Hiratsuka, Kanagawa
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in Kanagawa Prefecture
, Japan
. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population
of 259,991 and the density
of 3,830 persons per km². The total area was 67.83 km².In Kanagawa a significant number of Southeast Asian immigrants have settled in Hiratsuka.
midway between Tokyo
and Mount Fuji
, and has a 5-kilometer coastline in the Shōnan area
on the Pacific Ocean
in Sagami Bay
.
is found in Nara period
records. From the Heian period
through Kamakura period
, the area was divided into shōen
controlled by various samurai
clans and in the Sengoku period
was the site of several battles between the late Hōjō clan
of Odawara and the Miura clan
. After the defeat of the Hōjō at the Battle of Odawara by Toyotomi Hideyoshi
, the area came under the control of Tokugawa Ieyasu
, who built a summer palace (the Nakahara Goten) in 1596. Hiratsuka was retained as tenryō territory after the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate
, and flourished as Hiratsuka-juku
, a post town
on the Tōkaidō
connecting Edo
with Kyoto
. After the Meiji Restoration
, Hiratsuka town was founded on April 1, 1889 as part of the new Naka District
within Kanagawa Prefecture. It merged with neighboring Suma town on April 1, 1929 and was proclaimed Hiratsuka city on April 1, 1932.
Prior to World War II
, Hiratsuka was the location of the of the Imperial Japanese Navy
and , a Nissan group military aircraft factory. Hiratsuka was largely destroyed on July 16, 1945 during the Bombing of Hiratsuka in World War II
. Due to its strategic location and wide beaches, it was also one of the targets for the planned invasion of Japan during the final stages of World War II.
The city quickly rebuilt after the war, annexing several neighboring villages in the mid-1950s to attain its current area. The population exceeded 200,000 by 2001 and Hiratsuka became a special ordinance city
with increased autonomy from the central government. The current mayor is Ritsuko Okura the city's first female mayor, who was re-elected in 2007 for a second term with approximately 60% of the votes cast.
, Yokohama Rubber Company
, Canon, Furukawa Electric, Kansai Paint, and Mitsubishi Plastics
. Nissan Shatai produced the largest employment on the City, but announced the plan to let a factory move to Kanda
. Hiratsuka is also a bedroom community for Yokohama
and Tokyo
, with residents attracted by the "Shōnan
lifestyle".
, Japan
, since October 22, 1982 Hanamaki city
, Japan
, since April 27, 1984 Lawrence, Kansas
, USA
, since September 21, 1990
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 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 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 259,991 and the 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 3,830 persons per km². The total area was 67.83 km².In Kanagawa a significant number of Southeast Asian immigrants have settled in Hiratsuka.
Geography
Hiratsuka is located on the 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...
midway between Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji
is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
, and has a 5-kilometer coastline in the Shōnan area
Shonan
is the name of a region along the coast of Sagami Bay in central Japan. Centered on Enoshima, an island about 50 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, the Shōnan region stretches from Ōiso in the west to Hayama in the east, including Chigasaki, Kamakura and Hiratsuka...
on the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
in Sagami Bay
Sagami Bay
Sagami Bay , also known as the Sagami Gulf or Sagami Sea, lies south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū, central Japan, contained within the scope of the Miura Peninsula, in Kanagawa, to the east, the Izu Peninsula, in Shizuoka Prefecture, to the west, and the Shōnan coastline to the north, while the...
.
Surrounding municipalities
- ChigasakiChigasaki, Kanagawais a city located in central, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 234,400 and a density of 6,540 persons per km²...
- HadanoHadano, Kanagawais a city in west-central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2010, Hadano has an estimated population of 170,293 and a population density of 1,640 persons per km²; it had a total area of 103.61 km².-Geography:...
- 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...
- IseharaIsehara, Kanagawais a city located in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, Isehara had an estimated population of 100,976 and a density of 1,820 persons per km². The total area was 55.52 km². There is School of Medicine, Tokai University.-Geography:...
- 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:...
- NakaiNakai, Kanagawais a town located in Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2009, the town had an estimated population of 10,042 and a density of 502 persons per km². The total area was 20.02 km².-Surrounding municipalities:*Hiratsuka*Odawara*Hadano*Ninomiya...
- OisoOiso, Kanagawais a town located in Naka District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 32,725 and a density of 1,910 persons per km². The total area was 17.18 km².-Geography:...
- NinomiyaNinomiya, Kanagawais a town located in Naka District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 29,709 and a density of 3,270 persons per km²...
History
The area around Hiratsuka has been settled since prehistoric times, and mention of the area as part of ancient Ōsumi District, Sagami ProvinceSagami 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...
is found in 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...
records. From the 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...
through 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....
, the area was divided into shōen
Shoen
A was a field or manor in Japan. The Japanese term comes from the Tang dynasty Chinese term zhuangyuan.Shōen, from about the 8th to the late 15th century, describes any of the private, tax-free, often autonomous estates or manors whose rise undermined the political and economic power of the...
controlled by various samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
clans and in 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...
was the site of several battles between the late Hōjō 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...
of Odawara and the Miura clan
Miura clan
The ' was one of the branch families descended from the Taira clan. They held large fiefs, and great political influence. They were one of the primary opponents of the Hōjō family of regents, in the mid-13th century, and again at the beginning of the 16th...
. After the defeat of the Hōjō at the Battle of Odawara by Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
, the area came under 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...
, who built a summer palace (the Nakahara Goten) in 1596. Hiratsuka was retained as tenryō territory after the establishment of 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...
, and flourished as Hiratsuka-juku
Hiratsuka-juku
was the seventh of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in the present-day city of Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.-History:...
, 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 Tōkaidō
Tokaido (road)
The ' was the most important of the Five Routes of the Edo period, connecting Edo to Kyoto in Japan. Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendō, the Tōkaidō travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshū, hence the route's name....
connecting 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...
with Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. 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...
, Hiratsuka town was founded on April 1, 1889 as part of the new Naka District
Naka District, Kanagawa
is an administrative district of Japan located in central Kanagawa Prefecture. It currently consists of two towns, Ōiso, and Ninomiya.-History:Naka District was one of the four subdivisions of Sagami Province established by the late Hōjō clan of Odawara during the Sengoku period...
within Kanagawa Prefecture. It merged with neighboring Suma town on April 1, 1929 and was proclaimed Hiratsuka city on April 1, 1932.
Prior to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Hiratsuka was the location of the of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
and , a Nissan group military aircraft factory. Hiratsuka was largely destroyed on July 16, 1945 during the Bombing of Hiratsuka in World War II
Bombing of Hiratsuka in World War II
The was part of the strategic bombing campaign waged by the United States of America against military and civilian targets and population centers during the Japan home islands campaign in the closing states of World War II.-Background:...
. Due to its strategic location and wide beaches, it was also one of the targets for the planned invasion of Japan during the final stages of World War II.
The city quickly rebuilt after the war, annexing several neighboring villages in the mid-1950s to attain its current area. The population exceeded 200,000 by 2001 and Hiratsuka became a special ordinance city
Special cities of Japan
of Japan are cities with populations of at least 200,000, and are delegated a subset of the functions delegated to core cities.This category was established by the Local Autonomy Law, article 252 clause 26...
with increased autonomy from the central government. The current mayor is Ritsuko Okura the city's first female mayor, who was re-elected in 2007 for a second term with approximately 60% of the votes cast.
Economy
Hiratsuka has a mixed economy, with several industries located in industrial parks in the outskirts of town. Major plants are operated by Nissan ShataiNissan Shatai
is a automaker headquartered in Japan. The direct history began in 1949. Main Nissan Motors is about 43% stockholders.There are some offices in Japan, and there is a Shōnan factory in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa. The current production is cars, such as Nissan Wingroad, Nissan Serena, Nissan NV200, Nissan...
, Yokohama Rubber Company
Yokohama Rubber Company
is a tire company based in Tokyo, Japan. The company founded and started in 1917 in a joint venture between Yokohama Cable Manufacturing and B.F. Goodrich. In 1969 the company expanded to the United States as Yokohama Tire Corporation. The Aspec A300 was the driving force behind its tremendous...
, Canon, Furukawa Electric, Kansai Paint, and Mitsubishi Plastics
Mitsubishi Plastics
is a Japanese chemical company with Head Office at 1-2-2, Nihonbashihongokucho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0021, Japan.Produces various kinds of synthetic resins. The Company's products include polyvinyl chloride pipes and films...
. Nissan Shatai produced the largest employment on the City, but announced the plan to let a factory move to Kanda
Kanda, Fukuoka
is a town located in Miyako District, Fukuoka, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 35,407 and a density of 762.10 persons per km²...
. Hiratsuka is also a bedroom community for Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, with residents attracted by the "Shōnan
Shonan
is the name of a region along the coast of Sagami Bay in central Japan. Centered on Enoshima, an island about 50 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, the Shōnan region stretches from Ōiso in the west to Hayama in the east, including Chigasaki, Kamakura and Hiratsuka...
lifestyle".
Railway
- 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....
- Tōkaidō Main LineTokaido Main LineThe is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities...
, Shōnan Shinjuku Line- Hiratsuka StationHiratsuka Stationis a railway station on the Tōkaidō Main Line of East Japan Railway Company in the city of Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The station is 63.8 rail kilometers from Tokyo Station.- Station history:...
- Hiratsuka Station
Highway
- Japan National Route 1, to TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
or KyotoKyotois a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:... - Japan National Route 129, to SagamiharaSagamihara, Kanagawais a city located in north central Kanagawa Prefecture, bordering Tokyo, Japan. It is the third most populous city in the prefecture, after Yokohama and Kawasaki, and the fifth most populous suburb of Greater Tokyo. Its northern neighbor is Machida, with which a cross-prefectural merger has been...
- Japan National Route 134Japan National Route 134National Route 134 is a national highway connecting the city of Yokosuka and the town of Ōiso in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan....
, to YokosukaYokosuka, Kanagawais a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 419,067 and a population density of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km²...
via KamakuraKamakura, Kanagawais a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the... - Japan National Route 271, to 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...
or OdawaraOdawara, Kanagawais a city located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 198,466 with a population density of 1,740 persons per km² . The total area was .-Geography:...
(toll) - Odawara-Atsugi RoadOdawara-Atsugi RoadThe is a 4-laned toll road in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is owned and managed by Central Nippon Expressway Company.-Overview:Officially the road is designated as National Route 271...
- Shinshōnan BypassShinshonan BypassThe is a 4-laned toll road in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is owned and managed by Central Nippon Expressway Company.-Overview:Officially the road is designated as a bypass for National Route 1...
Tourist attractions
- TanabataTanabatais a Japanese star festival, originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi . According to legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the...
festival - Shonan BellmareShonan Bellmareare a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture; their home stadium is Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium in Hiratsuka. The name Bellmare is derived from the Latin "bellum" for "war" and "mare"...
footballFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club, three-time Japanese champions based at Hiratsuka Athletics StadiumHiratsuka Athletics Stadiumis a multi-purpose stadium in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, Japan. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Shonan Bellmare. The stadium has a seating capacity for 18,500 spectators.- External links :*...
Sister cities
Takayama cityTakayama, Gifu
is a city located in Gifu, Japan. As of July, 2011 the city has an estimated population of 92,369. The total area is .Takayama was settled as far back as the Jōmon period. Takayama is best known for its inhabitants' expertise in carpentry. It is believed carpenters from Takayama worked on the...
, 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...
, since October 22, 1982 Hanamaki city
Hanamaki, Iwate
is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. As of March 31, 2011, the city has an estimated total population of 102,455, with a household number of 35,831. Hanamaki is most famous as the birthplace of Kenji Miyazawa and for its onsen. The city recently celebrated the 50th anniversary since its...
, 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...
, since April 27, 1984 Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, since September 21, 1990
Noted people from Hiratsuka
- Yukari FukuiYukari Fukuiis a Japanese voice actress known by the nickname in Japan.- Personal :Yukari was born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan on 28 October 1982.Her career includes movie and TV drama roles, radio DJ, and gravure model. Yukari is currently employed by Versatile Entertainment.Yukari's voice actor roles are...
- seiyu - Shinya SuzukiShinya Suzukiis a male Japanese manga creator, known for the successful manga Weekly Shōnen Jump series Mr. Fullswing, which ran for 24 volumes.- Bibliography :* * Pool Shooter* Mr. Fullswing...
- manga artist - Yamanashi Hanzō - general, politician
External links
- Official website in English