Mobara, Chiba
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in Chiba Prefecture
, Japan. As of September 2010, the city has an estimated population
of 92,449 and a population density
of 924 persons per km². The total area is 100.01 km².
. The elevation is low, ranging from 8-9 meters in the east, and rising to 100 meters in the west. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean
and with warming effects of the Kuroshio Current
give the area a mild maritime climate, with hot, humid summers and cool, mild winters.
dating from the Jōmon period
and Yayoi periods
. The city also has examples of kofun
, or burial tombs, from the Kofun period
.
estates, the Mobara-sō and the Tachibana-sō, in the Heian period
. At the beginning of the Edo period
, in 1591, an extensively land survey was carried out by the Tokugawa clan
.
-cadastral reforms in the Chōsei District
. Numerous small villages were brought together to form the present-day city of Mobara.
The Bōsō Tetsudo, now the JR Sotobō Line, was established in 1897 between Ichinomiya
and Ōami Station
in present-day Ōamishirasato
. Mobara Station
was one station established on the line, thus connecting Mobara to the wider rail network. In 1909 a handcar
system ran from Mobara Station and Chonan. The handcar railroad was constructed and operated by the prefecture.
A base for the 252 Air Group
of the Imperial Japanese Navy
(IJN), a fighter aircraft
unit, was established in 1941 in Mobara. By orders of the IJN residences, schools, town halls, police substations, temples, and shrines were confiscated to build the base. Mobara Air Field was completed in 1943, on the east banks of the small Aku River, directly to the east of Mobara Station
. Tokubetsu kōgekitai, or kamikaze
units, were reportedly sent to Okinawa from the base. Remains of the runway
, approximately ten air field structures, and a tunnel are now on the property of the Mitsui Toshō chemical company.
occupied the base. The Japan Self-Defense Forces
attempted to confiscate the former Mobara Air Base in 1954, but after organized efforts by residents, agricultural organizations, the town and prefectural governments, the plans were abandoned the following year.
On April 1, 1952, Mobara expanded by annexation of neighboring villages of Tōgō, Toyoda, Ninomiya-Hongō, Tsurue, and Gogō and was elevated to city status. On May 1, 1972, Mobara merged with the neighoring town of Honnō. On December 11, 1990, the city was hit by an F-3
tornado
, which destroyed 58 houses and damaged over 148 others.
. The economy of Mobara is dominated by electronics manufacturing, and by natural gas
production and distribution. Futaba Corporation, a major manufacturer of radio control
models and toys, is headquartered in Mobara. The main agricultural products are rice and onions.
Festival, during which a wide array of stalls and parades dominate much of the city's central shopping district. While the rest of Japan usually celebrates Tanabata on July 7, the Mobara festival is held in late July so as to coincide with school holidays.
Mobara is also the hometown of Akira Haraguchi
, the man famous for reciting over 100,000 digits of Pi
, who works as a mental health counsellor
and business consultant in Mobara.
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 Chiba Prefecture
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
, Japan. As of September 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 92,449 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 924 persons per km². The total area is 100.01 km².
Geography
Mobara is located in an inland area of north-central Bōsō PeninsulaBoso Peninsula
thumb|Locationthumb|Landsat image with high-resolution data from Space Shuttle is a peninsula in Chiba prefecture on Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It forms the eastern edge of Tokyo Bay, separating it from the Pacific Ocean....
. The elevation is low, ranging from 8-9 meters in the east, and rising to 100 meters in the west. Its proximity to the 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...
and with warming effects of the 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...
give the area a mild maritime climate, with hot, humid summers and cool, mild winters.
Surrounding municipalities
- Midori-ku, ChibaMidori-ku, Chibais one of the six wards of the city of Chiba in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the ward had an estimated population of 122,686 and a population density of 1,850 persons per km²...
- Ichihara, ChibaIchihara, Chibais a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of August 2010, the city has an estimated population of 279,080, with a population density of 758 persons per km². The total area of Ichihara was 368.20 km²...
- Nagara, ChibaNagara, Chibais a town located in Chōsei District, Chiba, Japan. As of Mar. 1, 2010, the town had an estimated population of 8,117 and a density of 172 persons per km². The total area is 47.20 km².- Geography :...
- Chonan, ChibaChonan, Chibais a town located in Chōsei District, Chiba, Japan.As of 2010 estimates, the town had a population of 9,154 and a density of 140 persons per km². The total area was .- Geography :...
- Shirako, ChibaShirako, Chibais a town located in Chōsei District, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010 data, the town had an estimated population of 12,222 and a density of 445 persons per km². The total area was 27.46 km².-Geography:...
- Ōamishirasato, ChibaOamishirasato, Chibais a town located in Sanbu District, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 50,303 and a population density of 866 persons per km². The total area was 58.06 km²...
Prehistory
Mobara was settled from the earliest times, as evidenced by archaeological sites and shell moundsMidden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
dating from the Jōmon period
Jomon period
The is the time in Japanese prehistory from about 14,000 BC to 300 BC.The term jōmon means "cord-patterned" in Japanese. This refers to the pottery style characteristic of the Jōmon culture, and which has markings made using sticks with cords wrapped around them...
and Yayoi periods
Yayoi period
The is an Iron Age era in the history of Japan traditionally dated 300 BC to 300 AD. It is named after the neighbourhood of Tokyo where archaeologists first uncovered artifacts and features from that era. Distinguishing characteristics of the Yayoi period include the appearance of new...
. The city also has examples of kofun
Kofun
Kofun are megalithic tombs or tumuli in Japan, constructed between the early 3rd century and early 7th century. They gave their name to the Kofun period . Many of the Kofun have a distinctive keyhole-shaped mound , unique to ancient Japan...
, or burial tombs, from the Kofun period
Kofun period
The is an era in the history of Japan from around 250 to 538. It follows the Yayoi period. The word kofun is Japanese for the type of burial mounds dating from this era. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes referred to collectively as the Yamato period...
.
Early history
Mobara was the location of at least two shōenShoen
A was a field or manor in Japan. The Japanese term comes from the Tang dynasty Chinese term zhuangyuan.Shōen, from about the 8th to the late 15th century, describes any of the private, tax-free, often autonomous estates or manors whose rise undermined the political and economic power of the...
estates, the Mobara-sō and the Tachibana-sō, in the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
. At the beginning of 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....
, in 1591, an extensively land survey was carried out by 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:...
.
Modern history
The modern town of Mobara was created during the early Meiji periodMeiji 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 :...
-cadastral reforms in the Chōsei District
Chosei District, Chiba
is a district located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of September 2010, the district has an estimated population of 63,382 and a density of 279 persons per km². The total area was 226.97 km²...
. Numerous small villages were brought together to form the present-day city of Mobara.
The Bōsō Tetsudo, now the JR Sotobō Line, was established in 1897 between Ichinomiya
Ichinomiya, Chiba
is a town located in Chōsei District, Chiba, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 12,079and a density of 525 persons per km². The total area was 23.02 km².-Geography:...
and Ōami Station
Ōami Station
is a railway station operated by JR East's Sotobō Line and Tōgane Line, located in Ōamishirasato, Chiba Prefecture Japan. It is 22.9 kilometers from the terminus of the Sotobō Line at Chiba Station and forms the eastern terminus of the Tōgane Line.-History:...
in present-day Ōamishirasato
Oamishirasato, Chiba
is a town located in Sanbu District, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 50,303 and a population density of 866 persons per km². The total area was 58.06 km²...
. Mobara Station
Mobara Station
is a railway station operated by JR East's Sotobō Line located in Mobara, Chiba Prefecture Japan. It is 34.3 kilometers from the terminus of the Sotobō Line at Chiba Station.-History:...
was one station established on the line, thus connecting Mobara to the wider rail network. In 1909 a handcar
Handcar
A handcar is a railroad car powered by its passengers, or by people pushing the car from behind. It is mostly used as a maintenance of way or mining car, but it was also used for passenger service in some cases...
system ran from Mobara Station and Chonan. The handcar railroad was constructed and operated by the prefecture.
A base for the 252 Air Group
252 Air Group
was a fighter aircraft unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Pacific campaign of World War II. The unit's name is translated into English as the "252 Air Group" instead of "252nd Air Group" because each numeral in the unit's name was a discrete identifier of information pertaining to the...
of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
(IJN), a fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
unit, was established in 1941 in Mobara. By orders of the IJN residences, schools, town halls, police substations, temples, and shrines were confiscated to build the base. Mobara Air Field was completed in 1943, on the east banks of the small Aku River, directly to the east of Mobara Station
Mobara Station
is a railway station operated by JR East's Sotobō Line located in Mobara, Chiba Prefecture Japan. It is 34.3 kilometers from the terminus of the Sotobō Line at Chiba Station.-History:...
. Tokubetsu kōgekitai, or kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
units, were reportedly sent to Okinawa from the base. Remains of the runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
, approximately ten air field structures, and a tunnel are now on the property of the Mitsui Toshō chemical company.
Post-war history
At the end of World War II the 113th Cavalry Regiment of the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
occupied the base. The Japan Self-Defense Forces
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
attempted to confiscate the former Mobara Air Base in 1954, but after organized efforts by residents, agricultural organizations, the town and prefectural governments, the plans were abandoned the following year.
On April 1, 1952, Mobara expanded by annexation of neighboring villages of Tōgō, Toyoda, Ninomiya-Hongō, Tsurue, and Gogō and was elevated to city status. On May 1, 1972, Mobara merged with the neighoring town of Honnō. On December 11, 1990, the city was hit by an F-3
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
, which destroyed 58 houses and damaged over 148 others.
Economy
Mobara serves as a regional commerce center for surrounding Chōsei DistrictChosei District, Chiba
is a district located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of September 2010, the district has an estimated population of 63,382 and a density of 279 persons per km². The total area was 226.97 km²...
. The economy of Mobara is dominated by electronics manufacturing, and by natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
production and distribution. Futaba Corporation, a major manufacturer of radio control
Radio control
Radio control is the use of radio signals to remotely control a device. The term is used frequently to refer to the control of model vehicles from a hand-held radio transmitter...
models and toys, is headquartered in Mobara. The main agricultural products are rice and onions.
Rail
- JR EastEast 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....
- Sotobō Line- - -
Local attractions
- Tachibana Jinja - a Shintō shrine connected with the Yamatotakeru mythology, the ninomiyaNinomiyaNinomiya is a Japanese name. It is usually spelled or and can be translated to "second shrine".Ninomiya is the name of several places:*Ninomiya, Tochigi*Ninomiya, KanagawaNinomiya is a popular Japanese surname, and may refer to:...
of Kazusa Province - Nyoirin-jiNyoirin-ji' is a Buddhist temple located in the city of Mobara in Chiba Prefecture. Nyoirin-ji is a Nichiren Buddhist temple noted for its ancient ginkgo tree. The temple is also near the remains of the Tonoyatsu Castle.- History :...
- a Nichiren BuddhistNichiren BuddhismNichiren Buddhism is a branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th century Japanese monk Nichiren...
temple
Tanabata Festival
A popular annual event in Mobara is the TanabataTanabata
is a Japanese star festival, originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi . According to legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the...
Festival, during which a wide array of stalls and parades dominate much of the city's central shopping district. While the rest of Japan usually celebrates Tanabata on July 7, the Mobara festival is held in late July so as to coincide with school holidays.
Notable people from Mobara
- Naoki KawanoNaoki Kawanois a Japanese actor and musician from Mobara, Chiba Prefecture. He is a former Johnny's Jr. member, and is no longer represented by Johnny & Associates. While a Johnny's Jr., he was part of Kaidan Trio, TOKYO, and Kawano Band. He was also formerly the drummer of the rock band Dustz, fronted by...
- actor and musician - Ishii Kikujirō - prewar diplomat and cabinet minister
- Michitaka KobayashiMichitaka Kobayashiis a Japanese voice actor. For a time, he was known as . He currently works for Aoni Production.-Television animation:*Atashin'chi *Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin *Legend of the Galactic Heroes *Mirai Keisatsu Urashiman...
- seiyu - Yuko OguraYuko Ogurais a Japanese gravure idol and model who typically aims for the cute, innocent schoolgirl look. In Japan, she is mostly called by her nickname .Ogura regularly, if not entirely seriously, claims to be one "Princess Apple-Momoka" of the apple-shaped planet Korin . This is apparently an in-joke...
- gravure idol - Yōko ShōjiYoko Shojiis a Japanese manga artist. She is best known for writing Seito Shokun! , for which she won the Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo in 1978.- External links :*...
- manga artist
Mobara is also the hometown of Akira Haraguchi
Akira Haraguchi
Akira Haraguchi , a retired Japanese engineer, currently working as a mental health counsellor and business consultant in Mobara City, is known for memorizing and reciting digits of Pi....
, the man famous for reciting over 100,000 digits of Pi
Pi
' is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter. is approximately equal to 3.14. Many formulae in mathematics, science, and engineering involve , which makes it one of the most important mathematical constants...
, who works as a mental health counsellor
Mental health professional
A mental health professional is a health care practitioner who offers services for the purpose of improving an individual's mental health or to treat mental illness. This broad category includes psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses, mental health...
and business consultant in Mobara.