Kashiwa, Chiba
Kashiwa, Chiba
| Kashiwa 柏市 |
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| — Core city — | |||
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 Kashiwa
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| Coordinates: 35°52′N 139°59′E / 35.867°N 139.983°ECoordinates: 35°52′N 139°59′E / 35.867°N 139.983°E | |||
| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Kantō | ||
| Prefecture | Chiba | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Hiroyasu Akiyama (since November 2009) | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 43.19 km2 (16.7 sq mi) | ||
| Population (February 2011) | |||
| - Total | 404,820 | ||
| - Density | 3,520/km2 (9,116.8/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | ||
| City Symbols | |||
| -Tree | Daimyo Oak, Castanopsis | ||
| - Flower | Phlox subulata; Erythronium japonicum; Sunflower | ||
| - Bird | Azure-winged Magpie | ||
| Phone number | 04-7167-1111 | ||
| Address | 5-10-1 Kashiwa, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba-ken 270-8505 | ||
| Website | City of Kashiwa | ||
Kashiwa (柏市 Kashiwa-shi) is a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 404,820 and a population density of 3520 persons per km². The total area was 114.90 km².
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Geography
Kashiwa is located in the far northwestern corner of Chiba Prefecture.
Neighboring municipalities
- Matsudo, Chiba
- Abiko, Chiba
- Kamagaya, Chiba
- Noda, Chiba
- Nagareyama, Chiba
- Toride, Ibaraki
- Moriya, Ibaraki
History
The area around Kashiwa was the site of the Battle of Sakainehara during the Sengoku period. During the Edo period, the area was tenryo controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate, and contained a number of horse ranches providing war horses for the Shogun’s armies. It also developed as a post station on the Mito Kaido connecting Edo with Mito. After the Meiji Restoration, Kashiwa Village was created in Chiba Prefecture on October 1, 1889, and connected to Tokyo by train in 1896. Kashiwa became a town on September 15, 1926. In the late 1930s, the Imperial Japanese Army established Kashiwa Air Field and Kashiwa Military Hospital. The air field was abandoned after the end of World War II, but the hospital continues to exist as the Kashiwa Public Hospital. On September 1, 1954, Kashiwa merged with neighboring Kogane Town and Tsuchi and Tanaka villages to form the new city of Tokatsu (東葛市 Tokatsu-shi). However, many politicians in Kogane Town were vehemently opposed to the merger, and forced its dissolution on October 15, 1954 with most of former Kogane Town merging with Matsudo city instead. On November 1, 1954, Fuse Village broke away from Tokatsu, eventually joining Abiko Town to form the city of Abiko. The remaining portion of Tokatsu was renamed Kashiwa on November 15, 1954. On December 25, 1955 a fire of unknown original destroyed the former Kashiwa City Hall, and burned down most of the center of the city. In the 1960s, Kashiwa was designated for reconstruction with a special fund from the central government, which included Japan’s first pedestrian decks, completed at Kashiwa Station in 1973. On April 1, 2008, Kashiwa was designated a core city, with increased local autonomy from the prefectural government. In August 2010, the city population exceeded 400,000 people.
Economy
Kashiwa is a regional commercial center and a bedroom community for nearby Chiba and Tokyo. The city has a mixed industrial base, with food processing industries forming an important portion of the economy. Nikka Whisky Distilling, Asahi Soft Drinks, and Ito Ham all have production facilities in Kashiwa. There is some residual agriculture of turnips, onions and spinach.
Education
Universities
- Chiba University, Kashiwa Campus
- University of Tokyo, Kashiwa Campus
- Reitaku University
- Nishōgakusha University
- Nihonbashi Gakkan University
Transportation
Rail
- East Japan Railway Company (JR East) - Jōban Line
- Minami-Kashiwa - Kashiwa - Kita-Kashiwa
- Tōbu Railway - Tōbu Noda Line
- Toyoshiki - Kashiwa - Shin-Kashiwa - Masuo - Sakasai - Takayanagi
- Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company - Tsukuba Express
- Kashiwanoha-campus - Kashiwa-Tanaka
Highways
- Jōban Expressway
- Japan National Route 6
- Japan National Route 16
- Route 294 (Japan)
Sports
Kashiwa is home to the professional football team Kashiwa Reysol.
Sister cities
– Torrance, California, USA, since February 20, 1973
– Chengde, Hebei Province, China, since November 1, 1983- – Guam, USA, since November 30, 1991
– Camden, New South Wales, Australia, since April 11, 1997
– Tsugaru, Aomori, Japan, since November 19, 1994
Notable people from Kashiwa
- Shigeyuki Furuki, professional baseball player
- Fumio Imamura, Olympic race walker
- Naoki Ishikawa, professional soccer player
- Kirinji Kazuharu, sumo wrestler
- Masato Kobayashi, professional kickboxer
- Yuri Mitsui, actress, model
- Yōko Oginome, singer
- Takeshi Okano, manga artist
- Megumi Urawa, voice actress
- Kazunori Yamauchi, video game designer
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Chiba Prefecture
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