Kosai, Shizuoka
Kosai
湖西市 | |
|---|---|
 Kosai City Hall | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Kosai in Shizuoka Prefecture | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Chūbu (Tōkai) |
| Prefecture | Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Government | |
| • - Mayor | Hajime Mikami |
| Area | |
| • Total | 86.56 km2 (33.42 sq mi) |
| Population (September 2015) | |
| • Total | 58,608 |
| • Density | 677/km2 (1,750/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| - Tree | Japanese black pine |
| - Flower | Common Gardenia |
| Phone number | 053-576-1111 |
| Address | 3268 Kibi, Kosai-shi, Shizuoka-ken 431-0492 |
| Website | Official website |
Kosai (湖西市, Kosai-shi) is a city located in far western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
As of September 2015, the city had an estimated population of 58,608 and a population density of 677 persons per km². The total area was 85.65 square kilometres (33.07 sq mi).
Geography
Kosai is located in the far southwest corner of Shizuoka Prefecture, bordered by Aichi Prefecture to the west, Lake Hamana to the east. The name of the city means "west of the lake", in reference to its location near Lake Hamana. The city is bordered to the south by the Enshū Gulf of Pacific Ocean. Due to its location, the warm Kuroshio Current offshore provides for a temperate maritime climate with hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters.
Neighboring municipalities
Shizuoka Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture
History
During the Edo period, Kosai was tenryō territory administered directly by the Tokugawa shogunate, and the location of a barrier gate regulating traffic on the old Tōkaidō highway connecting Edo with Kyoto. A post station named Shirasuka-juku developed near the barrier, and this was the forerunner of modern Kosai. During the cadastral reform of the early Meiji period in 1889, the area was reorganized into five villages within Hamana District, Shizuoka. Four of these villages (Washizu, Iride, Shirasuka, Chibata) merged to form the city of Kosai on January 1, 1972.
On March 23, 2010, the town of Arai (from Hamana District) was merged into Kosai. Hamana District was dissolved as a result of this merger.[1]
Economy
The economy of Kosai is dominated by light manufacturing of automobile components and electronics, as well as commercial fishing. Kosai is home to Suzuki Motor Corporation's Kosai Assembly Plant, Suzuki's main domestic production plant as well as to plants owned by Panasonic and Sony. Commercial fishing and aquaculture on Lake Hamana is also a component of the city's economy.
Education
Kosai has six elementary schools, five middle schools and two high schools in addition to a special education school. The ENE - Escola Nova Era, a Brazilian international school[2] is also located in Kosai.
Transportation
Railway
- JR Central - Tōkaidō Main Line
- Tenryū Hamanako Railroad Tenryū Hamanako Line
- Chibata - Shizuoka - Asumomae - Shinjohara
Highway
Sister city relations
Geraldton, Western Australia, Australia,[3] since September 1998 with former Arai town
Local attractions
- Arai Barrier Museum
- Toyota Sakichi Memorial Museum
- Honko-ji temple
Notable people from Kosai
- Sakichi Toyoda - founder of Toyota
- Yasuji Miyazaki - Olympic gold-medalist swimmer
References
- ^ http://www.kokudo.or.jp/new/cities/sub/chubu/22.htm
- ^ "Escolas Brasileiras Homologadas no Japão" (Archive). Embassy of Brazil in Tokyo. Retrieved on October 13, 2015.
- ^ "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Retrieved 21 November 2015.
External links
Media related to Kosai, Shizuoka at Wikimedia Commons
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