Akashi 明石市 | |||||||
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 Flag  Emblem | |||||||
 Location of Akashi in Hyōgo Prefecture | |||||||
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  Akashi Location in Japan | |||||||
| Coordinates:34°39′N135°0′E / 34.650°N 135.000°E /34.650; 135.000 | |||||||
| Country | Japan | ||||||
| Region | Kansai | ||||||
| Prefecture | Hyōgo | ||||||
| Government | |||||||
| • Mayor | Satoko Marutani (from May 2023) | ||||||
| Area | |||||||
• Total | 49.42 km2 (19.08 sq mi) | ||||||
| Population (February 1, 2024) | |||||||
• Total | 305,925 | ||||||
| • Density | 6,190/km2 (16,030/sq mi) | ||||||
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) | ||||||
| City hall address | 1-5-1 Nakasaki, Akashi-shi, Hyōgo-ken 673-8686 | ||||||
| Climate | Cfa | ||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||
| Symbols | |||||||
| Flower | Chrysanthemums | ||||||
| Tree | Sweet Osmanthus | ||||||
Akashi (明石市,Akashi-shi) is acity in southernHyōgo Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 February 2024[update], the city had an estimatedpopulation of 305,925 in 137,288 households and apopulation density of 6,200 people per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 49.42 square kilometres (19.08 sq mi).
Akashi is located in southern Hyōgo prefecture, and is a long and narrow municipality along theSeto Inland Sea. It is separated fromAwaji Island by Harima Bay; however, the terminus of theAkashi Kaikyō Bridge, which connectsHonshu toAwaji Island and toShikoku, is not in Akashi but inTarumi-ku, Kōbe. The 135th meridian east line that determinesJapan Standard Time passes through the city.
Hyōgo Prefecture
Akashi has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa) with hot summers and cool to cold winters. Precipitation is significantly higher in summer than in winter, though on the whole lower than in most parts of Honshū, and there is no significant snowfall. The average annual temperature in Akashi is 15.9 °C (60.6 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,156.6 mm (45.54 in) with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.7 °C (81.9 °F), and lowest in January, at around 5.2 °C (41.4 °F).[2] The highest temperature ever recorded in Akashi was 37.2 °C (99.0 °F) on 13 August 2019; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −4.3 °C (24.3 °F) on 30 January 2003.[3]
| Climate data for Akashi (1992−2020 normals, extremes 1992−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.5 (61.7) | 18.1 (64.6) | 22.1 (71.8) | 27.4 (81.3) | 29.4 (84.9) | 33.4 (92.1) | 36.3 (97.3) | 37.2 (99.0) | 34.9 (94.8) | 30.7 (87.3) | 25.2 (77.4) | 22.4 (72.3) | 37.2 (99.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.1 (48.4) | 9.5 (49.1) | 12.5 (54.5) | 17.4 (63.3) | 22.2 (72.0) | 25.6 (78.1) | 29.4 (84.9) | 31.5 (88.7) | 28.3 (82.9) | 23.0 (73.4) | 17.2 (63.0) | 11.7 (53.1) | 19.8 (67.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.2 (41.4) | 5.6 (42.1) | 8.5 (47.3) | 13.3 (55.9) | 18.2 (64.8) | 22.0 (71.6) | 25.9 (78.6) | 27.7 (81.9) | 24.3 (75.7) | 18.7 (65.7) | 12.9 (55.2) | 7.7 (45.9) | 15.8 (60.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.5 (34.7) | 1.7 (35.1) | 4.4 (39.9) | 9.3 (48.7) | 14.6 (58.3) | 19.0 (66.2) | 23.4 (74.1) | 24.9 (76.8) | 20.8 (69.4) | 14.6 (58.3) | 8.7 (47.7) | 3.7 (38.7) | 12.2 (54.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −4.3 (24.3) | −4.2 (24.4) | −1.7 (28.9) | 0.4 (32.7) | 6.5 (43.7) | 12.7 (54.9) | 17.7 (63.9) | 18.8 (65.8) | 11.3 (52.3) | 5.8 (42.4) | 1.5 (34.7) | −2.2 (28.0) | −4.3 (24.3) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 35.1 (1.38) | 50.7 (2.00) | 83.6 (3.29) | 89.5 (3.52) | 115.4 (4.54) | 150.5 (5.93) | 152.3 (6.00) | 86.2 (3.39) | 162.6 (6.40) | 118.1 (4.65) | 59.2 (2.33) | 48.7 (1.92) | 1,156.6 (45.54) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 5.0 | 6.5 | 8.8 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 10.7 | 9.7 | 5.9 | 9.2 | 7.6 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 93.1 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 168.0 | 153.9 | 186.3 | 196.9 | 205.1 | 154.2 | 186.0 | 239.7 | 169.3 | 176.5 | 161.8 | 165.4 | 2,160.3 |
| Source:Japan Meteorological Agency[3][2] | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 58,087 | — |
| 1925 | 63,665 | +9.6% |
| 1930 | 66,872 | +5.0% |
| 1935 | 72,397 | +8.3% |
| 1940 | 84,835 | +17.2% |
| 1945 | 101,583 | +19.7% |
| 1950 | 112,011 | +10.3% |
| 1955 | 120,200 | +7.3% |
| 1960 | 129,780 | +8.0% |
| 1965 | 159,299 | +22.7% |
| 1970 | 206,532 | +29.7% |
| 1975 | 234,905 | +13.7% |
| 1980 | 254,869 | +8.5% |
| 1985 | 263,363 | +3.3% |
| 1990 | 270,722 | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 287,606 | +6.2% |
| 2000 | 293,117 | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 291,027 | −0.7% |
| 2010 | 290,993 | −0.0% |
| 2015 | 293,409 | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 303,601 | +3.5% |
| Akashi population statistics[4] | ||
Akashi is mentioned in awaka (five-line, 31-syllable poem) written byKakinomoto no Hitomaro in the 7th century and it is the setting for one of the chapters of the 11th-century novelThe Tale of Genji. It developed as thecastle town ofAkashi Domain during theEdo Period, from 1617 to 1871 due to its location dominating theSan'yōdō highway connecting theKinai region with western Japan. The famous swordsmanMiyamoto Musashi is claimed to have laid out the design of the castle town. The town of Akashi was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to city status on November 1, 1919. The city annexed the neighboring villages of Hayashizaki on February 11, 1942 and Okubo, Uozumi and Futami on January 10, 1951 to reach its present dimensions. A proposal to merge with the city of Kobe was rejected by a referendum in 1955. The city suffered from theGreat Hanshin earthquake of 1995 with 4,839 houses were completely or partially destroyed and nine fatalities.
On July 21, 2001,11 people were killed and 247 were injured during acrowd crush after a fireworks show. Five city officials were subsequently convicted of negligence in connection with the incident.[5]
Akashi became aCore city on April 1, 2018 with increased local autonomy.
Akashi has amayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameral city council of 30 members. Akashi contributes four members to theHyogo Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part ofHyōgo 9th district of thelower house of theDiet of Japan.
Akashi is located within the Hanshin Industrial Area and Harima Seaside Industrial Area and has succeeded in attracting many companies to its Futami Seaside Industrial Park. the city has long been noted for aviation-related instrumentation manufacturers and electronic component manufacturers.Yamato Scale, a leading global manufacturer of commercial weighing and packaging equipment, is headquartered in the city.[6] Due to its transportation connections and location, numerousbedroom communities have developed for commuters to Kobe and Osaka, which is estimated to exceed 30% of the working population. The city has also been noted since the Edo Period for its production ofsake.
Akashi has 28 public elementary schools, 13 public middle schools and one public high school operated by the city government and seven public high schools operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Department of Education. There is also one national elementary school. The city also operates one special education school for the handicapped. The nursing school ofUniversity of Hyogo is located in Akashi.
The city also has the National Institute of Technology Akashi College (NITAC( (国立明石工業高等専門学校).[7]
The city once had aNorth Korean school, Akashi Korean Elementary School (明石朝鮮初級学校)[8] andAkashi Junior College (明石短期大学).
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JR West –San'yō Main Line (JR Kobe Line)
Sanyo Electric Railway -Main Line
Daini-Shinmei Road
National Route 2 (Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima, Shimonoseki)
National Route 28 (Kobe, Tokushima)
National Route 175 (Maizuru)
National Route 250 (Kobe, Okayama)
National Route 427 (Maizuru)National Route 250 (Nishiwaki, Asago)Akashi istwinned with:
Vallejo, California, United States, sister city since 1968[9][10]
Wuxi, China, friendship city since 1981[11]
Akashi is known forAkashiyaki, a kind oftakoyaki particular to the region. Small pieces of octopus (tako) are placed inside a ball-shaped mold containing a mixture of flour and eggs, and this is then fried.Akashiyaki is often eaten by dipping in a thin soup. People who live in Akashi call it"tamagoyaki"(tamago,玉子 or卵, literally "egg").
Geographic data related toAkashi, Hyōgo atOpenStreetMap| Kobe |
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