Anjo, Aichi
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in Aichi Prefecture
, Japan
. As of August 2011, the city had an estimated population
of 179,614 and a population density
of 2,090 persons per km². The total area was 86.01 km².
period and burial mounds
from the Kofun period
. During the Nara period
, the area was assigned to ancient Hekikai County, and was divided into several shōen
during the Heian period
, largely under the control of the Fujiwara clan or the Taira clan
. However, in the Kamakura period
, parts of the territory came under the control of the Jōdo Shinshū
sect, who challenged the secular authority of the various samurai
clans, most notably the Matsudaira clan
. During the Sengoku period
, numerous fortifications were erected in the area. Tokugawa Ieyasu
unified the region and destroyed the power of the Jōdo Shinshū sect in the Battle of Azukizaka (1564)
. During the Edo period
, half of present-day Anjō was controlled by Okazaki Domain
and the other half by Kariya Domain
with some scattered portions of tenryō territory ruled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate
in between.
At the start of the Meiji period
, on October 1, 1889 Anjō was a collection of villages within Hekikai District
, Aichi Prefecture
. It was elevated to town status on May 1, 1906. The opening of the Meiji Irrigation Canal transformed the area in the 1920s and 1930s into one of the most agriculturally productive regions of the period, sparking the comparison with Denmark
, then regarded the most highly advanced agricultural nation in the world. This led to Anjō’s moniker of , which remains in the form of Den Park, a Danish theme park, as well as Den Beer, a microbrew available in the park.
Anjō was elevated to city status on May 3, 1952. On April 1, 1967 it annexed the neighboring town of Sakura.
, Anjō is host to many factories supplying components into the automobile industry. The famous Japanese power tool company Makita was founded in Anjō, 1915. In addition to rice, wheat, and soybeans, notable agricultural products include fig
s, Japanese pears
, and cucumber
s.
, but Anjō Station
on the Tōkaidō Main Line
and Shin-Anjō Station
on the Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line and Nishio Line
serve the commercial center of the city.
}
}
}
provide the main east-west access through the city, with Aichi Prefectural Route 48 running between the two.
, USA since July 4, 1992 Hobsons Bay
, Australia
, since October 15, 1994 Kolding
, Denmark
, since January 21, 2009
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
located in Aichi Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
, 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...
. As of August 2011, the city had an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 179,614 and a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 2,090 persons per km². The total area was 86.01 km².
Geography
Anjō is situated in southern Aichi Prefecture, approximately 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) from central Nagoya.Neighboring municipalities
- OkazakiOkazaki, Aichiis a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of August 2011, the city had an estimated population of 373,339 and a population density of 964 persons per km². The total area was 387.24 km².-Geography:...
- HekinanHekinan, Aichiis a city located in Aichi, Japan.In 2010, the city has an estimated population of 73,317 including 3,757 foreigners. The density is about 2,020 people per km². The total area is .-History:...
- KariyaKariya, Aichiis a city located in central Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of October 2011, the city had an estimated population of 145,955 and a population density of 2890 persons per km²...
- ToyotaToyota, Aichiis a city located in the Mikawa region of Aichi Prefecture, Japan, east of Nagoya.Toyota's main plant, the Tsutsumi plant, is located here. The longstanding ties between the Toyota Motor Corporation and the town of Toyota-shi, formerly known as Koromo, gave the town its current...
- ChiryūChiryu, Aichiis a city located in central Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of October 2011, the city had an estimated population of 69,127 and a population density of 4230 persons per km². The total area was 16.34 km².-Neighboring municipalities:*Toyota*Kariya* Anjō...
- NishioNishio, Aichiis a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city has an estimated population of 165,443 and a population density of 1,030 persons per km². The total area is 160.34 km².-Geography:...
History
The area of present-day Anjō has been continuously occupied since preshistoric times. Archaeologists have been found numerous remains from the Japanese PaleolithicJapanese Paleolithic
The began around 50,000 to 30,000 BC, when the earliest stone tool implements have been found, and continued to around 14,000 BC, at the end of the last ice age, which corresponds to the beginning of the Mesolithic Jōmon period...
period and burial mounds
Kofun
Kofun are megalithic tombs or tumuli in Japan, constructed between the early 3rd century and early 7th century. They gave their name to the Kofun period . Many of the Kofun have a distinctive keyhole-shaped mound , unique to ancient Japan...
from the Kofun period
Kofun period
The is an era in the history of Japan from around 250 to 538. It follows the Yayoi period. The word kofun is Japanese for the type of burial mounds dating from this era. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes referred to collectively as the Yamato period...
. During the Nara period
Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...
, the area was assigned to ancient Hekikai County, and was divided into several shōen
Shoen
A was a field or manor in Japan. The Japanese term comes from the Tang dynasty Chinese term zhuangyuan.Shōen, from about the 8th to the late 15th century, describes any of the private, tax-free, often autonomous estates or manors whose rise undermined the political and economic power of the...
during the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
, largely under the control of the Fujiwara clan or the Taira clan
Taira clan
The was a major Japanese clan of samurai in historical Japan.In reference to Japanese history, along with Minamoto, Taira was a hereditary clan name bestowed by the emperors of the Heian Period to certain ex-members of the imperial family when they became subjects...
. However, in the Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
, parts of the territory came under the control of the Jōdo Shinshū
Jodo Shinshu
, also known as Shin Buddhism, is a school of Pure Land Buddhism. It was founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran. Today, Shin Buddhism is considered the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan.-Shinran :...
sect, who challenged the secular authority of the various samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
clans, most notably the Matsudaira clan
Matsudaira clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Minamoto clan. It first originated in and took its name from Matsudaira village, in Mikawa Province . Over the course of its history, the clan produced many branches, most of which also centered around Mikawa Province...
. During the Sengoku period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
, numerous fortifications were erected in the area. Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
unified the region and destroyed the power of the Jōdo Shinshū sect in the Battle of Azukizaka (1564)
Battle of Azukizaka (1564)
The or took place in 1564, when Matsudaira Motoyasu , sought to destroy the growing threat of the Ikkō-ikki, a league of monks, samurai and peasants who were strongly against samurai rule....
. 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....
, half of present-day Anjō was controlled by Okazaki Domain
Okazaki Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in eastern Mikawa Province , Japan. It was centered on Okazaki Castle in what is now the city of Okazaki, Aichi...
and the other half by Kariya Domain
Kariya Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in was is now part of the modern-day cities of Kariya and Anjō in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It was centered on Kariya Castle, which was located in what is now the city of Kariya.-History:...
with some scattered portions of tenryō territory ruled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
in between.
At the start of the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
, on October 1, 1889 Anjō was a collection of villages within Hekikai District
Hekikai District, Aichi
was a rural district located in central Aichi, Japan. As a result of various consolidations and mergers of municipalities, the district was incorporated into the five cities of Kariya, Anjō, Takahama, Chiryū and Hekinan in 2005.-History:...
, Aichi Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
. It was elevated to town status on May 1, 1906. The opening of the Meiji Irrigation Canal transformed the area in the 1920s and 1930s into one of the most agriculturally productive regions of the period, sparking the comparison with Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, then regarded the most highly advanced agricultural nation in the world. This led to Anjō’s moniker of , which remains in the form of Den Park, a Danish theme park, as well as Den Beer, a microbrew available in the park.
Anjō was elevated to city status on May 3, 1952. On April 1, 1967 it annexed the neighboring town of Sakura.
Economy
Anjō is a regional commercial center with a mixed economy of manufacturing and agriculture. Due to its proximity to the various factories of Toyota in neighboring Toyota CityToyota, Aichi
is a city located in the Mikawa region of Aichi Prefecture, Japan, east of Nagoya.Toyota's main plant, the Tsutsumi plant, is located here. The longstanding ties between the Toyota Motor Corporation and the town of Toyota-shi, formerly known as Koromo, gave the town its current...
, Anjō is host to many factories supplying components into the automobile industry. The famous Japanese power tool company Makita was founded in Anjō, 1915. In addition to rice, wheat, and soybeans, notable agricultural products include fig
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
s, Japanese pears
Pyrus pyrifolia
Pyrus pyrifolia is a pear tree species native to China, Japan, and Korea. The tree's edible fruit is known by many names, including: Asian pear, Chinese pear, Korean pear, Japanese pear, Taiwan pear, and sand pear.....
, and cucumber
Cucumber
The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...
s.
Railway
The Tōkaidō Shinkansen stops at Mikawa-Anjō StationMikawa-Anjo Station
is a train station in Anjō, Aichi, Japan, operated by Central Japan Railway Company .-Lines:Mikawa-Anjō Station is served by the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and Tōkaidō Main Line, and is situated 336.3 rail km from Tokyo.-Station layout:...
, but Anjō Station
Anjo Station
is a railway station on the Tōkaidō Main Line of Central Japan Railway Company in Anjō, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The station is 333.7 rail kilometers from Tokyo Station.-History:...
on the Tōkaidō Main Line
Tokaido Main Line
The 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...
and Shin-Anjō Station
Shin-Anjo Station
is a train station on the Meitetsu Railway located in located in Anjō, Aichi, Japan. It is a terminus for the Nishio Line and the 38.5 kilometers from the terminus of the Nagoya Main Line at Toyohashi Station.-History:...
on the Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line and Nishio Line
Meitetsu Nishio Line
The is a railway line operated by Nagoya Railroad in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The line was formerly operated by Nishio Railroad and Hekikai Electric Railway until Nagoya Railroad merged with both of the companies.-Stations:●：Stop ▲：Partial stop ｜：Pass...
serve the commercial center of the city.
- JR TōkaiCentral 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 Shinkansen
}
- JR TōkaiCentral 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...
- Meitetsu – Nagoya Main Line
}
- Meitetsu – Nishio LineMeitetsu Nishio LineThe is a railway line operated by Nagoya Railroad in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The line was formerly operated by Nishio Railroad and Hekikai Electric Railway until Nagoya Railroad merged with both of the companies.-Stations:●：Stop ▲：Partial stop ｜：Pass...
}
Highway
National Route 1 and National Route 23Japan National Route 23
National Route 23 is a national highway connecting Toyohashi, Aichi and Ise, Mie in Japan.-Route Data:*Length: 175.3 km *Origin: Toyohashi *Terminus: Ise...
provide the main east-west access through the city, with Aichi Prefectural Route 48 running between the two.
Sister cities
Huntington Beach, CaliforniaHuntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
, USA since July 4, 1992 Hobsons Bay
City of Hobsons Bay
The City of Hobsons Bay is a Local Government Area in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It comprises the south-western suburbs between 6 and 20 km from the Melbourne city centre....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, since October 15, 1994 Kolding
Kolding
Kolding is a Danish seaport located at the head of Kolding Fjord in Region of Southern Denmark . It is the site of the council Kolding Municipality. It is a transportation, commercial, and manufacturing centre, and has numerous industrial companies, principally geared towards shipbuilding...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, since January 21, 2009
Local attractions
.*Honsho-ji – Buddhist temple that was the site of the Battle of Azukizaka (1564)Battle of Azukizaka (1564)
The or took place in 1564, when Matsudaira Motoyasu , sought to destroy the growing threat of the Ikkō-ikki, a league of monks, samurai and peasants who were strongly against samurai rule....
- Site of Anjo Castle, built in 1480, destroyed in 1562
Noted people from Anjō
- Ayumi TanimotoAyumi Tanimotoborn August 4, 1981 in Anjo, Aichi, is a Japanese female judoka. She was coached by Toshihiko Koga, who is a gold medalist at the BarcelonaOlympics and a silver medalist at the Atlanta Olympics Men's Judo....
– Olympic gold-medalist judoka - Ryōka YuzukiRyoka YuzukiRyōka Yuzuki is a voice actress who was born in Anjo, Aichi, Japan. Her younger sister is an adult comic strip artist Sayumi Sakuragi ....
– voice actress - Tohru Fukuyama – organic chemist