is an administrative district of Japan

Districts of Japan

The was most recently used as an administrative unit in Japan between 1878 and 1921 and is roughly equivalent to the county of the United States, ranking at the level below prefecture and above city, town or village. As of 2008, cities belong directly to prefectures and are independent from...

 located in central Kanagawa Prefecture

Kanagawa Prefecture

is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...

. It currently consists of only one town, Samukawa

Samukawa, Kanagawa

is a town located in Kōza District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 47,739 and a density of 3,560 persons per km². The total area was 13.42 km².-Geography:...

.

History

Kōza District was one of the ancient subdivisions of Sagami Province

Sagami Province

was an old province in the area that is today the central and western Kanagawa prefecture. It was sometimes called . Sagami bordered on Izu, Musashi, Suruga provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Sagami Bay...

, extending from Sagami Bay

Sagami Bay

Sagami Bay , also known as the Sagami Gulf or Sagami Sea, lies south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū, central Japan, contained within the scope of the Miura Peninsula, in Kanagawa, to the east, the Izu Peninsula, in Shizuoka Prefecture, to the west, and the Shōnan coastline to the north, while the...

 north to the border of Musashi Province

Musashi Province

was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Prefecture, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama...

 between the Sagami River

Sagami River

The is a river in Kanagawa and Yamanashi Prefectures on the island of Honshū, Japan.The upper reaches of the river in Yamanashi prefecture are also sometimes known as the , and the portion near the river mouth as the...

 and the Sakai River. It was mentioned in the Nihon Shoki

Nihon Shoki

The , sometimes translated as The Chronicles of Japan, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the Kojiki, the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeologists as it includes the most complete extant historical...

records of 675 AD in 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...

 as . The provincial capital of Sagami Province and its kokubunji

Provincial temple

Emperor Shōmu of Japan established so-called provincial temples in each province of Japan...

were located within Kōza District, although its exact location is today unknown.

The area was under the control of various 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...

from 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...

 through 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...

, and was held as tenryō territory administered by the Shogun

Shogun

A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...

 under 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...

 of 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....

. After the Meiji Restoration

Meiji Restoration

The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...

, it was established as a district

Districts of Japan

The was most recently used as an administrative unit in Japan between 1878 and 1921 and is roughly equivalent to the county of the United States, ranking at the level below prefecture and above city, town or village. As of 2008, cities belong directly to prefectures and are independent from...

 under the cadastral reform of 1878, with a district office built near what is now part of Chigasaki

Chigasaki, Kanagawa

is a city located in central, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 234,400 and a density of 6,540 persons per km²...

. This was moved to Fujisawa-Ōsaka Town (present-day Fujisawa

Fujisawa, Kanagawa

is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 407,731 and a population density of 5,870 people per km². The total area is 69.51 km²-Geography:...

) in 1906.

On April 1, 1889 Kōza District was divided into one town (Fujisawa-Ōsaka) and 22 villages. In 1908, Chigasaki Village became a town, as did Kamimizo in 1928, and Zama in 1937. Fujisawa became a city

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...

 in 1940. Samukawa

Samukawa, Kanagawa

is a town located in Kōza District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 47,739 and a density of 3,560 persons per km². The total area was 13.42 km².-Geography:...

 and Ebina became towns the same year. In 1941, Zama, Kamimizo and six neighboring villages merged to from the town of Sagamihara. Yamato became a town in 1943, Shibuya in 1944 and Ayase in 1945. Chigasaki became a city in 1947.

In 1948, Zama was separated from Sagamihara

Sagamihara, Kanagawa

is a city located in north central Kanagawa Prefecture, bordering Tokyo, Japan. It is the third most populous city in the prefecture, after Yokohama and Kawasaki, and the fifth most populous suburb of Greater Tokyo. Its northern neighbor is Machida, with which a cross-prefectural merger has been...

, which became a city in 1954.

The town of Shibuya dissolved in 1955, with the southern portions merging with Fujisawa, and the northern portion reverting to the status of village until absorbed by Ebina town in 1956. Yamato

Yamato, Kanagawa

is a city located in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 225,866 and a density of 8,320 persons per km². The total area was 27.06 km².-Surrounding municipalities:*Zama*Fujisawa*Ebina*Sagamihara*Ayase...

 became a city in 1959, and both Ebina

Ebina, Kanagawa

is a city located in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town has an estimated population of 127,062 and a density of 4,800 persons per km². The total area is 26.48 km².-Geography:...

 and Zama

Zama, Kanagawa

is a city located in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The city is also home to the United States' Camp Zama Army base. As of 128,989, the city had an estimated population of 128,989 and a density of 7,320 persons per km². The total area was 17.58 km²....

 became cities in 1971, and Ayase

Ayase, Kanagawa

is a city in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is on the east bank of the Sagami River and is bordered by Yamato, Fujisawa and Ebina cities. It should not be confused with a neighborhood of the same name in Adachi, Tokyo. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 82,738 and a...

 in 1978, leaving Samukawa as the only remaining component of Kōza District.

As of 2009, the district 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 47,812 and a 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 3,560 persons per km². The total area is 13.42 km².

Towns and villages

• Samukawa
  Samukawa, Kanagawa
  is a town located in Kōza District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 47,739 and a density of 3,560 persons per km². The total area was 13.42 km².-Geography:...
  
  

pre-1889	April 1, 1889	1889 - 1926		1926 - 1944		1945 - 1954	1955 - 1989			1989 - Present	Present
	Samukawa village	Samukawa village		November 1, 1940 Samukawa town		Samukawa town	Samukawa town			Samukawa town	Samukawa Samukawa, Kanagawa is a town located in Kōza District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 47,739 and a density of 3,560 persons per km². The total area was 13.42 km².-Geography:...
	Chigasaki village	October 1, 1908 Chigasaki town		Chigasaki town		October 1, 1947 Chigasaki town	Chigasaki city			Chigasaki town	Chigasaki Chigasaki, Kanagawa is a city located in central, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 234,400 and a density of 6,540 persons per km²...
	Shorin village
	Tsurumine village
	Koide village	Koide village		Koide village		Koide village	April 5, 1955 merged with Chigasaki (except for Endo division)
							April 5, 1955 merged with Fujisawa (Endo division)			Fujisawa city	Fujisawa Fujisawa, Kanagawa is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 407,731 and a population density of 5,870 people per km². The total area is 69.51 km²-Geography:...
	Fujisawa-Ōsaka town	Fujisawa-Ōsaka town	April 1, 1908 Fujisawa town	October 1, 1940 Fujisawa city		Fujisawa city	Fujisawa city
	Kamakura District Fujisawa-Ōtomi town	October 1, 1907 merge with Fujisawa-Ōsaka town
	Kugenuma village	Kugenuma village
	Meiji village	Meiji village
	Mutsuai village	Mutsuai village		March 10, 1942 merge with Fujisawa city
	Goshomi village	Goshomi village		Goshomi village		Goshomi village	April 5, 1955 merge with Fujisawa city
	Shibuya village	Shibuya village		November 3, 1944 Shibuya town		Shibuya town	April 5, 1955 merged with Fujisawa
							April 5, 1955 Shibuya town	September 1, 1956 merge with Yamato town	February 1, 1959 Shibuya town	Yamato city	Yamato Yamato, Kanagawa is a city located in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 225,866 and a density of 8,320 persons per km². The total area was 27.06 km².-Surrounding municipalities:*Zama*Fujisawa*Ebina*Sagamihara*Ayase...
	Tsurumi village	September 25, 1891 Yamato village		November 3, 1943 Yamato town		Yamato town	Yamato town
	Ayase village	Ayase village		Ayase village		April 1, 1945 Ayase town	November 1, 1978 Ayase city			Ayase city	Ayase Ayase, Kanagawa is a city in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is on the east bank of the Sagami River and is bordered by Yamato, Fujisawa and Ebina cities. It should not be confused with a neighborhood of the same name in Adachi, Tokyo. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 82,738 and a...
	Ebina village	Ebina village		December 20, 1940 Ebina town		Ebina town	Ebina town		November 1, 1971 Ebina city	Ebina city	Ebina Ebina, Kanagawa is a city located in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town has an estimated population of 127,062 and a density of 4,800 persons per km². The total area is 26.48 km².-Geography:...
	Arima village	Arima village		Arima village		Arima village	April 20, 1955 merge with Ebina town
	Zama village	Zama village		December 20, 1937 Zama town	April 29, 1941 Sagamihara town	September 1, 1948 Zama village	November 1, 1971 Zama city			Zama city	Zama Zama, Kanagawa is a city located in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The city is also home to the United States' Camp Zama Army base. As of 128,989, the city had an estimated population of 128,989 and a density of 7,320 persons per km². The total area was 17.58 km²....
	Araiso village	Araiso village		Araiso village		November 20, 1954 Sagamihara city	Sagamihara city			Sagamihara city	Sagamihara Sagamihara, Kanagawa is a city located in north central Kanagawa Prefecture, bordering Tokyo, Japan. It is the third most populous city in the prefecture, after Yokohama and Kawasaki, and the fifth most populous suburb of Greater Tokyo. Its northern neighbor is Machida, with which a cross-prefectural merger has been...
	Asamizo village	Asamizo village		Asamizo village
	Tana village	Tana village		Tana village
	Mizo village	Mizo village		January 1, 1928 Kamimizo town
	Osawa village	Osawa village		Osawa village
	Aihara village	Aihara village		Aihara village
	Ono Village	Ono Village		Ono Village