Hirakata 枚方
—  Special city  —
枚方市 · Hirakata
Flag
Location of Hirakata in Osaka
Hirakata
Coordinates: 34°49′N 135°39′E / 34.817°N 135.65°E / 34.817; 135.65Coordinates: 34°49′N 135°39′E / 34.817°N 135.65°E / 34.817; 135.65
Country	Japan
Region	Kansai
Prefecture	Osaka
Government
- Mayor	Hiroshi Nakatsuka
Area
- Total	65.08 km2 (25.1 sq mi)
Population (August 1, 2011)
- Total	407,465
- Density	6,260/km2 (16,213.3/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Willow
- Flower	Chrysanthemum
- Bird	Common Kingfisher
Phone number	72-841-1221
Address	2-1-20 Ogaito-chō, Hirakata-shi, Osaka-fu 573-8666
Website	City of Hirakata

Hirakata City Hall

Hirakata (枚方市, Hirakata-shi^?) is a city located in north-eastern Osaka, Japan, near the prefectural borders of Nara and Kyoto. It is renowned for its chrysanthemum doll exhibition, as well as Hirakata Park—an amusement park featuring five roller coasters.

The city was founded on August 1, 1947. On April 1, 2001, Hirakata was designated as a special city of Japan.

The total area of the city is 65.07 km². As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 411,777, and a population density of 6,327.24 persons per km².

Hirakata Park is famous for being the first amusement park that opened in the Kansai region in 1910.

Ferris wheel in Hirakata Park

Mayors

• Soichiro Terashima (in office 1947 - 1955, 1959 - 1967) former mayor of Hirakata-chō
• Harufumi Hatakeyama (1955 - 1959)
• Tomizō Yamamura (1967 - 1975)
• Kazuo Kitamaki (1975 - 1991)
• Kazuo Ōshio (1991 - 1995)
• Hiroshi Nakatsuka (1995 - )

Sister and Friendship cities

• Shimanto, Kōchi, Japan - Friendship city agreement concluded in 1974 (with former Nakamura city)
• Betsukai, Hokkaidō, Japan - Friendship city agreement concluded in 1987
• Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan - Friendship city agreement concluded in 1987 (with former Shionoe town)
• Chang Ning District, Shanghai, China - Sister city agreement concluded in 1987
• Logan City, Queensland, Australia - Sister city agreement concluded in 1995

Colleges and universities

• Kansai Gaidai University
• Osaka Dental University
• Kansai Medical University
• Setsunan University
• Osaka International University
• Osaka Institute of Technology
• National Tax College

Public transportation

Railways

Hirakata-shi Station Minami Entrance

• Keihan Electric Railway
  • Keihan Main Line Kozenji Station - Hirakata-koen Station - Hirakata-shi Station - Goten-yama Station - Makino Station - Kuzuha Station
  • Katano Line Hirakata-shi Station - Miyanosaka Station - Hoshigaoka Station - Murano Station
• West Japan Railway Company
  • Katamachi Line (Gakkentoshi Line) Tsuda Station - Fujisaka Station - Nagao Station

Roads

• Route 1 Daini Keihan Road (A toll road)
• Route 1
• Route 168
• Route 170
• Route 307

Famous companies with offices in Hirakata

• Komatsu Osaka plant
• Sanyo Electric Co R&D

Osaka Prefecture Osaka (capital city) Wards: Abeno | Asahi | Chūō | Fukushima | Higashinari | Higashisumiyoshi | Higashiyodogawa | Hirano | Ikuno | Jōtō | Kita | Konohana | Minato | Miyakojima | Naniwa | Nishi | Nishinari | Nishiyodogawa | Suminoe | Sumiyoshi | Taishō | Tennōji | Tsurumi | Yodogawa Sakai Wards: Higashi | Kita | Naka | Nishi | Mihara | Minami | Sakai Other cities Daitō | Fujiidera | Habikino | Hannan | Higashiōsaka | Hirakata | Ibaraki | Ikeda | Izumi | Izumiotsu | Izumisano | Kadoma | Kaizuka | Kashiwara | Katano | Kawachinagano | Kishiwada | Matsubara | Minoh | Moriguchi | Neyagawa | Ōsakasayama | Sennan | Settsu | Shijōnawate | Suita | Takaishi | Takatsuki | Tondabayashi | Toyonaka | Yao Minamikawachi District Chihayaakasaka | Kanan | Taishi Mishima District Shimamoto Senboku District Tadaoka Sennan District Kumatori | Misaki | Tajiri Toyono District Nose | Toyono