Funabashi, Chiba
Funabashi, Chiba
| Funabashi 船橋 |
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| — Core city — | |||
| 船橋市 • Funabashi | |||
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 Funabashi
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| Coordinates: 35°42′N 139°59′E / 35.7°N 139.983°ECoordinates: 35°42′N 139°59′E / 35.7°N 139.983°E | |||
| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Kantō | ||
| Prefecture | Chiba Prefecture | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Koshichi Fujishiro | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 85.64 km2 (33.1 sq mi) | ||
| Population (February 1, 2011) | |||
| - Total | 609,157 | ||
| - Density | 7,110/km2 (18,414.8/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | ||
| Postal code(s) | 273 or 274 | ||
| Area code(s) | 047-4 | ||
| City Symbols | |||
| - Tree | Camellia sasanqua | ||
| - Flower | Camellia sasanqua | ||
| Phone number | 047-436-2111 | ||
| Address | 2-10-25 Minatocho Funabashi-shi, 273-8501 |
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| Website | City of Funabashi | ||
Funabashi (船橋市 Funabashi-shi) is a city located in northwestern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 609,157 and a population density of 7110 persons per km². The total area was 85.64 km². It is the 7th most populous city in Greater Tokyo.
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Geography
Funabashi is located in northeastern Chiba Prefecture.
Neighboring municipalities
- Ichikawa, Chiba
- Narashino, Chiba
- Yachiyo, Chiba
- Kamagaya, Chiba
- Shiroi, Chiba
History
The name “Funabashi” is mentioned in the Kamakura period chronicle Azuma Kagami. However, the name itself is even more ancient, dating from before the Nara period and the Yamatotakeru mythology. Archaeologists have found stone tools from the Japanese Paleolithic period and shell middens from the Jomon period in the area, indicating continuous inhabitation for thousands of years. A number of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in the area claim to have been founded in the Nara period or Heian period. During the Muromachi periods, the area was controlled by the Chiba clan. During the Sengoku period, the Chiba clan fought the Satomi clan to the south, and the Late Hojo clan to the west. After the defeat of the Chiba clan, the area came within the control of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Under the Tokugawa shogunate, the area prospered as a post town on the river crossing of the Tone River, and was largely retained as tenryo under the direct control of the Shogunate and administered through a number of hatamoto. The area was also a favored hunting grounds for the Shogun. During the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration, Funabashi was the location of a minor skirmish between Tokugawa loyalists under Enomoto Takeaki and the pro-Imperial forces of Okayama Domain and Satsuma Domain, during which most of the town burned down.
After the abolition of the han system, the area eventually became part of Chiba Prefecture. Funabashi Town was one of several towns and villages created on April 1, 1889 under Inba District. The area developed rapidly due to its proximity to Tokyo and the presence of numerous military facilities in the area. On April 1, 1937, Funabashi achieved city status through merger with neighboring Katsushika Town and Yasakae, Hoden and Tsukada villages. The new city was host to numerous military installations in World War II, and was bombed in the air raids on Japan in 1945. The city developed rapidly in the postwar period, with the development of industries, public housing developments and port facilities. With the annexation of neighboring Ninomiya Town in 1953, the population exceeded 100,000. The population exceeded 300,000 in 1969 and 500,000 in 1982. Funabashi was designated a core city on April 1, 2005 with increased local autonomy from the central government. The population exceeded 600,000 in 2006.
Economy
Funabashi is a regional commercial center and, due to its numerous train connections, a bedroom community for nearby Chiba and Tokyo.
Education
- Nihon University branch campus
Transportation
Railway
- JR East - Musashino Line
- Funabashi-Hōten - Nishi-Funabashi
- JR East - Keiyō Line
- Nishi-Funabashi ->>- Minami-Funabashi
- JR East - Chūō-Sōbu Line
Higashi-Funabashi - Funabashi - Nishi-Funabashi - Shimōsa-Nakayama
- Keisei Electric Railway - Keisei Main Line
- Keisei Nakayama - Higashi-Nakayama - Keisei-Nishifuna - Kaijin - Keisei Funabashi - Daijingūshita - Funabashi-Keibajō
- Shin-Keisei Electric Railway - Shin-Keisei Line
- Futawamukōdai - Misaki - Takifudō - Takanekōdan- Takanekido - Kita-Narashino - Narashino- Yakuendai - Maebara
- Hokusō Railway - Hokusō Line
- Komoro
- Tōbu Railway - Tōbu Noda Line
- Magomezawa - Tsukada - Shin-Funabashi - Funabashi
- Tōyō Rapid Railway - Tōyō Rapid Line
- Nishi-Funabashi - Higashi-Kaijin - Hasama - Kita-Narashino - Funabashi-Nichidaimae
- Tōzai Line – Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line
- Baraki-Nakayama - Nishi-Funabashi
Highway
- Keiyō Road
- Higashi-Kantō Expressway
- Japan National Route 14
- Japan National Route 16
- Japan National Route 296
- Japan National Route 357
- Japan National Route 464
Sister city relations
– Hayward, California, USA, from November 7, 1986
– Odense, Denmark from April 6, 1989
– Xi’an, China from November 2, 1994
Local attractions
Notable structures
- Funabashi Auto Racing
- Funabashi Racecourse
- Nakayama Racecourse
- LaLaPort shopping mall, one of the largest in Japan
- SSAWS indoor ski slope (closed and demolished in 2003)
- Japan's first large-format IKEA store, built on the site of SSAWS
Notable places
- Funabashi Shrine
- Ninomiya Jinja
- Narashinohara
- Kūtei-kan
- Meiji Tennō Chūhitsu no Tokoro no Hi
- Gyōda Musen
Noted people from Funabashi
- Hiroki Aiba – dancer and singer
- Sayaka Akimoto- dancer and singer from AKB48
- Kazuyuki Fujita – professional wrestler
- Sayaka Ichii – musician
- Atsushi Itō – actor
- Yuko Kavaguti – figure skater
- Mai Kuraki - singer
- Fumie Kurotori – Olympic gold medalist swimmer
- Manabu Namiki – video game designer
- Yoshihiro Natsuka – professional soccer player
- Katsuhiko Nishijima – Amine director
- Michiko Nishiwaki – Actress, stunt woman
- Yoshihiko Noda – politician, current Prime Minister of Japan
- Hanako Oku - musician
- Shunzo Ono – professional soccer player
- Tamao Satō – actress
- Takashi Sekizuka – professional soccer player
- Mariko Shiga – musician
- Akeno Watanabe – seiyu
- Azusa Yamamoto – gravure idol
- Tomohisa Yamashita - musician
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Chiba Prefecture