Naka-ku, Yokohama
Encyclopedia
is one of the 18 wards
of the city of Yokohama
in Kanagawa Prefecture
, Japan
. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population
of 146,563and a density
of 7,080 persons per km². The total area was 20.86 km².
complex, and Yamashita Park were built. To the south are the piers, oil refineries and the central port of Yokohama. The Nakamura River, a branch of the Ōoka River
, cuts across the northern part of the ward. The northernmost and southernmost points are upland.
, the area of present-day Naka Ward was part of the tenryō territory in Musashi Province
controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate
, but administered through various hatamoto
. In the Bakumatsu Period, the signing of the Kanagawa Treaty provided for the opening of treaty ports, and the area of what is now central Naka Ward was designated as open to foreign settlement in 1859. The Yokohama Cricket Club (now Yokohama Country & Athletic Club) was established in 1868. Yokohama Chinatown
was also established during this period.
After the Meiji Restoration
, the area was transferred to the new Kuraki District in Kanagawa Prefecture
. Yokohama's wards were established on October 10, 1927, with this area becoming Naka Ward. The 1923 Great Kantō earthquake
devastated downtown Yokohama. Yamashita Park was established in 1930 with landfill from the earthquake rubble. In December 1943, Minami Ward
was separated from Naka Ward, which also gave up some territory to Kanagawa Ward
and Hodogaya Ward
. Nishi Ward
was separated from Naka Ward in 1944. During World War II
, the Yokohama Air Raid of May 29, 1945 left 14,157 people dead, injured, or missing. After the surrender of Japan
, some 74% of the land, 90% of port area in Naka Ward was occupied by the American military. The last of this territory was not returned to Japan until March 31, 1982.
Wards of Japan
A is a subdivision of one of the cities of Japan that is large enough to have been designated by government ordinance. Wards are used to subdivide each city designated by government ordinance...
of the city of Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
in Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, 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 ward 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 146,563and 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 7,080 persons per km². The total area was 20.86 km².
Geography
Naka Ward is located in eastern Kanagawa Prefecture, and east of the geographic center of the city of Yokohama. Its name means "central ward." It is host to the Yokohama city hall and the headquarters of the Kanagawa prefectural government. The northern part of the ward is flat. The central part includes highlands in the interior; this area is known as , and has long been a residential area. Along the shore lies reclaimed land upon which port facilities, part of the Minato Mirai 21Minato Mirai 21
, often shortened to Minato Mirai or MM is a large urban development in Yokohama, Japan. Minato Mirai 21 area is designated for new urban center planned to connect city's traditional center of Kannai and Yokohama Station area....
complex, and Yamashita Park were built. To the south are the piers, oil refineries and the central port of Yokohama. The Nakamura River, a branch of the Ōoka River
Ooka River
is a river that flows through Yokohama, Japan. It is 14 km long and over 80 bridges are built on the river.-External links:...
, cuts across the northern part of the ward. The northernmost and southernmost points are upland.
Surrounding municipalities
- Nishi WardNishi-ku, Yokohamais one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 93,027 and a density of 13,210 persons per km². The total area was 7.04 km².-Geography:...
- Minami WardMinami-ku, Yokohamais one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 197,019 and a density of 15,550 persons per km². The total area was 12.67 km².-Geography:...
- Isogo WardIsogo-ku, Yokohamais one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 163,406 and a density of 8,520 persons per km². The total area was 19.17 km².-Geography:...
History
In 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....
, the area of present-day Naka Ward was part of the tenryō territory in Musashi Province
Musashi Province
was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Prefecture, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama...
controlled 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...
, but administered through various hatamoto
Hatamoto
A was a samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as gokenin. However, in the Edo period, hatamoto were the upper vassals of the Tokugawa...
. In the Bakumatsu Period, the signing of the Kanagawa Treaty provided for the opening of treaty ports, and the area of what is now central Naka Ward was designated as open to foreign settlement in 1859. The Yokohama Cricket Club (now Yokohama Country & Athletic Club) was established in 1868. Yokohama Chinatown
Yokohama Chinatown
Yokohama Chinatown is located in Yokohama, Japan, which is located just south of Tokyo. Its history is about 150 years long...
was also established during this period.
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...
, the area was transferred to the new Kuraki District in Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
. Yokohama's wards were established on October 10, 1927, with this area becoming Naka Ward. The 1923 Great Kantō earthquake
1923 Great Kanto earthquake
The struck the Kantō plain on the Japanese main island of Honshū at 11:58:44 am JST on September 1, 1923. Varied accounts hold that the duration of the earthquake was between 4 and 10 minutes...
devastated downtown Yokohama. Yamashita Park was established in 1930 with landfill from the earthquake rubble. In December 1943, Minami Ward
Minami-ku, Yokohama
is one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 197,019 and a density of 15,550 persons per km². The total area was 12.67 km².-Geography:...
was separated from Naka Ward, which also gave up some territory to Kanagawa Ward
Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama
is one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 230,401 and a density of 9,650 persons per km²...
and Hodogaya Ward
Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama
is one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, Hodogaya Ward had an estimated population of 205,887 and a density of 9,400 persons per km². The total area was 21.91 km².-Geography:...
. Nishi Ward
Nishi-ku, Yokohama
is one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 93,027 and a density of 13,210 persons per km². The total area was 7.04 km².-Geography:...
was separated from Naka Ward in 1944. During World War II
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...
, the Yokohama Air Raid of May 29, 1945 left 14,157 people dead, injured, or missing. After the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
, some 74% of the land, 90% of port area in Naka Ward was occupied by the American military. The last of this territory was not returned to Japan until March 31, 1982.
Economy
Naka Ward is a regional commercial center and the old main business district of Yokohama.Railroads
- East Japan Railway CompanyEast 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....
– Keihin-Tohoku LineKeihin-Tohoku LineThe , is a railway line in Japan which connects the cities of Saitama, Kawaguchi, Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama. It is part of the East Japan Railway Company network. The line's name is derived from the characters for , and the...
, Negishi LineNegishi LineThe is a Japanese railway line which runs between Yokohama and Ōfuna stations. It is operated by East Japan Railway Company . Freight trains also run on this line, and it is essential for the southern Keihin region....
, Yokohama Line- - - -
- Keihin Electric Express RailwayKeihin Electric Express Railway, also known as or, more recently, , is a private railroad that connects inner Tokyo to Kawasaki, Yokohama, Yokosuka and other points on the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture. It also provides rail access to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. means the Tokyo - Yokohama area. The company's railway...
- Keikyū Main Line - Yokohama Minatomirai Railway CompanyYokohama Minatomirai Railway CompanyThe is a third-sector railway company funded by the city of Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture and Tokyu Corporation.The company oversees the Minatomirai Line and the Kodomonokuni Line...
– Minatomirai Line- - Nihon-ōdōriNihon-odori Station, is an underground metro station located in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan operated by the Yokohama Minatomirai Railway’s Minatomirai Line. It is 3.2 kilometers from the terminus of the Minatomirai Line at Yokohama Station. Its official name is , including the sub-name in parentheses...
- Motomachi-ChūkagaiMotomachi-Chukagai Stationis an underground terminus of the Minatomirai Line subway located in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is 4.1 kilometers from the opposite terminus of the Minatomirai Line at Yokohama Station. Its official name, as shown on signage in the station, is with the sub-name in...
- - Nihon-ōdōri
- Yokohama City Transportation BureauYokohama City Transportation BureauThe is the administrative agency in charge of public transportation services in the city of Yokohama, Japan.-Subway operations:The Yokohama Municipal Subway consists of the following lines:...
– Blue LineBlue Line (Yokohama)The is a line in the Yokohama Municipal Subway system of Yokohama, Japan, operated by Yokohama City Transportation Bureau. Line 3 runs from Azamino to Kannai, and Line 1 runs from Kannai to Shōnandai. All the trains join these two lines.-History:...
- – –
- Japan Freight Railway CompanyJapan Freight Railway Company, or , is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group . It provides transportation of cargo nationwide. Its headquarters are in Shibuya, Tokyo near Shinjuku Station....
-Tōkaidō Freight LineTōkaidō Freight LineThe links Odawara Station in Kanagawa Prefecture and Hamamatsuchō Station in central Tōkyō, Japan.-Summary:The Tōkaidō Freight Line runs parallel to the immediate west of the Yokosuka and Tōkaidō passenger lines from Odawara Station to Higashi-Totsuka Station, where it veers west via Yokohama...
Highways
- Shuto ExpresswayShuto Expresswayis a network of toll expressways in the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is operated and maintained by the .Most routes consist of elevated roadway above other roads or over water, and have many sharp curves which require caution to drive safely...
- Japan National Route 16
- Japan National Route 133
- Route 357 (Japan)Route 357 (Japan)National Route 357 is a national highway of Japan connecting Chūō-ku, Chiba and Yokosuka, Kanagawa in Japan, with a total length of 70 km ....
Local attractions
- Yokohama ChinatownYokohama ChinatownYokohama Chinatown is located in Yokohama, Japan, which is located just south of Tokyo. Its history is about 150 years long...
- MotomachiMotomachiis a district of Naka Ward in Yokohama, Japan, located immediately west of Yamate and east of Chinatown. It consists mainly of the Motomachi Shopping Street, a five-block long stretch of boutiques and shops, well known in Japan for its cosmopolitan atmosphere, original fashion, and Western...
- KannaiKannaiis a region in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan, bounded by the Ōoka River, JR Negishi Line, Nakamura River, and the Ocean. "Kannai" is not an official name of the area, but it has been in use for over a century....
- IsezakichōIsezakichois a district of Naka Ward in Yokohama, Japan, consisting mainly of the . The shopping street is 1.2 km long, running from in the northeast, to in the southwest....
- Yamashita Park
- YamateYamateis the name of two neighborhoods in Naka-ku, Yokohama. One is the historic Yamate Bluff area, with the Foreigner's Cemetery, many well-preserved residences, two International Schools—Yokohama International School and Saint Maur International School—and the Sacred Heart Cathedral...
- Yokohama StadiumYokohama Stadiumis a stadium in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan. It opened in 1978 and holds 30,000 people.It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Yokohama BayStars. The stadium is unique, because it features dirt around the bases and pitcher's mound, but with dirt colored turf infield and base...
- Yokohama Marine TowerYokohama Marine Toweris a 106 metre high lattice tower with an observation deck at a height of 100 metres in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan.The light characteristic is marked by a flash every twenty seconds, whereby the light's colour is alternating red and green...
- Yokohama Curry MuseumYokohama Curry MuseumThe was a restaurant and historic museum of curry in the Isezakichō district of the port city of Yokohama, Japan, between 2001 and 2007. Different types of curry were available from a selection or restaurants, ranging from a full meal to a quick taste option....
- Yokohama Archives of HistoryYokohama Archives of HistoryThe in Naka ward, central Yokohama near Yamashita Park is a repository for many precious archive materials on Japan and the foreign connection with Japan since the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry in 1853...
- SankeienSankeienis a traditional Japanese-style garden in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan, which opened in 1906. Sankei-en was designed and built by , known by the pseudonym Sankei Hara, who was a silk trader...
- Osanbashi PierOsanbashi Pieris the main international pier at the Port of Yokohama, located in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan. Ōsanbashi is the oldest pier in Yokohama, originally constructed between 1889 and 1896.To meet modern demands, Ōsanbashi was reconstructed between 1987 and 2002...
- Honmoku Shimin Park http://www.welcome.city.yokohama.jp/eng/tourism/spot/spot1080.html
- Yokohama Red Brick WarehouseYokohama Red Brick WarehouseThe is a historical building that is currently used as a complex that includes a shopping mall, banquet hall, and event venues. The complex, officially known as the , was originally used as customs buildings, and has two sections: Warehouse No.1 and No.2. It is operated by Yokohama Akarenga Co...
- Yokohama Bay BridgeYokohama Bay BridgeThe is a 860-metre-long cable stayed bridge in Yokohama, Japan. Opened September 27, 1989, it crosses Tokyo Bay with a span of 460 metres . The toll is ¥600. The bridge is part of the Bayshore Route of the Shuto Expressway....
Noted people from Naka Ward
- Jirō OsaragiJiro Osaragiwas the pen-name of a popular Japanese writer in Shōwa period Japan, known primarily for his historical fiction novels, which appeared serialized in newspapers and magazines. His real name was .-Early life:Osaragi Jirō was born in Yokohama...
, author - Ryo OwatariRyo Owatariis a Japanese guitarist who was born April 4, 1972 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. He was formerly a member of the amateur band pee-ka-boo, but he is mainly known for his work in the band Do As Infinity alongside Tomiko Van and Dai Nagao, that has resumed activities after their 2005 split. After the...
, musician - Anna OginoAnna Oginois a Japanese author and professor of literature at Keio University.-Early Years:Ogino was born as Anna Gaillard in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, to a Japanese mother and father of European-American ancestry...
, author - Kimiko Yo, actress
- Eiji YoshikawaEiji Yoshikawawas a Japanese historical novelist, probably one of the best and most famous authors in the genre. Among his most well-known novels, most are revisions of past works. He was mainly influenced by classics such as The Tale of the Heike, Tale of Genji, Outlaws of the Marsh, and Romance of the Three...
, author - Chiaki TakahashiChiaki Takahashi (actress)is a Japanese voice actress. Her hometown is Yokohama, Japan. On October 10, 2000, she changed the kanji lettering of her name, though the pronunciation remains the same. She was a member of the J-pop group Aice5 as well. Currently freelance , she was previously represented by Aoni Production and...
, seiyu - Yuko HaraYuko HaraYuko Hara plays the keyboards for Southern All Stars. She is an accomplished vocalist, and writes many of her own songs....
, musician