270px, Mihara City Hall 270px, Mihara City parorama 270px, Aerial photo of Mihara City center 270px, Butsu-ji 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 Hiroshima Prefecture,

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 88,591 in 43253 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 190 persons per km². The total area of the city is .

Geography

Mihara is located in south-central Hiroshima Prefecture. It faces the

Seto Inland Sea The , sometimes shortened to the Inland Sea, is the body of water separating Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, three of the four main islands of Japan. It serves as a waterway connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan. It connects to Osaka Ba ...

to the south, and part of the coastline forms part of the

Setonaikai National Park is a Japanese national park, comprising areas of Japan's Seto Inland Sea, and of ten bordering Prefectures of Japan, prefectures. Designated a national park in 1934, it has since been expanded several times. It contains about 3,000 islands, know ...

. The origin of the name of "Mihara" is from the alluvial fans of Yubara, Komagahara, and Konishihara Rivers. The Numata River, a second-class river that originates from the Kamo plateau of Higashihiroshima City, flows through the center of the city, and the central urban area flourishes at its mouth. Most of the current central city area 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 ...

, and steep mountains approach the coastline, while the northern part is a highland area with an elevation of 400 meters or more at the southern tip of Kibi Plateau, and the western part is mostly hilly.

Adjoining municipalities

Hiroshima Prefecture * Higashihiroshima *

Onomichi is a Cities of Japan, city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 129,314 in 64055 households and a population density of 450 people per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Onomichi is loca ...

* Sera *

Takehara file:Takehara City.jpg, 270px, Panorama of Takehara City center file:Takehara city center area Aerial photograph.2010.jpg, 270px, Aerial photograph of Takehara City center file:Taketsuru house Takehara.jpg, 270px, Taketsuru house in Takehara histo ...

Climate

Mihara 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 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 ...

''Cfa'') characterized by cool to mild winters and hot, humid summers. The average annual temperature in Mihara is . The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Mihara was on 24 July 2018; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 16 January 2011.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Mihara in 2020 is 90,573 people. Mihara has been conducting censuses since 1960.

History

The Mihara area is part of ancient

Aki Province or Geishū () was a province in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, comprising the western part of what is today Hiroshima Prefecture. History When Emperor Shōmu ordered two official temples for each province (one for male Buddhist prie ...

and has been settled since prehistoric times. The area has many

burial mound Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

s from the

Kofun period The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...

. During the

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 ...

, Mihara 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

Mihara Castle was a ''hirajiro''-style Japanese castle located in what is today the city of Mihara in Hiroshima Prefecture. Its ruins have been protected by the central government as a National Historic Site since 1957. History In 1552, Kobayakawa Takaka ...

, the stronghold of

Kobayakawa Takakage was a samurai and daimyō (feudal military lord) during the Sengoku period and Azuchi–Momoyama period. He was the third son of Mōri Motonari who was adopted by the Kobayakawa clan and became its 14th clan head. He merged the two branches of ...

from 1582. Following the 1600

Battle of Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was an important battle in Japan which occurred on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture, ...

Fukushima Masanori was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the late Sengoku period to early Edo period and served as the lord of the Hiroshima Domain. A retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he fought in the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583 and soon became known as one of the ...

was granted Aki Province, which he ruled from

Hiroshima Castle , sometimes called , is a Japanese castle, castle in Hiroshima, Japan that was the residence of the ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the Hiroshima Domain. The castle was originally constructed in the 1590s, but was largely destroyed by the Atomic bom ...

; Mihara Castle has retained as a branch castle. In 1619, his holdings were divided between

Fukuyama Domain file:Abe Masahiro Portrait.png, 270px, Abe Masahiro 7th daimyo of Fukuyama was a Han (Japan), feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, in what is now southeastern Hiroshima Prefecture. It controlled much of Bingo Province ...

and

Hiroshima Domain The was a large domain that owned all of Aki Province and half of Bingo Province. It occupies most of current Hiroshima Prefecture. The domain office was located at Hiroshima Castle in Sato District, Aki Province (renamed Numata District in 1 ...

, with Mihara becoming part of the holdings of the

Asano clan The was a Japanese samurai clan that descended from the Minamoto clan, and the Emperor Seiwa (850-881), the 56th Emperor of Japan. The Main Lineage (''sōke'', 宗家) were Lords (daimyō) of the Hiroshima Domain in Aki Province and another f ...

of Hiroshima. 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 ...

, the town of Mihara was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. Mihara merged with the town of Itozaki and several neighboring villages to become the city of Mihara on November 15, 1936. On March 22, 2005, the town of Daiwa (from Kamo District), the town of Kui (from Mitsugi District), and the town of Hongō (from Toyota District) were merged into Mihara.

Government

Mihara 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 25 members. Mihara, collectively with the town of Sera, contributes three members to the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, Mihara is part of the Hiroshima 5th district of the

lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

of the

Diet of Japan , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...

Economy

Mihara is a key point of transportation in Hiroshima Prefecture, with major transportation infrastructure, such as the

Sanyo Shinkansen is a former Japanese electronics manufacturer founded in 1947 by Toshio Iue, the brother-in-law of Kōnosuke Matsushita, the founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial, now known as Panasonic. Iue left Matsushita Electric to start his own busi ...

Sanyo Main Line is a former Japanese electronics manufacturer founded in 1947 by Toshio Iue, the brother-in-law of Kōnosuke Matsushita, the founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial, now known as Panasonic. Iue left Matsushita Electric to start his own busi ...

, Mihara Port,

Hiroshima Airport is an international airport in the city of Mihara, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Located east of Hiroshima, it is the largest airport in the Chugoku and Shikoku region, and the second busiest in the region after Matsuyama Airport. 80% of t ...

, and Sanyo Expressway. The city is a center for heavy industry, with metallurgical and chemical-related companies in the coastal areas, and electronic equipment-related companies in the inland

industrial park An industrial park, also known as industrial estate or trading estate, is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more heavyweight version of a business park or office par ...

s. In terms of agriculture, citrus fruits are grown in coastal areas, and paddy rice and fruit trees are cultivated in mountainous areas.

Education

Mihara has 20 public elementary schools, and ten public junior high schools operated by the city government, and three public high schools operated by the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the disabled. There is also one national elementary school, one national junior high schools. two private junior high schools and two private high schools. The

Prefectural University of Hiroshima is a public university in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, established in 2005. It has three campuses, located in these cities: * Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391 ...

has a campus in Mihara.

Transportation

Airports

Railway

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...

–

San'yō Shinkansen The is a line of the Japanese Shinkansen high-speed rail network, connecting Shin-Osaka in Osaka with Hakata Station in Fukuoka, the two largest cities in western Japan. Operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West), it is a westward co ...

(JR West) -

San'yō Main Line The is a major railway line owned by JR Group companies in western Japan, connecting Kōbe Station and Moji Station, largely paralleling the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, in other words, the southern coast of western Honshu. The San'yō Shi ...

* - -

(JR West) -

Kure Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) within Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. It begins at Mihara Station in Mihara and terminates at Kaitaichi Station in Kaita. It is one of the main lines of JR West. The s ...

* - -

Highways

San'yō Expressway The (Asian Highway Network ) is an expressway in Japan, running from Kobe through Hiroshima along the Inland Sea and terminating in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The entire length of the expressway was opened in 1997. The main line has a total length of ...

* * * *

Ports

* Mihara Port * Onomichi-itozaki Port * Sagi Port * Sunami Port

Sister city relations

* –

Palmerston North Palmerston North (; , colloquially known as Palmerston or Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatū Plains, the city is near the north bank of the Manaw ...

, New Zealand * –

Yugawara, Kanagawa is a town located in Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 23,267 and a population density of 570 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Geography Yugawara is located in the fa ...

, Japan

Local attractions

Castles

, National Historic Site * Niitakayama Castle - A castle ruin, one of the

Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles The is a list of 100 Japanese castle, castles, intended as a sequel of 100 Fine Castles of Japan. The castles were chosen for their significance in culture, history, and in their regions by the in 2017. Hokkaidō region Tōhoku region Kant ...

. * Takayama Castle

Temples

Buttsū-ji is a Buddhist temple head one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism, founded in 1397 by the lord of Mihara; Kobayakawa Haruhira; its first Abbot was Buttoku Daitsu Zenji. The temple is named after its honorary foun ...

–

Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage The is one of a number of traditional Buddhist junrei, pilgrimage routes in Japan. The route includes 33 sites sacred to the boddhisattva Kuan Yin, Kannon, across the Chūgoku region (Okayama Prefecture, Okayama, Hiroshima Prefecture, Hiroshima, ...

#12 *

Daizen-ji is a Buddhist temple belonging to the Shingon school of Japanese Buddhism, located in the city of Kōshū, Yamanashi, Japan. Its main image is a '' hibutsu'' statue of Yakushi Nyōrai, shown to the public every five years, History The temple cl ...

Shrines

* Mitsugi-hachimangu

Festivals

* Mihara Shinmeiichi Festival * Mihara Yassa Matsuri * Satsuki Matsuri

Notable people from Mihara

Historical

Lady Kasuga was a Japanese noble lady and politician from a prominent Japanese samurai family of the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. Born Saitō Fuku (斉藤福), she was a daughter of Saitō Toshimitsu (who was a retainer of Akechi Mitsuhide). She w ...

Inaba Masanari , also known as Inaba Masashige and sometimes known as ''Mino-no-kami'', was a Japanese samurai of the Azuchi–Momoyama period through early Edo period. He served the Oda, Toyotomi, and Tokugawa clans, and became a ''daimyō'' in the early Edo p ...

Modern

* Keiko Ikeda, former Japanese gymnast and

Bronze medal A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receives ...

ist of

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subseq ...

in Tokyo *

Ryuji Imada is a U.S.-based Japanese professional golfer. Biography Imada was born in Mihara, Hiroshima. He came to the United States when he was 14 to attend a Tampa golf academy for Asian players. His instructor was (and still is) Richard Abele, who beca ...

, professional golfer *

Yoshihisa Ishida is a retired shot putter and hammer thrower from Japan, who won a silver medal in each event at the Asian Games. He competed in the hammer throw at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics and placed 13th and 25th, respectively. He also won two medals at the ...

( 石田義久), shot putter * Masatoshi Kawahara, manga artist * Leyona, singer and songwriter *

Choji Murata Choji Murata (村田兆治, 27 November 1949 – 11 November 2022) was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. He played for the Tokyo/Lotte Orions over the period 1968 to 1990. Murata led the Pacific League in Earned run average in ...

( 村田兆治), baseball player * Hisatoshi Shintaku, long-distance runner *

Toshiko Shirasu-Aihara is a retired Japanese gymnast. She competed in all artistic gymnastics events at the 1960 and 1964 Olympics and won a team bronze medal in 1964. Her best individual achievements were fourth places on the vault and uneven bars in 1964. Born Toshi ...

, former Japanese gymnast and

ist of

in Tokyo *

Satoshi Urushihara (pen name) or , the "Master of Breasts", is a Japanese Mangaka, manga artist and illustrator known for his distinctive style of beautiful characters. His work is the basis for anime such as ''Plastic Little'' and ''Legend of Lemnear'', and appea ...

, manga artist

In popular culture

A small island off the coast of Sagishima, called Sukune, was the location of

Kaneto Shindo was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, film producer, and writer, who directed 48 films and wrote scripts for 238. His best known films as a director include '' Children of Hiroshima'', '' The Naked Island'', '' Onibaba'', '' Kuroneko'' a ...

's film ''

The Naked Island ''The Naked Island'' () is a Japanese black-and-white film from 1960, directed by Kaneto Shindō. The film is notable for having almost no spoken dialogue. Plot The film depicts a small family, a husband and wife and two sons, struggling to get b ...

'' released in 1960. Director Shindo and his wife

Nobuko Otowa was a Japanese actress who appeared in more than 100 films between 1950 and 1994. Life and career A graduate of Takarazuka Girl's Opera School, Otowa was first signed to Daiei studios, before becoming a freelance actress by the early 1950s. A ...

both had their ashes scattered on the island.

References

External links

*
Mihara City official website
{{Authority control Cities in Hiroshima Prefecture Mihara, Hiroshima Port settlements in Japan Populated coastal places in Japan