240px, Takayama-sha Sericulture school Neko and sakura tree in Fujioka

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

Gunma Prefecture is a landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of . Gunma Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture and Fuk ...

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 64,539 in 27,616 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

Fujioka is located on the southern border of

, bordered by

Saitama Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (January 1, 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 Square kilometre, km2 ( ...

to the south.

Physical features

Mountains

* Amefuriyama (雨降山) * Higashi-Mikaboyama (東御荷鉾山) 1286m * Koshinyama (庚申山) * Nishi-Mikaboyama (西御荷鉾山), 1246m * Sakurayama (桜山), 591m * Takayama (高山)

Rivers

* Ayugawa (鮎川) * Kaburagawa (鏑川) * Kannagawa (神流川) * Karasugawa * Nukuigawa (温井川) * Sannagawa (三名川) * Sasagawa (笹川)

Lakes and marshes

* Kannako (神流湖) * Sannako (三名湖) * Ayugawako (鮎川湖) * Takenuma (竹沼)

Surrounding municipalities

* Kanna * Kanra * Shimonita *

Takasaki is a Cities of Japan, city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 372,369 in 167,345 households, and a population density of 810 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Takasaki is famous as th ...

* Tamamura

Chichibu is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 61,159 in 26,380 households and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Geography Chichibu is in the westernmost part of Saitama. Unlik ...

* Kamikawa * Kamisato

Climate

Fujioka has a

Humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Fujioka is 13.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1239 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.1 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.5 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Fujioka has remained relatively steady over the past 40 years.

History

Fujioka is located within traditional Kōzuke Province. During the late

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

it developed as a ''

jōkamachi The were centres of the domains of the feudal lords in medieval Japan. The ''jōkamachi'' represented the new, concentrated military power of the daimyo in which the formerly decentralized defence resources were concentrated around a single, cent ...

'' around Ashida Castle, the center of a 30,000 ''koku'' holding by the Ashida clan, retainers of

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

. However, with the foundation of 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 ...

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 ...

, the area became ''

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, under the direct control of the shogunate. Following 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 ...

and the creation of the modern municipalities system, Fujioka and Onishi towns, and Kanna, Ono, Midori, Mikuri, Hirai, Hino, and Sanbagawa Village were created in Midorino District,

and Mihara village in Minamikanra District, Gunma Prefecture on April 1, 1889. In 1896, Minamikanra District was united with Midorino District and Tago District to create Tano District. On April 1, 1954, Fujioka annexed Kanna, Ono, Midori and Mikuri villages and was elevated to city status. On March 1, 1955 Fujioka annexed neighboring Hirai and Sanbagawa villages. On January 1, 2006 Onishi Village was merged into Fujioka City.

Government

Fujioka 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. Fujioka, together with the town of Kanna, and the village of Ueno contributes two members to the Gunma Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Gunma 4th 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

Education

Fujioka has 11 public elementary schools and five public middle schools operated by the city government, and three public high schools operated by the Gunma Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates a special education school for the handicapped.

High schools

* Fujioka Chuo (群馬県立藤岡中央高等学校) * Fujioka Kita (群馬県立藤岡北高等学校) * Fujioka Kogyo (群馬県立藤岡工業高等学校)

Middle schools

* Fujioka Higashi (藤岡市立東中学校) * Fujioka Kita (藤岡市立北中学校) * Fujioka Nishi (藤岡市立西中学校) * Fujioka Onishi (藤岡市立鬼石中学校) * Fujioka Ono (藤岡市立小野中学校)

Elementary schools

* Fujioka Dai-ichi (藤岡第一小学校) * Fujioka Dai-ni (藤岡第二小学校) * Hino (日野小学校) * Hirai (平井小学校) * Kanna (神流小学校) * Midori (美土里小学校) * Mikuri Higashi (美九里東小学校) * Mikuri Nishi (美九里西小学校) * Ono (小野小学校) * Onishi (鬼石小学校) * Onishi Kita (鬼石北小学校)

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 ...

– Hachikō Line * -

Highway

Expressways

Two expressways converge at the Fujioka Junction. * - Fujioka Junction * - Fujioka Interchange (IC), Fujioka Parking Area (PA)

National highways

* * *

Local attractions

*Fujioka History Museum * Sanbaseki Gorge, National Place of Scenic Beauty *Site of Hirai Castle * Shimokubo Dam * Shinsui Dam *Takenuma Dam

National Historic Sites

* Hongō Haniwa Kiln ruins * Nanakoshiyama Kofun * Shiroishi Inariyama Kofun * Takayamasha Sericulture School, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site * Yuzurihara Stone Age Residence Site

Annual events

Fujioka Matsuri The Fujioka

Matsuri Japanese festivals, or , are traditional festive occasions often celebrated with dance and music in Japan. The origin of the word ''matsuri'' is related to the ; there are theories that the word ''matsuri'' is derived from meaning "to wait (for ...

is a two-day summer festival which is typically held on a weekend in late July. The celebration, which takes place in central Fujioka, features food and entertainment stalls, a flea market, parade, and street dancing. There are many traditional events as well, such as ''

taiko are a broad range of Traditional Japanese musical instruments, Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese language, Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various J ...

'' performances, '' mikoshi'' carrying, and the parading of ''dashi'' floats through the streets. *Fuji Matsuri The Fuji Matsuri ( Wisteria Festival) is a spring festival which takes place at Koshinyama Park every year in late April/early May, to celebrate the blooming of the wisteria flowers. Numerous vendor stalls sell various local products, food, and flowers. The wisteria flowers are illuminated after sunset.

Noted people from Fujioka

Jiro Horikoshi was a Japanese aeronautical engineer. He was the chief engineer of several Empire of Japan, Japanese Fighter aircraft, fighter aircraft designs used during World War II, most notably the Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter, as well as the NAMC YS-11. E ...

- aeronautical engineer, who designed the Mitsubishi A6M Zero and other notable aircraft * Hidehiko Hoshino- guitarist of the rock band Buck-Tick * Hisashi Imai- guitarist of the rock band Buck-Tick * Hideyuki Nakayama, actor *

Atsushi Sakurai was a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. He was the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band Buck-Tick from 1985 until his death in 2023. Initially joining as their drummer in 1983, Sakurai fronted the band for 38 years and 2 ...

- vocalist of the rock band

Buck-Tick Buck-Tick (stylized as BUCK-TICK) is a Japanese rock band formed in Fujioka, Gunma in 1983. The classic lineup of lead vocalist Atsushi Sakurai, lead guitarist Hisashi Imai, rhythm guitarist Hidehiko Hoshino, bassist Yutaka Higuchi and drum ...

Sister cities

* Hakui, Ishikawa, Japan *

Jiangyin Jiangyin (, Jiangyin dialect: ) is a county-level city on the southern bank of the Yangtze River. It is administered by the Wuxi, Jiangsu province. Jiangyin is an important transport hub on the Yangtze River and one of the most developed counties ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, since April 28, 2000 *

Regina, Saskatchewan Regina ( ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 Canadian census, ...

, Canada, since August 3, 2019

References

External links

Official Website
{{Authority control Cities in Gunma Prefecture Fujioka, Gunma