Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka
Encyclopedia
is one of three ward
s of the city of Shizuoka
, in Shizuoka Prefecture
, Japan
, located in the eastern part of the city.
of the Pacific Ocean
and covers a wide area from a coastal plain to the hills. The view of Mount Fuji
at Shimizu as seen across the bay from the Miho no Matsubara
appears in many pictures and paintings.
Yamanashi Prefecture
with Shizuoka city on April 1, 2003. Shizuoka annexed the town of Kanbara
from Ihara District
on March 31, 2006, and the town of Yui
on November 1, 2008, adding these former municipalities to Shimizu-ku.
Since ancient times, Shimizu thrived as a harbor town due to its good natural harbor. In addition, five post stations
of Tōkaidō
were located in Shimizu: (Kanbara-juku
, Okitsu-juku
, Ejiri-juku
, Kanbara-juku
, Yui-shuku
all of which brought prosperity to the area during the Edo period
. After the Meiji Restoration
, Shimizu became an international trade port for the export of green tea
, as well as housing a major fishery
and affiliated industries.
A Japanese manga
, Chibi Maruko-chan
put Shimizu on the national map. This manga is written by Momoko Sakura
, a native of Shimizu. Shimizu is also noted for its enthusiasm with soccer, with the local J. League
professional club Shimizu S-Pulse
having a strong support base.
oranges, and green tea
in the mountainous area and around the Nihondaira
. Shimizu Port is a major commercial fishing
port. Production of rose
s used to be the highest in Japan.
, the “Shimizu Ginza” shopping area used to be the city center of Shimizu. However, there is no longer any department store
s. Seiyu
is only an urban shopping center, which is located at the corner in front of the station. Since many large suburban shopping centers have been expanding, the shopping area downtown is not as lively as it used to be. Lately, department stores like Nagasaki-ya, Marui
, Seifu
and Daiei
have closed, one after the another. Moreover, since Shimizu merged with Shizuoka, a plan is being implemented to move fundamental functions to the area around Higashi-Shizuoka Station
as the third central area of the city in addition to Shimizu and Shizuoka.
}
Until 1984, the Shimizukō Line
ran 8 km into Miho in the heart of the Shimizu peninsula. Local bus services provide many routes throughout Shimizu-ku.
is quite popular. It is well known as the home town of a J. League
team, Shimizu S-Pulse
. An earlier club, Hagoromo Club (which spun off its parent company Nippon Light Metal) represented Shimizu in the old Japan Soccer League
in the 1970's.
The local elementary schools and junior high schools equip fields with night lighting for soccer and Shimizu has maintained this infrastructure for a long time. Since 1987, the national soccer competition “Shimizu Cup” for boys and girls has been held in August.
A famous son of the city is Japan youth international and Glasgow Celtic FC player, Koki Mizuno
.
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...
s of the city of 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:...
, in 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...
, located in the eastern part of the city.
Geography
Shimizu is located on the coast of Suruga BaySuruga Bay
Suruga Bay is a bay on the Pacific coast of Honshū in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is situated north of an imaginary line joining Omaezaki Point and Irōzaki Point at the tip of the Izu Peninsula and surrounded by Honshū to the southwest and west and the Izu Peninsula to the east.-Geology:Suruga...
of 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 covers a wide area from a coastal plain to the hills. The view 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...
at Shimizu as seen across the bay from the Miho no Matsubara
Miho no Matsubara
is a scenic area located on the Miho Peninsula in the Shimizu-ku area of Shizuoka, Japan.-Overview:Miho no Matsubara is renowned as a seashore with beautiful green pine trees and white sands spanning over seven kilometers. It has a great scenic view of Mount Fuji and the Izu Peninsula across Suruga...
appears in many pictures and paintings.
Neighboring Municipalities
Shizuoka Prefecture- FujiFuji, Shizuokais a city in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture. Fuji is the 3rd largest city in terms of population in Shizuoka Prefecture, trailing Hamamatsu and Shizuoka. As of February 2010, the city has an estimated population of 254,113 and a population density of 1040 persons per km²...
- FujinomiyaFujinomiya, Shizuokais a city located in central Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 122,464 and the density of 389 persons per km². The total area was 314.81 km².-Geography:...
- Suruga-ku, Shizuoka citySuruga-ku, Shizuokais one of three wards of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan, located in the southern part of the city. The north east of Suruga-ku faces Aoi-ku; the north west faces Shimizu-ku; the south west faces Yaizu city and south east faces Suruga Bay....
- Aoi-ku, Shizuoka cityAoi-ku, Shizuokais one of three wards of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan, located in the northern part of the city. Aoi-ku borders Suruga-ku in the south and Shimizu-ku to the southeast; the west faces Shimada, Fujieda and Kawanehon and its northern tip extends into the border between Nagano Prefecture and Yamanashi...
Yamanashi Prefecture
- NambuNanbu, Yamanashiis a town located in Minamikoma District, Yamanashi, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 10,475 and a density of 52.21 persons per km². The total area is 200.63 km²....
History
Shizimu-ku was created on April 1, 2005 when Shizuoka became a city designated by government ordinance (a "designated city"). Its area is almost identical to former Shimizu city, which mergedMerger 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:...
with Shizuoka city on April 1, 2003. Shizuoka annexed the town of Kanbara
Kanbara, Shizuoka
was a town located in Ihara District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.On March 31, 2006 Kanbara was merged into the Shimizu-ku ward of the city of Shizuoka and thus no longer exists as an independent municipality....
from Ihara District
Ihara District, Shizuoka
was a rural district located in central Shizuoka, Japan.As of the end of 2008 , the district had an estimated population of 26,859 and a population density of 497.85 persons per km²...
on March 31, 2006, and the town of Yui
Yui, Shizuoka
was a town located in Ihara District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.On November 1, 2008, Yui was merged into Shimizu-ku, a ward in the city of Shizuoka. Because of this and another merger, Ihara District dissolved....
on November 1, 2008, adding these former municipalities to Shimizu-ku.
Since ancient times, Shimizu thrived as a harbor town due to its good natural harbor. In addition, five 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...
of 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....
were located in Shimizu: (Kanbara-juku
Kanbara-juku
was the fifteenth of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in what is now part of the Shimizu-ku ward of Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan...
, Okitsu-juku
Okitsu-juku
was the seventeenth of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in what is now part of the Shimizu-ku area of Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.-History:...
, Ejiri-juku
Ejiri-juku
was the eighteenth of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is one of four former post stations located in what is now part of the Shimizu-ku area of Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was 3.4 kilometers from Okitsu-juku, the preceding post station....
, Kanbara-juku
Kanbara-juku
was the fifteenth of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in what is now part of the Shimizu-ku ward of Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan...
, Yui-shuku
Yui-shuku
was the sixteenth of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in the Shimizu-ku area of Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is one of four former post stations located in Shimizu-ku.-Area information:...
all of which brought prosperity to the area during 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....
. 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...
, Shimizu became an international trade port for the export of green tea
Green tea
Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...
, as well as housing a major fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
and affiliated industries.
A Japanese manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, Chibi Maruko-chan
Chibi Maruko-chan
is a shōjo manga series by Momoko Sakura, later adapted into an anime TV series by Nippon Animation, which originally aired on Fuji Television from January 7, 1990 to September 27, 1992. The series depicts the simple, everyday life of a little girl nicknamed Maruko and her family in suburban...
put Shimizu on the national map. This manga is written by Momoko Sakura
Momoko Sakura
, pen name , is a Japanese manga artist from Shimizu, Shizuoka Prefecture. She is the creator of the long-running manga Chibi Maruko-chan , based on her own childhood, and the more surreal fantasy anime series Coji-Coji, which ran from 1997 to 1999...
, a native of Shimizu. Shimizu is also noted for its enthusiasm with soccer, with the local J. League
J. League
The or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...
professional club Shimizu S-Pulse
Shimizu S-Pulse
is a professional Japanese association football club. Located in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, S-Pulse currently competes in the J. League Division 1 . Formed as recently as 1991, S-Pulse are one of the youngest professional teams in Japan, but are among only five to have competed in...
having a strong support base.
Economy
Shimizu was introduced in a Japanese school textbook of geography as a city with all three industries: agriculture, heavy industry and commerce.Primary industry
Shimizu is known for producing Japanese mandarinMikan
The satsuma is a seedless and easy-peeling citrus mutant of Japanese origin introduced to the West.In Japan, it is known as mikan or formally unshu mikan . In China, it is known as Wenzhou migan . The Japanese name is a result of the local reading of the same characters used in the Chinese...
oranges, and green tea
Green tea
Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...
in the mountainous area and around the Nihondaira
Nihondaira
is a scenic area located in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Japan.At the centre of Shizuoka city, from the altitude of 308 m, Nihondaira is famous for the view of Mt. Fuji, the Izu Peninsula, the Japanese Southern Alps, Shimizu Port, and Suruga Bay. It was selected as one of the top 100 sightseeing spots of...
. Shimizu Port is a major commercial fishing
Commercial 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...
port. Production of rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s used to be the highest in Japan.
Heavy industry
The waterfront area was formerly an industrial area and there were shipyards, iron works, and numerous canneries. Most of the heavy industry has been replaced by commercial venues.Commerce
At Shimizu StationShimizu Station
is the name of three train stations in Japan:*Shimizu Station * Shimizu Station * Shimizu Station...
, the “Shimizu Ginza” shopping area used to be the city center of Shimizu. However, there is no longer any department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
s. Seiyu
The Seiyu
is a Japanese company, the official head of the Seiyu Group.-External links:...
is only an urban shopping center, which is located at the corner in front of the station. Since many large suburban shopping centers have been expanding, the shopping area downtown is not as lively as it used to be. Lately, department stores like Nagasaki-ya, Marui
Marui
is a Japanese retail company which operates a chain of department stores in Tokyo as well in other major Japanese cities. They are best known for their women's fashion and accessories, which are aimed at the 25–35 age range....
, Seifu
Seifu
The Seifu is a cocktail containing Vodka, Club soda and Grapefruit juice.- History :The Seifu originated in upscale Manhattan bars, but has expanded in popularity to local bars and pubs throughout New York and the Midwest. The Seifu is renowned for its comfortable taste and low calories.-...
and Daiei
Daiei
, based in Kobe, is one of the largest supermarket chains in Japan. In 1957, Isao Nakauchi founded the chain in Osaka near Sembayashi Station on the Keihan train line. Daiei is now under a restructuring process supported by Marubeni Corporation and ÆON Co., Ltd., another Japanese supermarket chain....
have closed, one after the another. Moreover, since Shimizu merged with Shizuoka, a plan is being implemented to move fundamental functions to the area around Higashi-Shizuoka Station
Higashi-Shizuoka Station
is a railway station on the Tōkaidō Main Line of Central Japan Railway Company in Aoi-ku, Shizuoka city, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The station is 177.7 rail kilometers from Tokyo Station.-Station history:...
as the third central area of the city in addition to Shimizu and Shizuoka.
Highway
- Tōmei ExpresswayTomei ExpresswayThe is a national expressway on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is operated by Central Nippon Expressway Company. It is a part of Asian Highway Network -Naming:The word Tōmei is an acronym consisting of two kanji characters...
- Japan National Route 1
- Japan National Route 52Japan National Route 52National Route 52 is a national highway of Japan connecting Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka and Kōfu, Yamanashi in Japan, with a total length of 100.1 km ....
- Japan National Route 149
- Japan National Route 150
Rail
- JR CentralCentral 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...
}
- Shizuoka Railway Shizuoka-Shimizu LineShizuoka Railway Shizuoka-Shimizu Lineis a LRT railway line in Shizuoka Prefecture, between Shin-Shizuoka in Aoi Ward and Shin-Shimizu in Shimizu Ward, all within the city of Shizuoka. Presently this is the only one railway Shizuoka Railway operates. The line was made to link previous Shimizu City and Shizuoka cities, until the former...
Until 1984, the Shimizukō Line
Shimizuko Line
The , literally "Shimizu Port Line", was a Japanese railway line in Shimizu, Shizuoka operated by Japanese National Railways. It ran as a branch line off the Tōkaidō Main Line from Shimizu Station, through the industrial port of Shimizu before terminating in the residential area of Miho...
ran 8 km into Miho in the heart of the Shimizu peninsula. Local bus services provide many routes throughout Shimizu-ku.
Football
Shimizu is famous as one of the top cities in Japan where footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
is quite popular. It is well known as the home town of a J. League
J. League
The or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...
team, Shimizu S-Pulse
Shimizu S-Pulse
is a professional Japanese association football club. Located in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, S-Pulse currently competes in the J. League Division 1 . Formed as recently as 1991, S-Pulse are one of the youngest professional teams in Japan, but are among only five to have competed in...
. An earlier club, Hagoromo Club (which spun off its parent company Nippon Light Metal) represented Shimizu in the old Japan Soccer League
Japan Soccer League
, or JSL, was the top flight soccer league in Japan between 1965 and 1992, and was the precursor to the current professional league, the J. League. JSL was the second national league of a team sport in Japan after the professional Japanese Baseball League that was founded in 1936...
in the 1970's.
The local elementary schools and junior high schools equip fields with night lighting for soccer and Shimizu has maintained this infrastructure for a long time. Since 1987, the national soccer competition “Shimizu Cup” for boys and girls has been held in August.
A famous son of the city is Japan youth international and Glasgow Celtic FC player, Koki Mizuno
Koki Mizuno
is a Japanese footballer, who currently plays as a midfielder for Kashiwa Reysol.He is the cousin of Keita Suzuki, also a footballer.-JEF United:After graduating from Shimizu Commercial High School, Mizuno joined JEF United in 2004. He was the MVP of the 2006 J...
.