is 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...

 located in the far southwestern corner of Kanagawa

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...

, 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 2010, 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 44,190 and 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 574 persons per km². The total area was 76.93 km².

Geography

Minamiashigara is located in the mountainous west of Kanagawa Prefecture, with most of the city located within either the Tanzawa-Ōyama Quasi-National Park

Tanzawa-Ōyama Quasi-National Park

is a quasi-national park in the Kantō region of Honshū in Japan. It is rated a protected landscape according to the IUCN. The park includes the Tanzawa Mountains, Miyagase Dam and its surrounding forests, Hayato Great Falls and the religious sites of Mount Ōyama in the mountains of western...

 or the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park

is a national park in Yamanashi, Shizuoka, and Kanagawa Prefectures, and western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It consists of Mount Fuji, Fuji Five Lakes, Hakone, the Izu Peninsula, and the Izu Islands....

.

Surrounding Municipalities

Kanagawa Prefecture

• Odawara
  Odawara, Kanagawa
  is a city located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 198,466 with a population density of 1,740 persons per km² . The total area was .-Geography:...
  
  
• Kaeisei
  Kaisei, Kanagawa
  is a town located in Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 16,263 and a density of 2,470 persons per km². The total area was 6.56 km²...
  
  
• Yamakita
  Yamakita, Kanagawa
  is a town located in Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 11,863 and a density of 52.8 persons per km². The total area was 224.70 km².-Geography:...
  
  
• Hakone
  Hakone, Kanagawa
  is a town in Ashigarashimo District in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 13,339 and a density of 144 persons per km². The total area was 92.82 km².-Geography:...
  
  

Shizuoka Prefecture

• Oyama
  Oyama, Shizuoka
  is a town located in Suntō District, Shizuoka, Japan. As of February 2008, the town has an estimated population of 20,968 and a density of 154 persons per km². The total area is 136.13 km².-Geography:...
  
  

History

The area that us now Minaimashigara was under control of the late Hōjō clan

Late Hojo clan

The ' was one of the most powerful warrior clans in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region.The clan is traditionally reckoned to be started by Ise Shinkurō, who came from a branch of the prestigious Ise clan, a family in the direct employment of the Ashikaga...

 in 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 part of Odawara Domain

Odawara Domain

was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in western Sagami Province. It was centered on Odawara Castle in what is now the city of Odawara.-History:...

 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....

. 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...

, casastral reforms created Minamiashigawa, Fukusawa, Okamoto and Kitaashigara villages within Ashigarakami District

Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa

is an administrative district of Japan located in western Kanagawa Prefecture. Most of the mountainous district is sparsely populated, and is part of the Tanzawa-Ōyama Quasi-National Park.-History:...

, Kanagawa Prefecture. The development of the area was spurred by the opening of the Oyama Mountain Railway (present-day Izuhakone Railway

Izuhakone Railway

The is a railway company in Kanagawa Prefecture and Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The company also operates excursion ships, and the group companies operate buses and taxis. The company has its roots in founded in 1893. Izuhakone Railway is a member of Seibu group...

 Daiyūzan Line) on October 15, 1925. Minamiashigara was elevated in status to that of a town on April 1, 1940, and annexed neighboring Fukusawa, Okamoto and Kitaashigara villages in 1955. It became a city on April 1, 1972.

Economy

The economy of Minamiashigara is based on forestry and agriculture (primarily green tea

Green tea

Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...

 and mikan

Mikan

The satsuma is a seedless and easy-peeling citrus mutant of Japanese origin introduced to the West.In Japan, it is known as mikan or formally unshu mikan . In China, it is known as Wenzhou migan . The Japanese name is a result of the local reading of the same characters used in the Chinese...

). Fujifilm

Fujifilm

is a multinational photography and imaging company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.Fujifilm's principal activities are the development, production, sale and servicing of color photographic film, digital cameras, photofinishing equipment, color paper, photofinishing chemicals, medical imaging...

 and Asahi Breweries

Asahi Breweries

Asahi Breweries, Ltd. is a leading brewery and soft drink company based in Tokyo, Japan. The company has a 40% share of the Japanese beer market....

 have factories in Minamiashigara to make use of its abundant fresh water.

Railway

• Izuhakone Railway
  Izuhakone Railway
  The is a railway company in Kanagawa Prefecture and Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The company also operates excursion ships, and the group companies operate buses and taxis. The company has its roots in founded in 1893. Izuhakone Railway is a member of Seibu group...
  
   - Daiyūzan Line

} - - - - -

Local attractions

• Saijoji Temple, many temples and shrines located in an old growth cedar forest.
• Niju Isseki no Mori (21st Century Forest), a park with hiking trails throughout.
• Maruta no Mori: a park with hiking trails and camp grounds.

External links

• Odawara Living - Information about Minami Ashigara
• Kanagawa Living