Suzuka, Mie

Suzuka 鈴鹿市
City
Suzuka City Office
Flag Seal
Location of Suzuka in Mie Prefecture
Country	Japan
Region	Kansai, Tōkai
Prefecture	Mie Prefecture
Government
• - Mayor	Noriko Suematsu (since May 2011)
Area
• Total	194.46 km2 (75.08 sq mi)
Population  (August 2015)
• Total	196,835
• Density	1,010/km2 (2,600/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Japanese zelkova
- Flower	Satsuki azalea
Phone number	059-382-1100
Address	1-18-18 Kanbe, Suzuka-shi, Mie-ken 513-8701
Website	www.city.suzuka.lg.jp

Suzuka (鈴鹿市, Suzuka-shi) is a city located in Mie Prefecture, Japan.

As of August 2015, the city had an estimated population of 196,853 and a population density of 1,010 persons per km². The total area was 194.46 square kilometres (75.08 square miles).

Geography

Suzuka is located in northeastern Mie Prefecture, in northern Kii Peninsula, bordered by Ise Bay to the east. Parts of the city are within the borders of the Ise-no-Umi Prefectural Natural Park and the Suzuka Quasi-National Park.

Neighboring municipalities

Mie Prefecture

• Yokkaichi
• Tsu, Mie
• Kameyama

Shiga Prefecture

• Kōka

History

Suzuka, as a place name, is mentioned in the Nara period chronicle Nihon Shoki. The ancient Tōkaidō passed through Suzuka, and the Nara-period provincial capital was located within its borders. During the Sengoku period, the area was controlled by Oda Nobutaka, the third son of Oda Nobunaga, who ruled from Kanbe Castle. During the Edo period, much of the area was under the control of the 15,000 koku Kambe Domain, ruled by the Honda clan from 1732 until the Meiji restoration in 1871. During this period, two post stations were located within the modern city limits: Ishiyakushi-juku and Shōno-juku, which prospered due to pilgrimage traffic to the Ise Grand Shrines.

After the start of the Meiji period, the area was organized as part of Suzuka District in 1889. The modern city of Suzuka was founded on December 1, 1942.

Economy

Suzuka also boasts a significant industrial market, having major factories for both Sharp and Honda within its bounds. These companies outsource part of their labor to South American nationals in order to secure a contract-based workforce. Although the Japanese government is encouraging mandatory English-language education across the nation within Suzuka many courses offered, not only by private cram schools (juku) but also by publicly funded institutions, supporting Portuguese and Spanish. In a controversial move, the city's governing body, from April 2004, requires all garbage information and local signage to be displayed in both Japanese and Portuguese but not English.

Education

Colleges and universities

• Suzuka International University
• Suzuka University of Medical Science
• Suzuka Junior College
• Suzuka National College of Technology

Primary and secondary education

• Suzuka has 30 public elementary schools, ten public and one private middle school and five public and one private high school.
• International schools: Escola Alegria de Saber (エスコーラ・アレグリア・デ・サベール) - Brazilian school Formerly Suzuka had another Brazilian school: Escola Sol Nascente.

Transportation

Railway

• Central Japan Railway Company – Kansai Main Line
  • Kawano - Kasado
• Ise Railway – Ise Line
  • Suzuka – Tamagaki – Suzuka Circuit Inō – Mie – Nakaseko
• Kintetsu Railway – Nagoya Line
  • Nagonoura - Mida - Ise-Wakamatsu - Chiyozaki - Shiroko - Tsuzumigaura - Isoyama
• Kintetsu Railway – Suzuka Line
  • Ise-Wakamatsu - Yanagi - Suzukashi - Mikkaichi - Hiratachō

Highway

• Higashi-Meihan Expressway
• Shin-Meishin Expressway
• Japan National Route 1
• Japan National Route 23
• Japan National Route 25
• Japan National Route 306

Local attractions

Motor racing circuit

Suzuka Circuit map

Suzuka Circuit was the home of the Japanese Grand Prix from 1987 to 2006, and again from 2009. It was the only figure-of-eight circuit in the championship, and is very popular with the drivers. Located next to the circuit is the Honda Safety Riding/Driving School, where thousands of car and motorcycle drivers have been trained, including many police officers and instructors throughout the world.

Sports

• Honda Heat rugby club
• F.C. Suzuka Rampole football club

Sister city relations

• – Le Mans, Maine, France, since May 27, 1990
• – Bellefontaine, Ohio, USA, since August 7, 1991

Noted people from Suzuka

• Saitō Ryokuu – Meiji period author
• Nobutsuna Sasaki – author, poet
• Keisuke Tanimoto – professional baseball player
• Takafumi Ogura – professional soccer player
• Eisuke Nakanishi – professional soccer player
• Miwa Asao – beach volleyball player

External links

• Official website Template:Ja icon