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 ...
in
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...
, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 127,659 in 56,573 households, and a population density of 1,146 persons per km². The total area was .
Geography
Seto is located in the hilly northern region of Aichi Prefecture, bordering
Gifu Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, F ...
, approximately 35 minutes from
Nagoya
is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...
by way of the
Meitetsu Seto Line
The is a Japanese railway line which connects in Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture with in Seto, Aichi. It is owned and operated by the private railway operator Meitetsu.
Stations
Rolling stock
* 3300 series (since 17 September 2016)
...
. In English, the name of "Seto" translates to "the place where the river runs quickly." However, while there is a river in Seto, it is neither significantly large nor quick-moving. The city of Seto is famous for its pottery and ceramics, so much so that the generic word for ceramics in Japanese is . The main street along the river is lined with dozens of pottery shops. Every third Saturday and Sunday in September, there is a very large pottery festival called Setomono Matsuri(瀬戸物祭り) This festival attracts about 20,000 visitors from around Japan and abroad every year.
Climate
The city has a climate 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 Seto is 14.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1810 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.3 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.1 °C.
Surrounding municipalities
;
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...
*
Nagoya
is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...
(
Moriyama-ku)
*
Kasugai
*
Owariasahi
*
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
*
Nagakute
is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 61,503 in 24,352 households, and a population density of 2,854 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Nagakute is a member of the World Health Organ ...
;
Gifu Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, F ...
*
Toki
*
Tajimi
is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 110,070 in 46,580 households, and a population density of 1200 people per km2. The total area of the city was . The city is famous for its production of Mino ware cera ...
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Seto has been increasing over the past 60 years.
History
Middle Ages
The area had been famous for its ceramics production since at least the
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 ...
.
Early modern period
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 ...
, the area of modern Seto was controlled by the
Owari Tokugawa
The is a branch of the Tokugawa clan, and it is the seniormost house of the ''Gosanke'' ("three honourable houses of the Tokugawa").[Owari Domain
The was a feudal domain of Japan in the Edo period. Located in what is now the western part of Aichi Prefecture, it encompassed parts of Owari, Mino, and Shinano provinces. Its headquarters were at Nagoya Castle. At its peak, it was rated at ...](_blank)
.
Late modern period
During the
Meiji period
The is 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 colonization ...
, Seto village was organized in 1888 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system, becoming a town in 1892.
After annexing the neighboring village of Akatsu in 1925, Seto was raised to city status on October 1, 1929.
Much of the city was destroyed by air raids in 1945 during World War II.
Contemporary history
In the postwar period, the city grew as a
bedroom community
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 Nagoya and as a tourist designation. On March 25, 2005,
Expo 2005
Expo 2005 was a World Expo held for 185 days between Friday, March 25 and Sunday, September 25, 2005, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, east of the city of Nagoya. Japan has also hosted Expo '70 Osaka (World Expo), Expo '75 Okinawa (Specialised Expo) ...
opened with its main site being in
Nagakute
is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 61,503 in 24,352 households, and a population density of 2,854 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Nagakute is a member of the World Health Organ ...
and additional activity in Seto.
The expo continued until September 25, 2005.
Government
Seto 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 26 members. The city contributes two members to the Aichi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Aichi District 6 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 ...
.
External relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
International
;Sister city
*
Limoges
Limoges (, , ; oc, Lemòtges, locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region ...
(
Haute-Vienne
Haute-Vienne (; oc, Nauta Vinhana, ; English: Upper Vienne) is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwest-central France. Named after the Vienne River, it is one of the twelve departments that together constitute Nouvelle-Aquitai ...
,
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Nouvelle-Aquitaine (; oc, Nòva Aquitània or ; eu, Akitania Berria; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Novéle-Aguiéne'') is the largest administrative region in France, spanning the west and southwest of the mainland. The region was created by t ...
, France)
**since November 18, 2003
[
*]Nabeul
Nabeul (; ar, نابل ,Tamazight: ⵏⴰⴱⴻⵍ), is a coastal town located in northeastern Tunisia, on the south coast of the Cape Bon peninsula and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea on both sides. It is the first seaside resort in Tunisia. ...
(Nabeul Governorate
Nabeul Governorate ( aeb, ولاية نابل ' Tunisian pronunciation: ) is one of the 24 governorates of Tunisia. It is situated in north-eastern Tunisia. It covers an area of 2,788 km2 and has a population of 787,920 (2014 census). T ...
, Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
)
**since November 8, 2004[
*]Icheon
Icheon () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.
Together with Yeoju, Icheon is known as a center of South Korean ceramic manufacturing and is a UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art. Other famous local products include peaches and rice. Loc ...
(Gyeonggi Province
Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...
, Korea
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 ...
)
**since April 20, 2006
;Friendship city
*Jingdezhen
Jingdezhen is a prefecture-level city, in northeastern Jiangxi province, with a total population of 1,669,057 (2018), bordering Anhui to the north. It is known as the "Porcelain Capital" because it has been producing Chinese ceramics for at leas ...
(Jiangxi
Jiangxi (; ; formerly romanized as Kiangsi or Chianghsi) is a landlocked province in the east of the People's Republic of China. Its major cities include Nanchang and Jiujiang. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze river in the north int ...
, China)
**since October 1996[
]
Economy
The economy of Seto remains dominated by ceramics, both for traditional works for private consumption, and also modern industrial ceramics for the electronics industry.
Education
University
*Nagoya Gakuin University
is a private university located in Nagoya, Japan (名古屋市). Founded in 1887 by Dr. Frederick C. Klein, an American Methodist minister, as Aichi English School; the present-day university was established in 1964 with the Faculty of Economi ...
– Seto campus
Schools
*Primary and secondary education
Seto has 20 public elementary schools and eight public junior high schools operated by the city government, and one private junior high school. The city has four public high schools operated by the Aichi Prefectural Board of Education. and two private high schools. The city operates one and the prefecture operates two special education schools for the handicapped.
International School
The Aichi Korean 7th Elementary School ( 愛知朝鮮第七初級学校) – North Korean schoolHome page
Aichi Korean 7th Elementary School. Retrieved on October 14, 2015. "愛知県瀬戸市にある在日コリアン児童が通う民族学校です" is located in Seto
Transportation
Railways
Conventional lines
; Aichi Loop Railway
The is a Japanese railway line connecting Okazaki Station in Okazaki and Kōzōji Station in Kasugai, operated by the . The company or the line is abbreviated as . This is the only line the company operates. Despite its name, the line is not ...
*Aichi Loop Line
The is a Japanese railway line connecting Okazaki Station in Okazaki and Kōzōji Station in Kasugai, operated by the . The company or the line is abbreviated as . This is the only line the company operates. Despite its name, the line is not ...
:- – – – –
; Meitetsu
, referred to 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 which of ...
* Seto Line:- - – –
Roads
Expressway
* Tōkai-Kanjō Expressway
The (lit. Tōkai Ring Expressway) is a toll road in the Tōkai region of Japan. It is owned and managed by Central Nippon Expressway Company.
Naming
Officially, the route is designated as National Route 475. On some signs, the expressway is re ...
Japan National Route
*
*
*
File:MT-Owari-SetoStation.jpg, Owari Seto Station
Track Layout
is a railway station in the city of Seto, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, operated by Meitetsu.
Lines
Owari Seto Station is a terminal station on the Meitetsu Seto Line, and is located 20.6 kilometers from the opposing terminus of th ...
File:Seto-Akazu Interchange 01.jpg, Seto-Akazu Interchange
File:Aichi Prefectural Road Route 22 (Seto Takane).jpg, Japan National Route 363
National Route 363 is a National highways of Japan, national highway of Japan connecting Meitō-ku, Nagoya and Nakatsugawa, Gifu in Japan, with a total length of .
See also
*
*
References
National highways in Japan, 363
Roads in Aichi ...
Local attractions
*Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum
The is a prefectural art museum located in the city of Seto, north of the metropolis of Nagoya in central Japan. This museum was formally named "Aichi-ken Toji Shiryokan (愛知県陶磁資料館)", but the name in English has been the same as b ...
* Setogura Museum
* Jōkō-ji, Buddhist temple and mausoleum of Tokugawa Yoshinao
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period.
Biography
Born the ninth son of Tokugawa Ieyasu with his concubine, Okame no Kata. His childhood name was Gorōtamaru (五郎太丸). While still a young child, he was appointed leader of ...
of the Owari Domain.
Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum-01.jpg, Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum
Setogura1.JPG, Setogura Museum
Setomonomatsuri.JPG, Setomono Festival
Unkouji1.JPG, Unkō-ji
Joukouji3.JPG, Jōkō-ji
Kamagaki3.JPG, Kamagaki no Komichi
Kamagaki4.JPG, Hongyō kiln
Notable people from Seto
* Sayaka Aoki, comedian
* Junji Suzuki, politician
*Asaka Seto
also known as Megumi Ieda, is a Japanese actress who works at Foster Management. She won the award for Best Actress at the 24th Yokohama Film Festival for ''Travail''. She is married to Yoshihiko Inohara of the band V6.
Filmography
;Televisio ...
, actress
*Manpei Takagi
is a Japanese former actor and model from Seto, Aichi. He is best known for portraying Retsu Fukami/Geki Blue in the Super Sentai series ''Juken Sentai Gekiranger
is Toei Company's thirty-first entry in the ''Super Sentai'' metaseries. Produc ...
, actor
*Toru Hasegawa
is a Japanese people, Japanese Association football, footballer who plays for Tokushima Vortis.
Club statistics
''Updated to end of 2018 season''.Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社"2016J1&J2&J3選手名鑑" 1 ...
,– professional soccer player
* Hayata Ito, professional baseball player
*Sōta Fujii
is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 9-dan. He is the current holder of the Eiō, Kisei, Ōi, Ōshō and Ryūō titles. He is the youngest person to be awarded professional status by the Japan Shogi Association and one of only fiv ...
, professional shogi player
* Manabu Kubota, former Japanese Association football player;
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Cities in Aichi Prefecture