Yaizu, Shizuoka

Yaizu
焼津市
City

Yaizu City Hall

Flag
Seal

Location of Yaizu in Shizuoka Prefecture
Yaizu

 

Coordinates: 34°52′01″N 138°19′29″E / 34.86694°N 138.32472°E / 34.86694; 138.32472Coordinates: 34°52′01″N 138°19′29″E / 34.86694°N 138.32472°E / 34.86694; 138.32472
Country Japan
Region Chūbu (Tōkai)
Prefecture Shizuoka Prefecture
Government
 • - Mayor Hiroshi Shimizu
Area
 • Total 70.31 km2 (27.15 sq mi)
Population (September 2015)
 • Total 138,542
 • Density 1,970/km2 (5,100/sq mi)
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Tree Pine
- Flower Satsuki azalea
- Bird Black-headed gull
Phone number 054-626-1111
Address 2-16-32 Hommachi, Yaizu-shi, Shizuoka-ken 425-8502
Website www.city.yaizu.shizuoka.jp

Yaizu (焼津市 Yaizu-shi) is a city located in central Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.

As of September 2015, the city had an estimated population of 138,542 and a population density of 1970 persons per km². The total area was 70.62 square kilometres (27.27 sq mi). Yaizu is a noted port for commercial fishing. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force Shizuhama Air Base is located in Yaizu.

Geography

Yaizu is located in central Shizuoka Prefecture, on a heavily indented coastline of Suruga Bay, facing the Pacific Ocean. The climate, tempered by the warm Kuroshio Current offshore is maritime temperature, with hot, humid summers and short cool winters.

Surrounding municipalities

History

Yaizu is an ancient settlement, with Yaizu Shrine claiming to have been founded in the 5th century during the Kofun period. During the Edo period, Yaizu developed as a port under Tanaka Domain, and fish from Yaizu was frequently supplied to the retired Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu at nearby Sumpu Castle. In the October 1, 1886 cadastral reform after the Meiji Restoration, Yaizu Village was established within Mashizu District, Shizuoka prefecture. Mashizu District merged into neighboring Shida District in 1896. The following year, in 1897, author Lafcadio Hearn began his residence in Yaizu.

Yaizu was elevated to town status on June 28, 1901. Yaizu Fishing Cooperative was established in 1903, and started to take frozen catch from Yaizu to Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market from 1908. Shipbuilding facilities, primarily for the production of fishing vessels, was established in 1924. The Yaizu Fishing Cooperative began the first wireless communication with its fishing fleet in Japan in 1925, but overfishing soon led to collapse of bonito stocks in 1926, resulting in a five-year fishing moratorium. After the start of World War II, the Yaizu fishing industry was again hit hard by the requisition of entire Yaizu fishing fleet (113 vessels) and crewmen by Imperial Japanese Navy in 1941. Only 10 vessels survived the war.

Yaizu was elevated to city status on March 1, 1951. On November 1, 1953, Toyota Village merged into Yaizu City. The city name gained international prominence over the Daigo Fukuryū Maru Incident, in which a Yaizu-based fishing vessel was irradiated by atomic testing at Bikini Atoll on March 1, 1954. The city further expanded on January 1, 1955 by annexation of the neighboring villages of Higashi Mashizu, Kogawa, Ōtomi, and Wada, and on April 1, 1957 when Hirohata Village was divided between Yaizu and Fujieda cities. Yaizu port underwent a major expansion in March 1968. The city was the site of the 2001 Japan Airlines mid-air incident on January 31, 2001.

On November 1, 2008, the town of Ōigawa (from Shida District) was merged into Yaizu.[1]

Economy

JASDF Shizuhama Air Base in Yaizu

The economy of Yaizu is dominated by the commercial fishing industry. Yaizu Port was first in Japan in terms of tonnage of bonito and tuna in 2002, and third in terms of mackerel. Local industries are centered on food processing, including the production of katsuobushi, shiokara, tsukudani, and kamaboko (especially narutomaki). Agricultural products include green tea, melons, tangerines, and tomatoes. Yaizu is also the home of the Hasegawa plastic model kit manufacturing company.[2] Yaizu is also home to one of Sapporo Brewery's Largest factories, as well as the company's new product development division.

Transportation

Railway

Highways

Education

Sister city relations

Country City State / Region Since
Australia Australia Hobart[3] Tasmania 1977
Japan Japan Toki Gifu Prefecture 1978

Notable people from Yaizu

References

  1. ↑ Ministry of Land & Infrastructure
  2. ↑ Hasegawa website Retrieved 6 September 2011. (Japanese)
  3. ↑ "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Retrieved 21 November 2015.

Media related to Yaizu, Shizuoka at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.