Takarazuka (
Takarazuka
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![]() View of the City in Muko River | |
![]() Location of Takarazuka in Hyōgo Prefecture | |
Coordinates: 34°48′41″N 135°20′26″E / 34.81139°N 135.34056°E | |
Country | Japan |
Region | Kansai |
Prefecture | Hyōgo |
Government | |
• Mayor | Harue Yamasaki |
Area | |
• Total | 101.80 km2 (39.31 sq mi) |
Population (1 February 2024) | |
• Total | 221,846 |
• Density | 2,200/km2 (5,600/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
City hall address | 1-1 Tōyō-chō, Takarazuka-shi, Hyōgo-ken 665-8665 |
Website | Official website |
Symbols | |
Bird | Cettia diphone, Motacilla grandis |
Flower | Viola mandshurica (Japanese violet/sumire) |
Tree | Camellia sasanqua, Cornus kousa |
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Takarazuka_city-office.jpg/270px-Takarazuka_city-office.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Takarazuka_city_center_area_Aerial_photograph.1985.jpg/270px-Takarazuka_city_center_area_Aerial_photograph.1985.jpg)
Geography
editTakarazuka is located in the northern part of the Hanshin area, surrounded by the Rokko Range to the west and the Nagao mountain range to the north, with the Muko River flowing through the center.
Neighboring municipalities
editHyōgo Prefecture
Climate
editTakarazuka has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Takarazuka is 14.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1578 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around 25.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.6 °C.[3]
Demographics
editPer Japanese census data,[4] the population of Takarazuka has been increasing steadily since the 1950s.
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1950 | 48,405 | — |
1960 | 66,491 | +37.4% |
1970 | 127,179 | +91.3% |
1980 | 183,628 | +44.4% |
1990 | 201,862 | +9.9% |
2000 | 213,037 | +5.5% |
2010 | 225,587 | +5.9% |
History
editThe area of Takarazuka was part of ancient Settsu Province and has been inhabited since ancient times, with many kofun burial mounds found within the city limits. The Mefu Jinja dates from the Nara period. From the Heian period, numerous landed estates shōen controlled by the Fujiwara family were developed in the area. Takarazuka onsen is mentioned in Kamakura period records. In the Muromachi period, Kohama town developed as a temple town for Kōshō-ji, and subsequently Kohama Inn was established as a post station on Arima Road. The area was mostly tenryō territory under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate in the Edo Period.
The village of Kohama (
Kohama was elevated to town status on March 15, 1951, changing its name to Takarazuka. On April 1 1954 it merged with the village of Yoshimoto (
At one time, the idea was raised of merging Takarazuka with Itami, Kawanishi, and Inagawa, but it is currently on hold.
Government
editTakarazuka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 26 members. Takarazuka contributes three members to the Hyōgo Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the Hyōgo 6th districts of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy
editTakarazuka has a mixed economy of commerce, manufacturing and market gardening. It is increasingly becoming a bedroom community for Osaka and Kobe, with quiet, upscale residential neighborhoods like Nigawa, Obayashi, Sakasegawa, and Hibarigaoka.
Companied headquartered in Takarazuka
edit- HI-LEX Corporation, a manufacturer of remote-controlling cables and accessories for multiple applications is headquartered in the city.[5]
- ShinMaywa Industries, a manufacturer of military aircraft (especially seaplanes) and heavy duty trucks is headquartered in the city.[6]
Education
edit- Universities and colleges
- Primary and secondary schools
Takazuka has 23 public elementary schools and 12 public middle schools operated by the city government, and five public high schools operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Board of Education. There are three private elementary schools, two private middle schools and two private high schools. In addition, the prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.[citation needed]
Transportation
editRailways
editKawanishi is serviced by the JR Takarazuka Line and the Hankyu Takarazuka Line. Hankyu's Kawanishi-Noseguchi Station is a transfer station to the Nose Railway, which runs primarily within Kawanishi.
Highways
editBuses
editTwin towns – sister cities
editTakarazuka is twinned with:[7]
- Alsergrund (Vienna), Austria
- Augusta, United States
Local attractions
editSpecialty products
edit- Ornamental trees and flowers (dahlias, irises, etc.)
- Tansan senbei
Places
edit- Takarazuka Grand Theatre (
宝塚 大 劇場 , Takarazuka Dai Gekijō) - Takarazuka Bow Hall
- Flower Road (
花 のみち, Hana-no Michi) - Hanshin Racecourse (
阪神 競馬 場 , Hanshin-keibajō) - Takarazuka Hot Spring (
宝塚 温泉 , Takarazuka Onsen) - Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum (
手塚 治虫 記念 館 , Tezuka Osamu Kinen-kan) - Takarazuka Hotel
- Tessai Art Museum (
鉄斎 美術館 , Tessai Bijutsu-kan) - Takedao Hot Spring (
武田尾 温泉 , Takedao Onsen) - Shōji Residence (
正司 邸 ): Mixed Western- and Japanese-style mansion built in 1918–1919. Designed by Masaharu Furuzuka. National Registry of Tangible Cultural Properties. Filming location for NHK drama Twins (ふたりっ子 , Futarikko). - Takarazuka City Historical Archives (former Matsumoto Residence): Western-style mansion built in 1937. (National Registry of Tangible Cultural Properties)
- Kohama Inn Resource Center (
小 浜宿 資料 館 , Kohama-juku Shiryō-kan) - Nomura Koumuten House (Designed by Antonino Cardillo in 2009)[8]
Religious institutions
edit- Temples
- Shrines
Sightseeing and festivals
editNotable people from Takarazuka
edit- Saki Aibu, actress and celebrity
- Kyoko Hikami, voice actress
- Makoto Imaoka, professional baseball player
- Minami Itahashi, Olympic diver
- Shinji Okazaki, footballer
- Akira Raijin, professional wrestler
- Kosaku Shimada, professional golfer
- Osamu Tezuka, cartoonist
- Seigo Yamamoto, drift driver
- Tarō Yamamoto, actor and politician
References
edit- ^ The kanji
塚 (UTF-8 code FA1016), which is part of Takarazuka's official name (宝塚 市 ), is not available on all systems. (It can be entered in Wikipedia with HTML character塚
.) When not available, the kanji塚 (UTF-8 code 585A16, HTML character塚
) is used as a substitute, rendering Takarazuka as宝塚 市 . ("Shirabetemimashita 'Takarazukashi' no zuka to ZU" (PDF). Kōhō Takarazuka (in Japanese). 1026: 8. 2004-06-15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-03-05.) - ^ "Takarazuka city official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
- ^ Takarazuka climate data
- ^ Takarazuka population statistics
- ^ "HI-LEX". Retrieved 5 March 2014.
- ^ "Shin Maywa". Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- ^ "
国際 交流 のページ". city.takarazuka.hyogo.jp (in Japanese). Takarazuka. Retrieved 2020-04-11. - ^ Cardillo, Antonino (March 1, 2010). "The Inexact Quality". www.antoninocardillo.com. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
External links
edit- Takarazuka City official website (in Japanese)
- Takarazuka City official website
- Takarazuka Revue
- Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum (in Japanese)
- Geographic data related to Takarazuka, Hyōgo at OpenStreetMap