Aizuwakamatsu


Aizuwakamatsu is a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan., the city had an estimated population of 118,159 in 50,365 households, and a population density of 310 persons per km2. The total area of the city was .
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History

The area of present-day Aizuwakamatsu was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and was settled from prehistoric times. The Aizu-Otsuka Kofun within the city borders dates from the 4th century AD, and is an Important Cultural Property.
According to legend, in 88 BCE, Emperor Sujin sent two generals; Ohiko and Takenukawa-wake to the Tōhoku region for the purpose of establishing peace after the quashing of a rebellion in the region.
Before the late 12th century, Aizuwakamatsu was mainly a market town and a base for regional warlords. Starting in 1192, Aizuwakamatsu became part of the regions that were controlled by the Kamakura shogunate. Soon after taking power, Yoritomo granted a samurai named Suwara Yoshitsura all of Aizu. A descendant of Suwara, Ashina Morinori, began construction of the first castle in the city in 1384. During the Sengoku period the final lord of Aizu, Ashina Moritaka, died in 1583 and soon the Ashina clan lost power. After the Satake clan took control of the castle, they placed a twelve-year-old member of their clan who was renamed Ashina Morishige and proclaimed lord of Aizu. The Ashina clan regained control of Aizu for a brief time in 1589 with the help of Date Masamune. However, Masamune took over the domain for himself soon after. He surrendered in 1590 to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Toyotomi gave Aizu to one of his allies, Gamo Ujisato who then began construction in 1592 of a new castle at the site. It was during this time that the town was renamed "Wakamatsu".
During the Edo period, Aizu was controlled briefly by Uesugi Kagekatsu in 1600 after the death of Gamo Ujisato in 1596. Tokugawa Ieyasu accused Uesugi of gathering troops in Aizu. Ieyasu then transferred the Uesugi to Yonezawa. Through inheritance, Aizu was passed to Hoshina Masayuki in 1643. The Edo period saw the economic and cultural growth of Aizu.
Hoshina's descendants ruled the Aizu Domain for the next 200 years, adopting the Matsudaira name until the ninth generation Daimyō, Matsudaira Katamori, backed the bakufu in the Boshin War. Aizuwakamatsu Castle fell during the Battle of Aizu and the domain was forfeited. A group of 22, including loyal retainers and their families, managed to escape to California and lend the name of their home to establish the first Japanese colony in America, the ill fated Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony in 1869.
After the Meiji Restoration, Wakamatsu Town was created with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It became Wakamatsu City in 1899. On April 1, 1937, a part of Machikita village was merged into the city of Wakamatsu. The remained was annexed on April 1, 1951. The name of the city was changed to Aizuwakamatsu on January 1, 1955 when Wakamatsu merged with seven villages of Kitaaizu District. A part of the town of Hongō was merged into Aizuwakamatsu on April 1, 1955.
Aizuwakamatsu further expanded by annexing the village of Kitaaizu on November 1, 2004 and the town of Kawahigashi on November 1, 2005.

Geography

Aizuwakamatsu is located in the western part of Fukushima Prefecture, in the southeast part of Aizu basin.

Mountains

Rivers

Lakes

Hot springs

  • Ashinomaki Onsen
  • Higashiyama Onsen

Administrative divisions

There are 11 administrative divisions in the city.

Neighboring municipalities

Fukushima Prefecture

Climate

Aizuwakamatsu has a hot-summer humid continental climate closely bordering on a humid subtropical climate with the January average just below the 0°C isotherm to be classified as the latter, characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. Although it is located in an inland valley, Aizuwakamatsu's climate resembles that of the Hokuriku region on the Sea of Japan coast. Snowfall is very heavy during the winter at, and snow cover reaches an average maximum of and has reached as much as for short periods, a figure one would usually associate with much colder regions like the Labrador Peninsula. The average annual temperature in Aizuwakamatsu is 11.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1270 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around −0.3 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Aizuwakamatsu peaked around the year 1990, and it has since declined to pre-1960 levels.

Government

Aizuwakamatsu has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 29 members The city contributes four members to the Fukushima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Fukushima Electoral District 4 for the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Aizuwakamatsu is a local commercial center. The area is traditionally noted for sake brewing and lacquerware. Modern industries include textiles, wood processing and electronics.

Education

Aizuwakamatsu has one prefectural university and a private junior college. The city has 19 public elementary school and 11 public junior high schools operated by the city government. In addition, there is one private elementary school and one private junior high school. The Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education operates five public high schools and one combined junior/senior high school. The prefecture also operates two special education schools.

Universities and colleges

Senior high schools

Public (prefectural)

  • Aizu High School
  • Aoi High School
  • Aizu Gakuhō High School
  • Wakamatsu Shōgyō High School
  • Aizu Kōgyō High School
  • Aizu Second High School

Private

  • Aizuwakamatsu Xaverio Gakuen High School
  • Jinai High School
  • Wakamatsu 1st High School

Junior high schools

Public (municipal)

  • Aizuwakamatsu First Junior High School
  • Aizuwakamatsu Second Junior High School
  • Aizuwakamatsu Third Junior High School
  • Aizuwakamatsu Fourth Junior High School
  • Aizuwakamatsu Fifth Junior High School
  • Aizuwakamatsu Sixth Junior High School
  • Ikki Junior High School
  • Ōto Junior High School
  • Minato Junior High School
  • Kitaaizu Junior High School
  • Kawahigashi Junior High School
  • Aizu Gakuhō Junior High School
  • *Note: All junior high schools are municipal except for Aizu Gakuhō Junior High School.

Private

  • Aizuwakamatsu Xaverio Gakuen Junior High School

Transportation

Railway

JR East – Banetsu West Line
  • – – –
JR East – Tadami Line
  • Aizu-Wakamatsu – – –
Aizu Railway – Aizu Line

Highway

  • – Bandai-Kawahigashi IC – Aizu-Wakamatsu IC
*

Bus

Media

Television

Newspapers

  • Fukushima Mimpō
  • ''Fukushima Min-Yū''

Radio

  • FM Aizu

Sister cities

Japanese sister cities

International sister cities

Local attractions

Culture

Festivals

  • Aizu Festival

Foods

Others

Notable people from Aizuwakamatsu