Himeji

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File:Himeji City Hall 20180505.jpg
Himeji City Hall

Script error: No such module "Nihongo". is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. As of 1 June 2022Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of 980 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is Script error: No such module "convert"..[1]

Geography

Himeji is located in the central western part of the Harima Plain in the western part of Hyogo Prefecture, and is the central city of the Harima region of the prefecture. The Ichikawa River is located in the central eastern part of the city, and the Senba River and Noda River are located in the center. The Ieshima Islands in the Seto Inland Sea are within the city limits and are located off the coast of Harima Bay. The city is surrounded by the mountains and the sea.

Neighbouring municipalities

Hyōgo Prefecture

Climate

Himeji has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Summers are significantly wetter than winters. The average annual temperature in Himeji is Script error: No such module "convert".. The average annual rainfall is Template:Cvt with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around Script error: No such module "convert"., and lowest in January, at around Script error: No such module "convert"..[2] The highest temperature ever recorded in Himeji was Template:Cvt on 31 August 2020; the coldest temperature ever recorded was Template:Cvt on 24 January 1963.[3]

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Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Himeji in 2020 is 530,495 people.[4] Himeji has been conducting censuses since 1920. <templatestyles src="Module:Historical populations/styles.css"/>Script error: No such module "Historical populations".

History

Himeji has been the center of Harima Province since the Nara period, and was the location of the provincial capital and Harima Kokubun-ji. After the Battle of Sekigahara, Ikeda Terumasa received a fief at Harima Province and established the Himeji Domain. He expanded Himeji Castle and its castle town. Due to its location dominating the San'yōdō highway connecting the Kinai region with western Japan, Himeji was a major stronghold of the Tokugawa shogunate through the Bakumatsu period. Following the Meiji restoration, Himeji was the capital of "Himeji Prefecture" (later Shikama Prefecture) from 1871, which was merged into Hyōgo Prefecture in 1876. The city of Himeji was established on April 1, 1889, with the creation of the modern municipalities system. After the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, the Japanese government reportedly considered moving the nation's capital from Tokyo to Himeji. On April 1, 1996, Himeji attained Core city status, with increased local autonomy.

On March 27, 2006, the town of Yasutomi (from Shisō District), the town of Kōdera (from Kanzaki District), and the towns of Ieshima and Yumesaki (both from Shikama District) were merged into Himeji.

Air raids

During World War II, Himeji was a target for the United States' XXI Bomber Command as it was an important rail terminal and contained two large military zones. The first air raid occurred on June 22, 1945 at 0950, in which 60 B-29 Superfortress bombers centered on an area containing a Kawanishi Aircraft Company factory. The bombing killed 341 people and rendered 10,220 homeless. The second attack occurred on July 3, 1945, at 16:23, 107 aircraft dropped 767 tons of incendiary bombs on Himeji, destroying 63.3% of the built up areas of the city.[5] However, the famous Himeji Castle, although blackened by smoke from the burning city, remained unscathed, even with one firebomb being dropped on it.[6] This attack killed 173 people, severely wounded 160, and resulted in the destruction of 10,300 buildings, rendering 45,182 people homeless.

Government

Himeji has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 46 members. Himeji contributes eight members to the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the Hyōgo 11th and Hyōgo 12th districts of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Mayors of Himeji City (1889–present)

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Economy and Tourism

Himeji is located within the Hanshin Industrial Area and Harima Seaside Industrial Areas. The coastal region is heavily industrialized, with steel mills, chemical plants, semiconductor and automobile electronics predominating. In addition, Kansai Electric Power's Himeji No. 1 Power Station and Himeji No. 2 Power Station are located in the area. The northern two-thirds of the city is mainly agricultural and commercial fishing off the southern seacoast also plays a role in the economy. Traditional crafts include the production of butsudan (Buddhist altars), leather crafts, glue, matchmaking and candles.

Himeji lies near the famous “Golden Route” tourist itinerary, which stretches from Tokyo west to Osaka. Himeji is about 1.5 hours west of Osaka by train. Himeji faces the scenic Seto Inland Sea and boasts one of Japan’s best-preserved feudal-era castles. In the Himeji area, tourists can experience a medium-sized Japanese city away from the crowds of Osaka and other large cities.

Education

Colleges and universities

Primary and secondary schools

Himeji has 66 public elementary schools, 32 public middle schools and three public high schools operated by the city government and 13 public high schools operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Department of Education. There are also four private combined middle/high schools. There are also four special education school for the handicapped, one operated by the city and three by the prefecture.

A North Korean school, Script error: No such module "Nihongo"., can also be found in the city.[7]

Transportation

Railway

File:240726 Shinkansen 923 running through Himeji city.jpg
San'yō Shinkansen running through the city of Himeji

File:Shinkansen jrw.svg JR West – San'yō Shinkansen

File:JR logo (west).svg JR West – San'yō Main Line (JR Kobe Line)

File:JR logo (west).svg JR West – Bantan Line

File:JR logo (west).svg JR West – Kishin Line

File:Sanyo electric railway logo-5.svg Sanyo Electric Railway - Main Line

File:Sanyo electric railway logo-5.svg Sanyo Electric Railway - Aboshi Line

Highways

Ferries

  • Bozeki Kisen: Himeji Kazuma Port - Tanga Island - Boze Island
  • Kosoku Ieshima: Himeji Kazuma Port - Iejima
  • Shodoshima Ferry: Himeji Kazuma Port-Fukuda Port (Shōdoshima)
  • Takafuku Liner: Himeji Kazuma Port - Iejima

Air

The city does not have it own airport. The nearest airports are:

  • Kobe Airport providing domestic and some international travel. It is located Script error: No such module "convert". to the east.
  • Kansai International Airport provides a large number of international and domestic destinations. It is located Script error: No such module "convert". to the south east.

International relations

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". Himeji is twinned or has sister city relationships with six international cities and two Japanese cities, as well as a sister castle located in France. Himeji has a particularly strong relationship with Phoenix, Arizona, as teachers from America are able to teach English abroad for 1–2 years. Additionally, the Youth Ambassador Exchange Program allows for both Japanese and American high school students to experience the cultures and languages of their respective countries for 3 weeks.[8]

Sister cities

International

Japan

Sister castles

Local attractions

Notable people from Himeji

  • Script error: No such module "Nihongo". (1546–1604), famed strategist under Toyotomi Hideyoshi
  • Script error: No such module "Nihongo". (1899–1969), judoka
  • Script error: No such module "Nihongo". (1986-), entertainer
  • Script error: No such module "Nihongo"., visual kei rock band
  • Script error: No such module "Nihongo". (1939–2020), fashion designer
  • Script error: No such module "Nihongo". (1933–1985), the 4th kumicho of Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest yakuza syndicate
  • Script error: No such module "Nihongo". (1889–1960), philosopher and historian

References

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  5. ↑ 21st Bomber Command Tactical Mission Report 247, 250, Ocr
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  8. ↑ Sister Cities Script error: No such module "webarchive".. City of Himeji. Retrieved August 24, 2008. Template:In lang
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External links

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