Shimada, Shizuoka

Shimada
島田市
City

Hōrai Bridge in Shimada

Flag
Seal

Location of Shimada in Shizuoka Prefecture
Shimada

 

Coordinates: 34°50′10.6″N 138°11′33.8″E / 34.836278°N 138.192722°E / 34.836278; 138.192722Coordinates: 34°50′10.6″N 138°11′33.8″E / 34.836278°N 138.192722°E / 34.836278; 138.192722
Country Japan
Region Chūbu (Tōkai)
Prefecture Shizuoka Prefecture
Government
 • -Mayor Katsurō Sakurai
Area
 • Total 315.70 km2 (121.89 sq mi)
Population (September 2015)
 • Total 97,684
 • Density 309/km2 (800/sq mi)
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
Symbols  
• Tree Osmanthus
• Flowers Rose, azalea
• Bird Blue-and-white flycatcher
Phone number 0547-37-8200
Address 1-1 Chūō-chō, Shimada-shi, Shizuoka-ken 427-8501
Website www.city.shimada.shizuoka.jp/hisyokouhou/English.jsp
Shimada City Hall

Shimada (島田市 Shimada-shi) is a city located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.

As of September 2015, the city had an estimated population of 97,684 and a population density of 309 inhabitants per square kilometre (800/sq mi). The total area was 315.7 square kilometres (121.9 sq mi).

Geography

Shimada is located in the Shida Plains of west-central Shizuoka Prefecture. It is located on both banks of the Ōi River. The area enjoys a warm maritime climate with hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters.

Surrounding municipalities

Shizuoka Prefecture

History

Shimada (Kanaya) began as an outlying fortification to Kakegawa Castle erected by Yamauchi Kazutoyo in the Sengoku period to control the crossing of the Ōi River. In the Edo period, Kanaya-juku and Shimada-juku developed as post towns on the Tōkaidō highway connecting Edo with Kyoto. The area was mostly tenryō territory under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate with a daikansho based at a Jinya located within Shimada-juku. As the Tokugawa shogunate forbade the construction of any bridge or establishment of a ferry service on the Ōi River for defensive purposes, travellers were often detained at either Shimada or Kanaya for days, sometimes weeks, waiting for the river levels to fall to fordable levels. The first bridge (the Hōrai Bridge) across the river connected these two towns in 1879, after the Meiji Restoration.

During the cadastral reform of the early Meiji period in 1889, Kanaya Town was created within Haibara District, and Shimada Town within Shida District. On April 16, 1889, the two towns were connected by rail, with the opening of Shimada Station on the Tōkaidō Main Line.

Shimada was elevated to city status on January 1, 1948. On January 1, 1955, it annexed neighboring Rokugo Village, Otsu Village, Daichō Village and a portion of Ikumi Village. On June 1, 1961 it further expanded through annexation of Hatsukura Village.

On May 1, 2005, the town of Kanaya (from Haibara District) was merged into Shimada.

On April 1, 2008, the town of Kawane (also from Haibara District) was also merged into Shimada.

On March 15, 2012, the city became the second municipality, after Tokyo, outside Tōhoku to accept debris from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami for disposal in the town's incinerators. Other cities had been reluctant to accept debris from the disaster, in spite of being asked to help recovery efforts, because of fears that the debris were contaminated by radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.[1]

Economy

The economy of Shimada is primarily agricultural, with green tea as the main crop. Light industries of Shimada include factories for the production of automobile components.

Education

Shimada has 18 elementary schools, nine middle schools and five high schools, as well as one special education school.

Transportation

Railway

Owada • Ieyama • Nukuri • Kawaneonsen-Sasamado

Highway

International relations

Shimada is twinned with the following cities.

Local attractions

Notable people from Shimada

References

  1. ↑ Kyodo News, "City of Shimada to accept debris from Iwate to help reconstruction", Japan Times, 16 March 2012, p. 1.
  2. 1 2 "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "US-Japan Sister Cities by State". Asia Matters for America. Honolulu, HI: East-West Center. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
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