Kure, Hiroshima
Encyclopedia
is a city
in Hiroshima prefecture
, Japan
.
As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population
of 240,820 and a population density
of 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².
The city was founded on October 1, 1902. Up until the end of World War II
, it served as a military and naval center
. Headquarters of Independent Field Records was situated there in 1956.
Kure was the home base of the largest battleship ever built, the Yamato
. There is still one of the bases of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
(JMSDF) located there, its former center became the JMSDF Regional Kure District. While there is a hospital as a building of the Marine Self Defense Force, there are Escort Flotilla (Destroyers), Submarine Flotilla and the Training Squadron in the Kure District. A museum with a 1:10 scale model of the Yamato is located in the city.
Kure is close to Setonaikai National Park
.
Kure is served by the Kure Line
, operated by West Japan Railway Company
(JR West). It leads to Hiroshima, which is a terminal station.
There has been a municipal bus since December 1, 1942. The Kure City Transportation Bureau (Kure City Bus) started using natural gas
in 2002. There is a bus route run by Hiroshima Electric Railway
, too. In addition, there is Bōyo Kisen, which operates the San'yō Bus and Setouchi Sankō which runs two bus enterprises.
National Route 31
spreads out from Kure to Kaita
, but the distance of the road is short. National Route 185
is connected from Kure to Mihara
. This road has a view of the Inland Sea. National Route 375
is a 165 km long road to be connected from Kure to Ōda, Shimane
. U.S. forces can use this way for their ammunition transportation. National Route 487 spreads out from Kure to the city of Hiroshima. This road crosses the Ondo Bridge, and goes around Etajima
.
Though they are independent roads, separate from National Routes, there are a series of access roads toward the archipelago of the city. The Akinada Islands series of bridges conclude at Shimokamagari island, Kamikamagari island, Toyoshima, Osakishimojima, Herashima, Nakanoshima at seven bridges. Toyoshima Bridge, concluding at Toyoshima regards traffic of a ship as Kamikamagari island, and is 50 m high from the surface of the sea.
, Japan Bremerton, Washington
, USA Marbella
, Spain Jinhae-gu, South Korea Wenzhou
, China - sister port 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 Hiroshima prefecture
Hiroshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
, 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 October 1, 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 240,820 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 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².
History
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it served as a military and naval center
Kure Naval District
was the second of four main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the Inland Sea of Japan and the Pacific coasts of southern Honshū from Wakayama to Yamaguchi prefectures, eastern and northern Kyūshū and Shikoku....
. Headquarters of Independent Field Records was situated there in 1956.
Kure was the home base of the largest battleship ever built, the Yamato
Japanese battleship Yamato
, named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was the lead ship of the Yamato class of battleships that served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She and her sister ship, Musashi, were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing...
. There is still one of the bases of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
The , or JMSDF, is the naval branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. It was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy after World War II....
(JMSDF) located there, its former center became the JMSDF Regional Kure District. While there is a hospital as a building of the Marine Self Defense Force, there are Escort Flotilla (Destroyers), Submarine Flotilla and the Training Squadron in the Kure District. A museum with a 1:10 scale model of the Yamato is located in the city.
- July 1, 1889 — Kure Army base founded
- October 1, 1902 — The towns of Washō and Futagawa and the villages of Miyahara and Sōyamada merge to form the city of Kure.
- November 10, 1903 — Kure Naval Arsenal established.
- April 1, 1928 — The towns of Kegoya, Yoshiura, and Aga merge into Kure.
- April 21, 1941 — The town of Nigata and the village of Hiro into Kure.
- May 5, 1945 — Bombing of Hiro Naval Arsenal.
- June 22, 1945 — Bombing of Kure Naval Arsenal.
- July 1, 1945 — Kure Air Raid.
- July 24–28, 1945 — Battle of Kure, American bombers attack the remaining fleet in Kure Naval BaseBombing of Kure (July 1945)The bombing of Kure and surrounding areas by United States and British naval aircraft in late July 1945 led to the sinking of most of the surviving large warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy . The United States Third Fleet's attacks on Kure Naval Arsenal and nearby ports on 24, 25, and 28 July...
. - July 1, 1954 — Japan Maritime Self Defense Forces founded.
- October 1, 1956 — The town of Tennō and the village of Shōwa in Aki DistrictAki District, HiroshimaAki is a district located in Hiroshima, Japan.As of 2004 population data but counting decreases due to the March 20, 2005 merger, the district has an estimated population of 116,573 and a density of 1588 persons per km²...
, and the village of Gōhara in Kamo DistrictKamo District, HiroshimaKamo was a district located in Hiroshima Prefecture until 2005. On March 22, 2005 the town of Daiwa merged with the city of Mihara and two towns to form the city of Mihara at which point the district officially ceased to exist...
merge into Kure. - November 1, 2000 — Kure becomes a Special CitySpecial cities of Japanof Japan are cities with populations of at least 200,000, and are delegated a subset of the functions delegated to core cities.This category was established by the Local Autonomy Law, article 252 clause 26...
- April 1, 2003 — ShimokamagariShimokamagari, Hiroshimawas a town located in Aki District, Hiroshima, Japan.On April 1, 2003 Shimokamagari was merged into the city of Kure....
in Aki District merges into Kure. - April 1, 2004 — KawajiriKawajiri, HiroshimaKawajiri was a town located in Toyota District, Hiroshima, Japan.On April 1, 2004 Kawajiri was merged into the expanded city of Kure and no longer exists as an independent municipality....
in Toyota District merges into Kure. - March 20, 2005 — The towns of OndoOndo, Hiroshimawas a town located in Aki District, Hiroshima, Japan.On March 20, 2005 Ondo, along with the towns of Kurahashi and Kamagari, all from Aki District, and the towns of Yasuura, Toyohama and Yutaka, all from Toyota District, was merged into the expanded city of Kure and no longer exists as an...
, KurahashiKurahashi, HiroshimaKurahashi was a town located in Aki District, Hiroshima, Japan.On March 20, 2005 Kurahashi, along with the towns of Ondo and Kamagari, all from Aki District, and the towns of Yasuura, Toyohama and Yutaka, all from Toyota District, was merged into the expanded city of Kure and no longer exists as...
, KamagariKamagari, Hiroshimawas a town located in Aki District, Hiroshima, Japan.On March 20, 2005 Kamagari, along with the towns of Ondo and Kurahashi, all from Aki District, and the towns of Yasuura, Toyohama and Yutaka, all from Toyota District, was merged into the expanded city of Kure and no longer exists as an...
(in Aki District) and the towns of YasuuraYasuura, Hiroshimawas a town located in Toyota District, Hiroshima, Japan.On March 20, 2005 Yasuura, along with the towns of Ondo, Kurahashi and Kamagari, all from Aki District, and the towns of Toyohama and Yutaka, all from Toyota District, was merged into the expanded city of Kure and no longer exists as an...
, ToyohamaToyohama, HiroshimaToyohama was a town located in Toyota District, Hiroshima, Japan.On March 20, 2005 Toyohama, along with the towns of Ondo, Kurahashi and Kamagari, all from Aki District, and the towns of Yasuura and Yutaka, all from Toyota District, was merged into the expanded city of Kure and no longer exists as...
and YutakaYutaka, Hiroshimawas a town located in Toyota District, Hiroshima, Japan.On March 20, 2005 Kure, along with the towns of Ondo, Kurahashi and Kamagari, all from Aki District, and the towns of Yasuura and Toyohama, all from Toyota District, was merged into the expanded city of Kure and no longer exists as an...
(in Toyota District) merge into Kure.
Geography
Kure is located in the south-west of Hiroshima prefecture and faces the Seto Inland Sea. It has a mild climate.Kure is close to Setonaikai National Park
Setonaikai National Park
is a national park that covers the entire expanse of Japan's Inland Sea. It was designated a national park in 1934. It contains about 3,000 islands. The well-known Itsukushima Island lies within the park.-External links:...
.
Transportation
Kure Line
The is a rail line operated by JR West within Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. It begins at Mihara Station in Mihara and terminates at Kaitaichi Station in Kaita. It's one of the main lines of JR West. The section between Mihara Station to Hiro Station is nicknamed "Setouchi Sazanami Line" as the...
, operated by West Japan Railway Company
West Japan Railway Company
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group companies and operates in western Honshū. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka.-History:...
(JR West). It leads to Hiroshima, which is a terminal station.
There has been a municipal bus since December 1, 1942. The Kure City Transportation Bureau (Kure City Bus) started using natural gas
Natural gas vehicle
thumb|right|200px|2009 [[Honda Civic GX]] hooked up to Phill refueling system.A natural gas vehicle or NGV is an alternative fuel vehicle that uses compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas as a clean alternative to other fossil fuels...
in 2002. There is a bus route run by Hiroshima Electric Railway
Hiroshima Electric Railway
is a Japanese transportation company established on June 18, 1910, that operates streetcars and buses in and around Hiroshima Prefecture. It is known as for short....
, too. In addition, there is Bōyo Kisen, which operates the San'yō Bus and Setouchi Sankō which runs two bus enterprises.
National Route 31
Japan National Route 31
National Route 31 is a national highway connecting Kaita, Hiroshima and Kure in Japan.-Route Data:*Length: 20.1 km *Origin: Kaita, Hiroshima *Terminus: Kure...
spreads out from Kure to Kaita
Kaita, Hiroshima
is a town located in Aki District, Hiroshima, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 29,904 and a population density of 2,165.39 persons per km². The total area is 13.81 km².-External links:*...
, but the distance of the road is short. National Route 185
Route 185 (Japan)
National Route 185 is a national highway of Japan connecting Kure, Hiroshima and Mihara, Hiroshima in Japan, with a total length of 68.4 km ....
is connected from Kure to Mihara
Mihara, Hiroshima
is a city located in Hiroshima, Japan.The city was founded on November 15, 1936.On March 22, 2005 the town of Daiwa, from Kamo District, the town of Kui, from Mitsugi District, and the town of Hongō, from Toyota District, merged with the old city of Mihara to form the new city of Mihara.As of March...
. This road has a view of the Inland Sea. National Route 375
Route 375 (Japan)
National Route 375 is a national highway of Japan connecting Kure, Hiroshima and Ōda, Shimane in Japan, with a total length of 163.4 km ....
is a 165 km long road to be connected from Kure to Ōda, Shimane
Oda, Shimane
is a city located in Shimane, Japan.As of April 1, 2008, the city has an estimated population of 40,614 and the density of 90.2 persons per km². The total area is 436.11 km²...
. U.S. forces can use this way for their ammunition transportation. National Route 487 spreads out from Kure to the city of Hiroshima. This road crosses the Ondo Bridge, and goes around Etajima
Etajima, Hiroshima
is a city located on the island of Etajima in Hiroshima Bay in southwestern Hiroshima, Japan.The city was formed on November 1, 2004 from the merger of the town of Etajima from Aki District with three towns from Saeki District: Nōmi, Ōgaki, and Okimi.As of March 1, 2008 population data, the city...
.
Though they are independent roads, separate from National Routes, there are a series of access roads toward the archipelago of the city. The Akinada Islands series of bridges conclude at Shimokamagari island, Kamikamagari island, Toyoshima, Osakishimojima, Herashima, Nakanoshima at seven bridges. Toyoshima Bridge, concluding at Toyoshima regards traffic of a ship as Kamikamagari island, and is 50 m high from the surface of the sea.
Economy
- IHI Marine United (IHI Corporation)
- Nisshin Steel
- Yodogawa Steel Works
- Babcock-Hitachi (Hitachi Ltd)
- Sailor Pen Company
- Disco CorporationDisco Corporationis a precision tools maker from Japan. The company was founded as Daiichi-Seitosho Co. Ltd. in May 1937, as an industrial abrasive wheels manufacturer.In December 1968, it developed and released an ultra-thin resinoid cutting wheel, MICRON-CUT...
- MitutoyoMitutoyois a Japanese multinational corporation specializing in measuring instruments and metrological technology, headquartered at Mizonokuchi, Kawasaki, Kanagawa.Mitutoyo was founded in 1934 by Yehan Numata with one product, the micrometer...
- Oji Paper CompanyOji Paper Companyis a Japanese manufacturer of paper products. It is the 6th-largest paper manufacturing company in the world in terms of revenue.- Operations :Oji Paper produces paper for printing, writing, and packaging...
Museums
- Kure Municipal Museum of Art and Museum Avenue
- Irifuneyama Memorial Museum
- Sannose Gohonjin Art and Culture
- Rantokaku Art Museum
- Kurahashi-cho Nagato Museum of Shipbuilding History
- Yamato MuseumYamato MuseumThe Yamato Museum is a nickname of the "Kure Maritime Museum" in Kure, Hiroshima, Japan.-History:The museum opened on April 23, 2005. It is nicknamed the Yamato Museum due to the display in the lobby of the large model ship Yamato Hiroba, a 1/10 scale model of the Japanese battleship Yamato...
Historical places
- Former Kre-chinjyufu
- Mitarai
- Former House of Prince TakamatsuPrince Takamatsuwas the third son of HIM Emperor Taishō and HIM Empress Teimei and a younger brother of the HIM Emperor Shōwa . He became heir to the Takamatsu-no-miya , one of the four shinnōke or branches of the imperial family entitled to inherit the Chrysanthemum throne in default of a direct heir...
- House of Kimiyo Fjii
Parks and gardens
- Rekishi-no-mieru-Oka and Park
- Nagasako Park
- Allay Karasu Kojima Park
- Ondono-setoOndono-setois a strait in Seto Inland Sea around Kure, Hiroshima between the main island of Japan and Kurahashi island.-Overview:Ondo-no-seto was excavated to enough to sail the trading ships by Taira no Kiyomori from 1164 to 1167 during the Heian period for the trade with China.There is a famous red bridge...
and Park - Setonaikai National ParkSetonaikai National Parkis a national park that covers the entire expanse of Japan's Inland Sea. It was designated a national park in 1934. It contains about 3,000 islands. The well-known Itsukushima Island lies within the park.-External links:...
- Kure Port-pia Park
- Nikokyo Park
Festivals
- Kure Port Festival
- Kure Fireworks above the Sea (late July or early August)
- Kameyama Shrine Festival (2nd Sunday in October, and the day before)
Sister cities
Daisen, TottoriDaisen, Tottori
is a town located in Saihaku District, Tottori, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 6,627 and a density of 78.47 persons per km²...
, Japan Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
, USA Marbella
Marbella
Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
, Spain Jinhae-gu, South Korea Wenzhou
Wenzhou
Wenzhou is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. The area under its jurisdiction, which includes two satellite cities and six counties, had a population of 9,122,100 as of 2010....
, China - sister port city
Musicians
- Kenji Okahira (1919 (band)19 was a Japanese pop music duo. Its members wereKenji Okahira and Keigo Iwase. The group broke up in March 2002. Kenji is now a member of the band 3B LAB.☆.-Singles:* 'Ano Ao wo Koete'...
) - Akira SakataAkira SakataAkira Sakata is a Japanese free jazz saxophonist.He trained as a marine biologist. He joined the Yamashita Yosuke Trio from 1972 till 1979 and toured internationally with them. In 1986, he performed with Last Exit with Bill Laswell. This performance was released as 1987's Noise of Trouble: Last...
- Hitomi ShimataniHitomi Shimatani, is a female pop singer signed to the Avex Trax label.Shimatani started her career as an Enka singer with the release of her debut single in 1999, but later decided to get into the dance/pop style for her music. Shimatani's music has also appeared in video games and also anime series.- Early life...
- Michiru JoMichiru Jois an actor and J-Pop artist in Japan.He first became famous when he applied to a "star birth" audition, at the age of 15. He released his first single "irukani-notta-shounen" in 1973, which was his most well-known song. At the age of 20, he stopped singing, to study at the Komazawa university in...
- Miyu MatsukiMiyu Matsukiis a Japanese voice actress. Her hometown is Hiroshima Japan.-Anime cast in:*Ayakashi as Hime Yakushiji*ARIA The NATURAL as Ayano *Binchō-tan as Pukashuu*Claymore as Flora*D.C. ~Da Capo~ as Yoriko Sagisawa*D.C.S.S...