Kawasaki, officially Kawasaki City, 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 ...

Kanagawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

, Japan, one of the main cities of the

Greater Tokyo Area The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefecture, Gunma, Ibaraki Prefecture, ...

and Keihin Industrial Area. It is the second most populated city in

after

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

, and the eighth most populated city in Japan (including the Tokyo Metropolitan Area). , the city has 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 1,503,690, with 716,470

household A household consists of one or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is im ...

s, 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 10,000 persons per km². Kawasaki is the only city in Japan with more than one million inhabitants that is not a prefectural capital. The total area is .

History

Prehistoric and ancient era

Archaeological evidence from the Japanese

Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...

and

Jōmon period In Japanese history, the is the time between , during which Japan was inhabited by the Jōmon people, a diverse hunter-gatherer and early agriculturalist population united by a common culture, which reached a considerable degree of sedentism an ...

can only be found in the northwest

Tama Hills is an area of hills stretching across southwest Tokyo and northeast Kanagawa Prefecture in the Kantō Plain on Honshū, Japan. Its total area is approximately 300 km2. The Tama River marks its northeastern boundary. The Tama Hills border th ...

. The course of the Tama and the coast of the Bay of Tokyo have also changed in historical times, so that large parts of the urban area are geologically young.

Classical era

Nara period to the Sengoku period

With the introduction of the

Ritsuryō is the historical Japanese legal system, legal system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Legalism (Chinese philosophy), Chinese Legalism in Feudal Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei" (). ''Kya ...

legal system, the area came to the

Musashi Province was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Kawasaki and Yokohama. ...

in the 7th century. In the

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capita ...

, the center of the Tachibana district was probably in the area of today's Takatsu district. Since the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

, the domain of the Inage clan has expanded here. Around the

Heiken-ji is the popular name of , a Buddhist temple in Kawasaki, Japan. Founded in 1128, it is the headquarters of the Chizan sect of Shingon Buddhism. Kawasaki Daishi is a popular temple for ''hatsumōde'' (the first visit to a place of worship in the ...

Buddhist temple (better known as Kawasaki-Daishi), founded in 1128, a monzen-machi, a busy district for the supply of pilgrims, soon emerged. Between the

Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...

and

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 ...

, smaller feudal lords ruled the area until it finally came under the control 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 , but were called "Later Hōjō" to differentiate between the earlier Hōjō clan who h ...

Early modern

In 1611, Koizumi Jidayū had Nikaryō Yōsui built, a canal system on the right bank of the Tama for irrigating the fields, which in some cases still runs through the densely built-up city. On the long-distance Kaidō roads Tōkaidō and Nakaharakaidō built by

Edo Edo (), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the '' de facto'' capital of Japan from 1603 as the seat of the Tokugawa shogu ...

Bakufu , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...

, stations were built in the area of what would later become Kawasaki, which increased its importance. The Kawasaki station (Kawasaki-juku, near today's Kawasaki station) on the Tōkaidō was not officially recognized until 1623 as the last of the 53 Tōkaidō stations. The Bakufu let the bridges over the Tama collapse and there were ferry connections to nearby Edo in several places in today's Kawasaki, which laid the foundation for the development of the city. File:Kura-zukuri building kawasaki kanagawa 2014 08 09 250pm.jpg, Old building in the "Kura-zukuri" style on Oyama Kaido street File:Rokugō_no_Watashi_in_the_1860%27s_photographed_by_Felice_Beato.jpg, Rokugō no Watashi in the 1860s photographed by

Felice Beato Felice Beato (c. 1832 – 29 January 1909), also known as Felix Beato, was an Italian Briton, Italian–British photographer. He was one of the first people to take photographs in East Asia and one of the first war photography, war photographer ...

File:東海道五十三次之内_川崎_六郷渡舟-Ferry_Boat_Crossing_the_Rokugo_River_MET_DP122176.jpg, Ferry Boat Crossing the Rokugo River

Modern

The rapid

urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from Rural area, rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. ...

of the area, which continues to this day, began in the

Meiji Meiji, the romanization of the Japanese characters 明治, may refer to: Japanese history * Emperor Meiji, Emperor of Japan between 1867 and 1912 ** Meiji era, the name given to that period in Japanese history *** Meiji Restoration, the revolution ...

and Taishō eras. In 1872,

Kawasaki Station is a junction passenger railway station located in the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Lines Kawasaki Station is served by the following JR East lines. The station is from and from . S ...

was established on the

Tōkaidō Main Line The Tōkaidō Main Line () is one of the most important railway corridors in Japan, connecting the major cities of Tokyo and Kobe via Shizuoka (city), Shizuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka. The line, with termini at Tokyo Station, Tokyo and Kōbe St ...

which was Japan's first railway line. In 1889, the city (machi) Kawasaki in the district (gun) Tachibana was created according to the Japanese municipal system introduced the year before. In 1912 the border between

Kanagawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

and

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

prefectures was established as the

Tama River The is a major river in Yamanashi Prefecture, Yamanashi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa and Tokyo Prefectures on Honshū, Japan. It is officially classified as a Class 1 river by the Government of Japan, Japanese government. It is long, an ...

. On July 1, 1924, the independent city (shi-) of Kawasaki with 48,394 inhabitants was formed through a merger with the city of Daishi (formerly Daishigawara) and the village of Miyuki.Stadt Kawasaki
Profil, 8. HISTORY einfach (Zeittafel zur Stadtgeschichte)
/ref> People from the Korean peninsula were made to work in the industrial sector in the city, working on railways construction, or rebuilding roads damaged by U.S. bombings towards the end of WWII. People from Okinawa were also coming to the city, and in 1924, the oldest Okinawans Association in Japan was founded in Kawasaki.

World War II

As part of

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 ...

, the city was bombed three times by the

United States Army Air Forces 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 ...

(USAAF) between April 1945 and July 1945. The most serious attack was an area bombing with

Napalm Napalm is an incendiary mixture of a gelling agent and a volatile petrochemical (usually gasoline or diesel fuel). The name is a portmanteau of two of the constituents of the original thickening and gelling agents: coprecipitated aluminium ...

bombs on April 15, 1945. The attacks destroyed around 35% of the urban area and claimed 1,520 dead and 8,759 injured. The attacks burned down 9.3 km² of the city (see

Bombing of Tokyo The was a series of air raids on Japan by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), primarily launched during the closing campaigns of the Pacific War, Pacific Theatre of World War II in 1944–1945, prior to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima ...

). Kawasaki became a target of the first mainland bombing by the US military in 1942, followed by multiple bombings, partly due to the city's heavy and chemical industrial complex supplying the war efforts in Asia and the Pacific.

Contemporary period

Shōwa era (1945–1989)

On April 15, 1945, large parts of the area around the train station and the industrial area at the port were destroyed by air raids. Since the 1950s, residential areas for commuters have been created in the northeastern part of the city, which are connected directly to the centers of Tokyo by new railway lines. On April 1, 1972, Kawasaki became a decree-designated city ( seirei shitei toshi) with 5 districts. 1973 the population exceeded the million mark. In 1982 the new districts of Miyamae and Asao were created by splitting off from the districts of Takatsu and Tama. In the course of

deindustrialization Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially of heavy industry or manufacturing industry. There are different interpr ...

, industrial areas have recently been increasingly converted into residential areas (mostly

Multi-family residential Multifamily residential, also known as multidwelling unit (MDU), is a classification of housing where multiple separate housing units for residential inhabitants are contained within one building or several buildings within one complex. Units can ...

), so that a further increase in population density can be expected.

Geography

Climate

According, to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, it is 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 ...

(''Cfa'').

Location

Kawasaki is located on the right bank of the

, which flows into the Tokyo Bay here. The city lies like a narrow band between

in the northeast and

in the southwest. The city connects the two major cities and is part of the

, the largest and most densely populated urban areas in the world. The eastern area along the coast of

Tokyo Bay is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan spanning the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture, on the southern coast of the island of Honshu. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. Th ...

is a densely populated industrial zone, part of the Keihin Industrial Zone. In contrast, the western districts in the

consist largely of residential areas for commuters in the

/ Yokohama region.

Wards

Kawasaki has seven wards (''ku''):

Adjacent cities and towns

In the northeast, Kawasaki borders the

Special wards of Tokyo The of Tokyo are a special form of Municipalities of Japan, municipalities in Japan under the 1947 Local Autonomy Act, Local Autonomy Law. They are city-level wards: primary subdivisions of a prefecture with municipal autonomy largely comparabl ...

(starting at Tokyo Bay) Ōta and

Setagaya is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. It is also the name of a neighborhood and administrative district within the ward. Its official bird is the azure-winged magpie, its flower is the fringed orchid, and its tree is the '' Ze ...

, in the northwest the cities (-shi) belonging to

Tokyo Prefecture Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital and most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is one of the most populous urban areas in the world. The Greater Tokyo Area, which ...

(-shi) Komae, Chofu, Machida,

Inagi 270px, Inagi City Hall is a city located in the western portion of the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 92,585 in 41,592 households, and a population density of 5200 persons per km². The total area of the city ...

, Tama enclose the place. The opposite southwest side is entirely occupied by the districts of Tsurumi, Kōhoku, Tsuzuki and Aoba in the city of Yokohama. With the completion of the

Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line The , also known as the Trans-Tokyo Bay Expressway, is an expressway that is mainly made up of a bridge–tunnel combination across Tokyo Bay in Japan. It connects the city of Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture with the city of Kisarazu in Chiba P ...

, the city of

Kisarazu is a Cities of Japan, city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 136,023 in 63,431 households and a population density of 980 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Kisarazu is loca ...

, located on the opposite side of the Tokyo Bay 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 ...

, also became a neighbor in December 1997.

Bodies of water

Two rivers cross the urban area. The Tama unites with the tributaries Misawa, Yamashita, Gotanda, Nikaryō main river and Hirase; Katahira, Asao, Shimpukuji, Arima, E, Shibu and Yagami flow into the Tsurumi. The land on the coast of the city is crossed by a network of

canals Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow u ...

(Tama Canal, Suehiro Canal, Chidori Canal, Yakō Canal, Daishi Canal, Mizue Canal, Shiohama Canal, Iriesaki Canal, Asano Canal, Ikegami Canal, Minami-Watarida Canal, Tanabe Canal, Shiraishi Canal and the Sakai Canal). In addition, the historic Nikaryō Yōsui canal still exists in the hinterland.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Kawasaki has seen sustained growth over the past 70 years.

Politics and government

Kawasaki is governed by Mayor Norihiko Fukuda, an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

elected on 27 October 2013. The city assembly has 63 elected members. Mayor Fukuda was re-elected to a second term in office on 22 October 2017 with support from LDP and Kōmeitō against former municipal MP Akiko Yoshizawa and

JCP JCP may refer to: Businesses *JCPenney, an American department store chain (founded 1902) *Jim Crockett Promotions, an American wrestling company (founded 1931) Government and politics * Jobcentre Plus, United Kingdom (formed 2002) * Joint Comb ...

-supported former primary school teacher Hirokazu Ichiko. The 60-member city parliament of Kawasaki was re-elected in the unified elections in April 2023. The LDP won 17 seats and is the largest party in the assembly. Kawasaki was in June 2008 the second Japanese "government-designated city" (seirei shitei toshi) after

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...

, which allowed foreigners to participate in municipal referendums. In the 105-member prefectural parliament of Kanagawa, the seven districts of Kawasaki serve as constituencies, electing 18 deputies in total. For the

House of Representatives (Japan) The is the lower house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Councillors is the upper house. The composition of the House is established by and of the Constitution of Japan. The House of Representatives has 465 members, elected for a fo ...

, Kawasaki comprises the constituencies Kanagawa 9 (Tama and Asao wards), 10 (Kawasaki and Saiwai wards) and 18 (Nakahara and Takatsu wards) and 19 (Miyamae ward, with Tsuzuki ward,

), following changes since the last general election in 2021. In the 2021 election, the three seats went unchanged to Liberal Democrats

Kazunori Tanaka is a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature) as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and Minister of Reconstruction. A native of Toyoura District, Yamaguchi and graduate of Hosei Universi ...

and Daishirō Yamagiwa, and ex-Democrat Hirofumi Ryū of the Constitutional Democratic Party.

Elections

* 2005 Kawasaki mayoral election

List of mayors of Kawasaki (from 1924)

Sports

Facilities

Baseball

Kawasaki Stadium is a stadium in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. The stadium was opened in 1952 and had a capacity of 30,000 people, but was demolished and rebuilt in 2003 as an American football venue and is now the home of the Fujitsu Frontiers of the X-League. ...

: Located in Kawasaki-ku. Opened in 1952, and was used as a home field for

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Moder ...

teams

Takahashi Unions The were a Japanese team in Nippon Professional Baseball. A Pacific League expansion team in 1954, they were brought into the league to increase the number of teams to eight. The team was stocked with players from the other Pacific League teams, i ...

Taiyo Whales The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The team has been known by several names since becoming a professional team in 1950. It adopted its current n ...

Lotte Orions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd. The Marines were a founding member of the Pacific League in as the Mainichi Ori ...

, from 1954 to 1991. The stands were taken down in 2001, and is currently used for

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

games and other events in addition to baseball. * Kawasaki Todoroki Baseball Stadium: Located in Nakahara-ku. Maximum capacity of 5,000 people. Used for preliminary rounds of high school baseball and American football games.

Field athletics & football

Todoroki Athletics Stadium The , officially Todoroki Athletics Stadium, formerly the Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Todoroki Ryokuchi in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the ho ...

: Located in Nakahara-ku. Maximum capacity of 25,000 people. Opened in 1964, the stadium underwent several renovations before becoming the home field for the

Kawasaki Frontale is a Japanese professional football club based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. The club currently compete in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. Their home stadium is Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium i ...

. Also used frequently for track & field competitions.

Indoor facilities

* Kawasaki Prefectural Gymnasium: Located in Kawasaki-ku. Opened in 1956, and is used for

Puroresu is a Japanese term used for professional wrestling in Japan, professional wrestling in and outside of Japan. The term comes from the Gairaigo, Japanese pronunciation of , which in Japanese is abbreviated to “puro” ( - “pro”) & “resu” ...

matches. 20 minutes walking distance from Kawasaki Station's east entrance. * Kawasaki Todoroki Arena: Located in Nakahara-ku. International field athletics and

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

matches are held here, in addition to various musical concerts, and becoming the home for the

Kawasaki Brave Thunders The Kawasaki Brave Thunders are a Japanese professional basketball team located in Kanagawa, Japan. The team currently competes in the B.League. The team was the 2016 Champion of the now dissolved Japanese National Basketball League.

Cycling & horseracing

* Velodrome: Kawasaki Velodrome * Kawasaki Keiba

Economy

Kawasaki, particularly its eastern portion, has several factories and development bases of heavy industry (e.g.,

JFE Group is a corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It was formed in 2002 by the merger of and and owns JFE Steel, JFE Engineering and Japan Marine United. JFE is from Japan, Fe (the chemical element symbol of iron) and Engineering. In 2020, i ...

ENEOS , formerly , or NOC or ''Shin-Nisseki'' (新日石) is a Japanese petroleum company. Its businesses include exploration, importation, and refining of crude oil; the manufacture and sale of petroleum products, including fuels and lubricants; and ...

) and high technology (e.g., Fujitsu,

NEC is a Japanese multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered at the NEC Supertower in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It provides IT and network solutions, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), Inte ...

Toshiba is a Japanese multinational electronics company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure systems, elevators and escalators, electronic components, semiconductors ...

Dell Dell Inc. is an American technology company that develops, sells, repairs, and supports personal computers (PCs), Server (computing), servers, data storage devices, network switches, software, computer peripherals including printers and webcam ...

Japan and

Sigma Sigma ( ; uppercase Σ, lowercase σ, lowercase in word-final position ς; ) is the eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 200. In general mathematics, uppercase Σ is used as an operator ...

). Many of these factories are built on reclaimed land near

, taking advantage of access to the sea as well, as regional rail and highway networks and the nearby

Haneda Airport , also known as and sometimes abbreviated to ''Tokyo-Haneda'', is the busier of the two international airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the other one being Narita International Airport (NRT). It serves as the primary domestic base of J ...

. The areas around

, Musashi-Kosugi Station,

Mizonokuchi Station is a junction passenger railway station located in Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Tokyu Corporation. Lines Mizonokuchi Station is served by the Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line and Tōkyū Ō ...

and

Shin-Yurigaoka Station is a junction passenger railway station located in the Manpukuji neighborhood of Asao-ku, Kawasaki, Asao-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa, Japan and operated by the private railway operator Odakyu Electric Railway. ...

are major commercial districts, housing numerous corporate offices and shopping centers. Fujitsu's Main Branch is located in Nakahara-ku. It was formerly Fujitsu's headquarters.

Culture and sights

Temples and shrines

* Jōraku Temple (Jōraku-ji) * Kanayama Shrine: Site of the annual

Kanamara Matsuri The Shinto is an annual Japanese festival held each spring at the in Kawasaki, Japan. The exact dates vary: the main festivities fall on the first Sunday in April. The phallus, as the central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, ...

(Festival Of The Steel Phallus). *

Kawasaki Daishi is the popular name of , a Buddhist temple in Kawasaki, Japan. Founded in 1128, it is the headquarters of the Chizan sect of Shingon Buddhism. Kawasaki Daishi is a popular temple for ''hatsumōde'' (the first visit to a place of worship in the ...

(Heiken-ji). A Buddhist temple in the Kawasaki district. It is the second most visited temple 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 ...

* Kotohira Shrine (Kotohira-jinja) * Mikawari Fudō shrine * Shinkō Temple (Shinkō-ji) in the spring and autumn garden (Shunjū-en) * Takaishi Shrine (Takaishi-jinja) * Tenshōkō daijin shrine (Tenshōkō daijin)

Museums and galleries

Fujiko F. Fujio was a manga writing duo formed by Japanese manga artists and . They debuted in 1951 as a duo under their real names. The Fujiko Fujio name was used for their respective works from 1953 until 1987, when Fujimoto was too ill to work consiste ...

Museum: also known as

Doraemon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. First serialized in 1969, the manga's chapters were collected in 45 volumes published by Shogakukan from 1974 to 1996. The story revolves around an earless robotic ...

museum, opened on September 3, 2011, in Tama-ku Ward. * Kawasaki City Museum *

Nihon Minka-en is a park in the of Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. On display in the park is a collection of 20 traditional ' (farm houses) from various areas of Japan, especially Thatching, thatched-roof ...

Open Air Museum (Tama District): with ''

minka are Vernacular architecture, vernacular houses constructed in any one of several traditional Japanese architecture, Japanese building styles. In the context of the four divisions of society, were the dwellings of farmers, artisans, and merchan ...

'' traditional farmhouses from different regions of Japan. * Taro Okamoto Museum of Art * Railway and bus museum * Toshiba Museum

Music

* CLUB CITTA * Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall - home of the

Tokyo Symphony Orchestra The (TSO) is a Japanese orchestra, administratively based in Kawasaki. The orchestra offers subscription concert series at its home, the Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall and at Suntory Hall, the Concert Hall of the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, ...

* Yomiuri-Land EAST (Open Air Music Theater)

Recreational facilities

*Kawasaki Racecourse *

Keirin – "racing track" – is a form of Motor-paced racing, motor-paced cycle racing in which track cycling, track cyclists sprint for victory following a speed-controlled start behind a motorized or non-motorized pacer. It was developed in Japan ...

cycle track Kawasaki *Kawasaki Marien (leisure center) *Yomiuri Land

Parks

*Ikuta green space (Ikuta ryokuchi) * Todoroki Ryokuchi: athletic park *Yumemigasaki Zoo (Yumemigasaki dōbutsu kōen)

Regular events

* Daruma market in Shimo-Asao *In Unity *

*Kawasaki Citizens' Festival *Kawasaki fantasy night *Kawasaki Robot Congress *Sannō festival at the Inage shrine *Shin-Yuri art festival *Tamagawa fireworks display

Places of interest

* Kawasaki Warehouse: An

amusement arcade An amusement arcade, also known as a video arcade, amusements, arcade, or penny arcade (an older term), is a venue where people play arcade games, including arcade video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, mercha ...

whose aesthetic is inspired by the

Kowloon Walled City Kowloon Walled City () was an extremely densely populated and largely lawless enclave of China within the boundaries of Kowloon City of former British Hong Kong. Built as an imperial Chinese Fortification, military fort, the walled city beca ...

. *

Koreatown A Koreatown (), also known as a Little Korea or Little Seoul, is a Korean-dominated ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area outside the Korean Peninsula. History Koreatowns as an East Asian ethnic enclave have only been in existence s ...

: eastern Kawasaki has the second largest concentration of

Koreans in Japan () are ethnic Koreans who immigrated to Japan before 1945 and are citizens or permanent residents of Japan, or who are descendants of those immigrants. They are a group distinct from South Korean nationals who have immigrated to Japan since t ...

, after

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

. In 1997 it became the first municipality to allow non-Japanese nationals to take civil service employment. * Nakagawa stable: stable of professional sumo wrestler

Transportation

Railway stations

;

East Japan Railway Company 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 ...

:* - - : Keihin-Tōhoku Line :* - Kawasaki - :

Nambu Line The Nambu Line () is a Japanese railway line which connects Tachikawa Station in Tachikawa, Tokyo and Kawasaki Station in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. For most of its length, it parallels the Tama River, the natural border between Tokyo and Kanagawa prefec ...

:* Main Line : Kawasaki - - (Yakō Station is in

Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama is one of the 18 ku ( wards) of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 270,433 and a density of 8,140 persons per km². The total area is 33.23 km². Geography Tsurumi-ku is l ...

) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - :* Branch Line : Shitte - - - :

Tsurumi Line The Tsurumi Line () is a group of 3 railway lines operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Originally built to service the port and adjacent industrial area, the lines provide passenger services (especia ...

:* Main Line : - - Hama-Kawasaki - - :* Ōkawa Branch : - :

Yokosuka Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The Yokosuka Line connects Tokyo Station with in Yokosuka, Kanagawa. Officially, the name Yokosuka Line is assigned to the segment between and Kurihama sta ...

, Shōnan-Shinjuku Line :* - Musashi-Kosugi - - ;

Odakyu Electric Railway , commonly known as Odakyū, is a major railway company based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for its '' Romancecar'' series of limited express trains from Tokyo to Odawara, Enoshima, Tama New Town, and Hakone. The Odakyu Electric Railway Company f ...

: Odakyū Line :* - - - - - - - : Tama Line :* Shin-Yurigaoka - - - - - ;

Keio Corporation is a private railway operator in Tokyo, Japan and the central firm of the that is involved in transport, retailer, retail, real estate and other industries. The Keio railway network connects western suburbs of Tokyo (Chōfu, Tokyo, Chōfu, Fuc ...

Sagamihara Line The is a Japanese railway line operated by the private railway operator Keio Corporation, connecting Hashimoto Station in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture and Chōfu Station in Chōfu, Tokyo. Station list Rapid and Semi express services sto ...

:* - - - (Keiō-Yomiuri-Land Station and Inagi Station are in

Inagi, Tokyo file:Inagi City Hall.jpg, 270px, Inagi City Hall is a Cities of Japan, city located in the western Tokyo, western portion of the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 92,585 in 41,592 households, and a population densi ...

.) - ;

Keikyu Corporation (), also known as or, more recently, , is a private railroad that connects inner Tokyo to Kawasaki, Yokohama, Yokosuka and other points on the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture. It also provides rail access to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. mea ...

Keikyū Main Line The is a railway line in Japan, operated by the private railway operator Keikyu. The line connects the Tokyo wards of Minato, Tokyo, Minato, Shinagawa, Tokyo, Shinagawa, Ōta, Tokyo, Ōta, and the Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa municipalities o ...

:* - Hatchōnawate - - : Daishi Line :* Keikyū Kawasaki - - - - - - ;

Tokyu Corporation The , a contraction of and formerly until 2 September 2019, is a Japanese ''keiretsu'' or conglomerate headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. While a multinational corporation, its main operation is , a wholly-owned subsidiary operating railways i ...

Tōyoko Line The is a major railway line connecting Tokyo (Shibuya) to Yokohama. The line is owned and operated by the private railway operator Tokyu Corporation. The name of the line, , is a combination of the first characters of and , and is the main line ...

:* - - Musashi-Kosugi - - :

Meguro Line The is a railway line operated by Japanese private railway company Tokyu Corporation. As a railway line, the name is for the section between and in southwest Tokyo, but nearly all trains run to on a quad-tracked section of the Tōyoko Line ...

:* - Shin-Maruko - Musashi-Kosugi - Motosumiyoshi - :

Den-en-toshi Line The is a major commuter line operated by the private railway operator Tokyu Corporation and connecting south-western suburbs of Tokyo and neighbouring Kanagawa Prefecture, with its western terminus of , to a major railway junction of western dow ...

:* - - - - - - - - :

Ōimachi Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by the private railway operator Tokyu Corporation. It extends from in Shinagawa, Tokyo to in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. Stations All-stations "Local" services are classified as blue and green. The latter runs ...

:* - Futako-Shinchi - Takatsu - Mizonokuchi

Highways

; Expressway :*

Tōmei Expressway The is a national expressway on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is operated by Central Nippon Expressway Company. The expressway is designated as E1 under the "2016 Proposal for Realization of Expressway Numbering", because it parallels Na ...

is a north-south expressway running from Tokyo to

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

and in central area. Tōmei-Kawasaki Interchange is served from Kawasaki. :*

Daisan Keihin Road is a national highway in Japan connecting Setagaya and Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, with a total length of . List of interchanges and features Daisan Keihin Road A major part of the National Route 466 is known as the , a limited access toll road ...

is a north-south expressway running from Tokyo to

Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama is one of the 18 Wards of Japan, wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, Hodogaya Ward had an estimated population of 205,887 and a population density, density of . The total area was . Geography Hodogaya Ward is ...

and in central area. Keihin-Kawasaki Interchange is served from Kawasaki. :* Shuto Expressway Route K1 (Yokohane Route) is a north-south expressway running from Shuto Expressway Route 1 to Shuto Expressway Route K3 (Kariba Route) and in southern area. Daishi Interchange, Hama-Kawasaki Interchange, and Asada Interchange are served from Kawasaki. :*

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 ...

is a north-south expressway running from

Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama is one of the 18 Wards of Japan, wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 209,565 and a population density, density of 6,760 persons per km². The total area was . The war ...

Ichikawa, Chiba file:Ichikawashiyakusyo.jpg, 240px, Ichikawa City Hall is a city in western Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 492,749 in 256,229 households and a population density of 8577 persons per km2. The total area of the ci ...

and in southern area. Ukishima Interchange and Higashi-Ōgishima Interchange are served from Kawasaki. :* Shuto Expressway Route K6 (Kawasaki Route) is an expressway in southern area. Daishi Interchange, Tonomachi Interchange, and Ukishima Interchange are served from Kawasaki. :*

is an expressway across Tokyo Bay from

Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki is one of the seven wards of the city of Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the ward had an estimated population of 216,826 and a density of 5,530 persons per km2. The total area was . Kawasaki-ku has the home to the second largest Kore ...

Kisarazu, Chiba is a Cities of Japan, city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 136,023 in 63,431 households and a population density of 980 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Kisarazu is loca ...

. Ukishima Interchange is served from Kawasaki. ; National Route :* National Route 1 and 15 are north-south highways running in southern area. Due to elongated territory from east to west, these highways run short length in Kawasaki. :*

Japan National Route 246 is a major highway on the island of Honshū in Japan. It originates in Chiyoda, Tokyo and terminates in Numazu, Shizuoka. In and near Tokyo, it parallels the routes of the Dai-ichi Keihin, Dai-ni Keihin, and Tōmei Expressways, the Tōkyū De ...

is a north-south highways running in central area. It also runs short length in Kawasaki. :* Japan National Route 132 is short highway running in southern area. It bounds National Route 15 and port of kawasaki. :*

Japan National Route 357 National Route 357 is a national highway of Japan connecting Chūō-ku, Chiba and Yokosuka in Japan, with a total length of 70 km (43.5 mi). The highway parallels the Bayshore Route. References 357 __NOTOC__ Year 357 ( CCCL ...

is an industrial highway in southern area. It runs only in Higashi-Ōgishima Island in Kawasaki. :* Japan National Route 409 is a highway running from

Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki is one of the 7 wards of the city of Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 215,158 and a density of 13,150 persons per km². The total area is 16.38 km². Geography Takatsu Ward is lo ...

Narita, Chiba is a city in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 131,852 in 63,098 households and a population density of 620 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It is the site of Narita International Airport, one of ...

. It bounds central area and downtown area in Kawasaki.

International relations

Twin cities

Kawasaki is twinned with the following cities in Japan and worldwide.

Domestic friendship cities

Fujimi, Nagano is a Towns of Japan, town located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 14,485 in 5958 households,

, since April 22, 1993 *

Naha, Okinawa is the Cities of Japan, capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 people per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). ...

, since May 20, 1996 *

Nakashibetsu, Hokkaido is a town located in Nemuro Subprefecture, Hokkaido, 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 ex ...

, since July 9, 1992

International

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, United States, since June 14, 1979 *

Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu province Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu (abbreviated BRVT) was formerly a province of Vietnam. It was located on the coast of the country's Southeast region. It bordered Đồng Nai to the north, Bình Thuận to the northeast and Ho Chi Minh City metropolit ...

, Vietnam, since September 15, 2012 *

Bucheon Bucheon (; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Bucheon is located away from Seoul, of which it is a satellite city. It is located between Incheon and Seoul. Bucheon is the second most densely populated city in South Korea after Seo ...

Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi Province (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Seoul, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administered as a provincial-level ''special city'' since 1946. Incheon, ...

, South Korea, since October 21, 1996 *

Lübeck Lübeck (; or ; Latin: ), officially the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic City of Lübeck (), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 220,000 inhabitants, it is the second-largest city on the German Baltic Sea, Baltic coast and the second-larg ...

, Germany, since May 12, 1992 *

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, United States, since June 20, 1993 *

Rijeka Rijeka (; Fiume ( �fjuːme in Italian and in Fiuman dialect, Fiuman Venetian) is the principal seaport and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, third-largest city in Croatia. It is located in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County on Kvarner Ba ...

, Croatia, since June 23, 1977 *

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

, Austria, since April 17, 1992 *

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

, United Kingdom, since July 30, 1990 *

Shenyang Shenyang,; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly known as Fengtian formerly known by its Manchu language, Manchu name Mukden, is a sub-provincial city in China and the list of capitals in China#Province capitals, provincial capital of Liaonin ...

Liaoning ) , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = Clockwise: Mukden Palace in Shenyang, Xinghai Square in Dalian, Dalian coast, Yalu River at Dandong , image_map = Liaoning in China (+all claims hatched).svg , ...

, China, since, August 18, 1981 *

Wollongong Wollongong ( ; Dharawal: ''Woolyungah'') is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near water' or 'sound ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, Australia, since May 18, 1988

Friendship ports

Da Nang Da Nang or DanangSee also Danang Dragons (, ) is the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the Western Pacific Ocean of Vietnam at the mouth of the Hàn River, and is one of Vietnam's most important p ...

, Vietnam, since January 24, 1994

Notable people from Kawasaki

Koji Doi (born February 11, 1990) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer and is best known for his tenure with the Japanese promotions Wrestle-1 and All Japan Pro Wrestling. Professional wrestling career Independent circui ...

, professional wrestler *Toshikazu Fukawa, actor *

Tomohiro Ishii is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is currently a double champion: being the Strong Openweight Champion in his first reign, and one-half of the current IWGP Tag Team Champions with Ta ...

, professional wrestler *

Osamu Kido was a Japanese professional wrestler who wrestled for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He participated in the foundation of New Japan of 1972 and the foundation of Universal Wrestling Federation (Japan), Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) in 19 ...

, professional wrestler *

Kaoru Mitoma is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a left winger for club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Japan national team. He is best known for his dribbling ability. Club career Early years Born in Hita, Ōita, Mitoma eventually moved ...

, footballer *

Michael Nakazawa , better known by the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler and judoka signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Early life Nakazawa attended Tokai University before studying abroad in the United States where he obtained an MSc Sports Scien ...

, professional wrestler *Yui Nītsu, singer, part of music duo

Rythem is a Japanese pop duo signed to Sony Music Japan consisting of two female members, vocalist/pianist and vocalist/guitarist . Rythem was active from 2003 until 2011; in 2021, they announced their return to performing on their official YouTube ...

Hajime Ohara is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Ohara worked for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in Mexico for several years as part of his training, mixing the ''lucha libre'' style of Mexico with the Japanese Puroresu style ...

, professional wrestler *

Kazuhiro Tamura is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Pro Wrestling Heat Up where he is the owner of the company and the current Heat Up Universal Champion. Tamura also works for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) where he is a former Gaora TV ...

, professional wrestler *

Ao Tanaka is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club Leeds United and the Japan national team. Club career Kawasaki Frontale Raised for a decade in the youth ranks of hometown club Kawasaki Frontale, Tanaka made ...

, footballer *

Natsuki Taiyo is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, better known by the ring name . Making her debut for All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW) in January 2004, Mizushima quickly affiliated herself with Nanae Takahashi, following her out of AJW in 2006 ...

, professional wrestler *

Natsuko Tora is a Japanese professional wrestler. She is signed to World Wonder Ring Stardom, where she is the leader of H.A T.E. Tora is a former two-time Artist of Stardom Champion, a one-time Goddesses of Stardom Champion and a one-time World of Sta ...

, professional wrestler *

Yuyu-uta , also known as Yuyu-uta (), is a Japanese YouTuber, entertainer, and musician. Biography Suzuki was born in Kawasaki, Kanagawa where he attended Toko Gakuen High School, then graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan University in 2010. He began p ...

, YouTuber, entertainer, and musician

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control Cities in Kanagawa Prefecture Port settlements in Japan Populated coastal places in Japan Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan