Chichibu, Saitama
Encyclopedia
is a city
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...

 in Saitama
Saitama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. As of April 1, 2011, the city has 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 68,701, with a household
Household
The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....

 number of 26,230. The total area is 577.69 km².

Chichibu was incorporated as a city on April 1, 1950, although the region had already existed for hundreds of years and had developed many local traditions. Since that time, the area of the city has grown through a series of mergers, the most recent in 2005.

Geography

The city is in the westernmost part of Saitama. Unlike other parts of the prefecture, it is largely mountainous and the population is concentrated in river terraces along the Arakawa River
Arakawa River
The is one of the principal rivers flowing through Tokyo, the capital city of Japan. The point of origin is on Mount Kobushi in Saitama Prefecture, and the Arakawa River empties into Tokyo Bay, spanning 173 kilometers. The drainage basin covers 2,940 square kilometers...

. It is Saitama's largest municipality in terms of surface area and shares borders with Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, Yamanashi
Yamanashi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Kōfu.-Pre-history to the 14th century:People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years...

, Nagano
Nagano Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...

 and Gunma
Gunma Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.- History :The remains of a Paleolithic man were found at Iwajuku, Gunma Prefecture, in the early 20th century and there is a public museum there.Japan was without horses until...

 prefectures. A large portion of the city belongs to Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park.

Because the region is not suitable for growing rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...

, many people have depended on sericulture
Sericulture
Sericulture, or silk farming, is the rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk.Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, Bombyx mori is the most widely used and intensively studied. According to Confucian texts, the discovery of silk production by B...

 farming. Limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

 from Mount Bukō, which rises south of the city center, is another major source of income for the region. The city is shifting its focus toward sightseeing, taking advantages of its rich natural environment and relative closeness to the Tokyo metropolitan area. The city is also famous for its brewing
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...

 industry.

History

The city was developed as a marketplace of the district as well as the town around Chichibu Shrine
Chichibu Shrine
The is an ancient Shinto shrine in the city of Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The shrine is devoted to Yagokoro-omoikane-no-mikoto, Chichibuhiko-no-mikoto, and Ame-no-minaka-nushi-no-kami, and also enshrines Prince Chichibu....

. The city's older name, Ōmiya
Omiya
-People:*Ōmiya, or is a female character in The Tale of Genji, an 11th century novel-Places:*Ōmiya Palace*Ōmiya Bonsai Village, famous for bonsai pot gardening is located in Kita-ku, Saitama, Japan...

 ("big shrine"), was derived from the shrine. It is a coincidence that Ōmiya ward
Omiya-ku, Saitama
is a ward of Saitama city, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is in the Greater Tokyo Area and about 25 km north of central Tokyo. Ōmiya-ku is surrounded by Nishi-ku , Kita-ku , Minuma-ku , Urawa-ku , Chūō-ku , and Sakura-ku of Saitama city.Ōmiya-ku is the most active commercial and business centre in...

 of the prefectural capital Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...

, which houses Hikawa Shrine
Hikawa Shrine
is a major Shinto shrine in the Omiya district of Saitama. Surrounding the shrine is a large park in which there are many cherry blossom trees, a zoo and a museum....

, has the same name.

Timeline

  • 708: Deposits of the metal copper
    Copper
    Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...

     are discovered in the region and offered to the Imperial Court. The era name
    Japanese era name
    The Japanese era calendar scheme is a common calendar scheme used in Japan, which identifies a year by the combination of the and the year number within the era...

     Wadō
    Wado (era)
    was a after Keiun and before Reiki. This period spanned the years from January 708 through September 715. The reigning empress was .-Change of era:...

     (和銅, meaning "Japanese copper") is proclaimed in recognition of this welcome event in the initial months of Empress Gemmei
    Empress Gemmei
    , also known as Empress Genmyō, was the 43rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Gemmei's reign spanned the years 707 through 715....

    's reign. The copper is used to mint Wadō Kaihō or Wadō Kaichin, which are amongst the oldest examples of coinage in Japan.-- see image of Wado Kaichin from Japan Mint Museum
  • 1884: The Chichibu Incident
    Chichibu Incident
    The was a large scale peasant revolt that occurred in November 1884 in Chichibu, Saitama, a short distance from Japan's capital, and lasted approximately two weeks....

    : uprising of impoverished peasants under the influence of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement
    Freedom and People's Rights Movement
    The was a Japanese political and social movement for democracy in 1880s....

    . Seven are sentenced to death and over 4,000 people punished.
  • 1889: Ōmiya town is founded.
  • 1914: Chichibu Railway
    Chichibu Railway
    is a small-sector private railway company operating two railway lines in northern Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In addition to its railway operations, the company deals in the real estate and tourism industries. It also manages the Mitsumine Ropeway...

     opens.
  • 1916: Ōmiya town is renamed Chichibu town.
  • 1950: Chichibu town becomes Chichibu City.
  • 1954: Chichibu City absorbs Odamaki, Haraya and Kuna villages.
  • 1957: Chichibu City absorbs Takashino and Ōta villages.
  • 1958: Chichibu City absorbs Kagemori town.
  • 1969: Seibu Railway
    Seibu Railway
    is a conglomerate based in Tokorozawa, Japan, with principal business areas in railways, tourism and real estate. Seibu Railway's operations are concentrated in northwest Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture; the name "Seibu" is an abbreviation of "west Musashi," referring to the historic name for this area...

     Seibu Chichibu Line
    Seibu Chichibu Line
    The is a railway line in Saitama, Japan. It is an extension of the Seibu Ikebukuro Line, and connects Agano Station and Seibu-Chichibu Station. It is managed by Seibu Railway.-History:...

     opens.
  • 2005: Chichibu City merges with Yoshida town, Arakawa, and Ōtaki villages.

Sightseeing

On December 3, Chichibu holds an annual night festival. It attracts crowds from Chichibu, Saitama prefecture, neighboring Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, and the Kantō region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....

. Kawase matsuri is Chichibu shrine's summer festival. It takes place every July 19 and July 20.
Eight groups carrying special dashi floats march along to festival music around the city. Mikoshi
Mikoshi
A is a divine palanquin . Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle to transport a deity in Japan while moving between main shrine and temporary shrine during a festival or when moving to a new shrine...

 (sacred portable shrines) are brought to special places in each neighborhood where they are enshrined. Neighborhood association heads wash the mikoshi in the Arakawa river.

Other attractions of the city include:
  • Chichibu Muse Park;
  • Chichibu Shrine
    Chichibu Shrine
    The is an ancient Shinto shrine in the city of Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The shrine is devoted to Yagokoro-omoikane-no-mikoto, Chichibuhiko-no-mikoto, and Ame-no-minaka-nushi-no-kami, and also enshrines Prince Chichibu....

    ;
  • Hitsujiyama Park;
  • Okuchichibu Mountains
    Okuchichibu Mountains
    or the , is a mountainous district in the Kantō region and Kōshin'etsu region, Japan. It covers the western part of Tokyo, the western part of Saitama Prefecture, the southwestern part of Gunma Prefecture, the southeastern part of Nagano Prefecture, the northern part of Yamanashi Prefecture. Oku ...

    ;
  • Lake Chichibu;
  • Lake Chichibu Sakura;
  • Mitsumine Shrine;
  • Nakatsugawa Gorge; and
  • Thirty-Four Temples of Chichibu.

Connection with The Mikado

The city considers itself as the inspiration for Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...

's 1885 comic opera, The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...

; the name of the opera's setting, "Titipu", is pronounced "Chichipu" in Japanese. Rokusuke Ei
Rokusuke Ei
is a Japanese lyricist, composer, author, essayist and TV personality.Ei wrote the lyrics to the song "Sukiyaki", which has been used in several English language films. He has also written the lyrics to the song "Miagete goran yoru no hoshi wo" sung by Kyu Sakamoto in 1963...

, a popular essayist, was convinced that Chichibu, the site of a peasant uprising
Chichibu Incident
The was a large scale peasant revolt that occurred in November 1884 in Chichibu, Saitama, a short distance from Japan's capital, and lasted approximately two weeks....

 in 1884, inspired the author, W. S. Gilbert
W. S. Gilbert
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his fourteen comic operas produced in collaboration with the composer Sir Arthur Sullivan, of which the most famous include H.M.S...

, to set the opera in Japan. Other Japanese researchers have concluded that Gilbert may simply have heard of Chichibu silk, an important export in the 19th century. A theatre company from Chichibu has presented The Mikado in Japanese in Chichibu and throughout Japan; in August 2006, it travelled with this production to the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival
International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival
The International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival is held every summer at the Opera House in Buxton, Derbyshire, England. The three-week Festival of Gilbert and Sullivan performances and fringe events attracts thousands of visitors, including performers, supporters, and G&S enthusiasts from all...

 in Buxton, England.http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:WXVwzsXvhykJ:www.gs-festival.co.uk/FestivalHighLights/%3FHL%3D3+%22The+Mikado%22+1907+Prince&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=16&lr=lang_enhttp://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:dEUhyQBNP-4J:www.japansociety.org.uk/reviews/reviews.pdf+%22The+Mikado%22+businessmen+Tokyo+production&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=16&lr=lang_en

Train

Two lines serve the city: Chichibu Railway
Chichibu Railway
is a small-sector private railway company operating two railway lines in northern Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In addition to its railway operations, the company deals in the real estate and tourism industries. It also manages the Mitsumine Ropeway...

 Chichibu Mainline
Chichibu Mainline
The is a railway line in Japan, owned by Chichibu Railway, which links Hanyū and Mitsumineguchi, both in Saitama Prefecture.Locals living around the line call it the Chichibu sen, or Chichibu line...

 and Seibu Railway
Seibu Railway
is a conglomerate based in Tokorozawa, Japan, with principal business areas in railways, tourism and real estate. Seibu Railway's operations are concentrated in northwest Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture; the name "Seibu" is an abbreviation of "west Musashi," referring to the historic name for this area...

 Seibu Chichibu Line
Seibu Chichibu Line
The is a railway line in Saitama, Japan. It is an extension of the Seibu Ikebukuro Line, and connects Agano Station and Seibu-Chichibu Station. It is managed by Seibu Railway.-History:...

. Chichibu Railway
Chichibu Railway
is a small-sector private railway company operating two railway lines in northern Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In addition to its railway operations, the company deals in the real estate and tourism industries. It also manages the Mitsumine Ropeway...

 was constructed along the Arakawa River and first opened in 1914. Seibu Railway
Seibu Railway
is a conglomerate based in Tokorozawa, Japan, with principal business areas in railways, tourism and real estate. Seibu Railway's operations are concentrated in northwest Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture; the name "Seibu" is an abbreviation of "west Musashi," referring to the historic name for this area...

 reached the city in 1969 and considerably reduced the travel time to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

. It takes approximately one and a half hours to travel from Seibu-Chichibu Station
Seibu-Chichibu Station
is a railway station in Chichibu, Saitama, Japan.Although the station is the terminus station of the Seibu Chichibu Line, some Seibu trains continue to Mitsumineguchi Station on the Chichibu Main Line of Chichibu Railway via a crossover between the two lines...

 to Ikebukuro Station
Ikebukuro Station
is a railway station located in the Ikebukuro district of Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. With 2.71 million passengers on an average daily in 2007, it is the second-busiest train station in the world , and the busiest station in the Tobu, Seibu and Tokyo Metro networks. It primarily serves commuters from...

, one of the major train terminals in Tokyo. These lines carry people as well as limestone from Mount Bukō. The two lines were directly connected on April 1, 1989. Chichibu Railway also had the Mitsumine Ropeway, which carried passengers visiting Mitsumine Shrine. The ropeway has been out of service since May 19, 2006 and was officially abandoned on December 1, 2007.

Car

Two national roads, Route 140 and 299, serve the city. Route 140 connects the city to its nearest expressway interchange, Hanazono Interchange of the Kan-Etsu Expressway
Kan-Etsu Expressway
The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and managed by East Nippon Expressway Company.-Naming: is the kanji acronym of and the old comprising modern-day Niigata Prefecture....

. The city had no road communication to Yamanashi Prefecture due to steep Okuchichibu Mountains
Okuchichibu Mountains
or the , is a mountainous district in the Kantō region and Kōshin'etsu region, Japan. It covers the western part of Tokyo, the western part of Saitama Prefecture, the southwestern part of Gunma Prefecture, the southeastern part of Nagano Prefecture, the northern part of Yamanashi Prefecture. Oku ...

, but the opening of the Karisaka Tunnel
Karisaka Tunnel
The Karisaka Tunnel is a Japanese toll tunnel that opened April 23, 1998 between Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture and Yamanashi City, Yamanashi Prefecture...

 in 1998 enabled the city to connect to Yamanashi.

People raised in Chichibu

  • Tatsuya Fujiwara
    Tatsuya Fujiwara
    is a Japanese television and film actor.-Biography:Born in Saitama, Fujiwara has had an interest in acting from a young age.He is famous for acting the part of Shuya Nanahara in the controversial 2000 film Battle Royale and continues the character as a leader of the Wild Seven in the sequel, Battle...

     - actor
  • Tomoko Ninomiya
    Tomoko Ninomiya
    is a Japanese manga artist, based in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In 1989, she made her debut with London Doubt Boys.She is best known for her series Nodame Cantabile, which received the 2004 Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo manga...

     - manga
    Manga
    Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

     author
  • Bukō Shimizu
    Buko Shimizu
    was a Japanese photographer who lived in and photographed Chichibu .Shimizu was born on 12 October 1913 in Chichibu, the eldest son of the family running a photography studio in Kumaki, Chichibu...

     - photographer
  • Akira Taue
    Akira Taue
    is a Japanese professional wrestler, and the current President of Pro Wrestling Noah. He is also a former AJPW Triple Crown champion, a former GHC Heavyweight Champion and has had 14 5 Star Matches as awarded by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter....

     - wrestler

Sister cities

Toshima, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

 since October 14, 1983 Sanyō-Onoda
Sanyo-Onoda, Yamaguchi
is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on March 22, 2005, when the city of Onoda merged with the town of Sanyo, from Asa District, to form the new city of Sanyo-Onoda....

, Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, in the center of the prefecture. The largest city, however, is Shimonoseki.- History :...

 since May 20, 1996 Antioch, California
Antioch, California
Antioch is a city in Contra Costa County, California. Located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area along the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta, it is a suburb of San Francisco and Oakland. The city's population was 102,372 at the U.S...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 since September 16, 1967 Gangneung
Gangneung
Gangneung is a city in Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 229,869 . Gangneung is the economic centre of the Yeongdong region of eastern Gangwon Province. Gangneung has many tourist attractions, like Jeongdongjin, one of the most famous towns in Korea...

, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 since February 16, 1983 Linfen
Linfen
-Administrative divisions:The prefecture-level city of Linfen is divided in one district, two cities and fourteen counties. The information here presented uses the metric system and data from 2010 Census.-Pollution:...

, Shanxi Province
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....

, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 since October 7, 1988 Warringah
Warringah Council
Warringah is a local council area in the Northern Beaches region of Sydney, Australia. Warringah Council overlaps with a number of suburbs from the Manly Council area to the south and the Pittwater Council area to the north...

, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 since April 26, 1996

Further reading

  • Titsingh
    Isaac Titsingh
    Isaac Titsingh FRS was a Dutch surgeon, scholar, merchant-trader and ambassador.During a long career in East Asia, Titsingh was a senior official of the Dutch East India Company . He represented the European trading company in exclusive official contact with Tokugawa Japan...

    , Isaac, ed. (1834). [Siyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō
    Hayashi Gaho
    , also known as Hayashi Shunsai, was a Japanese Neo-Confucian scholar, teacher and administrator in the system of higher education maintained by the Tokugawa bakufu during the Edo period...

    , 1652], Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon, tr. par M. Isaac Titsingh avec l'aide de plusieurs interprètes attachés au comptoir hollandais de Nangasaki; ouvrage re., complété et cor. sur l'original japonais-chinois, accompagné de notes et précédé d'un Aperçu d'histoire mythologique du Japon, par M. J. Klaproth
    Julius Klaproth
    Julius Heinrich Klaproth , German linguist, historian, ethnographer, author, Orientalist and explorer. As a scholar, he is credited along with Jean-Pierre Abel-Rémusat, with being instrumental in turning East Asian Studies into scientific disciplines with critical methods.-Chronology:Klaproth was...

    .
    Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland
    Royal Asiatic Society
    The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was established, according to its Royal Charter of 11 August 1824, to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia." From its incorporation the Society...

    . ...Click link for digitized, full-text copy of this book (in French)

External links

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