Kosai, Shizuoka
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in far western Shizuoka Prefecture
, Japan
. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population
of 60,582 and a density
of 699 persons per km². The total area is 85.65 km².
to the west, Lake Hamana
to the east. The name of the city means "west of the lake", in reference to its location near Lake Hamana. The city is bordered to the south by the Enshū Gulf of Pacific Ocean
. Due to its location, the warm Kuroshio Current
offshore provides for a temperate maritime climate with hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters.
Aichi Prefecture
, Kosai was tenryō territory administered directly by the Tokugawa shogunate
, and the location of a barrier gate regulating traffic on the old Tōkaidō
highway connecting Edo
with Kyoto
. A post station
named Shirasuka-juku
developed near the barrier, and this was the forerunner of modern Kosai. During the cadastral reform of the early Meiji period
in 1889, the area was reorganized into five villages within Hamana District
, Shizuoka. Four of these villages (Washizu, Iride, Shirasuka, Chibata) merged to form the city of Kosai on January 1, 1972. On March 23, 2010, neighboring Arai
, merged
into Kosai; as a result Hamana District
ceased to exist.
. Kosai is home to Suzuki Motor Corporation's Kosai Assembly Plant, Suzuki's main domestic production plant as well as to plants owned by Panasonic and Sony.
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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...
located in far 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 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 60,582 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 699 persons per km². The total area is 85.65 km².
Geography
Kosai is located in the far southwest corner of Shizuoka Prefecture, bordered by Aichi PrefectureAichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
to the west, Lake Hamana
Lake Hamana
in Shizuoka Prefecture is Japan's tenth largest lake . It spans the boundaries of the cities of Hamamatsu and Kosai.-Data:The lake has an area of 65.0 km² and holds 0.35 km³ of water. Its circumference is 114 km. At its deepest point, the water is 16.6 m deep...
to the east. The name of the city means "west of the lake", in reference to its location near Lake Hamana. The city is bordered to the south by the Enshū Gulf of Pacific Ocean
Pacific 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...
. Due to its location, the warm Kuroshio Current
Kuroshio Current
The Kuroshio is a north-flowing ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean. It is similar to the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic and is part of the North Pacific ocean gyre...
offshore provides for a temperate maritime climate with hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters.
Neighboring municipalities
Shizuoka Prefecture- HamamatsuHamamatsu, Shizuokais a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. On July 1, 2005, the city merged with 11 surrounding cities and towns. It became a city designated by government ordinance on April 1, 2007.- History :...
Aichi Prefecture
- ToyohashiToyohashi, Aichiis a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on August 1, 1906. As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 383,691 and a density of 1,468.62 persons per km². The total area is . By size, Toyohashi was Aichi Prefecture's second-largest city until March 31,...
History
During the Edo periodEdo 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....
, Kosai was tenryō territory administered directly 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...
, and the location of a barrier gate regulating traffic on the old 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:...
. A post station
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...
named Shirasuka-juku
Shirasuka-juku
was the thirty-second of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in Kosai, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. During the Edo period, it was the westernmost post station of Tōtōmi Province.-History:...
developed near the barrier, and this was the forerunner of modern Kosai. During the cadastral reform of the early Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
in 1889, the area was reorganized into five villages within Hamana District
Hamana District, Shizuoka
was a district located in Shizuoka, Japan.As of 2005 Census, the district had an estimated population of 16,938. The total area was 13.47km².*On July 1, 2005, the towns of Maisaka and Yūtō were merged into Hamamatsu; this left district with one municipality....
, Shizuoka. Four of these villages (Washizu, Iride, Shirasuka, Chibata) merged to form the city of Kosai on January 1, 1972. On March 23, 2010, neighboring Arai
Arai, Shizuoka
is a former town located in Hamana District, Shizuoka, Japan. As of March 31, 2010, the town had an estimated population of 16,975 and a population density of 910 persons per km². The total area was 18.65 km².-Geography:...
, 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 Kosai; as a result Hamana District
Hamana District, Shizuoka
was a district located in Shizuoka, Japan.As of 2005 Census, the district had an estimated population of 16,938. The total area was 13.47km².*On July 1, 2005, the towns of Maisaka and Yūtō were merged into Hamamatsu; this left district with one municipality....
ceased to exist.
Economy
The economy of Kosai is dominated by light manufacturing of automobile components and electronics, as well as commercial fishingCommercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
. Kosai is home to Suzuki Motor Corporation's Kosai Assembly Plant, Suzuki's main domestic production plant as well as to plants owned by Panasonic and Sony.
Railway
- JR TōkaiEast Japan Railway Companyis the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
- 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...
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- 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:...
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Noted people from Kosai
- Sakichi ToyodaSakichi Toyodawas a Japanese inventor and industrialist. He was born in Kosai, Shizuoka. The son of a poor carpenter, Toyoda is referred to as the "King of Japanese Inventors".- Career :...
- founder of Toyota - Yasuji MiyazakiYasuji Miyazakiwas a Japanese swimmer. He competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics. There, he won two gold medals, in the 100 m freestyle event and 4x200 m freestyle relay event.-External links:*...
- Olympic gold-medalist swimmer