Sakura, Chiba
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in northern Chiba Prefecture
, Japan
. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population
of 172,176 and a population density
of 1660 persons per km². The total area was 103.59 km².
and 15 kilometers from Narita International Airport
. Chiba City, the prefectural capital, lies 15 kilometers southwest of Sakura. Lake Imba and the Imba Marsh form the northern city limits.
burial tumulii
in the area, along with the remains of a Hakuho period
Buddhist temple. During the Kamakura
and Muromachi period
s, the area was controlled by the Chiba clan
. During the Sengoku period
, the Chiba clan fought the Satomi clan
to the south, and the Late Hōjō clan
to the west. After the defeat of the Chiba clan, the area came within the control of Tokugawa Ieyasu
, who assigned one of his chief generals, Doi Toshikatsu
to rebuild Chiba Castle
and to rule over Sakura Domain
as a daimyō
. Under the Tokugawa shogunate
, Sakura Domain came to be ruled for most of the Edo period
under the Hotta clan
. Towards the Bakumatsu period, the domain became a center for rangaku
studies, contributing greatly towards the Meiji Restoration
. After the abolition of Sakura Domain
, the area eventually became part of Chiba Prefecture.
Sakura Town was one of several towns and villages created on April 1, 1889 under Inba District
. On March 31, 1954, Sakura achieved city status through merger with neighboring Usui Town and Wada, Nego, Yadomi and Shizu villages.
(http://www.rekihaku.ac.jp, phone 043-486-0123, address 117 Jonai-cho) located on the ruins of Sakura Castle Park. Several samurai house near the old castle are open to the public and are protected as Important Cultural Properties
. Other sights of interest include the Tsukamoto Sword Museum, Sakura Museum of History and Folklore, Sakura City Museum of Art, and the Sakura Juntendo Memorial Building. Nearby is also the Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art.
On the 40th anniversary of the city’s foundation a Dutch windmill
called De Liefde was erected by the Dutch millwright
company "Verbij Hoogmade BV" on the south-eastern shore of Lake Imba as a landmark of Sakura Furusato Square. The mill serving as a polder
mill is named after the first Dutch sailing ship which landed on the Japanese shore in 1600. It is the only windmill of this type in Japan (a so-called "ground-sailer", which means a windmill whose sails reach almost down to the ground.
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 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 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 172,176 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 1660 persons per km². The total area was 103.59 km².
Geography
Sakura is located in northeastern Chiba Prefecture. It is situated 40 kilometers northeast of the TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and 15 kilometers from Narita International Airport
Narita International Airport
is an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east-southeast of Narita Station in the city of Narita, and the adjacent town of Shibayama....
. Chiba City, the prefectural capital, lies 15 kilometers southwest of Sakura. Lake Imba and the Imba Marsh form the northern city limits.
Neighboring municipalities
- Chiba, 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....
- Yotsukaido, ChibaYotsukaido, Chibais a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the town had an estimated population of 86,911 and a population density of 2500 persons per km²...
- Yachiyo, ChibaYachiyo, Chibais a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of August 2011, the town had an estimated population of 193,262 and a population density of 3769 persons per km²...
- Inzai, ChibaInzai, Chibais a city located in the north-west of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of late February 2011, the city has an estimated population of 88,652 and a population density of 716 persons/square kilometer. The total area was 128.80 km².-Geography:...
- Yachimata, ChibaYachimata, Chibais a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the town had an estimated population of 73,118 and a population density of 977 persons per km²...
- Shisui, ChibaShisui, Chibais a town located in Inba District, Chiba, Japan. As of February 2011, the town had an estimated population of 21,205 and a population density of 1,110 persons per km²...
History
The area around Sakura has been inhabited since prehistory, and archaeologists have found numerous Kofun periodKofun 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...
burial tumulii
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...
in the area, along with the remains of a Hakuho period
Hakuhō period
The was an unofficial of Emperor Temmu after Hakuchi and before Suchō. The duration of this discrete non-nengō timespan lasted from 673 through 686.The Hakuhō period is more often used as a general term which describe a wider range of years....
Buddhist temple. During the Kamakura
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
and Muromachi period
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
s, the area was controlled by 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....
. 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 Chiba clan fought 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, and 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...
to the west. After the defeat of the Chiba clan, the area came within the control of Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
, who assigned one of his chief generals, Doi Toshikatsu
Doi Toshikatsu
was a top-ranking official in Japan's Tokugawa shogunate during its early decades, and one of the chief advisors to the second Tokugawa shogun, Hidetada....
to rebuild Chiba Castle
Chiba Castle
was the forerunner of Kumamoto Castle. It is in the south of Japan, not to be confused with Chiba, near Tokyo. Chiba castle was once residence to Miyamoto Musashi before he moved to Reigandō, the castle was awarded to him by the daimyo of the Kumamoto domain, Hosokawa Tadatoshi, along with 17...
and to rule over Sakura Domain
Sakura Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Shimōsa Province , Japan. It was centered on Sakura Castle in what is now part of the city of Sakura...
as a daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
. 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...
, Sakura Domain came to be ruled for most 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....
under the Hotta clan
Hotta clan
The was a Japanese clan that ruled the Sakura Domain in the late Edo period. Jindai-ji in the present-day city of Sakura was the clan's bodaiji, or family temple, and has many of the tombstones of prominent members of the Hotta clan.-References: ....
. Towards the Bakumatsu period, the domain became a center for rangaku
Rangaku
Rangaku is a body of knowledge developed by Japan through its contacts with the Dutch enclave of Dejima, which allowed Japan to keep abreast of Western technology and medicine in the period when the country was closed to foreigners, 1641–1853, because of the Tokugawa shogunate’s policy of national...
studies, contributing greatly towards 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...
. After the abolition of Sakura Domain
Abolition of the han system
The was an act, in 1871, of the new Meiji government of the Empire of Japan to replace the traditional feudal domain system and to introduce centralized government authority . This process marked the culmination of the Meiji Restoration in that all daimyo were required to return their authority...
, the area eventually became part of Chiba Prefecture.
Sakura Town was one of several towns and villages created on April 1, 1889 under Inba District
Inba District, Chiba
is a district located in Chiba, Japan.As of 2011, the district has an estimated population of 43,480 and a density of 845 persons per km². The total area is 51.48 km².There are two towns within the district.*Sakae*Shisui-District timeline:...
. On March 31, 1954, Sakura achieved city status through merger with neighboring Usui Town and Wada, Nego, Yadomi and Shizu villages.
Economy
Sakura is a regional commercial center and, due to its numerous train connections, a bedroom community for nearby Chiba and Tokyo.Education
- Keiai UniversityKeiai Universityis a private university in the city of Inage-ku, Chiba, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, established in 1966. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1921. The university has attached junior college, high schools and kindergarten.-External links:*...
branch campus - Chiba Keiai Junior CollegeChiba Keiai Junior Collegeis one of the privatejunior Colleges located at Sakura, Chiba in Japan. It is one of the 149 junior colleges in Japan set up in 1950 when the junior college system started.It consists of one department now.-External links:*...
- Wayo Women's UniversityWayo Women's Universityis a private women's college in Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1897, and it was chartered as a university in 1949.-External links:*...
branch campus
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....
- Narita LineNarita LineThe is the name for a combination of three railway lines located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company .The main line runs between Sakura Station and Matsugishi Station , and is sometimes referred to as the...
, Sōbu 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...
- Keisei Main Line- - - - -
- Yamaman - Yamaman Yūkarigaoka Line
- - - - - -
Highway
- Higashi-Kantō ExpresswayHigashi-Kanto ExpresswayThe is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.-Overview:Officially the expressway is referred to as the Higashi-Kantō Expressway Mito Route....
- Japan National Route 51Japan National Route 51National Route 51 is a national highway of Japan connecting Chūō-ku, Chiba and Mito, Ibaraki in Japan, with a total length of 124 km ....
- Japan National Route 296
Local attractions
Sakura boasts a number of tourist attractions, including the large National Museum of Japanese HistoryNational Museum of Japanese History
The is a history museum in Sakura, Chiba, Japan.-See also:* List of National Treasures of Japan *List of National Treasures of Japan...
(http://www.rekihaku.ac.jp, phone 043-486-0123, address 117 Jonai-cho) located on the ruins of Sakura Castle Park. Several samurai house near the old castle are open to the public and are protected as Important Cultural Properties
Important Cultural Properties of Japan
The term is often shortened into just are items officially already classified as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people....
. Other sights of interest include the Tsukamoto Sword Museum, Sakura Museum of History and Folklore, Sakura City Museum of Art, and the Sakura Juntendo Memorial Building. Nearby is also the Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art.
On the 40th anniversary of the city’s foundation a Dutch windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
called De Liefde was erected by the Dutch millwright
Millwright
A millwright is a craftsman or tradesman engaged with the construction and maintenance of machinery.Early millwrights were specialist carpenters who erected machines used in agriculture, food processing and processing lumber and paper...
company "Verbij Hoogmade BV" on the south-eastern shore of Lake Imba as a landmark of Sakura Furusato Square. The mill serving as a polder
Polder
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices...
mill is named after the first Dutch sailing ship which landed on the Japanese shore in 1600. It is the only windmill of this type in Japan (a so-called "ground-sailer", which means a windmill whose sails reach almost down to the ground.
Noted people from Sakura
- Hayashi TadasuHayashi Tadasuwas a career diplomat and cabinet minister in Meiji period Japan. Baron Matsumoto Ryōjun, the onetime private physician to Tokugawa Yoshinobu and founder of the Imperial Japanese Army Medical Corps, was Hayashi’s brother.- Early life :...
– Meiji period statesman - Tsuda SenTsuda Senwas a politician, educator and writer in Meiji period Japan. He was one of the founders of Aoyama Gakuin university, and the father of noted author Tsuda Umeko.- Biography :...
– Meiji period statesman - Nagashima Shigeo – Professional baseball player
External links
- Sakura official website in Japanese
- Sakura Website in English