Funabashi, Chiba
Encyclopedia
is 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...

 located in northwestern Chiba Prefecture
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...

, 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 February 2011, the city had 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 609,157 and a population 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 7110 persons per km². The total area was 85.64 km². It is the 7th most populous city in Greater Tokyo.

Geography

Funabashi is located in northwestern Chiba Prefecture and makes up one part of the Shimōsa Plain. The city sits 20-30 meters above sea level, and is relatively flat. Funabashi is crossed by the Tone River
Tone River
The is a river in the Kantō region of Japan. It is in length and has a drainage area of...

, and the small Ebi River is located entirely within city limits. Funabashi formerly had wide, shallow beaches, but much of the coast has been industrialized and transformed by reclaimed land.

Neighboring municipalities

  • Ichikawa, Chiba
    Ichikawa, Chiba
    is a city located in northwest Chiba, Japan, approximately 20 kilometers from the center of Tokyo. The city was founded on November 3, 1934. As of January 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 474,586 and a density of 8,259.42 persons per km². The total area is 57.46 km²...

  • Narashino, Chiba
    Narashino, Chiba
    is a city located in northern Chiba, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 164,809 and a population density of 7850 persons per km². The total area was 20.99 km².-Geography:...

  • Yachiyo, Chiba
    Yachiyo, Chiba
    is a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of August 2011, the town had an estimated population of 193,262 and a population density of 3769 persons per km²...

  • Kamagaya, Chiba
    Kamagaya, Chiba
    is a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 108,142 and a population density of 5120 persons per km²...

  • Shiroi, Chiba
    Shiroi, Chiba
    is a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of late March 2011, the city has an estimated population of 61,073 and a population density of 1725 persons per km²...


History

The name “Funabashi” is mentioned in the 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....

 chronicle Azuma Kagami
Azuma Kagami
The , or "mirror of the east", is a Japanese medieval text that chronicles events of the Kamakura Shogunate from Minamoto no Yoritomo's rebellion against the Taira clan in Izokuni of 1180 to Munetaka Shinnō and his return to Kyoto in 1266...

.
However, the name itself is even more ancient, dating from before 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...

 and the Yamatotakeru mythology. Archaeologists have found stone tools from the Japanese Paleolithic
Japanese Paleolithic
The began around 50,000 to 30,000 BC, when the earliest stone tool implements have been found, and continued to around 14,000 BC, at the end of the last ice age, which corresponds to the beginning of the Mesolithic Jōmon period...

 period and shell middens from the Jomon period
Jomon period
The is the time in Japanese prehistory from about 14,000 BC to 300 BC.The term jōmon means "cord-patterned" in Japanese. This refers to the pottery style characteristic of the Jōmon culture, and which has markings made using sticks with cords wrapped around them...

 in the area, indicating continuous inhabitation for thousands of years. A number of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in the area claim to have been founded in 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...

 or Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...

. During the Muromachi period
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...

s, the area was controlled by the Chiba clan
Chiba clan
The ' was a branch family of the Taira clan descended from Chiba no Suke, son of Taira no Tadatsune. Historically, they controlled the city of Chiba, outside Tokyo, and also an area called Soma which included the Grand Shrine of Ise....

. During the Sengoku period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...

, the Chiba clan fought the Satomi clan
Satomi clan
The Satomi clan was a clan of samurai which claimed descent from Nitta Yoshishige , whose son Yoshitoshi took 'Satomi' as his surname. The Satomi moved from Kōzuke province to Awa province in the mid-15th century, and remained there into the Edo Period. During the Sengoku period, the Satomi were...

 to the south, and the Late Hojo clan
Late Hojo clan
The ' was one of the most powerful warrior clans in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region.The clan is traditionally reckoned to be started by Ise Shinkurō, who came from a branch of the prestigious Ise clan, a family in the direct employment of the Ashikaga...

 to the west. After the defeat of the Chiba clan, the area came within the control of Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
 was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara  in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...

.

Under 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...

, the area prospered as a post town
Shukuba
were post stations during the Edo period in Japan, generally located on one of the Edo Five Routes or one of its sub-routes. They were also called shukueki . These post stations were places where travelers could rest on their journey around the nation...

 on the river crossing of the Tone River
Tone River
The is a river in the Kantō region of Japan. It is in length and has a drainage area of...

, and was largely retained as tenryo under the direct control of the Shogunate and administered through a number of 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...

. The area was also a favored hunting grounds for the Shogun. During the Boshin War
Boshin War
The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....

 of 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...

, Funabashi was the location of a minor skirmish between Tokugawa loyalists under Enomoto Takeaki
Enomoto Takeaki
Viscount was a samurai and admiral of the Tokugawa navy of Bakumatsu period Japan, who remained faithful to the Tokugawa shogunate who fought against the new Meiji government until the end of the Boshin War...

 and the pro-Imperial forces of Okayama Domain
Okayama Domain
The ' was a Japanese feudal domain of the Edo period, located in modern-day Okayama Prefecture. The domain sided with the Kyoto government during the Boshin War.-List of Daimyo:*Kobayakawa clan, 1600-1602 #Hideaki...

 and Satsuma Domain, during which most of the town burned down.

After the abolition of the han system
Abolition of the han system
The was an act, in 1871, of the new Meiji government of the Empire of Japan to replace the traditional feudal domain system and to introduce centralized government authority . This process marked the culmination of the Meiji Restoration in that all daimyo were required to return their authority...

, the area eventually became part of Chiba Prefecture. Funabashi Town was one of several towns and villages created on April 1, 1889 under Inba District
Inba District, Chiba
is a district located in Chiba, Japan.As of 2011, the district has an estimated population of 43,480 and a density of 845 persons per km². The total area is 51.48 km².There are two towns within the district.*Sakae*Shisui-District timeline:...

. The area developed rapidly due to its proximity to Tokyo and the presence of numerous military facilities in the area. On April 1, 1937, Funabashi achieved city status through merger with neighboring Katsushika Town and Yasakae, Hoden and Tsukada villages. The new city was host to numerous military installations in World War II, and was bombed in the air raids on Japan
Air raids on Japan
During World War II the Allied forces conducted many air raids on Japan which caused extensive destruction to the country's cities and killed over 300,000 people. These attacks began with the Doolittle Raid in mid-April 1942, but did not resume until June 1944 when United States Army Air Forces ...

 in 1945.
The city developed rapidly in the postwar period, with the development of industries, public housing developments and port facilities. With the annexation of neighboring Ninomiya Town in 1953, the population exceeded 100,000. The population exceeded 300,000 in 1969 and 500,000 in 1982. Funabashi was designated a core city
Core city
A is a class of Japanese city created by the first clause of Article 252, Section 22 of the Local Autonomy Law of Japan. Core cities are delegated many functions normally carried out by prefectural governments, but not as many as designated cities...

 on April 1, 2005 with increased local autonomy from the central government. The population exceeded 600,000 in 2006.

Economy

Funabashi is a regional commercial center and, due to its numerous train connections, a bedroom community for nearby Chiba and Tokyo.

Railway

  • JR East
    East Japan Railway Company
    is 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....

      - Musashino Line
    Musashino Line
    The is a railway line operated by the East Japan Railway Company . It links Tsurumi Station in Yokohama with Nishi-Funabashi Station in Chiba Prefecture, forming a 100.6 km unclosed loop around central Tokyo...

    • -
  • JR East
    East Japan Railway Company
    is 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....

      - Keiyō Line
    Keiyo Line
    The is a railway line connecting Tokyo and Chiba, Japan, running mainly along the edge of Tokyo Bay. It is operated by the East Japan Railway Company .It provides the main rail access to the Tokyo Disney Resort and the Makuhari Messe exhibition center...

    • ->>-

  • JR East
    East Japan Railway Company
    is 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....

      - Chūō-Sōbu Line
    Chuo-Sobu Line
    The is a railway line located in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company network, it runs on separate tracks along the right-of-way of the Chūō Main Line and Sōbu Main Line , providing service between Mitaka Station in the cities of Mitaka and Musashino and...


- - -
  • Keisei Electric Railway
    Keisei Electric Railway
    The is a major private railway in Chiba and Tokyo, Japan. The name Keisei is the combination of the kanji 京 from and 成 from , which the railways main line connects. The combination uses different readings than the ones used in the city names. The railway's main line runs from Tokyo to Narita and...

     - Keisei Main Line
    • - - - - - -

  • Shin-Keisei Electric Railway
    Shin-Keisei Electric Railway
    The is a private railway in Chiba, Japan. It connects Narashino and Matsudo.It has subsidiaries of bus company .It is a subsidiary of Keisei Electric Railway.-History:...

     - Shin-Keisei Line
    Shin-Keisei Line
    The is a railway line owned by a Japanese private railway company Shin-Keisei Electric Railway, a subsidiary of Keisei Electric Railway. The line runs between Matsudo Station in Matsudo, Chiba, Keisei-Tsudanuma Station in Narashino, Chiba....

    • - - - - - - - -

  • Hokusō Railway - Hokusō Line
    Hokuso Line
    The is a commuter rail line operated by the Hokusō Railway in Japan. It runs between Keisei-Takasago Station in Katsushika, Tokyo and Inba-Nihon-Idai Station in Inzai, Chiba....


  • Tōbu Railway
    Tobu Railway
    is a Japanese commuter railway company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. It operates in Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, Tochigi, and Gunma Prefectures...

     - Tōbu Noda Line
    • - - -
  • Tōyō Rapid Railway
    Toyo Rapid Railway Line
    The is a commuter rail line owned by Tōyō Rapid Railway Co., Ltd., that runs between Nishi-Funabashi Station in Funabashi City, Chiba and Tōyō-Katsutadai Station in Yachiyo City, Chiba. The name means 東京 and 千葉 ....

     - Tōyō Rapid Line
    • - - - -

  • Tōzai Line – Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line
    Tokyo Metro Tozai Line
    The is a rapid transit line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro located in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Its name literally means East-West Line. The line runs between Nakano Station in Nakano, Tokyo and Nishi-Funabashi Station in Funabashi, Chiba...

    • -

Highway

  • Keiyō Road
    Keiyo Road
    The is a toll road in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.-Naming:Keiyō is a kanji acronym of two characters, each representing the two major urban areas connected by the route...

  • Higashi-Kantō Expressway
    Higashi-Kanto Expressway
    The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.-Overview:Officially the expressway is referred to as the Higashi-Kantō Expressway Mito Route....

  • Japan National Route 14
    Japan National Route 14
    National Route 14 is a national highway connecting Tokyo and Chiba in Japan.-Route Data:*Length: 44.1 km *Origin: Nihonbashi, Chūō, Tokyo...

  • Japan National Route 16
  • Japan National Route 296
  • Japan National Route 357
  • Japan National Route 464

Sister city relations

Hayward, California
Hayward, California
Hayward is a city located in the East Bay in Alameda County, California. With a population of 144,186, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda County. Hayward was ranked as the 37th most populous municipality in California. It is included in...

, USA, from November 7, 1986 – Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...

, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 from April 6, 1989 – Xi’an, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 from November 2, 1994

Notable structures

  • Funabashi Auto Racing
  • Funabashi Racecourse
    Funabashi Racecourse
    is located in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan.- Notable races :...

  • Nakayama Racecourse
    Nakayama Racecourse
    is located in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. It is used for horse racing. It has a capacity of 165,676. It was built in 1990. It has 15,944 seats.-Physical attributes:Nakayama Race Course has two grass courses, a dirt course, and a jump course....

  • LaLaPort shopping mall, one of the largest in Japan
  • SSAWS
    SSAWS
    SSAWS, pronounced and officially known as , was an indoor ski slope in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. The name was an acronym of "Spring Summer Autumn Winter Snow".Constructed by Mitsui at a cost of US$400 million, the ski slope opened on July 15, 1993...

     indoor ski slope (closed and demolished in 2003)
  • Japan's first large-format IKEA
    IKEA
    IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...

     store, built on the site of SSAWS

Notable places 

  • Funabashi Shrine
    Funabashi Shrine
    is a Shinto shrine located in the city of Funabashi in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It burned down in 1873 during the Meiji Restoration but was rebuilt....

  • Ninomiya Jinja
  • Narashinohara
  • Kūtei-kan
    Kutei-kan
    is an exhibition institution in Ground Self-Defense Force Narashino Camp.Originally, the building was built for the Emperor and Imperial Family to watch horsemanship of the cavalry regiment, as...

  • Meiji Tennō Chūhitsu no Tokoro no Hi
  • Gyōda Musen

Noted people from Funabashi

  • Hiroki Aiba
    Hiroki Aiba
    is a Japanese actor, dancer and singer. He is best known for his role as Shusuke Fuji in The Prince of Tennis musical series, Tenimyu, and the live film adaptation. He was also part of a young men's 3-member streetdancing group called Brights, which was disbanded in 2004...

     – dancer and singer
  • Sayaka Akimoto
    Sayaka Akimoto
    , is a member of the Japanese idol group AKB48. She is captain of Team K and also a member of the sub-unit group Diva. She was born to a Japanese father and a Filipina mother.- Singles :as AKB48* BINGO!* Baby! Baby! Baby!* RIVER* Included in **...

    - dancer and singer from AKB48
    AKB48
    AKB48 is a Japanese female idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto.The group has achieved enormous popularity in Japan. Its ten latest consecutive singles topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart...

  • Kazuyuki Fujita
    Kazuyuki Fujita
    is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and a former amateur wrestler. He has fought in mixed martial arts promotions including PRIDE, K-1 and currently fighting in Sengoku....

     – professional wrestler
  • Sayaka Ichii
    Sayaka Ichii
    joined the girl group Morning Musume in 1998. She, along with Mari Yaguchi and Kei Yasuda, formed the second generation of members. While in Morning Musume, Sayaka Ichii was put into the spin-off group, Petitmoni. Ichii was also part of the Hello Project! Summer Shuffles 2000 group Aoiro 7...

     – musician
  • Atsushi Itō
    Atsushi Ito
    is a Japanese actor, He started acting at the age of three in education programs. He is currently studying at Hosei University Business Faculty. He is frequently cast as geeky or otaku characters...

     – actor
  • Yuko Kavaguti – figure skater
  • Mai Kuraki
    Mai Kuraki
    is a Japanese pop and R&B singer-songwriter and producer from Funabashi, Chiba. Kuraki debuted in 1999 with the single, "Love, Day After Tomorrow". In 2000, she released her debut album, Delicious Way, which debuted at number-one and sold over 2,210,000 copies in its first week...

     - singer
  • Fumie Kurotori
    Fumie Kurotori
    is a retired female medley swimmer from Japan, who represented her native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. She is best known for winning two gold medals at the 1995 Summer Universiade in Fukuoka....

     – Olympic gold medalist swimmer
  • Manabu Namiki
    Manabu Namiki
    is a Japanese video game composer who works mainly on shooter games. He has worked with game companies such as Allumer, NMK, Raizing and Cave...

     – video game designer
  • Yoshihiro Natsuka – professional soccer player
  • Katsuhiko Nishijima
    Katsuhiko Nishijima
    is an anime director.-Films:*Project A-Ko *Project A-ko: Grey Side/Blue Side *Kōryū Densetsu Villgust *Megami Paradise *Agent Aika...

     – Amine director
  • Michiko Nishiwaki
    Michiko Nishiwaki
    is a Japanese actress and stunt woman, martial artist, fight choreographer, and former female bodybuilder and powerlifter. She played stunt double for Lucy Liu in the film Charlie's Angels....

     – Actress, stunt woman
  • Yoshihiko Noda
    Yoshihiko Noda
    is the current Prime Minister of Japan, a member of the Democratic Party of Japan , and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet...

     – politician, current Prime Minister of Japan
    Prime Minister of Japan
    The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...

  • Hanako Oku
    Hanako Oku
    is a pop singer famous in her native Japan for her piano ballads. She rose to fame after performing the end-title track for the Madhouse film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time in 2006...

     - musician
  • Shunzo Ono
    Shunzo Ono
    is a former Japanese football player. He was a centre back.-Career:He was educated at and played for Narashino High School. After graduating in 1983, he joined Japan Soccer League side Sumitomo Metals When Japan's first-ever professional league J. League Division 1 started in 1993, Sumitomo Metals...

     – professional soccer player
  • Tamao Satō
    Tamao Sato
    is a Japanese actress, voice actress, television personality and model from Funabashi, Chiba, perhaps best known for her role as Momo Maruo in the 1995 Super Sentai series Chōriki Sentai Ohranger, as well as co-hosting O-Sama Brunch, a Tokyo Broadcasting System Saturday morning show.-Voice roles:*...

     – actress
  • Takashi Sekizuka
    Takashi Sekizuka
    is a Japanese association football manager and a former player.-Awards:* Japan Soccer League Rookie of the Year: 1984* Japan Soccer League Best Eleven: 1984-References:*...

     – professional soccer player
  • Mariko Shiga
    Mariko Shiga
    was an idol star and voice actress born in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture. She attended and graduated from Funabashi Municipal High School before enrolling in the University of California, Riverside in 1989...

     – musician
  • Akeno Watanabe
    Akeno Watanabe
    is a Japanese voice actor born in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. She works at Osawa Office and her nickname is Akenon. She currently stars in Pokémon Best Wishes as Ash's newest rival, Shooti and from Episode 17 onwards has begun voicing Ash's Scraggy.-Anime:...

     – seiyu
  • Azusa Yamamoto
    Azusa Yamamoto
    is a Japanese bikini idol, actress, and tarento.-Films:* GoGo Sentai Boukenger vs Super Sentai - .... Furabijo* Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger The Movie: Full Blast Action .... Student...

     – gravure idol
  • Tomohisa Yamashita
    Tomohisa Yamashita
    , also widely known as Yamapi, is a Japanese idol, actor, and singer.Yamashita joined the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates in 1996 at the age of 11 and made his official CD debut with NEWS in 2004. He debuted as a solo artist in 2006 with the hit single "Daite Senorita". His first solo...

    - musician

External links

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