Kure, Hiroshima


Kure is a port and major shipbuilding city situated on the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. With a strong industrial heritage, Kure hosts the second-oldest naval dockyard in Japan and remains an important base for the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force.
, the city has an estimated population of 228,030 and a population density of 646 persons per km². The total area is 352.80 km².

History

The Kure Naval District was first established in 1889, leading to the construction of the Kure Naval Arsenal and the rapid growth of steel production and shipbuilding in the city. Kure was formally incorporated on October 1, 1902. From 1889 until the end of World War II, the city served as the headquarters of the Kure Naval District.
Kure dockyards recorded a number of significant engineering firsts including the launching of the first major domestically built capital ship, the battlecruiser Tsukuba and the launching of the largest battleship ever built, the Yamato.
During the Pacific War, Kure acted as Japan's single-largest naval base and arsenal. Most of the city's industry and workforce were employed in the service of the naval installations, munitions factories and associated support functions. In the later stages of the conflict Kure came under sustained aerial bombardment culminating in the Bombing of Kure in June and July 1945.
From February 1946 until the end of Japan's postwar occupation in 1952, military establishments in Kure served at the operational headquarters for the British Commonwealth Occupation Force.
Since 2005, Kure has attracted attention as a tourism center with the Yamato Museum hosting a 1:10 scale model of the IJN Yamato alongside a waterfront JMSDF museum of Japanese naval history.
The city continues as a major maritime center hosting both the dockyards of Japan Marine United and numerous shore-based facilities of the JMSDF including training centers and a major hospital. The city serves as the home port of an Escort Flotilla, a Submarine Flotilla and the Training Squadron of the JMSDF Regional Kure District.

Historic timeline

#NameTerm startTerm endJapanese name
1Giichiro Sakuma
4 February 1903
8 June 1903
佐久間義一郎
2-3Kingo Arao
27 August 1903
28 August 1911
荒尾金吾
4-5Toshio Sawahara
28 November 1911
6 July 1917
沢原俊雄
6Kentaro Amano
17 August 1917
16 August 1921
天野健太郎
7Kahei Shundo
2 February 1922
16 June 1925
春藤嘉平
8Masaharu Hashimoto
24 April 1925
11 March 1927
橋本正治
9Toichi Katsuta
13 June 1927
25 November 1930
勝田登一

#NameTerm startTerm endJapanese name
10Hideo Sasaki
25 November 1930
21 December 1932
佐々木英雄
11Atsumu Watanabe
26 December 1932
12 May 1935
渡辺伍
12Katsutaro Matsumoto
13 June 1935
1 September 1936
松本勝太郎
12-13, 15Jinjiro Mizuno4 May 1937
14 Jasnuary, 1946
13 December 1941
15 November 1946
水野甚次郎
14Noboru Suzuki
11 June 1942
10 January 1946
鈴木登
17-18Jyutsu Suzuki
5 April 1947
21 March 1954
鈴木術

#NameTerm startTerm endJapanese name
19-20Kenichi Matsumoto
18 April 1954
31 October 1961
松本賢一
21-24Yoshito Okuhara
19 November 1961
18 November 1977
奥原義人
25-28Ari Sasaki
19 November 1977
18 November 1993
佐々木有
29-31Shinya Ogasawara
19 November 1993
18 November 2005
小笠原臣也
32-34Kazutoshi Komura
19 November 2005
18 November 2017
小村和年
35Yoshiake Shinhara
19 November 2017
Present
新原芳明

Geography

Kure is located south-east of Hiroshima city and faces the Seto Inland Sea. Surrounded by steep hillsides to the north, the two major commercial and industrial centers of the city are bisected by Mount Yasumi. The city is next to the Setonaikai National Park. As well as densely populated urban and industrial centers, the city also incorporates sparsely inhabited outlying islands such as Kurahashi, Shimo-kamagari and Kami-kamagari.

Climate

Kure has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year and is heaviest in summer.

Transportation

Kure is served by the Kure Line, operated by West Japan Railway Company. It leads to Hiroshima, which is a terminal station.
There has been a municipal bus since December 1, 1942. The Kure City Transportation Bureau started using natural gas in 2002. There is a bus route run by Hiroshima Electric Railway, too. In addition, there is Bōyo Kisen, which operates the San'yō Bus and Setouchi Sankō which runs two bus enterprises.
National Route 31 spreads out from Kure to Kaita, but the distance of the road is short. National Route 185 is connected from Kure to Mihara. This road has a view of the Inland Sea. National Route 375 is a road to be connected from Kure to Ōda, Shimane. U.S. forces can use this way for their ammunition transportation. National Route 487 spreads out from Kure to the city of Hiroshima. This road crosses the Ondo Bridge, and goes around Etajima.
Though they are independent roads, separate from National Routes, there are a series of access roads toward the archipelago of the city. The Akinada Islands series of bridges conclude at Shimokamagari island, Kamikamagari island, Toyoshima, Osakishimojima, Herashima, Nakanoshima at seven bridges. Toyoshima Bridge, concluding at Toyoshima regards traffic of a ship as Kamikamagari island, and is 50 m high from the surface of the sea.

Economy

Museums

, Kure has sister city agreements with the following cities.

Sister cities

Musicians