Shizuoka (city)


Shizuoka is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and the prefecture's second-largest city in both population and area. It has been populated since prehistoric times., the city had an estimated population of 690,881 in 106,087 households, and a population density of 489 persons per km².
The city's name is made up of two kanji, 静 shizu, meaning "still" or "calm"; and 岡 oka, meaning "hill". In 1869, Shizuoka Domain was first created out of the older Sunpu Domain, and that name was retained when the city was incorporated in 1885. In 2003, Shizuoka absorbed neighboring Shimizu City to create the new and expanded city of Shizuoka, briefly becoming the largest city by land area in Japan. In 2005, it became one of Japan's "designated cities".

Geography

Shizuoka City lies in central Shizuoka Prefecture, about halfway between Tokyo and Nagoya along the Tōkaidō Corridor, between Suruga Bay to the south and the Minami Alps in the north. Shizuoka had the largest area of any municipality in Japan after merging with Shimizu City in April 2003, until February 2005, when Takayama in Gifu Prefecture superseded it by merging with nine surrounding municipalities.
The total area of the city is. Shizuoka is the 5th largest city in Japan in terms of geographic area after Takayama, Hamamatsu, Nikkō, and Kitami. It is also the 2nd largest city in Shizuoka Prefecture in terms of both geographic area and population after Hamamatsu, but ranks higher as an Urban Employment Area, and leads as a metropolitan area and business region.
The fan-like shape of the Shizuoka Plain and Miho Peninsula were formed over the ages by the fast-flowing Abe River, carrying along collapsed sand and earth. These areas form the foundations of the city today. The isolated Mount Kunō separates the Suruga coastline from the Shimizu coastline.

Basic data

On the south-central Pacific coast Shizuoka has a humid subtropical climate, which is hot and humid in the summer, and rarely snows in the winter. It is close to the warm Kuroshio Current and is wet even by Japanese standards with only slightly less precipitation than Kanazawa on the opposite side of Honshū, but it is paradoxically the sunniest of Japan's major cities owing to the absence of summer fog and its sheltered location from the northwesterly winds off the Sea of Japan. Further north, the mountainous Ikawa area is part of the Japanese snow country, where there are ski areas.

Nature

Mountains

As of early August 2019, the city had an estimated population of 704,989 in 286,013 households and a population density of 507 persons per km2.
DemographicPopulationAs of
Male343,339August 2019
Female361,651August 2019
Households286,013August 2019
Foreign9,389May 2019
Total704,989August 2019

Historic population

Per Japanese census data, the population of Shizuoka has been declining slowly since 1990.

Administration

Wards

;Aoi-ku, Shizuoka
;Suruga-ku, Shizuoka
;Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka

Administrative district "image colours"

On 22 December 2006, colours and logos were established for each of the wards.
Aoi Ward Aoi Ward Green
Suruga Ward Suruga Ward Red
Shimizu Ward Shimizu Ward Blue

Ward offices

5-1 Ōtemachi, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi 420-8602
656-2 Ikawa, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi 428-0504
10-40 Minamiyahata-chō, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka-shi 422-8550
13-1 Kami-Kawahara Suruga-ku, Shizuoka-shi 421-0132
6-9 Asahi-chō, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka-shi 424-8701
1-21-1 Kanbara Shinden, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka-shi 421-3211

Government

Shizuoka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 48 members. The city contributes 13 members to the Shizuoka Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between Shizuoka 1st District and Shizuoka 4th District in the lower house of the Japanese Diet.

Mayors (former Shizuoka city from 1889 to 2003)

TermNameStartFinish
1Tetsutaro Hoshino
13 May 188917 April 1902
2Hiroyasu Nagashima
14 May 190213 May 1914
3Keisuke Komori
28 May 191427 May 1918
4Kinpei Banno
18 June 19182 July 1926
5Genzaburo Kojima
8 September 19267 September 1929
6Michinosuke Miyazaki
3 March 193125 January 1933

TermNameStartFinish
7Sadahito Suga
14 March 193312 August 1935
8Motojiro Ozaki
12 October 193530 June 1938
9Seiji Inamori
29 August 19385 August 1942
10Motojiro Ozaki
7 October 194221 August 1944
11Michinosuke Miyazaki
11 September 194411 November 1946
12Shigeru Masuda
5 April 19479 April 1955

TermNameStartFinish
13Jyunsaku Yamada
2 May 19551 May 1959
14Hikoo Matsunaga
2 May 19591 May 1963
15Jyunpei Ogino
2 May 19631 May 1983
16Daigo Kawai
2 May 19831 May 1987
17Shingo Amano
2 May 198731 July 1994
18Zenkichi Kojima
28 August 199431 March 2003

Mayors (former Shimizu city from 1924 to 2003)

TermNameStartFinish
1Yozo Oshima
7 July 19249 September 1925
2Katsushiro Yamada
13 January 19268 March 1929
3Tokisaburo Shiobara
12 October 192922 February 1932
4Enao Oishi
18 March 193214 June 1937
5Katsushiro Yamada
11 July 193715 November 1946
6Masaharu Yamamoto
6 April 19477 April 1955
7Heiichiro Suzuki
30 April 195530 April 1959
8Toru Ina
1 May 195922 July 1960
9Kamezo Ina
15 September 196012 September 1964
10Zensaku Ikegami
13 September 19646 July 1965
11Torajiro Sato
20 August 196519 August 1977
12Yoshio Ina
20 August 197719 August 1985
13Hiromasa Miyagishima
20 August 198531 March 2003

Mayors (since 2003 merger)

History

Ancient history

The area that is now the city of Shizuoka has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Numerous kofun have been found within the city limits, and the Toro archaeological site indicates that a major Yayoi period settlement existed in what is now part of the central city area.
Suruga was established as a province of Japan in the early Nara period. At some point between the year 701 and 710, the provincial capital was relocated from what is now Numazu, to a more central location on the banks of the Abe River at a location named Sunpu or alternatively "Fuchū".

Pre-modern Shizuoka

During the Muromachi period, Sunpu was the capital of the Imagawa clan. The Imagawa were defeated at the Battle of Okehazama, and Sunpu was subsequently ruled by Takeda Shingen, followed by Tokugawa Ieyasu. However, Toyotomi Hideyoshi relocated Ieyasu, and installed Nakamura Kazutada to rule Sunpu. After the Toyotomi were defeated in the Battle of Sekigahara, Ieyasu recovered Sunpu, reassigning it to his own retainer, Naitō Nobunari in 1601. This marked the start of Sunpu Domain.
In April 1606, Ieyasu officially retired from the post of shōgun, and retired to Sunpu, where he established a secondary court, from which he could influence Shōgun Tokugawa Hidetada from behind the scenes. Subsequently, aside for brief periods, Sunpu was tenryō, ruled by the Sunpu jōdai, an appointed official based in Sunpu.

From the Meiji period to World War II

In 1869, after the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate, the former shogunal line, headed by Tokugawa Iesato was sent to Sunpu and assigned the short-lived Sunpu Domain. The same year, Sunpu was renamed "Shizuoka". Shizuoka Domain became Shizuoka Prefecture with the abolition of the han system in 1871, which was expanded in 1876 through merger with the former Hamamatsu Prefecture and western portions of Ashigaru Prefecture in 1876. Shizuoka Station on the Tōkaidō Main Line was opened on 1 February 1889. The same day, a fire burned down most of downtown Shizuoka.
The modern city was founded on 1 April 1889. At the time, the population was 37,681, and Shizuoka was one of the first 31 cities established in Japan.
An electric tram service began in 1911. In 1914, due to heavy rains caused by a typhoon, the Abe River flooded, inundating the downtown area
. In the national census of 1920, the population of Shizuoka was 74,093. The area of the city continued to expand through the 1920s and 1930s through merger with outlying towns and villages. In 1935, the city was struck by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake, resulting in much damage. Although soon rebuilt, a large fire in 1940 again destroyed much of the center of the city.
During World War II, Shizuoka lacked targets of major military significance, and was initially only lightly bombed during several American air raids. However, in a major firebombing raid of 19 June 1945, the city suffered an extreme amount of damage with high civilian casualties.

Post-war Shizuoka

The area of the city continued to expand through the 1950s and 1960s through merger with outlying towns and villages. On 1 October 1964, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen began services to Shizuoka, and on 25 April 1969 the city was connected to the Tōmei Expressway. On 7 July 1974, the Abe River flooded, and landslides occurred during heavy rains, killing 23 people.
On 16 August 1980, a major gas leak in an underground shopping center near Shizuoka Station resulted in an explosion, killing 15 people and seriously injuring 233 others. The Shizuoka City Hall moved to new premises in 1986. On 1 April 1992, Shizuoka was designated a core city by the central government, giving it increased autonomy.
The 1 April 2003 merger with Shimizu City greatly expanded the area and population of Shizuoka, which then became a designated city on 1 April 2005, and was divided into three wards.
Despite being somewhat geographically isolated from the rest of the city, the town of Kanbara was merged into Shizuoka on 31 March 2006, becoming part of Shimizu Ward. On 1 November 2008, the town of Yui was also merged into Shimizu Ward.

Economy

Fuji Dream Airlines is headquartered in Aoi-ku, Shizuoka.

Agriculture

;Green tea: Varieties such as Motoyama and Yabukita are grown in all corners of the city, and the varieties grown especially in the Warashina area in Aoi Ward and the Ryōgōchi area of Shimizu Ward are known for their high quality
;Strawberries: "Stonewall strawberries" are strawberries that grow in holes on inclined stone walls, grown especially along an stretch of Kunō Kaidō, also known as "Strawberry Road", along the coast of Suruga Bay.
;Wasabi :especially in areas such as Utōgi in Aoi Ward
;Mandarin orange and other citrus fruits:especially Satsuma, a seedless and easy-peeling citrus mutant, known as mikan or formally unshū mikan
;Lotus roots: especially in the Asahata area of Aoi Ward
;Roses: especially in the Ihara and Okitsu areas in Shimizu Ward
;Peaches:especially in the Osada area:::

Fishery

Shimizu Port boasts the largest haul of tuna in all Japan. Kanbara Harbour enjoys a prosperous haul of sakura ebi, and Mochimune Harbour enjoys a prosperous haul of shirasu sardines.

Products

Abekawa Mochi is a type of rice cake made with kinako soy flour that is a specialty of Shizuoka.
Shizuoka has a long history of being involved in the craft industries going back over 400 years ago, using trees, including Chamaecyparis obtusa cypress. The model industry goes back to the late 1920s when wood was used to produce model toys, using sashimono woodworking joinery techniques, purely for educational purposes. Craftsmen later moved on to lighter woods including balsa, but following the war, with the importation of US built scale models, many companies either turned to plastic models to compete or went under.
The town has since become internationally notable for its plastic scale model kits and is resident to long-established companies such as Aoshima, Fujimi, Hasegawa, and Tamiya. Another model brand, Bandai, produces its Gundam models exclusively at its Bandai Hobby Center plant in the city. The city hosts the long-running Shizuoka Hobby Show annually in May at Twin Messe Shizuoka.

Cuisine

;Oden
;Gyoza
;Soba noodles
;Seafood
;Zōni soup
;Tororo

Culture

There are three main festivals on Shizuoka's calendar.
;Shizuoka Festival: The city's April festival during the high point of the year for cherry blossoms. A flower-viewing procession imitates the shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu's custom of taking daimyōs to Sengen Shrine to view the cherry blossoms.
;Abekawa Fireworks: A gigantic fireworks display held upstream on Shizuoka's Abe River in late July.
;Daidogei World Cup: Street Performance World Cup. Probably the biggest event on Shizuoka's Calendar, it is an annual international busker's festival, held in November. It includes various shows such as juggling, pantomime, magic, etc. Performers come from around the world and perform throughout the central part of the city as well as in some peripheral locations. From 2005, it expanded from a 3-day to a 4-day festival.

Sport

With the Shimizu merger, Shimizu S-Pulse became the major soccer club in the city. Recently, however, a new rival club, Fujieda MYFC, has been rising in the regional league ranks as a contender for a place in the Japan Football League.
The city hosted the official Asian Basketball Championship for Women in 1995 and 1999.

Transportation

Railway

Shizuoka lies on the Tōkaidō Main Line, the JR Central main railway line from Tokyo to Osaka, and is well-served by the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, limited express and regional trains. The central station of Shizuoka is in the city centre. Shizuoka also has an LRT line, the Shizuoka Railway, administered by the Shizuoka Railway Co., Ltd. at Shizuoka Station. The under construction Chūō Shinkansen will pass through the mountainous area in the northern tip of the city. However, the line is not planned to have a station in Shizuoka.
The Port of Shimizu-ku, in Shimizu City, is a long established mid-size sea port, catering to container ships, dry bulk ships and cruise ships.
It is well located, being in between the two major port areas of Japan, i.e. the Tokyo Bay ports of Tokyo, Kawasaki and Yokohama and the Osaka Bay ports of Osaka and Kobe. The Port of Shimizu has a water depth of about 12 meters; its attractiveness has been enhanced over the past years by the construction of new road and rail links which contribute to expanding its commercial hinterland.
In tonnage, imports are close to twice export volumes, but in trade value exports are twice as valuable as imports.
The Port of Shimizu container traffic is about balanced, with over 250,000 TEU in each direction, with auto parts and chemicals amongst the main cargo types. Major international container lines provide weekly services on major trade routes, including North America, Europe and Asia, with about 110 calls per months on 28 trade routes.
The port of Shimizu also includes a terminal to receive LNG tankers and store imported Liquefied natural gas; it is operated by Shimizu LNG, a subsidiary of Shizuoka Gas.
The Port of Shimizu is also connected to other Japan ports. In particular, it is served by a Roll-on/roll-off service serving the port of Ōita, on the north-east coast of the southern island of Kyushu. This service, which sails three times a week and has a transit time of 20 hours, has enabled a modal shift of freight trucks from road to sea, thereby contributing to decreasing congestion and pollution on roads.

Airports

The nearest airport is Shizuoka Airport, situated between Makinohara and Shimada.

Education

Colleges and universities

;Shizuoka University
;University of Shizuoka
;Tokai University
;Tokoha Gakuen University
;Shizuoka Eiwa Gakuin University
;University of Shizuoka Junior College
;Tokai University Junior College
;Tokoha Gakuen Junior College

Primary and secondary education

Shizuoka has 91 elementary schools, 57 middle schools and 27 high schools. In addition there are 29 vocations schools and 12 public libraries.

Tourism

Museums

Print media

The Shizuoka Shimbun is the area's primary newspaper.

Broadcast media

Television

Shizuoka Cable Television

Radio

In Aoi Ward

;Shizuoka Sengen Shrine
;Sunpu Park/Sunpu Castle ruins

In Suruga Ward

;Toro
;Kunōzan Tōshō-gū
;Mariko-juku

In Shimizu Ward

;Miho Peninsula

Notable people

Shizuoka has twin and friendship relationships with several cities.

Twin cities

Overseas

Overseas

Watashi no Machi, Shizuoka