is one of the seven wards of the city of Kawasaki in

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 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 ward 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 216,826 and a

density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the ratio of a substance's mass to its volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' (or ''d'') can also be u ...

of 5,530 persons per km². The total area was . Kawasaki-ku has the home to the second largest

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 ...

in Japan.

Geography

Kawasaki Ward is located in northeastern Kanagawa Prefecture, in the northeast portion of the city of Kawasaki, bordering on 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 ...

and Tokyo to the north and

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 ...

to the south and east. Much of the land area of the Ward is

reclaimed land Land reclamation, often known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamatio ...

Surrounding municipalities

Saiwai-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 153,255 and a density of 15,250 persons per km2. The total area was 10.05 km2. Geography Saiwai Ward is locat ...

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 ...

* Ōta-ku, Tokyo

History

Under 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 ...

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 ...

system, what is now Kawasaki Ward became part of Tachibana District

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

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 ...

, it was administered as ''

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 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 ...

, but administered through various ''

hatamoto A was a high ranking samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the Shōgun, shogunates in History of Japan, Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred ...

'', and prospered as

Kawasaki-juku was the second of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in Kawasaki-ku in the present-day city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. History Kawasaki-juku was established as a post station in 1623, by the local magistr ...

, a post station on the Tokaido highway connecting

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 ...

with

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

. 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 ...

, the area urbanized with the development of

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 ...

on the Tokaido Main Line and became a center for heavy industry. The area was largely destroyed by the

Great Kanto earthquake Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" * Artel Great (bo ...

of 1923 and during American bombing 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 ...

. Kawasaki Ward was established with the division of the city of Kawasaki into wards on April 1, 1972. Long associated with grime, labor unrest, organized crime and pollution-related diseases, the local government undertook extensive efforts in the 1990s to revamp the area image.

Economy

The economy of Kawasaki Ward continues to be dominated by industry. *

Fuji Electric , operating under the brand name FE, is a Japanese electrical equipment company, manufacturing pressure transmitters, flowmeters, gas analyzers, controllers, inverters, pumps, generators, ICs, motors, and power equipment. History Fuji Electric ...

JFE Steel JFE Steel () is the second largest Japanese steel manufacturer (after Nippon Steel). The company was created in 2002 through the merger of the steel manufacturing business of Kawasaki Steel and NKK (Nihon Kokan). It is owned by JFE Holdings, wh ...

- Operates several major plants near

. JFE's main plant for eastern Japan is located on the border of Kawasaki-ku and

. * Mitsubishi Chemical * Showa Electric * Showa Shell Oil *

Tokyo Electric Power is a Japanese electric utility holding company servicing Japan's Kantō region, Yamanashi Prefecture, and the eastern portion of Shizuoka Prefecture. This area includes Tokyo. Its headquarters are located in Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and ...

Kao Corporation is a Japanese global chemical and cosmetics company headquartered in Nihonbashi-Kayabacho, Chūō, Tokyo, Japan. History Kao was established in 1882 by Tomiro Nagase as a manufacturer of domestic toiletry soap. Until 1954, they were known a ...

Ajinomoto is a Japanese multinational food and biotechnology corporation which produces seasonings, cooking oils, frozen food Freezing food Food preservation, preserves it from the time it is prepared to the time it is eaten. Since early times, farm ...

Education

The Kawasaki City Board of Education (川崎市育委員会) operates municipal elementary and junior high schools, as well as . Municipal junior high schools: * Daishi ( 大師中学校) * Fujimi ( 富士見中学校) * Kawanakajima ( 川中島中学校) * Kawasaki JHS ( 川崎中学校) * Affiliated Junior High School of Kawasaki HS (川崎高等学校附属中学校) * Kyomachi ( 京町中学校) * Minami Daishi (南大師中学校) * Rinko (臨港中学校) * Sakuramoto ( 桜本中学校) * Tajima (田島中学校) * Watarida (渡田中学校) Municipal elementary schools: * Asada (浅田小学校) * Asahicho (旭町小学校) * Daishi (大師小学校) * Fujisaki ( 藤崎小学校) * Higashi Monzen (東門前小学校) * Higashi Oda (東小田小学校) * Higashi Oshima (東大島小学校) * Kawanakajima ( 川中島小学校) * Kawasaki ( 川崎小学校) * Kyomachi ( 京町小学校) * Miyamae ( 宮前小学校) * Mukai (向小学校) * Oda (小田小学校) * Oshima (大島小学校) * Sakura ( さくら小学校) * Shincho ( 新町小学校) * Tajima (田島小学校) * Tonomachi (殿町小学校) * Watarida (渡田小学校) * Yotsuya (四谷小学校) Former elementary schools: * Higashi Sakuramoto (東桜本小学校) - Closed on March 31, 2010 (

Heisei The was the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Akihito from 8 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the day after the death of the Emperor Hirohito, when hi ...

22) * Sakuramoto (桜本小学校) - Closed on March 31, 2010 (Heisei 22) There is a North Korean school, Kawasaki Korean Primary School ( 川崎朝鮮初級学校).The Education System and Schools

. Government of Kanagawa Prefecture. Retrieved on October 13, 2015.

Transportation

Rail

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 ...

– Tokaido Main Line **

–

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 ...

–

Nambu Branch 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 ...

** Hatchōnawate - Kawasaki-Shimmachi - Hama-Kawasaki *

–

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 ...

Musashi-Shiraishi Station is a passenger railway station located in Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Lines Musashi-Shiraishi Station is served by the Tsurumi Line, and is from the terminus of the line ...

- Hama-Kawasaki -

Shōwa Shōwa most commonly refers to: * Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa ** Shōwa era (昭和), the era of Hirohito from 1926 to 1989 * Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufactu ...

- Ōgimachi *

– Tsurumi Branch Line ** Ōkawa *

Keihin Electric Express Railway (), 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. ...

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 ...

** Keikyū Kawasaki - Hatchōnawate *

Keikyū Daishi Line The is a railway line in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Keikyu. It connects Keikyu Kawasaki Station and Kojimashinden Station, both located in Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki. Service patterns Keikyu Daishi Lin ...

** Keikyū Kawasaki - Minatochō - Suzukichō - Kawasaki-Daishi - Higashi-Monzen - Daishibashi - Kojimashinden *

Tōkaidō Freight Line The is a railway line that links Odawara Station in Kanagawa Prefecture and Hamamatsuchō Station in central Tōkyō, Japan. Summary The Tōkaidō Freight Line was first opened on 20 December 1914 between Shiodome Freight Terminal and Shinagawa ...

(freight only) * Kanagawa Rinkai Railway (freight only)

Road

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 ...

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 ...

Japan National Route 15 is a National highways of Japan, national highway connecting Tokyo and Yokohama in Japan. It is commonly referred to as . Route data *Length: 29.2 km (18.1 mi) *Origin: Nihonbashi, Chūō, Tokyo (originates at junction with Japan Nat ...

(Dai-ichi Keihin) * Japan National Route 132 * Route 357 (Japan) * Route 409 (Japan) *Kanagawa Prefectural Road 1 (

Shuto Expressway The is a network of Toll road, tolled expressways in the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is operated and maintained by the . Most routes are Grade separation, grade separated and have many sharp curves and multi-lane merges that require cauti ...

) *Kanagawa Prefectural Road 6 (

) *Kanagawa Prefectural Road 9 *Kanagawa Prefectural Road 101 *Kanagawa Prefectural Road 140

Local attractions

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 ...

Noted people from Kawasaki Ward

Kaoru Abe (May 3, 1949 – September 9, 1978) was a Japanese avant-garde alto saxophonist. Self-taught at a young age, Abe performed with notables such as Motoharu Yoshizawa, Takehisa Kosugi, Yosuke Yamashita, Derek Bailey, and Milford Graves, altho ...

, musician *

Hirokazu Ibata Hirokazu Ibata (Japanese:井端弘和, born May 12, 1975) is a Japanese professional baseball coach and former player in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He is currently the manager of the Japanese national baseball team. Baseball career ...

, professional baseball player *

Kyu Sakamoto , legally registered as since 1956, was a Japanese singer and actor. He was best known outside Japan for his international hit song "Ue o Muite Arukō" (known as "Sukiyaki (song), Sukiyaki" in English-speaking markets), which was sung in Japane ...

, singer

References

External links

Official Website
(Japanese) {{Authority control Wards of Kawasaki, Kanagawa