Ichihara, Chiba
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in Chiba Prefecture
, Japan
. As of August 2010, the city has an estimated population
of 279,080, with a population density
of 758 persons per km². The total area of Ichihara was 368.20 km². The city is home, together with Chiba City
, to the JEF United
soccer team.
, and geographically is the largest of Chiba Prefecture's cities and towns. The highly industrialized northern part of the city sits on Tokyo Bay, while the southern part of the city is primarily mountainous. Ichihara, dense in housing developments, serves as a satellite town
of Tokyo and Chiba City.
. The ruins of the Nara period
Kazusa kokubun-ji
have been found within the borders of Ichihara, although the exact location of the Nara-period provincial capital remains uncertain. During the Sengoku period
, the area was contested between the Chiba clan
to the north, and the Satomi clan
to the south. During the Edo period
, the area was divided between Goi Domain
, Tsurumaki Domain
and large areas of tenryō territory controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate
and administered by various hatamoto
. During the Meiji period
, the area was reorganized into 171 villages under Ichihara District, Chiba Prefecture. By 1945, these villages had been consolidated into five towns and 16 villages. Through further consolidation and mergers, the city of Ichihara was founded on May 1, 1963. On October 1, 1967, the neighboring town of Nansō and village of Kamo merged into the city of Ichihara.
. Natural gas
storage tanks at the Cosmo oil refinery
in Ichihara were set on fire by the earthquake.
in Japan, as well as power, petrochemical and shipbuilding companies.
yakuza
syndicate is headquartered in Ichihara. A designated yakuza group, the Soai-kai is the three dominating yakuza syndicates in Chiba Prefecture
, along with the Sumiyoshi-kai
and the Inagawa-kai
.
} - -
}
} - Kazusa-Murakami
- Amaariki
- Kazusa-Mitsumata
- Kazusa-Yamada
- Kōfūdai
- Umatate
- Kazusa-Ushiku
- Kazusa-Kawama
- Kazusa-Tsurumai
- Kazusa-Kubo
- Takataki
- Satomi
- Itabu
- Tsukizaki
- Kazusa-Ōkubo
- Yōrōkeikoku
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 Chiba Prefecture
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
, 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 2010, 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 279,080, with 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 758 persons per km². The total area of Ichihara was 368.20 km². The city is home, together with Chiba City
Chiba, Chiba
is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a government designated city in 1992. Its population as of 2008 is approximately 960,000....
, to the JEF United
JEF United Ichihara Chiba
is a Japanese professional football club that plays in J. League Division 2. On February 1, 2005, the club changed its name from JEF United Ichihara to the current name after Chiba city had joined Ichihara, Chiba as its hometown in 2003. The club name, JEF -taken from JR East and Furukawa Electric-...
soccer team.
Geography
Ichihara is located in the western part of the Bōsō PeninsulaBoso Peninsula
thumb|Locationthumb|Landsat image with high-resolution data from Space Shuttle is a peninsula in Chiba prefecture on Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It forms the eastern edge of Tokyo Bay, separating it from the Pacific Ocean....
, and geographically is the largest of Chiba Prefecture's cities and towns. The highly industrialized northern part of the city sits on Tokyo Bay, while the southern part of the city is primarily mountainous. Ichihara, dense in housing developments, serves as a satellite town
Satellite town
A satellite town or satellite city is a concept in urban planning that refers essentially to smaller metropolitan areas which are located somewhat near to, but are mostly independent of, larger metropolitan areas.-Characteristics:...
of Tokyo and Chiba City.
Surrounding municipalities
- ChibaChiba, Chibais the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a government designated city in 1992. Its population as of 2008 is approximately 960,000....
- MobaraMobara, Chibais a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of September 2010, the city has an estimated population of 92,449 and a population density of 924 persons per km². The total area is 100.01 km².-Geography:...
- SodegauraSodegaura, Chibais a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 59,916 and a population density of 631 persons per km²...
- KisarazuKisarazu, Chibais a city located in Chiba, Japan. As of September 2010, Kisarazu has an estimated population of 126,906 and a density of 915 persons per km². The total area was 138.73 km²....
- KimitsuKimitsu, Chibais a city located in Chiba, Japan. As of September 2010, the city had an estimated population of 88,661 and a population density of 278 persons per km². The total area was 318.83 km².-Geography:...
- NagaraNagara, Chibais a town located in Chōsei District, Chiba, Japan. As of Mar. 1, 2010, the town had an estimated population of 8,117 and a density of 172 persons per km². The total area is 47.20 km².- Geography :...
- ChōnanChonan, Chibais a town located in Chōsei District, Chiba, Japan.As of 2010 estimates, the town had a population of 9,154 and a density of 140 persons per km². The total area was .- Geography :...
- ŌtakiOtaki, Chibais a town located in Isumi District, Chiba, Japan, occupying the center of the Bōsō Peninsula. The town is known for its association with Edo period general Honda Tadakatsu and its prominent castle. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 10,794 and a population density of 83.1 persons...
History
The area of modern Ichihara is the center of ancient Kazusa provinceKazusa Province
was a province of Japan in the area of modern Chiba Prefecture. It lies on in the middle of the Bōsō Peninsula , whose name takes its first kanji from the name of Awa Province and its second from Kazusa and Shimōsa Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was or .Kazusa is classified as one of the...
. The ruins of 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...
Kazusa kokubun-ji
Provincial temple
Emperor Shōmu of Japan established so-called provincial temples in each province of Japan...
have been found within the borders of Ichihara, although the exact location of the Nara-period provincial capital remains uncertain. 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...
, the area was contested between the Chiba clan
Chiba clan
The ' was a branch family of the Taira clan descended from Chiba no Suke, son of Taira no Tadatsune. Historically, they controlled the city of Chiba, outside Tokyo, and also an area called Soma which included the Grand Shrine of Ise....
to the north, and the Satomi clan
Satomi clan
The Satomi clan was a clan of samurai which claimed descent from Nitta Yoshishige , whose son Yoshitoshi took 'Satomi' as his surname. The Satomi moved from Kōzuke province to Awa province in the mid-15th century, and remained there into the Edo Period. During the Sengoku period, the Satomi were...
to the south. 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....
, the area was divided between Goi Domain
Goi Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Kazusa Province , Japan. It was centered on what is now the city of Ichihara, Chiba...
, Tsurumaki Domain
Tsurumaki Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Kazusa Province , Japan. It was centered on what is now the city of Ichihara, Chiba...
and large areas of tenryō territory controlled 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...
and administered by various hatamoto
Hatamoto
A was a samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as gokenin. However, in the Edo period, hatamoto were the upper vassals of the Tokugawa...
. During 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 :...
, the area was reorganized into 171 villages under Ichihara District, Chiba Prefecture. By 1945, these villages had been consolidated into five towns and 16 villages. Through further consolidation and mergers, the city of Ichihara was founded on May 1, 1963. On October 1, 1967, the neighboring town of Nansō and village of Kamo merged into the city of Ichihara.
2011 earthquake
On Friday, March 11, 2011 the city was struck by the Tōhoku earthquake2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
. Natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
storage tanks at the Cosmo oil refinery
Cosmo Oil Company
is a Japanese petrochemical company.-History:Cosmo traces its corporate roots to Maruzen Petroleum , a company established in 1931, although the oil business operated by Maruzen was originally established by Zenzo Matsumura in Kobe in 1907....
in Ichihara were set on fire by the earthquake.
Economy
The city's economy is fueled by a large industrial complex overlooking Tokyo Bay. It contains the largest number of oil refineriesOil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
in Japan, as well as power, petrochemical and shipbuilding companies.
Crime and safety
The Soai-kaiSoai-kai
The is a yakuza organization based in Chiba, Japan. The Soai-kai is a designated yakuza group with an estimated 230 active members.-History:The Soai-kai was formed in 1945 by Toramatsu Takahashi, then a member of a Yokohama-based bakuto group named the Sasada-ikka...
yakuza
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
syndicate is headquartered in Ichihara. A designated yakuza group, the Soai-kai is the three dominating yakuza syndicates in Chiba Prefecture
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
, along with the Sumiyoshi-kai
Sumiyoshi-kai
The , sometimes referred to as the , is the second-largest yakuza group in Japan with an estimated 20,000 members.The Sumiyoshi-kai is a confederation of smaller gangs. Its current sosai, or president, is Shigeo Nishiguchi. Structurally, the Sumiyoshi-kai differs from its main rival, the...
and the Inagawa-kai
Inagawa-kai
The is the third largest of Japan's yakuza groups, with approximately 15,000 members. It is based in the Kanto region, and was one of the first yakuza organizations to begin operating overseas.-History:...
.
Railway
- Jr EastEast Japan Railway Companyis the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
– Uchibō Line
} - -
- Keisei Electric RailwayKeisei Electric RailwayThe is a major private railway in Chiba and Tokyo, Japan. The name Keisei is the combination of the kanji 京 from and 成 from , which the railways main line connects. The combination uses different readings than the ones used in the city names. The railway's main line runs from Tokyo to Narita and...
– Keisei Chihara LineKeisei Chihara LineThe is part of the Keisei Railway in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. This line starts from Chiba-Chūō Station and ends at Chiharadai Station.-History:...
}
} - Kazusa-Murakami
Kazusa-Murakami Station
is a railway station operated by the Kominato Railway Company's Kominato Line, located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture Japan. It is 2.5 kilometers from the western terminus of the Kominato Line at Goi Station.-Station layout:...
- Amaariki
Amaariki Station
is a railway station operated by the Kominato Railway Company's Kominato Line, located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture Japan. It is 5.4 kilometers from the western terminus of the Kominato Line at Goi Station.-Station layout:...
- Kazusa-Mitsumata
Kazusa-Mitsumata Station
is a railway station operated by the Kominato Railway Company's Kominato Line, located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture Japan. It is 7.2 kilometers from the western terminus of the Kominato Line at Goi Station.-History:...
- Kazusa-Yamada
Kazusa-Yamada Station
is a railway station operated by the Kominato Railway Company's Kominato Line, located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture Japan. It is 8.6 kilometers from the western terminus of the Kominato Line at Goi Station.-History:...
- Kōfūdai
Kōfūdai Station (Chiba)
is a railway station operated by the Kominato Railway Company's Kominato Line, located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is 10.6 kilometers from the western terminus of the Kominato Line at Goi Station.-History:...
- Umatate
Umatate Station
is a railway station operated by the Kominato Railway Company's Kominato Line, located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is 12.4 kilometers from the western terminus of the Kominato Line at Goi Station.-Station layout:...
- Kazusa-Ushiku
Kazusa-Ushiku Station
is a railway station operated by the Kominato Railway Company's Kominato Line, located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is 16.4 kilometers from the western terminus of the Kominato Line at Goi Station.-Station layout:...
- Kazusa-Kawama
Kazusa-Kawama Station
is a railway station operated by the Kominato Railway Company's Kominato Line, located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is 18.5 kilometers from the western terminus of the Kominato Line at Goi Station.-Station layout:...
- Kazusa-Tsurumai
Kazusa-Tsurumai Station
is a railway station operated by the Kominato Railway Company's Kominato Line, located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is 20.0 kilometers from the western terminus of the Kominato Line at Goi Station.-History:...
- Kazusa-Kubo
Kazusa-Kubo Station
is a railway station operated by the Kominato Railway Company's Kominato Line, located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is 22.0 kilometers from the western terminus of the Kominato Line at Goi Station.-Station layout:...
- Takataki
Takataki Station
is a railway station operated by the Kominato Railway Company's Kominato Line, located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is 23.8 kilometers from the western terminus of the Kominato Line at Goi Station.-History:...
- Satomi
Satomi Station
is a railway station operated by the Kominato Railway Company's Kominato Line, located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is 25.7 kilometers from the western terminus of the Kominato Line at Goi Station.-History:...
- Itabu
Itabu Station
is a railway station operated by the Kominato Railway Company's Kominato Line, located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is 27.5 kilometers from the western terminus of the Kominato Line at Goi Station.-Station layout:...
- Tsukizaki
Tsukizaki Station
is a railway station operated by the Kominato Railway Company's Kominato Line, located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is 29.8 kilometers from the western terminus of the Kominato Line at Goi Station.-Station layout:...
- Kazusa-Ōkubo
Kazusa-Ōkubo Station
is a railway station operated by the Kominato Railway Company's Kominato Line, located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is 32.3 kilometers from the western terminus of the Kominato Line at Goi Station.-Station layout:...
- Yōrōkeikoku
Yōrōkeikoku Station
is a railway station operated by the Kominato Railway Company's Kominato Line, located in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is 34.9 kilometers from the western terminus of the Kominato Line at Goi Station.-History:...
Highway
- Tateyama ExpresswayTateyama ExpresswayThe is a national expressway in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.-Naming:Tateyama refers to the city of the same name on the Bōsō Peninsula, a major city in the region...
- Ken-Ō ExpresswayKen-O ExpresswayThe , or , is a partially completed ticket system toll expressway in Japan, owned and operated by the Central Nippon Expressway Company and East Nippon Expressway Company. In conjunction with the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line and the Bayshore Route of the Shuto Expressway, it will form a full outer ring road...
- Japan National Route 16
- Route 297 (Japan)Route 297 (Japan)National Route 297 is a national highway of Japan connecting Tateyama, Chiba and Ichihara, Chiba in Japan, with a total length of 107 km ....
- Route 409 (Japan)Route 409 (Japan)National Route 409 is a national highway of Japan connecting Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki and Narita, Chiba in Japan, with a total length of 119.3 km ....
Noted people from Ichihara
- Harumi NemotoHarumi Nemotois a Japanese gravure idol from Chiba Prefecture, Japan. She has had a column since October 2007 in the monthly manga magazine Manga Life.-Biography:...
- gravure idol - Shigeru JoshimaShigeru Joshimais a Japanese musician and actor. He is the leader and main guitarist of Tokio, a Johnny & Associates musical group.- As an artist :...
- musician, actor - Neko HiroshiNeko Hiroshi, more commonly known as , is a Japanese owarai comedian who uses his short stature, at and , and cat persona in his act. He attended Mejiro University. He appears in many Japanese variety shows, and was in the 17th SASUKE competition...
- comedian - Katsushige KawashimaKatsushige Kawashimais a retired professional boxer who fought in the super flyweight division. He is a former WBC super flyweight champion.- Biography :Kawashima joined the boxing gym of former WBC and WBA minimumweight champion Hideyuki Ohashi in 1995, and made his professional debut on February 20, 1997, with a 2nd...
- boxer - Hirotoshi IshiiHirotoshi IshiiHirotoshi Ishii from Iwasaki, Ichihara, Chiba, Japan) is a Japanese baseball player. He currently plays as a relief pitcher for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows....
- professional baseball player - Kohei Kudo- professional soccer player
- Hiroshi AoyamaHiroshi Aoyamais a Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He is the older brother of former 250cc and World Superbike rider, Shuhei Aoyama.In his six seasons in the 250cc World Championship, he raced Honda and KTM machinery in an Aprilia-dominated class. He took eight victories and never finished lower than...
- professional motorcycle racer - Shuhei AoyamaShuhei AoyamaShuhei Aoyama is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He is the younger brother of MotoGP rider, Hiroshi Aoyama....
- professional motorcycle racer