Hiratsuka 平塚市 | |
|---|---|
 Hiratsuka | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Hiratsuka in Kanagawa Prefecture | |
  Hiratsuka | |
| Coordinates:35°19′N139°21′E / 35.317°N 139.350°E /35.317; 139.350 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kantō |
| Prefecture | Kanagawa |
| First official recorded | late 3rd century (official) |
| Town settled | April 1, 1889 |
| City settled | April 1, 1932 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Katsuhiro Ochiai (since May 2011) |
| Area | |
• Total | 67.88 km2 (26.21 sq mi) |
| Population (April 1, 2021) | |
• Total | 257,316 |
| • Density | 3,791/km2 (9,818/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| – Tree | Camphor Laurel |
| – Flower | Dianthus |
| – Bird | Egret |
| Phone number | 0463-23-1111 |
| Address | 9-1 Sengenchō, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa-ken 254-8686 |
| Website | Official website |
Hiratsuka (平塚市,Hiratsuka-shi) is acity inKanagawa Prefecture,Japan. As of 1 April 2021[update], the city had an estimatedpopulation of 257,316 and apopulation density of 3800 persons per km².[1] The total area of the city is 67.88 square kilometres (26.21 sq mi).[2]
Hiratsuka is located in theShōnan area on the right bank (west side) of theSagami River, almost in the center of Kanagawa Prefecture, and facesSagami Bay to the south. The area from the Sagami River to the Kaname River is a plain to the northern end of the city area, and the urban area extends to the south. The west side of the Kaname River is a hilly area that is part of the Oiso Hills, and there is a lot of greenery. It is approximately midway betweenTokyo andMount Fuji.
Kanagawa Prefecture
Hiratsuka has ahumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Hiratsuka is 14.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2144 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.4 °C.[3]
Per Japanese census data,[4] the population of Hiratsuka grew rapidly during the late 20th century but has plateaued in the 21st.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 49,638 | — |
| 1960 | 108,279 | +118.1% |
| 1970 | 163,671 | +51.2% |
| 1980 | 214,293 | +30.9% |
| 1990 | 245,950 | +14.8% |
| 2000 | 254,633 | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 260,780 | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 258,422 | −0.9% |
The area around Hiratsuka has been settled since prehistoric times, and mention of the area as part of ancientŌsumi District,Sagami Province is found inNara period records. From theHeian period throughKamakura period, the area was divided intoshōen controlled by varioussamurai clans and in theSengoku period was the site of several battles between thelater Hōjō clan of Odawara and theMiura clan. After the defeat of the Odawara at theBattle of Odawara byHideyoshi Toyotomi, the area came under the control ofIeyasu Tokugawa, who built a summer palace (theNakahara Goten) in 1596 at the site now occupied by the Hiratsuka City Nakahara Elementary/Primary School. Hiratsuka was retained astenryō territory after the establishment of theTokugawa shogunate, and flourished asHiratsuka-juku, apost town on theTōkaidō connectingEdo withKyoto. As the 7th station, it is often depicted in the series ofukiyo-e about the53 Stations of the Tōkaidō made among others by artists suchHokusai andHiroshige.
After theMeiji Restoration, Hiratsuka town was founded on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the municipalities system, as part of the newNaka District within Kanagawa Prefecture. It merged with neighboring Suma Town on April 1, 1929, and was proclaimed Hiratsuka City on April 1, 1932.
Prior toWorld War II, Hiratsuka was the location of theHiratsuka Navy Ammunitions Arsenal (平塚海軍火薬廠) of theImperial Japanese Navy andJapan International Aircraft Industries (日本国際航空工業), aNissan group military aircraft factory. Hiratsuka was largely destroyed on July 16, 1945, during theBombing of Hiratsuka in World War II. Due to its strategic location and wide beaches, it was also one of the targets for theplanned invasion of Japan during the final stages of World War II.
The city quickly rebuilt after the war, annexing several neighboring villages in the mid-1950s to attain its current area. The population exceeded 200,000 by 2001 and Hiratsuka became aspecial city with increased autonomy from the central government.
Hiratsuka has amayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameral city council of 26 members. Hiratsuka contributes three members to the Kanagawa Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Kanagawa 15th district of thelower house of theDiet of Japan.
Hiratsuka has a mixed economy, with tax revenue coming from bets made at the Shonan Bank Cycling Velodrome and, several industries located in industrial parks in the outskirts of town. Major plants are operated byNissan Shatai,Yokohama Rubber Company,Canon,Furukawa Electric,Pilot – the famous Namiki pens are produced at Hiratsuka,Kansai Paint, andMitsubishi Plastics. Nissan Shatai is the largest employer in the city, but announced plans to move a factory toKanda. Western firms such as Moog and MacDermid Performance Solutions also have a strong presence in this city.[5] Hiratsuka is also abedroom community forYokohama andTokyo, with residents attracted by the "Shōnan lifestyle".
Hiratsuka has 28 public elementary schools and 15 public middle schools operated by the city government. The city has five public high schools operated by the Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education and one private high school. The prefecture also operates four special education schools for the handicapped. A private junior college, theTokai University Junior College of Nursing and Technology is located within Hiratsuka, which also has branch campuses ofKanagawa University,Shoin University andTokai University.
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JR East –Tōkaidō Main Line,Shōnan Shinjuku Line
Odawara-Atsugi Road
National Route 1, toTokyo orKyoto
National Route 129, toSagamihara
National Route 134, toYokosuka viaKamakura
National Route 271, toAtsugi orOdawara (toll)
Alytus, Lithuania, since 2017
Hanamaki,Iwate, Japan, since April 27, 1984Izu,Shizuoka, Japan, since February 6, 2013Kaunas, Lithuania, since November 25, 2023
Lawrence, Kansas, United States, since September 21, 1990Takayama,Gifu, Japan, since October 22, 1982MacDermid Performance Solutions' state-of-the-art R&D facility is located in Hiratsuka City and now equipped with enhanced capabilities to accommodate the changing requirements of Japanese customers of both plating chemistry and assembly materials.
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