Manazuru, Kanagawa
Encyclopedia
is a town
located in Ashigarashimo District
, Kanagawa Prefecture
, Japan
. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population
of 8,235 and a density
of 1,180 persons per km². The total area was 7.02 km².
in the far southwestern corner of Kanagawa Prefecture.
under control of the late Hōjō clan
in the Sengoku period
, and part of Odawara Domain
during the Edo period
. During this time, it was known for high quality stones for construction. After the Meiji Restoration
, Manazuru was established as a village in 1889. On October 1, 1927 Manazuru village was elevated to town status. On September 30, 1956, neighboring Iwa village was merged into Manazuru. A proposal to merge Manazuru into neighboring Yugawara
was overwhelming rejected by a citizen's referendum
in 2005.
as well as commercial fishing also contribute to the local economy.
Towns of Japan
A town is a local administrative unit in Japan. It is a local public body along with prefecture , city , and village...
located in Ashigarashimo District
Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa
is an administrative district of Japan located in western Kanagawa Prefecture. Most of the mountainous district is sparsely populated, and is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.- Towns and villages :*Hakone*Yugawara*Manazuru-History:...
, 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 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 8,235 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 1,180 persons per km². The total area was 7.02 km².
Geography
Manazuru is located on a small Manazuru peninsula on Sagami BaySagami 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...
in the far southwestern corner of Kanagawa Prefecture.
History
As with the rest of Ashigarashimo District, the area now comprising modern Manazuru was part of 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...
under control of 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...
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...
, and part of Odawara Domain
Odawara Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in western Sagami Province. It was centered on Odawara Castle in what is now the city of Odawara.-History:...
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....
. During this time, it was known for high quality stones for construction. 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...
, Manazuru was established as a village in 1889. On October 1, 1927 Manazuru village was elevated to town status. On September 30, 1956, neighboring Iwa village was merged into Manazuru. A proposal to merge Manazuru into neighboring Yugawara
Yugawara, Kanagawa
is a town located in Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 26,729 and a density of 655 persons per km²...
was overwhelming rejected by a citizen's referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
in 2005.
Economy
The economy of Manazuru is based on tourism, and it also functions as a bedroom community for nearby Odawara. The hilly, stony peninsula is not suited for agriculture, but cultivation of mikanMikan
The satsuma is a seedless and easy-peeling citrus mutant of Japanese origin introduced to the West.In Japan, it is known as mikan or formally unshu mikan . In China, it is known as Wenzhou migan . The Japanese name is a result of the local reading of the same characters used in the Chinese...
as well as commercial fishing also contribute to the local economy.