is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

located in

Chiba Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. , the city had an estimated

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 35,674 in 14,688 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 350 persons per km². The total area of the city is .

Geography

Sōsa is located in far northeastern Chiba Prefecture. It is bordered to the north by the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

on the southwest. The land is mostly flat, and much is from 40 to 50 meters above sea level in average elevation. The northern section, a mixture of valleys, ports and rice fields, consists of a plateau made up of complicated terrain and features. The southern half consists of flat terrain facing Kujūkuri Beach. Through the center of the city runs both the Japan Railways (JR)

Sōbu Main Line The is a Japanese railway line operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan. It connects Tokyo with the east coast of Chiba Prefecture, passing through the cities of Funabashi, Chiba, and Chōshi. Its name derives from the ...

and Japan National Route 126, which run east-west. To the west of the center of Sosa is Japan National Route 296, which runs north-south.

Neighboring municipalities

Chiba Prefecture *

Asahi Asahi (Japanese 朝日, 旭, or あさひ 'morning sun') may refer to: Places in Japan Cities * Asahi, Chiba (旭市; ''Asahi-shi'') Wards * Asahi-ku, Osaka (旭区; ''Asahi-ku'') * Asahi-ku, Yokohama (旭; ''Asahi-ku'') Towns * Asahi, Aichi ...

* Katori * Tako * Yokoshibahikari

Climate

Sōsa has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Sōsa is 15.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1557 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around 5.1 °C.Sōsa climate data
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Demographics

Census statistics

History

Sōsa was founded on January 23, 2006 as a result of the merger between the former city of Yōkaichiba, and the former town of Nosaka (from Sōsa District).

A 8 December 1915

B 3 November 1948

C 31 March 1954

D 1 July 1954

E 17 July 1954

F 23 January 2006

Events

* 1 June 1897 – Yōkaichiba Station opened. * 9 October 1946 – Service on Narita Railway Tako Line was discontinued. * 1 April 1970 – Japan National Route 296 was opened. * 23 January 2006 – Yōkaichiba City and Nosaka Town were merged to form Sōsa City.

Government

Sōsa 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. Sōsa contributes one member to the Chiba Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Chiba 10th district of the

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

of the

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

Economy

Sōsa is a regional commercial center whose economy is primarily agricultural. Sōsa is well known for growing trees that are sold all over Japan.

Major retail

Shopping

* Cainz Home Super Center, Yōkaichiba (Includes Beisia supermarket) * Ocean Mart 126 (shopping mall)...closed due to The 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake

Financial institutions

* Chiba Bank, Yōkaichiba Branch * Chiba Industrial Bank, Yōkaichiba Branch * Choshi Credit Union, Yōkaichiba Branch * Keiyo Bank, Yōkaichiba Branch

Education

High schools

* Keiai University Yōkaichiba High School * Sōsa Prefectural Public High School, Chiba Prefecture

Junior high schools

* Nosaka Public Junior High School * Yōkaichiba Public Junior High School No. 1 * Yōkaichiba Public Junior High School No. 2

Elementary schools

* Chinkai Public Elementary School * Heiwa Public Elementary School * Iidaka Public Elementary School * Kyoko Public Elementary School * Noda Public Elementary School * Sakae Public Elementary School * Sosa Public Elementary School * Suka Public Elementary School * Toyosaka Public Elementary School * Toyowa Public Elementary School * Yōkaichiba Public Elementary School * Yoshida Public Elementary School

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 ...

–

* –

Bus transportation

Municipal bus routes

* Purple Line (to Toyosaka, Yoshida) * Pink (to Idaka, Sosa) * Orange (to Toyowa, Chinkai) * Yellow (to Heiwa, Kyoko) * Light Green (to Noda, Eastern-Suka) * Light Blue (to Sakae, Western- Suka)

Major bus companies

* JR Bus Kanto Company * Chiba Kotsu

Highway bus

=Yōkaichiba Bus Route (Tokyo Station – Sōsa City Hall)

= Bus stops at the following areas: * Tokyo Station (Departing from

Tokyo Station Tōkyō Station (, ) is a major railway station in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The original station is located in Chiyoda's Marunouchi business district near the Tokyo Imperial Palace, Imperial Palace grounds. The newer Eastern extension is not far ...

Yaesu is a district in Chūō, Tokyo, Japan, located north of Ginza, west of Nihonbashi and Kyōbashi, and adjacent to the east side of Tokyo Station. The Yaesu exit of this station, which faces Nihonbashi, is a recent addition and primarily provide ...

Entrance, Arriving at Tokyo Station:

Nihonbashi is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan, which sprung up around the bridge of the same name that has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603. The curre ...

Entrance) * Tomisato Bus Terminal * Tomisato Nanae Square * Radison Hotel * Sanrizuka Park * Jitaku (Residential) Entrance * Kuko Hakubutsukan (Aviation Museum) * Shiromasu * Somei * Tako * Tako Michi no Eki (Road Station) * Yoshida * JR Bus- Yōkaichiba Branch * JR Yōkaichiba Station * Sōsa City Hall

=Choshi-Chiba-Makuhari Route

= Bus stops at the following areas: * License (Menkyo) Center * JR Kaihimmakuhari Station * Chiba Minato Station (Monorail) * Chiba Central Station (Keisei) * JR

Chiba Station is a major interchange railway station in Chiba, Chiba, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and Chiba Urban Monorail. Lines Chiba Station is served by the following lines. JR East *Sobu Main Line ** Chūō-Sōbu Line ** S ...

* Chuo 3 Chome (Central District 3) * Matsuo-Yokoshiba IC (Highway Interchange) * Matsuo * Yokoshiba * Iigura * Yokaichiba * Sosa City Hall * JR Higata Station * Asahi * Unakami * Iioka Health and Welfare Center * Iioka * Kousoku Yagi * Kousoku Obama * Kousoku Misakicho * Toshiba * Jinyacho

Roadways

National highways

* *

Prefectural roads

=Main artery roads

= * Chiba Prefectural Road 16, Sawara – Yōkaichiba Line * Chiba Prefectural Road 30, Iioka – Ichinomiya Line * Chiba Prefectural Road 45, Yōkaichiba – Yachimata Line * Chiba Prefectural Road 48, Yōkaichiba – Nosaka Line * Chiba Prefectural Road 49, Yōkaichiba – Sakae Line * Chiba Prefectural Road 74, Tako – Sasamoto Line

=General roads

= * Chiba Prefectural Road 104, Yokaichiba – Idono – Asahi Line * Chiba Prefectural Road 106, Yokaichiba – Sawara Line * Chiba Prefectural Road 109, Yokoshiba Depot – Yoshida Line * Chiba Prefectural Road 114, Yokaichiba – Yamada Line * Chiba Prefectural Road 122, Iioka – Katakai Line * Chiba Prefectural Road 149, Yōkaichiba – Fuma Line * Chiba Prefectural Road 212, Yōkaichiba Depot Line * Chiba Prefectural Road 299, Heiwa – Kyoko Line

=Farm road

= * Toso Region Farm Roads

Area highways, toll roads

=Choshi Renraku Road

= * Currently the above road is not within city limits, but according to plans, the Yōkaichiba IC (Interchange) is planned for construction. The plan is to extend the road from Yokoshiba-Hikari IC area toward the city of Choshi.

Places and events

Locations

* Chōfuku Temple (in Kawamukai area) :* Shingon-Chisan, Buddhist Sect (Setsubun Buddhist Mass is held every new year) * Chōtoku Temple * Iidaka Temple (known locally as “Iidaka Danrin (ato)”) * Oio Shrine which dates back to Emperor Sujin Era, Year 7 (258 AD) * Suka Eastern Orthodox Church

Exhibition and community areas

* Fureai Koen (Park)- Yōkaichiba :* Formally named the “Municipal and Agricultural Exchange Terminal Community Park of Yōkaichiba”, Sosa City established and controls this institution for the promotion of activity in local industry with the intention of exchange between the municipal and the agricultural parts of the city. * Horikawa-hama (Beach) Swimming Area :* At a shoreline of roughly 150m, this beach area's waves are calm compared to nearby Kujukuri Beach. * Matsuyama Art Museum

Festivals

* Odaka Hadaka Matsuri (early January) * Jinkumi Lion Dance (every January) * Yōkaichiba Bon Festival Dance * (Yaegaki Shrine) Gion Festival (every August 4 & 5) * Yokappe Festival (every October)

Notable people of Sōsa

* Takeo Chii (actor, local promoter) * Shigeya Iijima (baseball player, Japan professional league) * Kan Kase (former member, Japanese National Diet) * Yumiko Kobayashi (voice actress) * Nichirō (Buddhist prelate, Kamakura Era) * Arekisanda Oryō (Comedian) * Nobuko Sakuma (actress, fashion model) * Masaru Uno (baseball player, Japan professional league)

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sosa, Chiba Cities in Chiba Prefecture Populated coastal places in Japan Sōsa