Toki, Gifu
Encyclopedia
is a city in Gifu Prefecture
, Japan. The city is located on the Honshū
island, to the southeast of Gifu City
, the prefectural capital. The Toki River runs through the downtown
area. Toki is known as one of the largest producers of Japanese pottery
. The products made in the region are generally referred as the Mino-yaki. Toki has a sister city arrangement with Faenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
.
In Spring 2005 Toki was in the national news in Japan when an outlet mall was opened on the outskirts of the city. Malls are a relatively rare thing outside the major cities of Japan, and the city was brought to a standstill after a nationwide advertising campaign
attracted people from all over Japan. The city is home to the Large Helical Device
, a stellarator
investigating plasma physics with an eye towards fusion power generation.
making in Toki area appears to have started more than 1,300 years ago. Some kiln
traces and earthenware
pieces, which are in the 7th century style, have been recovered within the territory of the city. The technical merit and artistic impression reached an acme in the Azuchi-Momoyama period
(1568–1614) when crockery for tea ceremony
had been produced there. Daimyo
feudal lords highly admired such tea vessels, bowls, pots and utensils with unique styles as the Oribe
. More emphasis has been put on daily necessities since the early Edo period
(1603–1867). By virtue of mass production
successfully introduced from the Meiji Era (1868–1912) on, the porcelain
and pottery from Toki are now found widely in Japan.
The city was incorporated on February 1, 1955, with the area formerly divided among 5 towns (Tokitsu, Oroshi, Tsumagi, Dachi and Izumi) and 3 villages
(Tsurusato, Sogi and Hida).
In January 2004, a referendum
was called to decide whether Toki should merge with its neighboring municipalities, the cities and town of Tajimi, Mizunami and Kasahara
. A proposition, which would have allowed them to consummate the merger, failed to obtain majority support.
Outside Japan Faenza
, Emilia-Romagna, Italy (est. October 23, 1979)
Gifu Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...
, Japan. The city is located on the Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
island, to the southeast of Gifu City
Gifu, Gifu
is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku period, various warlords, including Oda Nobunaga, used...
, the prefectural capital. The Toki River runs through the downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
area. Toki is known as one of the largest producers of Japanese pottery
Japanese pottery
Japanese pottery and porcelain , one of the country's oldest art forms, dates back to the Neolithic period...
. The products made in the region are generally referred as the Mino-yaki. Toki has a sister city arrangement with Faenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Faenza
Faenza is an Italian city and comune, in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, situated 50 km southeast of Bologna.Faenza is noted for its manufacture of majolica ware glazed earthenware pottery, known from the name of the town as "faience"....
.
In Spring 2005 Toki was in the national news in Japan when an outlet mall was opened on the outskirts of the city. Malls are a relatively rare thing outside the major cities of Japan, and the city was brought to a standstill after a nationwide advertising campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
attracted people from all over Japan. The city is home to the Large Helical Device
Large Helical Device
The is a fusion research device in Toki, Gifu, Japan and is the largest superconducting stellarator in the world, employing a heliotron magnetic field originally developed in Japan. The objective of the project is to conduct fusion plasma confinement research in a steady state in order to elucidate...
, a stellarator
Stellarator
A stellarator is a device used to confine a hot plasma with magnetic fields in order to sustain a controlled nuclear fusion reaction. It is one of the earliest controlled fusion devices, first invented by Lyman Spitzer in 1950 and built the next year at what later became the Princeton Plasma...
investigating plasma physics with an eye towards fusion power generation.
History
The history of potteryPottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
making in Toki area appears to have started more than 1,300 years ago. Some kiln
Kiln
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which a controlled temperature regime is produced. Uses include the hardening, burning or drying of materials...
traces and earthenware
Earthenware
Earthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...
pieces, which are in the 7th century style, have been recovered within the territory of the city. The technical merit and artistic impression reached an acme in the Azuchi-Momoyama period
Azuchi-Momoyama period
The came at the end of the Warring States Period in Japan, when the political unification that preceded the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate took place. It spans the years from approximately 1573 to 1603, during which time Oda Nobunaga and his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, imposed order...
(1568–1614) when crockery for tea ceremony
Japanese tea ceremony
The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called . The manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called...
had been produced there. Daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
feudal lords highly admired such tea vessels, bowls, pots and utensils with unique styles as the Oribe
Oribe-yaki
' is a type of Japanese pottery most identifiable for its use of green copper glaze and bold painted design. It was the first use of colored stoneware glaze by Japanese potters....
. More emphasis has been put on daily necessities since the early 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....
(1603–1867). By virtue of mass production
Mass production
Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
successfully introduced from the Meiji Era (1868–1912) on, the porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
and pottery from Toki are now found widely in Japan.
The city was incorporated on February 1, 1955, with the area formerly divided among 5 towns (Tokitsu, Oroshi, Tsumagi, Dachi and Izumi) and 3 villages
Villages of Japan
A is a local administrative unit in Japan.It is a local public body along with , , and . Geographically, a village's extent is contained within a prefecture....
(Tsurusato, Sogi and Hida).
In January 2004, a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
was called to decide whether Toki should merge with its neighboring municipalities, the cities and town of Tajimi, Mizunami and Kasahara
Kasahara, Gifu
was a town located in Toki District, Gifu, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 11,309 and a density of 840.82 persons per km²...
. A proposition, which would have allowed them to consummate the merger, failed to obtain majority support.
Geography and demographics
Toki is located at 35°21′09" North, 137°10′59" East. It has a total area of 116.16 km². As of July 2011, there are 60,163 people and 20,896 households living within the boundaries of the city.Mayor
The current Mayor of Toki is Nobuhiko Ōno. Previous Mayors include:- Yasuo Tsukamoto (1983–2007)
- Okizo Mizuno (1975–1983)
- Yasunori Ninomiya (1955–1975)
Representative body
Toki has an eighteen-member city council, which serves as the legislative body of the city.Railroad
- Central Japan Railway CompanyCentral 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...
- Chūō Main LineChuo Main LineThe , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It runs between Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faster, while the Tōkaidō Shinkansen is the fastest rail...
- Tokishi Station
- Chūō Main Line
Sister cities
Inside Japan- YaizuYaizu, Shizuokais a city located in central Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of March in 2011, the city has an estimated population of 146,717 and a population density of 2,080 persons per km². The total area is 70.55 km²...
, Shizuoka PrefectureShizuoka Prefectureis 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...
(est. October 10, 1978, as a Sports Sister City)
Outside Japan Faenza
Faenza
Faenza is an Italian city and comune, in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, situated 50 km southeast of Bologna.Faenza is noted for its manufacture of majolica ware glazed earthenware pottery, known from the name of the town as "faience"....
, Emilia-Romagna, Italy (est. October 23, 1979)