Shiroi

Shiroi

白井市
Shiroi 白井市
City
	Shiroi City Hall
	Flag Emblem
	Location of Shiroi in Chiba Prefecture
	Shiroi
	Coordinates: 35°47′29.3″N 140°3′22.7″E / 35.791472°N 140.056306°E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Chiba
Government
• Mayor	Fumio Izawa
Area
• Total	35.48 km2 (13.70 sq mi)
Population (December 1, 2015)
• Total	62,188
• Density	1,750/km2 (4,500/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Castanopsis
- Flower	Satsuki azalea
- Bird	Meadow bunting
Phone number	047-492-1111
Address	1123 Fuku, Shiroi-shi, Chiba-ken 270-1492
Website	http://www.city.shiroi.chiba.jp/

Shiroi (白井市, Shiroi-shi) is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of December 1, 2015, the city had an estimated population of 62,188, and a population density of 1750 persons per km². The total area is 35.48 square kilometres (13.70 sq mi).

Geography

Shiroi is located in northwestern Chiba Prefecture, roughly equidistant from central Tokyo and Narita International Airport.

Neighboring municipalities

Chiba Prefecture

History

Shiroi Village was created within Inba District, Chiba Prefecture on April 1, 1885 with the early Meiji period establishment of the municipalities system. From shortly after World War II until the early 1960s Shiroi was the site of a United States Air Force Base (ShiroiI AFB APO 73). Shiroi was elevated to town status on September 1, 1964. As the Japanese economy grew in the 1970s, many people moved from the country to the cities, and the growth of Tokyo sent many residents out to suburbs in the Kantō countryside. Shiroi's real growth began during this period: its rail connection to Chiba City was completed in 1979, and it was linked directly to the Tokyo railway network in 1991. Shiroi was elevated to city status on April 1, 2001

Schools

There are nine elementary schools (Grade 1-6) in Shiroi: Shiroidaini Elementary School, Shiroidaiichi Elementary School, Nanatsugidai Elementary School, Ikenokami Elementary School, Shimizuguchi Elementary School, Minamiyama Elementary School, Shiroidaisan Elementary School, Oyamaguchi Elementary School, and Sakuradai Elementary School. There are also five middle schools (Grade 7-9): Shiroi Middle School, Oyamaguchi Middle School, Minamiyama Middle School, Nanatsugidai Middle School, and Sakuradai Middle School.

Economy

Shiroi is a regional commercial center and a bedroom community for nearby Chiba and Tokyo. During the Meiji era, Shiroi became a fruit-growing area. Local farmers planted kiwifruit and grapes, but the most famous of Shiroi's fruits turned out to be nashi pears. In the springtime, the pear trees still bloom alongside the sakura.