Narashino, Chiba
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in northern Chiba
, Japan
. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population
of 164,809 and a population density
of 7850 persons per km². The total area was 20.99 km².
to the southwest.
, as well as burial tumuli
from the Kofun period
. However, for most of its history, the area was a sparsely populated wetland and swamp along the northern shore of Edo Bay
.
After the Meiji Restoration
, was founded within Chiba District
on April 1, 1889 on the merger of five small hamlets with a total population of 4500 people. The area only began to develop with the coming of the railway, and Tsudanuma was raised to town status on March 3, 1903, with a population of 6,000. The Narashino area of Tsudanuma was used for cavalry maneuvers by the early Imperial Japanese Army
, and a prisoner of war camp was built in 1904 to house POWs from the Russo-Japanese War
of 1904-1905 and World War I
. The Imperial Japanese Army Narashino School was the main training school for cavalry, and later for tank warfare.
On August 1, 1954, Tsudanuma merged with a portion of the neighboring city of Chiba (the former town of Makuhari) to form the new city of Narashino.
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 northern Chiba
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 February 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 164,809 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 7850 persons per km². The total area was 20.99 km².
Geography
Narashino is located in far northwestern Chiba Prefecture, bordered by Tokyo BayTokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
to the southwest.
History
The area around Narashino has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Archaeologists have found shell middens and numerous other remains from Jomon periodJomon period
The is the time in Japanese prehistory from about 14,000 BC to 300 BC.The term jōmon means "cord-patterned" in Japanese. This refers to the pottery style characteristic of the Jōmon culture, and which has markings made using sticks with cords wrapped around them...
, as well as burial tumuli
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...
. However, for most of its history, the area was a sparsely populated wetland and swamp along the northern shore of Edo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
.
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...
, was founded within Chiba District
Chiba District, Chiba
Chiba was a district located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.The district was dissolved on January 1, 1967 when the town of Yachiyo gained city status.-Chiba District areas:*Chiba-all areas excluding parts of Midori-ku...
on April 1, 1889 on the merger of five small hamlets with a total population of 4500 people. The area only began to develop with the coming of the railway, and Tsudanuma was raised to town status on March 3, 1903, with a population of 6,000. The Narashino area of Tsudanuma was used for cavalry maneuvers by the early Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
, and a prisoner of war camp was built in 1904 to house POWs from the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
of 1904-1905 and World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The Imperial Japanese Army Narashino School was the main training school for cavalry, and later for tank warfare.
On August 1, 1954, Tsudanuma merged with a portion of the neighboring city of Chiba (the former town of Makuhari) to form the new city of Narashino.
Economy
Narashino is a regional commercial center and a bedroom community for nearby Chiba and Tokyo. The coastal area, mostly on reclaimed land is part of the Keiyo Industrial Belt and is home to much heavy industry, especially related to chemical processing.Railways
- East Japan Railway CompanyEast 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....
(JR East) - Sōbu Main Line- HigataHigata Stationis a railway station in Asahi, Chiba, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company . It is located 98.8 rail kilometers from the western terminus of the Sōbu Main Line at Tokyo Station.-History:...
- AsahiAsahi Station (Chiba)is a railway station in Asahi, Chiba, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company .-Lines:Asahi Station is served by the Sōbu Main Line, with Shiosai limited express services between Tokyo and also stopping at this station...
- IiokaIioka Stationis a railway station in Asahi, Chiba, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company .-Lines:Iioka Station is served by the Sōbu Main Line, with Shiosai limited express services between Tokyo and also stopping at this station...
- KurahashiKurahashi Stationis a railway station in Asahi, Chiba, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company . It is located 109.2 rail kilometers from the western terminus of the Sōbu Main Line at Tokyo Station.-History:...
East Japan Railway CompanyEast 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....
- Sōbu Main Line - - Keiyō LineKeiyo LineThe is a railway line connecting Tokyo and Chiba, Japan, running mainly along the edge of Tokyo Bay. It is operated by the East Japan Railway Company .It provides the main rail access to the Tokyo Disney Resort and the Makuhari Messe exhibition center...
– - - 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...
- Main 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...
- Chiba Line - Keisei Tsudanuma Shin-Keisei Electric RailwayShin-Keisei Electric RailwayThe is a private railway in Chiba, Japan. It connects Narashino and Matsudo.It has subsidiaries of bus company .It is a subsidiary of Keisei Electric Railway.-History:...
- Shin-Keisei LineShin-Keisei LineThe is a railway line owned by a Japanese private railway company Shin-Keisei Electric Railway, a subsidiary of Keisei Electric Railway. The line runs between Matsudo Station in Matsudo, Chiba, Keisei-Tsudanuma Station in Narashino, Chiba.... - Keisei Tsudanuma -
- Higata
Notable places
- Yatsu-higataYatsu-higatais a tidal flat in Narashino, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, 2km from Tokyo Bay. Once one of the largest tidal flats in Japan, much of the area has been reclaimed. Forty hectares of wetland were designated a Ramsar Site in 1993....
(谷津干潟), a Ramsar SiteRamsar sites in JapanThe Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. Adopted in 1971, it entered into force in 1975 and as of March 2011 has 160 Contracting Parties. Japan was the twenty-fourth party to accede, on 17 October 1980...
and protected wetlands for migratory birdsBird migrationBird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
. The spring and summer months see an increase of jellyfish and small crabs to the wetlands. - Yatsu Bara-en (谷津バラ園), a rose garden which displays over 6000 individual blossoms in May and October. The garden was founded with Yatsu Yūen (谷津遊園), an amusement parkAmusement parkthumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
which was managed by Keisei Electric Railway and closed in 1982. When the park was closed, the city bought the garden, and has managed it since that time.
Noted people from Narashino
- Daichi SuzukiDaichi Suzukiis a retired Japanese backstroke swimmer. He won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.In the early 1980s, Suzuki was a budding high school swimmer in his native country...
– Olympic gold-medalist swimmer - Masaaki Takada – professional soccer player
- Kota Hattori – professional soccer player
- Makoto Sunakawa – professional soccer player
- Hideaki KitajimaHideaki KitajimaHideaki Kitajima is a Japanese football player who currently plays for Kashiwa Reysol. He was capped 3 times and scored 1 goal for the Japanese national team.-Career statistics:...
– professional soccer player