Takarazuka, Hyōgo

Takarazuka
Takarazuka; 宝塚
	— Special city —
宝塚市 · Takarazuka
	; Flag
	; Flag
	Location of Takarazuka in Hyōgo
	; Takarazuka
	Coordinates: 34°48′N 135°22′E / 34.8°N 135.367°E
Country	Japan
Region	Kansai
Prefecture	Hyōgo
	Government
- Mayor	Nakagawa Tomoko
	Area
- Total	101.89 km2 (39.3 sq mi)
Population; (April 1, 2008)	222,198
- Density	2,161.0/km2 (5,597/sq mi)
	City Symbols
- Tree	Camellia sasanqua, Cornus kousa
- Flower	Viola mandshurica (Japanese violet/Sumire)
- Bird	Cettia diphone, Matacilla grandis
Website	City of Takarazuka
Phone number	0797-71-1141
	Address 1-1 Tōyō-chō, Takarazuka-shi, Hyōgo-ken; 665-8665

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Takarazuka (宝塚市, Takarazuka-shi^?)^[1] is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.

[edit] Geography

Takarazuka from the Muko River

Takarazuka is nestled between the Rokko Range to the west and Nagao Range to the north with the Muko River running through the center of the city.

A bedroom community for Osaka and Kobe, there are quiet, upscale residential neighborhoods like Nigawa, Sakasegawa, and Hibarigaoka.

Known as the inner parlor of Kansai, Takarazuka is famous for the Takarazuka Revue, hot springs, and the Takarazuka Tourism Fireworks Display held since 1913. It is also famous as a choice residential area along with Ashiya and Nishinomiya.

At one time, the idea was raised of merging Takarazuka with Itami, Kawanishi, and Inagawa, but it is currently on hold.

[edit] History

A.D. 825: Sumiyoshi Shrine built.
Between 1492 and 1500: Kohama town was established as a temple town for Koushou-ji.
17th Century: Kohama Inn was established as a post station on Arima Road.
1887: Takarazuka Hot Springs opened.
1897: Hankaku Railroad (current Fukuchiyama Line) completed.
1910: Minoh Arima Electric Railway (current Hankyu Takarazuka Main Line completed.
1910s-1940s: The age of Hanshinkan Modernism. Takarazuka was a center of the culture.
April 1, 1914: First performance by Takarazuka Girls' Opera (current Takarazuka Revue).
March 15, 1951: Kohama Village, Kawabe District incorporated as Town of Takarazuka (宝塚町 Takarazuka-chō).
April 1, 1954: Town of Takarazuka and Yoshimoto Village, Muko District merge to become City of Takarazuka (宝塚市 Takarazuka-shi).
March 10, 1955: Nagao Village, Kawabe District annexed.
March 14, 1955: Nishitani Village, Kawabe District annexed.
April 1, 1955: Ogino, Aramaki,　Kounoike, and Ohno-Nitta ceded to Itami.
January 17, 1995: Great Hanshin earthquake causes more than 100 casualties.
April 1, 2003: Designated Special City.
April 1, 2004: 50th anniversary of establishment as city.

[edit] Government

Mayor: Tomoko Nakagawa (智子　中川) (current term ends 2013)

[edit] Sister Cities/Partner Cities

[edit] Domestic

Matsue, Shimane

[edit] International

[edit] Locality

[edit] Education

Elementary Schools: Ryogen Municipal, Takarazuka Number 1 Municipal, Kohama Municipal, Takarazuka Municipal, Nagao Municipal, Nishitani Municipal, Nigawa Municipal, Nishiyama Municipal, Mefu Municipal, Nagao South Municipal, Suenari Municipal, Akura Municipal, Nakayama-Sakuradai Municipal, Nagaodai Municipal, Sakasedai Municipal, Miza Municipal, Koumyo Municipal, Suehiro Municipal, Nakayama-Satsukidai Municipal, Maruhashi Municipal, Takatsukasa Municipal, Akura North Municipal, Sumiregaoka Municipal, Yamatedai Municipal, Hibarigaoka Academy
Junior High Schools: Takarazuka Number 1 Municipal, Takarazuka Municipal, Nagao Municipal, Nishitani Municipal, Houbai Municipal, Takatsukasa Municipal, South Hibarigaoka Municipal, Akura Municipal, Nakayama-Satsukidai Municipal, Gotenyama Municipal, Hikarigaoka Municipal, Yamatedai Municipal, Hibarigaoka Academy, Obayashi Seishin Women's Institute
Senior High Schools: Takarazuka Prefectural, Takarazuka West Prefectural, Takarazuka East Prefectural, Takarazuka North Prefectural, Hibarigaoka Academy, Obayashi Seishin Women's Institute
Miscellaneous Schools: Takarazuka Music School
Vocational Colleges: Municipal Nursing College
Universities: Koshien University, Takarazuka University of Art and Design

[edit] Neighboring Municipalities

Inagawa, Itami, Kawanishi, Kobe (Kita-ku), Nishinomiya, Sanda.

[edit] Specialty Products

Ornamental trees and flowers (dahlias, irises, etc.)
Soda rice crackers

[edit] Famous People from Takarazuka

Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum

Osamu Tezuka (cartoonist, deceased)
Makoto Imaoka (professional baseball player, Hanshin Tigers infielder)
Taro Kida (composer)
CRAZY COOL JOE (former DEAD END band member)
Koji Higashino (comedian)
Yoshiaki Kanemura (former professional baseball player (Seibu Lions, Kintetsu Buffaloes), baseball commentator)
Masaaki Onishi (stuntman)
Taro Yamamoto (actor)
Kiyoko Taniguchi (disc jockey, celebrity)
Seiko Nakajo (NHK announcer)
Kyoko Kamei (TV Tokyo announcer)
Yuichi Uwaizumi (Mainichi Broadcasting System announcer)
Tomomi Sekine (former Asahi Broadcasting Corporation announcer)
Kyoko Hikami (voice actress)
Saki Aibu (celebrity, actress)
Akira Raijin (professional wrestler, performs in TNA as Kiyoshi)

[edit] Facilities

Takarazuka Hotel

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^?)
Takarazuka Garden Fields
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 build 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 build in 1937. (National Registry of Tangible Cultural Properties)
Kohama Inn Resource Center (小浜宿資料館, Kohama-juku Shiryō-kan^?)

[edit] Major Religious Institutions

Temples

Shrines

[edit] Siteseeing and Festivals

Takarazuka Grand Theater and Bow Hall

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Railways

Railways connect the city to other cities in the region including Osaka. Takarazuka Station, serving all railway lines in the city listed below, plays an important role as the city's central station.

[edit] Highways

Chūgoku Turnpike Takarazuka Interchange
- The West Takarazuka Tunnel, which goes through the city, is known as a famous spot for traffic jams.
National Road 176

[edit] Buses

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Takarazuka, Hyogo

[edit] Notes

^ 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 (Japanese)" (PDF). Kōhō Takarazuka 1026: 8. 2004-6-15. http://www.city.takarazuka.hyogo.jp/le_html/kouhou/k_pdf/160615/8.pdf. Retrieved 2007-03-05. )

[ufa10-0] 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 (Japanese)" (PDF). Kōhō Takarazuka 1026: 8. 2004-6-15. http://www.city.takarazuka.hyogo.jp/le_html/kouhou/k_pdf/160615/8.pdf. Retrieved 2007-03-05. )

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