Shizuoka (静岡市, Shizuoka-shi; Japanese pronunciation:[ɕi.(d)zɯꜜ.o.ka,ɕi.(d)zɯ.o.kaꜜ.ɕi][2]) is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and the prefecture's second-largest city in both population and area. It has been populated since prehistoric times. As of 1 September 2023,[update] the city had an estimated population of 677,867 in 106,087 households,[3] and a population density of 480 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,200/sq mi).
Overview
[edit]
The city's name is made up of two kanji, 静shizu, meaning "still" or "calm"; and 岡oka, meaning "hill(s)".[4] In 1869, Shizuoka Domain was first created out of the older Sunpu Domain, and that name was retained when the city was incorporated in 1885. In 2003, Shizuoka absorbed neighboring Shimizu City (now Shimizu Ward) to create the new and expanded city of Shizuoka, briefly becoming the largest city by land area in Japan. In 2005, it became one of Japan's "designated cities".
Cityscapes
[edit]
Gallery
Sunpu Castle (2014)
CBD of Shizuoka City (2020)
Skyline of Shizuoka City (2021)
Downtown of Shichikenchō (2021)
Konyachō (2021)
Ryōgaechō (2021)
Port of Shimizu (2020)
Sunrise of Shizuoka City (2020)
Geography
[edit]
Shizuoka City lies in central Shizuoka Prefecture, about halfway between Tokyo and Nagoya along the Tōkaidō Corridor, between Suruga Bay to the south and the Minami Alps in the north. Shizuoka had the largest area of any municipality in Japan after merging with Shimizu City in April 2003, until February 2005, when Takayama in Gifu Prefecture superseded it by merging with nine surrounding municipalities.
The total area of the city is 1,411.90 km2 (545.14 sq mi).[5] Shizuoka is the 5th largest city in Japan in terms of geographic area after Takayama, Hamamatsu, Nikkō, and Kitami. It is also the 2nd largest city in Shizuoka Prefecture in terms of both geographic area and population after Hamamatsu, but ranks higher as an Urban Employment Area,[6] and leads as a metropolitan area and business region.
The fan-like shape of the Shizuoka Plain and Miho Peninsula were formed over the ages by the fast-flowing Abe River, carrying along collapsed sand and earth. These areas form the foundations of the city today.[7]: 242 The isolated Mount Kunō separates the Suruga coastline from the Shimizu coastline.
Basic data
[edit]
Area of densely populated region
103.99 km2 (40.15 sq mi)
Urban planning area
234.80 km2 (90.66 sq mi)
Area zoned for urbanization
104.0 km2 (40.2 sq mi)
Nature
[edit]
Mount Aino, one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains, and the fourth tallest peak in JapanThe hydroelectric Hatanagi-I Dam—tallest concrete gravity dam in the world
Mountains
[edit]
Mount Aino (間ノ岳, Aino-dake)
Mount Shiomi (塩見岳, Shiomi-dake)
Mount Warusawa (悪沢岳(荒川岳), Warusawa-dake (Arakawa-dake))
Mount Akaishi (赤石岳, Akaishi-dake)
Mount Hijiri (聖岳, Hijiri-dake)
Mount Tekari (光岳, Tekari-dake)
Mount Yanbushi (山伏, Yanbushi)
Mount Daimugen (大無間山, Daimugen-zan)
Mankan Pass (満観峠, Mankan-tōge)
Mount Mafuji (真富士山, Mafuji-san)
Mount Jūmai (十枚山, Jūmai-san)
Mount Ryūsō (竜爪山, Ryūsō-zan)
Mount Shizuhata (賤機山, Shizuhata-yama)
Mount Yatsu (谷津山, Yatsu-yama)
Mount Yahata (八幡山, Yahata-san)
Mount Udo (Nihondaira) (有度山(日本平), Udo-san (Nihondaira))
Mount Kajiwara (梶原山, Kajiwara-yama)
Mount Satta (Satta Pass) (薩埵山(薩埵峠), Satta-yama (Satta-tōge))
Mount Hamaishi (浜石岳, Hamaishi-dake)
Mount Ōmaru (大丸山, Ōmaru-yama)
Mount Ōhira (大平山, Ōhira-yama)
Rivers
[edit]
Ōi River (大井川, Ōi-gawa) (upstream)
Abe River (安倍川)
Warashina River (藁科川, Warashina-gawa)
Mariko River (丸子川, Mariko-gawa)
Tomoe River (巴川, Tomoe-gawa)
Ōya River Drainage Ditch (大谷川放水路, Ōya-gawa Hōsui-ro)
On the south-central Pacific coast Shizuoka has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), which is hot and humid in the summer, and rarely snows in the winter.[8] It is close to the warm Kuroshio Current and is wet even by Japanese standards with only slightly less precipitation than Kanazawa on the opposite side of Honshū, but it is paradoxically the sunniest of Japan's major cities owing to the absence of summer fog and its sheltered location from the northwesterly winds off the Sea of Japan. Further north, the mountainous Ikawa area is part of the Japanese snow country, where there are ski areas.
Climate data for Shizuoka (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1940−present)
Administrative center, made up of the former Shizuoka north of the Tōkaidō Main Line excluding Osada district
Suruga Ward (駿河区, Suruga-ku)
Former Shizuoka south of the Tōkaidō Main Line and Osada district
Shimizu Ward (清水区, Shimizu-ku)
Former city of Shimizu and towns of Kanbara and Yui.
Administrative district "image colours"
[edit]
On 22 December 2006, colours and logos were established for each of the wards.[10]
Aoi Ward
■ Aoi Ward Green
Suruga Ward
■ Suruga Ward Red
Shimizu Ward
■ Shimizu Ward Blue
Demographics
[edit]
As of August 2019,[update] the city had an estimated population of 704,989 in 286,013 households[3] and a population density of 507 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,310/sq mi).
Per Japanese census data,[11] the population of Shizuoka has been declining slowly since 1990.
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±%
1940
395,189
—
1950
467,782
+18.4%
1960
576,482
+23.2%
1970
681,797
+18.3%
1980
727,260
+6.7%
1990
739,300
+1.7%
2000
729,980
−1.3%
2010
716,328
−1.9%
2020
693,389
−3.2%
Bordering municipalities
[edit]
Shizuoka Prefecture
Fuji
Fujieda
Fujinomiya
Kawanehon (Haibara District)
Shimada
Yaizu
Yamanashi Prefecture
Hayakawa (Minamikoma District)
Minami-Alps
Minobu (Minamikoma District)
Nanbu (Minamikoma District)
Nagano Prefecture
Iida
Ina
Ōshika (Shimoina District)
History
[edit]
Reconstructed building at the Toro archeological siteSuruga KokubunjiReconstructed Tatsumi yagura of Sunpu Castle
Ancient history
[edit]
The area that is now the city of Shizuoka has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Numerous kofun have been found within the city limits, and the Toro archaeological site indicates that a major Yayoi period (circa 400 BC–300 AD) settlement existed in what is now part of the central city area.
Suruga was established as a province of Japan in the early Nara period. At some point between the year 701 and 710, the provincial capital was relocated from what is now Numazu, to a more central location on the banks of the Abe River at a location named Sunpu (駿府) (a contraction of "Suruga no Kokufu" (駿河の国府)) or alternatively "Fuchū" (府中).
Pre-modern Shizuoka
[edit]
During the Muromachi period, Sunpu was the capital of the Imagawa clan. The Imagawa were defeated at the Battle of Okehazama, and Sunpu was subsequently ruled by Takeda Shingen, followed by Tokugawa Ieyasu. However, Toyotomi Hideyoshi relocated Ieyasu, and installed Nakamura Kazutada to rule Sunpu. After the Toyotomi were defeated in the Battle of Sekigahara, Ieyasu recovered Sunpu, reassigning it to his own retainer, Naitō Nobunari in 1601. This marked the start of Sunpu Domain.
In April 1606, Ieyasu officially retired from the post of shōgun, and retired to Sunpu, where he established a secondary court, from which he could influence Shōgun Tokugawa Hidetada from behind the scenes. Subsequently, aside for brief periods, Sunpu was tenryō (territory under direct administration by the Shogunate), ruled by the Sunpu jōdai (駿府城代), an appointed official based in Sunpu.
From the Meiji period to World War II
[edit]
In 1869, after the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate, the former shogunal line, headed by Tokugawa Iesato was sent to Sunpu and assigned the short-lived Sunpu Domain. The same year, Sunpu was renamed "Shizuoka". Shizuoka Domain became Shizuoka Prefecture with the abolition of the han system in 1871, which was expanded in 1876 through merger with the former Hamamatsu Prefecture and western portions of Ashigaru Prefecture in 1876. Shizuoka Station on the Tōkaidō Main Line was opened on 1 February 1889. The same day, a fire burned down most of downtown Shizuoka.
The modern city was founded on 1 April 1889. At the time, the population was 37,681, and Shizuoka was one of the first 31 cities established in Japan.
An electric tram service began in 1911. In 1914, due to heavy rains caused by a typhoon, the Abe River flooded, inundating the downtown area.[12] In the national census of 1920, the population of Shizuoka was 74,093. The area of the city continued to expand through the 1920s and 1930s through merger with outlying towns and villages. In 1935, the city was struck by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake, resulting in much damage. Although soon rebuilt, a large fire in 1940 again destroyed much of the center of the city.
During World War II, Shizuoka lacked targets of major military significance, and was initially only lightly bombed during several American air raids. However, in a major firebombing raid of 19 June 1945, the city suffered an extreme amount of damage with high civilian casualties.
Post-war Shizuoka
[edit]
The area of the city continued to expand through the 1950s and 1960s through merger with outlying towns and villages. On 1 October 1964, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen began services to Shizuoka, and on 25 April 1969 the city was connected to the Tōmei Expressway. On 7 July 1974, the Abe River flooded, and landslides occurred during heavy rains, killing 23 people.[citation needed]
On 16 August 1980, a major gas leak in an underground shopping center near Shizuoka Station resulted in an explosion, killing 15 people and seriously injuring 233 others. The Shizuoka City Hall moved to new premises in 1986. On 1 April 1992, Shizuoka was designated a core city by the central government, giving it increased autonomy.[13]
The 1 April 2003 merger with Shimizu City (current Shimizu Ward) greatly expanded the area and population of Shizuoka,[14] which then became a designated city on 1 April 2005,[15] and was divided into three wards. [citation needed]
Despite being somewhat geographically isolated from the rest of the city, the town of Kanbara (from Ihara District) was merged into Shizuoka on 31 March 2006,[16] becoming part of Shimizu-ku. On 1 November 2008, the town of Yui (also from Ihara District) was also merged into Shimizu-ku, resulting in the dissolution of Ihara District.[17]
Government
[edit]
Shizuoka Prefectural Government OfficeShizuoka City Hall
Shizuoka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 48 members. The city contributes 13 members to the Shizuoka Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between Shizuoka 1st district and Shizuoka 4th district in the lower house of the Japanese Diet.
Mayors
[edit]
Former Shizuoka city from 1889 to 2003
[edit]
Mayors of Shizuoka (from 1889 to 2003)
Term
Name
Start
Finish
1
Tetsutaro Hoshino (星野鉄太郎)
13 May 1889
17 April 1902
2
Hiroyasu Nagashima (長嶋弘裕)
14 May 1902
13 May 1914
3
Keisuke Komori (小森慶助)
28 May 1914
27 May 1918
4
Kinpei Banno (伴野欣平)
18 June 1918
2 July 1926
5
Genzaburo Kojima (小島源三郎)
8 September 1926
7 September 1929
6
Michinosuke Miyazaki (宮崎通之助)
3 March 1931
25 January 1933
Mayors of Shizuoka (from 1889 to 2003)
Term
Name
Start
Finish
7
Sadahito Suga (菅貞仁)
14 March 1933
12 August 1935
8
Motojiro Ozaki (尾崎元次郎)
12 October 1935
30 June 1938
9
Seiji Inamori (稲森誠次)
29 August 1938
5 August 1942
10
Motojiro Ozaki (second term)
7 October 1942
21 August 1944
11
Michinosuke Miyazaki (second term)
11 September 1944
11 November 1946
12
Shigeru Masuda (増田茂)
5 April 1947
9 April 1955
Mayors of Shizuoka (from 1889 to 2003)
Term
Name
Start
Finish
13
Jyunsaku Yamada (山田順策)
2 May 1955
1 May 1959
14
Hikoo Matsunaga (松永彦雄)
2 May 1959
1 May 1963
15
Jyunpei Ogino (荻野準平)
2 May 1963
1 May 1983
16
Daigo Kawai (河合代悟)
2 May 1983
1 May 1987
17
Shingo Amano (天野進吾)
2 May 1987
31 July 1994
18
Zenkichi Kojima (小嶋善吉)
28 August 1994
31 March 2003
Former Shimizu city from 1924 to 2003
[edit]
Mayors of Shimizu (from 1924 to 2003)
Term
Name
Start
Finish
1
Yozo Oshima (大島要蔵)
7 July 1924
9 September 1925
2
Katsushiro Yamada (山田勝四郎)
13 January 1926
8 March 1929
3
Tokisaburo Shiobara (塩原時三郎)
12 October 1929
22 February 1932
4
Enao Oishi (大石恵直)
18 March 1932
14 June 1937
5
Katsushiro Yamada (second term)
11 July 1937
15 November 1946
6
Masaharu Yamamoto (山本正治)
6 April 1947
7 April 1955
7
Heiichiro Suzuki (鈴木平一郎)
30 April 1955
30 April 1959
8
Toru Ina (稲名徹)
1 May 1959
22 July 1960
9
Kamezo Ina (稲名亀造)
15 September 1960
12 September 1964
10
Zensaku Ikegami (池上善作)
13 September 1964
6 July 1965
11
Torajiro Sato (佐藤虎次郎)
20 August 1965
19 August 1977
12
Yoshio Ina (稲名嘉男)
20 August 1977
19 August 1985
13
Hiromasa Miyagishima (宮城島弘正)
20 August 1985
31 March 2003
Since 2003 merger
[edit]
Mayors of Shizuoka
Term
Name
Start
Finish
1–2
Zenkichi Kojima
14 April 2003
12 April 2011
3–6
Nobuhiro Tanabe
13 April 2011
12 April 2023
7
Takashi Namba
13 April 2023
current
Administration
[edit]
Ward offices
[edit]
Shizuoka City Office/Aoi Ward Office: 5-1 Ōtemachi, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi 420-8602
A map showing Shizuoka Metropolitan Employment AreaMount Fuji and Shizuoka CityBank of Japan Shizuoka BranchDowntown Shizuoka CityBandai Hobby CenterMiyukicho
Employment by industry: Agriculture 0.1%, Manufacturing: 26.9%, Service 73.0%
Greater Shizuoka, Shizuoka Metropolitan Employment Area, has a GDP of US$45.8 billion as of 2010.[21][22]
Shizuoka's GDP per capita (PPP) 2014 was US$41,472.[23]
Fuji Dream Airlines is headquartered in Aoi-ku, Shizuoka.[24]
Agriculture
[edit]
Green tea
Varieties such as Motoyama and Yabukita are grown in all corners of the city, and the varieties grown especially in the Warashina area in Aoi Ward and the Ryōgōchi area of Shimizu Ward are known for their high quality
Strawberries
"Stonewall strawberries" (石垣いちご, ishigaki ichigo) are strawberries that grow in holes on inclined stone walls, grown especially along an 8 km (5 mi) stretch of Kunō Kaidō (route 150), also known as "Strawberry Road", along the coast of Suruga Bay.[25]
Wasabi
especially in areas such as Utōgi in Aoi Ward
Mandarin orange and other citrus fruits
especially Satsuma, a seedless and easy-peeling citrus mutant, known as mikan (みかん) or formally unshū mikan (ウンシュウミカン)[26][27][28][29]
Lotus roots
especially in the Asahata area of Aoi Ward
Roses
especially in the Ihara and Okitsu areas in Shimizu Ward
Peaches
especially in the Osada area:::
Potatoes
Especially the Sebago potato. Originally exported to Crookwell
Fishery
[edit]
Shimizu Port boasts the largest haul of tuna in all Japan.[citation needed] Kanbara Harbour enjoys a prosperous haul of sakura ebi, and Mochimune Harbour enjoys a prosperous haul of shirasu sardines.
Products
[edit]
Abekawa Mochi is a type of rice cake (or mochi) made with kinako soy flour that is a specialty of Shizuoka.
Shizuoka has a long history of being involved in the craft industries going back over 400 years ago, using trees, including hinoki cypress. The model industry goes back to the late 1920s when wood was used to produce model toys, using sashimono woodworking joinery techniques, purely for educational purposes. Craftsmen later moved on to lighter woods including balsa, but following the war, with the importation of US built scale models, many companies either turned to plastic models to compete or went under.[30][31]
The town has since become internationally notable for its plastic scale model kits[32] and is resident to long-established companies such as Aoshima, Fujimi, Hasegawa, and Tamiya. Another model brand, Bandai, produces its Gundam models exclusively at its Bandai Hobby Center plant in the city.[33] The city hosts the long-running Shizuoka Hobby Show annually in May at Twin Messe Shizuoka.[34]
Media
[edit]
The headquarters of Shizuoka Broadcasting System (SBS) and the Shizuoka Shimbun newspaper
Print media
[edit]
The Shizuoka Shimbun is the area's primary newspaper.
The book trilogy “Paper Gods” by Amanda Sun takes place in this city.
Broadcast media
[edit]
Television
[edit]
NHK Shizuoka (Analogue Channel 9; Digital Channel 1)
NHK Shizuoka Educational Channel (Analogue Channel 2; Digital Channel 2)
Shizuoka Broadcasting System (SBS) (Analogue Channel 11; Digital Channel 6)
TV Shizuoka (Analogue Channel 35; Digital Channel 8)
Shizuoka Daiichi Television (Analogue Channel 31; Digital Channel 4)
Shizuoka Asahi Television (Analogue Channel 33; Digital Channel 5)
Cable television
[edit]
Shizuoka Cable Television (Dream Wave Shizuoka)
Radio
[edit]
NHK1 882 kHz
NHK2 639 kHz
NHK-FM 88.8 MHz
SBS 1404 kHz / 93.9 MHz
K-MIX 79.2 MHz
FM-Hi!76.9 MHz
Marine Pal (FM Shimizu) 76.3 MHz
Guzen Media Japan—A podcast and vidcast based in Shizuoka, Japan[35]
Education
[edit]
The main campus of Shizuoka University Shizuoka Prefectural University
Colleges and universities
[edit]
Shizuoka University
National university, founded 1949. Main campus in Suruga Ward. Abbreviated to 静大 (Shizudai).
University of Shizuoka (Shizuoka Prefectural University)
Public university whose main campus is in Suruga Ward, close to Kusanagi Station.
Tokai University
Shimizu campus of the Tokyo-based private university
Tokoha Gakuen University
Private university founded in 1946
Shizuoka Eiwa Gakuin University
Co-educational private university in Suruga Ward, founded by missionaries from the Methodist Church of Canada with the support of the Shizuoka prefectural government. First institution in Shizuoka Prefecture to offer secondary education for girls, it became a four-year coeducational university in 2002.
University of Shizuoka Junior College
Junior college in Suruga Ward, affiliated with University of Shizuoka.
Tokai University Junior College
Junior college in Aoi Ward, affiliated with Tokai University.
Tokoha Gakuen Junior College
Junior college in Aoi Ward, affiliated with Tokoha Gakuen University.
Primary and secondary education
[edit]
Shizuoka has 91 elementary schools, 57 middle schools and 27 high schools. In addition there are 29 vocations schools and 12 public libraries.
Transportation
[edit]
Shizuoka AirportShizuoka Station North exit Shin-Shizuoka Cenova
Airways
[edit]
Airports
[edit]
The nearest airport is Shizuoka Airport, situated between Makinohara and Shimada.
Railways
[edit]
Shizuoka lies on the Tōkaidō Main Line, the JR Central main railway line from Tokyo to Osaka, and is well-served by the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, limited express and regional trains. The central station of Shizuoka is in the city centre. Shizuoka also has an LRT line, the Shizuoka Railway, administered by the Shizuoka Railway Co., Ltd. at Shizuoka Station. The under construction Chūō Shinkansen will pass through the mountainous area in the northern tip of the city. However, the line is not planned to have a station in Shizuoka.
The Port of Shimizu-ku, in Shimizu City (now Shimizu Ward), is a long established mid-size sea port, catering to container ships, dry bulk ships and cruise ships.[36]
It is well located, being in between the two major port areas of Japan, i.e. the Tokyo Bay ports of Tokyo, Kawasaki and Yokohama (Keihin ports) and the Osaka Bay ports of Osaka and Kobe (Hanshin ports). The Port of Shimizu has a water depth of about 12 metres (39 ft); its attractiveness has been enhanced over the past years by the construction of new road and rail links which contribute to expanding its commercial hinterland.
In tonnage, imports (about 6.5 million tonnes (6,400,000 long tons; 7,200,000 short tons)) are close to twice export volumes, but in trade value exports are twice as valuable as imports.
The Port of Shimizu container traffic is about balanced, with over 250,000 TEU in each direction, with auto parts and chemicals amongst the main cargo types. Major international container lines provide weekly services on major trade routes, including North America, Europe and Asia, with about 110 calls per months on 28 trade routes.
The port of Shimizu also includes a terminal to receive LNG tankers and store imported Liquefied natural gas; it is operated by Shimizu LNG, a subsidiary of Shizuoka Gas (Japan is the world's largest importer of LNG).
The Port of Shimizu is also connected to other Japan ports. In particular, it is served by a Roll-on/roll-off service serving the port of Ōita, on the north-east coast of the southern island of Kyushu. This service, which sails three times a week and has a transit time of 20 hours, has enabled a modal shift of freight trucks from road to sea, thereby contributing to decreasing congestion and pollution on roads.
Tourism
[edit]
See also: Tourism in Japan
Kunōzan Tōshō-gūShizuoka Sengen Shrine Hiroshige's Mariko-juku
Local attractions
[edit]
Museums
[edit]
Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art
Shizuoka City Tokaido Hiroshige Museum of Art
Museum of Natural and Environmental History, Shizuoka
Major attractions
[edit]
Nihondaira
Miho no Matsubara
Historic spots
[edit]
In Aoi Ward
[edit]
Shizuoka Sengen Shrine
A collection of Shinto shrines that was patronised by powerful warrior clans since ancient times, most notably the Tokugawa clan.
Sunpu Park/Sunpu Castle ruins
The castle of the Imagawa and Tokugawa clans, originally built in 1599, was destroyed in 1869. Today, only the moats remain. The rest was turned into a park, and is now a popular place for hanami.
In Suruga Ward
[edit]
Toro
Late Yayoi archaeological site notable as the first archaeological site excavated in Japan in which remains of a 1st-century AD Yayoi-era wet-rice Paddy fields were found.
Kunōzan Tōshō-gū
Shinto shrine that was the original burial place of Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the oldest of the Tōshō-gū shrines in Japan. The main festival of the shrine is held annually on 17 April, although its spring festival from 17–18 February is a larger event.[37]
Mariko-juku
Twentieth of the fifty-three stations of the old Tōkaidō road, an old travel route during the Edo period.
In Shimizu Ward
[edit]
Miho Peninsula
Famous for the scenic Miho no Matsubara (三保の松原, Miho Pine Grove), renowned as a seashore with beautiful green pine trees and white sands spanning over seven kilometers, designated as one of New Three Views of Japan (新日本三景, Shin Nihon Sankei). Also known as the scene of the legend of Hagoromo, which is based on the traditional swan maiden motif.
Culture
[edit]
Festivals
[edit]
Daidogei World Cup (大道芸ワールドカップ, Daigougei Waarudo kappu)
The Daidogei World Cup is an annual international street performers' festival, held over various locations around the city in November over four days. It was first held in 1992.[38]
Shizuoka Festival (静岡まつり, Shizuoka Matsuri)
The festival, which begun in 1957 but whose origins date back to traditions hundreds of years old, takes place in April, during the high point of the year for cherry blossoms. A flower-viewing procession echoes the shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu's custom of taking daimyōs (feudal lords) to Sengen Shrine to view the cherry blossoms in the 17th century.[39]
Abekawa Fireworks (安倍川花火, Abekawa Hanabi)
A gigantic fireworks display held upstream on Shizuoka's Abekawa River in late July. It was first held 1953, to remember those who died during World War II and to pray for a national revival. Today, around 15,000 fireworks are .[40]
Cuisine
[edit]
Oden
a Japanese dish consisting of several ingredients such as boiled eggs, daikon radish, konnyaku, and processed fish cakes stewed in a light, soy-flavoured dashi broth. Oden in Shizuoka uses a dark coloured broth flavoured with beef stock and dark soy sauce. All ingredients are skewered. Dried, ground fish (sardine, mackerel, or katsuobushi) and aonori powder (edible seaweed) are sprinkled on top before eating.
Gyoza
Soba noodles
Seafood
Zōni soup
rice cakes in a broth cooked with vegetables, popular at New Year
Tororo-jiru
A grated yam soup. Chojiya, a tororo-jiru restaurant founded in 1598 in Mariko-juku area of Shizuoka, west of the Abe River, was made famous by Hiroshige when he depicted it in his series of ukiyo-e prints of the 53 stops along the Tōkaidō.
Shizuoka Performing Arts Center
[edit]
The Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC) was founded in 1995 by the Shizuoka Prefecture.[41] The building was designed by architect Arata Isozaki[42] and was opened in 1999 for the second Theatre Olympics.[43]
The arts center is the first publicly funded cultural organization in Japan to have its own troupe of actors and other staff to manage its own venues and facilities for artistic purposes. Suzuki Tadashi was the first Artistic Director, appointed in 1997 and staying in the position until March 2007, after which Miyagi Satoshi took up the appointment.[41] SPAC has organised the World Theatre Festival Shizuoka each year since 2011,[44] as well as creating its own theatre productions (some of which tour abroad), having students to learn at the center, and other theatrical activities.[41]
The World Theatre Festival Shizuoka was formerly called the Shizuoka Spring Festival (2000-2010[44]), being changed to "World Theater Festival Shizuoka under Mt. Fuji" in 2012 by the artistic director of the centre, Miyagi Satoshi. His intention was "to connect Shizuoka to the world through theater", to have performances from every corner of the world, for "people to see that the world isn't a set and finished quantity and there is still plenty of room for change. I wanted to communicate that theater is a window to the world".[42] The festival includes stage plays, puppetry, film, dance and other performance arts.[44]
In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced on 3 April that the festival, scheduled to begin from 25 April to 6 May, would be cancelled. Instead, Miyagi staged an online version of the festival.[45]
Sport
[edit]
With the Shimizu merger, Shimizu S-Pulse became the major football club in the city. Recently, however, a new rival club, Fujieda MYFC (from nearby Fujieda), has been rising in the regional league ranks as a contender for a place in the Japan Football League.
The city hosted the official Asian Basketball Championship for Women in 1995 and 1999.
Club
Sport
League
Venue
Established
Chanson V-Magic
Basketball
W.League
Konohana Arena
1961
Seikō
Softball
Japan Softball League(JSL)
Kusanagi Stadium
1980
Shimizu S-Pulse
Football
J.League
IAI Stadium Nihondaira
1991
Veltex Shizuoka
Basketball
B.League
Shizuoka City Central Gymnasium
2018
Shizuoka Jade
Table tennis
T.League
Shizuoka City Central Gymnasium
2022
Kufu HAYATE Ventures Shizuoka
Baseball
NPB (Western League)
Shizuoka City Shimizu Ihara Stadium
2024
Kusanagi Stadium
Shizuoka City Shimizu Ihara Stadium
IAI Stadium Nihondaira
Konohana Arena
Notable people
[edit]
This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(July 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Princess Akishino – princess in the Japanese Imperial Family
Yoshitaka Amano – illustrator and animator, designed the characters for the early Final Fantasy video game series
Shoji Endo (George Masa) - Japananese American baseball player and photographer
Kenta Hasegawa – professional football manager and former player, currently managing Nagoya Grampus
Kazuyoshi Hoshino – racecar driver
Daisuke Ichikawa – professional football player
Shohei Ikeda – professional football player
Toru Irie – professional football player
Teruyoshi Ito – professional football player
Yahiro Kazama – professional football player
Naoya Kikuchi – professional football player
Hiroki Kobayashi – professional football player
Tomoaki Kuno – professional football player
Hidetaka Miyazaki – video game director, creator of the Dark Souls series[46]
Fumitake Miura – professional football player
Kazuyoshi Miura – professional football player
Yasutoshi Miura – professional football player
Koki Mizuno – professional football player
Hisashi Mizutori – Olympic gold medal gymnast
Kazuyori Mochizuki – professional football player
Shigeyoshi Mochizuki – professional football player
Riyo Mori – Miss Universe Japan 2007, Miss Universe 2007
Yusuke Mori – professional football player
Ushiomaru Motoyasu – sumo wrestler
Jun Muramatsu – professional football player
Fuma Murata - Member and sub-leader of J-pop group &Team
Go Oiwa – professional football manager and former player, currently manager of Japan national under-23 football team
Katsumi Oenoki – professional football player
Takeshi Oki – professional football player
Ryota Oshima – professional football player
Keisuke Ota – professional football player
Toshihide Saito – professional football player
Momoko Sakura – cartoonist, creator of Chibi Maruko-chan
Yuya Sano – professional football player
Masanori Sekiya – racecar driver
Hideaki Sena – novelist and pharmacologist
Keisuke Serizawa – textile designer
Masatoshi Shima – inventor of the microprocessor
Kotobuki Shiriagari – Manga artist
Tadashi Suzuki – Stage director
Yūichi Suzumoto – novelist
Toranosuke Takagi – racecar driver
Nobuhiro Tanabe – politician
Yoshito Usui – creator of Crayon Shin-chan comics
Takahiro Yamazaki – professional baseball player
Kaito Yamamoto – professional football player
Takahiro Yamanishi – professional football player
Kotaro Yamazaki – professional football player
Takuya Yokoyama – professional football player
Kiyoe Yoshioka – singer, vocalist of Ikimono-gakari
^"Foreign Languages". City of Shizuoka (in Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Portuguese). Public Relations Section, Mayor's Office, General Affairs Bureau. 10 September 2019. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
^NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, ed. (24 May 2016). NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典 (in Japanese). NHK Publishing.
^ abcdef"Tsukibetsu jinkō dēta(Shizuoka shi no jinkō setaisū" 月別人口データ(静岡市の人口・世帯数 [Monthly population data (population and number of households in Shizuoka City)]. City of Shizuoka (in Japanese). Shizuoka City Planning Bureau, Planning Division, Statistics Section. 10 October 2020. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
^Room, Adrian (25 February 2015). Placenames of the World: Origins and Meanings of the Names for 6,600 Countries, Cities, Territories, Natural Features and Historic Sites (2nd ed.). McFarland & Company. pp. 344–345. ISBN 978-0-7864-2248-7. LCCN 2005017522. OCLC 1194921674. OL 3402578M.
^Yamaguchi, Noriko (20 June 2008). "Abe River: The Crystal Waters that Gave Rise to a City for the Ages". The Proceedings of the 1st Asia-Pacific Water Summit: Water Security: Leadership and Commitment. Beppu City, Ōita Prefecture, Japan: World Scientific. ISBN 978-981-283-327-3. LCCN 2008339415. OCLC 836957213. OL 23934454M.
^Inoue, Kimio; Kanbara, Junichi; Motohashi, Kazushi; Watanabe, Yasuhiro (15 July 2008). 安倍川中流・蕨野地区の西側山腹崩壊で生じた河道閉塞と1914年の水害 [The landslide dam and outburst floods at Warabino area of the Abe River in 1914]. Journal of the Japan Society of Erosion Control Engineering (in Japanese and English). 61 (2). Japan Society of Erosion Control Engineering: 30–35. doi:10.11475/sabo.61.2_30.
^"International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
^Yoshitsugu Kanemoto. "Metropolitan Employment Area (MEA) Data". Center for Spatial Information Science, The University of Tokyo. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
^"Citrus unshiu". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 11 December 2017.