean C = 27.7
|Aug mean C = 29.0
|Sep mean C = 25.2
|Oct mean C = 19.5
|Nov mean C = 13.8
|Dec mean C = 8.7
|year mean C = 17.1
|Jan high C = 9.7
|Feb high C = 10.5
|Mar high C = 14.2
|Apr high C = 19.9
|May high C = 24.9
|Jun high C = 28.0
|Jul high C = 31.8
|Aug high C = 33.7
|Sep high C = 29.5
|Oct high C = 23.7
|Nov high C = 17.8
|Dec high C = 12.3
|year high C = 21.3
|Jan low C = 3.0
|Feb low C = 3.2
|Mar low C = 6.0
|Apr low C = 10.9
|May low C = 16.0
|Jun low C = 20.3
|Jul low C = 24.6
|Aug low C = 25.8
|Sep low C = 21.9
|Oct low C = 16.0
|Nov low C = 10.2
|Dec low C = 5.3
|year low C = 13.6
|Jan humidity = 61
|Feb humidity = 60
|Mar humidity = 59
|Apr humidity = 58
|May humidity = 61
|Jun humidity = 68
|Jul humidity = 70
|Aug humidity = 66
|Sep humidity = 67
|Oct humidity = 65
|Nov humidity = 64
|Dec humidity = 62
|year humidity = 63
|Jan sun = 146.5
|Feb sun = 140.6
|Mar sun = 172.2
|Apr sun = 192.6
|May sun = 203.7
|Jun sun = 154.3
|Jul sun = 184.0
|Aug sun = 222.4
|Sep sun = 161.6
|Oct sun = 166.1
|Nov sun = 152.6
|Dec sun = 152.1
|year sun = 2048.6
|Jan snow cm = 0
|Feb snow cm = 1
|Mar snow cm = 0
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 0
|Dec snow cm = 0
|year snow cm = 1
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 6.4
|Feb precipitation days = 7.3
|Mar precipitation days = 10.3
|Apr precipitation days = 10.0
|May precipitation days = 10.4
|Jun precipitation days = 12.3
|Jul precipitation days = 11.3
|Aug precipitation days = 7.8
|Sep precipitation days = 10.6
|Oct precipitation days = 9.2
|Nov precipitation days = 7.0
|Dec precipitation days = 7.1
|year precipitation days = 109.7
| Jan uv =3
| Feb uv =4
| Mar uv =6
| Apr uv =8
| May uv =9
| Jun uv =10
| Jul uv =11
| Aug uv =10
| Sep uv =8
| Oct uv =6
| Nov uv =3
| Dec uv =2
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=62&block_no=47772&year=&month=&day=&view=
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
|website=[[Japan Meteorological Agency]]
| access-date = May 19, 2021}}</ref> and Weather Atlas<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/japan/osaka-climate|title=Osaka, Japan - Detailed climate information and monthly weather forecast|publisher=Yu Media Group|website=Weather Atlas|language=en|access-date=July 9, 2019}}</ref>
|date=September 2010
}}

== Cityscape ==
Osaka's sprawling cityscape has been described as "only surpassed by Tokyo as a showcase of the Japanese urban phenomenon".<ref>{{cite book|title=Discover Japan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4BS9G2TBGhQC&pg=PA146|year=2010|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-1-74179-996-5|pages=146–}}</ref>
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Central Osaka.jpg|Central Osaka looking north from the Abeno Harukas observation deck (2014)
File:Ufoto-wiki-01 Osaka-Skyline May2014.jpg|Osaka skyline towards Umeda (2014)
</gallery>

{{wide image|Osaka skyline at night from Umeda Sky Building.jpg|800px|Osaka skyline at night from [[Umeda Sky Building]] (2008)}}

=== Neighborhoods ===
Central Osaka is roughly divided into downtown and uptown areas known as {{Nihongo4|'''Kita'''|[[:ja:キタ|キタ]]|extra="north"}} and {{Nihongo4|'''Minami'''|[[:ja:ミナミ|ミナミ]]|extra="south"}}.<ref name="japan-guide.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4009.html|title=Osaka Travel: Kita (Umeda)}}</ref><ref name="japan-guide.com1">{{cite web|url=http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4001.html|title=Osaka Travel: Minami (Namba)}}</ref>

Kita is home to the [[Umeda]] district and its immediate surrounding neighborhoods, a major business and retail hub that plays host to [[Ōsaka Station|Osaka Station City]] and a large subterranean network of shopping arcades.<ref name="japan-guide.com" /> Kita and nearby [[Nakanoshima]] contain a prominent portion of the city's skyscrapers and are often featured in photographs of Osaka's skyline.

Minami, though meaning "south", is essentially in {{Nihongo4|Chūō Ward|中央区|Chūō-ku}} and geographically central within the city.<ref name="japan-guide.com1" /> Well known districts here include [[Namba]] and [[Shinsaibashi]] shopping areas, the [[Dōtonbori]] canal entertainment area, [[Nipponbashi]] Den Den Town, as well as arts and fashion culture-oriented areas such as [[Amerikamura]] and Horie. The 300-meter tall [[Abenobashi Terminal Building|Abeno Harukas]] was the tallest skyscraper in the country from 2014 until 2023.<ref name="Tallest high-rise nears completion" />

The business districts between Kita and Minami such as {{Ill|Honmachi (Osaka)|lt=Honmachi|ja|本町 (大阪市)}} and {{Ill|Yodoyabashi|ja|淀屋橋}}, called {{Nihongo4|'''Semba'''|[[:ja:船場 (大阪市)|船場]]}}, house the regional headquarters of many large-scale banks and corporations. The [[Midōsuji]] boulevard runs through Semba and connects Kita and Minami.

Further south of Minami are neighborhoods such as [[Shinsekai]] (with its [[Tsutenkaku|Tsūtenkaku]] tower), [[Tennōji-ku, Osaka|Tennoji]] and [[Abeno-ku, Osaka|Abeno]] (with [[Tennōji Zoo|Tennoji Zoo]], [[Shitennō-ji]] and [[Abenobashi Terminal Building|Abeno Harukas]]), and the [[Kamagasaki]] slums, the largest slum in Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wordpress.tokyotimes.org/kamagasaki-japans-biggest-slum/|title=Kamagasaki: Japan's biggest slum|date=April 8, 2014|access-date=July 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714183354/http://www.wordpress.tokyotimes.org/kamagasaki-japans-biggest-slum/|archive-date=July 14, 2014}}</ref>

The city's west side is a prominent [[Osaka Bay|bay area]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4010.html|title=Osaka Travel: Osaka Bay Area}}</ref> which serves as its main port as well as a tourist destination with attractions such as [[Kyocera Dome]], [[Universal Studios Japan]] and the [[Mount Tenpō|Tempozan Harbour Village]]. [[Higashiōsaka, Osaka|Higashiosaka]] is zoned as a separate city, although the east side of Osaka city proper contains numerous residential neighborhoods including [[Tsuruhashi Station|Tsuruhashi]] KoreaTown, as well as the [[Osaka Castle Park]], [[Osaka Business Park]] and the hub [[Kyōbashi Station (Osaka)|Kyōbashi Station]].

Osaka contains numerous urban canals and bridges, many of which serve as the namesake for their surrounding neighbourhoods.<ref name="Eiichi Watanabe-2004">{{cite book |author=Eiichi Watanabe |author2=[[Dan M. Frangopol]] |author3=Tomoaki Utsunomiya |title=Bridge Maintenance, Safety, Management and Cost: Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Bridge Maintenance, Safety and Management |publisher=Taylor & Francis |location=Kyoto, Japan |year=2004 |page=195 |isbn=978-90-5809-680-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZiDvMz1CIvwC&q=872+760&pg=PA195R}}</ref> The phrase "808 bridges of Naniwa" was an expression in old Japan used to indicate impressiveness and the "uncountable". Osaka numbered roughly 200 bridges by the Edo period<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tourism.city.osaka.jp/en/|title=More About Osaka, Osaka City Government|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030402130253/http://www.tourism.city.osaka.jp/en/|archive-date=April 2, 2003}}</ref> and 1,629 bridges by 1925. As many of the city's canals were gradually filled in, the number dropped to 872, of which 760 are currently managed by Osaka City.<ref name="Eiichi Watanabe-2004" />

<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="Gallery" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Nakanoshima, Osaka in 201504.JPG|[[Nakanoshima]], a boundary of Kita (right) and Semba (left)
File:Aerial photo of Umeda 14-Aug-2019.jpg|[[Umeda]] district (2019)
File:Osaka Dotonbori Ebisu Bridge.jpg|[[Dōtonbori]] bridge
File:Namba 20150531.JPG|[[Namba]] (2015)
</gallery>

==List of wards==

There are currently 24 [[Wards of Japan|wards]] in Osaka:
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"
|-
!
! style="width: 190px;" |Name
![[Kanji]]
!Population
!''Land area in km2''
!Pop. density
''per km2''
!Map of Osaka
|-
| style="text-align: center;" "width: 20px;" | 1
|[[Abeno-ku, Osaka|Abeno-ku]]
|{{Nihongo2|阿倍野区}}
|107,000
|5.99
|18,440
| rowspan="24" |[[File:Osaka Wards.png|center|border|400px|A map of Osaka's Wards]]
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 2
| [[Asahi-ku, Osaka|Asahi-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|旭区}}
|90,854
|6.32
|14,376
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 3
| [[Chūō-ku, Osaka|Chūō-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|中央区}}
|100,998
|8.87
|11,386
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 4
| [[Fukushima-ku, Osaka|Fukushima-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|福島区}}
|78,348
|4.67
|16,777
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 5
| [[Higashinari-ku, Osaka|Higashinari-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|東成区}}
|83,684
|4.54
|18,433
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 6
| [[Higashisumiyoshi-ku, Osaka|Higashisumiyoshi-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|東住吉区}}
|126,704
|9.75
|12,995
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 7
| [[Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka|Higashiyodogawa-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|東淀川区}}
|176,943
|13.27
|13,334
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 8
| [[Hirano-ku, Osaka|Hirano-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|平野区}}
|193,282
|15.28
|12,649
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 9
| [[Ikuno-ku, Osaka|Ikuno-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|生野区}}
|129,641
|8.37
|15,489
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 10
| [[Jōtō-ku, Osaka|Jōtō-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|城東区}}
|167,925
|8.38
|20,039
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 11
| [[Kita-ku, Osaka|Kita-ku]] (administrative center)
| {{Nihongo2|北区}}
|136,602
|10.34
|13,211
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 12
| [[Konohana-ku, Osaka|Konohana-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|此花区}}
|65,086
|19.25
|3,381
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 13
| [[Minato-ku, Osaka|Minato-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|港区}}
|80,759
|7.86
|10,275
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 14
| [[Miyakojima-ku, Osaka|Miyakojima-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|都島区}}
|107,555
|6.08
|17,690
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 15
| [[Naniwa-ku, Osaka|Naniwa-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|浪速区}}
|74,992
|4.39
|17,082
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 16
| [[Nishi-ku, Osaka|Nishi-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|西区}}
|103,089
|5.21
|19,787
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 17
| [[Nishinari-ku, Osaka|Nishinari-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|西成区}}
|108,654
|7.37
|14,743
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 18
| [[Nishiyodogawa-ku, Osaka|Nishiyodogawa-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|西淀川区}}
|95,960
|14.22
|6,748
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 19
| [[Suminoe-ku, Osaka|Suminoe-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|住之江区}}
|120,629
|20.61
|5,853
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 20
| [[Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka|Sumiyoshi-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|住吉区}}
|153,425
|9.40
|16,322
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 21
| [[Taishō-ku, Osaka|Taishō-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|大正区}}
|62,872
|9.43
|6,667
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 22
| [[Tennōji-ku, Osaka|Tennōji-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|天王寺区}}
|80,830
|4.84
|16,700
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 23
| [[Tsurumi-ku, Osaka|Tsurumi-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|鶴見区}}
|111,501
|8.17
|13,648
|-
| style="text-align: center;" | 24
| [[Yodogawa-ku, Osaka|Yodogawa-ku]]
| {{Nihongo2|淀川区}}
|182,254
|12.64
|14,419
|}

== Demographics ==
{{Historical populations
|title = Historical population
|type = Japan
|align = right
|width =
|state =
|shading =
|percentages =
|footnote =
|1870|271992
|1880|292636
|1890|483609
|1900|881344
|1910|1239373
|1920|1798295
|1925|2135248
|1930|2477959
|1935|3022425
|1940|3300714
|1945|1614632
|1950|2015350
|1955|2547316
|1960|3011563
|1965|3156222
|1970|2980487
|1975|2778987
|1980|2648180
|1985|2636249
|1990|2623801
|1995|2602421
|2000|2598774
|2005|2628811
|2010|2666371
|2015|2691185
|2020|2752024
}}

Population numbers have been recorded in Osaka since as early as 1873, in the early [[Meiji (era)|Meiji era]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Le Japon à l'exposition universelle de 1878. Géographie et histoire du Japon |author= Japanese Imperial Commission |date=1878 |page=16 |language=fr|location=[[Paris]]|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6210871s}}</ref> According to the census in 2005, there were 2,628,811 residents in Osaka, an increase of 30,037 or 1.2% from 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.e-stat.go.jp/SG1/estat/NewListE.do?tid=000001007251 |title=2005 Population Census |access-date=February 18, 2009 |publisher=Statistics Bureau, Director-General for Policy Planning (Statistical Standards) and Statistical Research and Training Institute, Japan }}</ref> There were 1,280,325 households with approximately 2.1 persons per household. The population density was 11,836 persons per km2. The [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake|Great Kantō earthquake]] caused a mass migration to Osaka between 1920 and 1930, and the city became Japan's largest city in 1930 with 2,453,573 people, outnumbering even Tokyo, which had a population of 2,070,913. The population peaked at 3,252,340 in 1940, and had a post-war peak of 3,156,222 in 1965, but has declined since, as the residents moved out to the suburbs.<ref>{{cite book | last = Prasad Karan | first = Pradyumna |author2=Kristin Eileen Stapleton | title = The Japanese City | publisher = University Press of Kentucky | pages = 79–81 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=eKdMdyZzjyQC | isbn = 978-0-8131-2035-5 | year = 1997 }}</ref>

There were 144,123 registered foreigners, the two largest groups being Korean (60,110) and Chinese (39,551) 2021 years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=大阪市外国人住民国籍別区別人員数 |url=https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/shimin/cmsfiles/contents/0000431/431477/202112kubetukokusekibetu.pdf |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=Osaka City |archive-date=May 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531131852/https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/shimin/cmsfiles/contents/0000431/431477/202112kubetukokusekibetu.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Ikuno-ku, Osaka|Ikuno]], with its Tsuruhashi district, is the home to one of the largest population of Korean residents in Japan, with 20,397 registered [[Zainichi Koreans]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=住民基本台帳人口・外国人人口（令和3年3月末日現在）|url=https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/ikuno/page/0000427171.html|access-date=2021-09-13|archive-date=July 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724193926/https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/ikuno/page/0000427171.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=JOHNSTON|first=ERIC|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20020629b3.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429073450/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20020629b3.html|archive-date=April 29, 2011|title=Tsuruhashi, home of 'exotic' Korea in Osaka|date=June 29, 2002|work=The Japan Times Online|access-date=February 18, 2009|url-status=live|publisher=[[The Japan Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Karan | first = Pradyumna Prasad |author2=Kristin Eileen Stapleton | title = The Japanese City | publisher = University Press of Kentucky | page = 124 | isbn = 978-0-8131-2035-5 | year = 1997 }}</ref>

=== Dialect ===
{{See also|Kansai dialect}}
The commonly spoken dialect of this area is ''Osaka-ben'', a typical sub-dialect of ''Kansai-ben''. Of the many other particularities that characterize Osaka-ben, examples include using the copula ''ya'' instead of ''da'', and the suffix ''-hen'' instead of ''-nai'' in negative verb forms.

== Government ==
{{See also|Local Autonomy Law|Municipalities of Japan|Politics of Osaka City}}
{{infobox
| above = Local administration
| abovestyle = background-color: lightgrey
| subheader = The Mayor and the Council
| image1 = [[File:Osaka_City_Hall_-_01.JPG|200px]]
| caption1 = Osaka City Hall
| headerstyle = background-color: lightgrey
| header1 =
| label2 = Mayor:
| data2 = [[Ichiro Matsui]]
| label3 = Vice Mayors:
| data3 = Toru Takahashi, Shin Asakawa,
 Tsuyoshi Yamamoto
| header20 = City Council
| label21 = President:
| data21 = Toshifumi Tagaya [[Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)|(LDP)]]
| label22 = Members:
| data22 = 83 councilors (7 vacant)
| label31 = Factions:
| data31 = [[Osaka Restoration Association]] (36), [[Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)|Liberal Democratic Party]] and Citizen's Club (20), [[New Komeito Party|Komei Party]] (19), [[Japanese Communist Party]] (9), Go OSAKA (1) Osaka Abe (1)
| label32 = Seats by districts:
| data32 = {{Collapsible list
|framestyle=border:none; padding:0;
|title=Ward (no. of seats)
|1=[[Abeno-ku, Osaka|Abeno-ku]] (4),
|2=[[Asahi-ku, Osaka|Asahi-ku]] (4),
|3=[[Chūō-ku, Osaka|Chūō-ku]] (2),
|4=[[Fukushima-ku, Osaka|Fukushima-ku]] (2),
|5=[[Higashinari-ku, Osaka|Higashinari-ku]] (3),
|6=[[Higashisumiyoshi-ku, Osaka|Higashisumiyoshi-ku]] (5),
|7=[[Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka|Higashiyodogawa-ku]] (6),
|8=[[Hirano-ku, Osaka|Hirano-ku]] (6),
|9=[[Ikuno-ku, Osaka|Ikuno-ku]] (5),
|10=[[Jōtō-ku, Osaka|Jōtō-ku]] (5),
|11=[[Kita-ku, Osaka|Kita-ku]] (3),
|12=[[Konohana-ku, Osaka|Konohana-ku]] (3),
|13=[[Minato-ku, Osaka|Minato-ku]] (3),
|14=[[Miyakojima-ku, Osaka|Miyakojima-ku]] (3),
|15=[[Naniwa-ku, Osaka|Naniwa-ku]] (2),
|16=[[Nishi-ku, Osaka|Nishi-ku]] (2),
|17=[[Nishinari-ku, Osaka|Nishinari-ku]] (5),
|18=[[Nishiyodogawa-ku, Osaka|Nishiyodogawa-ku]] (3),
|19=[[Suminoe-ku, Osaka|Suminoe-ku]] (4),
|20=[[Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka|Sumiyoshi-ku]] (6),
|21=[[Taishō-ku, Osaka|Taishō-ku]] (3),
|22=[[Tennōji-ku, Osaka|Tennōji-ku]] (2),
|23=[[Tsurumi-ku, Osaka|Tsurumi-ku]] (3),
|24=[[Yodogawa-ku, Osaka|Yodogawa-ku]] (5)
}}
| label33 = Website
| data33 = [http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/shikai/english/ Osaka City Council]
| label34 =
| data34 = Note: As of October 27, 2017
}}
The [[Osaka City Council]] is the city's local government formed under the [[Local Autonomy Law]]. The council has eighty-nine seats, allocated to the twenty-four wards proportional to their population and re-elected by the citizens every four years. The council elects its president and Vice President. Toshifumi Tagaya ([[Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)|LDP]]) is the current and 104th president since May 2008. The mayor of the city is directly elected by the citizens every four years as well, in accordance with the Local Autonomy Law. [[Tōru Hashimoto]], former governor of [[Osaka Prefecture]] is the 19th mayor of Osaka since 2011. The mayor is supported by two vice mayors, currently Akira Morishita and Takashi Kashiwagi, who are appointed by him in accordance with the city bylaw.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/shikai/english/index.html |title=Osaka City Council homepage |publisher=City.osaka.lg.jp |access-date=May 5, 2010}}</ref>

Osaka also houses several agencies of the Japanese government. Below is a list of governmental offices housed in Osaka.

{{div col|colwidth=35em}}
* [[Japan Coast Guard]], Fifth Regional Headquarters
*Japan Fair Trade Commission; Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku Office
* Kinki Regional Finance Bureau
* Kinki Regional Economy, Trade and Industry Bureau
* Kinki Regional Transportation Bureau
* Kinki Communications Bureau
* Kinki Regional Development Bureau
* [[National Police Agency (Japan)|Kinki Regional Police Bureau]]
* [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Osaka Office]]
* Osaka Customs
* Osaka District Court
* Osaka Family Court
* Osaka High Court
* Osaka Immigration
* Osaka Labour Bureau
* Osaka Meteorological Observatory
* Osaka Public Prosecutors Office
* Osaka Regional Aerospace Bureau
* Osaka Regional Law Bureau
* Osaka Regional Taxation Bureau
* Osaka Summary Court
{{div col end}}

===Developments===
In July 2012, a joint multi-party bill was submitted to the Diet that would allow for implementation of the [[Osaka Metropolis plan]] as pursued by the mayor of Osaka city, the governor of Osaka and [[Osaka Restoration Association (1st)|their party]]. If implemented, Osaka City, neighboring [[Sakai, Osaka|Sakai]] City and possibly other surrounding municipalities would dissolve and be reorganized as four [[Special wards of Tokyo|special wards]] of Osaka prefecture – similar to former [[Tokyo City]]'s successor wards within Tokyo prefecture. Special wards are municipal-level administrative units that leave some otherwise municipal administrative responsibilities and [[revenues]] to the prefectural administration.<ref>[[The Japan Times]], July 31, 2012: [https://web.archive.org/web/20120730221419/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120731a2.html Bill to transform Osaka government jointly submitted to Diet]</ref>

In October 2018, the city of Osaka officially ended<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://globalvoices.org/2018/10/06/osaka-cuts-sister-city-ties-with-san-francisco-over-comfort-women-statue/|title=Osaka cuts sister city ties with San Francisco over "comfort women" statue · Global Voices|date=October 6, 2018|work=Global Voices|access-date=October 7, 2018|language=en}}</ref> its sister city relationship with [[San Francisco]] in the United States after the latter permitted a monument memorializing "comfort women" to remain on a city-owned property, circulating in the process a 10-page, 3,800-word letter in English addressed to San Francisco mayor [[London Breed]].<ref>{{Cite letter|first=Hirofumi|last=Yoshimura|recipient=London Breed, Mayor of San Francisco|subject=Termination of Sister City Relationship|url=https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/hodoshiryo/cmsfiles/contents/0000448/448185/letter.pdf|date=October 2, 2018|format=PDF|publisher=City of Osaka|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003000128/http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/hodoshiryo/cmsfiles/contents/0000448/448185/letter.pdf|archive-date=October 3, 2018|title=Archived copy|access-date=May 20, 2019}}</ref>

On November 1, 2020, a second referendum to merge Osaka's 24 wards into 4 semi-autonomous wards was narrowly voted down. There were 692,996 (50.6%) votes against and 675,829 (49.4%) votes supported it.<ref name="metropolis-2020">{{cite web |title=Osaka referendum defeat raises questions about future of city's politics |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/11/02/national/politics-diplomacy/osaka-referendum-future/ |author=Eric Johnston |date=November 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102090033/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/11/02/national/politics-diplomacy/osaka-referendum-future/ |archive-date=November 2, 2020}}</ref> Osaka mayor and Osaka Ishin co-leader [[Ichiro Matsui]] said he would resign when his term ends in 2023.<ref name="metropolis-2020"/>

=== Energy policies ===
==== Nuclear power ====
On February 27, 2012, three Kansai cities, [[Kyoto]], Osaka, and [[Kobe]], jointly asked [[Kansai Electric Power Company]] to break its dependence on nuclear power. In a letter to KEPCO they also requested to disclose information on the demand and supply of electricity, and for lower and stable prices. The three cities were stockholders of the plant: Osaka owned 9% of the shares, while Kobe had 3% and Kyoto 0.45%. Toru Hashimoto, the mayor of Osaka, announced a proposal to minimize the dependence on nuclear power for the shareholders meeting in June 2012.<ref>The Mainichi Shimbun (February 27, 2012)[http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20120227p2g00m0dm044000c.html 3 major Kansai cities aim to break dependence on nuclear power] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120710025044/http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20120227p2g00m0dm044000c.html |date=July 10, 2012 }}</ref>

On March 18, 2012, the city of Osaka decided as largest shareholder of Kansai Electric Power Co, that at the next shareholders-meeting in June 2012 it would demand a series of changes:
* that Kansai Electric would be split into two companies, separating power generation from power transmission.
* a reduction of the number of the utility's executives and employees.
* the implementation of absolutely secure measurements to ensuring the safety of the nuclear facilities.
* the disposing of spent fuel.
* the installation of new kind of thermal power generation to secure non-nuclear supply of energy.
* selling all unnecessary assets including the stock holdings of KEPCO.
In this action, Osaka had secured the support of two other cities and shareholders: [[Kyoto]] and [[Kobe]], but with their combined voting-rights of 12.5 percent they were not certain of the ultimate outcome, because for this two-thirds of the shareholders would be needed to agree to revise the corporate charter.<ref>The Mainichi Shimbun (March 19, 2012) [http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20120319p2g00m0dm011000c.html Osaka aims to end Kansai Electric's nuclear power ops as shareholder] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319172039/http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20120319p2g00m0dm011000c.html|date=March 19, 2012}}</ref>

At a meeting held on April 10, 2012, by the "energy strategy council", formed by the city of Osaka and the governments of the prefectures, it became clear that at the end of the fiscal year 2011 some 69 employees of Kansai Electric Power Company were former public servants. "[[Amakudari]]" was the Japanese name for this practice of rewarding by hiring officials that formerly controlled and supervised the firm. Such people included the following:
* 13 ex-officials of the: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
* 3 ex-officials of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry,
* 2 ex-officials of the Ministry of the Environment,
* 16 former policemen,
* 10 former fire-fighters,
* 13 former civil engineers.

Besides this, it became known that Kansai Electric had done about 600 external financial donations, to a total sum of about 1.695 billion yen:
* 70 donations were paid to local governments: to a total of 699 million yen
* 100 donations to public-service organizations: 443 million yen,
* 430 donations to various organizations and foundations: a total of 553 million yen
During this meeting some 8 conditions were compiled, that needed to be fulfilled before a restart of the No.3 and No.4 reactors Oi Nuclear Power Plant:
* the consent of the local people and government within 100 kilometer from the plant
* the installation of a new independent regulatory agency
* a nuclear safety agreement
* the establishment of new nuclear safety standards
* stress tests and evaluations based on these new safety rules<ref>The Mainichi Shimbun (April 10, 2012) [http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20120410p2a00m0na014000c.html Kansai Electric, affiliates had 69 ex-bureaucrats employed as execs as of end of fiscal 2011] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414140532/http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20120410p2a00m0na014000c.html |date=April 14, 2012 }}</ref>

== Economy ==
{{Main|Hanshin Industrial Region|Keihanshin industrial region}}

[[File:Osaka umeda06s3200.jpg|thumb|upright|A street in Umeda, Osaka]]
The gross city product of Osaka in fiscal year 2004 was ¥21.3 trillion, an increase of 1.2% over the previous year. The figure accounts for about 55% of the total output in the Osaka Prefecture and 26.5% in the Kinki region. In 2004, commerce, services, and manufacturing have been the three major industries, accounting for 30%, 26%, and 11% of the total, respectively. The per capita income in the city was about ¥3.3 million, 10% higher than that of the Osaka Prefecture.<ref>{{cite web |script-title=ja:大阪市データネット市民経済計算 |trans-title=Osaka City Datanet: Osaka City Economy|language=ja|url=http://www.city.osaka.jp/keikakuchousei/toukei/E000/Ea00/Ea00.html|access-date=March 25, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061207175629/http://www.city.osaka.jp/keikakuchousei/toukei/E000/Ea00/Ea00.html|archive-date=December 7, 2006}}</ref> [[MasterCard]] Worldwide reported that Osaka ranks 19th among the world's leading cities and plays an important role in the global economy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mastercard.com/us/company/en/insights/pdfs/2008/MCWW_WCoC-Report_2008.pdf|title=Mastercard - Global Leading Company in Payment Solutions Offering Credit, Debit, Prepaid Cards & More|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080624211344/http://www.mastercard.com/us/company/en/insights/pdfs/2008/MCWW_WCoC-Report_2008.pdf|archive-date=June 24, 2008}}</ref> Osaka's GDP per capita (Nominal) was $59,958.($1=\120.13)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/toshikeikaku/cmsfiles/contents/0000410/410210/gaiyou2016-6.pdf |title=Osaka GDP |access-date=August 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822145454/http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/toshikeikaku/cmsfiles/contents/0000410/410210/gaiyou2016-6.pdf |archive-date=August 22, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/toshikeikaku/page/0000379310.html |title=Osaka 2015 Population}}</ref> However, by 2020, Osaka ranked as the 5th most expensive city due to flatlining consumer prices and government subsidies of public transportation.<ref name="forbes-2020">{{cite web |title=The World's 10 Most Expensive Cities To Live In |work=Forbes |date=November 18, 2020 |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesphillipps/2020/11/18/these-are-the-worlds-10-most-expensive-cities-to-live-in/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109090225/https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesphillipps/2020/11/18/these-are-the-worlds-10-most-expensive-cities-to-live-in/ |archive-date=January 9, 2021 |access-date=January 9, 2021 }}</ref>

[[File:Osaka-Securities-Exchange-01.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Osaka Exchange]] in the Kitahama district of Osaka]]
Historically, Osaka was the center of commerce in Japan, especially in the middle and pre-modern ages. [[Nomura Securities]], the first brokerage firm in Japan, was founded in the city in 1925, and Osaka still houses a leading futures exchange. Many major companies have since moved their main offices to Tokyo. However, several major companies, such as [[Panasonic]], [[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]], and [[Sanyo]], are still headquartered in Osaka. Recently, the city began a program, headed by mayor Junichi Seki, to attract domestic and foreign investment.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/20061228TDY16003.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070103015657/http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/20061228TDY16003.htm |archive-date=January 3, 2007 |title=Osaka aims to stem exodus of firms to Tokyo |access-date=June 1, 2016 }}</ref> In the 2017 [[Global Financial Centres Index]], Osaka was ranked as having the 15th most competitive financial center in the world and fifth most competitive in Asia (after [[Economy of Singapore#Banking|Singapore]], [[Hong Kong#Financial centre|Hong Kong]], [[Tokyo#Economy|Tokyo]], and [[Shanghai#Economy|Shanghai]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.longfinance.net/images/gfci/gfci_21.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611000617/http://www.longfinance.net/images/gfci/gfci_21.pdf|archive-date=June 11, 2017|title=The Global Financial Centres Index 21|date=March 2017|publisher=Long Finance}}</ref>

The [[Osaka Securities Exchange]], specializing in derivatives such as [[Nikkei 225]] futures, is based in Osaka. The merger with [[JASDAQ]] will help the Osaka Securities Exchange become the largest exchange in Japan for start-up companies.<ref>{{cite web|author=経営に資する統合的内部監査 |url=http://www.j-cast.com/2008/06/11021633.html |script-title=ja:大証との経営統合、ようやく決着ジャスダック : J-CASTニュース |publisher=J-cast.com |access-date=May 5, 2010|date=June 11, 2008 }}</ref>

According to global consulting firm Mercer, Osaka was the second [[List of most expensive cities for expatriate employees|most expensive city for expatriate employees]] in the world in 2009. It jumped up nine places from 11th place in 2008 and was the eighth most expensive city in 2007. However, it was not ranked in the top ten places of the list in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mercer.com/costoflivingpr#Top_50 |title=Worldwide Cost of Living survey 2009 |publisher=Mercer.com |date=July 7, 2009 |access-date=May 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725215323/http://www.mercer.com/costoflivingpr#Top_50 |archive-date=July 25, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=2013 Cost of Living Rankings|url=http://www.mercer.com/costoflivingpr|work=Mercer|publisher=Mercer LLC|access-date=February 23, 2014|year=2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725215323/http://www.mercer.com/costoflivingpr|archive-date=July 25, 2011}}</ref> The [[Economist Intelligence Unit]] (EIU) ranked Osaka as the second most expensive city in the world in its 2013 Cost of Living study.<ref>{{cite news|title=The world's most expensive cities|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/datablog/2014/feb/14/most-expensive-cities|access-date=February 23, 2014|newspaper=The Guardian|date=February 14, 2014|author=George Arnett|author2=Chris Michael}}</ref>

===Keihanshin region===
[[File:Osaka Metropolitan Employment Area 2015.png|thumb|Greater Osaka (without Kyoto) [[Urban Employment Area|Metropolitan Employment Area]]]]
[[File:Keihanshin MEAs 2015.png|thumb|Keihanshin with [[Osaka Prefecture|Osaka]] (red), [[Kobe Prefecture|Kobe]] (green), and [[Kyoto Prefecture|Kyoto]] (blue)]]

Osaka is part of the [[metropolitan region]] called [[Keihanshin]] (also known as Greater Osaka) in the [[Kansai region]]. The Keihanshin region includes the prefectures of [[Osaka Prefecture|Osaka]], [[Kyoto Prefecture|Kyoto]], [[Hyōgo Prefecture|Hyōgo]] ([[Kobe]]), [[Nara Prefecture|Nara]], [[Shiga Prefecture|Shiga]], [[Wakayama Prefecture|Wakayama]], [[Sakai, Osaka|Sakai]].<ref name="stats-boj">{{cite web |publisher= Statistics Bureau of Japan |url=https://www.e-stat.go.jp/stat-search/files?page=1&layout=datalist&toukei=00200521&tstat=000001080615&cycle=0&tclass1=000001110216&second=1&second2=1& |title=2015 Census Final Data}}</ref> The Keihanshin region has a population ({{As of|2015|lc=y}}) of 19,303,000 (15% of Japan's population) which covers {{convert|13,228|km2|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="japan2">{{cite web |url=http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/pdf/2019all.pdf |title=Table 2.10 Population of Three Major Metropolitan Areas |publisher=Statistics Bureau of Japan |page=21|access-date=November 26, 2019}}</ref> It is ranked the second most [[largest Japanese metropolitan areas|urban region in Japan]] after the [[Greater Tokyo area]] and 10th [[List of urban areas by population|largest urban area in the world]].<ref name="japan2"/> Keihanshin has a GDP of approximately $953.9 billion in 2012 (16th largest in the world).<ref>[http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Economy/GDP#2012 NationMaster.com]</ref> Osaka-Kobe has a [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] of $681 billion (2015), which is a bit more than [[Paris]] or [[Greater London]].<ref>[https://www.brookings.edu/research/redefining-global-cities/ Brookings Institution report 2015], retrieved August 23, 2015</ref>

== Transportation ==
{{Main|Transport in Keihanshin}}
[[File:Wide-Area Map of Osaka City Subway.png|thumb|Map of [[Osaka Metro]] system]]

Greater Osaka has an extensive network of railway lines, comparable to that of Greater Tokyo. Major stations within the city include {{Nihongo4|[[Umeda Station|Umeda]]|梅田}}, {{Nihongo4|[[Namba Station|Namba]]|難波}}, {{Nihongo4|[[Shinsaibashi Station|Shinsaibashi]]|心斎橋}}, {{Nihongo4|[[Tennōji Station|Tennōji]]|天王寺}}, {{Nihongo4|[[Kyōbashi Station (Osaka)|Kyōbashi]]|京橋}}, and {{Nihongo4|[[Yodoyabashi Station|Yodoyabashi]]|淀屋橋}}.

Osaka connects to its surrounding cities and suburbs via the [[JR West]] [[Urban Network]] as well as numerous private lines such as [[Keihan Electric Railway]], [[Hankyu Railway]], [[Hanshin Electric Railway]], [[Kintetsu Railway]], and [[Nankai Electric Railway]].

The [[Osaka Metro]] system alone ranks 8th in the world by annual passenger ridership, serving over 912 million people annually (a quarter of Greater Osaka Rail System's 4 billion annual riders), despite being only 8 of more than 70 lines in the metro area.

All [[Shinkansen]] trains including ''[[Nozomi (train)|Nozomi]]'' stop at [[Shin-Ōsaka Station|Shin-Osaka Station]] and provide access to other major cities in Japan, such as Kobe, Kyoto, Nagoya, Yokohama, and Tokyo.

Regular bus services are provided by [[Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau|Osaka City Bus]], as well Hankyu, Hanshin and Kintetsu, providing a dense network covering most parts of the city.

Osaka is served by two airports situated just outside of the city, [[Kansai International Airport]] ([[IATA]]: '''KIX''') which handles primarily international passenger flights and [[Osaka International Airport]] ([[IATA]]: '''ITM''') which handles mostly domestic services and some international cargo flights.

Due to its geographical position, Osaka's international ferry connections are far greater than that of Tokyo, with international service to Shanghai, Tianjin, [[Korea]] along with domestic routes to [[Kitakyushu]], [[Kagoshima]], [[Miyazaki, Miyazaki|Miyazaki]] and [[Okinawa]].

== Culture and lifestyle ==
[[File:Osaka Hanyku Grand.tif|thumb|right|A chef prepares for the evening rush in Umeda.]]
[[File:Takoyaki-osk.jpg|thumb|[[Takoyaki]] (たこ焼き)]] [[File:Dotonbori 19.jpg|thumb|The [[Ezaki Glico|Glico Man]] among numerous signboards at [[Dōtonbori]]]]
[[File:Grand Front Osaka and Yodobashi Umeda in 201504 001.JPG|thumb|right|Grand Front Osaka]]
[[File:Chayamachi Osaka.jpg|thumb|Chayamachi district in Kita-ku]]
[[File:Amerikamura 2014.jpg|thumb|[[Amerikamura]] in Chuo-ku]]
[[File:Nipponbashi Osaka Japan01-r.jpg|thumb|[[Nipponbashi]] in Naniwa-ku]]

=== Shopping and food ===
Osaka has a large number of wholesalers and retail shops: 25,228 and 34,707 respectively in 2004, according to the city statistics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.city.osaka.jp/keikakuchousei/toukei/G000/Gyh17/Ga00/Ga00.html |title=大阪市データネット 1 主要指標 |access-date=February 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070510223307/http://www.city.osaka.jp/keikakuchousei/toukei/G000/Gyh17/Ga00/Ga00.html |archive-date=May 10, 2007 }}</ref> Many of them are concentrated in the wards of Chuō (10,468 shops) and Kita (6,335 shops). Types of shops vary from malls to conventional [[shōtengai]] shopping arcades, built both above- and underground.<ref>{{cite book | last = Reiber | first = Beth |author2=Janie Spencer | title = Frommer's Japan | publisher = Frommer's | year = 2008 | page = 388 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=CtVJf_gocJUC&q=Osaka+shopping+malls&pg=PA388 | isbn = 978-0-470-18100-3 }}</ref> Shōtengai are seen across Japan, and Osaka has the longest one in the country.<ref>[http://www.kansai.gr.jp/KansaiWindowhtml/Collection/English/000232.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222175100/http://www.kansai.gr.jp/KansaiWindowhtml/Collection/English/000232.html|date=December 22, 2008}}</ref> The Tenjinbashi-suji arcade stretches from the road approaching the [[Ōsaka Tenman-gū|Tenmangū shrine]] and continues for {{convert|2.6|km|1|abbr=in}} going north to south. The stores along the arcade include commodities, clothing, and catering outlets.

Other shopping areas include [[Nipponbashi|Den Den Town]], the electronic and manga/anime district, which is comparable to Akihabara; the [[Umeda]] district, which has the Hankyu Sanbangai shopping mall and [[Yodobashi Camera]], a huge electrical appliance store that offers a vast range of fashion stores, restaurants, and a Shonen Jump store.
Osaka is known for its food, in Japan and abroad. Author [[Michael Booth]] and food critic [[François Simon (food critic)|François Simon]] of {{Lang|fr|[[Le Figaro]]}} have suggested that Osaka is the food capital of the world.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/jul/13/osaka-japan-best-food-city | work=The Guardian | first=Michael | last=Booth | title=Osaka - the world's greatest food city | date=July 13, 2009}}</ref> Osakans' love for the culinary is made apparent in the old saying "Kyotoites are financially ruined by overspending on clothing, Osakans are ruined by spending on food."<ref>{{cite book|title=Japan Quarterly, ''Asahi Shinbunsha'' 1954 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gBgVAAAAMAAJ&q=kyoto+kidaore|access-date = March 25, 2007|author1=Shinbunsha, Asahi|year=1979}}</ref> Regional cuisine includes {{Nihongo4||お好み焼き|''[[okonomiyaki]]''|pan-fried batter cake}}, {{Nihongo4||たこ焼き|''[[takoyaki]]''|[[Octopus as food|octopus]] in fried batter}}, {{Nihongo4||うどん|''[[udon]]''|a noodle dish}}, as well as the traditional {{nihongo4||押し寿司|''[[oshizushi]]''|pressed sushi}}, particularly {{nihongo4||バッテラ|battera|pressed mackerel sushi}}.
Osaka is known for its fine sake, which is made with fresh water from the prefecture's mountains.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kuidaore-osaka.com/en/taste/sake/|title=Superior brand sake: Food Library - Kuidaore Osaka|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327011119/http://www.kuidaore-osaka.com/en/taste/sake/|archive-date=March 27, 2015|access-date=July 18, 2014}}</ref> Osaka's culinary prevalence is the result of a location that has provided access to high-quality ingredients, a high population of merchants, and proximity to the ocean and waterway trade.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kuidaore-osaka.com/en/roots/|title=The Roots: Food Library - Kuidaore Osaka|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327011053/http://www.kuidaore-osaka.com/en/roots/|archive-date=March 27, 2015|access-date=July 18, 2014}}</ref> In recent years, Osaka has started to garner more attention from foreigners with the increased popularity of cooking and dining in popular culture.<ref>[http://thecitylane.com/osaka-food-guide/ Osaka Food Guide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020054652/http://thecitylane.com/osaka-food-guide/|date=October 20, 2014}}, The City Lane</ref>

Other shopping districts include:
* [[Amerikamura|American Village (Amerika-mura or "Ame-mura")]] – fashion for young people
* [[Dōtonbori]] – part of Namba district and considered heart of the city
* [[Namba]] – main shopping, sightseeing, and restaurant area
* [[Shinsaibashi]] – luxury goods and department stores
*[[File:Osaka market.jpg|thumb|Osaka market]] [[Umeda]] – theaters, boutiques, and department stores near the train station

=== Entertainment and performing arts ===
{{See also|Kamigata}}
[[File:National Museum of Art, Osaka.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[National Museum of Art, Osaka|National Museum of Art]], a subterranean museum of Japanese and international art]]

* Osaka is home to the [[National Bunraku Theatre]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ntj.jac.go.jp/english/index.html|title=National Theatre of Japan|publisher=Ntj.jac.go.jp|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021004001515/http://www.ntj.jac.go.jp/english/index.html|archive-date=October 4, 2002|access-date=May 5, 2010}}</ref> where traditional puppet plays, [[bunraku]], are performed.
* At Osaka Shochiku-za, close to Namba station, [[kabuki]] can be enjoyed as well as [[manzai]].
* At Shin Kabuki-za, formerly near Namba and now near [[Ōsaka Uehommachi Station|Uehommachi]] area, [[enka]] concerts and Japanese dramas are performed.
* [[Yoshimoto Kogyo]], a Japanese entertainment conglomerate operates a hall in the city for manzai and other comedy shows: the Namba Grand Kagetsu hall.
* The Hanjō-tei opened in 2006, dedicated to [[rakugo]]. The theatre is in the [[Ōsaka Tenman-gū]] area.
* [[Umeda Arts Theater]] opened in 2005 after relocating from its former 46-year-old Umeda Koma Theater. The theater has a main hall with 1,905 seats and a smaller theater-drama hall with 898 seats. Umeda Arts Theatre stages various type of performances including musicals, music concerts, dramas, rakugo, and others.
* The Symphony Hall, built in 1982, is the first hall in Japan designed specially for classical music concerts. The Hall was opened with a concert by the [[Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra]], which is based in the city. Orchestras such as the [[Berlin Philharmonic]] and [[Vienna Philharmonic]] have played here during their world tours as well.
* [[Osaka-jō Hall]] is a multi-purpose arena in [[Osaka Castle Park|Osaka-jō park]] with a capacity for up to 16,000 people. The hall has hosted numerous events and concerts including both Japanese and international artists.
* Nearby City Hall in [[Nakanoshima Park]], is Osaka Central Public Hall, a [[Neo-Renaissance]]-style building first opened in 1918. Re-opened in 2002 after major renovation, it serves as a multi-purpose rental facility for citizen events.
* The [[Shiki Theatre Company|Osaka Shiki Theatre]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shiki.gr.jp/siteinfo/english/theatres/osakashiki.html |script-title=ja:劇団四季サイトインフォメーション Theatres |publisher=Shiki.gr.jp |access-date=May 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100813120320/http://www.shiki.gr.jp/siteinfo/english/theatres/osakashiki.html |archive-date=August 13, 2010 }}</ref> is one of the nine private halls operated nationwide by the [[Shiki Theatre Company|Shiki Theatre]], staging straight plays and musicals.
* [[Festival Hall, Osaka|Festival Hall]] was a hall hosting various performances including [[noh]], [[kyōgen]], kabuki, ballets as well as classic concerts. The Bolshoi Ballet and the [[Philharmonia Orchestra|Philharmonia]] are among the many that were welcomed on stage in the past. The hall has closed at the end of 2008, planned to re-open in 2013 in a new facility.

=== Annual festivals ===
[[File:Tenjinmatsuri.JPG|thumb|Tenjin Matsuri]]

One of the most famous festivals held in Osaka, the {{ill|Tenjin Matsuri|ja|天神祭}}, is held on July 24 and 25 ([[Osaka Tenmangū]]). Other festivals in Osaka include the Aizen Matsuri (June 30–July 2, Shōman-in Temple), the Sumiyoshi Matsuri (July 30–August 1, [[Sumiyoshi Taisha]]), Shōryō-e (April 22, [[Shitennō-ji]]) and Tōka-Ebisu (January 9–10, Imamiya Ebisu Jinja). The annual [[Osaka Asian Film Festival]] takes place in Osaka every March.

=== Museums and galleries ===
{{see also|:Category:Museums in Osaka{{!}}Museums in Osaka}}

The [[National Museum of Art, Osaka|National Museum of Art]] (NMAO) is a subterranean Japanese and international art museum, housing mainly collections from the post-war era and regularly welcoming temporary exhibitions. [[Osaka Science Museum]] is in a five storied building next to the National Museum of Art, with a planetarium and an [[OMNIMAX]] theatre. The [[Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka|Museum of Oriental Ceramics]] holds more than 2,000 pieces of ceramics, from China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, featuring displays of some of their Korean [[celadon]] under natural light. [[Osaka Municipal Museum of Art]] is inside [[Tennōji Park|Tennōji park]], housing over 8,000 pieces of Japanese and Chinese paintings and sculptures. The [[Osaka Museum of History]], opened in 2001, is located in a 13-story modern building providing a view of [[Osaka Castle]]. Its exhibits cover the history of Osaka from pre-history to the present day. Osaka Museum of Natural History houses a collection related to natural history and life.

=== Sports ===
[[File:Kyocera Dome Osaka1.jpg|thumb|The [[Osaka Dome]], home to the Orix Buffaloes and Hanshin Tigers]]
Osaka hosts four professional sport teams: one of them is the [[Orix Buffaloes]], a [[Nippon Professional Baseball]] team, playing its home games at [[Osaka Dome|Kyocera Dome Osaka]]. Another baseball team, the [[Hanshin Tigers]], although based in [[Nishinomiya, Hyōgo]], plays a part of its home games in [[Osaka Dome|Kyocera Dome Osaka]] as well, when their homeground [[Koshien Stadium]] is occupied with the annual [[Japanese High School Baseball Championship|National High School Baseball Championship]] games during summer season.

There are two [[J.League]] clubs, [[Gamba Osaka]], plays its home games at [[Suita City Football Stadium]]. Another club [[Cerezo Osaka]], plays its home games at [[Yanmar Stadium Nagai]]. The city is home to [[Osaka Evessa]], a basketball team that plays in the [[B.League]]. Evessa has won the first three championships of the league since its establishment. [[Kintetsu Liners]], a [[rugby union]] team, play in the [[Japan Rugby League One|Top League]]. After winning promotion in 2008–09, they will again remain in the competition for the 2009–10 season. Their base is the [[Kintetsu Hanazono Rugby Stadium|Hanazono Rugby Stadium]].

The {{Nihongo4||春場所|''Haru Basho''|"Spring Tournament"}}, one of the six regular tournaments of professional [[sumo]], is held annually in Osaka at [[Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium]].

Another major annual sporting event that takes place in Osaka is [[Osaka International Ladies Marathon]]. Held usually at the end of January every year, the {{convert|42.195|km|3|abbr=in|adj=on}} race starts from Nagai Stadium, runs through [[Nakanoshima]], [[Midōsuji]] and [[Osaka Castle|Osaka castle]] park, and returns to the stadium. Another yearly event held at Nagai Stadium is the Osaka Gran Prix Athletics games operated by the [[International Association of Athletics Federations]] (IAAF) in May. The Osaka GP is the only IAAF games annually held in Japan.

Osaka made the bid for the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] and the [[2008 Summer Paralympics]] but was eliminated in the first round of the vote on July 13, 2001, which awarded the game to Beijing.

Osaka was one of the host cities of the official [[Women's Volleyball World Championship]] for its [[1998 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship|1998]], [[2006 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship|2006]] and [[2010 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship|2010]] editions.

Osaka is the home of the 2011 created [[Japan Bandy Federation]] and the introduction of [[bandy]], in the form of [[rink bandy]], was made in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbandy.com/news.asp?newsid=50&title=Bandy%20came%20to%20Japan!|title=Bandy came to Japan!|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502200433/http://www.worldbandy.com/news.asp?newsid=50&title=Bandy%20came%20to%20Japan!|archive-date=May 2, 2012}}</ref> In July 2012 the first Japan Bandy Festival was organized.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbandy.com/news.asp?newsid=138&title=BANDY%20Festival%202012%20in%20OSAKA|title=BANDY Festival 2012 in OSAKA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016043725/http://www.worldbandy.com/news.asp?newsid=138&title=BANDY%20Festival%202012%20in%20OSAKA|archive-date=October 16, 2012}}</ref>

=== Media ===
[[File:NHK Osaka Broadcasting Station Bldg 20060604-001.jpg|thumb|upright|NHK Osaka]]
Osaka serves as one of the media hubs for Japan, housing headquarters of many media-related companies. Abundant television production takes place in the city and every nationwide TV network (with the exception of TXN network) registers its secondary-key station in Osaka. All five nationwide newspaper majors also house their regional headquarters, and most local newspapers nationwide have branches in Osaka. However major film productions are uncommon in the city. Most major films are produced in nearby [[Kyoto]] or in Tokyo. The [[Ad Council Japan]] was founded in 1971 is based in Osaka, now it is the Osaka branch.

==== Newspapers ====
All five major national newspapers of Japan, ''[[The Asahi Shimbun]]'', ''[[Mainichi Shimbun]]'', ''[[Nihon Keizai Shimbun]]'', ''[[Sankei Shimbun]]'' and ''[[Yomiuri Shimbun]]'',<ref>The five largest newspapers by number of circulation in Japan in alphabetical order. {{cite book | last = Mooney | first = Sean |author2=ebrary, Inc | title = 5,110 Days in Tokyo and Everything's Hunky-dory | publisher = Greenwood Publishing Group | year = 2000 | pages = 99–104 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Fkt8CkTejUAC | isbn = 978-1-56720-361-5 }}</ref> have their regional headquarters in Osaka and issue their regional editions. Furthermore, Osaka houses Osaka Nichi-nichi Shimbun, its newspaper press. Other newspaper-related companies located in Osaka include the regional headquarters of FujiSankei Business i.;Houchi Shimbunsha; [[Nikkan Sports]]; [[Sports Nippon]], and offices of [[Kyodo News]] [[Jiji Press]]; [[Reuters]]; [[Bloomberg L.P.]]

====Broadcasting====
The five TV networks are represented by [[Asahi Broadcasting Corporation]] ([[All-Nippon News Network|ANN]]), [[Kansai Telecasting Corporation]] ([[Fuji News Network|FNN]]), [[Mainichi Broadcasting System]], Inc. ([[Japan News Network|JNN]]), [[Television Osaka]], Inc. ([[TX Network|TXN]]) and [[Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation]] ([[Nippon News Network|NNN]]), headquartered in Osaka. [[NHK]] has also its regional station based in the city. AM Radio services are provided by NHK as well as the ABC Radio (Asahi Broadcasting Corporation), MBS Radio (Mainichi Broadcasting System, Inc.) and Radio Osaka ([[Osaka Broadcasting Corporation]]) and headquartered in the city. FM services are available from NHK, [[FM OSAKA]], [[FM802]] and [[FM Cocolo]], the last providing programs in multiple languages including English.

==== Publishing companies ====
Osaka is home to many publishing companies, including Examina, Izumi Shoin, Kaihou Shuppansha, Keihanshin Elmagazine, Seibundo Shuppan, Sougensha, and Toho Shuppan.

== Education ==
[[File:KansaiUV1.JPG|thumb|right|[[Kansai University]]]]
[[File:Osaka_City_University_Main_Building_20190818.jpg|thumb|[[Osaka Metropolitan University]]]]

Public elementary and junior high schools in Osaka are operated by the city of Osaka. Its supervisory organization on educational matters is Osaka City Board of Education.<ref>[http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/english/more_about_osaka/administrative.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310133632/http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/english/more_about_osaka/administrative.html|date=March 10, 2010}}</ref> Likewise, public high schools are operated by the [[Osaka Prefectural Board of Education]].

Osaka once had a large number of universities and high schools, but because of growing campuses and the need for larger area, many chose to move to the suburbs, including [[Osaka University]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.jp/kyouiku_hiroba/02/osaka-city-education-history.html |trans-title=History of Education in Osaka |script-title=ja:大阪市の教育史 |access-date=February 18, 2009 |language=ja |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090406021719/http://www.geocities.jp/kyouiku_hiroba/02/osaka-city-education-history.html |archive-date=April 6, 2009 }}</ref>

Historically foreign expatriates in the Kansai region preferred to live in [[Kobe]] rather than Osaka. As a result, until 1991 the Osaka area had no schools catering to expatriate children.<ref name=Stewartp43>Stewart, Alex. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20040921130423/http://www.accj.or.jp/document_library/Journal/1070851088.pdf educating kansai]" ([http://web.archive.org/web/20040921130423/http://www.accj.or.jp/document_library/Journal/1070851088.pdf Archive]). ''The Journal of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan'' (''Jānaru''), Volume 40, Issues 7–12. [[The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan]] (ACCJ), 2003. p. 43.</ref> [[Osaka International School of Kwansei Gakuin]], founded in 1991, is located in nearby [[Minoh, Osaka|Minoh]],<ref>"[http://yayoi.senri.ed.jp/downloads/1409_School%20profile%202014-2015.pdf School Profile 2014–2015]" ({{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306100142/http://yayoi.senri.ed.jp/downloads/1409_School%20profile%202014-2015.pdf |date=March 6, 2016 }}). [[Osaka International School of Kwansei Gakuin]]. Retrieved on November 1, 2015.</ref> and it was the first international school in the Osaka area.<ref name=Stewartp43/> The [[Great Hanshin earthquake|Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake]] of 1995 caused a decline in demand for international schools, as there were about 2,500 U.S. nationals resident in Osaka after the earthquake while the pre-earthquake number was about 5,000. [[American Chamber of Commerce in Japan]] (ACCJ) Kansai chapter president Norman Solberg stated that since 2002 the numbers of expatriates in Kansai were recovering "but the fact is there is still a persistent exodus to Tokyo."<ref>Stewart, Alex. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20040921130423/http://www.accj.or.jp/document_library/Journal/1070851088.pdf education kansai]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20040921130423/http://www.accj.or.jp/document_library/Journal/1070851088.pdf Archive]). ''The Journal of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan'' (''Jānaru''), Volume 40, Issues 7–12. [[The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan]] (ACCJ), 2003. p. 41.</ref> In 2001 the city of Osaka and [[YMCA]] established the [[Osaka YMCA International School]].<ref name=Stewartp43/>

Colleges and universities include:


{{Div col}}
* [[Kansai University]]
* [[Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences]]
* [[Osaka Metropolitan University]]
* [[Osaka University of Economics]]
* [[Osaka Institute of Technology]]
* [[Osaka Jogakuin College]]
* [[Osaka Seikei University]]
* [[Osaka University of Arts]], [[Minamikawachi District, Osaka]]
* [[Osaka University of Comprehensive Children education]]
* [[Osaka University of Education]]
* [[Soai University]]
* [[Tokiwakai Gakuen University]]
{{Div col end}}

=== Libraries ===
* International Institute for Children's Literature, Osaka<ref>[http://www.iiclo.or.jp/english/english.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080214043955/http://www.iiclo.or.jp/english/english.htm|date=February 14, 2008}}</ref>
* [[Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library]]
* Osaka Municipal Central Library

=== Learned society ===
* The Japanese Academy of [[Family Medicine]]

== Facilities ==
"Important cultural property" (重要文化財) after the name of a facility indicates an important cultural property designated by the country.

=== Leisure facilities and high-rise buildings ===
[[File:USJ_5years.JPG|thumb|[[Universal Studios Japan]]]]

{{Div col}}
* [[OAP Tower]]
* {{ill|Osaka Garden City|ja|オオサカガーデンシティ}}
* [[Osaka Business Park]]
* [[Intex Osaka]]
* {{ill|Tempozan Harbor Village|ja|天保山ハーバービレッジ}}
* [[Namba Parks]]
* [[Universal Studios Japan]]
* {{ill|Asia Pacific Trade Center|ja|アジア太平洋トレードセンター}}
* [[Osaka Prefectural Government Sakishima Building]]
* [[Umeda Sky Building]]
* [[Abeno Harukas]]
* [[Tsūtenkaku]] (Registered Tangible Cultural Property)
* [[Festivalgate]]
{{Div col end}}

=== Historical site ===
{{Div col}}
* [[Osaka Castle]]
* [[Kawaguchi foreign settlement]]
* [[Tekijuku]] (important cultural property)
* {{ill|Ruins of Naniwanomiya Palace|ja|難波宮}}
* {{ill|Hirano (Osaka)|ja|平野 (大阪市)|lt=Hirano}}
* {{ill|Horijo|ja|堀城}}
{{Div end}}

=== Parks and gardens ===
{{Div col}}
* [[Utsubo Park]]
* {{ill|Ogimachi Park|ja|扇町公園}}
* [[Nakanoshima Park]]
* [[Osaka Castle Park]]
* {{ill|Shirokita Park|ja|城北公園}}
* {{ill|Sakuranomiya Park|ja|桜之宮公園}}
* {{ill|Yodogawa River Park|ja|淀川河川公園}}
* {{ill|Hakubo Memorial Park Tsurumi Ryokuchi|ja|花博記念公園鶴見緑地}}
* [[Tennoji Park]]
* [[Nagai Park]]
* [[Sumiyoshi Park]]
* {{ill|Suminoe Park|ja|住之江公園}}
* {{ill|Osaka Nanko Bird Sanctuary|ja|大阪南港野鳥園}}
* {{ill|Keitaku Garden|ja|慶沢園}}
{{Div col end}}

<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="Gallery" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:UtsuboPark-RoseGarden02.jpg|[[Utsubo Park]]
File:Osaka Castle Park 20071230.jpg|[[Osaka Castle Park]]
File:Sakuranomiya-Park_02.jpg|{{ill|Sakuranomiya Park|ja|桜之宮公園}}
File:Yodogawa Kasen Park Juso area IMG 5195-2 20190114.jpg|Yodogawa Riverside Park
</gallery>

=== Ancient architecture ===
* [[Sumiyoshi Taisha]] main shrine (national treasure)

=== Modern architecture ===
* Around Umeda
*{{ill|Osaka Central Post Office|ja|大阪中央郵便局}} – {{ill|Central Electric Club|ja|中央電気倶楽部}} – {{ill|Oe Building|ja|大江ビルヂング}}
* Nakanoshima
*{{ill|Osaka City Central Public Hall|ja|大阪市中央公会堂}} (Important Cultural Property) – [[Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library]] (Important Cultural Property) – [[Bank of Japan]] Osaka Branch Old Building
* Around Osaka Castle
*{{ill|Old Mint Foundry Front Entrance|ja|旧造幣寮鋳造所正面玄関}} (Former Youth Art Gallery) (Important Cultural Property) – [[Senpukan]] (Important Cultural Property) – [[Osaka Castle]] (registered tangible cultural property) – former [[Osaka City Museum]] – {{ill|Osaka Prefectural Government Office|ja|大阪府庁舎}}
* Kitasenba, Minamisenba
*{{ill|Kitahama Retro Building|ja|北浜レトロビルヂング}} (Registered Tangible Cultural Property) – [[Osaka Securities Exchange]] – [[Sumitomo Mitsui Banking]] Osaka (Sumitomo Building) – {{ill|Arai Building|ja|新井ビル}} (Registration Tangible Cultural Property) – {{ill|Osaka Municipal Aizuku Kindergarten|ja|大阪市立愛珠幼稚園}} (Important Cultural Property) – [[Nippon Life]] Insurance Head Office Building – {{ill|Osaka Club|ja|大阪倶楽部}} (registered tangible cultural property) – [[Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation|Sumitomo Mitsui Bank Osaka Central Branch]] – {{ill|Koraibashi Nomura Building|ja|高麗橋野村ビル}} – {{ill|Nippon Christian Church Naniwa Church|ja|日本基督教団浪花教会}} – {{ill|Aoyama Building|ja|青山ビル}} (Registered Tangible Cultural property) – {{ill|Fushimi Building|ja|伏見ビル}} (registered tangible cultural property) – {{ill|former Konishi Gisuke store building|ja|コニシ}} (important cultural property) – {{ill|Osaka Gas Building|ja|大阪瓦斯ビルヂング}} (registered tangible cultural property) – {{ill|Ikoma Building|ja|生駒ビルヂング}} (registered tangible cultural property) – {{ill|Cotton Industry Hall|ja|綿業会館}} (Important Cultural Property) – [[Meidi-Ya]] building – {{ill|Miki Musical Instrument Headquarters|ja|三木楽器}} (Registered Tangible Cultural Properties) – {{ill|Harada Industry|ja|原田産業}}
* Shimojoba (Nishisenba)
*{{ill|Japanese Christian Church Osaka Church|ja|日本基督教団大阪教会}} (registered tangible cultural property) – Yamauchi Building (registered tangible cultural property) – Edobori Kodama Building (registered tangible cultural property)
* Shinsaibashi/Namba
**[[Daimaru]] Shinsaibashi – [[Takashimaya]] Osaka (Nankai Namba) – [[Takashimaya]] East Annex – {{ill|Miki Instruments Main Store Kaiseikan|ja|三木楽器}} (registered tangible cultural property)
* Osaka Port/Kawaguchi
*{{ill|Tsuki Port Red Brick Warehouse|ja|築港赤レンガ倉庫}} – {{ill|Sumitomo Warehouse Tsuki Port|ja|住友倉庫}} – MOL Mitsui Tsuki Port Building ({{ill|Osaka Merchant Ship|ja|大阪商船}}) – Japan Anglican Church Kawaguchi Christian Church (Registered Tangible Cultural Property) – {{ill|Mitsui Warehouse|ja|三井倉庫ホールディングス}} – [[Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau]] (Osaka City Electricity Bureau)

=== Theaters and halls ===
{{Div col}}
* {{ill|Izumi Hall|ja|いずみホール}}
* [[Umeda Arts Theater]]
* {{ill|Morinomiya Piloti Hall|ja|森ノ宮ピロティホール}}
* [[NHK Osaka Hall]]
* [[Osaka International Convention Center]]
* {{ill|Osaka Shiki Theater|ja|大阪四季劇場}}
* {{ill|Osaka Castle Music Hall|ja|大阪城音楽堂}}
* [[Osaka-jō Hall]]
* [[Orix Theater]]
* [[National Bunraku Theatre]]
* {{ill|The Symphony Hall|ja|ザ・シンフォニーホール}}
* {{ill|Theater BRAVA!|ja|シアターBRAVA!}}
* {{ill|New Kabukiza|ja|新歌舞伎座 (大阪)}}
* [[Zepp Osaka]]
* {{ill|Tenma Tenjin Hanjotei|ja|天満天神繁昌亭}}
* {{ill|Namba Grand Kagetsu|ja|なんばグランド花月}}
* [[Festival Hall, Osaka]]
{{Div col end}}

<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="Gallery" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Izumi_Hall_Osaka01n3200.jpg|{{ill|Izumi Hall|ja|いずみホール}}
File:Osaka-jo_Hall_in_201408.JPG|[[Osaka-jō Hall]]
File:National_Bunraku_Theatre_in_201408.JPG|[[National Bunraku Theatre]]
File:Temma-Tenjin_Hanjo-tei_in_201407.JPG|{{ill|Tenma Tenjin Hanjotei|ja|天満天神繁昌亭}}
</gallery>

=== Sport venues ===
[[File:Views from Abeno Harukas in 201512 008.JPG|thumb|260px|[[Nagai Park]] is visible at center.]]
{{Div col}}
* {{ill|Ogimachi Pool|ja|扇町プール}}
* [[Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium]]
* [[Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium]]
* [[Maruzen Intec Osaka Pool]]
* [[Kyocera Dome Osaka]]
* [[Nagai Park]]
* [[Yanmar Stadium Nagai]]
* [[Yanmar Field Nagai]]
* [[Yodoko Sakura Stadium]]
* [[Maishima Sports Island]]
{{Div col end}}

=== Religious facilities ===
; Shrines
{{Div col}}
* [[Sumiyoshi Taisha]]
* [[Osaka Tenmangu]]
* {{ill|Goryo Shrine|ja|御霊神社 (大阪市)}}
* [[Zama Shrine]]
* {{ill|Namba Shrine|ja|難波神社}}
* [[Ikukunitama Shrine]]
* [[Tamatsukuri Inari Shrine]]
* [[Kōzu-gū]]
* {{ill|Mitsu Hachimangu|ja|御津宮}}
* {{ill|Namba Yasaka Shrine|ja|難波八阪神社}}
* {{ill|Shinmei Shrine (Osaka)|lt=Shinmei Shrine|ja|神明神社 (大阪市)}}
* {{ill|Imamiya Shrine|ja|今宮戎神社}}
* {{ill|Abe Seimei Shrine|ja|阿倍王子神社}}
* {{ill|Kumata Shrine|ja|杭全神社}}
* {{ill|Tsuyunoten Shrine|ja|露天神社}}
* [[Tsunashiki Tenjin Shrine]]
* {{ill|Asahi Shinmeisha|ja|朝日神明社}}
{{Div col end}}
; Temples
{{Div col}}
* [[Shitennō-ji]]
* {{ill|Shitennoji Honbo Garden|ja|四天王寺本坊庭園}}
* {{ill|Shomanin|ja|勝鬘院}}
* [[Dainenbutsu-ji]]
* {{ill|Taishokannonji|ja|大聖観音寺}}
* [[Isshin-ji]]
* [[Taiyū-ji]]
* {{ill|Hozenji|ja|法善寺}}
* {{ill|Honganji Tsumura Betsuin|ja|本願寺津村別院}}
* {{ill|Shinshu Buddhist Otani-ha Sect Namba Betsuin Temple|ja|真宗大谷派難波別院}}
{{Div col end}}
; Churches
{{Div col}}
* {{ill|United Church of Christ in Japan (UCCJ) Naniwa Church|ja|日本基督教団大阪教会}}
* {{ill|Grand Cathedral of the Virgin Mary of Osaka|ja|大阪カテドラル聖マリア大聖堂}}
* Japan Anglican Church
* Japan Christian Church Osaka Fukushima Church
* Japan Evangelical Lutheran Osaka Church
{{Div col end}}
;
*
*

==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Japan}}
[[File:Osakatowernight.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Tsūtenkaku]], a symbol of Osaka's postwar reconstruction]]

===Twin towns – sister cities===
Osaka is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref name=sisters>{{cite web |title=The City of Osaka's International Network|url=https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/keizaisenryaku/english/international_network.html|website=city.osaka.lg.jp|publisher=Osaka|access-date=December 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415203553/https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/keizaisenryaku/english/international_network.html|archive-date=April 15, 2021}}</ref>


{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* {{flagicon|TUR}} [[Aksaray]], Turkey
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], United States (since November 1973)
* {{flagicon|DEU}} [[Hamburg]], Germany (since May 1989)
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Lyon]], [[Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]], France (since May 1984)
* {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], Australia (since April 1978)
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Milan]], [[Lombardy]], Italy (since June 1981)
* {{flagicon|BRA}} [[São Paulo]], Brazil (since October 1969)
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Saint Petersburg]], Russia (since August 1979)
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[San Francisco]], [[California]], United States (former partnership, October 1957–October 2018)
* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Shanghai]], China (since April 1974)
* {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada (since June 1994)
{{Div col end}}

===Friendship cooperation cities===
Osaka also cooperates with:<ref name=sisters/>
* {{flagicon|HUN}} [[Budapest]], Hungary (1998)
* {{flagicon|KOR}} [[Busan]], South Korea (2008)
* {{flagicon|ARG}} [[Buenos Aires]], Argentina (1998)
* {{flagicon|UKR}} [[Dnipro]], Ukraine (2022)

===Business partner cities===
Osaka's business partner cities, mostly in the [[Asia-Pacific]] region, are:<ref name=sisters/>
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* {{flagicon|NZL}} [[Auckland]], New Zealand
* {{flagicon|THA}} [[Bangkok]], Thailand
* {{flagicon|DEU}} [[Hamburg]], Germany
* {{flagicon|VNM}} [[Ho Chi Minh City]], Vietnam
* {{flagicon|HKG}} [[Hong Kong]], China
* {{flagicon|INA}} [[Jakarta]], Indonesia
* {{flagicon|MYS}} [[Kuala Lumpur]], Malaysia
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], United States
* {{flagicon|PHL}} [[Manila]], Philippines
* {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], Australia
* {{flagicon|IND}} [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], India
* {{flagicon|KOR}} [[Seoul]], South Korea
* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Shanghai]], China
* {{flagicon|SGP}} [[Singapore]]
* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Tianjin]], China
{{div col end}}

===Sister ports===
Osaka's sister ports are:<ref name=sisters/>
{{div col|colwidth=10em}}
* {{flagicon|KOR}} [[Port of Busan]], South Korea
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Port of Le Havre]], France
* {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Port of Melbourne]], Australia
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Port of San Francisco]], United States
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Port of Valencia]], Spain
* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Port of Shanghai]] (friendship port treaty)
* {{flagicon|CHL}} [[Valparaiso|Port of Valparaiso]], Chile
* {{flagicon|VNM}} [[Saigon Port]], Vietnam
{{div col end}}

== See also ==
* [[Expo '70]]
* [[Expo 2025]]
* [[List of metropolitan areas by population]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
{{See also|Timeline of Osaka#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Osaka}}
*{{cite journal|doi=10.1017/S0080440118000063|title=Castles and the Militarisation of Urban Society in Imperial Japan|journal=Transactions of the Royal Historical Society|volume=28|pages=107–134|year=2018|last1=Benesch|first1=Oleg|s2cid=158403519|url=http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/133333/1/Benesch_Castles_and_the_Militarisation_of_Urban_Society_in_Imperial_Japan_TRHS_Accepted_Manuscript.pdf|access-date=November 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120055147/http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/133333/1/Benesch_Castles_and_the_Militarisation_of_Urban_Society_in_Imperial_Japan_TRHS_Accepted_Manuscript.pdf|archive-date=November 20, 2018}}
*{{cite book |title=An Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles | last=De Lange |first=William |year=2021 |pages=600 pages|publisher=Toyo Press |location=Groningen |isbn=978-94-92722-30-0}}
*De Lange, William. (2022). ''The Siege of Osaka Castle: The Winter and Summer Campaigns''. Groningen: Toyo Press. {{ISBN| 978-949-2722-386}}
* Gerstle, C. Andrew. ''Kabuki Heroes on the Osaka Stage 1780–1830'' (2005).
* Hanes, Jeffrey. ''The City as Subject: Seki Hajime and the Reinvention of Modern Osaka'' (2002) [https://www.questia.com/read/105859766?title=The%20City%20as%20Subject%3a%20%20Seki%20Hajime%20and%20the%20Reinvention%20of%20Modern%20Osaka online edition] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513171856/http://www.questia.com/read/105859766?title=The%20City%20as%20Subject%3A%20%20Seki%20Hajime%20and%20the%20Reinvention%20of%20Modern%20Osaka |date=May 13, 2012 }}
* Hauser, William B. "Osaka: a Commercial City in Tokugawa Japan." ''Urbanism past and Present'' 1977–1978 (5): 23–36.
* Hein, Carola, et al. ''Rebuilding Urban Japan after 1945.'' (2003). 274 pp.
* Hotta, Chisato. "The Construction of the Korean Community in Osaka between 1920 and 1945: A Cross-Cultural Perspective." PhD dissertation U. of Chicago 2005. 498 pp. DAI 2005 65(12): 4680-A. DA3158708 Fulltext: [[ProQuest Dissertations & Theses]]
* Lockyer, Angus. "The Logic of Spectacle C. 1970", ''Art History,'' Sept 2007, Vol. 30 Issue 4, p571-589, on the international exposition held in 1970
* McClain, James L. and Wakita, Osamu, eds. ''Osaka: The Merchants' Capital of Early Modern Japan.'' (1999). 295 pp. [https://www.questia.com/read/103760551?title=Osaka%2c%20the%20Merchant's%20Capital%20of%20Early%20Modern%20Japan online edition] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513031100/http://www.questia.com/read/103760551?title=Osaka%2C%20the%20Merchant%27s%20Capital%20of%20Early%20Modern%20Japan |date=May 13, 2012 }}
* ''Michelin Red Guide Kyoto Osaka Kobe 2011'' (2011)
* [[Najita, Tetsuo]]. ''Visions of Virtue in Tokugawa Japan: The Kaitokudo Merchant Academy of Osaka.'' (1987). 334 pp. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120513171901/http://www.questia.com/read/34221399?title=Visions%20of%20Virtue%20in%20Tokugawa%20Japan%3a%20The%20Kaitokudo%20Merchant%20Academy%20of%20Osaka online edition]
* Rimmer, Peter J. "Japan's World Cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya or Tokaido Megalopolis?" ''Development and Change'' 1986 17(1): 121–157. {{ISSN|0012-155X}}
* Ropke, Ian Martin. Historical Dictionary of Osaka and Kyoto. 273pp Scarecrow Press (July 22, 1999) {{ISBN|978-0-8108-3622-8}}.
* Ruble, Blair A. ''Second Metropolis: Pragmatic Pluralism in Gilded Age Chicago, Silver Age Moscow, and Meiji Osaka.'' (2001). 464 pp.
* Torrance, Richard. "Literacy and Literature in Osaka, 1890–1940," ''The Journal of Japanese Studies'' 31#1 (Winter 2005), pp. 27–60 in [[Project MUSE]]

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary|大阪|Ōsaka}}
*[https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/enjoy/en/index.html Osaka City official website] {{in lang|en}}
* [https://osaka-info.jp/en/ Official Osaka Tourist Guide]
* {{Cite NSRW|short=x|wstitle=Osaka}}
* {{osmrelation-inline|358674|Osaka}}



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[[Category:Osaka| ]]
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Shizuoka (city)

2024-07-06T04:44:22Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{Short description|City in Shizuoka prefecture, Japan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Shizuoka
| native_name = {{lower|0.1em|{{nobold|{{lang|ja|静岡市}}}}}}
| official_name = City of Shizuoka<ref name="CityOfficialWebsite">{{Cite web | url=https://www.city.shizuoka.lg.jp/foreign_languages.html | title=Foreign Languages | date=2019-09-10 | website=City of Shizuoka | agency=Public Relations Section, Mayor's Office, General Affairs Bureau | access-date=2020-10-30 | language=ja,en,zh,ko,es,pt | url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018050607/https://www.city.shizuoka.lg.jp/foreign_languages.html | archive-date =2020-10-18 | df=dmy-all}}</ref>
| settlement_type = [[Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan|Designated city]]

| image_skyline = 静岡市モンタージュ画像.png
| imagesize =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Top left: Aoba Symbol Road; Top right: [[Shimizu Port]] Middle: [[Tōkaidō Shinkansen]] & [[Urban area]] [[Aoi Tower]],Keyaki Street,Higashi-Shizuoka subcenter,Gofukucho, [[Kunozan Toshogu]]
| image_flag = Flag of Shizuoka, Shizuoka.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_blank_emblem = Emblem of Shizuoka, Shizuoka.svg
| blank_emblem_type = Emblem
| nickname =
| motto =

| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=8}}
| image_map1 = Location of Shizuoka city Shizuoka prefecture Japan.svg
| map_alt1 =
| map_caption1 = Location of Shizuoka in [[Shizuoka Prefecture]]
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =  
| coordinates = {{coord|34|58|32|N|138|22|58|E|region:JPN-22|display=it}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 

| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = [[Japan]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Chūbu region|Chūbu]] ([[Tōkai region|Tōkai]])
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Shizuoka Prefecture]]
| subdivision_type3 =
| subdivision_name3 =

| established_title = First official record
| established_date = 663 AD
| established_title2 = City Status
| established_date2 = {{start date and age|df=yes|1889|04|01|br=y}}
| founder =
| named_for =

| seat_type = 
| seat =

| government_footnotes = 
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = [[Takashi Namba]]
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 =

| total_type = 
| unit_pref = 

| area_magnitude = 
| area_footnotes = 
| area_total_km2 = 1,411.90
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =

| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m =

| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 677867
| population_as_of = September 1, 2023
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_est =
| pop_est_as_of =
| population_demonym = 
| population_note =
| population_metro_footnotes =

| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time]]
| utc_offset1 = +9

| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type = 
| area_code =

| blank_name_sec1 = Symbols
| blank_info_sec1 =  
| blank1_name_sec1 = • Tree
| blank1_info_sec1 = [[Cornus florida|Flowering dogwood]]
| blank2_name_sec1 = • Flower
| blank2_info_sec1 = [[Alcea rosea|Hollyhock]]
| blank3_name_sec1 = • Bird
| blank3_info_sec1 = [[Common kingfisher]]
| blank4_name_sec1 =
| blank4_info_sec1 =
| blank5_name_sec1 =
| blank5_info_sec1 =
| blank6_name_sec1 =
| blank6_info_sec1 =
| blank7_name_sec1 =
| blank7_info_sec1 =

| blank_name_sec2 = Phone number
| blank_info_sec2 = 054-254-2111
| blank1_name_sec2 = Address
| blank1_info_sec2 = 5-1 Ōtemachi, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka-ken 420-8602

| website = {{Official|1= http://www.city.shizuoka.jp }}
| footnotes =
}}
{{nihongo|'''Shizuoka'''|静岡市|Shizuoka-shi|extra={{IPAc-ja|si|zu|'|o|ka}}}} is the capital city of [[Shizuoka Prefecture]], [[Japan]], and the prefecture's second-largest city in both population and area. It has been populated since prehistoric times. {{As of|2023|09|01|post=,}} the city had an estimated [[population]] of 677,867 in 106,087 households,<ref name="Shizuoka City">{{cite web | url=http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/000_001588_00001.html | title=Tsukibetsu jinkō dēta（Shizuoka shi no jinkō setaisū | script-title=ja:月別人口データ（静岡市の人口・世帯数 | trans-title=Monthly population data (population and number of households in Shizuoka City) | date=2020-10-10 | language=ja | website=City of Shizuoka | agency=Shizuoka City Planning Bureau, Planning Division, Statistics Section | access-date=2020-10-30 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030040324/https://www.city.shizuoka.lg.jp/000_001588_00001.html | archive-date=2020-10-30 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all}}</ref> and a [[population density]] of {{convert|480|PD/km2}}.

==Overview==
The city's name is made up of two ''[[kanji]]'', {{lang|ja|静}} ''shizu'', meaning "still" or "calm"; and {{lang|ja|岡}} ''oka'', meaning "hill(s)".<ref name="PlacenamesOfTheWorld" /> In 1869, Shizuoka Domain was first created out of the older [[Sunpu Domain]], and that name was retained when the city was incorporated in 1885. In 2003, Shizuoka absorbed neighboring Shimizu City (now [[Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka|Shimizu Ward]]) to create the new and expanded city of Shizuoka, briefly becoming the largest city by land area in Japan. In 2005, it became one of Japan's "[[Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan|designated cities]]".

===Cityscapes===
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="Gallery" heights="120px" perrow="3">
File:Sunpu-castle tatsumi-yagura.JPG|[[Sunpu Castle]] (2014)
File:Shizuoka Station 201016a.jpg|[[Central Business District|CBD]] of Shizuoka City (2020)
File:Higashi-Shizuoka Panorama 05.jpg|[[Skyline]] of Shizuoka City (2021)
File:Shichikencho Street（3）.jpg|[[Downtown]] of Shichikenchō (2021)
File:Konyacho Shopping Street (Gofukucho Dori) 2.jpg|Konyachō (2021)
File:Ryogae-cho （1）.jpg|Ryōgaechō (2021)
File:S-pulse dream plaza 201016a.jpg|Port of Shimizu (2022)
File:The sunrise over the Shizuoka Plain seen from the Choseniwa.jpg|Sunrise of Shizuoka City (2020)
</gallery>

==Geography==
Shizuoka City lies in central [[Shizuoka Prefecture]], about halfway between [[Tokyo]] and [[Nagoya]] along the [[Taiheiyō Belt|Tōkaidō Corridor]], between [[Suruga Bay]] to the south and the [[Akaishi Mountains|Minami Alps]] in the north. Shizuoka had the largest area of any municipality in Japan after merging with Shimizu City in April 2003, until February 2005, when [[Takayama, Gifu|Takayama]] in [[Gifu Prefecture]] superseded it by merging with nine surrounding municipalities.

The total area of the city is {{convert|1411.90|km2|sqmi|2|abbr=on}}.<ref name=2015stats>{{Cite web |url=http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/000163754.pdf |title=Shizuoka statistics |access-date=5 January 2016 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304131531/http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/000163754.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Shizuoka is the 5th largest city in Japan in terms of geographic area after Takayama, [[Hamamatsu]], [[Nikkō, Tochigi|Nikkō]], and [[Kitami, Hokkaido|Kitami]]. It is also the 2nd largest city in Shizuoka Prefecture in terms of both geographic area and population after [[Hamamatsu]], but ranks higher as an [[Urban Employment Area]],<ref name="2015_UEA_Data">{{Cite web | first1=Yoshitsugu | last1=Kanemoto | title=Urban Employment Area Population Data, Metropolitan Employment Area (MEA) (2015 Standards) | url=http://www.csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/UEA/MEA2015P.csv | website=Center for Spatial Information Science | language=ja,en |publisher=[[University of Tokyo]] | format=CSV | access-date=2010-10-30 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322072115/http://www.csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/UEA/MEA2015P.csv | archive-date=2019-03-22 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all}}</ref> and leads as a [[metropolitan area]] and business region.

The fan-like shape of the Shizuoka Plain and Miho Peninsula were formed over the ages by the fast-flowing [[Abe River]], carrying along collapsed sand and earth. These areas form the foundations of the city today.<ref name="APWS242" />{{rp|page=242}} The isolated [[Mount Kunō]] separates the Suruga coastline from the Shimizu coastline.
{{clear|left}}

=== Basic data ===
* Area of densely populated region
**{{convert|103.99|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
* Urban planning area
**{{convert|234.80|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
* Area zoned for urbanization
**{{convert|104.0|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}

===Nature===
[[File:Mount Aino fom Mount Kita 2001-7-2.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of Mount Aino|[[Mount Aino]], one of the [[100 Famous Japanese Mountains]], and the fourth tallest peak in Japan]]
[[File:Hatanagi I Dam 2007-11-14.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Photograph of Hatanagi-I Dam|The hydroelectric [[Hatanagi-I Dam]]—tallest [[concrete]] [[gravity dam]] in the world ]]
{{colbegin|colwidth=20em}}

====Mountains====
*{{nihongo|[[Mount Aino]]|間ノ岳|Aino-dake}}
*{{nihongo|[[Mount Shiomi]]|塩見岳|Shiomi-dake}}
*{{nihongo|[[Mount Warusawa]]|悪沢岳(荒川岳)|Warusawa-dake (Arakawa-dake)}}
*{{nihongo|[[Mount Akaishi]]|赤石岳|Akaishi-dake}}
*{{nihongo|[[Mount Hijiri]]|聖岳|Hijiri-dake}}
*{{nihongo|[[Mount Tekari]]|光岳|Tekari-dake}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Yanbushi|山伏|Yanbushi}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Daimugen|大無間山|Daimugen-zan}}
*{{nihongo|Mankan Pass|満観峠|Mankan-tōge}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Mafuji|真富士山|Mafuji-san}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Jūmai|十枚山|Jūmai-san}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Ryūsō|竜爪山|Ryūsō-zan}}
*{{nihongo|[[Mount Shizuhata]]|賤機山|Shizuhata-yama}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Yatsu|谷津山|Yatsu-yama}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Yahata|八幡山|Yahata-san}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Udo ([[Nihondaira]])|有度山(日本平)|Udo-san (Nihondaira)}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Kajiwara|梶原山|Kajiwara-yama}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Satta (Satta Pass)|薩埵山(薩埵峠)|Satta-yama (Satta-tōge)}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Hamaishi|浜石岳|Hamaishi-dake}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Ōmaru|大丸山|Ōmaru-yama}}
*{{nihongo|Mount Ōhira|大平山|Ōhira-yama}}

====Rivers====
*{{nihongo|[[Ōi River]]|大井川|Ōi-gawa}} (upstream)
*{{nihongo|[[Abe River]]|安倍川}}
*{{nihongo|Warashina River|藁科川|Warashina-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Mariko River|丸子川|Mariko-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Tomoe River|巴川|Tomoe-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Ōya River Drainage Ditch|大谷川放水路|Ōya-gawa Hōsui-ro}}
*{{nihongo|Nagao River|長尾川|Nagao-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|[[Fuji River]]|富士川|Fuji-kawa}}
*{{nihongo|Okitsu River|興津川|Okitsu-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Ōzawa River|大沢川|Ōzawa-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Ihara River|庵原川|Ihara-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Yamakiri River|山切川|Yamakiri-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Nakagōchi River|中河内川|Nakagōchi-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Ōhashi River|大橋川|Ōhashi-gawa}}
*{{nihongo|Kogōchi River|小河内川(興津川支流)|Kogōchi-gawa}}

====Lakes====
*{{nihongo|Lake Ikawa|井川湖|Ikawa-ko}} ([[Ikawa Dam]])
*{{nihongo|Lake Hatanagi|畑薙湖|Hatanagi-ko}} ([[Hatanagi-I Dam]])
*{{nihongo|Asahata Marsh (Asahata Anti-flood Pond)|麻機沼(麻機遊水地)|Asahata-numa (Asahata Yūsuichi)}}
*{{nihongo|Kujira Pond|鯨ヶ池|Kujira-ike}}
*{{nihongo|Udosaka Pond|有東坂池|Udosaka-ike}}
*{{nihongo|Futatsu Pond (Oshika Pond)|二ツ池(小鹿池)|Futatsu-ike (Oshika-ike)}}
*{{nihongo|Funakoshi Dike|船越堤|Funakoshi-tsutsumi}}
{{colend}}

===Climate===
On the south-central Pacific coast Shizuoka has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfa''), which is hot and humid in the summer, and rarely snows in the winter.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/monthly_s3_en.php?block_no=47656&view=14 | title=Monthly total of snowfall depth (cm) | date=2020 | website=[[Japan Meteorological Agency]] | access-date=2020-10-30 | df=dmy-all}}</ref> It is close to the warm [[Kuroshio Current]] and is wet even by Japanese standards with only slightly less precipitation than [[Kanazawa]] on the opposite side of Honshū, but it is paradoxically the sunniest of Japan's major cities owing to the absence of summer fog and its sheltered location from the northwesterly winds off the [[Sea of Japan]]. Further north, the mountainous [[Ikawa, Shizuoka|Ikawa]] area is part of the Japanese [[Snow country (Japan)|snow country]], where there are ski areas.

{{Weather box
|width=auto
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Shizuoka (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1940−present)
|Jan record high C = 25.7
|Feb record high C = 26.2
|Mar record high C = 28.0
|Apr record high C = 33.3
|May record high C = 33.9
|Jun record high C = 38.3
|Jul record high C = 39.3
|Aug record high C = 38.7
|Sep record high C = 37.1
|Oct record high C = 33.9
|Nov record high C = 28.0
|Dec record high C = 24.5
|Jan record low C = -6.8
|Feb record low C = -5.8
|Mar record low C = -4.6
|Apr record low C = -1.4
|May record low C = 5.1
|Jun record low C = 12.5
|Jul record low C = 15.4
|Aug record low C = 16.9
|Sep record low C = 10.6
|Oct record low C = 3.9
|Nov record low C = -1.7
|Dec record low C = -5.1
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 79.6
|Feb precipitation mm = 105.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 207.1
|Apr precipitation mm = 222.2
|May precipitation mm = 215.3
|Jun precipitation mm = 268.9
|Jul precipitation mm = 296.6
|Aug precipitation mm = 186.5
|Sep precipitation mm = 280.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 250.3
|Nov precipitation mm = 134.2
|Dec precipitation mm = 80.7
|year precipitation mm = 2327.3
|Jan mean C = 6.9
|Feb mean C = 7.7
|Mar mean C = 10.7
|Apr mean C = 15.2
|May mean C = 19.2
|Jun mean C = 22.4
|Jul mean C = 26.1
|Aug mean C = 27.4
|Sep mean C = 24.5
|Oct mean C = 19.4
|Nov mean C = 14.3
|Dec mean C = 9.3
|year mean C = 16.9
|Jan high C = 11.7
|Feb high C = 12.6
|Mar high C = 15.5
|Apr high C = 19.8
|May high C = 23.5
|Jun high C = 26.1
|Jul high C = 29.9
|Aug high C = 31.3
|Sep high C = 28.4
|Oct high C = 23.6
|Nov high C = 18.8
|Dec high C = 14.1
|year high C = 21.3
|Jan low C = 2.1
|Feb low C = 2.9
|Mar low C = 6.0
|Apr low C = 10.6
|May low C = 15.1
|Jun low C = 19.2
|Jul low C = 23.1
|Aug low C = 24.2
|Sep low C = 21.1
|Oct low C = 15.6
|Nov low C = 9.9
|Dec low C = 4.6
|year low C = 12.9
|Jan humidity = 57
|Feb humidity = 57
|Mar humidity = 62
|Apr humidity = 65
|May humidity = 71
|Jun humidity = 77
|Jul humidity = 79
|Aug humidity = 76
|Sep humidity = 75
|Oct humidity = 71
|Nov humidity = 67
|Dec humidity = 60
|year humidity = 68
|Jan sun = 207.9
|Feb sun = 187.5
|Mar sun = 189.9
|Apr sun = 189.7
|May sun = 192.0
|Jun sun = 135.9
|Jul sun = 157.9
|Aug sun = 201.8
|Sep sun = 157.3
|Oct sun = 157.7
|Nov sun = 173.3
|Dec sun = 200.5
|year sun = 2151.5
|Jan snow cm = 0
|Feb snow cm = 0
|Mar snow cm = 0
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 0
|Dec snow cm = 0
|year snow cm = 0
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 5.8
|Feb precipitation days = 6.5
|Mar precipitation days = 10.2
|Apr precipitation days = 10.5
|May precipitation days = 10.9
|Jun precipitation days = 13.6
|Jul precipitation days = 12.9
|Aug precipitation days = 10.6
|Sep precipitation days = 12.8
|Oct precipitation days = 10.9
|Nov precipitation days = 7.6
|Dec precipitation days = 6.1
|year precipitation days = 118.3
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=50&block_no=47656&year=&month=&day=&view=
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]
| access-date = May 19, 2021}}</ref>
}}

===Area===
[[File:Shizuoka wards.png|thumb|200px|alt=Coloured map|Wards of Shizuoka]]

====Wards====
;{{nihongo|[[Aoi-ku, Shizuoka|Aoi Ward]]|葵区|Aoi-ku}}
:Administrative center, made up of the former Shizuoka north of the [[Tōkaidō Main Line]] excluding [[Osada (Japan)|Osada]] district
;{{nihongo|[[Suruga-ku, Shizuoka|Suruga Ward]]|駿河区|Suruga-ku}}
:Former Shizuoka south of the Tōkaidō Main Line and Osada district
;{{nihongo|[[Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka|Shimizu Ward]]|清水区|Shimizu-ku}}
:Former city of Shimizu and towns of [[Kanbara, Shizuoka|Kanbara]] and [[Yui, Shizuoka|Yui]].

====Administrative district "image colours"====
On 22 December 2006, colours and logos were established for each of the wards.<ref>[http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/simin/sankucolor.html District Image Colours and Logo Marks] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928201448/http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/simin/sankucolor.html |date=28 September 2011 }}</ref>
{|class="wikitable"
! scope="row" | [[Aoi-ku, Shizuoka|Aoi Ward]]
|{{Color|#338958|■}} Aoi Ward Green
|-
! scope="row" | [[Suruga-ku, Shizuoka|Suruga Ward]]
|{{Color|#b22a3a|■}} Suruga Ward Red
|-
! scope="row" | [[Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka|Shimizu Ward]]
|{{Color|#58a7d1|■}} Shimizu Ward Blue
|}

===Demographics===
{{As of|2019|08|post=,}} the city had an estimated [[population]] of 704,989 in 286,013 households<ref name="Shizuoka City"/> and a [[population density]] of {{convert|507|PD/km2}}.

[[File:Shizuoka 2008-01-02.jpg|thumb|Shizuoka City seen from the South]]
{| class="wikitable"
! scope="col" | Demographic
! scope="col" | Population
! scope="col" | As of
|-
! scope="row" | Male
| align="right"| 343,339
| rowspan="3"|August 2019<ref name="Shizuoka City"/>
|-
! scope="row" | Female
| align=right| 361,651
|-
! scope="row" | Households
| align=right| 286,013<ref name="Shizuoka City"/>
|-
! scope="row" | Foreign
| align=right| 9,389
| May 2019<ref name="Shizuoka City"/>
|-
! scope="row" | Total
| align=right| 704,989
| August 2019<ref name="Shizuoka City"/>
|}

====Historic population====
Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-shizuoka.php Shizuoka population statistics]</ref> the population of Shizuoka has been declining slowly since 1990.

{{Historical populations
| 1940 | 395,189
| 1950 | 467,782
| 1960 | 576,482
| 1970 | 681,797
| 1980 | 727,260
| 1990 | 739,300
| 2000 | 729,980
| 2010 | 716,328
| 2020 | 693,389
|align = none
| footnote =
}}

===Bordering municipalities===
{{col-begin|width=auto}}
{{col-break}}
;{{flagdeco|Shizuoka}}[[Shizuoka Prefecture]]
*[[Fuji, Shizuoka|Fuji]]
*[[Fujieda, Shizuoka|Fujieda]]
*[[Yaizu, Shizuoka|Yaizu]]
*[[Shimada, Shizuoka|Shimada]]
*[[Fujinomiya, Shizuoka|Fujinomiya]]
*[[Kawanehon]] ([[Haibara District, Shizuoka|Haibara District]])
{{col-break|gap=2em}}
;{{flagdeco|Yamanashi}}[[Yamanashi Prefecture]]
*[[Minami-Alps, Yamanashi|Minami-Alps]]
*[[Hayakawa, Yamanashi|Hayakawa]] ([[Minamikoma District, Yamanashi|Minamikoma District]])
*[[Minobu, Yamanashi|Minobu]] ([[Minamikoma District, Yamanashi|Minamikoma District]])
*[[Nanbu, Yamanashi|Nanbu]] ([[Minamikoma District, Yamanashi|Minamikoma District]])
{{col-break|gap=2em}}
;{{flagdeco|Nagano}}[[Nagano Prefecture]]
*[[Iida, Nagano|Iida]]
*[[Ina, Nagano|Ina]]
*[[Ōshika, Nagano|Ōshika]] ([[Shimoina District, Nagano|Shimoina District]])
{{col-end}}

== History ==
[[File:Toro3.jpg|thumb|200px|Reconstructed building at the Toro archeological site]]
[[File:Suruga Kokubunji hondou.JPG|thumb|200px|Suruga Kokubunji]]
[[File:Sunpu castle tatsumiyagura.jpg|thumb|200px|Reconstructed Tatsumi [[Yagura (tower)|yagura]] of [[Sunpu Castle]] ]]

===Ancient history===
The area that is now the city of Shizuoka has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Numerous [[kofun]] have been found within the city limits, and the [[Toro (archaeological site)|Toro]] [[archaeological site]] indicates that a major [[Yayoi period]] (circa 400 BC–300 AD) settlement existed in what is now part of the central city area.

[[Suruga province|Suruga]] was established as a province of Japan in the early [[Nara period]]. At some point between the year 701 and 710, the provincial capital was relocated from what is now [[Numazu, Shizuoka|Numazu]], to a more central location on the banks of the [[Abe River]] at a location named {{nihongo|Sunpu|駿府}} (a contraction of {{nihongo|"Suruga no Kokufu"|駿河の国府}}) or alternatively {{nihongo|"Fuchū"|府中}}.

=== Pre-modern Shizuoka ===
During the [[Muromachi period]], Sunpu was the capital of the [[Imagawa clan]]. The Imagawa were defeated at the [[Battle of Okehazama]], and Sunpu was subsequently ruled by [[Takeda Shingen]], followed by [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]. However, [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] relocated Ieyasu, and installed Nakamura Kazutada to rule Sunpu. After the Toyotomi were defeated in the [[Battle of Sekigahara]], Ieyasu recovered Sunpu, reassigning it to his own retainer, [[Naitō Nobunari]] in 1601. This marked the start of [[Sunpu Domain]].

In April 1606, Ieyasu officially retired from the post of ''[[shōgun]]'', and retired to Sunpu, where he established a secondary court, from which he could influence ''Shōgun'' [[Tokugawa Hidetada]] from behind the scenes. Subsequently, aside for brief periods, Sunpu was ''[[Tokugawa shogunate|tenryō]]'' (territory under direct administration by the Shogunate), ruled by the {{nihongo|''[[Sunpu jōdai]]''|駿府城代}}, an appointed official based in Sunpu.

===From the Meiji period to World War II===
In 1869, after the fall of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]], the former shogunal line, headed by [[Tokugawa Iesato]] was sent to Sunpu and assigned the short-lived [[Sunpu Domain]]. The same year, Sunpu was renamed "Shizuoka". Shizuoka Domain became [[Shizuoka Prefecture]] with the [[abolition of the han system]] in 1871, which was expanded in 1876 through merger with the former Hamamatsu Prefecture and western portions of [[Ashigaru Prefecture]] in 1876. [[Shizuoka Station]] on the [[Tōkaidō Main Line]] was opened on 1 February 1889. The same day, a fire burned down most of downtown Shizuoka.

The modern city was founded on 1 April 1889. At the time, the population was 37,681, and Shizuoka was one of the first 31 cities established in Japan.

An electric [[tram]] service began in 1911. In 1914, due to heavy rains caused by a [[typhoon]], the [[Abe River]] flooded, inundating the downtown area.<ref>{{cite journal | trans-title=The landslide dam and outburst floods at Warabino area of the Abe River in 1914 | script-title=ja:安倍川中流・蕨野地区の西側山腹崩壊で生じた河道閉塞と１９１４年の水害 | last1=Inoue | first1=Kimio | first2=Junichi | last2=Kanbara | first3=Kazushi | last3= Motohashi | first4=Yasuhiro | last4=Watanabe | journal=Journal of the Japan Society of Erosion Control Engineering | volume=61 | issue=2 | pages=30{{hyphen}}35 | date=2008-07-15 | language=ja,en | publisher=[[Japan Society of Civil Engineers|Japan Society of Erosion Control Engineering]] | doi=10.11475/sabo.61.2_30 | df=dmy-all}}</ref> In the national census of 1920, the population of Shizuoka was 74,093. The area of the city continued to expand through the 1920s and 1930s through merger with outlying towns and villages. In 1935, the city was struck by a 6.4 magnitude [[earthquake]], resulting in much damage. Although soon rebuilt, a large fire in 1940 again destroyed much of the center of the city.

During [[World War II]], Shizuoka lacked targets of major military significance, and was initially only lightly bombed during several [[Japan campaign|American air raids]]. However, in a major [[firebombing]] [[Bombing of Shizuoka in World War II|raid of 19 June 1945]], the city suffered an extreme amount of damage with high civilian casualties.

===Post-war Shizuoka===
The area of the city continued to expand through the 1950s and 1960s through merger with outlying towns and villages. On 1 October 1964, the [[Tōkaidō Shinkansen]] began services to Shizuoka, and on 25 April 1969 the city was connected to the [[Tōmei Expressway]]. On 7 July 1974, the Abe River flooded, and landslides occurred during heavy rains, killing 23 people.{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}
On 16 August 1980, a major gas leak in an underground shopping center near Shizuoka Station resulted in an explosion, killing 15 people and seriously injuring 233 others. The Shizuoka City Hall moved to new premises in 1986. On 1 April 1992, Shizuoka was designated a [[Core cities of Japan|core city]] by the central government, giving it increased autonomy.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20130629153438/http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000215647.pdf List of Core Cities, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications</ref>

The 1 April 2003 [[Municipal mergers and dissolutions in Japan|merger]] with Shimizu City (current [[Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka|Shimizu Ward]]) greatly expanded the area and population of Shizuoka,<ref>[http://www.city.shizuoka.jp.e.qv.hp.transer.com/556_000097.html Shizuoka city home page, Shimizu merger documents]</ref> which then became a [[Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan|designated city]] on 1 April 2005,<ref name="DecodingBoundaries148" /> and was divided into three wards. {{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}

Despite being somewhat geographically isolated from the rest of the city, the town of [[Kanbara, Shizuoka|Kanbara]] (from [[Ihara District, Shizuoka|Ihara District]]) was merged into Shizuoka on 31 March 2006,<ref>[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20060411f1.html City mergers seen tailing off as the initial excitement fades | The Japan Times]</ref> becoming part of Shimizu-ku. On 1 November 2008, the town of [[Yui, Shizuoka|Yui]] (also from [[Ihara District, Shizuoka|Ihara District]]) was also merged into Shimizu-ku, resulting in the dissolution of Ihara District.<ref>http://www.city.shizuoka.jp.e.qv.hp.transer.com/000_001670.html Shizuoka city home page, Yui merger documents</ref>

==Government==
[[File:Shizuoka Prefectural Government Office Main Building 201910.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Shizuoka Prefecture|Shizuoka Prefectural Government Office]]]]
[[File:Shizuoka City Hall (3).jpg|thumb|200px|left|Shizuoka City Hall]]
Shizuoka has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city legislature of 48 members. The city contributes 13 members to the Shizuoka Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between [[Shizuoka 1st district]] and Shizuoka 4th district in the [[House of Representatives (Japan)|lower house]] of the [[Japanese Diet]].

===Mayors===
====Former Shizuoka city from 1889 to 2003====
{{col-start}}
{{col-3}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Mayors of Shizuoka (from 1889 to 2003)
|-
! scope="col" | Term
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Start
! scope="col" | Finish
|-
! scope="row" |1
|Tetsutaro Hoshino (星野鉄太郎)||13 May 1889||17 April 1902
|-
! scope="row" |2
|Hiroyasu Nagashima (長嶋弘裕)||14 May 1902||13 May 1914
|-
! scope="row" |3
|Keisuke Komori (小森慶助)||28 May 1914||27 May 1918
|-
! scope="row" |4
|Kinpei Banno (伴野欣平)||18 June 1918||2 July 1926
|-
! scope="row" |5
|Genzaburo Kojima (小島源三郎)||8 September 1926||7 September 1929
|-
! scope="row" |6
|Michinosuke Miyazaki (宮崎通之助)||3 March 1931||25 January 1933
|}
{{col-3}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Mayors of Shizuoka (from 1889 to 2003)
|-
! scope="col" | Term
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Start
! scope="col" | Finish
|-
! scope="row" |7
|Sadahito Suga (菅貞仁)||14 March 1933||12 August 1935
|-
! scope="row" |8
|Motojiro Ozaki (尾崎元次郎)||12 October 1935||30 June 1938
|-
! scope="row" |9
|Seiji Inamori (稲森誠次)||29 August 1938||5 August 1942
|-
! scope="row" |10
|Motojiro Ozaki (second term)||7 October 1942||21 August 1944
|-
! scope="row" |11
|Michinosuke Miyazaki (second term)||11 September 1944||11 November 1946
|-
! scope="row" |12
|Shigeru Masuda (増田茂)||5 April 1947||9 April 1955
|}
{{col-3}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Mayors of Shizuoka (from 1889 to 2003)
|-
! scope="col" | Term
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Start
! scope="col" | Finish
|-
! scope="row" |13
|Jyunsaku Yamada (山田順策)||2 May 1955||1 May 1959
|-
! scope="row" |14
|Hikoo Matsunaga (松永彦雄)||2 May 1959||1 May 1963
|-
! scope="row" |15
|Jyunpei Ogino (荻野準平)||2 May 1963||1 May 1983
|-
! scope="row" |16
|Daigo Kawai (河合代悟)||2 May 1983||1 May 1987
|-
! scope="row" |17
|Shingo Amano (天野進吾)||2 May 1987||31 July 1994
|-
! scope="row" |18
|Zenkichi Kojima (小嶋善吉)||28 August 1994||31 March 2003
|}
{{col-end}}

====Former Shimizu city from 1924 to 2003====
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Mayors of Shimizu (from 1924 to 2003)
|-
! scope="col" | Term
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Start
! scope="col" | Finish
|-
! scope="row" |1
|Yozo Oshima (大島要蔵)||7 July 1924||9 September 1925
|-
! scope="row" |2
|Katsushiro Yamada (山田勝四郎)||13 January 1926||8 March 1929
|-
! scope="row" |3
|Tokisaburo Shiobara (塩原時三郎)||12 October 1929||22 February 1932
|-
! scope="row" |4
|Enao Oishi (大石恵直)||18 March 1932||14 June 1937
|-
! scope="row" |5
|Katsushiro Yamada (second term)||11 July 1937||15 November 1946
|-
! scope="row" |6
|Masaharu Yamamoto (山本正治)||6 April 1947||7 April 1955
|-
! scope="row" |7
|Heiichiro Suzuki (鈴木平一郎)||30 April 1955||30 April 1959
|-
! scope="row" |8
|Toru Ina (稲名徹)||1 May 1959||22 July 1960
|-
! scope="row" |9
|Kamezo Ina (稲名亀造)||15 September 1960||12 September 1964
|-
! scope="row" |10
|Zensaku Ikegami (池上善作)||13 September 1964||6 July 1965
|-
! scope="row" |11
|Torajiro Sato (佐藤虎次郎)||20 August 1965||19 August 1977
|-
! scope="row" |12
|Yoshio Ina (稲名嘉男)||20 August 1977||19 August 1985
|-
! scope="row" |13
|Hiromasa Miyagishima (宮城島弘正)||20 August 1985||31 March 2003
|}
{{col-end}}

====Since 2003 merger====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Mayors of Shizuoka
|-
! scope="col" | Term
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Start
! scope="col" | Finish
|-
! scope="row" |1–2
|[[Zenkichi Kojima]]||14 April 2003||12 April 2011
|-
! scope="row" |3–6
|[[Nobuhiro Tanabe]]||13 April 2011||12 April 2023
|-
! scope="row" |7
| [[Takashi Namba]]||13 April 2023||current
|}

===Administration===
====Ward offices====
*'''Shizuoka City Office/Aoi Ward Office''': 5-1 Ōtemachi, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi 420-8602
**'''Aoi Ward Ikawa Branch Office''': 656-2 Ikawa, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi 428-0504
*'''Suruga Ward Office''': 10-40 Minamiyahata-chō, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka-shi 422-8550
**'''Suruga Ward Osada Branch Office''': 13-1 Kami-Kawahara Suruga-ku, Shizuoka-shi 421-0132
*'''Shimizu City Office/Shimizu Ward Office''': 6-9 Asahi-chō, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka-shi 424-8701
**'''Shimizu Ward Kanbara Branch Office''': 1-21-1 Kanbara Shinden, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka-shi 421-3211

==External relations==
===Twin towns – Sister cities===
Shizuoka has twin and friendship relationships with several cities.<ref>[http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/kokusai/kokusai_17_sister-cities_e.html International Sister Cities & Friendship Cities ‐ 静岡市] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612221901/http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/kokusai/kokusai_17_sister-cities_e.html |date=12 June 2008 }} Shizuoka website retrieved 8 July 2008</ref><ref>[http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/kokusai/sister_kokunai.e.html Domestic Sister Cities & Friendship Cities ‐ 静岡市] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317085207/http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/kokusai/sister_kokunai.e.html |date=17 March 2009 }} Shizuoka website retrieved 8 July 2008</ref>

====International====
;Sister cities
{|class="wikitable"
![[City]]!![[Country]]!![[State (polity)|State]]!!since
|-
|[[Stockton, California|Stockton]]
|{{Flagicon|USA}}[[United States]]
|[[California]]
|October 16, 1959
|-
|[[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]]
|{{Flagicon|USA}}[[United States]]
|[[Nebraska]]
|April 1, 1965
|-
|[[Shelbyville, Indiana|Shelbyville]]
|{{Flagicon|USA}}[[United States]]
|[[Indiana]]
|November 3, 1989
|-
|[[Cannes]]
|{{Flagicon|FRA}}[[France]]
|[[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]]
|November 5, 1991<ref name=International>{{cite web|url=http://www.clair.or.jp/cgi-bin/simai/e/03.cgi?p=22&n=Shizuoka%20Prefecture|title=International Exchange|work=List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures|publisher=Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR)|access-date=21 November 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113132810/http://www.clair.or.jp/cgi-bin/simai/e/03.cgi?p=22&n=Shizuoka%20Prefecture|archive-date=13 January 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
|}
;Friendship cities
{|class="wikitable"
![[City]]!![[Country]]!![[State (polity)|State]]!!since
|-
|[[Huế]]
|{{Flagicon|VIE}}[[Vietnam]]
|[[Thừa Thiên Huế province]]
|April 12, 2005
|}

====National====
;Sister cities
{|class="wikitable"
![[City]]!![[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]!![[List of regions of Japan|region]]!!since
|-
|[[Muroran, Hokkaido|Muroran]]
|{{Flagicon|Hokkaido}}[[Iburi Subprefecture|Iburi]]
|[[Hokkaido|Hokkaidō region]]
|December 24,1976
|-
|[[Jōetsu, Niigata|Jōetsu]]
|{{Flagicon|Niigata}}[[Niigata Prefecture|Niigata]]
|[[Chūbu region]]
|October 12, 1995
|}
;Friendship cities
{|class="wikitable"
![[City]]!![[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]!![[List of regions of Japan|region]]!!since
|-
|[[Saku, Nagano|Saku]]
|{{Flagicon|Nagano}}[[Nagano Prefecture|Nagano]]
|[[Chūbu region]]
|October 12, 1989
|}

== Economy ==
[[File:Shizuoka Metropolitan Employment Area 2010.svg|thumb|200px|A map showing Shizuoka [[Urban Employment Area|Metropolitan Employment Area]]]]
[[File:Mount Fuji and Shizuoka Station.jpg|thumb|200px|left|[[Mount Fuji]] and Shizuoka City]]
[[File:Bank of Japan Shizuoka Branch.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Bank of Japan]] Shizuoka Branch]]
[[File:Denmacho intersection 03.jpg|thumb|200px|left|[[Downtown]] Shizuoka City]]
[[File:BANDAI Hobby Center バンダイホビーセンター - panoramio.jpg|thumb|200px|Bandai Hobby Center]]
[[File:Miyukicho intersection（1）.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Miyukicho]]

Shizuoka has 35,579 businesses as of 2012.<ref name=2015stats/>

Employment by industry: Agriculture 0.1%, Manufacturing: 26.9%, Service 73.0%

Greater Shizuoka, Shizuoka [[Urban Employment Area|Metropolitan Employment Area]], has a GDP of US$45.8 billion as of 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/UEA/uea_data_e.htm|title = Metropolitan Employment Area (MEA) Data|author = Yoshitsugu Kanemoto|publisher = Center for Spatial Information Science, The [[University of Tokyo]]}}</ref><ref>[https://data.oecd.org/conversion/exchange-rates.htm Conversion rates - Exchange rates] - OECD Data</ref>

Shizuoka's GDP per capita (PPP) 2014 was US$41,472.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.brookings.edu/research/global-metro-monitor/|title = Global Metro Monitor|date = 30 November 2001}}</ref>

[[Fuji Dream Airlines]] is headquartered in [[Aoi-ku, Shizuoka]].<ref>"[http://www.fujidreamairlines.com/ 会社概要]." ''[[Fuji Dream Airlines]]''. Retrieved on 20 May 2009.</ref>

===Agriculture===
;[[Green tea]]: Varieties such as ''Motoyama'' and ''Yabukita'' are grown in all corners of the city, and the varieties grown especially in the Warashina area in Aoi Ward and the Ryōgōchi area of Shimizu Ward are known for their high quality
;[[Strawberry|Strawberries]]: {{nihongo|"Stonewall strawberries"|石垣いちご|ishigaki ichigo}} are strawberries that grow in holes on inclined stone walls, grown especially along an {{convert|8|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} stretch of Kunō Kaidō (route 150), also known as "Strawberry Road", along the coast of [[Suruga Bay]].<ref>''[http://shizuoka-guide.com/blog-trip/index.php?ID=112 What is cool and hot in this season – Strawberry Picking around Kuno]''</ref>
;[[Wasabi]] :especially in areas such as Utōgi in Aoi Ward
;[[Mandarin orange]] and other [[citrus]] fruits:especially [[Citrus unshiu|Satsuma]], a seedless and easy-peeling citrus mutant, known as {{nihongo|''mikan''|みかん}} or formally {{nihongo|''unshū mikan''|ウンシュウミカン}}<ref name="Hanelt" /><ref name="Wiersema" /><ref name="IPNI unshiu" /><ref name="GRIN" />
;[[Nelumbo nucifera|Lotus roots]]: especially in the Asahata area of Aoi Ward
;[[Rose]]s: especially in the Ihara and Okitsu areas in Shimizu Ward
;[[Peach]]es:especially in the Osada area:::
:'''[[Potato]]es'''
:Especially the Sebago potato. Originally exported to [[Crookwell, New South Wales|Crookwell]]

===Fishery===
Shimizu Port boasts the largest haul of [[tuna]] in all Japan.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}} Kanbara Harbour enjoys a prosperous haul of ''sakura ebi'', and Mochimune Harbour enjoys a prosperous haul of ''[[whitebait|shirasu]]'' sardines.

===Products===
''Abekawa Mochi'' is a type of rice cake (or ''[[mochi]]'') made with ''[[kinako]]'' soy flour that is a specialty of Shizuoka.

Shizuoka has a long history of being involved in the craft industries going back over 400 years ago, using trees, including {{lang|ja|[[Chamaecyparis obtusa|hinoki]]}} cypress. The model industry goes back to the late 1920s when wood was used to produce model toys, using [[sashimono]] woodworking joinery techniques, purely for educational purposes. Craftsmen later moved on to lighter woods including [[Ochroma pyramidale|balsa]], but following the war, with the importation of US built scale models, many companies either turned to plastic models to compete or went under.<ref>[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/product-description/4770028512 Amazon.co.uk: Master Modeler: Creating the Tamiya Style: Shunsaku Tamiya, Giles Murray: Books]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=T7RXfpXNORMC&dq=master+modeler+creating+the+tamiya+style&pg=PA21 田宮模型の仕事: Creating the Tamiya Style By Shunsaku Tamiya]</ref>

The town has since become internationally notable for its plastic [[scale model]] kits<ref>[http://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/a_foreign/english/glance/business.html Business & Industry]</ref> and is resident to long-established companies such as [[Aoshima Bunka Kyozai|Aoshima]], [[Fujimi Mokei|Fujimi]], [[Hasegawa Corporation|Hasegawa]], and [[Tamiya Corporation|Tamiya]]. Another model brand, [[Bandai]], produces its [[Gundam model]]s exclusively at its Bandai Hobby Center plant in the city.<ref>[http://en.gigazine.net/news/20100419_bandai_hobby_center_1/ Tour of Gundam Model Factory "Bandai Hobby Center" in Shizuoka - GIGAZINE]</ref> The city hosts the long-running Shizuoka Hobby Show annually in May at [[Twin Messe Shizuoka]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.shizuoka-cvb.or.jp/convention/scbEng/6e/6e.html |title=Record of Past International Conferences |access-date=8 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216044552/http://www.shizuoka-cvb.or.jp/convention/scbEng/6e/6e.html |archive-date=16 February 2008 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

== Media ==
[[File:Shizuoka Shimbun-SBS Building.jpg|right|thumb|alt=Photograph of SBS/Shizuoka Shimbun building|The headquarters of [[Shizuoka Broadcasting System]] (SBS) and the ''[[Shizuoka Shimbun]]'' newspaper]]

===Print media===
The ''[[Shizuoka Shimbun]]'' is the area's primary newspaper.

The book trilogy “Paper Gods” by Amanda Sun takes place in this city.

===Broadcast media===
====Television====
* [[NHK]] Shizuoka (Analogue Channel 9; Digital Channel 1)
* NHK Shizuoka Educational Channel (Analogue Channel 2; Digital Channel 2)
* [[Shizuoka Broadcasting System]] (SBS) (Analogue Channel 11; Digital Channel 6)
* [[TV Shizuoka]] (Analogue Channel 35; Digital Channel 8)
* [[Shizuoka Daiichi Television]] (Analogue Channel 31; Digital Channel 4)
* [[Shizuoka Asahi Television]] (Analogue Channel 33; Digital Channel 5)

====Cable television====
Shizuoka Cable Television (Dream Wave Shizuoka)

====Radio====
* NHK1 882 kHz
* NHK2 639 kHz
* NHK-FM 88.8 MHz
* SBS 1404 kHz / 93.9 MHz
* K-MIX 79.2 MHz
* FM-Hi！76.9 MHz
* Marine Pal (FM Shimizu) 76.3 MHz
* Guzen Media Japan—A podcast and vidcast based in Shizuoka, Japan<ref>{{cite web |url=http://guzenmediajapan.com/ |title=Home |website=guzenmediajapan.com}}</ref>

==Education==
[[File:Shizuoka University Shizuoka Campus 2.JPG|thumb|200px|alt=Photograph of Shizuoka University|The main campus of [[Shizuoka University]] ]]
[[File:Shizuoka Prefectural University Kusanagi Campus.jpg|thumb|200px|[[University of Shizuoka|Shizuoka Prefectural University]]]]

=== Colleges and universities ===
*[[Shizuoka University]]
:[[Japanese national university|National university]], founded 1949. Main campus in [[Suruga-ku, Shizuoka|Suruga Ward]]. Abbreviated to 静大 (''Shizudai'').
*[[University of Shizuoka]] ([[University of Shizuoka|Shizuoka Prefectural University]])
:[[Public university]] whose main campus is in [[Suruga-ku, Shizuoka|Suruga Ward]], close to [[Kusanagi Station (JR Central)|Kusanagi Station]].
*[[Tokai University]]
:[[Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka|Shimizu]] campus of the Tokyo-based private university
*[[Tokoha Gakuen University]]
:Private university founded in 1946
*[[Shizuoka Eiwa Gakuin University]]
:Co-educational [[private university]] in [[Suruga-ku, Shizuoka|Suruga Ward]], founded by missionaries from the [[Methodist Church of Canada]] with the support of the Shizuoka prefectural government. First institution in Shizuoka Prefecture to offer [[secondary education]] for girls, it became a four-year coeducational university in 2002.
*[[University of Shizuoka Junior College]]
:[[Junior college]] in [[Suruga-ku, Shizuoka|Suruga Ward]], affiliated with [[University of Shizuoka]].
*[[Tokai University Junior College]]
:[[Junior college]] in [[Aoi-ku, Shizuoka|Aoi Ward]], affiliated with [[Tokai University]].
*[[Tokoha Gakuen Junior College]]
:[[Junior college]] in [[Aoi-ku, Shizuoka|Aoi Ward]], affiliated with [[Tokoha Gakuen University]].

===Primary and secondary education===
Shizuoka has 91 elementary schools, 57 middle schools and 27 high schools. In addition there are 29 vocations schools and 12 public libraries.

== Transportation ==
[[File:Shizuoka Airport 20220724e.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Shizuoka Airport]]]]
[[File:Shizuoka station 02.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Shizuoka Station]] North exit ]]
[[File:Shin-Shizuoka Cenova 02.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Shin-Shizuoka Station|Shin-Shizuoka Cenova]]]]

===Airways===
====Airports====
The nearest airport is [[Shizuoka Airport]], situated between [[Makinohara, Shizuoka|Makinohara]] and [[Shimada, Shizuoka|Shimada]].

===Railways===
Shizuoka lies on the [[Tōkaidō Main Line]], the [[JR Central]] main railway line from Tokyo to Osaka, and is well-served by the [[Tōkaidō Shinkansen]], limited express and regional trains. The central station of Shizuoka is in the city centre. Shizuoka also has an [[Light rail|LRT]] line, the [[Shizuoka Railway Shizuoka-Shimizu Line|Shizuoka Railway]], administered by the [[Shizuoka Railway]] Co., Ltd. at [[Shizuoka Station]]. The under construction [[Chūō Shinkansen]] will pass through the mountainous area in the northern tip of the city. However, the line is not planned to have a station in Shizuoka.

====High-Speed Rail====
;[[File:JR logo (central).svg|20px]] [[Central Japan Railway Company]] (JR Tōkai)
*[[Tōkaidō Shinkansen]]: - '''{{STN|Shizuoka}}''' -

====Conventional lines====
;[[File:JR logo (central).svg|20px]] [[Central Japan Railway Company]] (JR Tōkai)
*[[Tōkaidō Main Line]]: - {{STN|Shin-Kambara}}{{•}}{{STN|Kambara}}{{•}}{{STN|Yui}}{{•}}{{STN|Okitsu}}{{•}}{{STN|Shimizu|Shizuoka}}{{•}}{{STN|Kusanagi|JR Central}}{{•}}{{STN|Higashi-Shizuoka}}{{•}}'''{{STN|Shizuoka}}'''{{•}}{{STN|Abekawa}}{{•}}{{STN|Mochimune}}{{•}} -
;[[File:Shizuoka Railway logo.jpg|15px]] [[Shizuoka Railway]] (Shizutetsu)
*[[Shizuoka Railway Shizuoka-Shimizu Line]]: '''{{STN|Shin-Shizuoka}}''' – {{STN|Hiyoshichō}} – {{STN|Otowachō}} – {{STN|Kasugachō}} – {{STN|Yunoki|Shizuoka, Shizuoka}} – {{STN|Naganuma|Shizuoka}} – {{STN|Furushō}} – {{STN|Ken-Sōgō Undōjō}} – {{STN|Kenritsu Bijutsukanmae}} – {{STN|Kusanagi|Shizuoka Railway}} – {{STN|Mikadodai}} – {{STN|Kitsunegasaki}} – {{STN|Sakurabashi|Shizuoka}} – {{STN|Irieoka}} – {{STN|Shin-Shimizu}}
;[[File:Daitetsu logomark.svg|15px]] [[Ōigawa Railway]] (Daitetsu)
*[[Ōigawa Railway Ikawa Line]]: - {{STN|Kanzō}} – {{STN|Ikawa}} -

===Buses===
====Buse terminal====
*[[Shin-Shizuoka Station|Shin-Shizuoka Cenova]]

===Roads===
====Expressway====
*[[File:JP Expressway E1.svg|24px|link=|alt=E1]] [[Tōmei Expressway]]
*[[File:JP Expressway E1A.svg|24px|link=|alt=E1A]] [[Shin-Tōmei Expressway]]
*[[File:JP Expressway E52.svg|24px|link=|alt=E52]] [[Chūbu-Ōdan Expressway]]

====Japan National Route====
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|1}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|52}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|149}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|150}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|362}}

===Seaways===
====Sea port====
The Port of Shimizu-ku, in Shimizu City (now [[Shimizu Ward]]), is a long established mid-size sea port, catering to container ships, dry bulk ships and cruise ships.<ref name="PortOfShimizu">{{cite web | url=https://www.portofshimizu-intl.com/ | title=Port of Shimizu | website=Shimizu Port Authority | access-date=2020-10-30 | language=en | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024050004/https://www.portofshimizu-intl.com/ | archive-date=2020-10-24 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all}}</ref>

It is well located, being in between the two major port areas of Japan, i.e. the [[Tokyo Bay]] ports of Tokyo, Kawasaki and Yokohama ([[Keihin region|Keihin]] ports) and the [[Osaka Bay]] ports of Osaka and Kobe ([[Hanshin Industrial Region|Hanshin]] ports). The Port of Shimizu has a water depth of about {{convert|12|m|ft}}; its attractiveness has been enhanced over the past years by the construction of new road and rail links which contribute to expanding its commercial hinterland.

In tonnage, imports (about {{convert|6.5|e6t}}) are close to twice export volumes, but in trade value exports are twice as valuable as imports.

The Port of Shimizu container traffic is about balanced, with over 250,000 [[Twenty-foot equivalent unit|TEU]] in each direction, with auto parts and chemicals amongst the main cargo types. Major international container lines provide weekly services on major trade routes, including North America, Europe and Asia, with about 110 calls per months on 28 trade routes.

The port of Shimizu also includes a terminal to receive [[LNG]] tankers and store imported Liquefied natural gas; it is operated by Shimizu LNG, a subsidiary of Shizuoka Gas (Japan is the world's largest importer of [[LNG]]).

The Port of Shimizu is also connected to other Japan ports. In particular, it is served by a Roll-on/roll-off service serving the port of [[Ōita Prefecture|Ōita]], on the north-east coast of the southern island of [[Kyushu]]. This service, which sails three times a week and has a transit time of 20 hours, has enabled a modal shift of freight trucks from road to sea, thereby contributing to decreasing congestion and pollution on roads.

==Tourism==
{{See also|Tourism in Japan}}
[[File:Shizuoka Schrein Kunozan tosho-gu 06.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Kunōzan Tōshō-gū]]]]
[[File:Shizuoka Sengen Shrine Ohaiden.jpg|right|thumb|alt=Photograph of Shizuoka Sengen Shrine|[[Shizuoka Sengen Shrine]] ]]
[[File:Tokaido20 Mariko.jpg|thumb|right|[[Hiroshige]]'s Mariko-juku]]

===Local attractions===
====Museums====
* [[Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art]]
* [[Shizuoka City Tokaido Hiroshige Museum of Art]]
* [[Museum of Natural and Environmental History, Shizuoka]]

===Major attractions===
* [[Nihondaira]]
* [[Miho no Matsubara]]

===Historic spots===
====In Aoi Ward====
;[[Shizuoka Sengen Shrine]]
:A collection of [[Shinto shrine]]s that was patronised by powerful warrior clans since ancient times, most notably the [[Tokugawa clan]].
;Sunpu Park/[[Sunpu Castle]] ruins
:The castle of the [[Imagawa clan|Imagawa]] and [[Tokugawa clan]]s, originally built in 1599, was destroyed in 1869. Today, only the moats remain. The rest was turned into a park, and is now a popular place for [[hanami]].

====In Suruga Ward====
;[[Toro, Shizuoka|Toro]]
:[[Yayoi period|Late Yayoi]] [[archaeological site]] notable as the first archaeological site excavated in Japan in which remains of a 1st-century AD Yayoi-era wet-rice [[Paddy field]]s were found.
;[[Kunōzan Tōshō-gū]]
:[[Shinto shrine]] that was the original burial place of [[Shōgun]] [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]], and the oldest of the [[Tōshō-gū]] shrines in Japan. The main festival of the shrine is held annually on 17 April, although its spring festival from 17–18 February is a larger event.<ref name="FestivalsOfJapan" />
;[[Mariko-juku]]
:Twentieth of the [[53 Stations of the Tōkaidō|fifty-three stations]] of the old [[Tōkaidō (road)|Tōkaidō]] road, an old travel route during the [[Edo period]].

====In Shimizu Ward====
;[[Miho Peninsula]]
:Famous for the scenic {{nihongo|[[Miho no Matsubara]]|三保の松原|Miho Pine Grove}}, renowned as a seashore with beautiful green [[pine trees]] and white sands spanning over seven kilometers, designated as one of {{nihongo|''[[New Three Views of Japan]]''|新日本三景|Shin Nihon Sankei}}. Also known as the scene of the legend of ''[[Hagoromo (play)|Hagoromo]]'', which is based on the traditional [[swan maiden]] motif.

==Culture==
===Festivals===
;{{nihongo|Daidogei World Cup|大道芸ワールドカップ|Daigougei Waarudo kappu}}: The [[Daidogei World Cup]] is an annual international [[street performer]]s' festival, held over various locations around the city in November over four days. It was first held in 1992.<ref>{{cite web | title=Daidogei World Cup 2022 | website=JapanTravel | url=https://en.japantravel.com/shizuoka/shizuoka-street-performance/39734 | access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref>

;{{nihongo|Shizuoka Festival|静岡まつり|Shizuoka Matsuri}}: The festival, which begun in 1957 but whose origins date back to traditions hundreds of years old, takes place in April, during the high point of the year for [[cherry blossoms]]. A flower-viewing procession echoes the [[shōgun]] [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]'s custom of taking ''[[daimyō]]s'' (feudal lords) to [[Shizuoka Sengen Shrine|Sengen Shrine]] to view the cherry blossoms in the 17th century.<ref>{{cite web | title=Origin of the Shizuoka Festival | website=Shizuoka Festival | url=https://shizuokamatsuri.com/en/knowledge/origin/ | access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref>

;{{nihongo|Abekawa Fireworks|安倍川花火|Abekawa Hanabi}}: A gigantic fireworks display held upstream on Shizuoka's [[Abekawa River]] in late July. It was first held 1953, to remember those who died during [[World War II]] and to pray for a national revival. Today, around 15,000 fireworks are .<ref>{{cite web | title=Abekawa River Fireworks Festival Details| website=Japan Travel by Navitime | date=13 December 2021 | url=https://japantravel.navitime.com/en/area/jp/spot/90012-ff00073/ | access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref>

===Cuisine===
;[[Oden]]
:a Japanese dish consisting of several ingredients such as boiled eggs, ''[[daikon]]'' radish, ''[[Conjac|konnyaku]],'' and processed fish cakes stewed in a light, [[Soy sauce|soy]]-flavoured ''[[dashi]]'' broth. Oden in Shizuoka uses a dark coloured broth flavoured with beef stock and dark soy sauce. All ingredients are skewered. Dried, ground fish (sardine, mackerel, or ''[[katsuobushi]]'') and ''[[aonori]]'' powder (edible seaweed) are sprinkled on top before eating.
:
;[[Gyoza]]
:
;[[Soba]] noodles
:
;[[Seafood]]
:
;[[Zōni]] soup
:[[Mochi|rice cakes]] in a broth cooked with vegetables, popular at New Year
;[[Tororo (food)|''Tororo-jiru'']]
:A grated yam soup. Chojiya, a ''tororo-jiru'' restaurant founded in 1598 in [[Mariko-juku]] area of Shizuoka, west of the [[Abe River]], was made famous by [[Hiroshige]] when he depicted it in his series of ''[[ukiyo-e]]'' [[The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō|prints of the 53 stops]] along the [[Tōkaidō (road)|Tōkaidō]].

===Shizuoka Performing Arts Center ===

The Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC) was founded in 1995 by the Shizuoka Prefecture.<ref name=aboutspac>{{cite web | title=What's SPAC | website=SPAC | date=5 March 2019 | url=https://spac.or.jp/en/about | access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref> The building was designed by architect [[Arata Isozaki]]<ref name=miyagi>{{cite interview | title=Artist Interview: Satoshi Miyagi (Artistic Director of Shizuoka Performing Arts Center)|first=Satoshi| last=Miyagi| interviewer-first= Hiroko | interviewer-last=Yamaguchi | website=Performing Arts Network Japan | date=29 October 2012 | url=https://performingarts.jp/E/art_interview/1907/1.html | access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref> and was opened in 1999 for the second [[Theatre Olympics]].<ref>{{cite web | title=A Triumphant 'Olympics' in Japan | website=[[The New York Times]]|first=Gilles |last=Kennedy | date=16 June 1999 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/16/style/IHT-a-triumphant-olympics-in-japan.html | access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref>

The [[arts center]] is the first publicly funded cultural organization in Japan to have its own [[acting troupe|troupe of actors]] and other staff to manage its own venues and facilities for artistic purposes. Suzuki Tadashi was the first [[Artistic Director]], appointed in 1997 and staying in the position until March 2007, after which Miyagi Satoshi took up the appointment.<ref name=aboutspac/> SPAC has organised the World Theatre Festival Shizuoka each year since 2011,<ref name=aboutfest>{{cite web | title=World Theatre Festival Shizuoka | website=SPAC | date=19 March 2019 | url=https://spac.or.jp/en/project/festival | language=la | access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref> as well as creating its own theatre productions (some of which tour abroad), having students to learn at the center, and other theatrical activities.<ref name=aboutspac/>

The World Theatre Festival Shizuoka was formerly called the Shizuoka Spring Festival (2000-2010<ref name=aboutfest/>), being changed to "World Theater Festival Shizuoka under Mt. Fuji" in 2012 by the artistic director of the centre, Miyagi Satoshi. His intention was "to connect Shizuoka to the world through theater", to have performances from every corner of the world, for "people to see that the world isn't a set and finished quantity and there is still plenty of room for change. I wanted to communicate that theater is a window to the world".<ref name=miyagi/> The festival includes stage plays, puppetry, film, dance and other performance arts.<ref name=aboutfest/>

In 2020, due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], it was announced on 3 April that the festival, scheduled to begin from 25 April to 6 May, would be cancelled. Instead, Miyagi staged an online version of the festival.<ref>{{cite web | last=Tanaka | first=Nobuko | title=World Theatre Festival Shizuoka heads online in desperate times | website=[[The Japan Times]] | date=5 June 2020 | url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2020/06/05/stage/world-theatre-festival-shizuoka-online/ | access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref>

===Sport===
With the Shimizu merger, [[Shimizu S-Pulse]] became the major [[football (soccer)|football]] club in the city. Recently, however, a new rival club, [[Fujieda MYFC]] (from nearby [[Fujieda, Shizuoka|Fujieda]]), has been rising in the regional league ranks as a contender for a place in the [[Japan Football League]].
The city hosted the official [[Asian Basketball Championship for Women]] in [[1995 Asian Basketball Championship for Women|1995]] and [[1999 Asian Basketball Championship for Women|1999]].
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!scope="col"| Club
!scope="col"| Sport
!scope="col"| League
!scope="col"| Venue
!scope="col"| Established
|-
| style="background:#FF00BA;"|[[Chanson V-Magic|Chanson V-Magic]]
| [[Basketball]]
| [[Women's Japan Basketball League|W.League]]
| [[Konohana Arena]]
| 1961
|-
| style="background:#FF8709;"| [[Shimizu S-Pulse|Shimizu S-Pulse]]
| [[Soccer|Football]]
| [[J.League]]
| [[IAI Stadium Nihondaira]]
| 1991
|-
| style="background:orange;"| [[Veltex Shizuoka|Veltex Shizuoka]]
| [[Basketball]]
| [[B.League]]
| [[Shizuoka City Central Gymnasium]]
| 2018
|}
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Nihondaira stadium20090412.jpg|[[IAI Stadium Nihondaira]]
File:Arena of konohana arena-1.JPG|[[Konohana Arena]]
</gallery>

== Notable people ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2012}}
*[[Princess Akishino]] – [[princess]] in the [[Japanese Imperial Family]]
*[[Yoshitaka Amano]] – illustrator and animator, designed the characters for the early ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' video game series
*[[Kazuyoshi Hoshino]] – racecar driver
*[[Daisuke Ichikawa]] – professional football player
*[[Shohei Ikeda]] – professional football player
*[[Toru Irie]] – professional football player
*[[Teruyoshi Ito]] – professional football player
*[[Yahiro Kazama]] – professional football player
*[[Naoya Kikuchi]] – professional football player
*[[Hiroki Kobayashi]] – professional football player
*[[Tomoaki Kuno]] – professional football player
*[[Hidetaka Miyazaki]] – video game director, creator of the ''[[Dark Souls]]'' series<ref>{{cite web|last1=Parkin|first1=Simon|title=Bloodborne creator Hidetaka Miyazaki: 'I didn't have a dream. I wasn't ambitious'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/31/bloodborne-dark-souls-creator-hidetaka-miyazaki-interview|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=31 March 2015|access-date=8 May 2015}}</ref>
*[[Fumitake Miura]] – professional football player
*[[Kazuyoshi Miura]] – professional football player
*[[Yasutoshi Miura]] – professional football player
*[[Koki Mizuno]] – professional football player
*[[Hisashi Mizutori]] – Olympic gold medal gymnast
*[[Kazuyori Mochizuki]] – professional football player
*[[Shigeyoshi Mochizuki]] – professional football player
*[[Riyo Mori]] – Miss Universe Japan 2007, Miss Universe 2007
*[[Yusuke Mori]] – professional football player
*[[Ushiomaru Motoyasu]] – sumo wrestler
*[[Jun Muramatsu]] – professional football player
*Fuma Murata - Member and sub-leader of J-pop group [[&Team]]
*[[Go Oiwa]] – professional football player
*[[Katsumi Oenoki]] – professional football player
*[[Takeshi Oki]] – professional football player
*[[Keisuke Ota (footballer, born 1979)|Keisuke Ota]] – professional football player
*[[Toshihide Saito]] – professional football player
*[[Momoko Sakura]] – [[Mangaka|cartoonist]], creator of ''[[Chibi Maruko-chan]]''
*[[Yuya Sano]] – professional football player
*[[Masanori Sekiya]] – racecar driver
*[[Hideaki Sena]] – novelist and pharmacologist
*[[Keisuke Serizawa]] – textile designer
*[[Masatoshi Shima]] – inventor of the microprocessor
*[[Kotobuki Shiriagari]] – Manga artist
*[[Tadashi Suzuki]] – Stage director
*[[Yūichi Suzumoto]] – novelist
*[[Toranosuke Takagi]] – racecar driver
*[[Nobuhiro Tanabe]] – politician
*[[Yoshito Usui]] – creator of [[Crayon Shin-chan]] comics
*[[Takahiro Yamazaki (baseball, born 1976)|Takahiro Yamazaki]] – professional baseball player
*[[Kaito Yamamoto]] – professional football player
*[[Takahiro Yamanishi]] – professional football player
*[[Kotaro Yamazaki]] – professional football player
*[[Takuya Yokoyama]] – professional football player
*[[Kiyoe Yoshioka]] – singer, vocalist of [[Ikimono-gakari]]

==City song==
{{nihongo|''Watashi no Machi, Shizuoka''|わたしの街静岡}}<ref name="CitySong" />
* Written: 13 April 2005
* Lyrics: Citizen competition entry
* Music, additions: Kei Ogura
* Arranged: Shin Kawabe
* [[Eri Itō]] sang on the CD release

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="FestivalsOfJapan">{{cite book | last1=Plutschow | first1=Herbe | title=Matsuri: The Festivals of Japan | edition=1st | publisher=[[Routledge|Curzon]] | date=1996-10-17 | isbn=978-1873410639 | ol=OL8653650M | oclc=924886456 | df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="Hanelt">{{cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=10IMFSavIMsC&q=%22Citrus+unshiu%22&pg=PA1033 | page=1033 | title = Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Except Ornamentals | last1=Hanelt | first1=Peter | others=Illustrated by R. Kilian | publisher = [[Springer Publishing|Springer]] | oclc=925011140 | ol=OL12774481M | date=2001-05-11 |isbn = 978-3540410171 | df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="Wiersema">{{cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=hQL-2sdxgDAC&q=%22Citrus+unshiu%22&pg=PA13 | page=136 | title=World Economic Plants: A Standard Reference | first1=John H. | last1=Wiersema | first2=Blanca | last2=León | edition=1st| publisher=[[CRC Press]] | ol=OL8259509M | oclc=317789267 | date=1999-02-26 | isbn=978-0849321191 | df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="IPNI unshiu">{{cite web | url =http://www.ipni.org/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do?id=772094-1&back_page=%2Fipni%2FeditSimplePlantNameSearch.do%3Ffind_wholeName%3Dcitrus%2Bunshiu%26output_format%3Dnormal | title = Plant Name Details: Rutaceae Citrus unshiu Marcow.|publisher = [[International Plant Names Index]]}}</ref>

<ref name="GRIN">{{GRIN | ''Citrus unshiu'' | 10793 | access-date = 11 December 2017}}</ref>

<ref name="CitySong">{{Cite web|url=http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/soumu/sika.html|script-title=ja:市歌|trans-title=City Song|publisher=City of Shizuoka|year=2007|access-date=9 May 2011|language=ja|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609170954/http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/soumu/sika.html|archive-date=9 June 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="PlacenamesOfTheWorld">{{cite book | last1=Room | first1=Adrian | title=Placenames of the World: Origins and Meanings of the Names for 6,600 Countries, Cities, Territories, Natural Features and Historic Sites | edition=2nd | pages=344–345 | publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] | date=2015-02-25 | isbn=978-0-7864-2248-7 | ol=OL3402578M | lccn=2005017522 | oclc=1194921674 | df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="DecodingBoundaries148">{{cite book | last1=Hook | first1= Glenn D. | title=Decoding Boundaries in Contemporary Japan | page=148 | publisher=Taylor & Francis | date=2011 | isbn=978-0-415-60044-6 | df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="APWS242">{{cite conference | last1=Yamaguchi | first1=Noriko | title=The Proceedings of the 1st Asia-Pacific Water Summit: Water Security: Leadership and Commitment| chapter= Abe River: The Crystal Waters that Gave Rise to a City for the Ages | location=[[Beppu|Beppu City]], [[Ōita Prefecture]], [[Japan]] | publisher=[[World Scientific]] | date=2008-06-20 | isbn=978-981-283-327-3 | ol=OL23934454M | lccn=2008339415 | oclc=836957213 | df=dmy-all}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
{{Commons|静岡市|Shizuoka}}
* {{Official website|http://www.city.shizuoka.jp/deps/chinese/gaikokugo.html}}
* [http://www.daidogei.com/ Daidogei World Cup in Shizuoka]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202445/http://www.knowshizuoka.com/ Know Shizuoka – The independent Guide] (archived website)
* {{osmrelation-inline|4674742}}

{{Geographic location
| Centre = Shizuoka
| North = {{Plainlist|
*[[Ina, Nagano|Ina (Nagano)]]
*[[Minami-Alps, Yamanashi|Minami-Alps (Yamanashi)]]}}
| Northeast = {{Plainlist|
*[[Hayakawa, Yamanashi|Hayakawa (Yamanashi)]]
*[[Minobu, Yamanashi|Minobu (Yamanashi)]]
*[[Nanbu, Yamanashi|Nanbu (Yamanashi)]]
*[[Fujinomiya, Shizuoka|Fujinomiya]]}}
| East = [[Fuji, Shizuoka|Fuji]]
| Southeast =
| South =
| Southwest = {{Plainlist|
*[[Fujieda, Shizuoka|Fujieda]]
*[[Yaizu, Shizuoka|Yaizu]]}}
| West = {{Plainlist|
*[[Kawanehon|Kawane-honchō]]
*[[Shimada, Shizuoka|Shimada]]}}
| Northwest = {{Plainlist|
*[[Iida, Nagano|Iida (Nagano)]]
*[[Ōshika, Nagano|Ōshika (Nagano)]]}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|list =
{{Shizuoka}}
{{Metropolitan cities of Japan}}
{{JPLargestMetros}}
{{Most populous cities in Japan}}
}}
{{Subject bar |portal1=Geography |portal2=Japan |portal3=Asia |commons=yes |commons-search=Category:Shizuoka, Shizuoka |n=yes |wikt=yes |wikt-search=静岡 |b=yes |q=yes |q-search=Shizuoka |s=yes |s-search=Shizuoka |v=yes |v-search=Shizuoka |voy=yes |voy-search=Shizuoka |d=yes |d-search=Q174691}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Shizuoka (city)| ]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Japan]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]
[[Category:Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan]]

Kusatsu, Gunma

2024-07-06T04:40:02Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Kusatsu　
| official_name =
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ja|草津町}}}} 　
| native_name_lang = ja
| settlement_type = [[Towns of Japan|Town]]

| image_skyline = Kusatsu, Gunma.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Yubatake hot spring in the center of Kusatsu
| image_flag = Flag of Kusatsu Gunma.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_seal = Emblem of Kusatsu, Gunma.svg
| seal_alt =
| image_shield =
| shield_alt =
| image_blank_emblem =
| nickname =
| motto =

| image_map = Kusatsu in Gunma Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Kusatsu in Gunma Prefecture
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =  
| coordinates = {{coord|36|37|14.5|N|138|35|45.9|E|region:JP|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 

| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name = [[Japan]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kantō region|Kantō]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Gunma Prefecture|Gunma]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Districts of Japan|District]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Agatsuma District, Gunma|Agatsuma]]

| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =

| seat_type = 
| seat =

| government_footnotes = 
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name =
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 = 

| total_type = 
| unit_pref = 

| area_magnitude = 
| area_footnotes = 
| area_total_km2 = 49.75
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =

| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m =

| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 6255
| population_as_of = September 2020
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_est =
| pop_est_as_of =
| population_demonym = 
| population_note =

| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time]]
| utc_offset1 = +9
| timezone1_DST =
| utc_offset1_DST =

| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type = 
| area_code =

| blank_name_sec1 = Phone number
| blank_info_sec1 = 0279-88-0001
| blank1_name_sec1 = Address
| blank1_info_sec1 = 28 Kusatsu, Kusatsu-machi, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma-ken 377-1792

| blank_name_sec2 = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info_sec2 = [[Humid continental climate|Dfb]]

| website = {{Official|1=http://www.town.kusatsu.gunma.jp/}}
| footnotes =
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
| tree =
| flower = [[Rhododendron subg. Hymenanthes]]
| bird =
| flowering_tree =
| butterfly =
| fish =
| other_symbols =
}}
}}
[[file:Kusatsu town office.JPG|right|thumb|250px|Kusatsu town hall]]

{{Nihongo| '''Kusatsu'''|草津町|Kusatsu-machi}} is a [[List of towns in Japan|town]] located in [[Gunma Prefecture]], [[Japan]]. In September 2020, the town had a population of 6,255, in 3,407 households,<ref name="Kusatsu-hp">{{cite web |url=https://www.town.kusatsu.gunma.jp/www/contents/1485224266935/index.html |title= Kusatsu Town official statistics|location= Japan|language= ja}}</ref> and a [[population density]] of 130 persons per km2. The total area of the town is {{convert|249.75|sqkm|sqmi}}. Kusatsu is one of the most famous [[Onsen|hot springs resorts]] in Japan.

==Geography==
Kusatsu is situated about 1,200 meters above sea level. The active volcano [[Kusatsu-Shirane]] (2,160 m) and the inactive [[Mount Tengu]] (1,385 m) and Mount Motoshirane (2,171 m) are located west of Kusatsu.

===Surrounding municipalities===
[[Gunma Prefecture]]
* [[Higashiagatsuma, Gunma|Higashiagatsuma]]
* [[Tsumagoi, Gunma|Tsumagoi]]
* [[Nakanojō, Gunma|Nakanojō]]
[[Nagano Prefecture]]
* [[Takayama, Nagano|Takayama]]

===Climate===
Kusatsu has a [[Humid continental climate]] (Köppen ''Dfb'') characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kusatsu is 3.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1,711 mm. September is the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around -1.4 °C.<ref>[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/gunma/kusatsu-town-54035/ Kusatsu climate data]</ref> During the winter season the streets are kept free of snow using [[onsen]] water.

{{Weather box
|width=auto
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Kusatsu (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present)
|Jan record high C = 12.4
|Feb record high C = 15.5
|Mar record high C = 19.8
|Apr record high C = 25.5
|May record high C = 27.6
|Jun record high C = 30.0
|Jul record high C = 30.9
|Aug record high C = 31.3
|Sep record high C = 28.8
|Oct record high C = 26.5
|Nov record high C = 20.3
|Dec record high C = 17.8
|Jan high C = -0.4
|Feb high C = 0.7
|Mar high C = 4.7
|Apr high C = 11.5
|May high C = 17.0
|Jun high C = 19.6
|Jul high C = 23.4
|Aug high C = 24.2
|Sep high C = 19.8
|Oct high C = 14.5
|Nov high C = 9.1
|Dec high C = 2.9
|Jan mean C = -4.1
|Feb mean C = -3.6
|Mar mean C = -0.1
|Apr mean C = 6.0
|May mean C = 11.4
|Jun mean C = 14.9
|Jul mean C = 18.9
|Aug mean C = 19.6
|Sep mean C = 15.6
|Oct mean C = 9.9
|Nov mean C = 4.4
|Dec mean C = -1.2
|Jan low C = -7.8
|Feb low C = -7.8
|Mar low C = -4.5
|Apr low C = 1.1
|May low C = 6.5
|Jun low C = 11.1
|Jul low C = 15.5
|Aug low C = 16.2
|Sep low C = 12.3
|Oct low C = 6.0
|Nov low C = 0.4
|Dec low C = -4.8
|Jan record low C = -14.7
|Feb record low C = -15.9
|Mar record low C = -12.6
|Apr record low C = -9.7
|May record low C = -4.6
|Jun record low C = 2.8
|Jul record low C = 8.2
|Aug record low C = 6.5
|Sep record low C = 1.7
|Oct record low C = -2.4
|Nov record low C = -7.3
|Dec record low C = -12.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 68.5
|Feb precipitation mm = 66.1
|Mar precipitation mm = 90.6
|Apr precipitation mm = 106.2
|May precipitation mm = 150.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 218.3
|Jul precipitation mm = 263.5
|Aug precipitation mm = 236.8
|Sep precipitation mm = 254.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 162.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 63.9
|Dec precipitation mm = 60.4
|year precipitation mm = 1758.4
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 11.6
|Feb precipitation days = 10.7
|Mar precipitation days = 11.5
|Apr precipitation days = 11.0
|May precipitation days = 12.2
|Jun precipitation days = 15.8
|Jul precipitation days = 18.2
|Aug precipitation days = 16.2
|Sep precipitation days = 14.4
|Oct precipitation days = 11.1
|Nov precipitation days = 8.2
|Dec precipitation days = 10.9
|Jan snow cm = 175
|Feb snow cm = 156
|Mar snow cm = 149
|Apr snow cm = 38
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 9
|Dec snow cm = 112
|year snow cm = 644
| unit snow days = 3 cm
|Jan snow days = 18.9
|Feb snow days = 17.5
|Mar snow days = 18.6
|Apr snow days = 5.2
|May snow days = 0
|Jun snow days = 0
|Jul snow days = 0
|Aug snow days = 0
|Sep snow days = 0
|Oct snow days = 0
|Nov snow days = 1.3
|Dec snow days = 13.2
|Jan sun = 153.0
|Feb sun = 147.8
|Mar sun = 182.4
|Apr sun = 192.3
|May sun = 188.9
|Jun sun = 120.0
|Jul sun = 117.7
|Aug sun = 134.2
|Sep sun = 109.0
|Oct sun = 132.7
|Nov sun = 160.8
|Dec sun = 162.5
|year sun = 1799.7
|source 1 = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=42&block_no=0343&year=&month=&day=&view=
| title = 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency
| access-date = June 22, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=42&block_no=0343&year=&month=&day=&view=
| title = 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）
| publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency
| access-date = April 23, 2010}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-gunma.php Kusatsu population statistics]</ref> the population of Kusatsu has declined over the past 40 years.

{{Historical populations
| 1920 | 2,720
| 1930 | 4,143
| 1940 | 7,538
| 1950 | 7,178
| 1960 | 7,933
| 1970 | 8,591
| 1980 | 9,341
| 1990 | 8,620
| 2000 | 7,702
| 2010 | 7,148
| 2020 | 6,049
|align = none
| footnote =
}}

==History==
===Yayoi period===
The legendary origin of Kusatsu goes back to the second century during the Yayoi period. According to the legend, either [[Yamato Takeru]] or [[Yamabushi]] discovered the hot springs around Kusatsu; however, there is no historical evidence for either claim. Per legend, Yamato Takeru named [[Tsumagoi, Gunma|Tsumagoi]] and [[Agatsuma, Gunma|Agatsuma]] after his wife ("tsuma" means "wife" in Japanese).

===Kamakura period===
Up to the 12th century there is no specific record of Kusatsu. Local folklore recounts that [[Minamoto no Yoritomo]] came to Kusatsu in 1193 in pursuit of fleeing [[Taira clan]] warriors. He then bathed in the Yubatake. The {{nihongo|Gozaishi|御座石||illustrious seat, royal seat}} on which Yoritomo sat, and the {{nihongo|Yoritomo-gū|頼朝宮||Yoritomo Palace}} in which he is said to have bathed, still exist. Kusatsu's history began in 1200 when the temple of Kōsenji was founded.

===Sengoku period===
Almost 400 years later, during the Sengoku period, there is more evidence for the existence of Kusatsu, which had grown into a hot-springs resort popular with wounded [[samurai]]. The {{nihongo|Tokyo University Historiographical Book of Facsimiles|東大史料編纂所影写本|Tōdai shiryō hensanjo eishabon}} contains correspondence during the year 1595 ([[Bunroku]] 4) between [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] and [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] in which Hideyoshi recommended the Kusatsu hot springs to Ieyasu. The latter however, did not go to Kusatsu himself, but sent some servants to fetch some water from Kusatsu instead.

===Edo period===
During the Edo period, especially the [[Bakumatsu period]], Kusatsu experienced unprecedented economic growth and became one of Japan's best-known hot springs. This was partly due to the increasing incidence of [[venereal disease]]s like [[gonorrhoea]] and [[syphilis]], contracted in Tokyo red light districts like [[Yoshiwara]], for which there was then no known cure besides bathing in a hot spring. The saying: {{nihongo|"Kusatsu sengen Edo gamae"|草津千軒江戸構え}} also goes back to this time and means: a thousand stores, just like in (the shopping districts in) [[Edo]].

Hearing the praise of the Kusatsu Onsen the 8th Shōgun [[Tokugawa Yoshimune]] had hot-spring water drawn from the Yubatake source and transported into his castle for bathing. The area of present-day Kusatsu was part of the ''[[hatamoto]]''-administered territory within [[Kōzuke Province]] during the [[Edo period]].

===Meiji period===
In 1869, Kusatsu burned to the ground. The town was reconstructed within a few years, but the process left many local people in debt, causing the bankruptcy of many small enterprises, especially [[Ryokan (inn)|''ryokans'']], over the next 20 years. At that time many of the inhabitants of Kusatsu abandoned the traditional practice of {{nihongo|"Fuyuzumi"|冬住み}}, which meant leaving Kusatsu in wintertime and returning to their hometowns, located further down the mountains. Instead, the townspeople sold their old homes to repay their debts and began to live in Kusatsu all year long.

Kusatsu Village was created within Agatsuma District of Gunma Prefecture in April 1889, by the merger of former Kusatsu with Maeguchi and six other hamlets, with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the [[Meiji Restoration]]. In July 1900, the former Kusatsu and Maeguchi portions of the village was raised to town status, and the remaining portion formed Kuni village.

The infrastructure developed in the Meiji period and also people's knowledge, therefore many famous people were visiting Kusatsu. Especially foreigners were scientifically interested in this area, which became an important area for research of effects of hot springs, volcanoes etc.

In 1876, [[Erwin Bälz]], a German [[internist]] came to Kusatsu for the first time. Bälz was one of the fathers of modern western medical science in Japan and court physician to [[Emperor Meiji]]. He was convinced of the healing power of the hot springs in Kusatsu, and began scientific research into them with a view to convincing the townspeople of the need to teach the correct application of the hot springs to Japanese medical doctors.

===Taishō to Reiwa===
In 1914, the Kusatsu ski club was founded.

The year 1915 saw the first visit of British [[Nippon Sei Ko Kai|Anglican]] missionary, [[Mary Cornwall Legh]]. In 1916 Cornwall Legh using her own funds established the St. Barnabas' Mission, providing residential care facilities to the sizable population of [[Hansen's Disease]] sufferers then present in the Yunosawa area of Kusatsu. Cornwall Legh devoted her remaining years to the care of the Kusatsu leprosy community, her work and dedication to this cause recognized with honors by the Japanese Government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Portrait of the Week|url=http://www.japansociety.org.uk/31285/portrait-of-the-week-27/|website=The Japan Society|publisher=The Japan Society, London, UK|access-date=16 July 2014|archive-date=2 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402192325/http://www.japansociety.org.uk/31285/portrait-of-the-week-27/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1941 the St. Barnabus' Hospital was closed, replaced by the, subsequently notorious, government run [[Kuryu Rakusen-en Sanatorium]]. St. Barnabus' Church and Cornwall Legh Park in Kusatsu attest to the charitable legacy of Mary Cornwall-Legh and the history of the community she sought to serve.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mother of Kusatsu|url=http://www.anglicancommunion.org/provincialnews/japan/client/news/client_news_detail.cfm?naid=1484&isPrintable=1|website=NSKK Newsletter|publisher=NSKK|access-date=19 July 2014}}</ref>

In 1926, the construction of the {{nihongo|Kusakaru railway line|草軽電気鉄道|Kusakaru denki tetsudō}} between Kusatsu and [[Karuizawa]], which had been begun in 1908 was finished.

In 1948, a ski lift was erected on Mount Tengu, near Kusatsu. It was the first ski lift in Japan, with Kusatsu going on to become one of the country's first proper ski resorts.

==== Sexual assault allegations against mayor ====
In 2020, a local election in which over 90% of voters voted to recall town councillor Shoko Arai made international headlines. Arai, the only woman on the council, had accused mayor Nobutada Kuroiwa of sexually assaulting her. Kuroiwa denied the accusations, which triggered a backlash against Arai, who was accused of tarnishing the town's reputation with her allegations.<ref>{{Cite web|last=McCurry|first=Justin|date=2020-12-08|title=Japan town's sole female councillor ousted after accusing mayor of sexual assault|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/08/japan-towns-sole-female-councillor-ousted-after-accusing-mayor-of-sexual-assault|access-date=2020-12-08|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20201217-ousting-of-councillor-prompts-concern-over-silencing-sexual-assault-victims-in-japan|title=Ousting of councillor prompts concern over silencing sexual assault victims in Japan|publisher=[[France 24]]|date=2020-12-17|access-date=2020-12-17}}</ref>

In December 2021, Arai filed a complaint against the mayor of the town for indecent assault. The Maebashi District Public Prosecutor's Office dismissed the complaint on the grounds that the mayor was not suspected. In response, the mayor filed a complaint against Arai for the crime of filing a false complaint. In October 2022 the Maebashi District Public Prosecutor's Office indicted Arai on charges of filing a false complaint and defamation against the mayor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASQB0759VQB0UTNB01C.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115050414/https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASQB0759VQB0UTNB01C.html|script-title=ja:「町長から性被害」訴えた元草津町議を在宅起訴名誉毀損罪などで|language=ja|publisher=[[The Asahi Shimbun]]|date=31 October 2022|archive-date=15 November 2022|access-date=16 November 2022}}</ref> In December 2022, Reiji Iizuka, a writer, stopped selling e-books meant to denounce the mayor and issued a statement apologizing to him.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/752ca53cce0e3465fa51b2a34ce87ec552138fb2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207162337/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/752ca53cce0e3465fa51b2a34ce87ec552138fb2|script-title=ja:「草津町長からの性被害」訴えた電子書籍、著者が「誤報」認める町長に謝罪、販売打ち切り|language=ja|publisher=Yahoo Japan News|date=7 December 2022|archive-date=7 December 2022|access-date=8 December 2022}}</ref>

On November 15, 2023, Arai's lawyer announced that Arai had admitted that her claim that the mayor had sexually assaulted her in the mayor's office was false, and that Arai would now claim in court that the mayor had touched her breasts and buttocks in his office.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASRCH6T7TRCHOXIE00W.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240122072108/https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASRCH6T7TRCHOXIE00W.html|script-title=ja:町長から性被害との訴え「一部虚偽だった」　元草津町議の代理人説明|language=ja|publisher=[[The Asahi Shimbun]]|date=15 November 2023|archive-date=22 January 2024|access-date=1 February 2024}}</ref>

On January 22, 2024, the Maebashi District Court found that there was no sexual activity between the mayor and Arai, and sentenced the writer, Iizuka, to one year in prison, suspended for three years, for defaming the mayor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASS1Q5S3LS1QUTNB00K.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240201105609/https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASS1Q5S3LS1QUTNB00K.html|script-title=ja:草津町長への名誉毀損罪、著者に有罪判決　元町議の虚偽告白を書籍化|language=ja|publisher=[[The Asahi Shimbun]]|date=22 January 2024|archive-date=1 February 2024|access-date=2 February 2024}}</ref> According to prosecutors, Iizuka opposed the mayor's attempts to reform Kusatsu's hot spring management and published the e-book even though he knew Arai's testimony might be false.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gendai.media/articles/-/119112?page=5|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207084241/https://gendai.media/articles/-/119112?page=5|script-title=ja:「町長と肉体関係をもった！」元草津町町議の性被害裁判…告白本を出版したライターが法廷で語った「驚きの言い訳」|language=ja|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|date=16 November 2023|archive-date=7 December 2023|access-date=2 February 2024}}</ref>

On April 17, 2024, the Maebashi District Court ordered Arai to pay the mayor 2.75 million yen for defamation. This is a civil judgment; the criminal case for false complaint and defamation committed by Arai has not yet been opened.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gendai.media/articles/-/119112?page=5|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240509223700/https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/20240418-OYT1T50052/|script-title=ja:「町長室で性交渉」と虚偽の告白、元町議らに賠償命令…前橋地裁が町長への名誉棄損認定|language=ja|publisher=[[Yomiuri Shimbun]]|date=22 April 2024|archive-date=9 May 2024|access-date=29 June 2024}}</ref>

==Government==
Kusatsu has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] town council of 12 members. Kusatsu, collectively with the other municipalities in Agatsuma District, contributes two members to the Gunma Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of [[Gunma 5th district]] of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].

==Economy==
The town's main income is tourism. About 90% of the working population is employed in the [[Tertiary sector of economic activity|tertiary sector]], primarily in connection with its hot spring resorts, with very little industry and almost no agriculture.

==Education==
Kusatsu has a public elementary school, Kusatsu Elementary School (草津町立草津小学校), and one public middle school, Kusatsu Junior High School (草津町立草津中学校), operated by the town government.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.town.kusatsu.gunma.jp/www/contents/1496129371421/index.html|title=草津町立草津小・中学校|publisher=Kusatsu Town|access-date=2020-12-17}}</ref>

The town does not have a high school. Gunma Prefectural Board of Education operates prefectural high schools elsewhere.

==Transportation==
===Railway===
In 1964, rail services to the town ceased after the closure of the nearby sulfur pit and the ensuing loss of freight traffic, which made operation of the line uneconomic.

===Highway===
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|292}}

==Sister city relations==
[[File:Karlovy Vary sign of its sister cities.jpg|thumb|Sign of Karlovy Vary's sister cities]]
*{{flagicon|Japan}} [[Hayama, Kanagawa]], Japan, since March 29, 1969
*{{flagicon|Japan}} [[Kusatsu, Shiga]], Japan, since September 8, 1997
*{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Bietigheim-Bissingen]], Germany since October 11, 1962. The town in which Kusatsu's benefactor [[Erwin Bälz]] was born. The contacts with this sister town are the most intensive. There is an annual student exchange.
*{{flagicon|Austria}} [[Neustift im Stubaital|Neustift]], Austria since March 21, 1986. Winter sports resort town. Contact established through the Austrian national ski team.
*{{flagicon|Czech Republic}} [[Karlovy Vary]] (Karlsbad, Carlsbad), Czech Republic since May 20, 1992. Spa resort town, was compared with Kusatsu by Erwin Bälz.
*{{flagicon|Australia}} [[Snowy River Shire|Snowy River]], Australia since July 10, 1991. This town is located on the same latitude as Kusatsu, but in the southern hemisphere.

==Local attractions==
[[File:Kusatsu Machi.jpg|thumb|right|Autumn colours]]

===Kusatsu Onsen===
[[File:Kusatsu gunma yubatake - 2020 3 1.webm|thumb|Various views of Yubatake, 2020]]
There are about 100 hot springs in Kusatsu with a total amount of about 34,000 liters water per minute pouring out of the ground. The water is sulfurous and acidic. The hot springs are said to help cure: [[arthralgia]], stiff shoulders, [[paralysis]], hardenings, bruises, sprains, chronic indigestion, [[hemorrhoids]], chills, [[arteriosclerosis]], burns, chronic [[gynecological]] disorders. The water from the natural hot springs is used not only for bathing but also for heating of the city's primary and secondary schools, the municipal welfare center, the streets during winter and many households, as well as for the municipal swimming pool.

The Yubatake, one of the biggest hot springs and the main attraction of the town, is located in the center of Kusatsu. The spring water pours out of the rock and is then conducted through several rows of wooden boxes. In these wooden boxes {{nihongo|Yu no hana|湯の花}} one of Kusatsu's specialties is cultivated. The word Yubatake means "hot water field".

Around the Yubatake, there are 100 name plates of famous persons that visited Kusatsu. Internationally well-known are: [[Erwin Bälz]] (German [[internist]]), [[Julius Scriba]] (German surgeon), [[Bruno Taut]] (German architect), [[Ernest Satow]] (British researcher of Japan and diplomat), [[Kakuei Tanaka]] (Japanese prime minister 1972 - 1974), [[Rikidōzan]] (famous [[Professional wrestling|pro wrestler]]). On the lower part of the Yubatake there is a small cascade and the rock has an emerald shade. This is one of the most popular spots for souvenir pictures.

* {{nihongo|''Netsu no yu''|熱の湯|lit. "hot water"}}, though located adjacent to the Yubatake, is a hot spring in its own right. The water is about 54 degrees Celsius, so it is not possible to bathe in it. For that reason there is the ancient tradition of {{nihongo|''Yumomi''|湯もみ}}, which means kneading or bashing the water. Using 1.80 meter long wooden boards the hot water is stirred, bashed, kneaded and thus cooled down. The simpler method of pouring in cold water is not practiced as it would dilute the healing power of the water. During the ''Yumomi'' ceremony, the Kusatsu song is sung and Japanese traditional dance is performed.
*{{nihongo|Ōtaki no yu|大滝の湯||lit. "great waterfall hot spring"}} is named after spring water forming a waterfall. The building is made from wood and there is one basin on the inside and one on the outside (''[[Rotenburo]]''). Th
*{{nihongo|Sai no kawara|西の河原|lit. "western riverbed"}} is an outside basin of approximately 500 m2, which can be used by more than 100 guests at once. There are separate baths for men and women divided by a wooden fence. Located in a valley overflowing with hot springs claims to be one of the most beautiful ''rotenburo'' of Japan.
*The Bälz Onsen Center, situated on a plateau near Mount Tengu ski area, offers great scenery and is a popular [[Après-ski]] recreation spot.

===Bälz Museum===
The Bälz Museum is another of Kusatsu's attractions. Located at the entrance to Kusatsu, visitors can inform themselves about the life and work of [[Erwin Bälz]]. There is also a souvenir shop with goods mostly from Germany and the Czech Republic.

===Flowers===
Another of Kusatsu's attractions are the mountain flowers growing in and around the city. The most famous are:

*Watasuge (Eriophorum Vaginatum, Hare's tail cotton grass)
*Zazensō (Simplocarpus foetidus, Skunk cabbage)
*Azumashakunage (Rhododendron Metternichii var. Japonica, a kind of Rhododendron)
*Hakusanshakunage (Rhododendron brachycarpum, a kind of Rhododendron)
*Rengetsutsuji (Rhododendron molle subsp. Japonicum, a kind of Azalea)
*Yanagiran (Epilobium angustifolium, Rosebay Willowherb)
*Nanakamado (Sorbus commixta, Japanese Rowan)
*Ezorindō (Gentiana triflora var. Japonica, blue Gentian)
*Komakusa (Dicentra peregrina, a kind of Magnolia)

===Festivals and events===
During the year there are a number of [[matsuri|traditional festivals]] as well as a number of events.

* Kusatsu International Summer Music Academy & Festival, in late August, which attracts famous musicians from all over Japan and abroad, and is often attended by members of the Japanese Imperial Household.
* {{nihongo|Kōsenji flower festival|光泉寺花祭り|Kōsenji hanamatsuri}} on 7–8 May. The children of the kindergarten near the Buddhist temple of Kōsenji pull an elephant made of paper around the Yubatake in celebration of [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]]'s birthday.
* {{nihongo|Ice-cave festival|氷室の節句|Himuro no Sekku}} on the first of June. Ice is brought from a cave in Mt. Shirane, which was formed by an eruption of the volcano, and is used to make tea. According to folklore, anyone who drinks this special tea will not get ill in the following year.
*{{nihongo|Onsen gratitude festival|温泉感謝祭り|Onsen kansha matsuri}} held during the first three days of August. This traditional festival has its origins in the {{nihongo|Ushiyu matsuri|丑湯祭り}}, which in accordance with the [[Chinese calendar]] is celebrated during the hottest time of the year on the day of the ox. According to the lore, those that bathe in an Onsen in the hour of the ox (one to three AM) will not get ill for one year. In contrast, today's ceremony is totally different: The goddess of Onsen descends the stairs at Kōsenji symbolizing the descent from heaven. She then gathers water from seven big hot springs in Kusatsu and distributes the water to the baths in Kusatsu. On the third day she ascends the stairs to Kōsenji, representing the ascent to heaven. Through this ceremony the blessing of the gods is granted, which will make sure that the springs won't run dry.
*Tour de Kusatsu (amateur bicycle race), {{nihongo|Yuki no kairō walking|雪の回廊ウォーキング}}, (hiking through a valley of snow walls several meters high), soccer and skiing events.

===Sports===
The [[Thespakusatsu Gunma]] [[football (soccer)|football]] club, although formed in and representing Kusatsu in the [[Japanese football league system]], actually plays in [[Maebashi]].

===Souvenirs===
* Yu no hana ("hot water flower") is a powder extracted from the hot water at the Yubatake and consists of dried mineral sediment (mostly [[sulfur]]), which enable one to recreate the onsen waters at home.
* {{nihongo|Amanattō|甘納豆}} is a kind of sweet made of a special sort of highland beans, which does not bear fruit below 700 meters above sea level. First the beans are dried, then put into water and finally they are cooked in sugar. The details of the making process are a company secret.
* [[Manjū]] is a well-known Japanese sweet, consisting of a pastry crust made of flour, [[rice flour]] and [[buckwheat]] and a filling made of [[Azuki bean]] paste, and steamed using the steam rising from the hot springs.

===Lakes and waterfalls===
There are a number of waterfalls and [[Volcanic crater lake|crater lake]]s in the vicinity of Kusatsu. The most famous ones are:

*{{nihongo|Yugama|湯釜}} located 2,100 meters above sea level is the crater lake of Mount Shirane. It boasts a very high acidity and an emerald-green surface.
*{{nihongo|Yumiike|弓池||lit. "bow lake"}}, 2,000 meters above sea level is located between Mount Shirane and Mount Motoshirane. Its water is crystal clear.
*{{nihongo|Ōsen no taki|嫗仙の滝}} and the {{nihongo|Jōfu no taki|常布の滝}} are waterfalls near Kusatsu.

===Ski area===
The {{nihongo|Kusatsu international ski area|草津国際スキー場|Kusatsu kokusai sukijō}} on Mount Tengu and Mount Shirane is over 90 years old and is one of the main attractions of Kusatsu. The ski area extends from 2,100 meters to 1,300 meters above sea level. The snow quality is very good and there are ten different routes for all difficulty levels as well as twelve lifts. The longest route is eight kilometers long.

==Noted people from Kusatsu==
*[[Kenji Ogiwara]], Olympic gold medalist ski jumper
*[[Tsugiharu Ogiwara]], Olympic gold medalist skier
*[[Ichita Yamamoto]], politician

==References==
{{Refbegin}}
*Kawaai Yūtarō, Onsenshiwa, 1966, Gunma-ken, Agatsuma-Gun, Kusatsu-Machi, 3-7-2 Shigehara
*Kusatsu Kyōikuiinkai, Kusatsuonsen no Bunkazai, 1998, Asahiinsatsukōgyō Kabushikigaisha
*Erwin von Bälz Museum, director Okitsu Hiroyoshi, Toki No Utsuroi　(not published)
*Kazumine Daiji, Manga Kusatsumachishi, 2000, Kusatsumachi
*Kusatsu Ryokankyōkai, Meiyukusatsu Onsen Hyakka
*Kusatsu Kankō Kyōkai, Kusatsu Style, 2007
*Kusatsu municipal business division, Kusatsu – The Kusatsu Guide 2002　(edited　2007)
*Kusatsu municipal tourism division, Kusatsu – Kusatsu tourism index
*Kusatsu town hall, special project division, Yubatake VIPs – 100 famous people that visited Kusatsu, 1999
{{Refend}}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{wikivoyage-inline|Kusatsu}}
*[http://www.town.kusatsu.gunma.jp/ Official Website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Gunma}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Gunma Prefecture]]
[[Category:Kusatsu, Gunma]]
[[Category:Spa towns in Japan]]

Numata, Gunma

2024-07-06T04:09:06Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{redirect|Numata}}
{{Infobox settlement

| name = Numata
| official_name =
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ja|沼田市}}}}
| native_name_lang = ja
| settlement_type = [[Cities of Japan|City]]

| image_skyline = Terrace Numata.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Numata city hall (Terrace Numata)
| image_flag = Flag of Numata, Gunma.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_blank_emblem = Emblem of Numata, Gunma.svg
| blank_emblem_type = Emblem

| nickname =
| motto =

| image_map = Numata in Gunma Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Numata in Gunma Prefecture
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =  
| coordinates = {{coord|36|38|45.7|N|139|2|39|E|region:JP|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 

| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name = [[Japan]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kantō region|Kantō]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Gunma Prefecture|Gunma]]
| subdivision_type3 =
| subdivision_name3 =

| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =

| seat_type = 
| seat =

| government_footnotes = 
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name =
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 = 

| total_type = 
| unit_pref = 

| area_magnitude = 
| area_footnotes = 
| area_total_km2 = 443.46
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =

| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m =

| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 46908
| population_as_of = July 2020
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_est =
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| population_note =

| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time]]
| utc_offset1 = +9
| timezone1_DST =
| utc_offset1_DST =

| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type = 
| area_code =

| blank_name_sec1 = Phone number
| blank_info_sec1 = 0278-23-2111
| blank1_name_sec1 = Address
| blank1_info_sec1 = Shimono-machi 999 , Numata-shi, Gunma-ken 378-8501

| blank_name_sec2 = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info_sec2 = [[Humid subtropical climate|Cfa]]

| website = {{Official|1=http://www.city.numata.gunma.jp/}}
| footnotes =
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
| tree = [[Sakura]]
| flower = [[Chinese bellflower]]
| bird =
| flowering_tree =
| butterfly =
| fish =
| other_symbols =
}}
}}[[File:Numata-area-aug12-2014.jpg|thumb|250px|View of Numata, 2014]]

{{Nihongo|'''Numata'''|沼田市|Numata-shi}} is a [[Cities of Japan|city]] located in [[Gunma Prefecture]], [[Japan]]. {{As of|2020|07|31}}, the city had an estimated [[population]] of 46,908 in 20,589 households,<ref name="Numata-hp">{{cite web |url=http://www.city.numata.gunma.jp/index.html |title= Numata City official statistics|location= Japan|language= ja}}</ref> and a [[population density]] of 110 persons per km2. The total area of the city is {{convert|443.46 |sqkm|sqmi}}, making it the largest city in terms of area within Gunma Prefecture. (The neighboring town of [[Minakami, Gunma|Minakami]] is the largest municipality in terms of area within Gunma.)

==Geography==
Numata is located in northern [[Gunma Prefecture]]. The [[Tone River]] flows through the western part of the city and the tributary, the Katashina River, flows through the southern end, forming a large [[fluvial terrace|river terrace]]. The downtown area is located at the top of the terrace, along the Tone River.

*Mountains: Kesamaruyama (1961m), [[Mount Akagi]] (1828m)
*Rivers: [[Tone River]], Katashina River

===Surrounding municipalities===
[[Gunma Prefecture]]
* [[Kiryū, Gunma|Kiryū]]
* [[Shibukawa, Gunma|Shibukawa]]
* [[Maebashi, Gunma|Maebashi]]
* [[Midori, Gunma|Midori]]
* [[Minakami, Gunma|Minakami]]
* [[Katashina, Gunma|Katashina]]
* [[Kawaba, Gunma|Kawaba]]
* [[Shōwa, Gunma|Shōwa]]
* [[Takayama, Gunma|Takayama]]
[[Tochigi Prefecture]]
* [[Nikkō, Tochigi|Nikkō]]

===Climate===
Numata has a [[Humid continental climate]] (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Numata is 12.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1522 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around 0.1 °C.<ref>[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/gunma/numata-5770/ Numata climate data]</ref>

{{Weather box
|width=auto
|collapsed = Y
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|location = Numata (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present)
|Jan record high C = 14.9
|Feb record high C = 20.6
|Mar record high C = 24.9
|Apr record high C = 29.5
|May record high C = 33.5
|Jun record high C = 36.2
|Jul record high C = 37.4
|Aug record high C = 38.1
|Sep record high C = 35.8
|Oct record high C = 31.0
|Nov record high C = 24.6
|Dec record high C = 20.7
|year record high C = 38.1
|Jan high C = 5.0
|Feb high C = 6.2
|Mar high C = 10.3
|Apr high C = 16.7
|May high C = 22.2
|Jun high C = 25.2
|Jul high C = 29.0
|Aug high C = 30.3
|Sep high C = 25.6
|Oct high C = 19.6
|Nov high C = 13.8
|Dec high C = 8.1
|year high C = 17.7
|Jan mean C = 0.1
|Feb mean C = 0.7
|Mar mean C = 4.4
|Apr mean C = 10.4
|May mean C = 15.9
|Jun mean C = 19.8
|Jul mean C = 23.7
|Aug mean C = 24.6
|Sep mean C = 20.4
|Oct mean C = 14.1
|Nov mean C = 7.8
|Dec mean C = 2.5
|year mean C = 12.1
|Jan low C = -4.6
|Feb low C = -4.1
|Mar low C = -0.9
|Apr low C = 4.3
|May low C = 9.9
|Jun low C = 15.1
|Jul low C = 19.5
|Aug low C = 20.3
|Sep low C = 16.3
|Oct low C = 9.6
|Nov low C = 2.6
|Dec low C = -2.2
|year low C = 7.2
|Jan record low C = -13.1
|Feb record low C = -14.0
|Mar record low C = -12.5
|Apr record low C = -5.5
|May record low C = -1.4
|Jun record low C = 3.7
|Jul record low C = 10.8
|Aug record low C = 10.0
|Sep record low C = 5.0
|Oct record low C = -2.2
|Nov record low C = -8.7
|Dec record low C = -12.2
|year record low C = -14.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 42.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 42.8
|Mar precipitation mm = 64.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 65.3
|May precipitation mm = 90.4
|Jun precipitation mm = 130.1
|Jul precipitation mm = 178.4
|Aug precipitation mm = 168.1
|Sep precipitation mm = 152.3
|Oct precipitation mm = 113.1
|Nov precipitation mm = 47.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 37.8
|year precipitation mm = 1132.3
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 7.0
|Feb precipitation days = 7.5
|Mar precipitation days = 9.1
|Apr precipitation days = 8.6
|May precipitation days = 9.8
|Jun precipitation days = 13.2
|Jul precipitation days = 14.9
|Aug precipitation days = 12.7
|Sep precipitation days = 11.9
|Oct precipitation days = 9.2
|Nov precipitation days = 6.3
|Dec precipitation days = 6.7
|Jan sun = 174.1
|Feb sun = 176.1
|Mar sun = 204.9
|Apr sun = 209.8
|May sun = 213.3
|Jun sun = 163.6
|Jul sun = 167.4
|Aug sun = 197.5
|Sep sun = 147.8
|Oct sun = 156.6
|Nov sun = 171.4
|Dec sun = 176.7
|year sun = 2159.1
|source 1 = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=42&block_no=0346&year=&month=&day=&view=p1
| title = 沼田　1991-2020年 | access-date = August 20, 2017 | publisher =Japan Meteorological Agency
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=42&block_no=0346&year=&month=&day=&view=a2
| title = 沼田　観測史上1～10位の値 | access-date = August 20, 2017 | publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency
}}</ref>}}

==Demographics==
Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-gunma.php Numata population statistics]</ref> the population of Numata declined slightly over the past 40 years.

{{Historical populations
| 1920 | 37,674
| 1930 | 52,906
| 1940 | 86,086
| 1950 | 95,533
| 1960 | 56,346
| 1970 | 54,311
| 1980 | 56,828
| 1990 | 56,099
| 2000 | 55,278
| 2010 | 51,265
| 2020 | 45,337
|align = none
| footnote =
}}

==History==
Numata developed during the [[Sengoku period]] as a [[jōkamachi|castle town]] surrounding [[Numata Castle]], a stronghold in [[Kōzuke Province]] contested by the [[Uesugi clan|Uesugi]], [[Takeda clan|Takeda]], [[Later Hōjō clan|Later Hōjō]] and [[Sanada clan]]s. During the [[Edo period]], the area of present-day Numata was the center of the [[Numata Domain]], a 35,000 ''[[koku]]'' [[han system|feudal domain]] held by then [[Toki clan]] under the [[Tokugawa shogunate]].

Numata Town was created within [[Tone District, Gunma]] Prefecture on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the [[Meiji Restoration]]. On March 1, 1954, Numata merged with neighboring Tonami, Ikeda, Usune and Kawada villages, and was raised to city status. On February 13, 2005 the villages of [[Shirasawa, Gunma|Shirasawa]] and [[Tone, Gunma|Tone]] were incorporated into Numata.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Outline of City Numata | url=http://www.city.numata.gunma.jp/english/outline.html | access-date=2006-12-22 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061005195258/http://www.city.numata.gunma.jp/english/outline.html | archive-date=2006-10-05 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Government==
Numata has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city council of 20 members. Numata contributes one member to the Gunma Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of [[Gunma 1st district]] of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].

==Economy==
{{Expand section|date=April 2015}}
Numata is a regional commercial center and transportation hub, but was traditionally known for lumber production.

==Education==
Numata has 12 public elementary schools and nine public middle schools operated by the city government, and four public high schools operated by the Gunma Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates a special education school for the handicapped.

===Elementary schools===
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051025143126/http://www.n-numata-es.gsn.ed.jp/ Numata Elementary School]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050923022201/http://www.n-numatahigasi-es.gsn.ed.jp/ Numata Higashi Elementary School]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050929065052/http://www.n-numatakita-es.gsn.ed.jp/ Numata Kita Elementary School]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050903070106/http://www.n-masugata-es.gsn.ed.jp/ Masugata Elementary School]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050930204458/http://www.n-tonamihigasi-es.gsn.ed.jp/ Tonami Higashi Elementary School]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050911065847/http://www.n-ikeda-es.gsn.ed.jp/ Ikeda Elementary School]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050905171751/http://www.n-usune-es.gsn.ed.jp/ Usune Elementary School]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050906040453/http://www.n-kawada-es.gsn.ed.jp/ Kawada Elementary School]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051231082053/http://www.n-sirasawa-es.gsn.ed.jp/ Shirasawa Elementary School]
*[http://www5.ocn.ne.jp/~azumaes/ Tone Azuma Elementary School]
*[http://www.n-hiragawa-es.gsn.ed.jp/ Hiragawa Elementary School]
*[http://www.n-tonenisi-es.gsn.ed.jp/ Tone Nishi Elementary School]
*Tana Elementary School

===Middle schools===
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050910122906/http://www.n-numata-jhs.gsn.ed.jp/ Numata Middle School]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050909014127/http://www.n-numataminami-jhs.gsn.ed.jp/ Numata Minami Middle School]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051025135806/http://www.n-numatanisi-jhs.gsn.ed.jp/ Numata Nishi Middle School]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050407223057/http://www.n-numatahigasi-jhs.gsn.ed.jp/ Numata Higashi Middle School]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051025133909/http://www.n-ikeda-jhs.gsn.ed.jp/ Ikeda Middle School]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051025141554/http://www.n-usune-jhs.gsn.ed.jp/ Usune Middle School]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051230181647/http://www.n-sirasawa-jhs.gsn.ed.jp/ Shirasawa Middle School]
*[http://www6.ocn.ne.jp/~tonejhs/index.htm Tone Middle School]
*Tana Middle School

===High schools===
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050829092400/http://www.numata-hs.gsn.ed.jp/ Numata High School]
*[http://www.edu-c.pref.gunma.jp/gakko/kou/numajyo/index.htm Numata Girls' High School]
*[http://www.tonejitu-hs.gsn.ed.jp/ Tone Jitsu High School]
*[http://www.oze-hs.gsn.ed.jp/ Oze High School]

==Transportation==
===Railway===
*[[File:JR logo (east).svg|20px]] [[JR East]] – [[Jōetsu Line]]
* {{STN|Numata}} - {{STN|Iwamoto}}

===Highway===
* {{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E17}} – Numata IC
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|17}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|120}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|145}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|291}}

==Local attractions==
[[file:Numata Castle bell tower.jpg|right|thumb|230px|Numata Castle bell tower]]
*Site of [[Numata Castle]]
*[[Fukiware Falls]], National Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument; One of [[Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls]]
*Oigami Onsen
*Tambara Ski Park
*[[Tamahara Dam]]

==Sister-city relations==
* {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Shimoda, Shizuoka]], Japan, since May 1966
* {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Füssen]], [[Bavaria]], [[Germany]] since September 1995

==Notable people==
*[[Koji Omi]], politician
*[[Tochiakagi Takanori]], sumo wrestler
*[[Ukyo Sasahara]], racing driver

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat|Numata, Gunma}}
{{Wikivoyage|Numata}}
*[http://www.city.numata.gunma.jp/ Official Website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Gunma}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Gunma Prefecture]]
[[Category:Numata, Gunma]]

Tatebayashi, Gunma

2024-07-06T04:07:32Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Tatebayashi
| official_name =
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ja|館林市}}}}
| native_name_lang = ja
| settlement_type = [[Cities of Japan|City]]

| image_skyline = Tatebayashi city office 2.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Tatebayashi city hall
| image_flag = Flag of Tatebayashi, Gunma.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_blank_emblem = Emblem of Tatebayashi, Gunma.svg
| blank_emblem_type = Emblem
| nickname =
| motto =

| image_map = Tatebayashi in Gunma Prefecture Ja.svg

| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Tatebayashi in Gunma Prefecture
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =  
| coordinates = {{coord|36|14|41.4|N|139|32|31.6|E|region:JP|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 

| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Japan
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kantō region|Kantō]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Gunma Prefecture|Gunma]]
| subdivision_type3 =
| subdivision_name3 =

| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =

| seat_type = 
| seat =

| government_footnotes = 
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name =
Tada Yoshihiro (since April 2021)
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 = 

| total_type = 
| unit_pref = 

| area_magnitude = 
| area_footnotes = 
| area_total_km2 = 60.97
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =

| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m =

| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 74,027
| population_as_of = February 2024
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_est =
| pop_est_as_of =
| population_demonym = 
| population_note =

| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time]]
| utc_offset1 = +9
| timezone1_DST =
| utc_offset1_DST =

| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type = 
| area_code =

| blank_name_sec1 = Phone number
| blank_info_sec1 = 0276-72-4111
| blank1_name_sec1 = Address
| blank1_info_sec1 = 1-1 Shiromachi, Tatebayashi-shi, Gunma-ken 374-8501

| blank_name_sec2 = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info_sec2 = [[Humid subtropical climate|Cfa]]

| website = {{Official|1=http://www.city.tatebayashi.gunma.jp/}}
| footnotes =
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
| tree = [[Pinus thunbergii]]
| flower = [[Azalea|Rhododendron obtusum]]
| bird = [[Anas poecilorhyncha]]
| flowering_tree =
| butterfly =
| fish =
| other_symbols =
}}
}}
[[file:TsutsujiTatebayashi.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Tsutsujigaoka Koen, or Azalea Park in Tatebayashi]]
{{Nihongo|'''Tatebayashi'''|館林市|Tatebayashi-shi}} is a [[Cities of Japan|city]] located in [[Gunma Prefecture]], Japan. {{As of|2024|02|01}}, the city had an estimated [[population]] of 74,027 in 34,486 households,<ref name="Tatebayashi-hp">{{cite web |url=https://www.city.tatebayashi.gunma.jp |title= Tatebayashi City official statistics|location= Japan|language= ja}}</ref> and a [[population density]] of 1200 people per km². The total area of the city is {{convert|60.97|sqkm|sqmi}}. Tatebayashi is famous for Azalea Hill Park and [[Bunbuku Chagama]] of [[Morin-ji]] temple.

==Geography==
Tatebayashi is located in the extreme southeastern portion of [[Gunma Prefecture]] in the [[Kantō Plain]]s, bordered by [[Tochigi Prefecture]] to the north. The [[Tone River]] and [[Watarase River]]s sandwich the city to the north and south.{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}}

===Surrounding municipalities===
[[Gunma Prefecture]]
* [[Ōra, Gunma|Ōra]]
* [[Chiyoda, Gunma|Chiyoda]]
* [[Meiwa, Gunma|Meiwa]]
* [[Itakura, Gunma|Itakura]]
[[Tochigi Prefecture]]
* [[Ashikaga, Tochigi|Ashikaga]]
* [[Sano, Tochigi|Sano]]

===Climate===
Tatebayashi has a [[Humid continental climate]] (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Tatebayashi is 14.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1287 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.3 °C.<ref>[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/gunma/tatebayashi-4619/ Tatebayashi climate data]</ref>

{{Weather box
|width=auto
|collapsed = Y
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|location = Tatebayashi City (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1979−present)
|Jan record high C = 18.9
|Feb record high C = 24.0
|Mar record high C = 27.1
|Apr record high C = 33.2
|May record high C = 35.4
|Jun record high C = 39.3
|Jul record high C = 39.9
|Aug record high C = 40.3
|Sep record high C = 39.3
|Oct record high C = 33.9
|Nov record high C = 25.2
|Dec record high C = 25.2
|year record high C = 40.3
|Jan high C = 9.6
|Feb high C = 10.6
|Mar high C = 14.3
|Apr high C = 20.2
|May high C = 24.8
|Jun high C = 27.4
|Jul high C = 31.2
|Aug high C = 32.7
|Sep high C = 28.3
|Oct high C = 22.4
|Nov high C = 16.8
|Dec high C = 11.8
|year high C = 20.8
|Jan mean C = 4.0
|Feb mean C = 4.9
|Mar mean C = 8.5
|Apr mean C = 14.0
|May mean C = 18.9
|Jun mean C = 22.4
|Jul mean C = 26.1
|Aug mean C = 27.3
|Sep mean C = 23.4
|Oct mean C = 17.6
|Nov mean C = 11.5
|Dec mean C = 6.2
|year mean C = 15.4
|Jan low C = -0.7
|Feb low C = 0.1
|Mar low C = 3.4
|Apr low C = 8.6
|May low C = 14.0
|Jun low C = 18.5
|Jul low C = 22.4
|Aug low C = 23.5
|Sep low C = 19.8
|Oct low C = 13.7
|Nov low C = 6.9
|Dec low C = 1.5
|year low C = 11.0
|Jan record low C = -8.8
|Feb record low C = -7.0
|Mar record low C = -4.7
|Apr record low C = -1.0
|May record low C = 3.6
|Jun record low C = 11.0
|Jul record low C = 14.6
|Aug record low C = 15.9
|Sep record low C = 10.2
|Oct record low C = 2.8
|Nov record low C = -2.0
|Dec record low C = -5.9
|year record low C = -8.8
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 37.2
|Feb precipitation mm = 34.2
|Mar precipitation mm = 70.1
|Apr precipitation mm = 84.6
|May precipitation mm = 114.2
|Jun precipitation mm = 142.3
|Jul precipitation mm = 158.6
|Aug precipitation mm = 143.9
|Sep precipitation mm = 167.9
|Oct precipitation mm = 160.6
|Nov precipitation mm = 56.0
|Dec precipitation mm = 33.0
|year precipitation mm = 1202.6
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 3.8
|Feb precipitation days = 4.4
|Mar precipitation days = 8.3
|Apr precipitation days = 8.9
|May precipitation days = 10.3
|Jun precipitation days = 12.1
|Jul precipitation days = 12.6
|Aug precipitation days = 9.6
|Sep precipitation days = 11.8
|Oct precipitation days = 9.7
|Nov precipitation days = 6.0
|Dec precipitation days = 3.8
|year precipitation days = 101.2
|Jan sun = 212.3
|Feb sun = 194.9
|Mar sun = 196.9
|Apr sun = 196.4
|May sun = 189.6
|Jun sun = 131.1
|Jul sun = 152.7
|Aug sun = 175.5
|Sep sun = 133.5
|Oct sun = 142.4
|Nov sun = 168.6
|Dec sun = 193.8
|year sun = 2087.6
|source = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]<ref>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=42&block_no=0356&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
| title = 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| access-date = November 1, 2018
| publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=42&block_no=0356&year=&month=&day=&view=
| title = 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）
| access-date = November 1, 2018
| publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-gunma.php Tatebayashi population statistics]</ref> the population of Tatebayashi has recently plateaued after a long period of growth. There is a small community of around 200 [[Rohingya people|Rohingya]] from [[Myanmar]] living in Tatebayashi.<ref>Shintomi, Tetsuo [http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/02/02/national/student-films-documentary-rohingya-gunma-prefecture/ Student films documentary about Rohingya in Gunma Prefecture February 2, 2016] ''[[Japan Times]]'' Retrieved June 23, 2016</ref><ref>[http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/8067-bleak-prospects-for-rohingya-refugee-in-japan.html Bleak prospects for Rohingya refugee in Japan September 3, 2013] ''[[Yomiuri Shimbun]]'' Retrieved June 23, 2016</ref>

{{Historical populations
| 1920 | 37,242
| 1930 | 41,629
| 1940 | 42,411
| 1950 | 55,510
| 1960 | 55,684
| 1970 | 61,130
| 1980 | 70,245
| 1990 | 76,221
| 2000 | 79,371
| 2010 | 78,608
| 2020 | 75,309
|align = none
| footnote =
}}

==History==
Tatebayashi is located within traditional [[Kōzuke Province]] and has been settled since prehistoric times aTere is a continuous record of habitation from the [[Japanese Paleolithic]] period 20,000 years ago. During the [[Edo period]], the area of present-day Tatebayashi was a [[jōkamachi|castle town]] and administrative center of [[Tatebayashi Domain]], a [[han system|feudal domain]] under the [[Tokugawa shogunate]].

Tatebayashi Town was created within [[Ōra District, Gunma]] Prefecture on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the [[Meiji Restoration]]. On April 1, 1954 the town of Tatebayashi and the villages of Satoya, Ōshima, Akabane, Rokugō, Minoya, Tatara, and Watarase merged to form the city [https://visitar-marrakech.com '''Tatebayashi'''.]

==Government==
Tatebayashi has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city council of 18 members. Tatebayashi contributes two members to the Gunma Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of [[Gunma 3rd district]] of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].

==Economy==
{{Expand section|date=April 2015}}
Tatebayashi is a regional commercial center and transportation hub. Food processing dominates the manufacturing sector of the local economy.

==Education==
Tatebayashi has 11 public elementary schools and five public middle schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Gunma Prefectural Board of Education. There is also one private high school.

===University===
**[[Kanto Junior College]]

==Transportation==
===Railway===
*[[File:Tōbu Tetsudō Logo.svg|40px]] [[Tōbu Railway]] [[Isesaki Line]]
** {{STN|Morinjimae}} – {{STN|Tatebayashi}} – {{STN|Tatara|Gunma}}
*[[File:Tōbu Tetsudō Logo.svg|40px]] [[Tōbu Railway]] [[Sano Line]]
** {{STN|Tatebayashi}} – {{STN|Watarase}}
*[[File:Tōbu Tetsudō Logo.svg|40px]] [[Tōbu Railway]] [[Koizumi Line]]
** {{STN|Tatebayashi}} – {{STN|Narushima|Gunma}}

===Highway===
* {{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E4}} – Tatebayashi Interchange
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|122}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|354}}

==Local attractions==
* Site of [[Tatebayashi Castle]]
* [[Gunma Museum of Art]]
* [[Tsutsujigaoka Park]], a National Place of Scenic Beauty
* Jō-numa marsh
* Tatara-numa marsh
* Moriniji Temple

==Sister-city relations==
*{{flagicon|Australia}} – [[Maroochy Shire Council]], Australia, since July 1996<ref>{{cite web |url=http://business.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/sitePage.cfm?code=sister-cities |title=Sister Cities and International Partnerships |author= |date=May 6, 2015 |website=business.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au|publisher=Sunshine Coast Regional Council }}</ref>
*{{flagicon|China}} – [[Kunshan]], China, friendship city since 2004<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.ks.gov.cn/|title=Kunshan China|author=|publisher=The People's Government of Kunshan|access-date=May 7, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429150044/http://en.ks.gov.cn/|archive-date=April 29, 2015}}</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[Shinji Kasahara]], actor
*[[Katai Tayama]], novelist
*[[Kenjiro Shoda]], mathematician
*[[Chiaki Mukai]], astronaut and doctor<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/PS/mukai.html |title=Biographical Data: CHIAKI MUKAI (M.D., PH.D.) JAXA ASTRONAUT (PAYLOAD SPECIALIST) |author= |date=October 2013 |website=jsc.nasa.gov|publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administration }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline}}
*[http://www.city.tatebayashi.gunma.jp/ Official Website] {{in lang|ja}}
*{{Wikivoyage-inline}}

{{Gunma}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Gunma Prefecture]]
[[Category:Tatebayashi, Gunma]]

Kiryū, Gunma

2024-07-06T04:06:22Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Kiryū
| official_name =
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ja|桐生市}}}}
| native_name_lang = ja
| settlement_type = [[Cities of Japan|City]]

| image_skyline = Kiryu City Office.JPG
| imagesize =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Kiryū city hall
| image_flag =Flag of Kiryu, Gunma.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_seal = 群馬県桐生市市章.svg
| seal_alt =
| image_shield =
| shield_alt =
| image_blank_emblem =
| nickname =
| motto =

| image_map = Kiryu in Gunma Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Kiryū in Gunma Prefecture
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =  
| coordinates = {{coord|36|24|18.6|N|139|29|50.1|E|region:JP|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 

| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name = [[Japan]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kantō region|Kantō]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Gunma Prefecture|Gunma]]
| subdivision_type3 =
| subdivision_name3 =

| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =

| seat_type = 
| seat =

| government_footnotes = 
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name =
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 = 

| total_type = 
| unit_pref = 

| area_magnitude = 
| area_footnotes = 
| area_total_km2 = 274.45
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =

| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m =

| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 108991
| population_as_of = July 2020
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_est =
| pop_est_as_of =
| population_demonym = 
| population_note =

| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time]]
| utc_offset1 = +9
| timezone1_DST =
| utc_offset1_DST =

| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type = 
| area_code =

| blank_name_sec1 = Phone number
| blank_info_sec1 = 0277-46-1111
| blank1_name_sec1 = Address
| blank1_info_sec1 = 1-1 Orihimechō, Kiryū-shi, Gunma-ken 376-8501

| blank_name_sec2 = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info_sec2 = [[Humid subtropical climate|Cfa]]

| website = {{Official|1=http://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/}}
| footnotes =
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
| tree = [[Sweet Osmanthus]]
| flower = [[Salvia splendens]]
| bird =
| flowering_tree =
| butterfly =
| fish =
| other_symbols =
}}
}}

{{Nihongo|'''Kiryū'''|桐生市|Kiryū-shi}} is a [[Cities of Japan|city]] located in [[Gunma Prefecture]], [[Japan]]. {{As of|2020|07|31}}, the city had an estimated [[population]] of 108,991 in 49,745 households,<ref name="Kiryu-hp">{{cite web |url=http://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp |title= Kiryu City official statistics|location= Japan|language= ja}}</ref> and a [[population density]] of 400 persons per km2. The total area of the city is {{convert|274.45|sqkm|sqmi}}.

==Geography==
Kiryū is in the southeast part of Gunma, in the northern [[Kantō Plain]] near the Tochigi border. It is located approximately {{convert|100|km|mi}} northwest of Tokyo. The city is also not far from [[Mount Akagi]], a large but dormant volcano.
The city consists of two separate geographic areas, with the city of [[Midori, Gunma|Midori]] sandwiched in between. Situated at the foot of Mount Akagi, the city boasts one of the most beautiful settings in the [[Kantō region]]. Two rivers, the Kiryū and the [[Watarase River]], run through the heart of the city and it is likewise surrounded by picturesque mountains to the north. Umeda, a district on the north side of the city, is well known for its cedar trees, while red pines are also common in other areas.

===Surrounding municipalities===
[[Gunma Prefecture]]
* [[Maebashi, Gunma|Maebashi]]
* [[Isesaki, Gunma|Isesaki]]
* [[Ōta, Gunma|Ōta]]
* [[Midori, Gunma|Midori]]
* [[Numata, Gunma|Numata]]
[[Tochigi Prefecture]]
* [[Ashikaga, Tochigi|Ashikaga]]
* [[Sano, Tochigi|Sano]]

===Climate===
Kiryū has a [[Humid continental climate]] (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kiryū is 14.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1297 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.8 °C.<ref>[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/gunma/kiryu-5768/ Kiryū climate data]</ref>

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|collapsed = Y
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|location = Kiryū (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present)
|Jan record high C = 18.7
|Feb record high C = 22.8
|Mar record high C = 26.5
|Apr record high C = 32.2
|May record high C = 35.4
|Jun record high C = 37.6
|Jul record high C = 39.9
|Aug record high C = 40.5
|Sep record high C = 37.4
|Oct record high C = 32.9
|Nov record high C = 27.6
|Dec record high C = 24.1
|year record high C = 39.9
|Jan high C = 9.0
|Feb high C = 9.9
|Mar high C = 13.6
|Apr high C = 19.2
|May high C = 24.0
|Jun high C = 26.6
|Jul high C = 30.2
|Aug high C = 31.6
|Sep high C = 27.4
|Oct high C = 21.7
|Nov high C = 16.4
|Dec high C = 11.4
|Jan mean C = 3.4
|Feb mean C = 4.3
|Mar mean C = 7.8
|Apr mean C = 13.2
|May mean C = 18.1
|Jun mean C = 21.5
|Jul mean C = 25.2
|Aug mean C = 26.2
|Sep mean C = 22.5
|Oct mean C = 16.7
|Nov mean C = 10.8
|Dec mean C = 5.7
|Jan low C = -1.8
|Feb low C = -1.1
|Mar low C = 2.3
|Apr low C = 7.5
|May low C = 12.7
|Jun low C = 17.2
|Jul low C = 21.1
|Aug low C = 22.2
|Sep low C = 18.6
|Oct low C = 12.4
|Nov low C = 5.7
|Dec low C = 0.5
|Jan record low C = -7.6
|Feb record low C = -8.6
|Mar record low C = -8.3
|Apr record low C = -2.2
|May record low C = 3.2
|Jun record low C = 9.5
|Jul record low C = 11.3
|Aug record low C = 14.5
|Sep record low C = 8.3
|Oct record low C = 2.1
|Nov record low C = -2.7
|Dec record low C = -7.6
|year record low C = -8.6
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 33.2
|Feb precipitation mm = 28.4
|Mar precipitation mm = 63.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 83.9
|May precipitation mm = 110.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 152.8
|Jul precipitation mm = 201.3
|Aug precipitation mm = 180.1
|Sep precipitation mm = 178.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 155.3
|Nov precipitation mm = 53.1
|Dec precipitation mm = 28.5
|year precipitation mm = 1269.1
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 3.5
|Feb precipitation days = 4.0
|Mar precipitation days = 7.8
|Apr precipitation days = 8.8
|May precipitation days = 10.3
|Jun precipitation days = 13.2
|Jul precipitation days = 14.7
|Aug precipitation days = 12.1
|Sep precipitation days = 12.0
|Oct precipitation days = 9.6
|Nov precipitation days = 6.0
|Dec precipitation days = 3.8
|year precipitation days = 105.8
|Jan sun = 223.0
|Feb sun = 210.4
|Mar sun = 210.5
|Apr sun = 203.9
|May sun = 194.5
|Jun sun = 136.2
|Jul sun = 150.7
|Aug sun = 177.0
|Sep sun = 137.9
|Oct sun = 153.6
|Nov sun = 183.2
|Dec sun = 204.3
|year sun = 2185.1
|source 1 = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=42&block_no=0351&year=&month=10&day=&view=p1
| title = Kiryū　平年値（年・月ごとの値） | access-date = June 26, 2016 | publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=42&block_no=0351&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
| title = 桐生　観測史上1～10位の値 | access-date = June 26, 2016 | publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency
}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-gunma.php Kiryū population statistics]</ref> the population of Kiryū peaked around the year 1980 and has declined steadily over the past 50 years.

{{Historical populations
| 1920 | 37,674
| 1930 | 52,906
| 1940 | 86,086
| 1950 | 95,533
| 1960 | 138,224
| 1970 | 146,489
| 1980 | 147,744
| 1990 | 142,838
| 2000 | 134,298
| 2010 | 121,704
| 2020 | 106,445
|align = none
| footnote =
}}

==History==
Kiryū is located within traditional [[Kōzuke Province]] and has been noted since the [[Nara period]] for production of fabrics. The place name appears in the [[Kamakura period]] ''[[Azuma Kagami]]''. During the [[Edo period]], most of the area of present-day Kiryū was part of the ''[[tenryō]]'' holding under the direct administration of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]], with the exception of the commercial center and temple town of Kiryū-shinmachi, noted for [[sericulture]] since the Nara period, which was part of [[Shōnai Domain]] of [[Dewa Province]]. The area also prospered from its location on the Kiryū and Watarase rivers.

Kiryū Town was created within [[Yamada District, Gunma]] Prefecture on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the [[Meiji Restoration]]. It was raised to city status on March 1, 1921. Kiryū annexed the neighboring village of Sakaino on April 1, 1933 and village of Hirosawa on April 1, 1937. The city expanded further with the annexation of Umeda, Aioi and part of Kawauchi village on October 1, 1954.[[File:Kiryu city.jpg|thumb|View of Kiryū from the south looking north]]
On June 13, 2005, Kiryū absorbed the villages of [[Niisato, Gunma|Niisato]] and [[Kurohone, Gunma|Kurohone]] (both from [[Seta District, Gunma|Seta District]]).

==Government==
Kiryū has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city council of 22 members. Kiryū contributes three members to the Gunma Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the [[Gunma 1st district]] and the [[Gunma 2nd district]] of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].

==Economy==
Traditionally, Kiryū's principal industry was [[sericulture]] and silk textile manufacturing, with records dating silk production as far back as 713 AD. {{Citation needed|date=April 2015}} [[Pachinko]] manufacturing arrived in Kiryū after [[World War II]], during the period of industrial reconstruction, with the formation of two main companies—the [[Heiwa Corporation]] in 1949, and the Sophia Corporation in 1951. Kiryū's factories are responsible for manufacturing 60% of Japan's pachinko machines. {{Citation needed|date=April 2015}} However, the decreased demand for silk goods and the closure of several area manufacturing concerns have caused the local economy to suffer.

[[Mitsuba Corporation]], a major manufacturer of automotive parts is headquartered in the city.<ref>"[http://www.mitsuba.co.jp/english/company/base Head Quarter, Offices and Plants]." [[Mitsuba Corporation]]. Retrieved on August 20, 2014.</ref>

==Education==
Kiryū has 17 public elementary schools and ten public middle schools operated by the city government, and six public high schools operated by the Gunma Prefectural Board of Education. There are also two private middle schools and two private high schools.
The prefecture also operates three special education schools for the handicapped. The Engineering department of [[Gunma University]] is located in the Tenjin district of the city.

==Transportation==
===Railway===
*[[File:JR logo (east).svg|20px]] [[JR East]] – [[Ryōmō Line]]
** {{STN|Kiryū}}
* Watarase Keikoku Railway – [[Watarase Keikoku Railway Watarase Keikoku Line|Watarase Keikoku Line]]
** {{STN|Kiryū}} - {{STN|Shimo-Shinden}} - {{STN|Aioi|Gunma}} - {{STN|Undō-Kōen|Gunma}} – (''{{STN|Ōmama}} - {{STN|Kami-Kambai}}'') - {{STN|Motojuku|Gunma}} - {{STN|Mizunuma}}
*[[File:Jomo Electric Railway logomark.svg|20px]] Jōmō Electric Railway Company - [[Jōmō Line]]
** {{STN|Niisato}} - {{STN|Nikkawa}} - {{STN|Higashi-Nikkawa}} – ({{STN|Akagi|Gunma}} ) - {{STN|Kiryū-Kyūjō-Mae}} - {{STN|Tennōjuku}} - {{STN|Fujiyamashita}} - {{STN|Maruyamashita}} - {{STN|Nishi-Kiryū}}
*[[File:Tōbu Tetsudō Logo.svg|40px]] [[Tōbu Railway]] – [[Tōbu Kiryū Line]]
** {{STN|Shin-Kiryū}} - {{STN|Aioi|Gunma}}

===Highway===
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|50}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|122}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|353}}

==Local attractions==
Having been virtually untouched by bombs during World War II, the city boasts one of the greatest concentrations of pre-war architecture in all of Japan. {{Citation needed|date=April 2015}}
*Kiryugaoka Amusement Park
*Kiryugaoka Zoo
*Kiryu Nature Sanctuary
* Kiryu Motorboat Race Course
*[[Gunma Insect World]]
*[[Okawa Museum of Art]]
*[[Textile Museum Yukari]]
* Tenmangu Shrine
* [[Takei temple ruins]], National Historic Site

=== Saw-tooth roof structures ===
[[File:Kinopi mascot.jpg|thumb|Kinopi, mascot of Kiryu city]]
Kiryu is especially known in the area for [[Saw-tooth roof|saw-tooth roof structures]]. The official mascot of Kiryu city is a saw-tooth themed character named Kinopi (キノピー). Many of these saw-tooth structures are still in use today, re-purposed for various businesses.

== ''The Silk Weaver’s Apprentice and the Kiryu Spirit'' ([[Manga]] Series) ==
Kiryū City officially released a manga titled ''The Silk Weaver’s Apprentice and the Kiryū Spirit'' in collaboration with Tokyo-based publisher Manga Planet.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/annai/1013132.html|script-title=ja:桐生市を題材にした漫画「職人見習いは桐生の御霊（みたま）と暮らす」について｜桐生市ホームページ|last=桐生市役所|website=www.city.kiryu.lg.jp|language=ja|access-date=2018-07-12}}</ref> The series is being simultaneously released in both English and Japanese on Manga Planet's official website.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://mangaplanet.jp/read-free-manga/silk-weavers-apprentice-kiryu-spirit/|title=The Silk Weaver’s Apprentice and the Kiryu Spirit - Manga Planet|work=Manga Planet|access-date=2018-07-12|language=en-US}}</ref>
According to website,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://mangaplanet.jp/read-free-manga/silk-weavers-apprentice-kiryu-spirit/|title=The Silk Weaver’s Apprentice and the Kiryu Spirit - Manga Planet|work=Manga Planet|access-date=2018-07-12|language=en-US}}</ref> in the manga Princess Shirataki, the spirit of the Kiryū traditional weaving art, takes the form of a young girl and appears suddenly before an apprentice of the Kiryū tradition and his childhood friend, a girl going to Tokyo College of Art. These three live together, learn the seven techniques of the Kiryū art and discover how to use it in modern-day fashion.
[[File:STR Kiryu.jpg|thumb|Saw-tooth roof structure in Kiryu, Gunma, Japan]]

==Sister-city relations==
* {{flagicon|Japan}} - [[Hitachi, Ibaraki]], since June 18, 1965
* {{flagicon|Italy}} - [[Biella]], [[Piemonte]], [[Italy]], since October 12, 1963
*{{flagicon|USA}} - [[Columbus, Georgia|Columbus]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[United States of America]], since June 16, 1977
* {{flagicon|Japan}} - [[Naruto, Tokushima]], since September 18, 1980

==Notable people==
* [[Kenkichi Iwasawa]] (1917-1998), mathematician
* [[Mao Murakami]] (born 1995), dancer
* [[Naoki Matsuda]] (1977-2011), professional soccer player
* [[Shūzō Oshimi]] (born 1981), manga writer and artist
* [[Ryoko Shinohara]] (born 1973), actress
* [[Chihiro Yamanaka]] (born 1976), pianist
* [[Saori Yuki]] (born 1948), singer
* [[Yukio Araki]] (1928-1945), youngest-known Japanese [[Kamikaze]] pilot killed in [[World War II]]
* [[Jun Takahashi]] (born 1969), Japanese fashion designer and founder of UNDERCOVER

== In Pop Culture ==
Unofficial sources state that in the [[Pokémon|Pokemon]] franchise, Route 3 in the Kanto Region was modeled after Kiryū.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pokémon world in relation to the real world |url=https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_world_in_relation_to_the_real_world#Kanto |website=Bulbapedia |access-date=17 June 2022}}</ref>

The manga series [[The Flowers of Evil (manga)|The Flowers of Evil]] is set in Kiryū.<ref>{{cite web|title=Aku no Hana|url=http://otakumode.com/news/517d050b1581fd0b6d004bf3/AKU-NO-HANA|publisher=Otaku Mode|access-date=August 17, 2015}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Kiryu, Gunma}}
* {{wikivoyage-inline|Kiryu}}
*[http://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/ Official Website] {{in lang|ja}}
*''[https://mangaplanet.jp/read-free-manga/silk-weavers-apprentice-kiryu-spirit/ The Silk Weaver’s Apprentice and the Kiryu Spirit]'' (Manga Series)

{{Gunma}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kiryu, Gunma}}
[[Category:Cities in Gunma Prefecture]]
[[Category:Kiryū, Gunma]]

Isesaki

2024-07-06T04:04:11Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{Short description|City in Gunma, Japan}}
{{About|city in Gunma Prefecture|the district in Yokohama|Isezakichō}}
{{Infobox settlement

| name = Isesaki
| official_name =
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ja|伊勢崎市}}}}
| settlement_type = [[Special cities of Japan|Special city]]

| image_skyline = Isesaki City Hall 001.JPG
| imagesize =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Isesaki city hall
| image_flag = Flag of Isesaki, Gunma.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_seal = Emblem of Isesaki, Gunma.svg
| seal_alt =
| image_shield =
| shield_alt =
| image_blank_emblem =
| nickname =
| motto =

| image_map = Isesaki in Gunma Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Isesaki in Gunma Prefecture
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =  
| coordinates = {{coord|36|18|40.9|N|139|11|48.5|E|region:JP-10_type:city(213,000)|display=it}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 

| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = [[Japan]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kantō region|Kantō]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Gunma Prefecture|Gunma]]
| subdivision_type3 =
| subdivision_name3 =

| established_title = First official recorded
| established_date = 535 AD
| established_title2 = City settled
| established_date2 = September 13, 1940
| founder =
| named_for =

| seat_type = 
| seat =

| government_footnotes = 
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = [[:ja:臂泰雄|Yasuo Hiji]] (from June 2021)
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 = 

| total_type = 
| unit_pref = 

| area_magnitude = 
| area_footnotes = 
| area_total_km2 = 139.44
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =

| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m =

| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 213303
| population_as_of = September 2020
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_est =
| pop_est_as_of =
| population_demonym = 
| population_note =

| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time]]
| utc_offset1 = +9

| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type = 
| area_code =

| blank_name_sec1 = Phone number
| blank_info_sec1 = 0270-24-5111
| blank1_name_sec1 = Address
| blank1_info_sec1 = 2-410 Imaizumi-chō, Isesaki-shi, Gunma-ken 372-8501

| blank_name_sec2 = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info_sec2 = [[Humid subtropical climate|Cfa]]

| website = {{Official|1=http://www.city.isesaki.lg.jp}}
| footnotes =
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
| tree = [[Pine]]
| flower = [[Azalea]], [[Salvia splendens]], [[Chrysanthemum]], [[Narcissus (plant)|Narcissus]]
| bird =
| flowering_tree =
| butterfly =
| fish =
| other_symbols =
}}
}}

{{Nihongo|'''Isesaki'''|伊勢崎市|Isesaki-shi}} is a [[Cities of Japan|city]] located in [[Gunma Prefecture]], [[Japan]]. {{As of|2020|09|01}}, the city had an estimated [[population]] of 213,303 in 91,789 households,<ref name="Isesaki-hp">{{cite web |url=https://www.city.isesaki.lg.jp |title= Isesaki City official statistics|location= Japan|language= ja}}</ref> and a [[population density]] of 1500 persons per km2. The total area of the city is {{convert|139.44|sqkm|sqmi}}.

==Geography==
Isesaki is located in the northwestern part of the [[Kantō Plain]] of southern [[Gunma Prefecture]]. It is adjacent to Saitama Prefecture across the [[Tone River]], which runs through the southern part of the city. The distance to the center of the city is about {{convert|15|km|mi}} from Maebashi City, the prefectural capital of Gunma, {{convert|20|km|mi}} from [[Takasaki, Gunma|Takasaki]], and about {{convert|95|km|mi}} from central [[Tokyo]].

===Surrounding municipalities===
[[Gunma Prefecture]]
* [[Maebashi, Gunma|Maebashi]]
* [[Kiryū, Gunma|Kiryū]]
* [[Ōta, Gunma|Ōta]]
* [[Midori, Gunma|Midori]]
* [[Tamamura, Gunma|Tamamura]]

[[Saitama Prefecture]]
* [[Honjō, Saitama|Honjō]]
* [[Fukaya, Saitama|Fukaya]]

===Climate===
Isesaki has a [[humid continental climate]] (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Isesaki is 14.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1256 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.3 °C.<ref>[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/gunma/isesaki-5772/ Isesaki climate data]</ref> On June 26, 2022, the temperature in the city reached 40.2 °C, the highest ever recorded in Japan for the month of June.<ref>{{cite web |title=Japan records highest-ever June temperature |url=https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/general-news/20220626-40940/ |website=The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun |access-date=2 July 2022}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|width=auto
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Isesaki (1998−2020 normals, extremes 1998−present)
|Jan record high C = 18.6
|Feb record high C = 23.8
|Mar record high C = 26.3
|Apr record high C = 31.5
|May record high C = 36.0
|Jun record high C = 40.2
|Jul record high C = 39.2
|Aug record high C = 40.5
|Sep record high C = 39.0
|Oct record high C = 33.5
|Nov record high C = 27.9
|Dec record high C = 25.4
|year record high C = 40.5
|Jan high C = 9.4
|Feb high C = 10.4
|Mar high C = 14.0
|Apr high C = 19.6
|May high C = 24.9
|Jun high C = 27.6
|Jul high C = 31.2
|Aug high C = 32.5
|Sep high C = 28.2
|Oct high C = 22.3
|Nov high C = 16.8
|Dec high C = 11.8
|Jan mean C = 4.1
|Feb mean C = 4.9
|Mar mean C = 8.4
|Apr mean C = 13.7
|May mean C = 19.1
|Jun mean C = 22.6
|Jul mean C = 26.3
|Aug mean C = 27.4
|Sep mean C = 23.5
|Oct mean C = 17.6
|Nov mean C = 11.6
|Dec mean C = 6.3
|Jan low C = -0.6
|Feb low C = 0.0
|Mar low C = 3.1
|Apr low C = 8.2
|May low C = 13.9
|Jun low C = 18.5
|Jul low C = 22.4
|Aug low C = 23.5
|Sep low C = 19.8
|Oct low C = 13.6
|Nov low C = 6.8
|Dec low C = 1.5
|Jan record low C = -6.8
|Feb record low C = -5.6
|Mar record low C = -4.2
|Apr record low C = -0.6
|May record low C = 5.6
|Jun record low C = 11.6
|Jul record low C = 16.5
|Aug record low C = 16.5
|Sep record low C = 9.3
|Oct record low C = 3.1
|Nov record low C = -2.5
|Dec record low C = -5.6
|year record low C = -6.8
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 28.8
|Feb precipitation mm = 25.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 49.8
|Apr precipitation mm = 73.5
|May precipitation mm = 99.3
|Jun precipitation mm = 139.9
|Jul precipitation mm = 190.4
|Aug precipitation mm = 169.9
|Sep precipitation mm = 184.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 149.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 43.0
|Dec precipitation mm = 27.1
|year precipitation mm = 1176.5
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 2.9
|Feb precipitation days = 3.6
|Mar precipitation days = 6.6
|Apr precipitation days = 7.8
|May precipitation days = 9.4
|Jun precipitation days = 11.7
|Jul precipitation days = 14.3
|Aug precipitation days = 10.8
|Sep precipitation days = 11.5
|Oct precipitation days = 8.8
|Nov precipitation days = 5.3
|Dec precipitation days = 3.7
|Jan sun = 217.9
|Feb sun = 201.0
|Mar sun = 211.3
|Apr sun = 205.8
|May sun = 201.9
|Jun sun = 140.7
|Jul sun = 149.5
|Aug sun = 169.5
|Sep sun = 138.6
|Oct sun = 153.4
|Nov sun = 177.1
|Dec sun = 203.3
|year sun = 2177.0
|source 1 = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=42&block_no=1021&year=&month=&day=&view=
|script-title=ja:伊勢崎年・月ごとの平年値 | access-date = May 24, 2013 | publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=42&block_no=1021&year=&month=&day=&view=
|script-title=ja:伊勢崎観測史上1～10位の値 | access-date = May 25, 2014 | publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency
}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-gunma.php Isesaki population statistics]</ref> the population of Isesaki has increased steadily over the past 60 years.

{{Historical populations
| 1960 | 130,555
| 1970 | 137,118
| 1980 | 159,069
| 1990 | 175,254
| 2000 | 194,393
| 2010 | 207,199
| 2020 | 211,850
|align = none
| footnote =
}}

==History==
Isesaki developed during the [[Sengoku period]] as a [[jōkamachi|castle town]] surrounding Akaishi Castle, a stronghold in southern [[Kōzuke Province]] controlled by the Yura clan. During the [[Edo period]], it was the center of [[Isesaki Domain]], a [[han system|feudal domain]] under the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] controlled by the [[Sakai clan]]. The area also contained two [[shukuba|post town]]s on the [[Nikkō Reiheishi Kaidō]], a subroute to [[Nikkō Kaidō]] which connected the [[Nakasendō]] directly with Nikkō, bypassing [[Edo]].<ref name="reihei">[http://t-mainichi.jp/gunma/kaidou_box/kaidou/2_reiheishi.html Nikkō Reiheishidō] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929063000/http://t-mainichi.jp/gunma/kaidou_box/kaidou/2_reiheishi.html |date=2007-09-29 }}. Mainichi Shinbun. Accessed August 29, 2007.</ref><ref name="takasaki">[http://www.city.takasaki.gunma.jp/soshiki/kankou/kankou/nakasen.htm Old Nakasendo: Kuragano-shuku and Takasaki-shuku] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070822002852/http://www.city.takasaki.gunma.jp/soshiki/kankou/kankou/nakasen.htm |date=2007-08-22 }}. City of Takasaki. Accessed August 29, 2007.</ref>

Isesaki Town was created within [[Sai District, Gunma]] Prefecture on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the [[Meiji Restoration]]. Sai District and [[Nawa District, Gunma|Nawa District]] merged to form [[Sawa District, Gunma|Sawa District]] in 1896. It merged with the villages of Uehasu and Moro to form the city of Isesaki on September 13, 1940. On January 10, 1955 the village of Misato was annexed by Isesaki, followed by the villages of Nawa, Toyouke and Miyagō on March 25 of the same year.

On January 1, 2005 the towns of [[Akabori, Gunma|Akabori]] and [[Sakai, Gunma|Sakai]], and village of Azuma were incorporated into Isesaki. On April 1, 2007, Isesaki was proclaimed a [[Special cities of Japan|special city (''tokureishi'')]] with increased autonomy.

==Government==
Isesaki has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city council of 29 members. Isesaki contributes five members to the Gunma Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the [[Gunma 2nd district]] of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].

==Economy==
Isesaki (along with neighboring [[Kiryū, Gunma|Kiryū]]) was traditionally famous for [[sericulture]] since ancient times, with a cloth called "Isesaki Meisen" as one of its most famous products. This cloth has been made since the late 17th century, and became popular during the [[Meiji era|Meiji]] and [[Taishō period]]s. Now, however, due to the ubiquity of Western-style clothes, its popularity is decreasing.

The [[Automotive industry|automotive equipment]] and [[electrical equipment]] manufacturing company [[Sanden Corporation]] is headquartered in Isesaki.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sanden.co.jp/english/company/about.html |title=Sanden Corporation company profile |access-date=March 15, 2014 |archive-date=April 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413040129/https://www.sanden.co.jp/english/company/about.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Also the city is home to [[Meisei Electric]], a [[communications equipment|communications]] and [[electronics|electronics equipment]] and [[Measuring instrument|electric measuring instruments]] manufacturing company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.meisei.co.jp/english/aboutus/outline |title=About Meisei Electric |access-date=March 15, 2014}}</ref> Large [[industrial park]]s have been built in the suburbs, making it one of the leading industrial cities in the northern Kantō region.

It is also the location of [[J-List]], a retailer of anime goods, visual novels and related products from Japan.

==Education==
===Universities===
*[[Jobu University]]
*[[Tokyo University of Social Welfare]] – Isesaki Campus

===Primary and secondary schools===
Isesaki has 22 public elementary schools and 12 public middle schools operated by the city government, and five public high schools operated by the Gunma Prefectural Board of Education. Then prefecture also operates three special education schools for the handicapped.

Isesaki has a {{Nihongo|Peruvian international school|[[:ja:ペルー学校|ペルー学校]]}}, [[Colegio Hispano Americano de Gunma]].<ref>"[http://cedha.pe.tripod.com/new_page_2.htm Mapa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024100540/http://cedha.pe.tripod.com/new_page_2.htm |date=2015-10-24 }}." Centro de Desarrollo Hispano Americano. Retrieved on October 24, 2015. "Gunma Ken, Isesaki Shi, Heiwa Cho 10-13"</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://cedha.pe.tripod.com/colegio.htm |title=Colegio News |website=[[Colegio Hispano Americano de Gunma]] |access-date=October 24, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024100508/http://cedha.pe.tripod.com/colegio.htm }}</ref>

==Transportation==
===Railway===
[[File:JR logo (east).svg|20px]] [[JR East]] – [[Ryōmō Line]]
* {{STN|Isesaki}} - {{STN|Kunisada}}
[[File:Tōbu Tetsudō Logo.svg|40px]] [[Tobu Railway]] – [[Tobu Isesaki Line]]
* {{STN|Sakaimachi}} - {{STN|Gōshi}} - {{STN|Shin-Isesaki}} - {{STN|Isesaki}}

===Highway===
* {{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E50|dab1=K}} – Isesaki Interchange, Hashie Parking Area
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|17}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|50}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|354}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|462}}

==Local attractions==
* Former home of Tajima Yohei
* Grave of [[Kunisada Chūji]]
* Isesaki Jinja
* Goshiki Onsen
* Kezouji Park (Amusement park)

==Sister-city relations==
* [[Teradomari, Niigata]], Japan, friendship city since 1986
* [[Springfield, Missouri]], United States, since 1986<ref name=sci>{{cite web|title=Interactive City Directory|url=http://www.sister-cities.org/interactive-map/Springfield,%20Missouri|work=[[Sister Cities International]]|access-date=11 March 2014}}</ref>
* [[Ma'anshan]], [[Anhui]], China, friendship city since 1989.

==Notable people from Isesaki==
* [[Mitsuru Adachi]], manga artist
* [[Tsutomu Adachi]], manga artist
* [[Toshi Arai]], rally driver
* [[Atsushi Imaruoka]], voice actor
* [[Takashi Ishizeki]], politician
* [[Mr. Pogo]], professional wrestler

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://www.city.isesaki.lg.jp/ Official Website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Gunma}}
{{Metropolitan cities of Japan}}
{{Most populous cities in Japan}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Gunma Prefecture]]
[[Category:Isesaki, Gunma]]

Kanazawa

2024-07-06T04:01:14Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{Short description|City in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Distinguish|Kanagawa Prefecture|Hanazawa}}
{{Infobox settlement

| name = Kanazawa
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ja|金沢市}}}}
| official_name =
| settlement_type = [[Core cities of Japan|Core city]]

| image_skyline = {{Multiple image
| border = infobox
| total_width = 280
| image_style = border:1;
| perrow = 1/2/2/2
| image1 = 望湖台２.jpg{{!}}
| image2 = Kanazawa Castle 20200820 04.jpg{{!}}
| image3 = Kenroku-en (8485879202).jpg{{!}}
| image4 = Higashi Chaya District (50154603457).jpg{{!}}
| image5 = Nishichayagai003.jpg{{!}}
| image6 = Kōrinbō Crossing.jpg{{!}}
| image7 = 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa011.jpg{{!}}
}}
| imagesize = 250px
| image_alt =
| image_caption = <table style="width:280px; margin:2px auto; border-collapse:collapse">
<tr><td style = "width:100%" colspan="2">Kanazawa City distant view from Utatsuyama Park</tr>
<tr><td style = "width:50%">[[Kanazawa Castle]]<td style="width:50%">[[Kenrokuen]]</tr>
<tr><td style = "width:50%">Higashi-Chaya<td style="width:50%">Nishi-Chaya</tr>
<tr><td style = "width:50%">[[Downtown]] of Kōrinbō<td style="width:50%">[[21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa]]</tr>
</table>
| image_flag = Flag of Kanazawa, Ishikawa.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_seal = Emblem of Kanazawa, Ishikawa.svg
| seal_alt =
| image_shield =
| shield_alt =
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| nickname =
| motto =

| image_map = Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =  
| coordinates = {{coord|36|33|39.8|N|136|39|23.1|E|region:JP-17|display=it}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 

| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = [[Japan]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Chūbu region|Chūbu]] ([[Hokuriku region|Hokuriku]])
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Ishikawa Prefecture]]
| subdivision_type3 =
| subdivision_name3 =

| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =

| seat_type = 
| seat =

| government_footnotes = 
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Takashi Murayama (from March 2022)
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 = 

| total_type = 
| unit_pref = 

| area_magnitude = 
| area_footnotes = 
| area_total_km2 = 468.64
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =

| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m =

| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 466,029
| population_as_of = January 1, 2018
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_est =
| pop_est_as_of =
| population_demonym = 
| population_note =

| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time]]
| utc_offset1 = +09:00

| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type = 
| area_code =

| blank_name_sec1 = City symbols
| blank_info_sec1 =  
| blank1_name_sec1 = Tree
| blank1_info_sec1 = ''[[Prunus mume]]''
| blank2_name_sec1 = Flower
| blank2_info_sec1 = [[Iris (plant)|Iris]] ''[[Salvia splendens]]'' [[Begonia]] ''[[Impatiens walleriana]]'' [[Pelargonium]]
| blank3_name_sec1 = Bird
| blank3_info_sec1 =
| blank4_name_sec1 =
| blank4_info_sec1 =
| blank5_name_sec1 =
| blank5_info_sec1 =
| blank6_name_sec1 =
| blank6_info_sec1 =
| blank7_name_sec1 =
| blank7_info_sec1 =

| blank_name_sec2 = Phone number
| blank_info_sec2 = 076-220-2111
| blank1_name_sec2 = Address
| blank1_info_sec2 = 1-1-1 Hirozaka, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa-ken 920-8577

| website = {{Official|1=http://www4.city.kanazawa.lg.jp/kurashi/index.html}}
| footnotes =
}}
{{Nihongo|'''Kanazawa'''|金沢市|Kanazawa-shi}} is the capital of [[Ishikawa Prefecture]] in central [[Japan]]. {{As of|2018|01|01}}, the city had an estimated [[population]] of 466,029 in 203,271 households, and a [[population density]] of 990 persons per km2.<ref>[http://www4.city.kanazawa.lg.jp/11018/toukeidatasyu/jinnkousetaisu.html Official statistics page]</ref> The total area of the city was {{convert|468.64|sqkm|sqmi}}.

== Etymology==
[[File:チカモリ遺跡環状木柱 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Chikamori Site]]]]
The name "Kanazawa" ({{Nihongo2|金沢}}, {{Nihongo2|金澤}}), which literally means "marsh of gold", is said to derive from the legend of the peasant Imohori Togoro (literally "Togoro Potato-digger"), who was digging for potatoes when flakes of gold washed up.
The well in the grounds of [[Kenroku-en]] is known as {{Nihongo|'Kinjo Reitaku'|金城麗澤}} to acknowledge these roots. The area where Kanazawa is was originally known as Ishiura, whose name is preserved at the Ishiura Shrine near Kenrokuen. The area around Kanazawa was part of ancient [[Kaga Province]].

== History ==
=== Muromachi period ===
During the [[Muromachi period]] (1336 to 1573), as the power of the central [[shōgun]]s in [[Kyoto]] was waning, Kaga Province came under the control of the [[Ikkō-ikki]], followers of the teachings of priest [[Rennyo]], of the {{Lang|ja-latn|[[Jōdo Shinshū]]|italic=no}} sect, who displaced the official governors of the province, the Togashi clan, and established a kind of theocratic republic later known as "[[Kaga ikki|The Peasants' Kingdom]]."
Their principal stronghold was the Kanazawa Gobo, on the tip of the Kodatsuno Ridge.
Backed by high hills and flanked on two sides by rivers, it was a natural fortress, around which a [[castle town]] developed. This was the start of what would become the city of Kanazawa.

=== Sengoku period ===
In 1580, during the [[Sengoku period]] (1467 to 1615), [[Oda Nobunaga]] sent [[Shibata Katsuie]], and his general [[Sakuma Morimasa]], to conquer the Kaga [[Ikko-ikki]].<ref name="Cassell">{{cite book|last1=Turnbull|first1=Stephen|title=The Samurai Sourcebook|date=2000|publisher=Cassell & C0|location=London|isbn=1854095234|page=230}}</ref>

After overthrowing the "Peasant's Kingdom", Morimasa was awarded the province as his fief.
However, after the assassination of Oda Nobunaga in 1582, he was displaced by [[Maeda Toshiie]], who founded [[Kaga Domain]].
At the [[Battle of Sekigahara]] in 1600, Maeda sided with [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] and thus was able to further enlarge his holdings to a massive 1.2 million ''[[koku]]'' — by far the largest [[han system|feudal domain]] within the [[Tokugawa shogunate]].
The [[Maeda clan]] continued to rule Kaga Domain from [[Kanazawa Castle]] through the end of the [[Edo period]].
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="110" perrow="3" caption="">
File:Bronze statue of Rennyo Syonin.jpg|[[Rennyo]]
File:佐久間玄蕃盛政.png|[[Sakuma Morimasa]]
File:Statue of Maeda Toshiie in Kanazawa - Detail - 2016-04-16.jpg|[[Maeda Toshiie]]
</gallery>

===Edo period===
[[File:Kanazawa Kanazawa-jo Sakura 06.jpg|thumb|Kanazawa Castle was enlarged during the late 16th century]]
[[Maeda Toshiie]] and his successors greatly enlarged [[Kanazawa Castle]] and carefully planned the layout of the surrounding [[jōkamachi]] to meet strategic and defensive concerns.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} On April 14, 1631, a fire consumed much of the city, including the castle.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} In 1632 [[Maeda Toshitsune]] ordered the construction of a canal to bring water from the upper [[Sai River (Ishikawa)|Sai River]] to the castle to alleviate a water shortage problem. Water was drawn from far upstream, and channeled through kilometres of canals and pipes carefully laid at a 750:1 slope for about {{convert|3.3|km|1|abbr=off}} to the castle.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} The water was fed to the castle under the moat that lay between it and what is now Kenrokuen by an artesian well. The large lake in [[Kenrokuen]], Kasumi-ga-Ike, acted as an emergency supply. Local legend has it that the lake has a plug, which could be pulled to increase the water in the moats. The series of moats were laid out in the early seventeenth century. Initially they were dry, but later connected to the rivers. The Inner Moat was dug in only 27 days, and averaged about four to five feet wide. The Outer Moat took a bit longer, and averages some six to nine feet in width. Though much of the Inner Moat has been filled in, large sections of the Outer Moat remain. The earth removed from the moat was piled into ridges along the inner side, as an added defence measure.
[[File:Kenroku En Garden Sunrise (119192189).jpeg|left|thumb|[[Kenroku-en]] lake acted as an emergency supply to the castle]]
Before the Maeda clan arrived in Kanazawa, the town had a population of only 5,000.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Totman|first1=Conrad|title=Early Modern Japan|date=1993|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkeley|page=152}}</ref> However, thanks to Maeda efforts, that number rose quickly. By 1700, Kanazawa rivaled Rome, Amsterdam, and Madrid in size with its population of over 100,000.<ref>{{cite book|last1=McClain|first1=James|title=Kanazawa: A Seventeenth-Century Japanese Castle Town|date=1982|publisher=Yale University Press|location=New Haven|page=2}}</ref> The Maeda summoned samurai retainers to live in Kanazawa and offered a set of incentives to attract the artisans and merchants needed to support the samurai population.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=McClain|first1=James|title=Castle Towns and Daimyo Authority: Kanazawa in the Years 1583-1630|journal=Journal of Japanese Studies|date=Summer 1980|volume=6|issue=2|page=274| doi=10.2307/132323 |jstor=132323}}</ref> Chartered merchants and artisans received economic, social, and political privileges in exchange for moving to the city: they were guaranteed business, exempt from certain taxes, and given pieces of land for shops and residences.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=McClain|first1=James|title=Castle Towns and Daimyo Authority: Kanazawa in the Years 1583-1630|journal=Journal of Japanese Studies|date=Summer 1980|volume=6|issue=2|pages=279–85| doi=10.2307/132323 |jstor=132323}}</ref> These merchants and artisans were at the top of the [[chōnin]], or townsman, social class.

Other merchants and artisans, who made up the rest of the ''chōnin'', came without such promises. Some were first hired as servants for samurai or wealthy merchant families and decided to stay in the city even after their contracts expired, though most moved to Kanazawa for no reason other than the commercial opportunities the city presented. The government further facilitated growth by responding to the needs of these newcomers with projects like the Sai River Project. Because the Sai River split in two and the castle was located in the center, a part of the riverbed was unusable. In the 1610s, the construction project diverted the secondary stream into the main river, thus creating usable land, where four new wards opened for ''chōnin'' settlement.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=McClain|first1=James|title=Castle Towns and Daimyo Authority: Kanazawa in the Years 1583–1630|journal=Journal of Japanese Studies|date=Summer 1980|volume=6|issue=2|pages=284–88| doi=10.2307/132323 |jstor=132323}}</ref> Some of these poorer merchants became successful enough to compete with chartered merchants for city administration positions, but many supported themselves by making and selling low cost goods, such as umbrellas and straw sandals, for mass consumption. This signifies that the commoner population of Kanazawa began to generate its own consumption demands, thus stimulating even more growth.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=McClain|first1=James|title=Castle Towns and Daimyo Authority: Kanazawa in the Years 1583-1630|journal=Journal of Japanese Studies|date=Summer 1980|volume=6|issue=2|pages=284–288| doi=10.2307/132323 |jstor=132323}}</ref>

Kanazawa flourished largely because of a mutually beneficial relationship between the ''daimyō'' and the ''chōnin''. The samurai relied on merchants and artisans for goods and services, while the ''chōnin'' were able to thrive because of the protection that the ''daimyō'' provided. Coming out of the [[Sengoku Period]], castle towns were particularly appealing because of their security and defenses.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=McClain|first1=James|title=Castle Towns and Daimyo Authority: Kanazawa in the Years 1583–1630|journal=Journal of Japanese Studies|date=Summer 1980|volume=6|issue=2|page=297| doi=10.2307/132323 |jstor=132323}}</ref> Kanazawa's growth was indicative of a larger trend in Japan from 1580 to 1700: [[urbanization]]. In those 120 years, the population of the country nearly doubled, reaching approximately 30,000,000, and the percentage of people living in urban towns of more than 10,000 residents grew more than tenfold.<ref>{{cite book|last1=McClain|first1=James|title=Kanazawa: A Seventeenth-Century Japanese Castle Town|date=1982|publisher=Yale University Press|location=New Haven|page=1}}</ref> Kanazawa continued to grow until 1710, when the ''chōnin'' population reached 64,987, and the city's total reached approximately 120,000. The population then stabilized.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=McClain|first1=James|title=Castle Towns and Daimyo Authority: Kanazawa in the Years 1583–1630|journal=Journal of Japanese Studies|date=Summer 1980|volume=6|issue=2|page=274| doi=10.2307/132323 |jstor=132323}}</ref> Much of the economic and population growth in Kanazawa, as well as in other Japanese castle towns, occurred during Japan's closed country policy (''[[sakoku]]''). Beginning in the 1630s, Japan had little or no influence from other countries. However, this phase was clearly not a sign of backwardness or decline. The growth that Japan experienced while operating under ''sakoku'' policy was largely possible because of castle towns such as Kanazawa.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} They facilitated growth in a way that did not require foreign influence, thus contributing to the success and stability of Japan at the time.

The vast wealth of the Maeda was channeled into arts and crafts, rather than military pursuits, and Kanazawa became the centre of the "Million-koku Culture", which helped ease suspicions held by the shogunate over the domain's wealth and the status of its ''daimyō'' as an "Outer Lord" or ''[[Tozama daimyō]]''.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} The third ''daimyō'' [[Maeda Toshitsune]], formed the "Kaga Workmanship Office" and promoted lacquer and gold-and-lacquer-work; and the fifth ''daimyō'', [[Maeda Tsunanori]], collected works of art and artisans from all over the country.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} Kanazawa was one of the largest cities in Japan throughout the Edo period.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="110" perrow="3">
File:長町武家屋敷跡004.jpg|Nagamachi Buke Yashiki District
File:Kazue Machi (119970569).jpeg|Kazue Machi
File:Higashi Chaya District (50154603457).jpg|Higashiyamahigashi (Higashi-Chaya)
File:Nishichayagai003.jpg|Nishi Chaya-gai (Nishi-Chaya)
</gallery>

===Meiji period===
Following the [[Meiji restoration]], the modern city of Kanazawa was created on April 1, 1889, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system.
The borders of the city gradually expanded by annexing neighbouring towns and villages bringing the area of the city from its initial 10.40 square kilometers to its present 468.64 square kilometers.
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="110" perrow="3" caption="">
File:The Forth High School Memorial Museum of Cultural Exchange Ishikawa05s3s3750.jpg|The Fourth High School Memorial Museum of Cultural Exchange, Ishikawa
File:Ishikawa-ken History Museum03s3s4272b.jpg|[[Ishikawa Prefectural History Museum]]
File:Kanazawa Literary Hall.jpg|Kanazawa Literary Hall
</gallery>

===Heisei period===
On April 1, 1996, Kanazawa was proclaimed a [[Core cities of Japan|Core city]] with increased local autonomy.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}

==Government==
[[File:金沢市役所本庁舎001.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Kanazawa City Hall]]
Kanazawa has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city legislature of 38 members. Since March 2022 the mayor is Takahasi Murayama. His predecessor was Yukiyoshi Yamano who had been mayor since December 2010.<ref>[http://www4.city.kanazawa.lg.jp/s/11003/sityou/profile.html Profile of Mayor, Kanazawa City (in Japanese)] on 2018-02-22</ref> Yamano resigned to run for the seat of governor of Ishikawa prefecture.

The city is the seat of the Ishikawa Prefectural Assembly, and contributes 16 of the 43 members of that body.

In terms of national politics, the city forms the Ishikawa 1st District with one seat in the [[House of Representatives (Japan)|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].

==Geography==
[[File:Kanazawa view from Utatsuyama Park.jpg|thumb|200px|Kanazawa view from Utatsuyama Park]]
Kanazawa is located in north-western Ishikawa Prefecture in the [[Hokuriku region]] of Japan and is bordered by the [[Sea of Japan]] to the west and [[Toyama Prefecture]] to the east. The city sits between the [[Sai River (Ishikawa)|Sai]] and [[Asano river|Asano]] rivers. The eastern portion of the city is dominated by the [[Japanese Alps]]. Parts of the city are within the borders of the [[Hakusan National Park]].

=== Climate ===
Kanazawa has a [[humid subtropical climate]] (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by hot, humid summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall.<ref>[https://en.climate-data.org/location/3756/ Kanazawa climate data]</ref> Average temperatures are slightly cooler than those of Tokyo, with means approximately {{convert|4|°C|0}} in January, {{convert|12|°C|0}} in April, {{convert|27|°C|0}} in August, {{convert|17|°C|0}} in October, and {{convert|7|°C|0}} in December. The lowest temperature on record was {{convert|-9.4|C|F}} on January 27, 1904, with a maximum of {{convert|38.5|C|F|1}} standing as a record since September 8, 1902.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_s.php?prec_no=19&prec_ch=%8B%FA%98H%8Ex%92%A1&block_no=47605&block_ch=%8B%FA%98H&year=&month=13&day=&view= |script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値(年間を通じての値) |publisher=[[Japan Meteorological Agency]]}}</ref> The city is distinctly wet, with an average humidity of 73% and 193 rainy days in an average year. Precipitation is highest in the autumn and winter; it averages more than {{convert|250|mm|in|0}}/ month November through January when the [[Aleutian Low]] is strongest, but it is above {{convert|125|mm|in}} every month of the year.

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Kanazawa (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1882−present)
|Jan record high C = 21.2
|Feb record high C = 23.6
|Mar record high C = 27.1
|Apr record high C = 31.6
|May record high C = 33.7
|Jun record high C = 36.1
|Jul record high C = 37.4
|Aug record high C = 38.3
|Sep record high C = 38.5
|Oct record high C = 33.1
|Nov record high C = 28.4
|Dec record high C = 24.7
|Jan record low C = -9.7
|Feb record low C = -9.4
|Mar record low C = -8.3
|Apr record low C = -1.6
|May record low C = 1.5
|Jun record low C = 6.8
|Jul record low C = 11.0
|Aug record low C = 13.1
|Sep record low C = 7.6
|Oct record low C = 2.2
|Nov record low C = -0.7
|Dec record low C = -6.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 256.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 162.6
|Mar precipitation mm = 157.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 143.9
|May precipitation mm = 138.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 170.3
|Jul precipitation mm = 233.4
|Aug precipitation mm = 179.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 231.9
|Oct precipitation mm = 177.1
|Nov precipitation mm = 250.8
|Dec precipitation mm = 301.1
|year precipitation mm = 2401.5
|Jan mean C = 4.0
|Feb mean C = 4.2
|Mar mean C = 7.3
|Apr mean C = 12.6
|May mean C = 17.7
|Jun mean C = 21.6
|Jul mean C = 25.8
|Aug mean C = 27.3
|Sep mean C = 23.2
|Oct mean C = 17.6
|Nov mean C = 11.9
|Dec mean C = 6.8
|year mean C = 15.0
|Jan high C = 7.1
|Feb high C = 7.8
|Mar high C = 11.6
|Apr high C = 17.3
|May high C = 22.3
|Jun high C = 25.6
|Jul high C = 29.5
|Aug high C = 31.3
|Sep high C = 27.2
|Oct high C = 21.8
|Nov high C = 15.9
|Dec high C = 10.2
|year high C = 19.0
|Jan low C = 1.2
|Feb low C = 1.0
|Mar low C = 3.4
|Apr low C = 8.2
|May low C = 13.6
|Jun low C = 18.4
|Jul low C = 22.9
|Aug low C = 24.1
|Sep low C = 19.9
|Oct low C = 13.9
|Nov low C = 8.1
|Dec low C = 3.5
|year low C = 11.5
|Jan humidity = 74
|Feb humidity = 70
|Mar humidity = 66
|Apr humidity = 64
|May humidity = 67
|Jun humidity = 74
|Jul humidity = 75
|Aug humidity = 72
|Sep humidity = 73
|Oct humidity = 70
|Nov humidity = 70
|Dec humidity = 72
|year humidity = 70
|Jan sun = 62.3
|Feb sun = 86.5
|Mar sun = 144.8
|Apr sun = 184.8
|May sun = 207.2
|Jun sun = 162.5
|Jul sun = 167.2
|Aug sun = 215.9
|Sep sun = 153.6
|Oct sun = 152.0
|Nov sun = 108.6
|Dec sun = 68.9
|year sun = 1714.1
|snow colour =
|Jan snow cm = 67
|Feb snow cm = 53
|Mar snow cm = 13
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 1
|Dec snow cm = 24
|year snow cm = 157
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 24.9
|Feb precipitation days = 20.2
|Mar precipitation days = 17.5
|Apr precipitation days = 13.4
|May precipitation days = 11.8
|Jun precipitation days = 11.6
|Jul precipitation days = 14.2
|Aug precipitation days = 10.4
|Sep precipitation days = 13.2
|Oct precipitation days = 14.1
|Nov precipitation days = 18.2
|Dec precipitation days = 24.2
|year precipitation days = 193.6
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=56&block_no=47605&year=&month=&day=&view=
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]
| access-date = May 19, 2021}}</ref>
}}

=== Neighbouring municipalities ===
;{{Flagicon|Ishikawa}}[[Ishikawa Prefecture]]
*[[Hakusan, Ishikawa|Hakusan]]
*[[Nonoichi, Ishikawa|Nonoichi]]
*[[Uchinada, Ishikawa|Uchinada]]
*[[Tsubata, Ishikawa|Tsubata]]
;{{Flagicon|Toyama}}[[Toyama Prefecture]]
*[[Oyabe, Toyama|Oyabe]]
*[[Nanto, Toyama|Nanto]]

==Demographics==
Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-ishikawa.php Kanazawa population statistics]</ref> the population of Kanazawa has recently plateaued after a long period of growth.
{{Historical populations
| 1970 | 361,379
| 1980 | 417,684
| 1990 | 442,868
| 2000 | 456,638
| 2010 | 462,361
| 2020 | 463,254
|align = none
| footnote =
}}

==External relations==
===Twin towns – sister cities===
Kanazawa is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with the following cities:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www4.city.kanazawa.lg.jp/11021/sister/index.html |script-title=ja:かなざわの姉妹都市 |trans-title=Sister cities of Kanazawa |access-date=2018-02-06|publisher=Kanazawa City|language=ja}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable"
![[City]]!![[Country]]!![[State (polity)|State]]!!since
|-
|[[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]]
|{{Flagicon|USA}}[[United States]]
|[[New York (state)|New York]]
|December 18, 1962
|-
|[[Porto Alegre]]
|{{Flagicon|BRA}}[[Brazil]]
|[[Rio Grande do Sul]]
|March 20, 1967
|-
|[[Irkutsk]]
|{{Flagicon|RUS}}[[Russia]]
|[[Irkutsk Oblast]]
|March 20, 1967
|-
|[[Ghent]]
|{{Flagicon|BEL}}[[Belgium]]
|[[Flemish Region]]
|October 4, 1971<ref name="Ghent twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.gent.be/eCache/THE/4/216.cmVjPTEyNDIxNQ.html|title=Ghent Zustersteden|access-date=2013-07-20|work=Stad Gent|publisher=City of Ghent|language=nl}}</ref>
|-
|[[Nancy, France|Nancy]]
|{{Flagicon|FRA}}[[France]]
|[[Grand Est]]
|October 12, 1973
|-
|[[Suzhou]]
|{{Flagicon|CHN}}[[China]]
|[[Jiangsu]]
|June 13, 1981
|-
|[[Jeonju]]
|{{Flagicon|KOR}}[[South Korea]]
|[[Jeollabuk-do]]
|April 30, 2002
|}

==Economy==
Kanazawa is a regional commercial centre and transportation hub for Ishikawa Prefecture. It remains noted for its traditional handicrafts industry, including the production of [[Kutani ware]] ceramics, and is a major tourist destination.<ref name=Japan>{{cite book |last1=Campbell |first1=Allen |last2=Nobel |first2=David S |title=Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia |publisher=Kodansha |date=1993 |page=732 |isbn=406205938X}}</ref>

==Education==
===Universities and colleges===
* [[Kanazawa University]]{{snd}} is a large [[national university]] that traces its history back to the founding of a small medical school in 1862. Its immediate predecessor was the Fourth Upper High School, one of the elite preparatory schools for the [[National Seven Universities|Imperial Universities]] before the war. Many prominent politicians and other notables were graduates of 'Shiko', as it was known.
* [[Kanazawa College of Art]], a public university operated by the city government
* [[Hokuriku University]]{{snd}} a private liberal arts college with a business management department specializing in foreign languages and a School of Pharmacy
* [[Kanazawa Seiryo University]], a private business and education university
* [[Kanazawa Gakuin University]], private liberal arts college
* Hokuriku Gakuin University, a private Christian university which celebrated the 125th anniversary of its founding in 2010, with associated junior college
*[[Kanazawa Gakuin College]], a private junior college
*[[Seiryo Women's Junior College]], a private women's junior college

===Primary and secondary education===
Kanazawa has 58 public elementary schools operated by the city government and one public elementary school operated by the national government (associated with Kanazawa University) and one private elementary school.

The city has 25 public middle schools operated by the city government, one public combined middle/high school operated by the Ishikawa Prefectural Board of Education, one public combined middle/high school operated by the national government (associated with Kanazawa University) and two private combined middle/high schools.

Aside from the above combined middle/high schools, Kanazawa has 11 public high schools operated by the Ishikawa Prefectural Board of Education, one public industrial high school operated by the city government and four private high schools.

Ishikawa Prefecture also operates five special education schools in Kanazawa.

==Transport==
[[File:Estacion Kanazawa Japon.jpg|thumb|200px|''Tsuzumimon'', the main entrance to [[Kanazawa Station]]]]

===Airways===
The nearest airport is [[Komatsu Airport]] in the city of [[Komatsu, Ishikawa|Komatsu]].

===Railways===
Kanazawa is served by the [[JR West]] [[Hokuriku Main Line]] and the [[Hokuriku Railroad]]. Since 14 March 2015, the city is also served by the [[Hokuriku Shinkansen]], shortening the trip from Tokyo to Kanazawa to around 2 and a half hours. With the opening of the Shinkansen line in March 2015, part of the Hokuriku Main Line which was formerly operated by JR West was separated and operated by the [[Public–private partnership#Japan|third-sector]] company [[IR Ishikawa Railway]].

====High-speed rail====
;[[File:Shinkansen blue.png|22px]] [[West Japan Railway Company]] (JR West)
*[[Hokuriku Shinkansen]]: - {{STN|Kanazawa}} -

====Conventional lines====
;[[File:Ir ishikawa logo.png|22px]] [[IR Ishikawa Railway]] (IR)
*[[IR Ishikawa Railway|Ishikawa Railway]]: {{STN|Morimoto}} - {{STN|Higashi-Kanazawa}} - {{STN|Kanazawa}} - {{STN|Nishi-Kanazawa}}
;[[file:Hokutetsu logomark.svg|22px]] [[Hokuriku Railroad]] (Hokutetsu)
*[[Hokuriku Railroad Asanogawa Line|Asanogawa Line]]: {{STN|Kanazawa||Hokutetsu-Kanazawa}} - {{STN|Nanatsuya}} - {{STN|Kamimoroe}} - {{STN|Isobe|Ishikawa}} - {{STN|Waridashi}} - {{STN|Mitsukuchi}} - {{STN|Mitsuya}} - {{STN|Okobata}} - {{STN|Kitama}} - {{STN|Kagatsume}}
*[[Hokuriku Railroad Ishikawa Line|Ishikawa Line]]: {{STN|Magae}} - {{STN|Nuka-Jūtakumae}} - {{STN|Otomaru}} - {{STN|Shijima}}

===Roads===
====Expressway====
*[[Hokuriku Expressway]]
*Noto Satoyama Expressway

====Japan National Route====
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|8}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|157}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|159}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|249}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|304}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|305}}
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|359}}

===Seaways===
====Seaport====
*[[Port of Kanazawa]]

==Local attractions==
[[File:Kanazawa Castle.jpg|thumb|Snow falls on [[Kanazawa Castle]]]]
Kanazawa was one of the few major Japanese cities to be spared destruction by [[Air raids on Japan|air raids]] during [[World War II]], and as a result, much of Kanazawa's considerable architectural heritage has been preserved.

[[Kenrokuen Garden]] is by far the most famous part of Kanazawa. Originally built as the outer garden of [[Kanazawa Castle]], it was opened to the public in 1875. It is considered one of the "[[Three Great Gardens of Japan|three great gardens of Japan]]" and is filled with a variety of trees, ponds, waterfalls and flowers stretching over {{convert|25|acres|0|abbr=on}}. In winter, the park is notable for its [[yukitsuri]]{{snd}} ropes attached in a conical array to trees to support the branches under the weight of the heavy wet snow, thereby protecting the trees from damage.[[File:2002 kenrokuen hanami 0029.jpg|thumbnail|left|Kanazawa – [[Cherry blossoms]] outside [[Kenroku-en]] Garden]]Outside Kenrokuen is the Ishikawa-mon, the back gate to Kanazawa Castle. The original castle was largely destroyed by fire in 1888 but has been partially restored.

The Seisonkaku Villa was built in 1863 by [[Maeda Nariyasu]] (13th ''daimyō'' of Kaga Domin) for his mother, Takako. It was originally called Tatsumi Goten (Tatsumi Palace). Much of it has been dismantled, but what remains is one of the most elegant remaining feudal lord villas in Japan. The villa stands in a corner of Kenrokuen; separate admission fees apply. Notable features are the vividly coloured walls of the upper floor, with purple or red walls and dark-blue ceilings (red walls—''benigara''—are a Kanazawa tradition), and the custom-made English carpet in the audience chamber.[[File:Kenrokuen bridge.jpg|thumb|Bridge in [[Kenroku-en]]]]The [[Oyama Shrine (Ishikawa)|Oyama-jinja]] shrine, which is considered an [[Important Cultural Properties of Japan|Important Cultural Property]], is also in Kanazawa. It is noted for its imposing three-story Shinmon gate influenced by Dutch design, built in 1875, with its brightly coloured stained-glass windows.

Kanazawa's [[Myōryūji Temple]] also known as the ''Ninja-dera'' (Ninja Temple) is an amalgamation of traditional temple architecture, hidden doors, passageways, and hidden escape routes. Local legend has it that the temple, with its hidden doors and passageways, was intended as a secret refuge for the local rulers in the case of an external threat.

[[Mount Utatsu]] gives a commanding view of the city of Kanazawa. [[Toyokuni Shrine (Kanazawa)|Toyokuni Shrine]], [[Utatsu Shrine (Kanazawa)|Utatsu Shrine]] (a [[Tenman-gū]]), and [[Atago Shrine (Kanazawa)|Atago Shrine]], known together as the Mount Utatsu Three Shrines, are found on the mountain. A monument to author [[Shūsei Tokuda]] is located near the summit.

===Traditional architecture===
Kanazawa boasts numerous [[Edo period]] (1603–1867) former [[geisha house]]s in the Higashi Geisha District, across the [[Asano river]] (with its old stone bridge) out from central Kanazawa. Nearby is the Yougetsu Minshuku which sits at one end of one of the most photographed streets in Japan. This area retains the look and feel of pre-modern Japan, its two-story wooden façades plain and austere. The effect is accentuated by the early morning mist. At night, the street is lit by recreated [[Taishō]]-period streetlamp.

Houses were taxed on the width of the frontage, leading to the development of many long, thin houses. Unlike samurai houses, they were built right up to the road and directly abutted their neighbours. They were two-storied, though the upper floor was used mainly for storage, particularly at the front of the house, above the shop area. One feature of Kanazawa merchant houses is the long earth corridor that runs from the front door to the rear of the house. This was usually on one side, and the rooms opened off it. The typical merchant's house, would have the shop area, then a couple of inner rooms, with the most important room at the back, facing the inner garden. Beyond that was the kitchen area, and at the rear of the house would be a thick-walled fireproof storehouse.

Though very few from the Edo period remain, the basic style remained unchanged until the World War II. One notable feature of the design is the 'sode-utatsu' wings extending forward on the sides of the upper floor. Their exact purpose is not certain, but one theory is that they were wind blockers, which is logical given Kanazawa's weather. Snow was also a significant factor in house design. The roofs sloped into a central garden that was designed to allow snow to collect as much as to provide light to the rear. While the sea of black-glazed tiles sparkling in the sun is a common tourist image of Kanazawa today, the traditional architectural style used wooden boards held down by stones. Due to the heavy snowfalls of the Japan Sea coast, traditional tiles were considered to be too heavy. The use of tiles on the frontage and boards under the eaves is to prevent snow damage.

===Samurai areas===
[[File:長町武家屋敷跡４.jpg|thumb|Nagamachi area in 2014]]
Large-scale reorganization of the samurai areas took place in 1611. Areas had been ordained by income. As the total income of the domain had increased fourfold in the past couple of decades, there was some reorganization to be done. And room had to be found for the 14 families with incomes over 3,000 ''[[koku]]'' and their retainers, not to mention the large number of samurai who arrived from [[Takaoka, Toyama|Takaoka]] (in Toyama Prefecture) with Maeda Toshitsune, the third lord, when he took up his position. The richest families were moved out of the castle and given massive estates throughout the city. Their own retainers were housed in huge complexes nearby. The most notable example in Kanazawa is Honda-machi, where the retainers of the rich and powerful Honda family lived, in what was almost a town within a town.

In most cases, even with large fiefs like Sendai and Satsuma, samurai tended to live on their own land. But in Kaga all samurai, regardless of income, lived in Kanazawa. When Kanazawa was finished in more or less its final form in the late 17th century, over three-quarters of it was samurai housing. Nearest the castle were the huge estates of the Eight Houses (chief vassals) and their own retainers. For every 100 koku of income, a samurai was given about 550 square metres of land, and average of the "middle-class" samurai was 800, which is huge compared to modern Japanese housing. The richest vassal family, the Hondas, had a 50,000 ''koku'' income. The minimum for ''daimyo'' level was 10,000 ''koku'', and apart from the Eight Houses, some twelve families had incomes in excess of this. Kanazawa was filled with huge mansions.

Size and location of samurai housing was determined by income and standing. The richest and most powerful samurai in Kanazawa had their own men, often hundreds of them, who were housed in large areas that usually adjoined the main house. Samurai houses shared a similar basic pattern: a single-floored residence, usually fairly square or rectangular in plan, surrounded by a garden{{snd}} both the vegetable and the decorative kinds. The roof was gabled and faced the road. The boundary wall was usually made of beaten earth, topped with tiles. There are a number of them around in the city, most notably in the Nagamachi area. The size and height of the wall and the entry gate were also dictated by rank. Samurai over 400 ''koku'' in income had a stable gate, used to house guards and horses.

Though the Nagamachi area is promoted in the tourist brochures as the 'samurai area', the overwhelming majority of the houses are not samurai houses, but modern post-war housing. There are very few genuine samurai houses in Kanazawa. (This is because after the Meiji Restoration the samurai found themselves bereft of their traditional income, and many of them ended up selling off their estates, which were turned into fields before being redeveloped as modern housing before World War II.)

===Temple areas===
[[File:Kanazawa Tsurugimichi 20160618a.jpg|thumb|Teramachi area in 2016]]
One distinctive aspect of Kanazawa, and other castle towns, is the clustering of temples near the entrances. When Kanazawa was ruled by the [[Ikkō-shū|Ikkō]], the temples were all {{lang|ja-latn|[[Jōdo Shinshū]]|italic=no}}, the Ikkō sect. After the ''Ikkō'' were defeated, other sects moved in: [[Sōtō]], [[Shingon Buddhism|Shingon]], [[Nichiren Buddhism|Hokke]], Ji, etc. They were placed in their present locations by around 1616. In the Teramachi ("temple town" area), they were lined up side by side along a long straight road leading to the foot of Nodayama. Defensive purposes have often been argued for this type of planning, and it is true that the wide spaces, thick walls, and large halls of temples were able to be used as emergency fortifications. However, to what extent this influenced the layout is not certain. It was, in Kanazawa's case at least, never put to the test.

On the other side of town, the Utatsuyama temple district, at the foot of the hill of the same name, has smaller temples and twisty roads.

===Geisha areas===
{{unreferencedsect|date=May 2023}}
[[File:Higashiyamahigashi 2015.JPG|thumb|Higashi (east) geisha area in 2015]]
Kanazawa had a further expansion in 1661, when many samurai who had followed their retired Lord Toshitsune to his villa at [[Komatsu, Ishikawa|Komatsu]] returned after his death. They built houses on the fringes of the city, with street layouts almost totally unplanned. These areas are some of the most labyrinthine parts of the city, but this was not done for defensive purposes. By this time, peace was quite firmly secured. To alleviate crowding from the continual (illegal) inflow of peasants and other migrants, residents were permitted to rent land from neighbouring farmers. These areas are some of the most convoluted, as the roads were laid out on the old winding paths through the fields.

Thus Kanazawa attained the form that it kept for the rest of the Edo period — even now the majority of roads in the old city are little changed in form from two centuries ago. The only major change was the creation of geisha districts (''[[hanamachi]]'') at the foot of Utatsuyama and over the Sai River in 1820, to control and regulate pleasure houses and prostitutes (bath girls; {{lang|ja|湯女}}). However, conservative factions regained control of the Kaga government, and the geisha districts were abolished a decade later. The districts were made legal again just before the Meiji Restoration, and stayed that way until prostitution was officially outlawed in 1954. The geisha areas were out of bounds to samurai; they were patronised by rich merchants and artisans, who would compete with each other to spend the most money on parties.

The geisha house, or "tea house" (''[[ochaya]]'') as it is commonly called, is superficially similar to the merchant houses (in the same way the samurai houses are superficially similar to farmhouses). However, unlike the merchant houses, where the second floor at the front was for storage, and thus very low, the second story of tea houses are much higher, because the upper floor was used as the main entertaining area.

The upper floors are faced with sliding wooden shutters which would be open in the day or when there was a party going on. The bottom floor is faced with the unique, extremely fine latticework that is known as Kaga lattice. The standard of décor was far higher than most merchant houses, at least to the extent allowed by the Sumptuary Laws that the Shogunate passed. Due in part to the long gloomy winters, Kaga décor is far brighter than the drab earth browns and greens and ochres of Kyoto style: bold bright scarlets (''benigara''; {{lang|ja|紅柄}}) and ultramarines were popular. The upper floor of the Seisonkaku Villa in Kenrokuen is particularly boldly decorated, with purple and black walls as well.

===Culture===
[[Hyakumangoku Matsuri]] and Asano-gawa Enyukai are the major festivals held in Kanazawa.

''Kanazawa-haku'' is gold that is beaten into a paper-like sheet. [[Gold leaf]] plays a prominent part in the city's cultural crafts, to the extent that there is the [[Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum]]. It is found throughout Kanazawa and Ishikawa; Kanazawa produces 99% of Japan's high-quality gold leaf. The gold leaf that covers the famous [[Kinkaku-ji|Golden Pavilion]] in Kyoto was produced in Kanazawa. Gold leaf is even put into food. The city is famous for tea with gold flakes, which is considered by the Japanese people to be good for health and vitality. Kanazawa lacquerware (''Kanazawa shikki''), a high-quality lacquerware traditionally decorated with gold dust, is also well known.

'Cultural landscape in Kanazawa. Tradition and culture in the castle town' has been designated an [[Cultural Landscapes of Japan|Important Cultural Landscape]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/412/00003675 |title=Database of Registered National Cultural Properties |publisher=[[Agency for Cultural Affairs]] |access-date=April 29, 2011}}</ref>

===Local cuisine===
Kanazawa is known for its traditional Kaga Cuisine, with seafood a specialty. The ''[[sake]]'' produced in this region, derived from the rice grown in [[Ishikawa Prefecture]] with the considerable precipitation of the [[Hokuriku region]], allowing for an ample supply of clean, fresh water is considered to be of high quality. Omicho market is a market in the middle of the city, originally open-air, and now covered, which dates back to the Edo period. Most of the shops there sell seafood.

Popular Food and Drink in Kanazawa include:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://planetyze.com/en/japan/kanazawa|title=Kanazawa City Travel Guide {{!}} Planetyze|website=Planetyze|language=en|access-date=2017-12-14}}</ref>
* [[Wagashi]] (Japanese confections) of Kanazawa - ''Admired for its ability to be sampled by the 5 senses of taste, smell, touch, sight and hearing.''
* [[Jibu-ni|Jibuni]] - ''a soup dish consisting of duck, vegetables, and wheat flour. It is said to symbolize Kanazawa.''
* Kanazawa [[Sake]] - ''refined sake from the region.''
* Kaga Vegetables - ''premium vegetables supporting the traditional cuisine of old Kanazawa.''
* Kaburazushi - ''a traditional fermented dish that has existed since the Edo Era.''

== Notable people ==
=== Politicians and public servants ===
* [[Nobuyuki Abe]] (1875 ~ 1953; 36th [[Prime Minister of Japan]])
* [[Takuo Godō]] (Vice admiral in the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]])
* [[Yoichi Hatta]] (Engineer of [[Governor-General of Taiwan]])
* [[Hayakawa Senkichirō]] (Politician, President of [[South Manchuria Railway]])
* [[Senjūrō Hayashi]] (33rd Prime Minister of Japan)
* [[Tetsuo Kutsukake]] (Cabinet minister)
* [[Ryūtarō Nagai]] (Cabinet minister)
* [[Nakahashi Tokugorō]] (Cabinet minister)
* [[Naoki Okada]] (Politician)

=== Business people ===
* [[Inokuchi Ariya]] (1856 - 1923; Founder of [[Ebara Corporation]])
* [[Takaaki Kidani]] (Founder and President of [[Bushiroad]])
* [[Shitagau Noguchi]] (Founder of Nichitsu [[zaibatsu]])
* [[Masatsune Ogura]] (President of [[Sumitomo Group]])

=== Academics ===
* [[Hisashi Kimura]] (1870 – 1943; Astronomer)
* [[Yoshio Koide]] (Physicist)
* [[Miyake Setsurei]] (Philosopher)
* [[D. T. Suzuki]] (Zen Buddhism scholar)
* [[Gaisi Takeuti]] (Mathematician)
* [[Yoshirō Taniguchi]] (Architect)

=== Art and culture ===
* [[Kyōka Izumi]] (1873 ~ 1939; Novelist)
* [[Clifton Karhu]] (American artist specializing in woodblock prints)
* [[Yasushi Kataoka]] (Architect)
* [[Natsuo Kirino]] (Novelist)
* [[Murō Saisei]] (Novelist, Poet)
* [[Shōgyo Ōba]] ([[Maki-e]] [[Japanese lacquerware|lacquer]] artist, [[Living National Treasure of Japan]])
* [[Takumi Shibano]] (Science-fiction translator and author)
* [[Yoshirō Taniguchi]] (Architect)
* [[Shūsei Tokuda]] (Novelist)

=== Media and artists ===
* [[Azumi Inoue]] (Singer)
* [[Tatsuya Isaka]] (Actor)
* [[Takeshi Kaga]] (Actor)
* [[Toshiko Koshijima]] (b. 1980; Singer of the band [[Capsule (band)|Capsule]])
* [[Ryutaro Morimoto]] (Singer)
* [[Yasutaka Nakata]] (b. 1980; Producer of Capsule)
* [[Mamiko Noto]] (Voice actress)
* [[Shun Shioya]] (Actor)
* [[Ryōko Shintani]] (Voice actress)
* [[Aya Suzaki]] (Voice actress)
* [[Miki Takakura]] (Actress)
* [[Misato Tanaka]] (Actress)
* [[Mayuko Watanabe]] (Journalist)
* [[Kazuki Yao]] (Voice actor)

=== Sports people ===
==== Athletics ====
* [[Kenkichi Oshima]] (1908 ~ 1985; Triple jump bronze medalist at the [[1932 Summer Olympics]] in Los Angeles)
* [[Takanori Sugibayashi]] (b. 1976; Triple jumper in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics)

==== Baseball ====
* [[Eiji Kanamori]]
* [[Ryosuke Miyaguni]]
* [[Arihito Muramatsu]]
* [[Kentaro Nishikawa]]
* [[Shintaro Yoshida]]

==== Football ====
* [[Koji Hashimoto (footballer)|Koji Hashimoto]]
* [[Sena Inami]]
* [[Kazuma Kita]]
* [[Hikaru Kitagawa]]
* [[Takahiro Takagi]]

==== Sumo ====
* [[Dejima Takeharu]]
* [[Enhō Akira]]
* [[Kagayaki Taishi]]

==== Others ====
* [[Igor Fraga]] ([[Motorsports]])
* [[Keiji Kojima]] ([[Keirin]])
* [[Yu Koshikawa]] (Volleyball)
* [[Akira Masuda]] ([[Karate]])
* [[Keita Masuda]] (Badminton)
* [[Kaori Matsumoto]] ([[Judo]])
* [[Hiroshi Nakano (rower)|Hiroshi Nakano]] (Rower)
* [[Rana Nakano]] ([[Trampolining]])
* [[Yuichi Nakayama]] ([[Motorsports]])
* [[Naoya Nomura]] ([[Professional wrestling]] [''[[puroresu]]''])
* [[Hisakatsu Oya]] (Professional wrestling ''[puroresu]'')
* [[Katsuhiko Sumii]] (Horse trainer)

==Overview==
=== Cityscape ===
<gallery>
File:もてなしドーム３.jpg|[[Kanazawa Station]] (2013)
File:Omichoichibakan004.jpg|{{ill|Ōmichō Market|ja|近町市場}} (2013)
File:Kanazawa view from Utatsuyama Park.jpg|[[Skyline]] of Kanazawa (2017)
File:Cityscape at downtown Kanazawa.jpg|Central business district of Kanazawa (2020)
File:Katamachi Crossing.jpg|Center of {{ill|Katamachi|ja|片町 (金沢市)}} (2022)
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Kanazawa, Ishikawa}}

*{{Wikivoyage-inline|Kanazawa}}
* [http://www4.city.kanazawa.lg.jp Kanazawa City official website] {{in lang|ja}}
* [http://www.city.kanazawa.ishikawa.jp/index_e.html Kanazawa City official website] {{in lang|en}}
* [https://visitkanazawa.jp/ Kanazawa Tourist Information Guide]
* [https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2167.html Kanazawa attractions] {{in lang|en}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20141213182310/http://www.kanazawa-tourism.com/ Kanazawa Tourist Information Guide from 2008] {{in lang|en}}

{{Ishikawa}}
{{Metropolitan cities of Japan}}
{{Most populous cities in Japan}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Kanazawa| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Ishikawa Prefecture]]
[[Category:Port settlements in Japan]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]

Kumagaya

2024-07-06T04:00:12Z

240F:50:33AB:1:B151:940B:B8E:C303: /* Climate */

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Kumagaya
| official_name =
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ja|熊谷市}}}}
| settlement_type = [[Special cities of Japan|Special city]]

| image_skyline = Kumagaya City Hall ac.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Kumagaya City office
| image_flag = Flag of Kumagaya, Saitama.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_seal = 埼玉県熊谷市市章.svg
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| image_map = Location of Kumagaya city Saitama prefecture Japan.svg
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Kumagaya in Saitama Prefecture
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_label_position = 
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| coordinates = {{coord|36|8|50.6|N|139|23|19.1|E|region:JP-11|display=it}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = [[Japan]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kantō region|Kantō]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Saitama Prefecture|Saitama]]
| subdivision_type3 =
| subdivision_name3 = 
| established_title = First official recorded
| established_date = late 6th century AD (official)
| established_title2 = Town settled
| established_date2 = April 1, 1889
| established_title3 = City settled
| established_date3 = April 1, 1933
| founder =
| named_for = 
| seat_type = 
| seat = 
| government_footnotes = 
| leader_party = Independent
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = [[:ja:小林哲也 (政治家)|Tetsuya Kobayashi]] (from November 2021)
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 = 
| total_type = 
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| area_magnitude = 
| area_footnotes = 
| area_total_km2 = 159.82
| area_land_km2 =
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| elevation_m = 
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 195277
| population_as_of = January 2021
| population_density_km2 = auto
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| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time]]
| utc_offset1 = +9

| postal_code_type =
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| area_code =

| blank_name_sec1 = Phone number
| blank_info_sec1 = 048-524-111
| blank1_name_sec1 = Address
| blank1_info_sec1 = 2-47-1 Miyamachi, Kumagaya-shi 360-8601

| blank_name_sec2 = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info_sec2 = [[Humid subtropical climate|Cfa]]

| website = {{Official|1=http://www.city.kumagaya.lg.jp}}
| footnotes =
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
| tree = [[Zelkova serrata]]
| flower = [[Sakura]]
| bird = [[Eurasian skylark]]
| flowering_tree =
| butterfly =
| fish = [[Pungitius]]
| other_symbols =
}}
}}

{{Nihongo|'''Kumagaya'''|熊谷市|Kumagaya-shi}} is a [[Cities of Japan|city]] located in [[Saitama Prefecture]], [[Japan]]. {{As of|2021|02|01}}, the city had an estimated [[population]] of 195,277 in 87,827 households and a [[population density]] of 1200 persons per km2.<ref name="Kumagaya-hp">{{cite web |url=https://www.city.kumagaya.lg.jp/smph/about/gaiyo/kumagayasinojinkou.html |title= Kumagaya city official statistics|location= Japan|language= ja}}</ref> The total area of the city is {{convert|159.82|sqkm|sqmi}}.

==Geography==
Kumagaya is one of the largest cities in northern Saitama Prefecture. About two-thirds of the city area is located between the [[Tone River]] and the [[Arakawa River (Kanto)|Arakawa River]] [[alluvial fan]], approximately 60 km from central Tokyo and 45 km from the prefectural capital at [[Saitama, Saitama|Saitama City]]. The highest point in the city is Mikajiri Kannon, which is located on the Kushibiki plateau at an altitude of 83.3 meters. The city is known for its abundant and high quality ground water.

===Surrounding municipalities===
[[Saitama Prefecture]]
* [[Gyōda, Saitama|Gyōda]]
* [[Kōnosu, Saitama|Kōnosu]]
* [[Higashimatsuyama, Saitama|Higashimatsuyama]]
* [[Fukaya, Saitama|Fukaya]]
* [[Namegawa, Saitama|Namegawa]]
* [[Ranzan, Saitama|Ranzan]]
* [[Yoshimi, Saitama|Yoshimi]]
[[Gunma Prefecture]]
* [[Ōta, Gunma|Ōta]]
* [[Oizumi, Gunma|Oizumi]]
* [[Chiyoda, Gunma|Chiyoda]]

===Climate===
Kumagaya has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kumagaya is 14.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1532 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.4 °C.<ref>[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/saitama/kumagaya-3730/ Kumagaya climate data]</ref>

Kumagaya is known for being one of the hottest areas in summer in Japan. This is caused by very hot winds from Tokyo and the [[Chichibu]] basin in the west of the prefecture. In central Tokyo, the summer [[monsoon]] enhanced by [[sea breeze]] is heated by the [[urban heat island]]. Also, from the Chichibu Mountains, the [[Föhn]] blows. The two winds converge above the city at about 2 p.m.

On August 16, 2007, the city recorded air temperature of {{convert|40.9|°C}}, breaking the 74-year record for the [[List of weather records|highest temperature recorded]] in Japan. {{Nihongo|"Very Hot! Kumagaya"|あついぞ！熊谷}} is a catchphrase of the city.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/saitama/list/201805/CK2018052302000165.html|script-title=ja:「あついぞ！」→「夏の陣」熊谷名物・大温度計看板がデザイン変え継続|website=東京新聞 TOKYO Web|language=ja|access-date=2019-04-08}}</ref> On July 23, 2018, the national record was broken again with a temperature of {{convert|41.1|°C}},<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/23/asia/japan-heatwave-deadly-intl/index.html|title = Japan: Heat spikes to 41.1C near Tokyo as high temps to continue until August}}</ref> surpassing the previous record of {{convert|41.0|°C}} recorded in [[Kōchi Prefecture]] in August 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/japan-heatwave-weather-temperatures-latest-updates-deaths-a8459351.html |title=Japan heatwave: Temperature hits new historic record 41.1C, says Japanese weather agency |work=[[The Independent]] |date=2018-07-23 |access-date=2018-07-23}}</ref>

There was a large [[hail]]storm on June 29, 1917 at about 5 p.m. The [[hailstone]]s had a diameter of 29.5 centimetres and weighed 3.4 kilograms.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jma-net.go.jp/kumagaya/kikou/hyou.html |script-title=ja:かぼちゃの大きさの雹（ひょう）について |website=Japan Meteorological Agency |access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref>

The [[Japan Meteorological Agency]] maintains a local meteorological observatory in Kumagaya.

{{Weather box
|width=auto
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Kumagaya, Saitama (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1896−present)
|Jan record high C = 23.0
|Feb record high C = 27.0
|Mar record high C = 26.9
|Apr record high C = 32.7
|May record high C = 36.2
|Jun record high C = 39.8
|Jul record high C = 41.1
|Aug record high C = 40.9
|Sep record high C = 39.7
|Oct record high C = 33.8
|Nov record high C = 27.6
|Dec record high C = 26.3
|year record high C =
|Jan high C = 9.8
|Feb high C = 10.8
|Mar high C = 14.3
|Apr high C = 19.9
|May high C = 24.6
|Jun high C = 27.1
|Jul high C = 30.9
|Aug high C = 32.3
|Sep high C = 27.9
|Oct high C = 22.1
|Nov high C = 16.8
|Dec high C = 12.0
|Jan mean C = 4.3
|Feb mean C = 5.1
|Mar mean C = 8.6
|Apr mean C = 13.9
|May mean C = 18.8
|Jun mean C = 22.3
|Jul mean C = 26.0
|Aug mean C = 27.1
|Sep mean C = 23.3
|Oct mean C = 17.6
|Nov mean C = 11.7
|Dec mean C = 6.5
|Jan low C = -0.4
|Feb low C = 0.3
|Mar low C = 3.6
|Apr low C = 8.6
|May low C = 13.9
|Jun low C = 18.3
|Jul low C = 22.3
|Aug low C = 23.3
|Sep low C = 19.7
|Oct low C = 13.7
|Nov low C = 7.2
|Dec low C = 1.8
|Jan record low C = -10.5
|Feb record low C = -11.6
|Mar record low C = -8.7
|Apr record low C = -4.5
|May record low C = 0.3
|Jun record low C = 7.8
|Jul record low C = 11.8
|Aug record low C = 13.0
|Sep record low C = 8.4
|Oct record low C = 0.5
|Nov record low C = -4.0
|Dec record low C = -9.8
|year record low C =
| precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 36.5
|Feb precipitation mm = 32.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 69.0
|Apr precipitation mm = 90.7
|May precipitation mm = 115.1
|Jun precipitation mm = 149.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 169.8
|Aug precipitation mm = 183.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 198.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 177.1
|Nov precipitation mm = 53.5
|Dec precipitation mm = 30.9
|year precipitation mm=
|Jan rain days = 3.1
|Feb rain days = 3.8
|Mar rain days = 7.6
|Apr rain days = 8.4
|May rain days = 9.6
|Jun rain days = 11.7
|Jul rain days = 12.1
|Aug rain days = 9.9
|Sep rain days = 11.4
|Oct rain days = 9.3
|Nov rain days = 5.4
|Dec rain days = 3.5
|Jan snow cm = 7
|Feb snow cm = 7
|Mar snow cm = 1
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 0
|Dec snow cm = 1
|year snow cm=
|Jan humidity = 53
|Feb humidity = 52
|Mar humidity = 55
|Apr humidity = 60
|May humidity = 64
|Jun humidity = 73
|Jul humidity = 76
|Aug humidity = 74
|Sep humidity = 75
|Oct humidity = 71
|Nov humidity = 65
|Dec humidity = 58
|year humidity=
|Jan snow days = 1.1
|Feb snow days = 1.2
|Mar snow days = 0.6
|Apr snow days = 0
|May snow days = 0
|Jun snow days = 0
|Jul snow days = 0
|Aug snow days = 0
|Sep snow days = 0
|Oct snow days = 0
|Nov snow days = 0
|Dec snow days = 0.1
|Jan sun = 217.0
|Feb sun = 199.8
|Mar sun = 203.2
|Apr sun = 197.1
|May sun = 192.0
|Jun sun = 133.9
|Jul sun = 146.0
|Aug sun = 169.3
|Sep sun = 131.6
|Oct sun = 144.1
|Nov sun = 171.6
|Dec sun = 200.9
|year sun=
|source = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]] (Avreages: 1981-2010, Extremes: 1896-present)<ref>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_sfc_ym.php?prec_no=43&block_no=47626&year=&month=&day=&view=
| title = 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| accessdate = 2019-01-17
| publisher = 気象庁}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_s.php?prec_no=43&block_no=47626&year=&month=&day=&view=
| title = 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）
| accessdate = 2019-01-17
| publisher = 気象庁}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-saitama.php Kumagaya population statistics]</ref> the population of Kumagaya peaked around the year 2000 and has declined since.

{{Historical populations
| 1950 | 126,910
| 1960 | 134,508
| 1970 | 156,955
| 1980 | 178,610
| 1990 | 200,246
| 2000 | 206,446
| 2010 | 203,180
| 2020 | 194,415
|align = none
| footnote =
}}

==History==
Kumagaya was part of ancient [[Musashi Province]] and was controlled by various [[samurai]] clans from the [[Heian period]]. One of these clans, the Kumagaya clan, rose to prominence during the [[Kamakura period]]. During the [[Edo Period]], the area was divided between the holdings of [[Oshi Domain]] and ''[[tenryō]]'' territory under direct control of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]]. [[Kumagai-shuku]] developed as a [[shukuba|post town]] on the [[Nakasendō]] highway during this period. After the [[Meiji restoration]], the town of Kumagaya was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889.

* 1923: The village of Koizka (from Osato District) was annexed.
* 1927: The village of Narita (from Kita-Saitama District) was annexed.
* 1932: The village of Oohata (from Osato District) was annexed.
* 1933: Kumagaya was elevated to city status.
* 1941: The village of Sayada (from Osato District) was annexed.
* 1945: [[Bombing of Kumagaya in World War II]]
* 1954: The villages of Chujo, Beppu, Nara and Mishiri (all from Osato District) were annexed.
* 1955: The villages of Yoshioka, Ooi and Hoshimiya (all from Osato District) were annexed.
* 1967: 22nd [[National Sports Festival of Japan|National Sports Festival]] was held.
* 1973: New City Hall was opened.
* 1986: Central Park was opened.
* 1988: Saitama Exhibition was held.
* 1988: Sports Park was opened.
* 1994: Beppu-marsh Park was opened.
* 2004: 59th National Sports Festival was held.
* 2005: The city of Kumagaya annexed the towns of Ōsato and Menuma (both from Ōsato District)
* 2007: The town of Kōnan (from Ōsato District) was annexed.

==Government==
Kumagaya has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city council of 30 members. Kumagaya contributes three members to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the [[Saitama 11th district]] and [[Saitama 12th district]] of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].

===Administration===
*The city has one city hall and three branch offices.
**{{Nihongo|Kumagaya City Hall|熊谷市役所}}
**{{Nihongo|Menuma Branch Office|妻沼行政センター}}
**{{Nihongo|Ōsato Branch Office|大里行政センター}}
**{{Nihongo|Kōnan Branch Office|江南行政センター}}

<gallery>
File:Kumagaya city hall.jpg|Kumagaya City Hall
File:Kumagaya city hall Konan branch 1.JPG|Kumagaya City Hall - Konan branch
File:Kumagaya city hall Menuma branch 2.JPG|Kumagaya City Hall - Menuma branch
File:Kumagaya city hall Osato branch 1.JPG|Kumagaya City Hall - Osato branch
</gallery>

===Mayors===
* {{Nihongo|Ryosaku Arai|新井良作}}: April 1933 to May 1939—1st, 2nd
* {{Nihongo|Moya Saitou|齋籐茂八}}: June 1936 to April 1942—3rd
* {{Nihongo|Takeo Yajima|矢島武男}}: April 1942 to November 1945—4th
* {{Nihongo|Tadashi Negishi|根岸忠}}: January 1946 to March 1947—5th
* {{Nihongo|Souichi Kamode|鴨田宗一}}: April 1947 to April 1958—6th to 8th
* {{Nihongo|Seiichi Kurihara|栗原正一}}: May 1958 to May 1962—9th
* {{Nihongo|Uminosuke Kuroda|黒田海之助}}: May 1962 to May 1982—10th to 14th
* {{Nihongo|Toshio Masuda|増田敏男}}: May 1982 to June 1986—15th, 16th
* {{Nihongo|Kazuo Kobayashi|小林一夫}}: August 1986 to August 2002—17th to 20th
* {{Nihongo|Kiyoshi Tomioka|富岡清}}: August 3, 2003 to September 30, 2005—21st
* {{Nihongo|Fumio Yoshihara|吉原文雄}}: October 1, 2005 to November 5, 2005—Interim mayor
* {{Nihongo|Kiyoshi Tomioka|富岡清}}: November 6, 2005 to November 5, 2021
* {{Nihongo|Tetsuya Kobayashi|小林哲也}}
November 6, 2021 to present{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

==Economy==
{{expand section|date=March 2016}}
Kumagaya is a major industrial and commercial center within northern Saitama. Eight [[national highways of Japan|national highway]]s and three railway lines serve the city. While many people commute towards south Tokyo, its daytime population is larger than the night population thanks to commuters from surrounding towns.

==Education==
* Kumagaya has one private university. There are 30 public elementary schools and 17 public middle schools operated by the city government, and seven public high schools operated by the Saitama Prefectural Board of Education. In addition, there are two public and six private vocational training schools. The prefecture also operates two special education schools for the handicapped.

===Universities===
* [[Rissho University]]—Kumagaya campus

===Senior high schools===
* Kumagaya Boys' Senior High School (埼玉県立熊谷高等学校)
* Nishi-Kumagaya Senior High School (埼玉県立熊谷西高等学校)
* Kumagaya Girls' Senior High School (埼玉県立熊谷女子高等学校)
* Menuma Senior High School (埼玉県立妻沼高等学校)
* Kumagaya Industrial Senior High School (埼玉県立熊谷工業高等学校)
* Kumagaya Agricultural Senior High School (埼玉県立熊谷農業高等学校)
* Kumagaya Business Senior High School (埼玉県立熊谷商業高等学校)

===Middle schools===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* Arakawa Middle School (熊谷市立荒川中学校)
* Ōaso Middle School (熊谷市立大麻生中学校)
* Ōsato Middle School (熊谷市立大里中学校)
* Ōhata Middle School (熊谷市立大幡中学校)
* Ōhara Middle School (熊谷市立大原中学校)
* Higashi-Kumagaya Junior High School (熊谷市立熊谷東中学校)
* Kounan Middle School (熊谷市立江南中学校)
* Kojima Middle School (熊谷市立小島中学校)
* Tamai Middle School (熊谷市立玉井中学校)
* Chūjō Middle School (熊谷市立中条中学校)
* Nara Middle School (熊谷市立奈良中学校)
* Fujimi Middle School (熊谷市立富士見中学校)
* Beppu Middle School (熊谷市立別府中学校)
* Mishiri Middle School (熊谷市立三尻中学校)
* Nishi-Menuma Middle School (熊谷市立妻沼西中学校)
* Higashi-Menuma Middle School (熊谷市立妻沼東中学校)
* Yoshioka Middle School (熊谷市立吉岡中学校)
{{div col end}}

===Elementary schools===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* Ishiwara Elementary School(熊谷市立石原小学校)
* Ōaso Elementary School (熊谷市立大麻生小学校)
* Ōta Elementary School (熊谷市立太田小学校)
* Ōhata Elementary School (熊谷市立大幡小学校)
* Onuma Elementary School (熊谷市立男沼小学校)
* Ichida Elementary School (熊谷市立市田小学校)
* Kagohara Elementary School (熊谷市立籠原小学校)
* Kuge Elementary School (熊谷市立久下小学校)
* Nishi-Kumagaya Elementary School (熊谷市立熊谷西小学校)
* Higashi-Kumagaya Elementary School (熊谷市立熊谷東小学校)
* Minami-Kumagaya Elementary School (熊谷市立熊谷南小学校)
* Kita-Kōnan Elementary School (熊谷市立江南北小学校)
* Minami-Kōnan Elementary School (熊谷市立江南南小学校)
* Kojima Elementary School (熊谷市立小島小学校)
* Sakuragi Elementary School (熊谷市立桜木小学校)
* Sayada Elementary School (熊谷市立佐谷田小学校)
* Tamai Elementary School (熊谷市立玉井小学校)
* Chūjō Elementary School (熊谷市立中条小学校)
* Nara Elementary School (熊谷市立奈良小学校)
* Nagai Elementary School (熊谷市立長井小学校)
* Narita Elementary School (熊谷市立成田小学校)
* Niibori Elementary School (熊谷市立新堀小学校)
* Hata Elementary School (熊谷市立秦小学校)
* Beppu Elementary School (熊谷市立別府小学校)
* Hoshimiya Elementary School (熊谷市立星宮小学校)
* Mishiri Elementary School (熊谷市立三尻小学校)
* Menuma Elementary School (熊谷市立妻沼小学校)
* Minami-Menuma Elementary School (熊谷市立妻沼南小学校)
* Yoshioka Elementary School (熊谷市立吉岡小学校)
* Yoshimi Elementary School (熊谷市立吉見小学校)
{{div col end}}

==Transportation==
===Railway===
[[File:JR logo (east).svg|20px]] [[JR East]] – [[Joetsu Shinkansen]]
*{{STN|Kumagaya}}
[[File:JR logo (east).svg|20px]] [[JR East]] – [[JR East]] - [[Takasaki Line]]
*{{STN|Kumagaya}} - {{STN|Kagohara}}
[[file:CTK logomark 2019.svg|18px]][[Chichibu Railway]] - [[Chichibu Main Line]]
*{{STN|Kumagaya}} - {{STN|Kami-Kumagaya}} - {{STN|Ishiwara}} - {{STN|Hirose-Yachō-no-Mori}} - {{STN|Ōasō}}

===Highway===
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|17}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|125}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|140}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|407}}

==Twin towns and sister cities==
Kumagaya is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
*{{flagdeco|New Zealand}} [[Invercargill]], New Zealand<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.icc.govt.nz/YourCouncil/SisterCity.aspx|title=Sister Cities|access-date=2014-10-19|archive-date=2014-11-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112033456/http://www.icc.govt.nz/YourCouncil/SisterCity.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Local attractions==
*[[Kangi-in]] temple with architecture designated as a National Treasure

==Notable people from Kumagaya==
*[[Kensei Hasegawa]], Politician
*[[Masami Kuwashima]], racing driver
*[[Dump Matsumoto]], professional wrestler
*[[Peach Momoko]], artist and writer

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Kumagaya, Saitama}}
* [http://www.city.kumagaya.lg.jp/ Official Website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Saitama}}
{{Metropolitan cities of Japan}}
{{Most populous cities in Japan}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Kumagaya| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Saitama Prefecture]]