Himeji
Himeji (姫路市, Himeji-shi) is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. As of April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 535,945, with 206,409 households. The total area is 534.43 km².
History
Himeji has been the center of Harima Province since Nara period. After the Battle of Sekigahara, Ikeda Terumasa received a fief at Harima Province and established the Himeji Domain. He expanded the Himeji Castle and its castle town.
Himeji was the capital of Himeji Prefecture (later Shikama Prefecture) since 1871, but the prefecture was merged into Hyogo Prefecture in 1876. The city of Himeji was municipalized on April 1, 1889. After the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, the Japanese government reportedly considered moving the nation's capital from Tokyo to Himeji.
On March 27, 2006 the town of Yasutomi, from Shisō District, the town of Kōdera, from Kanzaki District, and the towns of Ieshima and Yumesaki, from Shikama District, were merged into Himeji.
Air Raid
During World War II, Himeji was selected as a target by the United States' XXI Bomber Command because it served as an important rail terminal and contained two large military zones. On July 3, 1945 at 4:23 PM (JST), 107 Aircraft took off to bomb Himeji. During the raid, 767 tons of incendiary bombs were dropped on Himeji, destroying 63.3% of the built up areas of the city.[1]
Climate
Himeji has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Summers are significantly wetter than winters.
| Climate data for Himeji | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.8 (47.8) |
9.1 (48.4) |
12.2 (54.0) |
18.2 (64.8) |
22.7 (72.9) |
25.8 (78.4) |
29.6 (85.3) |
31.5 (88.7) |
27.4 (81.3) |
22.0 (71.6) |
16.6 (61.9) |
11.3 (52.3) |
19.6 (67.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.5 (38.3) |
4.1 (39.4) |
7.0 (44.6) |
12.9 (55.2) |
17.5 (63.5) |
21.6 (70.9) |
25.6 (78.1) |
26.9 (80.4) |
22.7 (72.9) |
16.5 (61.7) |
10.9 (51.6) |
5.7 (42.3) |
14.6 (58.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.8 (30.6) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
1.9 (35.4) |
7.5 (45.5) |
12.2 (54.0) |
17.6 (63.7) |
22.3 (72.1) |
23.0 (73.4) |
18.7 (65.7) |
11.6 (52.9) |
6.0 (42.8) |
1.0 (33.8) |
10.0 (50.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 38.7 (1.52) |
51.4 (2.02) |
87.2 (3.43) |
131.4 (5.17) |
140.5 (5.53) |
208.9 (8.22) |
161.7 (6.37) |
100.8 (3.97) |
200.2 (7.88) |
103.9 (4.09) |
61.0 (2.40) |
32.3 (1.27) |
1,318 (51.87) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 2 (0.8) |
2 (0.8) |
1 (0.4) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
5 (2) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 70 | 69 | 68 | 69 | 71 | 76 | 78 | 75 | 76 | 74 | 74 | 73 | 73 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 145.4 | 129.8 | 160.8 | 172.6 | 197.0 | 148.1 | 164.5 | 198.1 | 144.0 | 158.1 | 143.5 | 146.1 | 1,908 |
| Source: NOAA (1961-1990) [2] | |||||||||||||
Points of interest
Originally a castle town, Himeji is home to the Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For over 400 years, Himeji Castle has remained intact, even throughout the extensive bombing of Himeji in World War II and natural disasters such as the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake and various typhoons.[3][4][5] Other attractions include the Engyō-ji temple, Mount Seppiko, Himeji Central Park (a safari park), the Himeji City Tegarayama Botanical Garden and the Koko-en Garden.
International relations
Himeji has sister city relationships with six international sister cities and two Japanese cities, as well as a sister castle located in France.[6]
Sister cities
Japan
- Matsumoto, in Nagano Prefecture
- Tottori, capital city in Tottori Prefecture
International
Charleroi, Belgium
Phoenix, United States
Adelaide, Australia
Curitiba, Brazil
Taiyuan, People's Republic of China
Changwon, South Korea
Sister castle
Château de Chantilly in Chantilly, France
Notable people from Himeji
- Aya Matsuura, entertainer
- Psycho le Cému, visual rock band
- Kenzo Takada, fashion designer
- Tetsuro Watsuji, philosopher and historian
References
- ^ http://www.scribd.com/doc/61702152/21st-Bomber-Command-Tactical-Mission-Report-247-250-Ocr
- ^ "Himeji Climate Normals 1961-1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
- ^ "A hilltop white heron 400 years old". The Daily Yomiuri. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Himeji Castle starts its renovation in April". Official Tourism Guide for Japan Travel. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
- ^ "Himeji Castle". Japan Atlas. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
- ^ Sister Cities. City of Himeji. Retrieved August 24, 2008. Template:Ja icon
External links
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