Ebina, Kanagawa
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in central Kanagawa Prefecture
, Japan
. As of 2010, the town has an estimated population
of 127,062 and a density
of 4,800 persons per km². The total area is 26.48 km².
, along the eastern bank of the Sagami River
. The Tōmei Expressway
cuts across the southern end of the city.
. It was the location of the kokubun-ji and provincial capital of Sagami Province
from the Nara period
. It was home to the Yokoyama clan, one of the seven warrior clans of the Musashi region
during the early Kamakura period
. During the Edo period
, the lands around Ebina were tenryō territory theoretically administered directly by the Tokugawa Shogunate
in Edo
; however, in reality, the area was a patchwork of small fiefs held by various hatamoto
, as well as exclaves under the control of Sakura Domain
and Karasuyama Domain.
After the Meiji Restoration
, the area became part of Kōza District
, Kanagawa Prefecture and was administratively divided into Ebina village and Arima village on April 1, 1889. The area was connected by rail in 1926 via the Sagami Railway
and in 1927 by the Odakyu Electric Railway
, leading to an increase in population and a change in status of Ebina from village to town in 1940. In 1955, Arima village merged into Ebina town. Ebina was proclaimed a city
on November 1, 1971. Urban development projects in the 1980s and 1990s have modernized the city center.
operates the Ebina Development Center in Ebina.
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
located in central Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. As of 2010, the town has an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 127,062 and a density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 4,800 persons per km². The total area is 26.48 km².
Geography
Ebina is located in the middle of the Sagami Plains, part of western Kantō plainKanto Plain
The ' is the largest plain in Japan located in the Kanto Region of central Honshū. The total area 17,000 sq km covers more than half of the Region extending over Tokyo, Saitama Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture, and Tochigi Prefecture.The northern limit borders on...
, along the eastern bank of the Sagami River
Sagami River
The is a river in Kanagawa and Yamanashi Prefectures on the island of Honshū, Japan.The upper reaches of the river in Yamanashi prefecture are also sometimes known as the , and the portion near the river mouth as the...
. The Tōmei Expressway
Tomei Expressway
The is a national expressway on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is operated by Central Nippon Expressway Company. It is a part of Asian Highway Network -Naming:The word Tōmei is an acronym consisting of two kanji characters...
cuts across the southern end of the city.
Surrounding municipalities
- AtsugiAtsugi, Kanagawais a city located in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 225,622 and a population density of 2,410 persons per km². The total area was 93.83 km²...
- SamukawaSamukawa, Kanagawais a town located in Kōza District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 47,739 and a density of 3,560 persons per km². The total area was 13.42 km².-Geography:...
- ZamaZama, Kanagawais a city located in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The city is also home to the United States' Camp Zama Army base. As of 128,989, the city had an estimated population of 128,989 and a density of 7,320 persons per km². The total area was 17.58 km²....
- AyaseAyase, Kanagawais a city in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is on the east bank of the Sagami River and is bordered by Yamato, Fujisawa and Ebina cities. It should not be confused with a neighborhood of the same name in Adachi, Tokyo. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 82,738 and a...
- FujisawaFujisawa, Kanagawais a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 407,731 and a population density of 5,870 people per km². The total area is 69.51 km²-Geography:...
- YamatoYamato, Kanagawais a city located in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 225,866 and a density of 8,320 persons per km². The total area was 27.06 km².-Surrounding municipalities:*Zama*Fujisawa*Ebina*Sagamihara*Ayase...
History
The area of modern Ebina has been settled since ancient times, and has a number of remains from the Kofun periodKofun period
The is an era in the history of Japan from around 250 to 538. It follows the Yayoi period. The word kofun is Japanese for the type of burial mounds dating from this era. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes referred to collectively as the Yamato period...
. It was the location of the kokubun-ji and provincial capital of Sagami Province
Sagami Province
was an old province in the area that is today the central and western Kanagawa prefecture. It was sometimes called . Sagami bordered on Izu, Musashi, Suruga provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Sagami Bay...
from the Nara period
Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...
. It was home to the Yokoyama clan, one of the seven warrior clans of the Musashi region
Musashi Province
was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Prefecture, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama...
during the early Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
. During the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, the lands around Ebina were tenryō territory theoretically administered directly by the Tokugawa Shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
in Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
; however, in reality, the area was a patchwork of small fiefs held by various hatamoto
Hatamoto
A was a samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as gokenin. However, in the Edo period, hatamoto were the upper vassals of the Tokugawa...
, as well as exclaves under the control of Sakura Domain
Sakura Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Shimōsa Province , Japan. It was centered on Sakura Castle in what is now part of the city of Sakura...
and Karasuyama Domain.
After the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
, the area became part of Kōza District
Koza District, Kanagawa
is an administrative district of Japan located in central Kanagawa Prefecture. It currently consists of only one town, Samukawa.- History :Kōza District was one of the ancient subdivisions of Sagami Province, extending from Sagami Bay north to the border of Musashi Province between the Sagami River...
, Kanagawa Prefecture and was administratively divided into Ebina village and Arima village on April 1, 1889. The area was connected by rail in 1926 via the Sagami Railway
Sagami Railway
The , or , is a railway company operating three lines in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It ranks among the "big 15" major railways in Japan.- Overview :Sagami Railway is one of the core companies of the Sotetsu group...
and in 1927 by the Odakyu Electric Railway
Odakyu Electric Railway
, or OER, is a major railway company based in Tokyo, Japan best known for its Romancecar series of limited express trains from Tokyo to Odawara, Enoshima, Tama New Town, and Hakone....
, leading to an increase in population and a change in status of Ebina from village to town in 1940. In 1955, Arima village merged into Ebina town. Ebina was proclaimed a city
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
on November 1, 1971. Urban development projects in the 1980s and 1990s have modernized the city center.
Economy
Taito CorporationTaito Corporation
The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
operates the Ebina Development Center in Ebina.
Train stations
- JR EastEast Japan Railway Companyis the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
-Sagami Line- - - -
- Odakyū Electric RailwayOdakyu Electric Railway, or OER, is a major railway company based in Tokyo, Japan best known for its Romancecar series of limited express trains from Tokyo to Odawara, Enoshima, Tama New Town, and Hakone....
- Odakyū Odawara Line- -
- Sagami RailwaySagami RailwayThe , or , is a railway company operating three lines in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It ranks among the "big 15" major railways in Japan.- Overview :Sagami Railway is one of the core companies of the Sotetsu group...
- Sagami Railway Main Line- - - -
Local attractions
- Sagami Kokubun-ji, provincial temple of Sagami Province and national historic landmark
- Ebina Premium Film Festival (held annually in autumn)
Noted people from Ebina
- Akiko KijimutaAkiko Kijimutais a former Japanese professional tennis player. She was born on May 1, 1968 in Japan and played on the WTA tour from 1986 to 1992. She reached the 4th round at Roland Garros in 1992, where she led the world number-one ranked player Monica Seles 4 games to 1 in the final set, before wilting to...
- professional tennis player - Syuri Kondo - professional wrestler and shoot boxer
External links
- Ebina city web (English)