
Chōshi (, ) 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 59,174 in 27,160 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 .
Geography
Chōshi is located in the northeastern part of Chiba prefecture, about 65 kilometers from the prefectural capital at
Chiba and 90 to 100 kilometers from central Tokyo.
Cape Inubō, within the city, is the easternmost point in the
Kantō region
The is a geography, geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures of Japan, prefectures: Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefe ...
. Chōshi is noted for its dramatic sea coast 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 ...
.
The
Tone River
The is a river in the Kantō region of Japan. It is in length (the second longest in Japan after the Shinano River) and has a drainage area of (the largest in Japan). It is nicknamed Bandō Tarō (); ''Bandō'' is an obsolete alias of the ...
runs through the northern part of the city. Takagami Atagoyama (elevation 73.6 meters) is the highest peak.
Neighboring municipalities
Chiba Prefecture
*
Asahi
Asahi (Japanese 朝日, 旭, or あさひ 'morning sun') may refer to:
Places in Japan Cities
* Asahi, Chiba (旭市; ''Asahi-shi'')
Wards
* Asahi-ku, Osaka (旭区; ''Asahi-ku'')
* Asahi-ku, Yokohama (旭; ''Asahi-ku'')
Towns
* Asahi, Aichi ...
*
Tōnoshō
Ibaraki Prefecture
*
Kamisu
Climate
Chōshi 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 Chōshi is . The average annual rainfall is with October as the wettest month. The temperature is highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around .
[
]
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Chōshi in 2020 is approximately 58,000.
History
Chōshi has been noted as a fishing port since ancient times. The commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for Commerce, commercial Profit (economics), profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice ...
and soy sauce
Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''A ...
industries were developed in Chōshi 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 ...
(1603–1868). Their development continued in the early industrialization of Japan in 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 ...
(1868–1912). The town of Chōshi was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Noted soy sauce producer Yamasa was incorporated in 1928, and Higeta in 1932. Chōshi was elevated to city status on February 11, 1933.
Chōshi was a center of industrial unrest in the early 20th century; there were numerous strikes and labor disputes at the soy sauce factories, and residents attacked the government offices in 1930 over heavy taxation and unaccounted expenditures by municipal authorities.
Attack on Chōshi during WWII
Chōshi was an important military target during World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
due to its fishing industry and canneries. Before and during the war, Chōshi was Tokyo's main food supplier. The first air raid on Chōshi by USAAF
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired American four-engined Propeller (aeronautics), propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to ...
bombers took place on March 10, 1945 causing minor damage. This was followed by the Chōshi Air Raid of July 19, 1945, during which time over 150 B-29s rained bombs on the city, destroying 33.8% of the urban area, killing 1,181 civilians and destroying 5,142 homes. The city was bombed again on August 1, 1945. Emperor Hirohito
, Posthumous name, posthumously honored as , was the 124th emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, from 25 December 1926 until Death and state funeral of Hirohito, his death in 1989. He remains Japan's longest-reigni ...
made an official visit to the ruined city on June 6, 1946, after the surrender of Japan
The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was Hirohito surrender broadcast, announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally Japanese Instrument of Surrender, signed on 2 September 1945, End of World War II in Asia, ending ...
.
Government
Chōshi 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 18 members. Chōshi contributes two members to the Chiba Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Chiba 10th 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 ...
.
Economy
Chōshi is known as a center of soy sauce
Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''A ...
production. Production methods were introduced to Chōshi in 1616 from Settsu Province, and later from Kii Province, both near the Seto Inland Sea. Soy sauce manufacturers Higeta and Yamasa are based in Chōshi. The Port of Kashima in nearby Kashima City, Ibaraki Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,828,086 (1 July 2023) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...
, is utilized to import soybeans for use in soy sauce production. The remains of soybeans not used in soy sauce production in Chōshi are returned to Kashima for production into feed for livestock.
The city is home to the Chōshi Fishing Port. Its catches of sardines, bonito
Bonitos are a tribe of medium-sized, ray-finned, predatory fish in the family Scombridae, which it shares with the mackerel, tuna, and Spanish mackerel tribes, and also the butterfly kingfish. Also called the tribe Sardini, it consists of ...
, and tuna
A tuna (: tunas or tuna) is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bul ...
are the largest in Chiba Prefecture. Wind power
Wind power is the use of wind energy to generate useful work. Historically, wind power was used by sails, windmills and windpumps, but today it is mostly used to generate electricity. This article deals only with wind power for electricity ge ...
is actively being developed off the rugged coast of Chōshi for use in the city and the greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area. Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin. Examples of it have been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since the Neolithic times, and worked as a gemstone since antiquity."Amber" (2004). In Maxine N. Lurie and Marc Mappen (eds.) ''Encyclopedia ...
is also found in the area.
Education
* Chiba Institute of Science
*Chōshi has 12 public elementary schools, five public middle schools and one public high school operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Chiba Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.
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 ...
– Sōbu Main Line
* – –
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 ...
– Narita Line
* – – (– )
Chōshi Electric Railway Company – Choshi Electric Railway Line
* – – – – – – – – –
Choshi Station interior.jpg, Chōshi Station
Tokawa Station May 2018.jpg, Tokawa Station
Highways
*
*
*
*
Local attractions
Chōshi is home to Inubōsaki Lighthouse, completed in 1874 by Scotsman Richard Henry Brunton, as well as numerous historic temples, including Enpuku-ji and Mangan-ji.
Sister cities
Chōshi has two sister cities
A sister city or a twin town relationship is International relations, a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties.
While there ar ...
:
* Coos Bay, Oregon
Coos Bay () is a city located in Coos County, Oregon, United States, where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. It shares Coos Bay with the adjacent city of North Bend, Oregon, North Bend. Together, they are often referred to as ...
, United States
* Legazpi, Albay
Albay (IPA: ), officially the Province of Albay (; ; Baybayin, ᜎᜎᜏᜒᜄᜈ᜔ ᜈᜅ᜔ ᜀᜎ᜔ᜊᜌ᜔), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Bicol Region of the Philippines, mostly on the southeastern part of the isla ...
, Philippines
Notable people from Chōshi
*Hideyuki Kikuchi
is a Japanese author known for his horror novels. His most famous works include the ''Vampire Hunter D'' series, ''Darkside Blues'' and ''Wicked City (novel), Wicked City''.
Biography
Kikuchi was born in Chōshi, Chiba, Chōshi, Japan on Septe ...
, author
* Doppo Kunikida, author
* Eiji Okada, actor
* Yuma Suzuki, football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player
* Takamiyama Torinosuke, sumo wrestler
References
External links
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Choshi, Chiba
Cities in Chiba Prefecture
Populated coastal places in Japan
Populated places established in 1933
1933 establishments in Japan