Kakegawa, Shizuoka
Encyclopedia
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 western Shizuoka Prefecture
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
, 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 2010, the city 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 117,858 and a population 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 444 persons per km². The total area was 265.63 km².
Geography
Kakegawa is located in the coastal plains of southwest Shizuoka Prefecture. It is bordered to the south by the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
Surrounding municipalities
- FukuroiFukuroi, Shizuokais a city located in Shizuoka, Japan. As of February 2009, the city had an estimated population of 85,985 and a density of 792 persons per km². The total area is 108.56 km².-Geography:...
- ShimadaShimada, Shizuokais a city in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2010, the city has an estimated population of 100,846 and a population density of 319 persons per km². The total area is 315.88 km².-Geography:...
- MoriMori, Shizuokais a town located in Shūchi District, Shizuoka, Japan. As of February 2010, the town had an estimated population of 19,650 and a density of 147 persons per km². The total area was 133.84 km².-Geography:...
- KikugawaKikugawa, Shizuokais a city located in the western portion of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is known for production of green tea. The city's slogan is "Green for the Next Generation". As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 47,196 and a density of 501 persons per km². The total area was 94.24...
- OmaezakiOmaezaki, Shizuokais a city in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Omaezaki is located at the tip of a peninsula on Japan's Pacific coast. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 34,614 and the density of 530 persons per km². The total area was 65.86 km².- Geography :...
History
The Kakegawa area has been regional commercial center within Tōtōmi ProvinceTotomi Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today western Shizuoka Prefecture. Tōtōmi bordered on Mikawa, Suruga and Shinano Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was .-History:...
since at least the Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
, but developed as a castle town
Castle town
A castle town is a settlement built adjacent to or surrounding a castle. Castle towns are common in Medieval Europe. Good example include small towns like Alnwick and Arundel, which are still dominated by their castles...
under the Imagawa clan
Imagawa clan
The was a Japanese clan that claimed descent from Emperor Seiwa . It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan.-Origins:Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, established himself in the 13th century at Imagawa and took its name.Imagawa Norikuni received from his cousin the...
, whose headquarters was in neighboring Suruga Province
Suruga Province
was an old province in the area that is today the central part of Shizuoka prefecture. It was sometimes called . Suruga bordered on Izu, Kai, Sagami, Shinano, and Tōtōmi provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Suruga Bay.-History:...
. Kakegawa Castle
Kakegawa Castle
is a hirayama-style Japanese castle. It was the seat of various fudai daimyō who ruled over Kakegawa Domain, Tōtōmi Province, in what is now central Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.-History:...
was built by Asahina Yasuhiro, a retainer of Imagawa Yoshitada
Imagawa Yoshitada
Imagawa Yoshitada, the father of the famed Imagawa Ujichika and the 9th head of the Imagawa clan. Yoshitada spent most of his time invading the Tōtōmi Province, attacking the Katsumada and Yokota clans...
, in the Bunmei era
Bunmei
was a after Ōnin and before Chōkyō. This period spanned the years from April 1469 through July 1487. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1469 : The era name was changed to mark an event or a number of events...
(1469–1487). The castle later fell into the hands of the Tokugawa clan
Tokugawa clan
The was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains a mystery.-History:...
, but was then to Toyotomi clan
Toyotomi clan
Originating in Owari Province, the served as retainers to the Oda clan throughout 16th-century Japan's Sengoku period. -Unity and Conflict:The most influential figure within the Toyotomi was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the three "unifiers of Japan." Oda Nobunaga was another primary unifier and the...
retainer Yamauchi Kazutoyo
Yamauchi Kazutoyo
' also spelled Yamanouchi , was born the son of Yamanouchi Moritoyo in Owari Province at the end of the Sengoku period of Japan. Kazutoyo held the title of Tosa no kami....
in 1580. After the establishment of 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...
, Kakegawa Domain
Kakegawa Domain
' was a Japanese feudal domain of the Edo period, located in Tōtōmi Province. Kakegawa was primarily a Fudai domain. It was centered at Kakegawa Castle in what is now Kakegawa, Shizuoka.-History:...
was created, and ruled by numerous fudai
Fudai
was a class of daimyo who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa in Edo period Japan. It was primarily the fudai who filled the ranks of the Tokugawa administration.-Origins:...
daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
. The area prospered 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....
, as the Tōkaidō
Tokaido (road)
The ' was the most important of the Five Routes of the Edo period, connecting Edo to Kyoto in Japan. Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendō, the Tōkaidō travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshū, hence the route's name....
highway connecting Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
with Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
passed through Kakegawa, whose post stations
Shukuba
were post stations during the Edo period in Japan, generally located on one of the Edo Five Routes or one of its sub-routes. They were also called shukueki . These post stations were places where travelers could rest on their journey around the nation...
included Nissaka-shuku
Nissaka-shuku
was the twenty-fifth of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in what is now part of the city of Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.-History:...
and Kakegawa-juku
Kakegawa-juku
was the twenty-sixth of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in the what is now the city of Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.-History:Kakegawa-juku was originally the castle town of Kakegawa Castle...
. Neighboring Yokosuka Domain
Yokosuka Domain
' was a Japanese feudal domain of the Edo period, located in Tōtōmi Province. Yokosuka was a Fudai domain. It was centered at Yokosuka Castle in the Matsuo district of the city of Kakegawa in Shizuoka Prefecture.-History:...
, a smaller fudai
Fudai
was a class of daimyo who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa in Edo period Japan. It was primarily the fudai who filled the ranks of the Tokugawa administration.-Origins:...
holding, was also located within what are now the city limits of Kakegawa.
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...
, Kakegawa was made part of the short-lived Hamamatsu Prefecture in 1871, which merged with Shizuoka Prefecture in 1876. Kakegawa Town was created in the cadastral reform of April, 1891, four years after the opening of Kakegawa Station
Kakegawa Station
is an interchange railway station in Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, Tōkaidō Main Line, and Tenryū-Hamanako Railway. It is located 239.3 rail kilometers from Tokyo Station...
on what later became the Tōkaidō Main Line
Tokaido Main Line
The is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities...
railway. The town expanded steadily over the years, annexing neighboring villages and towns in Ogasa District
Ogasa District, Shizuoka
was a rural district located in western Shizuoka, Japan.As of the end of 2003 , the district had an estimated population of 82,248 and a population density of 472.47 persons per km². Its total area was 174.08 km².-History:Ogasa District was on April 1, 1896 through the merger of former and...
, and was elevated in status of that of a city in 1954.
On April 1, 2005 the towns of Daitō
Daito, Shizuoka
was a town located in Ogasa District, Shizuoka, Japan.Daitō Town was created in 1973 through the merger of Ohama Town with Joto Village.On April 1, 2005 Daitō, along with the town of Ōsuka, also from Ogasa District, was merged into the city of Kakegawa....
and Ōsuka
Osuka, Shizuoka
was a town located in Ogasa District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.On April 1, 2005 Ōsuka, along with the town of Daitō, also from Ogasa District, was merged into the city of Kakegawa....
, both from Ogasa District
Ogasa District, Shizuoka
was a rural district located in western Shizuoka, Japan.As of the end of 2003 , the district had an estimated population of 82,248 and a population density of 472.47 persons per km². Its total area was 174.08 km².-History:Ogasa District was on April 1, 1896 through the merger of former and...
, were merged
Merger and dissolution of municipalities of Japan
Municipal mergers and dissolutions carried out in Japan can take place within one municipality or between multiple municipalities and are required to be based upon consensus.- Merger policy:...
into the original Kakegawa.
Economy
Kakegawa has a mixed economy. It serves as a regional commercial center for west-central Shizuoka Prefecture. In the agricultural sector, production and processing of green teaGreen tea
Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...
predominates. The city is surrounded by green tea
Green tea
Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...
fields and is known for its high quality tea. Other crops include cantelope, tomatoes, strawberries and roses. In terms of industrial production, Kakegawa has several light industry industrial complexes. Major products include telecommunications equipment and electronics, cosmetics, automotive components and musical instruments.
Rail
- JR CentralCentral Japan Railway CompanyThe is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as . Its headquarters are located in the JR Central Towers in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.The company's operational hub is Nagoya Station...
- Tōkaidō Shinkansen - JR CentralCentral Japan Railway CompanyThe is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as . Its headquarters are located in the JR Central Towers in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.The company's operational hub is Nagoya Station...
- Tōkaidō Main LineTokaido Main LineThe is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities...
- Kakegawa Station
- Tenryū Hamanako Railroad Tenryū Hamanako LineTenryu Hamanako Railroad Tenryu Hamanako LineThe , or for short, is a Japanese railway line in Shizuoka Prefecture, running the north coast of Lake Hamana between Kakegawa Station in Kakegawa and Shinjohara Station in Kosai. This is the only railway line of .-History:...
}
Demographics
Like most of Japan, Kakegawa's population is almost exclusively Japanese. However, there is a small population of westerners due to the nearby Corning factory as well as to the continued presence of foreign English languageEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
teachers. In addition, Kakegawa has a noticeable Nikkei
Japanese diaspora
The Japanese diaspora, and its individual members known as , are Japanese emigrants from Japan and their descendants that reside in a foreign country...
(particularly, South American) population and it is more common to find signs written in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
than in English.
Local attractions
Only a few hundred meters from the station is the rebuilt Kakegawa CastleKakegawa Castle
is a hirayama-style Japanese castle. It was the seat of various fudai daimyō who ruled over Kakegawa Domain, Tōtōmi Province, in what is now central Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.-History:...
, which was reopened in April 1994. Another local attraction is the Kakegawa Kacho-en, which hosts a large variety of bird and plant species in a greenhouse-enclosed private garden, open to the public. Both the ocean and mountains are contained within Kakegawa's limits.
Sister City relations
- Ōshū, IwateOshu, Iwate
is the second largest city in Iwate Prefecture, Japan with a population of 127,804.The city was founded on February 20, 2006, as the result of a merger between the cities of Esashi and Mizusawa, the towns of Maesawa and Isawa and the village of Koromogawa from Isawa District...
, Japan from August 16, 1985 - Corning, New York
Corning (city), New York
Corning is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States, on the Chemung River. The population was 10,842 at the 2000 census. It is named for Erastus Corning, an Albany financier and railroad executive who was an investor in the company that developed the community.- Overview :The city of...
, USA - Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, USA, from April 1979
Noted people from Kakegawa
- Yoshinobu IshikawaYoshinobu Ishikawais the governor of Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 1993. A native of Kakegawa, Shizuoka, formerly known as Daitō, Shizuoka, and graduate of the University of Tokyo, Department of Law, he had worked at the Ministry of Home Affairs since 1964 before being elected governor.- Early...
- politician - Ichiki Kitokuro - politician
- Yoshioka YayoiYoshioka Yayoiwas a physician and women's rights activist, who founded the in 1900, as the first medical school for women in Japan. She was also known as Washiyama Yayoi.-Biography:...
- physician, educator - Satoru MizushimaSatoru Mizushimais a Japanese right-wing nationalist film maker. He graduated from Waseda University majoring in German literature. He is also the main host of the nationalist and right-wing Japanese media organization, Channel Sakura, which maintains an active YouTube broadcasting account "SakuraSoTV." He can...
- filmmaker - Shunpei UtoShunpei Utois a Japanese freestyle swimmer. Born in Shizuoka, he won silver medal for the Men's 400 m freestyle and bronze medal 1500 m freestyle in the 1936 Summer Olympics.-External links:* *...
- Olympic swimmer - Kenya Matsui - professional soccer player
- Hajime MoriyasuHajime Moriyasuis a retired Japanese football player. He was a defensive midfielder. He is now a coach at Albirex Niigata.-Club:Moriyasu was educated at and played for Nagasaki Nihon Daigaku Gakuen High School. After finishing his school, he joined Japan Soccer League side Mazda in 1987. New manager Hans Ooft...
- professional soccer player
External links
- Kakegawa official website (in Japanese)