is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

Aichi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,461,111 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the ...

, Japan. , the city had an estimated

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 80,063 in 32,800 households, and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

of 1,407 persons per km². The total area of the city is .

Geography

Gamagōri is situated on the coast of

Mikawa Bay Mikawa Bay (Landsat photo) Mikawa Bay (三河湾 ''Mikawa-wan'') is a bay to the south of Aichi Prefecture, Japan, surrounded by Chita Peninsula The Chita Peninsula (知多半島 ''Chita Hantō'') is a peninsula to the south of Aichi Prefect ...

on the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

in southeastern Aichi Prefecture. Sheltered by

Chita Peninsula The Chita Peninsula (知多半島 ''Chita Hantō'') is a peninsula to the south of Aichi Prefecture, central Honshū, Japan. It runs approximately north-south. To the west is Ise Bay, while to the east it encloses Mikawa Bay. It faces the Atsu ...

and

Atsumi Peninsula The is a peninsula in southern Aichi Prefecture, central Honshū, Japan. Geography It has an approximate length of east-west, separating Mikawa Bay (to the north) from the Pacific Ocean to the south, with Ise Bay lying to its west. It fa ...

, the climate is mild, and parts of the city is within the borders of the Mikawa Wan Quasi-National Park.

Climate

The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''Cfa''). The average annual temperature in Gamagōri is . The average annual rainfall is with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around .

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Gamagōri has been relatively steady over the past 30 years.

Neighboring municipalities

;

* Kōta *

Nishio is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, in the Chūbu region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 169,984 in 65,553 households, with a population density of 1,054 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . It is a regional ...

Okazaki Okazaki may refer to: *Okazaki (surname) *Okazaki, Aichi, a city in Japan *Okazaki Castle, a castle in Japan *Okazaki fragments Okazaki fragments are short sequences of DNA nucleotides (approximately 150 to 200 base pairs long in eukaryotes) w ...

Toyokawa is a Cities of Japan, city in the eastern part of Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 183,930 in 72,949 households, and a population density of 1,141 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Toyokawa, famou ...

History

Ancient history

Records of place names in present-day Gamagōri have been found from the

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capita ...

. The area was divided into several ''

shōen A was a field or Manorialism, manor in Japan. The Japanese language, Japanese term comes from the Tang dynasty Chinese language, Chinese term "莊園" (Mandarin: ''zhuāngyuán'', Cantonese: ''zong1 jyun4''). Shōen, from about the 8th to th ...

'' during the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

, largely under the control of the Udono clan.

Early modern period

During the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

, most of the area was ''

tenryō The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil war ...

'' territory ruled directly by the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

through ''

hatamoto A was a high ranking samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the Shōgun, shogunates in History of Japan, Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred ...

'' administrators, with portions controlled by

Yoshida Domain was a Japanese Han system, feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, located in Mikawa Province located in eastern Mikawa Province (modern-day eastern Aichi Prefecture), Japan. It was centered on Yoshida Castle in what is no ...

and

Okazaki Domain The Okazaki Domain encompassed the Mikawa Province, which is situated in what is now the eastern part of Aichi Prefecture. The administrative center of the domain was established within the walls of the historic Okazaki Castle. Due to its associ ...

Late modern period

After the start of the

Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

, Gamagōri Village in

Hoi District was a district located in eastern Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of 2008 (the last data available), the district had an estimated population of 21,766 with a density of 2,194 persons per km2. Its total area was 9.92 km2. Municipalities Prio ...

, Aichi Prefecture was proclaimed on October 1, 1889. Gamagōri was elevated to town status on October 6, 1891. The area of the town expanded through annexation of the neighboring villages of Toyooka, Kaminogo and Shizusato on July 4, 1906. The town escaped damage in World War II, but the 1945 Mikawa earthquake caused considerable damage to parts of Gamagōri.

Contemporary history

The city of Gamagōri was proclaimed on April 1, 1954, when the town of Gamagōri merged with the neighboring town of Miya and village of Shiotsu. The village of Otsuka joined Gamagōri on October 1, 1956, followed by Katahara on April 1, 1962, and Nishiura on April 1, 1963.

Government

Gamagōri has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

city legislature of 20 members. The city contributes one member to the Aichi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Aichi District 14 of the

lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

of the

Diet of Japan , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...

Economy

Gamagōri is a regional commercial center and fishing port, with a mixed economy of light manufacturing and agriculture. Gamagōri is also noted for its production of hothouse oranges. Companies headquartered in the city include: *Nidek Co., Ltd., optics *Japan Tissue Engineering Co., Ltd., bio-pharmaceuticals *Takemoto Oil & Fat Co. Ltd., edible oils *Gamasa Food Co. Ltd., food processing *Nippon Tokushu Goukin Co., Ltd., metal fittings and components

Education

University

Aichi University of Technology is a private university in Gamagōri, Aichi, Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends fr ...

Junior college

Aichi University of Technology Automotive Junior College is a private junior college in Gamagōri, Aichi, Japan. It was established in 1987 as . It has been attached to Aichi University of Technology since 2000. Departments * Department of automotive studies See also * List of junior colleges i ...

Schools

*Gamagōri has 13 public elementary schools and seven public middle schools operated by the city government and two public high schools operated by the Aichi Prefectural Board of Education. There is also one private high school.

Transportation

Railways

Conventional lines

;

Central Japan Railway Company is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and occasionally as JR Tokai (). The term ''Tōkai'' refers to the southern portion of Central Japan, ...

Tōkaidō Main Line The Tōkaidō Main Line () is one of the most important railway corridors in Japan, connecting the major cities of Tokyo and Kobe via Shizuoka (city), Shizuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka. The line, with termini at Tokyo Station, Tokyo and Kōbe St ...

: - - - - - ; Meitetsu logomark 2

Meitetsu , publicly trading as , is a private railway company operating around Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture of Japan. Some of the more famous trains operated by Meitetsu include the '' Panorama Car'' and the '' Panorama Car Super'', both of w ...

* Meitetsu Gamagōri Line: - - - - -

Roads

Expressways

Tōmei Expressway The is a national expressway on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is operated by Central Nippon Expressway Company. The expressway is designated as E1 under the "2016 Proposal for Realization of Expressway Numbering", because it parallels Na ...

Japan National Route

* * * *

Sister cities

Urasoe is a city located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The neighboring municipalities are Naha to the south, Ginowan to the north, and Nishihara to the east. As of February 2024, the city has an estimated population of 115,518 and a population den ...

Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan. It consists of three main island groups—the Okinawa Islands, the Sakishima Islands, and the Daitō Islands—spread across a maritime zone approximately 1,000 kilometers east to west an ...

, since November 4, 1981 * Gisborne,

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, sister port since July 27, 1996

Local attractions

As part of Mikawa Wan Quasi-National Park with numerous scenic offshore islands, Gamagōri is noted for marine sports. There are also several hot spring resorts within the city limits. The Gamagōri

Matsuri Japanese festivals, or , are traditional festive occasions often celebrated with dance and music in Japan. The origin of the word ''matsuri'' is related to the ; there are theories that the word ''matsuri'' is derived from meaning "to wait (for ...

, held in late July features a fireworks display, and the local festival of former Miya village held in October features an event where ''

mikoshi A is a sacred religious palanquin (also translated as portable Shinto shrine). Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle to transport a deity in Japan while moving between main shrine and temporary shrine during a festival or when ...

'' are carried into the sea. The city is also home to the Lagunasia amusement park and

Spa Nishiura Motor Park , also known as SNMP, is a race complex near Gamagōri, Aichi, Japan. Course outline Located on the Nishiura peninsula, SNMP circuit has an excellent view of Mikawa Bay Mikawa Bay (Landsat photo) Mikawa Bay (三河湾 ''Mikawa-wan'') is a ...

racetrack. The small fishing community of Nishiura is noted for its ''

onsen In Japan, are hot springs and the bathing facilities and Ryokan (inn), traditional inns around them. There are approximately 25,000 hot spring sources throughout Japan, and approximately 3,000 ''onsen'' establishments use naturally hot water ...

'' (hot spring resorts), some of which are located near its beach front. The area is famous for the medicinal properties of its water and a number of hotels have sprung up to accommodate the tourists visiting these spas. File:Nishiura Enchi1.jpg, Nishiura Onsen File:Miyamatsuri.JPG, Miya festival File:LAGUNA TEN BOSCH.jpg, Laguna Ten Bosch File:Takeshima Aquarium (2018-05-19) 02.jpg, Takeshima Aquarium File:Gamagori Classic Hotel (2018-05-19) 08.jpg, Gamagori Classic Hotel File:Ajisainosato1.jpg, Katahara Onsen (Hydrangea Park) File:Ajisainosato2.jpg, Katahara Onsen (Hydrangea Park)

Notable people from Gamagōri

Keiichiro Hirano is a Japanese novelist. Hirano was born in Gamagori, Aichi prefecture, Japan. He published his first novel (''Nisshoku'', ) in 1998 and won the Akutagawa Prize the next year as one of the youngest winners ever (at 23 years of age). He graduated ...

, Akutagawa-prize winning novelist *

Tamanoumi Masahiro was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Aichi. He was the sport's 51st ''yokozuna''. Making his professional debut in 1959, he reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1964. He won six tournament championships and was runner-up in 12 ot ...

, sumo wrestler *

Suzuki Mosaburō is a Japanese multinational mobility manufacturer headquartered in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka. It manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combu ...

, politician *

Sakae Ōba (21 March 1914 – 8 June 1992) was an Officer (armed forces), officer of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He served in both China and in the Pacific War, Pacific campaign. After Japanese forces were defeated in the Battle of Sa ...

, Captain of 18th Infantry Regiment *

Kodai Senga is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2023 and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) debut in 2012 for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He is a three-time NPB All-Sta ...

Pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

for the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

and

Japan National Baseball Team The , also known as , is the national team representing Japan in international baseball competitions. It won the World Baseball Classic in 2006, 2009, and 2023 as well as WBSC Premier12 in 2019. The team is currently ranked 1st in the world by t ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gamagori, Aichi Cities in Aichi Prefecture Port settlements in Japan Populated coastal places in Japan