260px, Old Urayasu 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 ...

located in

Chiba Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama ...

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 from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. , 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 170,533 in 81,136 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 . The total area of the city is . Urayasu is best known as the home of Tokyo Disney Resort, which opened in April 1983, and the headquarters of

The Oriental Land Company The , also known as Oriental Land is a Japanese leisure and tourism company headquartered in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan where it also owns and operates the Tokyo Disney Resort. The company operates in three segments, divided as theme parks, hotels, ...

History

Early history

The area around Urayasu 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 within

Shimōsa Province was a province of Japan in the area of modern Chiba Prefecture and Ibaraki Prefecture as well as the bordering parts of Saitama Prefecture and Tokyo (the parts that used to be located east of the lower reaches of the old Tone River prior to the ...

controlled 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 ...

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 ...

. Urayasu served as an important fishing village for the Edo capitol. Until the industrialization of the city it was a major center of production of '' nori'', an edible seaweed, ''hamaguri'', and ''asari'' clams. All three are important elements of the traditional Japanese diet.

Timeline

Meiji and Taisho eras

* 1868 - 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 Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

in 1868, the area became part of

. * 1889 - Urayasu Village was created on April 1, 1889 under Higashikatsushika District with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. * 1909 - Urayasu became a town in September 1909.

Showa and Heisei eras

* 1944 - Many of the residents of Urayasu perished during the 1944 Bombing of Tokyo. * 1961 - Urayasu grew in the 1960s and 1970s with massive landfill projects along the shores of Tokyo Bay,

public housing Public housing, also known as social housing, refers to Subsidized housing, subsidized or affordable housing provided in buildings that are usually owned and managed by local government, central government, nonprofit organizations or a ...

projects, and increasing infrastructure. * 1962 - Urayasu became part of the

Keiyō Industrial Zone , also known as the Keiyō Industrial Region, the Keiyō Industrial Area, or the Keiyō Industrial Belt, is an industrial region, industrial zone on the northeastern coast of Tokyo Bay that crosses 8 cities in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The zone sp ...

in this period, which spans from the city across the Tokyo Bay coast of Chiba Prefecture to

Futtsu file:富津市役所.jpg, 260px, Futtsu City Hall is a Cities of Japan, city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 42,476 in 18,115 households and a population density of 210 persons per km2. The total are ...

to the south. An area of the Tokyo Bay near the town was reclaimed form the sea in 1960s called Maihama. * 1971 - Fishing was abandoned in Urayasu due to the industrialization of the city. * 1981 - Urayasu was elevated to city status on April 1, 1981. * 1983 -

Tokyo Disneyland is a theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Disney park t ...

opened on 15 April 1983 on 200 acres in Maihama. * 2000 - Disney Ambassador Hotel was opened on 20 July 2000 as the first official Disney hotel in the resort, featuring art deco theming. * 2001 -

Tokyo DisneySea is a theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, just next to Tokyo. It opened on 4 September 2001, at a cost of 335 billion yen. The Oriental Land Company owns the park, and licenses intellectual prope ...

was opened on 4 September 2001. * 2008 - Tokyo Disneyland Hotel was opened on July 8, 2008, as part of Tokyo Disney Resort's 25th anniversary celebrations. * 2011: ** 11 March: Urayasu was greatly affected by earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent

Fukushima nuclear disaster The Fukushima nuclear accident was a major nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan, which began on 11 March 2011. The cause of the accident was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which ...

. ** 8 April - Following the triple disaster, Urayasu with major areas of reclaimed land, had as much as 85% of the utility infrastructure, roads, buildings, and houses damaged or affected to some degree by

soil liquefaction Soil liquefaction occurs when a cohesionless saturated or partially saturated soil substantially loses Shear strength (soil), strength and stiffness in response to an applied Shear stress, stress such as shaking during an earthquake or other s ...

caused by earthquake. The damage cost the city approximately ¥73.4 billion to repair. ** 11 April - Urayasu was affected by April 2011 Fukushima earthquake. ** 12 April - Tokyo Disneyland was officially reopened following the triple disaster. * 2013 - Tokyo Disneyland commemorates 30th anniversary of opened. * 2016 - Tokyo Disney Celebration Hotel was opened on 1 June 2016 outside of the resort in nearby Shin-Urayasu. The hotel was refurbished from the former Palm & Fountain Terrace Hotel. The hotel is divided across two buildings called Wish and Discover. The two properties complement each other but vary in theming. This is the only official Disney hotel not located in the Resort area. A free 15-minute shuttle is available for guests.

Geography

Urayasu is located in the northwestern part of Chiba Prefecture, about 20 kilometers from the prefectural capital at Chiba and within 10 to 20 kilometers from the center of Tokyo. It consists of a low-lying natural levee, a

delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet * D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta"), the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * Delta Air Lines, a major US carrier ...

and a reclaimed land on the left bank of the mouth of the Edo River. The river runs along the western side of the city and separates it from the Edogawa ward of Tokyo. There are two parts to Urayasu: the original fishing village on natural levee on both banks of the Sakai River, which is a tributary of the Edo River, and the newer reclaimed land portion which occupies about three-quarters of the city area, created since the 1960s. The new landfill area is called "Shin-Urayasu" (New-Urayasu), and has an "American" inspired layout, with a grid-like map of wide streets, large sidewalks, palm trees and parks. The buildings are tall, modern apartments, some having views on Tokyo Bay. Urayasu is one of the most sought after areas in the metropolitan area for young families to live.

Climate

Urayasu has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Urayasu is 15.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1435 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 6.2 °C.

Neighboring municipalities

* Ichikawa Tokyo Metropolis * Edogawa

Government

Urayasu 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 council of 21 members. Urayasu contributes two members to the Chiba Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Chiba 5th district 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 ...

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Urayasu has increased more than eighteen-fold over the past century, and grew especially rapidly between 1970 and 2010.

Economy

Urayasu is a regional commercial center and 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 nearby Chiba and Tokyo. The commuting rate to the central Tokyo is 49.0% per the 2015 interim census. The primary local employer in the city is

and businesses related to Tokyo Disney Resort.

Education

Universities

* Juntendo University * Meikai University * Ryotokuji University

High schools

Public (operated by Chiba Prefectural Board of Education): * Urayasu High School ( 千葉県立浦安高等学校) * Urayasu Minami High School ( 千葉県立浦安南高等学校) Private schools: * Tokyo Gakkan Urayasu High School ( 東京学館浦安高等学校) * Tokai University Urayasu Junior & Senior High School ( 東海大学付属浦安高等学校)

Primary and middle schools

Urayasu has 17 public elementary schools and nine public junior high schools operated by the city government and two private middle schools. Municipal junior high schools: * Akemi ( 明海中学校) * Hinode ( 日の出中学校) * Horie ( 堀江中学校) * Irifune ( 入船中学校) * Miakegawa ( 見明川中学校) * Mihama (美浜中学校) * Takasu (高洲中学校) * Tomioka ( 富岡中学校) * Urayasu ( 浦安中学校) Municipal elementary schools: * Akemi (明海小学校) * Akemi Minami ( 明海南小学校) * Higashi (東小学校) * Higashino (東野小学校) * Hinode (日の出小学校) * Hinode Minami ( 日の出南小学校) * Hokubu (北部小学校) * Irifune (入船小学校) * Maihama (舞浜小学校) * Miakegawa (見明川小学校) * Mihama Kita (美浜北小学校) * Mihama Minami ( 美浜南小学校) * Minami ( 南小学校) * Takasu (高洲小学校) * Takasu Kita (高洲北小学校) * Tomioka ( 富岡小学校) * Urayasu ( 浦安小学校)

Transportation

Railway

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in ...

– Keiyō Line * - - Tokyo Metro - Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line *

Maihama Resort Line - Disney Resort Line * Resort Gateway -

- Bayside -

- Resort Gateway

Highway

* 22px

Bayshore Route The signed as Route B, is one of the routes of the Toll road, tolled Shuto Expressway system in the Greater Tokyo Area. The Bayshore Route is a stretch of toll highway that runs from the Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanazawa ward of Yokohama in th ...

Sister cities

Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...

, United States, since October 23, 1989

Notable people from Urayasu

* Momoko Abe, model and Miss Universe Japan 2017 *

Shinnosuke Abe is a Japanese former professional baseball player and current manager, who spent his entire 19-year career with Nippon Professional Baseball's Yomiuri Giants, serving as the team's captain from 2007 to 2014. He has twice been named the MVP of th ...

, professional baseball player * Keita Amemiya, video game designer * Ichiko Aoba, folk singer and songwriter * Daisuke Hayakawa, professional baseball player * Rioka Kanda, singer-songwriter, radio personality * Keiji Tamada, professional soccer player * Yoshihiro Yamazaki, professional wrestler, better known by his in-ring persona, fourth generation of Tiger Mask

References

External links

Official Website

Urayasu Tourism Website
* {{Authority control Cities in Chiba Prefecture Populated coastal places in Japan