270px, Izunokuni City Hall
is a
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 ...
located in
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,637,998 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the northea ...
,
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 of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. , 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 48,579 in 21,257 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 506 persons per km
2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Izunokuni is located on the northern "neck" of the
Izu Peninsula
The is a large mountainous peninsula with a deeply indented coastline to the west of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of the island of Honshu, Japan. Formerly known as Izu Province, Izu peninsula is now a part of Shizuoka Prefecture. The peninsul ...
in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture. The region is hilly, with numerous hot springs. The climate of the region is temperate maritime, with hot, humid summers and short, cool winters, with the warm
Kuroshio Current
The , also known as the Black or or the is a north-flowing, warm ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean basin. It was named for the deep blue appearance of its waters. Similar to the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic, the Ku ...
offshore having a moderating effect.
Surrounding municipalities
*
Atami
is a city located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 36,865 in 21,593 households and a population density of 600 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Atami is located in the far ea ...
*
Izu Izu may refer to:
Places
*Izu Province, a part of modern-day Shizuoka prefecture in Japan
**Izu, Shizuoka, a city in Shizuoka prefecture
**Izu Peninsula, near Tokyo
**Izu Islands, located off the Izu Peninsula
People with the surname
*, Japane ...
*
Itō
*
Numazu
is a city located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 189,486 in 91,986 households, and a population density of 1,014 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Numazu is at the nor ...
*
Kannami
is a town located in Tagata District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 37,782 in 16,401 households and a population density of 580 persons per km². The total area of the town was .
Geography
Kannami is l ...
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Izunokuni has been relatively stable over the past 30 years.
Climate
The city has a climate characterized by characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Cfa''). The average annual temperature in Izunokuni is 16.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1981 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around 6.2 °C.
History
During the late
Heian and
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 ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...
s, the town of Nirayama within the current borders of Izunokuni was the home of the
Later Hōjō clan
The was one of the most powerful samurai families in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region. Their last name was simply Hōjō (北条) but in order to differentiate between the earlier Hōjō clan with the ...
, who dominated Japanese politics in the 12th century. A
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
was established at Nirayama by
Ise Moritoki in 1493. During 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 ...
, most of
Izu Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Shizuoka Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Izu''" in . Izu bordered on Sagami and Suruga Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was .
The mainland portion of Izu Province, comprising the ...
was ''
tenryō
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
'' territory under direct control of the
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
, who ruled Izu and parts of eastern
Suruga Province
was an old province in the area that is today the central part of Shizuoka Prefecture. Suruga bordered on Izu, Kai, Sagami, Shinano, and Tōtōmi provinces; and was bordered by the Pacific Ocean through Suruga Bay to the south. Its abbrevia ...
from a ''
daikansho A was the office of a ''daikan'' (magistrate) during the Edo period (18th & 19th century) of Japanese history.
External links
Edo period
Legal history of Japan
{{japan-gov-stub ...
'' established at Nirayama. After the
Meiji Restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...
, the area became the short-lived Nirayama Prefecture, which was merged into the equally short-lived Ashigara Prefecture in 1871. From 1876, the area has been part of Shizuoka Prefecture. During the cadastral reform of 1886, the area was reorganized into several villages under Kimisawa District, which was with
Tagata District in 1896. In 1934, the village of Izunagaoka was elevated to town status, followed by Ōhito in 1940, and Nirayama in 1962.
The city of Izunokuni was created on April 1, 2005 from the merger of the towns of
Izunagaoka,
Nirayama and
Ōhito (all from
Tagata District).
Government
Izunokuni 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 legislature of 17 members. The city contributes one member to the Shizuoka Prefectural Assembly.
Economy
The economy of Izunokuni is dominated by agriculture (strawberries and tomatoes) and by tourism related to the
hot spring resort industry.
Education
Izunokuni has six public elementary schools and three public junior high schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Shizuoka Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.
Transportation
Railway
*
Izuhakone Railway
The is a private railway company in Kanagawa Prefecture and Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The company also operates excursion ships, and the group companies operate buses and taxis. The company has its roots in founded in 1893. Izuhakone Railway ...
-
Sunzu Line
The is a commuter railway line of the Izuhakone Railway, a private railroad in Japan. The line connects Mishima Station in the city of Mishima with Shuzenji Station in the city of Izu, both within Shizuoka Prefecture. The name "Sunzu" comes ...
** - - - -
Highway
*
*
*
Local attractions
National Historic sites
150px, Nirayama reverberatory furnace site
*
Nirayama reverberatory furnaces - A group of
reverberatory furnace
A reverberatory furnace is a metallurgical or process furnace that isolates the material being processed from contact with the fuel, but not from contact with combustion gases. The term ''reverberation'' is used here in a generic sense of ''rebo ...
s for manufacturing cannon built in 1857. It was officially registered as a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
, as one of the constituent
Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining in 2015.
UNESCO World Heritage Convention home page
* Ganjōju-in, Buddhist temple with National Treasure sculptures by Unkei
Unkei ( ja, 運慶; – 1223) was a Japanese sculptor of the Kei school, which flourished in the Kamakura period. He specialized in statues of the Buddha and other important Buddhist figures. Unkei's early works are fairly traditional, simil ...
* Kitaema Cave Tomb cluster, Jomon period tomb complex
* Hōjō residence ruins
* Horigoe Gosho ruins
* Nirayama Daikansho
Sister City relations
* - Gainesville, Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, USA
Notable people from Izunokuni
*Sayuri Iwata
is a Japanese actress and former singer.
Discography Singles
*005.02.23
* 005.03.30
* 005.07.27
* 005.11.09"Thank You for Everything"
Albums
* 005.05.25
* 005.12.07Thank You For...
* 008.06.04Best +
DVDs
* 006.05.03First Scene ~Sayuri Iwata ...
- actress
*Takanobu Hozumi
, better known as , was a Japanese actor and voice actor from Ōhito, Shizuoka (now Izunokuni, Shizuoka) attached to Mausu Promotion.
He died of gallbladder cancer at the age of 87.
Filmography
Live-action
Film
* '' Baka ga Tank Deyattekuru' ...
- actor and voice actor
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Cities in Shizuoka Prefecture