Yugawara, Kanagawa
Encyclopedia
is a town
located in Ashigarashimo District
, Kanagawa Prefecture
, Japan
. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population
of 26,729 and a density
of 655 persons per km². The total area was 40.99 km².
on the Pacific Ocean
.
Shizuoka Prefecture
, the area around Yugawara was called "Doi County" in Sagami Province
. The area was under control of the late Hōjō clan
in the Sengoku period
, and part of Odawara Domain
during the Edo period
. After the Meiji Restoration
, it was divided into six villages, and initially formed part of the short-lived Ashigara Prefecture, before becoming part of Ashigarashimo District of Kanagawa Prefecture. In April 1889, four of the six villages merged to form Doi village. The remaining two villages merged to from Yoshihama village. On July 1, 1926, Doi village was elevated to town status, taking the new name of Yugawara. Yoshihama attained town status on April 1, 1940, and merged into Yugawara on April 1, 1955. A planned merger of Yugawara into Odawara in 2005 was rejected by local voters in an August 8/ 2004 referendum
.
hot spring
resorts, and tourism plays a major role in the local economy. Agriculture and commercial fishing play secondary roles in the local economy.
In addition the region is close to Makuyama （幕山）where many short, sport rock climbing routes are popular and within easy access of Tokyo.
, Republic of Korea - Mihara
, Japan
- Port Stephens
, New South Wales
, Australia
Towns of Japan
A town is a local administrative unit in Japan. It is a local public body along with prefecture , city , and village...
located in Ashigarashimo District
Ashigarashimo 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 Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.- Towns and villages :*Hakone*Yugawara*Manazuru-History:...
, 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...
, 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 town 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 26,729 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 655 persons per km². The total area was 40.99 km².
Geography
Yugawara is located in the far southwestern corner of the prefecture, facing Sagami BaySagami 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...
on the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
Surrounding municipalities
Kanagawa Prefecture- OdawaraOdawara, Kanagawais 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:...
- ManazuruManazuru, Kanagawais a town located in Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 8,235 and a density of 1,180 persons per km²...
- HakoneHakone, Kanagawais 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
- AtamiAtami, Shizuokais a city located in the eastern end of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2010, the city has an estimated population of 39,755 and a population density of 645 people per km². The total area is 61.56 km².-Geography:...
- KannamiKannami, Shizuokais a town located in Tagata District, Shizuoka, Japan. As of February 2010, the town has an estimated population of 39,126 and a density of 601 persons per km². The total area is 65.13 km².-Geography:...
History
During the Kamakura periodKamakura 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....
, the area around Yugawara was called "Doi County" in 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...
. The area 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...
, it was divided into six villages, and initially formed part of the short-lived Ashigara Prefecture, before becoming part of Ashigarashimo District of Kanagawa Prefecture. In April 1889, four of the six villages merged to form Doi village. The remaining two villages merged to from Yoshihama village. On July 1, 1926, Doi village was elevated to town status, taking the new name of Yugawara. Yoshihama attained town status on April 1, 1940, and merged into Yugawara on April 1, 1955. A planned merger of Yugawara into Odawara in 2005 was rejected by local voters in an August 8/ 2004 referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
.
Economy
Yugawara has many onsenOnsen
An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...
hot spring
Hot spring
A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...
resorts, and tourism plays a major role in the local economy. Agriculture and commercial fishing play secondary roles in the local economy.
In addition the region is close to Makuyama （幕山）where many short, sport rock climbing routes are popular and within easy access of Tokyo.
Demographics
As said Yugawara has a population of almost 30.000 inhabitants, the major part of this population is old, since Yugawara is famous because of its resorts specially design for this kind of people. Although Yugawara has 4 schools, which one of them goes to the age of 13 and the others are high school or private, most of the youth goes to study to their neighbor city, Odawara. Yugawara doesn't have any night entertaining at all, the village presents buildings with bowling, super markets, restaurants, pubs,..., though. The suburbs of this village are full of hotels or apartments for people of Tokyo that enjoy having hot spring baths during vacations or, either, on weekends.Highway
- Japan National Route 135
Sister city relations
- ChungjuChungju
Chungju is a city in North Chungcheong province, South Korea. Namsan is a mountain located on the outskirts of the city.The city is famous for the annual martial arts festival held in October. Also of note, UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon grew up here....
, Republic of Korea - Mihara
Mihara, Hiroshima
is a city located in Hiroshima, Japan.The city was founded on November 15, 1936.On March 22, 2005 the town of Daiwa, from Kamo District, the town of Kui, from Mitsugi District, and the town of Hongō, from Toyota District, merged with the old city of Mihara to form the new city of Mihara.As of March...
, 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...
- Port Stephens
Port Stephens
Port Stephens is a large natural harbour located about north-east of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. It lies wholly within the Port Stephens Local Government Area although its northern shoreline forms the boundary between the Port Stephens and Great Lakes LGAs...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Noted people from Yugawara
- Taichi YamadaTaichi Yamadais a Japanese screenwriter and novelist. His real name is .-Career:Born in Asakusa, Tokyo, Yamada attended Waseda University before entering the Shōchiku film studios, where he trained as an assistant director under Keisuke Kinoshita...
- screenwriter - Jungo Kono - professional soccer player
- Yukiya AmanoYukiya Amanois the current Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency , having been elected to the position in July 2009. Amano previously served as a Japanese diplomat and international civil servant for the United Nations and its subdivisions....
- diplomat, Director of IAEA
External links
- Official website in Japanese