city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
in northeastern
Osaka Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture ...
, Japan. , the city had an estimated
population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
of 397,681 in 183075 households and a
population density
Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
of 6100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Hirakata is located in northeastern of Osaka Prefecture, almost halfway between the metropolis of Osaka and Kyoto. It is on the left bank of the
Yodogawa River
The , also called the Seta River (瀬田川 ''Seta-gawa'') and the Uji River (宇治川 ''Uji-gawa'') at portions of its route, is the principal river in Osaka Prefecture on Honshu, Japan. The source of the river is Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefect ...
, and forms a triangle of and north–south. It is bordered by the Ikoma Mountains to the east.
Neighboring municipalities
Osaka Prefecture
*
Neyagawa
270px, Neyagawa Green City
is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 228,802 in 111,545 households and a population density of 9,300 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Neyagaw ...
*
Katano
file:The Katano Cityhall.JPG, 260px, Katano City Hall
is a Cities of Japan, city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 77,401 in 33417 households and a population density of 3000 persons per km2. The total ...
*
Takatsuki
is a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is located in northern Osaka's Hokusetsu region.
As of 2020, the city had an estimated population of 347,944 and a population density of 3,300 persons per km². The total area is 105.31 km².
The c ...
*
Shimamoto Shimamoto (written: 島本 or 嶋本) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*, Japanese manga artist
*, Japanese weightlifter
*, Japanese writer
*, Japanese gravure idol
*, Japanese shogi player
*, Japanese artist
*, Japan ...
Kyoto Prefecture
*
Yawata
is a city located in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. the city has an estimated population of 70,433 and a population density of 2,893 persons per km². The total area is 24.35 km².
The city was founded on November 1, 1977 and currently has a s ...
Humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Hirakata is . The average annual rainfall is with June 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 Hirakata rose rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s, and less rapidly since.
Eriko Aoki, author of "Korean children, textbooks, and educational practices in Japanese primary schools," stated that the city's location in proximity to both Osaka City and
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
contributed to its population growth of ten times its previous size from around 1973 to 2013.Aoki, Eriko. "Korean children, textbooks, and educational practices in Japanese primary schools" (Chapter 8). In: Ryang, Sonia. '' Koreans in Japan: Critical Voices from the Margin'' (Routledge Studies in Asia's Transformations).
Routledge
Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...
, October 8, 2013. , 9781136353055. Start: p 157 CITED: p 169170
Ethnic Koreans
As of 2013 the city has about 2,000 ethnic Koreans. Most Hirakata Koreans,Aoki, Eriko. "Korean children, textbooks, and educational practices in Japanese primary schools" (Chapter 8). In: Ryang, Sonia. ''Koreans in Japan: Critical Voices from the Margin'' (Routledge Studies in Asia's Transformations).
Routledge
Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...
, October 8, 2013. , 9781136353055. Start: p 157 CITED: p 170 including children of school age, use Japanese names.Aoki, Eriko. "Korean children, textbooks, and educational practices in Japanese primary schools" (Chapter 8). In: Ryang, Sonia. ''Koreans in Japan: Critical Voices from the Margin'' (Routledge Studies in Asia's Transformations).
Routledge
Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...
, October 8, 2013. , 9781136353055. Start: p 171 Many Koreans in Hirakata operate their own businesses. Hirakata has the "mother's society" or "Omoni no Kai", a voluntary association of ethnic Korean mothers. It also has branches of the
Chongryon
The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, " ''
and
Mindan
Mindan ( ko, 민단), or the Korean Residents Union in Japan (), is one of two main organizations for Koreans living in Japan, the other being Chongryon. Mindan has ties to South Korea and was established in 1946 in Tokyo, Japan. Currently, amo ...
, Japan's two major Korean associations. Hirakata has no particular Korean neighborhoods. There were about 3,000 ethnic Koreans in Hirakata in the pre-
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
period. In the 1930s Hirakata Koreans, fearful of keeping their own jobs, had negative attitudes towards Osaka-based Koreans who were looking for employment after having lost their jobs. Military construction was the most common job sector of that era's Korean population. Eriko Aoki stated that in 2013 there was still a sense of difference between the Koreans in Hirakata and the Koreans in Osaka.
History
The area of the modern city of Hirakata was within ancient
Kawachi Province
was a province of Japan in the eastern part of modern Osaka Prefecture. It originally held the southwestern area that was split off into Izumi Province. It was also known as .
Geography
The area was radically different in the past, with Kawachi ...
. The place name of "Hirakata" is very old, appearing in the ''
Kojiki
The , also sometimes read as or , is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the , and the Japanese imperia ...
'', '' Nihon Shoki'' and other ancient texts. During the
Asuka period
The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 (or 592 to 645), although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after t ...
, the early Buddhist temple of
Kudara-dera
was a Buddhist temple located in the city of Hirakata, Osaka, Japan. The temple is now in ruins, and its former precincts were designated a National Historic Site in 1941, with the designation changed to a Special National Historic Site in 1952 ...
indicates the settlement of many immigrants from
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla.
Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jum ...
in the
Korean Peninsula
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
from an early time. 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 Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...
, the hills from Katano to part of Hirakata were called "Katano ga Hara" and were a hunting ground for the imperial family and were famous for cherry blossoms. The Osaka Kaidō, an extension of the Tōkaidō highway passed through the area, and in the
Edo Period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
Hirakata-juku was the third station on the Ōsaka Kaidō (or fifty-sixth of the fifty-seven stations of the Tōkaidō). It is located in the present-day city of Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It flourished as a port along the Yodo River and traces of the ...
developed as a post station on the highway and a river port on the Yodo River.
The Hirakata Town was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Hirakata was elevated to city status on August 1, 1947. On April 1, 2001, Hirakata was designated as a special city of Japan. On April 1, 2014, Hirakata became a Core city with increased local autonomy.
Government
Hirakata 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, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one.
Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multic ...
city council of 32 members. Hirakata, together with neighboring Katano, contributes four members to the Osaka Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Osaka 11th district of the
lower house
A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...
of the
Diet of Japan
The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...
Hirakata's modern industry began with the munitions industry supplying to the
Imperial Japanese Army
The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
and numerous civilian textile and clothing manufacturers. In the post-war era, the former munitions plants were transformed into
industrial park
An industrial park (also known as industrial estate, trading estate) is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more "heavyweight" version of a business park or office park, ...
s, or public housing complexes to support Hirakata's growth as a
commuter town
A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
for Osaka and Kyoto. Textile and clothing production remain major industries in Hirakata.
Kansai Gaidai University
, almost always abbreviated ''Kansai Gaidai'' (関西外大), is located in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan. It is a private university focusing on foreign language studies. Kansai is the proper name of the large region where it is located, which inclu ...
*
Osaka Dental University
is a private university in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1911, and it was chartered as a university in 1947. There is a hospital associated with the university located near Temmabashi Station in Chūō-ku, Os ...
*
Kansai Medical University
is a private university in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1928, and it was chartered as a women's medical college in 1947. In 1954 it became coeducational.
Organization
This university has following organi ...
*
Setsunan University
is a private university in Neyagawa, Osaka, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1922, and it was chartered as a university in 1975.
Sister Universities
* Taiwan
**National Formosa University
National Formosa University (NFU; ) ...
Osaka Institute of Technology
, abbreviated as Dai kōdai (大工大), Han kōdai (阪工大), or Osaka kōdai (大阪工大) is a private university in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. OIT has 3 campuses, Omiya campus located in Asahi-ku, Osaka City, Umeda campus located in Kita ...
*National Tax College
Primary and secondary education
Hirakata has 45 public elementary schools and 19 public middle schools operated by the city government and six public high schools operated by the Osaka Prefectural Department of Education, and one by Osaka City. There is also one private elementary school, two private middle schools and three private high schools. The prefecture also operates two special education schools for the handicapped.
Prefectural senior high schools
*
*
*
*
*
*
Municipal high schools
* – In Hirakata
Private senior high schools:
*
*
*
Transportation
Railway
JR West
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...
Katano Line
}
The is a 6.9 km railway line in northern Osaka Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway company Keihan Electric Railway. It connects Hirakatashi Station on the Keihan Main Line with Kisaichi Station.
Operation
All trains stop ...
* - - -
Highway
*
Second Keihan Highway
The , also called as Daini-Keihan Road, is a national highway and 6-laned Regional High-Standard Highways (expressways of Japan, expressway) in Japan, leading from Fushimi-ku, Kyoto through Kansai Science City to Kadoma, Osaka. This road is a Bypas ...
* Daini Keihan Road (toll road)
*
*
*
Sister city and friendship city relations
* Shimanto, Kōchi, Japan – Friendship city agreement concluded in 1974 (with former Nakamura city)
*
Betsukai, Hokkaidō
is a town located in Nemuro Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea o ...
, Japan – Friendship city agreement concluded in 1987
*
Takamatsu, Kagawa
270px, Takamatsu City Hall
270px, Aerial view of Takamatsu city center
270px, View from Yashima to Takashima port
is a city located in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 414,134 in 190120 households and a popul ...
, Japan – Friendship city agreement concluded in 1987 (with former Shionoe town)
* Changning District, Shanghai, China – Sister city agreement concluded in 1987
*
Logan City, Queensland
Logan City is a local government area situated within the south of the Brisbane metropolitan area in South East Queensland, Australia. Situated between the City of Brisbane to the north and the City of Gold Coast to the south, the City also bor ...
, Australia – Sister city agreement concluded in 1995
Local attractions
*
Hirakata Park
is an amusement park in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan, nicknamed "Hirapah". The park is managed by Keihan Leisure Service and is located on the Keihan Electric Railway, Keihan line at . It takes advantage of its hilly landscape to site 43 attractions on ...
, an amusement park which includes roller coasters made of wood."Hirakta Park" at Osaka-info.jp ; retrieved August 28, 2013.
*
Kudara-dera
was a Buddhist temple located in the city of Hirakata, Osaka, Japan. The temple is now in ruins, and its former precincts were designated a National Historic Site in 1941, with the designation changed to a Special National Historic Site in 1952 ...
ruins
*
Kinyakurumazuka Kofun
The is a Kofun period keyhole-shaped burial mound, located in the Miyanosaka neighborhood of the city of Hirakata, Osaka in the Kansai region of Japan. The tumulus was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1972 with the area under pro ...
*
Kuzuha Battery
The was a Bakumatsu period coastal artillery battery erected on the Yodo River in the Kuzuhanakanoshiba neighborhood of the Hirakata in the Kansai region of Japan. The ruins were designated a National Historic Site in 2011. It is also called t ...
Japanese American
are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...
chess player
This list of chess players includes people who are primarily known as chess players and have an article on the English Wikipedia.
A
* Jacob Aagaard (Denmark, Scotland, born 1973)
* Manuel Aaron (India, born 1935)
* Nijat Abasov (Azerbaijan, bor ...
Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...
catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
/
infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.
Standard arrangement of positions
In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...
*
Airi Shimizu
is a Japanese gravure idol, actress and variety ''tarento''. She was active under the names and . She has been represented by Emsworth and later Fantastar (part of Vithmic).
Filmography
Prior to September 2012, she was active under the name Air ...
tarento
Television personalities in Japan, known as in Japanese, are celebrities who regularly appear in mass media in Japan, especially as panelists on variety shows. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, bankable stars in America were described as "tal ...
''
*
Yuji Naka
, credited in some games as YU2, is a Japanese video game programmer, video game designer, designer and video game producer, producer. He is the former head of the Sega studio Sonic Team, where he was the lead programmer of the original ''Sonic t ...
, Japanese
video game programmer
A game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebases for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines, all of which fall ...
producer
Producer or producers may refer to:
Occupations
*Producer (agriculture), a farm operator
*A stakeholder of economic production
*Film producer, supervises the making of films
**Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
who made
Sonic the Hedgehog
is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...
*
Satoshi Hashimoto
is a Japanese actor and Voice acting in Japan, voice actor currently affiliated with the Cube (talent agency), Cube. Inc voice actor agency. Hashimoto is noted for his roles as Terry Bogard and Kim Kaphwan in the ''Fatal Fury (series), Fatal Fur ...
, Japanese actor and
voice actor
Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...
Haruto Shirai
is a Japanese football player who currently plays for FC Ryukyu. His regular playing position is as an attacker.
Career
Haruto Shirai joined J1 League club Gamba Osaka
is a Japanese professional football club based in Suita, Osaka Prefectur ...
, Japanese
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
baseball player
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
* Junichi Okada, singer, actor and member of popular Japanese boy band V6
*
Katsuhisa Inamori
is a former Japanese footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian ru ...
, former Japanese
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player
*
Midori
Midori (みどり, ミドリ, , , ) is the Japanese word for "green" and may refer to:
Places
* Midori, Gunma
* Midori-ku, Chiba
* Midori-ku, Nagoya
* Midori-ku, Sagamihara
* Midori-ku, Saitama
* Midori-ku, Yokohama
People Given name
* Mi ...
,
Japanese American
are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...
violinist and
classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...
ian
*
Kenji Moriwaki
is a Japanese comedian and radio personality.
Moriwaki is represented with Shochiku Geino. He graduated from Hirakata Municipal Tonoyama First Elementary School, Hirakata Municipal First Junior High School, Rakuminami High School, and Momoyama ...
Masahito Noto
is a Japanese Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for Schwabo Tokyo.
Career
Noto was born in Osaka, Japan, and has played for SV Gonsenheim, the Hannover 96 reserve team, Buriram United, and ...
, Japanese
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player
*
Hirofumi Mukai
is a Japanese professional boxer. He was a 2 times world title challenger.
Professional career
Mukai challenged Pongsaklek Wonjongkam with the WBC Flyweight title on the line on December 23, 2011, but the fight ended in a first round technica ...
Yohei Takeda
Yohei Takeda (武田 洋平, born June 30, 1987) is a Japanese football player for Nagoya Grampus.
National team career
In July 2007, Takeda was elected Japan U-20 national team for 2007 U-20 World Cup. At this tournament, he played 1 match aga ...
, Japanese
football player
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
and
goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing
Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...
*
Yuji Hino
, better known by the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed by Pro Wrestling Zero1 (Zero1). One of the most well-travelled heavyweights in Japan, Hino was trained by Taka Michinoku and made his debut for his Kaientai ...
Yuka Ishii
is a Japanese writer. Her book ''Hyakunen doro'' (''100 Years Mud'') won the 154th Akutagawa Prize and the 49th Shincho Prize for New Writers.
Biography
Ishii was born in Hirakata, Osaka and lived there during her early school years. She late ...
football player
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
*
Yoshimitsu Takashima
is a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Hirakata, Osaka
file:Hirakata Park.jpg, 260px, Hirakata Park
is a Cities of Japan, city in northeas ...
,
Japanese politician
Politics of Japan are conducted in a framework of a dominant-party bicameral parliamentary constitutional monarchy, in which the Emperor is the head of state and the Prime Minister is the head of government and the head of the Cabinet, which d ...
of the
Democratic Party of Japan
The was a centristThe Democratic Party of Japan was widely described as centrist:
*
*
*
*
*
*
* to centre-left liberal or social-liberal political party in Japan from 1998 to 2016.
The party's origins lie in the previous Democratic Part ...