Kōriyama
| Kōriyama 郡山市 | |||
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| Core city | |||
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Central Koriyama in May 2007 | |||
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 Location of Kōriyama in Fukushima Prefecture | |||
  Kōriyama
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| Coordinates: 37°24′16″N 140°21′35″E / 37.40444°N 140.35972°ECoordinates: 37°24′16″N 140°21′35″E / 37.40444°N 140.35972°E | |||
| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Tōhoku | ||
| Prefecture | Fukushima Prefecture | ||
| Government | |||
| • - Mayor | Masato Shinagawa | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 757.06 km2 (292.30 sq mi) | ||
| Population (February 2015) | |||
| • Total | 329,339 | ||
| • Density | 435/km2 (1,130/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | ||
| - Tree | Prunus serrulata (Japanese hill cherry) | ||
| - Flower | Japanese iris | ||
| - Bird | Common cuckoo | ||
| Phone number | 024-924-2491 | ||
| Address | 1-23-7 Asahi, Koriyama, Fukushima 963-8024[1] | ||
| Website |
www | ||
Kōriyama (郡山市 Kōriyama-shi) is a city in central Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2015, the city has an estimated population of 329,339[2] and a population density of 435 persons per km². The total area was 757.06 km². Kōriyama is designated as a "core city" and functions as a commercial center for Fukushima Prefecture. Kōriyama is the second largest conurbation in the Tōhoku region.
Geography and climate
Kōriyama is located in the center of the Nakadōri region of Fukushima Prefecture in the Tōhoku region (37°24′N 140°23′E / 37.400°N 140.383°E). The Adatara Mountains are to the north, Lake Inawashiro is to the west, and the Abukuma highlands are to the east. The Abukuma River flows through downtown Kōriyama. The downtown area extends to the west of Kōriyama Station.
Neighboring municipalities
Climate
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History
Kōriyama originated as a regional governmental center in the Nara period, when the area was on the frontier of Yamato settlement of the Tohoku region. The surrounding area developed into shōen controlled by various samurai clans in the Heian and Kamakura periods. Nearby centers, such as Nihonmatsu developed into castle towns, Kōriyama remained as a commercial center and thrived as a post town because of its importance as a traffic focal point into the Edo period.
With the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the town of Kōriyama was established within Asaka District. In the early Meiji period, many dispossessed samurai were assigned undeveloped lands in the area to reclaim and as a result, the population grew and region developed into an agricultural center. The relative abundance of hydroelectric power also helped with the development of local industry.
Kōriyama was raised from town to city status on September 1, 1924 with the annexation of neighboring Odawara Village. Kuwano Village was likewise annexed on June 1, 1925. During the 1930s, Kōriyama was noted a center for military equipment production. It was thus a target for American bombers during World War II, and the city was subject to three large-scale air raids during the war.
From 1954-1955, Kōriyama expanded by annexing the town of Otsuki and portions of the villages of Tomita and Iwae, and in 1965 annexed the villages of Nishida and Nakata. In 1997, the city received core city designation, giving it increased autonomy from national and prefectural governments.
On March 11, 2011, earthquake caused only minor damage, and Kōriyama is located outside of the mandatory evacuation on created by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Economy
Kōriyama city is called the "commercial capital in Fukushima" and the economic bloc is the biggest in Fukushima Prefecture. There are many department stores and shops in the area around Kōriyama Station.
- Principal companies headquartered in Koriyama
- XEBIO; sporting goods
- Kourakuen; ramen noodle shop chain
- York Benimaru; large supermarket retailer with networks in south Tōhoku, Nigata, and North Kanto
- Banks headquartered in Koriyama
- Daito Bank
- Toho Bank
Transportation
Kōriyama is an important transportation hub, as it is located in the center of Fukushima Prefecture and is the nexus of several railway lines and expressways. Kōriyama Station is the central station for the city. However, Kōriyama does not have an airport.
Railway
- JR East - Tōhoku Shinkansen
- JR East - Tōhoku Main Line
- Asaka-Nagamori - Kōriyama - Hiwada
- JR East - East Ban'etsu Line
- Kōriyama - Mōgi
- JR-East - West Ban'etsu Line
- Kōriyama - Kikuta - Akogashima - Bandai-Atami - Nakayamajuku
- JR East - Suigun Line
- Kōriyama - Asaka-Nagamori - Yatagawa - Iwaki-Moriyama
Roads
- Tōhoku Expressway - Asaka PA - Kōriyama-minami IC - Kōriyama IC - Kōriyama JCT
- Ban-etsu Expressway - Kōriyama-higashi IC - Kōriyama JCT - Gohyakugawa PA - Bandai-Atami IC
- National Route 4
- National Route 49
- National Route 228
- National Route 294
Media
Television
- Fukushima Central Television (Nippon Television chain)
- Fukushima Broadcasting (TV Asahi chain)
CATY
- Information Network Kōriyama
Radio
- FM Fukushima (JFN)
Newspaper
- Fukushima Mimpō (Fukushima, Mainichi chain)
- Fukushima Minyū (Fukushima, Yomiuri chain)
- Kahoku Shinpō (Sendai)
Education
Universities and colleges
- Nihon University, Faculty of Engineering
- Ohu University
- Kōriyama Women's University & Colleges
- Kōriyama Women's University Junior College
- Open University of Japan, Fukushima Learning Center
Senior high schools
- Public (prefectural)
- Asaka High School
- Asaka Mitate Branch High School
- Asaka Reimei High School
- Kōriyama High School
- Kōriyama Higashi High School
- Kōriyama Shōgyō High School
- Kōriyama Kita Kōgyō High School
- Asaka Kaisei High School
- Konan High School
- Kōriyama Hōsei High School
- Private
- Tohoku High School of Nihon University
- Shōshi Gakuen Shōshi High School
- Teikyō Asaka High School
- High School affiliated with Kōriyama Women's Colleges
Junior high schools
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Multi-level schools
- Fukushima Korean School (JA/KO) - North Korean international school[3]
Noted people
Mayors
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Sources:[4]
Notable people
- Takeshi Honda - Figure skater
- Toru Iwaya - Mezzotint engraver, painter
- Miki Nagasawa - voice actress
- Toshiyuki Nishida - actor
- Saga(Alice Nine) - musician
- Masashi Ohuchi - Olympic weightlifter[5]
- Satoru Saito - Actor
- Toshio Tamogami - chief of staff of Japan Air Self-Defense Force
- Joji Yuasa - composer
Twinnings
Japanese sister cities
- Nara, Nara (since 5 August 1971)
- Kurume, Fukuoka (since 3 August 1975)
- Tottori, Tottori (since 25 November 2005)
International sister city
Brummen, Netherlands (since 25 June 1988)
Local attractions
Festivals
- Kōriyama Uneme Festival
- Koriyama Summer Festival - an Oktoberfest-style festival.
- Koriyama Autumn Festival - includes children's activities, taiko and mikoshi parades.
References
- ↑ "A page for Koriyama city foreigners [City Hall & Branch Offices]". Koriyama City. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
- ↑ "Estimated population February 1, 2015" (in Japanese). Official Koriyama city website. Retrieved 3 Mar 2015.
- ↑ Home. Fukushima Korean School. August 5, 2002. Retrieved on October 13, 2015.
- ↑ 歴代の郡山市長の一覧 [List of previous mayors of Kōriyama] (in Japanese). Retrieved 28 November 2009.
- ↑ "Masashi Ohuchi Passes On". International Weightlifting Federation. 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2011-06-19.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kōriyama, Fukushima. |
