Amagasaki CastleAerial view of Amagasaki city centerAmagasaki Station
Amagasaki (尼崎市,Amagasaki-shi) is an industrialcity located inHyōgo Prefecture, Japan. As of 30 November 2022[update], the city had an estimatedpopulation of 455,555 in 223,812 households, and apopulation density of 9000 persons per km².[1] The total area of the city is 50.72 km2 (19.58 sq mi).
Amagasaki is located in far southeastern Hyōgo Prefecture, next toOsaka. It has the fourth largest population in Hyōgo Prefecture afterKobe,Himeji, andNishinomiya. Residential areas account for most of the rest of the coastal areas, industrial areas along theMeishin Expressway andJR WestFukuchiyama Line, commercial areas aroundHanshin Amagasaki Station andJR Amagasaki Station, and its population density is the highest among municipalities in Hyogo Prefecture. Ground subsidence caused by the pumping up of groundwater by factories has reduced one-third of the city's area to sea level, causing flooding damage due to storm surges.
Amagasaki has aHumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Amagasaki is 15.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1475 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.7 °C.[2]
The area of Amagasaki was part of ancientKawabe District ofSettsu Province and has been inhabited since ancient times, with the traces ofYayoi period settlements and manykofunburial mounds found within the city limits. From theHeian period, the area was known for its port of Daimotsuura. During theEdo period, Amagasaki prospered as thecastle town ofAmagasaki Domain undertakeAoayama and subsequently theMatsudaira clans. The town of Amagasaki was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was elevated to city status on October 1, 1916.
The1934 Muroto typhoon caused 145 fatalities and much of the city was destroyed by air raids on June 1 and June 15, 1945 duringWorld War II. The 1995Great Hanshin earthquake also caused considerable damage and 49 fatalities. Amagasaki was designated aspecial city on April 1, 2001 with increased local autonomy. A commuter trainderailed on the Fukuchiyama Line near Amagasaki on April 25, 2005, resulting in more than 100 dead and 550 injured. On April 1, 2009, Amagasaki was elevated to the status of acore city.
Amagasaki has amayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameral city council of 42 members. Amagasaki contributes seven members to the Hyōgo Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is in the Hyōgo 8th district of thelower house of theDiet of Japan.
On 22 November 2010Kazumi Inamura became the first popularly elected Greens Japan Mayor as well as the youngest popularly-elected female mayor of the city with 54% of the vote.[4]
Amagasaki is a major part of theHanshin Industrial Region. Businesses headquartered in the city include manufacturers such asOsaka Titanium Technologies.[5] The value of manufactured goods shipments in Amagasaki was 1,288 billion yen in 2004.[6]
Amagasaki has 42 public elementary schools and 17 public middle schools operated by the city government, 11 public high schools operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Board of Education, and two combined private middle/high schools. In addition, the city also operates one special education school for the handicapped. TheCollege of Industrial Technology, a junior college, and theSonoda Women's University, a women's four-year college with associated junior college are located in the city.
The city has aNorth Korean school, Amagasaki Korean Elementary and Middle School (尼崎朝鮮初中級学校).[7] It previously had a second school, Amagasaki East Korean Elementary School (尼崎東朝鮮初級学校).[7]
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