Mishima, 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...
located in eastern 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. As of 2009, 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 112,078 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 1,800 persons per km². The total area is 62.13 km². Its population has expanded since the opening of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen line made it possible to commute
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
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...
.
Geography
Mishima is located in far eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, at the top of Izu PeninsulaIzu Peninsula
The is a large mountainous peninsula with deeply indented coasts to the west of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of the island of Honshū, Japan. Formerly the eponymous Izu Province, Izu peninsula is now a part of Shizuoka Prefecture...
and in the foothills of 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...
. The area has a temperate martitime climate with hot, humid summers and cool, mild winters.
Surrounding municipalities
Shizuoka Prefecture- NumazuNumazu, Shizuokais a city located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2009, the city has an estimated population of 205,636 and a population density of 1,100 persons per km². The total area was 187.11 km².- Geography:...
- SusonoSusono, Shizuokais a city in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2010, the city has an estimated population of 54,027 and a density of 390 persons per km²...
- KannamiKannami, Shizuokais a town located in Tagata District, Shizuoka, Japan. As of February 2010, the town has an estimated population of 39,126 and a density of 601 persons per km². The total area is 65.13 km².-Geography:...
- ShimizuShimizu, Shizuokais a town located in Suntō District, Shizuoka, Japan. As of 2009, the town has an estimated population of 32,205and a density of 3,640 persons per km². The total area is 8.84 km².-Geography:...
- NagaizumiNagaizumi, Shizuokais a town located in Suntō District, Shizuoka, Japan. As of 2009, the town has an estimated population of 39,865 and a density of 1,500 persons per km². The total area is 26.51 km².-Geography:...
Kanagawa Prefecture
- HakoneHakone, Kanagawais a town in Ashigarashimo District in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 13,339 and a density of 144 persons per km². The total area was 92.82 km².-Geography:...
History
Mishima is an ancient town, which developed around the important Shinto shrine of . Under the RitsuryoRitsuryo
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"...
administration system established in 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...
, Mishima was made capital of Izu Province
Izu Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Shizuoka Prefecture. Izu bordered on Sagami and Suruga Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was .The mainland portion of Izu Province, comprising the Izu Peninsula is today the eastern portion of Shizuoka Prefecture and the Izu Islands are now part of...
. It was also the location of the Kokubun-ji
Provincial temple
Emperor Shōmu of Japan established so-called provincial temples in each province of Japan...
for Izu Province. In 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....
, Mishima prospered from its location on 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:...
, and Mishima-shuku
Mishima-shuku
was the eleventh of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō during Edo period Japan. It is located in the present-day city of Mishima, in Shizuoka Prefecture.-History:...
was one of the 53 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...
on that road. The area was tenryō territory ruled by a daikan appointed 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...
. 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...
, Mishima became part of the short-lived Nirayama Prefecture in 1868. This merged with the equally short-lived Ashigara Prefecture in 1871, and became part of Shizuoka Prefecture from April 18, 1876. During the cadastral reform of 1889, the area was reorganized as Mishimi Town within Kimisawa District. In 1892, Prince Komatsu Akihito
Prince Komatsu Akihito
-External links:**...
established a villa in Mishima. Its gardens, the Rakujūen, are a noted visitor attraction in Mishima to this day. In 1896, Kimisawa District became part of Tagata District, Shizuoka
Tagata District, Shizuoka
is a district located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.Tagata District was one of the original districts of Izu Province, having been separated from Suruga Province in the cadastral reform of 680 AD, and covered most of central Izu Peninsula. By 2009, the district has been considerably reduced in...
. Mishima received its first train connection in 1898 when the predecessor of the Izuhakone Railway
Izuhakone Railway
The is a railway company in Kanagawa Prefecture and Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The company also operates excursion ships, and the group companies operate buses and taxis. The company has its roots in founded in 1893. Izuhakone Railway is a member of Seibu group...
established what is now Shimo-Togari Station
Shimo-Togari Station
is a railway station on the Gotemba Line of Central Japan Railway Company located in located in the south of Nagaizumi, Shizuoka, Japan.-Station layout:...
. The Sunzu Line began operations from 1906. However, Mishima's fortunes revived strongly only after the Tanna Tunnel
Tanna Tunnel
is a railroad tunnel in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan operated by JR Central’s Tōkaidō Main Line. This 7.8 km long tunnel shortened the trunk route between Tokyo and Kobe by omitting a detour round the mountains between Atami and Numazu.-History:...
was completed in 1934, connecting the town to 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 between Tokyo and Shizuoka
Shizuoka, Shizuoka
is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and the prefecture's second-largest city in terms of both population and area. It became one of Japan's 19 "designated cities" in 2005.-Geography:...
. Mishima developed rapidly afterwards, merging with neighboring Kitakami Village in 1935 and Watada Village in 1941. Mishima Town was elevated in status to a city on April 29, 1941. It became a stop on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen from 1969. Mishima is home to the Ryūtaku-ji
Ryutaku-ji
is a Rinzai Buddhist temple located in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, that was founded by Zen Master Hakuin Ekaku in 1761. During the mid Twentieth century Ryutaku-ji was led by a number of influential Abbots, who encouraged and supported the study of Zen by Westerners...
Rinzai Zen temple.
Economy
Mishima is a major industrial center within Shizuoka Prefecture. In addition to a railroad repair facility operated by JR CentralCentral Japan Railway Company
The 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...
, the city hosts factories from:
- TorayTorayis a multinational corporation headquartered in Japan that specializes in industrial products centered around technologies in organic synthetic chemistry, polymer chemistry, and biochemistry. Its founding business areas were fibers and textiles, as well as plastics and chemicals...
- DMW Corporation
- Toshiba TEC Corporation
- Yokohama Rubber CompanyYokohama Rubber Companyis a tire company based in Tokyo, Japan. The company founded and started in 1917 in a joint venture between Yokohama Cable Manufacturing and B.F. Goodrich. In 1969 the company expanded to the United States as Yokohama Tire Corporation. The Aspec A300 was the driving force behind its tremendous...
- CFS Corporation (HAC Drugstores)
- Izuhakone RailwayIzuhakone RailwayThe is a railway company in Kanagawa Prefecture and Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The company also operates excursion ships, and the group companies operate buses and taxis. The company has its roots in founded in 1893. Izuhakone Railway is a member of Seibu group...
Company Ltd
Sister City relations
Pasadena, CaliforniaPasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, United States, since July 24, 1957 New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
, New Zealand, since April 29, 1991 Lishui
Lishui
Lishui is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It borders Quzhou, Jinhua and Taizhou to the north, Wenzhou to the southeast, and the province of Fujian to the southwest...
, 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 May 12, 1997
Rail
- JR TōkaiCentral 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- Mishima StationMishima Stationis an interchange railway station in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan for the Tōkaidō Main Line and the Tōkaidō Shinkansen of Central Japan Railway Company and was a freight terminal of the Japan Freight Railway Company...
- Mishima Station
- JR TōkaiCentral 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...
- Mishima Station
- Izuhakone RailwayIzuhakone RailwayThe is a railway company in Kanagawa Prefecture and Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The company also operates excursion ships, and the group companies operate buses and taxis. The company has its roots in founded in 1893. Izuhakone Railway is a member of Seibu group...
- Sunzu Line- Mishima - - - -
Education
The College of International RelationsInternational relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
for Nihon University
Nihon University
Nihon University is the largest university in Japan. Akiyoshi Yamada, the minister of justice, founded Nihon Law School in October 1889....
is located in Mishima. Mishima is also home to the National Institute of Genetics
National Institute of Genetics
The National Institute of Genetics is a Japanese institution founded in 1949.It hosts the DNA Data Bank of Japan....
.
Culture
Novelist Kimitake Hiraoka adopted his pen name Yukio MishimaYukio Mishima
was the pen name of , a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor and film director, also remembered for his ritual suicide by seppuku after a failed coup d'état...
after the city.
The Mishima Summer Festival takes place from August 15 to 17 every year, in and around the Mishima Taisha
Mishima Taisha
The is a Shinto shrine in the city of Mishima in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is the ichinomiya of former Izu Province. The main festival of the shrine is held annually on August 16, and features yabusame performances.-Enshrined kami:...
shrine, as well as near Mishima Station
Mishima Station
is an interchange railway station in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan for the Tōkaidō Main Line and the Tōkaidō Shinkansen of Central Japan Railway Company and was a freight terminal of the Japan Freight Railway Company...
. 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...
are carried through the streets and the taiko
Taiko
means "drum" in Japanese . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming...
are played.
Notable people from Mishima
- Makoto OokaMakoto Ookais a Japanese poet and literary critic.Ooka's poetry column was published without a break seven days a week for more than 20 years on the front page of Asahi Shimbun, which is Japan's leading national newspaper.-Notes:...
- poet and literary critic - Yukiko SakamotoYukiko Sakamotois a female Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet . A native of Mishima, Shizuoka and graduate of the University of Tokyo, she joined the Ministry of Labor from 1972 until 2004 when she was elected to the House of Councillors for the...
- politician - Naohiro TakaharaNaohiro Takaharais a Japanese footballer. He currently plays for J. League Division 1 side Shimizu S-Pulse as a strikerTakahara was born in Mishima, Shizuoka. He has previously played for Júbilo Iwata in Japan, Boca Juniors in Argentina, Hamburger SV and Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.On December 3, 2006, he...
- professional soccer player