Hikari, Yamaguchi
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in Yamaguchi Prefecture
, Japan
.
The city was founded three times: April 1, 1943 (1st generation), July 1, 1955 (2nd generation), and October 4, 2004 (3rd generation).
As of April 30, 2005, the city has an estimated population
of 55,807. The total area is 91.94 km². The name Hikari itself means "brilliance" or "light" in Japanese
.
It is connected by railroad with a train station and route 188
.
Hikari is bounded with Yanai
, Kudamatsu, Shunan
, Iwakuni
, and Tabuse
in the Kumage District
. Yamato
merged with the old Hikari to form the new city of Hikari on October 4, 2004.
(or Dockyard) included a fire-control factory, built in 1942, that employed about 600 people. It was one of the principal establishments for producing the Standard H.A. System (Type 94 Kosha Sochi) at the rate of ~15 per month, along with bomb
components, torpedo
afterbodies, and misc. machined parts.
The Imperial Japanese Navy
formed the Second Special Attack Force (former First Special Base Unit) on March 1, 1945, at Hikari for conducting kaiten
attacks. Rear Admiral Nagai Mitsuru was the Commanding Officer
. On that same day, a kaiten crew training unit is also formed at Hirao, SE of Hikari.
This was one of four such kaiten
training bases.
With hints of cessation of hostilities, bombing raids by U.S. forces were canceled. However, resumption of bombing was ordered on August 13, 1945.
The Hikari Naval Arsenal was consequently bombed the next day on August 14, 1945 (one day before the end of war), taking 738 lives.
The attacking U.S. aircraft were 156 B-29 bombers
of the 40th Bomb Group
stationed in Saipan
, supported by P-51 Mustang
s from Iwo Jima
.
The 40th Bomb Group dropped 3,540 bombs (885 ton
s) on the Hikari Naval Arsenal, resulting in severe destruction.
Including this bombing, Hikari lost more than 1,200 citizens in World War II
, both military and civilian.
After surrender, Allied forces
found 52 kaiten at Hikari and destroyed them.
The former Hikari Naval Arsenal is now the sites for Nippon Steel Corporation
and vaccine manufacturing by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company
.
Takeda discovered the hull of a Type 4 Kaiten under one of the buildings in August 1989, an attestation to the history of the site.
The Kaiten Monument, erected in 1996, honors Hikari Naval Arsenal kaiten pilots. Steel frames that once constituted the structure of the destroyed Hikari Naval Arsenal were used to build the Tsukumo Bridge.
in Yamaguchi Prefecture
and Ichinoseki
in Iwate Prefecture
are the other two).
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 Yamaguchi Prefecture
Yamaguchi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, in the center of the prefecture. The largest city, however, is Shimonoseki.- 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...
.
The city was founded three times: April 1, 1943 (1st generation), July 1, 1955 (2nd generation), and October 4, 2004 (3rd generation).
As of April 30, 2005, the city has 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 55,807. The total area is 91.94 km². The name Hikari itself means "brilliance" or "light" in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
.
It is connected by railroad with a train station and route 188
Route 188 (Japan)
National Route 188 is a national highway of Japan connecting Iwakuni, Yamaguchi and Kudamatsu, Yamaguchi in Japan, with a total length of 67.7 km ....
.
Hikari is bounded with Yanai
Yanai, Yamaguchi
is a city located in Yamaguchi, Japan.The interchange and the expressway is located in the east.Yanai is bounded by Hikari.-History:The city was founded on March 31, 1954....
, Kudamatsu, Shunan
Shunan, Yamaguchi
is a city located in east central Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on April 21, 2003, merging two former cities, Tokuyama and Shinnan'yō and two towns, Kano and Kumage....
, Iwakuni
Iwakuni, Yamaguchi
is a city located in Yamaguchi, Japan.On March 20, 2006, the old city of Iwakuni absorbed the towns of Kuga, Mikawa, Miwa, Nishiki, Shūtō and Yū, and the village of Hongō, all from Kuga District, to form the new, expanded city of Iwakuni.- History :...
, and Tabuse
Tabuse, Yamaguchi
is a town located in Kumage District, Yamaguchi, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 16,354 and a density of 324.81 persons per km². The total area is 50.35 km².-External links:*...
in the Kumage District
Kumage District, Yamaguchi
Kumage is a district located in Yamaguchi, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 42,778 and a density of 282.12 persons per km²...
. Yamato
Yamato, Yamaguchi
was a town located in Kumage District, Yamaguchi, Japan.On October 4, 2004 Yamato was merged with the city of Hikari and no longer exists as an independent municipality....
merged with the old Hikari to form the new city of Hikari on October 4, 2004.
Municipal timeline
- October 1, 1940: The town of Shunan was renamed to Hikari.
- April 1, 1943: The town merged with the town of Murozumi to form the city of Hikari (1st generation).
- July 1, 1955: The city (1st generation) merged with the village of Suō to form the new city of Hikari (2nd generation).
- April 10, 1957: The city lost parts of Tateno area to the village of Yamato.
- October 4, 2004: The city (2nd generation) merged with the town of YamatoYamato, Yamaguchiwas a town located in Kumage District, Yamaguchi, Japan.On October 4, 2004 Yamato was merged with the city of Hikari and no longer exists as an independent municipality....
to form the new city of Hikari (3rd generation).
Military
The Hikari Naval ArsenalArsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
(or Dockyard) included a fire-control factory, built in 1942, that employed about 600 people. It was one of the principal establishments for producing the Standard H.A. System (Type 94 Kosha Sochi) at the rate of ~15 per month, along with bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
components, torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
afterbodies, and misc. machined parts.
The Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
formed the Second Special Attack Force (former First Special Base Unit) on March 1, 1945, at Hikari for conducting kaiten
Kaiten
The Kaiten were manned torpedos and suicide craft, they were used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of World War II.-History:...
attacks. Rear Admiral Nagai Mitsuru was the Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
. On that same day, a kaiten crew training unit is also formed at Hirao, SE of Hikari.
This was one of four such kaiten
Kaiten
The Kaiten were manned torpedos and suicide craft, they were used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of World War II.-History:...
training bases.
With hints of cessation of hostilities, bombing raids by U.S. forces were canceled. However, resumption of bombing was ordered on August 13, 1945.
The Hikari Naval Arsenal was consequently bombed the next day on August 14, 1945 (one day before the end of war), taking 738 lives.
The attacking U.S. aircraft were 156 B-29 bombers
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
of the 40th Bomb Group
stationed in Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, supported by P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
s from Iwo Jima
North Field (Iwo Jima)
North Field or Iwo Jima Air Base is a World War II airfield on Iwo Jima in the Bonin Islands, located in the Central Pacific. The Bonin Islands are part of Japan...
.
The 40th Bomb Group dropped 3,540 bombs (885 ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s) on the Hikari Naval Arsenal, resulting in severe destruction.
Including this bombing, Hikari lost more than 1,200 citizens in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, both military and civilian.
After surrender, Allied forces
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
found 52 kaiten at Hikari and destroyed them.
The former Hikari Naval Arsenal is now the sites for Nippon Steel Corporation
and vaccine manufacturing by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company
is the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and Asia and a top 15 pharmaceutical company. The company has over 19,000 employees worldwide and achieved $15.7 billion USD in revenue during the 2008 fiscal year...
.
Takeda discovered the hull of a Type 4 Kaiten under one of the buildings in August 1989, an attestation to the history of the site.
The Kaiten Monument, erected in 1996, honors Hikari Naval Arsenal kaiten pilots. Steel frames that once constituted the structure of the destroyed Hikari Naval Arsenal were used to build the Tsukumo Bridge.
Trivia
Hikari is one of the three cities to be founded for three times (YamaguchiYamaguchi, Yamaguchi
is the capital city of Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.As of February 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 198,971 and a population density of 194.44 persons per km²...
in Yamaguchi Prefecture
Yamaguchi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, in the center of the prefecture. The largest city, however, is Shimonoseki.- History :...
and Ichinoseki
Ichinoseki, Iwate
is a city located towards the south of Iwate Prefecture, Japan and situated on the Iwai River. After Morioka and Ōshū, it is the third largest city in the prefecture.-Description:...
in Iwate Prefecture
Iwate Prefecture
is the second largest prefecture of Japan after Hokkaido. It is located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island and contains the island's easternmost point. The capital is Morioka. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido...
are the other two).
- Area: Codes:
- 87+0820-20 through 69 in Hikari and Yamato
- 87+0833-40 through 79 and 90 through 99 excluding Yamato.