is an administrative district of Japan

Districts of Japan

The was most recently used as an administrative unit in Japan between 1878 and 1921 and is roughly equivalent to the county of the United States, ranking at the level below prefecture and above city, town or village. As of 2008, cities belong directly to prefectures and are independent from...

 located in western Kanagawa Prefecture

Kanagawa Prefecture

is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...

. Most of the mountainous district is sparsely populated, and is part of the Tanzawa-Ōyama Quasi-National Park

Tanzawa-Ōyama Quasi-National Park

is a quasi-national park in the Kantō region of Honshū in Japan. It is rated a protected landscape according to the IUCN. The park includes the Tanzawa Mountains, Miyagase Dam and its surrounding forests, Hayato Great Falls and the religious sites of Mount Ōyama in the mountains of western...

.

History

Ashigarakami District was one of the ancient subdivisions of Sagami Province

Sagami Province

was an old province in the area that is today the central and western Kanagawa prefecture. It was sometimes called . Sagami bordered on Izu, Musashi, Suruga provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Sagami Bay...

, per the Nara period

Nara period

The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...

 Ritsuryō

Ritsuryo

is the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei"...

 system, under the name as . The area was under control of the late Hōjō clan

Late Hojo clan

The ' was one of the most powerful warrior clans in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region.The clan is traditionally reckoned to be started by Ise Shinkurō, who came from a branch of the prestigious Ise clan, a family in the direct employment of the Ashikaga...

 in the Sengoku period

Sengoku period

The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...

, and part of Odawara Domain

Odawara Domain

was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in western Sagami Province. It was centered on Odawara Castle in what is now the city of Odawara.-History:...

 during the Edo period

Edo period

The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....

. Following disasters caused by eruptions of nearby Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji

is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...

, a portion also came to be held as tenryō territory administered by the Tokugawa shogunate

Tokugawa shogunate

The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...

.

After the Meiji Restoration

Meiji Restoration

The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...

, it initially formed part of the short-lived Ashigari Prefecture, before was established as a district

Districts of Japan

The was most recently used as an administrative unit in Japan between 1878 and 1921 and is roughly equivalent to the county of the United States, ranking at the level below prefecture and above city, town or village. As of 2008, cities belong directly to prefectures and are independent from...

 of Kanagawa Prefecture under the cadastral reform of 1878. In 1889, it was administratively divided into 26 villages.

On April 1, 1972, part of Ashigarakami District became the city of Minamiashigara

Minamiashigara, Kanagawa

is a city located in the far southwestern corner of Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 44,190 and population density of 574 persons per km²...

.

As of 2009, the district had an estimated population

Population

A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 of 67,954 and a density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 224 persons per km². The total area was 303.44 km².

Towns and villages

• Nakai
  Nakai, Kanagawa
  is a town located in Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2009, the town had an estimated population of 10,042 and a density of 502 persons per km². The total area was 20.02 km².-Surrounding municipalities:*Hiratsuka*Odawara*Hadano*Ninomiya...
  
  
• Ōi
  Oi, Kanagawa
  is a town located in Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 17,928 and a density of 1,250 persons per km²...
  
  
• Matsuda
  Matsuda, Kanagawa
  is a town located in Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 11,716 and a density of 312 persons per km2...
  
  
• Yamakita
  Yamakita, Kanagawa
  is a town located in Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 11,863 and a density of 52.8 persons per km². The total area was 224.70 km².-Geography:...
  
  
• Kaisei
  Kaisei, Kanagawa
  is a town located in Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 16,263 and a density of 2,470 persons per km². The total area was 6.56 km²...
  
  

pre-1889	April 1, 1889	1889 - 1926		1926 - 1944		1945 - 1954	1955 - 1989			1989 - Present
	Kamihadano village	Kamihadano village		Kamihadano village	Kamihadano village		July 28, 1955 Naka District, Nishihadano town	January 1, 1963 merged with Hadano city	Hadano city	Hadano Hadano, Kanagawa is a city in west-central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2010, Hadano has an estimated population of 170,293 and a population density of 1,640 persons per km²; it had a total area of 103.61 km².-Geography:...
	Yamada village	Yamada village		Yamada village	November 3, 1946 Aiwa village	June 20, 1951 merged with Nishihadano village （Tochikubo area）
	Kaminaka village	Kaminaka village		Kaminaka village		Aiwa village	April 1, 1956 Ōi town		Ōi town	Ōi Oi, Kanagawa is a town located in Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 17,928 and a density of 1,250 persons per km²...
	Kaneda village	Kaneda village		Kaneda village	Kaneda village
	Soga village	Soga village		Soga village	Soga village		April 1, 1956 Ōi town （Nishiōi・Kamiōi areas）
							April 1, 1956 merged with Odawara city （except Nishiōi, Kamiōi areas）		Odawara city	Odawara Odawara, Kanagawa is a city located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 198,466 with a population density of 1,740 persons per km² . The total area was .-Geography:...
	Sakurai village	Sakurai village		Sakurai village	December 18, 1950 merged with Odawara city		Odawara city
	Naka village	April 1 , 1908 Nakai village		Nakai village	Nakai village		December 1, 1963 Nakai town		Nakai town	Nakai Nakai, Kanagawa is a town located in Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2009, the town had an estimated population of 10,042 and a density of 502 persons per km². The total area was 20.02 km².-Surrounding municipalities:*Hiratsuka*Odawara*Hadano*Ninomiya...
	Inokuchi village
	Sakata village	Sakata village		Sakata village	Sakata village		February 1, 1955 Kaisei town		Kaisei town	Kaisei Kaisei, Kanagawa is a town located in Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 16,263 and a density of 2,470 persons per km². The total area was 6.56 km²...
	Yoshidajima village	Yoshidajima village		Yoshidajima village	Yoshidajima village
	Matsuda village	April 1, 1909 Matsuda town		Matsuda town	Matsuda town		Matsuda town		Matsuda town	Matsuda Matsuda, Kanagawa is a town located in Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 11,716 and a density of 312 persons per km2...
	Yadoriki village	Yadoriki village		Yadoriki village	Yadoriki village		April 1, 1955 merged with Matsuda town
	Minamiashigara village	Minamiashigara village		April 1, 1940 Minamiashigara town	Minamiashigaru town		April 1, 1955 Minamiashigara town	April 1, 1972 Minamiashigara city	Minamiashigara city	Minamiashigara Minamiashigara, Kanagawa is a city located in the far southwestern corner of Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 44,190 and population density of 574 persons per km²...
	Fukuzawa village	Fukuzawa village		Fukuzawa village	Fukuzawa village
	Okamoto village	Okamoto village		Okamoto village	Okamoto village
	Kitaashigara village	Kitaashigara village		Kitaashigara village	Kitaashigara village		April 1, 1955 Minamiashigara town （except Hirayama area）
							April 1, 1955 merged with Yamakita town （Hirayama area）		Yamakita town	Yamakita Yamakita, Kanagawa is a town located in Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 11,863 and a density of 52.8 persons per km². The total area was 224.70 km².-Geography:...
	Kawa village	Kawa village		April 1, 1933 Yamakita town	Yamakita town		February 1, 1955 Yamakita town
	Kyowa village	Kyōwa village		Kyōwa village	Kyōwa village
	Kawanishi village	April 1, 1911 Kawanishi village	April 1, 1923 Shimizu village	Shimizu village	Shimizu village
	Yubure village
	Yaga village	Yaga village
	Yamaichiba village	Yamaichiba village
	Kaminawa village	Kaminawa village	February 1, 1925 merged with Shimizu village （Kaminawa area）
			February 1, 1925 merged with Miho village （Kamioda area）	Miho village	Miho village
	Nakakawa village	April 1, 1909 Miho village
	Kurokura village
	Yozuku village