Iwaki, Fukushima
The present "Iwaki City" started as the merger of 14 municipalities on October 1, 1966. The city was the third hiragana city, following Chino, Nagano and Mutsu, Aomori. The area was the largest in Japan at the time. The city works as an industrial hub of Tōhoku region, and is rich in sightseeing resources. About 7.6 millions sightseers visit the city a year (H.17).
History
- いわき, 石城, 岩城, 磐城 are all pronounced "Iwaki", and cannot be distinguished in English. But all words mean "rocky castle". いわき is often used currently.
The Iwaki(いわき)'s origin dates back to the Yamato period. Yamato government constructed a barrier in Iwaki for invasion of Emishi, who were Japanese northern dwellers.
When the Taika Reform(A.C.645) was enforced, the central government placed "Iwaki district (磐城郡)" in the northern part of the present city and "Kikuta district (菊多郡)" in the southern part.
In 653, the Iwaki district incorporated with a part of Taga Province and became Iwaki district(岩城評).
In 718, Iwaki Province (岩城国) was placed, which was composed of five districts with Mutsu Province: Iwaki (岩城), Shineha, Namekata, Uta, Watari and Kikuta which was given from Hitachi Province. Shineha was the present Naraha. Namekata and Uta were the present Soma. Watari was the present Watari, Miyagi. The area of the present Iwaki City was composed of Kikuta and Iwaki (岩城 or 磐城).
In the late 11th century, Iwaki clan (岩城氏) of Hitachi Province invaded Iwaki district (磐城郡) and divided it into four districts of Yoshima, Iwasaki, Iwaki, Naraha. The clan settled Iwaki district.
In 1189, Minamoto no Yoritomo appointed Iwaki Taro Kiyotaka (岩城太郎清隆) to jito of Yoshima.
In 1532, the Battle of Kidogawa
In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi came in Tohoku region and demanded sword hunt and kenchi.
In 1600, Iwaki Sdataka (岩城貞隆) didn't fight in Ieyasu's corner on the Battle of Sekigahara. As a result, Iwaki clan was ousted, newly Torii Tadamasa was appointed as the load of Iwakitaira han (磐城平藩, old Iwaki Province) by Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu put Tadamasa of his Fudai in fear of Date Masamune of Sendai han. The han has about 100 thousand goku.
In 1603 Edo period, Torii Tadamasa started to construct Iwakidaira Castle in Taira.
Izumi han (1634) and Yunagaya (1670) hans were placed, following Kubota(1622) and Tanagura (1634) hans.
In 1684, Kubota han's territory was confiscated.
In 1860, Ando Nobumasa of Iwakitaira han was appointed as a Roju of Tokugawa shogunate. In 1862, he was wounded near the sakashitamon-gate in Edo Castle.
In the Boshin War, the hans in Iwaki lost and were controlled by the new government (新政府). In 1871, Abolition of the han system was practiced and the hans in Iwaki became ken(means old prefectures): Iwakitaira ken, Yunagaya ken and Izumi ken. These hans were incorporated to Iwamae(Iwasaki) Prefecture (磐前県) and to the current Fukushima Prefecture (1876).
In 1896, Iwaki Bank and Taira Bank were established.
In 1897, Nihon Tetsudo filled in the inner moat of Iwakidaira Castle and made Taira Station. Jōban coalfield, which was the biggest coalfield in Honshū and the nearest from Japanese capital Tokyo, was started to exploit it under the Fukoku kyōhei policy. Then Iwaki had developed as an industrial city for exploitation of the coalfield. Jōban Line was made for the baulage of the coal. Its fishery, forestry and agriculture also developed.
After WWII, the Jōban coalfield was closed, but it made good use of its left vast hot water under exploitation and constructed the Spa Resort Hawaiians, which is a hot spring resort.
The present city (いわき市) was incorporated on October 1, 1966, with the merger of 14 municipalities (5 cities, 4 towns and 5 villages). The cities were Taira (平), Uchigō (内郷), Iwaki (磐城), Nakoso (勿来), and Jōban (常磐); the towns, Yotsukura, (四倉) Tōno (遠野), Ogawa (小川) and Hisanohama (久之浜); and the five villages were Yoshima (好間), Miwa (三和), Tabito (田人), Kawamae (川前) and Ōhisa (大久). Taira was chosen as the location for City Hall and other administrative offices and continues to function as the centre of Iwaki. This stem from that Torii clan's castle town was Taira.
In April 1979, "Iwaki Number" as automobile numbr plate was set.
On April 1, 1999, the city was designated a "core city"
Geography and Climate
The city is located at the southern end of Tōhoku Region and close to Ibaraki Prefecture, (). The city covers a total area of 1,231.34 km², making it the largest city in Fukushima Prefecture and the tenth largest in Japan. Until April 2003, the area is no.1 in Japan. The city occupies around 8.9 percent of the total area of Fukushima Prefecture.
The eastern part of the city is made up of 60 kilometres of coastline which faces the Pacific Ocean and the western part goes through the Abukuma highlands and joins up with the centralpart of Fukushima Prefecture. The western part is a range of mountains and forests, occupies about 70 percent of the city. The rivers which flow to the east from the mountains have riverbeds with steep inclines which form the deep valleys of the Natsuigawa Gorge and the Shidokigawa Gorge. The scenery can be enjoyed throughout the seasons, especially the autumn colors of the gorges are beautiful. The eastern part of the city is terraces or plain and people concentrate there. The industrial zones spread around the downstream areas of the rivers which has a lot of nature untouched. There are seven beaches on the coastline, many sea bathers visit there. Off the coast of Iwaki Kuroshio Current(hot) and Oyashio Current(cold) meet there, is a very abundant fishing ground -Onahama Port. And the wind from the ocean is warm and wet.
Iwaki is situated in a temperate climate zone and has a moderate climate. The city's average temperature is 13.1°C (55.6°F) and its average annual precipitation is 1,383.0 mm. The highest recorded temperature in the city is 37.7°C (99.9°F), and the lowest recorded temperature is -10.7°C (12.7°F). The average year has 14.4 days with a high temperature over 25°C and only 3.1 days with a low temperature below 0°C, which is smaller compared to other Japanese cities. The city is rarely hit by typhoons, and experiences only 0.7 days with more than 10 cm of snowfall in the average year. The duration of bright sunshine is 2058.1 hours in average year.
Natural environment
- Rivers: Natsuigawa River, Samegawa River, Yoshimagawa River
- Gorges: Natsuigawa Gorge, Shidokigawa Gorge
- Mountains: Mizuishiyama, Yunodake, Futatsuyasan,Ishimoriyama
- Hot springs：Iwaki Yumoto Onsen
Towns
The downtown of the city is Taira, located center. In Taira, main urban function builds up; Iwaki City Hall (main government office), Iwaki City Lyceum, Iwaki Station, etc. But in fact, Onahama or Yumoto also urban area, namely Iwaki is multipolar and decentralized city.Yumoto is a town that have developed as a stage town. Iwaki Yumoto onsen is one of the oldest onsens in Japan. There are many ryokans, Japanese traditional hotels, and Spa resort Hawaiians near the station.
Onahama is a port town many factories stand, and the gateway to Iwaki. There are an aquarium, some beaches or seaside restaurants.
Izumi is a residential town section. The other towns are Ueda, Nakoso, Uchigō, Yotsukura and so on.
There are thirteen zones in the city.
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Demographics
As of October 1 2007, the city had an estimated population of 350,119, giving a density of 284.33 persons per km². Iwaki is the second most populous city in Tōhoku region, following Sendai, and the 59th most populous nationwide. The conurbation is the third biggest in the prefecture, following Kōriyama and Fukushima.Iwaki City has 130,814 households as of 2007. The average household has approximately 2.67 members. The number of males is 169,932 and the number of females is 180,187. The city has many people in their 50s and in their 40s compared to other age groups. The average age in Iwaki is 44.31. Now Japan has seriously dwindling birthrate and a aging society, and Iwaki is also no exception.
| zone | population | households | area | density |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taira | 99,901 | 38,685 | 109.88km² | 909.18/km² |
| Onahama | 77,857 | 29,182 | 87.64km² | 888.37/km² |
| Nakoso | 51,783 | 18,651 | 104.74km² | 494.39/km² |
| Jōban | 35,904 | 13,550 | 48.23km² | 744.43/km² |
| Uchigō | 28,214 | 11,462 | 31.62km² | 892.28/km² |
| Yotsukura | 15,686 | 5,284 | 63.73km² | 246.13/km² |
| Tōno | 6,404 | 1,913 | 104.53km² | 61.26/km² |
| Ogawa | 7,567 | 2,481 | 112.49km² | 67.26/km² |
| Yoshima | 13,597 | 5,319 | 26.69km² | 509.44/km² |
| Miwa | 3,676 | 1,107 | 214.90km² | 17.10/km² |
| Tabito | 2,117 | 713 | 158.07km² | 13.39/km² |
| Kawamae | 1,448 | 509 | 116.44km² | 12.43/km² |
| Hisanohama, Ōhisa | 5,965 | 1,958 | 52.38km² | 113.87/km² |
| total | 350,119 | 130,814 | 1231.34km² | 284.33/km² |
Economy
The main fundation of economy is industry and agriculture, especially the industrial production of Iwaki City is no.1 in Tōhoku region. Iwaki is rich in sightseeing resources and 7.64 million sightseers visit here a year. As for Fukushima prefecture, the centre of industry and sightseeing is Iwaki, and the centre of economy is Koriyama city, and the centre of politics is Fukushima city.Statistics(2006)
- The employed population: 174,048
- The unemployed population: 121,802
- The gross production: ¥1,293,782 billions
- The sightseer population: 7,639,296
Principal companies
Principal head offices in Iwaki
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Principal companies which have factories in Iwaki
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Banks
(As of 2007)
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¤ *-mark indicates unofficial name.
Fisheries
- Fishery: 75,628t (2003)
Import and export
Onahama Port (2003)- Import: 5,133,727t
- Export: 514,045t
Retailing
(As of 2007)
Supermarkets and Big-box stores
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Transportation
Surrounded by the ocean and mountains, Iwaki is related more closely to Kantō region than Koriyama or Fukushima. It's about 80km from Iwaki to Koriyama, about 150km to Sendai and about 190km to Tokyo. Most of the residents usually uses cars to commute because Iwaki is large and the urban areas are dispersed. There are a lot of trucks to transport many freights of Onahama Port in Iwaki.Jōban Line runs north and south in the city. The central station is Iwaki station (old Taira station). There are banks, business hotels and shops in front of the station. Many trains stop at the station in mid course between Sendai and Tokyo. East Ban'etsu Line links to Koriyama, but the users are few because highway buses are more convenient and cheaper than railway.
Railway
- Central Station: Iwaki Station
- JR East Jōban Line
- (Ueno) ~ Nakoso - Ueda - Izumi - Yumoto - Uchigō - Iwaki - Kusano - Yotsukura - Hisanohama - Suetsugi ~ (Sendai)
- East Ban'etsu Line
- Fukushima Seaside Line (freight line)
- Izumi - Onahama
- ¤This line carries passenger specially on the day of Onahama firework festival
Roads
- Jōban Expressway
- Iwaki Nakoso - Iwaki Yumoto - Iwaki JCT - Iwaki Chūō IC - Iwaki Yotsukura
- Ban-etsu Expressway
- Iwaki JCT - Iwaki Miwa
- National Route 6
- Hiragata tunnel, Minami-Sōma tunnel, Hattachi tunnel, Kusehara tunnel
Buses
City busesHighway buses
- Shin Jōban Kōtsū
- JR Bus Tohoku
- JR Bus Kanto
- Tōbu Bus Central
- Fukushima Kōtsū
- Aizu Bus
From Iwaki
- to Kōriyama, Fukushima, Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima Airport, Niigata, Sendai, Tokyo(Ayase, Asakusa, Tokyo Disney Resort, Shinjuku), Nagoya, Kyōto, Ōsaka(Namba, Abenobashi, Universal Studios Japan)
Ports
- Onahama Port, is designated as an important port by Japan.
- Nakanosaku Port
- Ena Port
- Hisanohama Port
Airport
Fukushima Airport in Sukagawa is the nearest airport.Culture
Festivals
- Jangara
- Iwaki Odori
- Onahama Firework Festival
Movies
- Hula Girls (2006), won five awards in 2007 Japan Academy Prize
Tradition
Public Institutions
Taira
Nakoso
Uchigō
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Onahama
Jōban(Yumoto)
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The others
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Sightseeing
- Iwaki Onahama Minato Oasis
- Iwaki Sun Marina
- Aquamarine Park
- Aquamarine Fukushima, an aquarium
- Iwaki La La Miu
- Iwaki Day Crews
- Iwaki Marine Tower
- "Iwaki seven beaches"
- Shioyazaki lighthouse
- Monuments of Misora Hibari
- Setogarō, a beauty ravine. it's named by Kusano Shimpei
- Iwaki Yumoto Onsen, one of the three old hot springs in Japan
- Spa Resort Hawaiians
, hot spring and leisure park. Refer to Hula Girls - Iwaki Coal and Fossils Museum
- Nakoso Barrier, was built against Emishi in Yamato period. "Nakoso" means "Don't come over here".
- Iwaki Ammonites Center
- Shiramizu Amidadō, Temple. National Treasures of Japan.
- Kurashi no Denshōgō, historical facility
- Iwaki TAIRA Keirin, bycycle racetrack
- Kusano Simpei Memorial Hall
Media
Television (analogue)
- NHK Fukushima and NHK series
- Fukushima Central Television (by Nittele)
- Fukushima Broadcasting (by TV Asahi)
- Fukushima Television Broadcasting (by Fuji)
- TV-U Fukushima ([by TBS)
- In Japan, all analogue broadcasting systems are moving to digital broadcasting systems. In Iwaki, the digital broadcastings will start since December 2007. And all the broadcasts located out of the city, Koriyama or Fukushima.
Newspapers
Radio
- SEA WAVE (cFM J-WAVE)
Education
Universities and Colleges
- Fukushima National College of Technology
- Iwaki Meisei University
- Higashi Nihon International University / Iwaki Junior College
Senior high schools
Public (prefectural)
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- ¤Iwaki H.S.; male → coed.(2001)
- ¤"Iwaki Women's H.S." → "Iwaki Sakuragaoka H.S."(coed, 2001)
- ¤"Uchigō H.S." → "Iwaki Sōgō H.S."(2004)
Private
- Iwaki Shūei High School(いわき秀英高等学校)
- Shōhei High School (東日本国際大学附属昌平高等学校)
- Iwaki First High School(磐城第一高等学校)
- Iwaki Second High School(磐城第二高等学校)
Junior high schools
Public (municipal)
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- Shōhei Junior High School(東日本国際大学附属昌平中学校)
People
Successive mayors
- 1st Shōbē Akazu (赤津庄兵衛) 1966-
- 2nd Yaichi Ōwada (大和田弥一) 1966-
- 3rd Kanemitsu Tabata (田畑金光) 1974-
- 4th Takeo Nakata (中田武雄) 1986-
- 5th Mitsuhide Iwaki (岩城光英) 1990-
- 6th Keisuke Shike (四家啓助) 1997
- 7th Kazuo Kushida (櫛田一男) 2005-
Notable people
- Kusano Shimpei (草野心平), a poet; famous as "poet of frogs"
- Denmei Suzuki (鈴木傳明), actor
- Misaki Ito (伊藤美咲), actress
- Tadashi Suzuki (鈴木直), discovered Futabasaurus suzukii
- Noboru Kirishima (霧島昇), singer
- Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi (小林研一郎), a conductor
- Takeo Takagi (高木武雄), Boss of Imperial Japanese Navy
- Aya Okamoto (岡本綾), actress
- Noboru Kousaka (上坂 昇), a member of the House of Representatives of Japan for the Japan Socialist Party
Twinnings
Domestic sister cities- Nobeoka, Miyazaki (since May 30, 1997); a sister city
- Yurihonjo, Akita (since August 10,1986); a sister city. Yurihonjo City includes old Iwaki town(岩城町), who has the same name "Iwaki".
International friendship and sister cities
- Townsville, Queensland, Australia (since August 21, 1991); a friendship city
- Fushun, Liaoning Province, People's Republic of China (since April 15, 1982); a sister city
Neighboring municipalities
Related pages
External links
- Official Iwaki municipal website (in Japanese with some English pages)
- The Iwaki Minpo (evening newspaper; in Japanese)
Footnotes and references
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Wednesday October 01, 2008 at 04:14:47 PDT (GMT -0700)
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