Amagasaki

Amagasaki, city (1990 pop. 498,999), Hyogo prefecture, S Honshu, Japan, a port on Osaka Bay. An important industrial center, with iron and steel factories, chemical plants, and textile mills, it lies on the banks of the Yodo River. It has excellent railroads and canals. Amagasaki has a 16th-century castle.

is an industrial city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1916. Its population is around 460,000, but well below its peak of over 554,000 in 1971.

History

During the Edo period, the Amagasaki Domain had its administrative headquarters at Amagasaki Castle here.

Transportation

Railways

• West Japan Railway Company
• Tōkaidō Main Line (JR Kobe Line) Amagazaki Station (JR) - Tachibana Station
• Fukuchiyama Line (JR Takarazuka Line) Amagasaki Station (JR) - Tsukaguchi Station (JR) - Inadera Station
• JR Tozai Line Amagasaki Station (JR)
• Hankyu Railway
• Hankyu Kobe Line Sonoda Station - Tsukaguchi Station (Hankyu) - Mukonoso Station
• Hankyu Itami Line Tsukaguchi Station (Hankyu)
• Hanshin Electric Railway
• Hanshin Main Line Kuise Station - Daimotsu Station - Amagasaki Station (Hanshin) - Deyashiki Station - Amagasaki Center Pool mae Station - Mukogawa Station
• Hanshin Nishi-Osaka Line Daimotsu Station - Amagasaki Station (Hanshin)

A commuter train derailed on the Fukuchiyama Line near Amagazaki on April 25, 2005, resulting in more than 100 dead and 460 injured. See Amagasaki rail crash for details.

Roads

• Route 2, Route 43, Route 173
• Expressways
• Meishin Expressway
• Hanshin Expressway Kobe Route (3)
• Hanshin Expressway Wangan Route (5)
• Yamate Road

Politics of Amagasaki

• Amagasaki mayoral election, 2002

Economy

Amagasaki is a major part of Hanshin Industrial Region. Value of manufactured goods shipments in Amagasaki,1,288 billion yen (2004 see also Hanshin Industrial Region.

Sister cities

• Augsburg, Germany - since April 7, 1959
• Anshan, China - since February 2, 1983 (friendship city)

External links

• Official website
• Rediscover Amagasaki

Japanese comedian DOWNTOWN is from Amagasaki.