Fukushima (city)

is the capital city of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. It is located in the northern part of the Nakadōri, central region of the prefecture. , the city has an estimated population of 283,742 in 122,130 households and a population density of . The total area of the city is .
The present-day city of Fukushima partially consists of most of the former Shinobu and Date Districts and a portion of the former Adachi District. The city is located in the Fukushima Basin's southwest area and nearby mountains.
There are many onsen on the outskirts of the city, including the resort areas of Iizaka Onsen, Takayu Onsen, and Tsuchiyu Onsen. Fukushima is also the location of the Fukushima Race Course, the only Japan Racing Association horse racing track in the Tōhoku region of Japan.
Geography.
Fukushima is located in the central northeast section of Fukushima Prefecture, approximately east of Lake Inawashiro, north of Tokyo, and about south of Sendai. It lies between the Ōu Mountains to the west and the Abukuma Highlands to the east. Most of the city is within the southeast area and nearby mountains of the Fukushima Basin. Mt. Azuma and Mt. Adatara loom over the city from the west and southwest, respectively
In the north, Fukushima is adjacent to the Miyagi Prefecture cities of Shiroishi and Shichikashuku. In the northwest, Fukushima borders the Yamagata Prefecture cities of Yonezawa and Takahata. Within Fukushima Prefecture, to the west of Fukushima is the town of Inawashiro, to the south is Nihonmatsu, to the east are Kawamata and Date, and to the northeast is Koori.
Terrain.
The Fukushima Basin is created by the surrounding Ōu Mountains in the west and the Abukuma Highlands in the east, with the Abukuma River flowing through the center of the basin, from south to north. Multiple tributaries to the Abukuma River source in the Ōu Mountains before flowing down into Fukushima, namely the Surikami, Matsukawa, and Arakawa rivers. These rivers flow eastward through the western side of the city until joining up with the Abukuma River in the central parts of the city. The irrigation from these rivers were formerly used for the cultivation of mullberry trees; however, in the latter half of the 20th century cultivation was switched from focusing on mullberry trees, and instead growing a variety of fruit orchards.
The highest point within the city limits is Mt. Higashi-Azuma, a peak of Mt. Azuma, located on the western edge of the city. The lowest point is the neighborhood of , which is in the northeastern part of the city and has an elevation of . Mt. Shinobu, a monadnock, lies in the southeastern section of the Fukushima Basin and is a symbol of the city.
The Abukuma River flows south to north through the central area of Fukushima and joins with many tributaries on its journey through the city. The Arakawa River originates from Mt. Azuma and flows eastward, eventually flowing into the Abukuma River near the city center. The Matsukawa River, which flows eastward from its origin in Mt. Azuma and also joins with the Abukuma River in the northern part of the city. Another major tributary of the Abukuma River is the Surikami River, which originates along the Fukushima-Yamagata prefectural border near the Moniwa area in the northwest of the city. From there it flows into Lake Moniwa, a reservoir created by the Surikamigawa Dam. From there it continues flowing southeast before meeting up with the Abukuma River in northern Fukushima, thus completing its run.
Other tributaries of the Abukuma River which flow within Fukushima are the , , , , , , , , and rivers. The also flows through the city and is a tributary of the , which itself is also a tributary of the Abukuma River, however the Oguni River doesn't meet up with the Hirose River until the district of Date, outside of the Fukushima city limits.
There are multiple lakes in the area of Fukushima that falls within Bandai-Asahi National Park. , also called is a caldera lake located in Mt. Azuma's Mt. Issaikyō peak. The lake is so-named due its water color changing in relation to weather conditions. and are also located in Bandai-Asahi National Park.
In the Tsuchiyu area in the western part of the city lie the small lakes of , , and . In the neighborhood of lies . is in the neighborhood.
Climate.
Under the Köppen climate classification, Fukushima has a humid subtropical climate. There is often a large temperature and weather difference between central Fukushima versus the mountains on the edge of the city. The hottest month tends to be August, with an average high of in central Fukushima, at an elevation of , while Tsuchiyu Pass on the western edge of the city and at an elevation of has an average August high of . The coldest month tends to be January, with an average low of in central Fukushima and on Tsuchiyu Pass.
On average, central Fukushima receives of precipitation annually and receives or more of precipitation on 125.2 days per year. An average of of snow falls annually, with 22.9 days receiving or more of snow. An average of of snow falls in January, making it the snowiest month. Central Fukushima also receives an average of 1,738.8 hours of sunshine per year, significantly more than the 1,166.5 hours received at Tsuchiyu Pass.
Population.
Fukushima has the third-highest population in the prefecture, behind the cities of Iwaki, with 377,288, and Kōriyama, with 336,328. This makes Fukushima the only prefectural capital in Japan that is the third-largest city in the prefecture.
The Fukushima metropolitan area had a May 2011 estimated population of 452,912 and consisted of the towns and cities of Nihonmatsu, Date, Kunimi, Koori, Kawamata, and Fukushima. It is the second most populous metropolitan area in Fukushima Prefecture, with the Kōriyama metropolitan area being the largest with a population of 553,996. The Fukushima metropolitan area is also the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the Tōhoku region.
History.
Jōmon period to 11th century AD.
In ancient Japan, the area now known as Fukushima City was called . The mountain in the middle of the city, present-day Mt. Shinobu, was also formerly called .
During the Jōmon period, for around 2,000 years there was a large settlement on the eastern bank of the Abukuma River. This area has since been excavated and named the Miyahata Site.
In the 5th century AD, was appointed by the to be the , giving him control over the Fukushima Basin.
Under the Nara period's Ritsuryō system, stations were established along the Seven Circuits so that officials could change horses. One of the stations, the Tōsandō, passed through the area of present-day Fukushima, and Minekoshi Station was established on the route. Minekoshi Station was located south of the Surikami River and north of the Matsukawa River, which at the time flowed to the south of Mt. Minekoshi. The area south of the Matsukawa River was then, as it still is now, known as . Thus it is believed that the station was located north of the area around the present-day prefectural office, in the .
The implementation of the Ritsuryō system also resulted in administrative changes, with the area of present-day Fukushima and Date being combined to form the district of Shinobu. This was the northernmost point of the Mutsu Province and held responsibility for preventing the southern expansion of the Emishi, a people who lived in northern Honshū.
After 718, and the widening influence of the Yamato Imperial Court, Mutsu Province was expanded northwards into present-day Miyagi Prefecture. Along with this redrawing of boundaries, present-day Fukushima Prefecture was separated from the new Mutsu Province (approximately present-day Miyagi) and split between the newly formed provinces of Iwaki in the east and Iwase in the west. However, by 724 Mutsu Province was unable to deal on its own with the economic costs of holding back the Emishi, so Iwaki and Iwase provinces were merged back into Mutsu.
In the first half of the 10th century, the Date district was separated from the Shinobu district. As a reform to the tax on rice, labor, and textiles, there was a nationwide effort from the Imperial Court to split up districts so they each had approximately the same population. This was accomplished both through administrative changes and forced population relocations. With Mutsu Province viewed as reclaimed land by the Imperial Court, the area saw a significant amount of reorganization.
In the late Heian period, almost the entirety of the Tōhoku region was ruled by the Northern Fujiwara clan. Relatives of the Northern Fujiwara clan, the was given domain over nearly the entirety of present-day Fukushima Prefecture's centrally-located Nakadōri area and eventually expanded their control to include Aizu to the west as well. It is said that the Shinobu Satō clan is one of the reasons for the Satō surname spreading throughout and eventually becoming the most common surname in Japan.
12th century to 18th century.
In 1180, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, was accompanied by Shinobu district residents and on his way south to Kantō to fight the Taira clan in the Genpei War.
In 1413, shut himself inside in defiance of the Kamakura kubō. This is the first known historical mention of Daibutsu Castle, which was near the confluence of the Abukuma and Arakawa rivers at the present-day location of the Fukushima Prefectural Offices. It is said that the castle was named after the , a Vairocana Buddha statue kept within the castle. The castle was also known as . It is believed that in this time period the area's name was changed from Minekoshi to to reflect the concentration of political power in the area.
During the Azuchi–Momoyama period, in 1591 Gamō Ujisato gained control of the Shinobu and Date districts, and under him took control of , which was in the southwest of present-day Fukushima. The following year he moved from Ōmori Castle to Suginome Castle. It is said that, inspired by the recent renaming of to the more joyous-sounding , he changed the name of his new residence to . This castle, like many others in Japan, was later demolished at the beginning of the Meiji period.
In 1600, Date Masamune and Honjō Shigenaga, who was under the Uesugi clan and head of Fukushima Castle at the time, fought the . At the time, the Matsukawa River flowed in a different riverbed than it does now, as the current Matsukawa River is north of Mt. Shinobu, while the Matsukawa River at the time of the battle flowed south of Mt. Shinobu. It is said that the Battle of Matsukawa's battlefield extended from the southern base of Mt. Shinobu and extended into the center of modern-day Fukushima. In 1664 the Uesugi clan lost control of the Shinobu district, and the area became directly ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate.
In 1702, the Fukushima Domain was established and governed from Fukushima Castle, and in 1787, the was established in the present-day Sakurashimo area in the western part of Fukushima. This domain was later abolished in 1823.
19th century.
On November 17, 1868, , the head of the Fukushima Domain, surrendered to the Satchō Alliance and handed over control of Fukushima Castle to . The Fukushima Domain was abolished the following year. In line with the abolition of domains and introduction of the prefecture system, the first iteration of Fukushima Prefecture came into being on August 29, 1871. The prefecture at the time consisted of the Shinobu, Date, and Adachi districts.
With permission from the Ministry of the Treasury, on September 10, 1871, the village of changed its name to the town of . Fukushima Prefecture was absorbed into Nihonmatsu Prefecture on November 2nd, making Nihonmatsu Prefecture consist of approximately the entirety of the Nakadōri area. On November 14th, Nihonmatsu Prefecture's name was changed to Fukushima Prefecture. Fukushima City was named the prefecture's capital.
Nearly five years later, on August 21, 1876, Fukushima Prefecture merged with (consisting of the coastal Hamadōri area) and (consisting of Aizu in the west), thus creating present-day Fukushima Prefecture. Fukushima continued to serve as the prefecture's capital. In 1879, the Shinobu district's government offices were moved to Fukushima.
On November 3, 1881, , which generally followed a portion of the old Ushū Kaidō, was opened and linked Fukushima to Yonezawa, approximately 45 km to the northwest. On December 15, 1887, the section of the Tōhoku Main Line running through Fukushima, connecting Kōriyama Station in the south to Iwakiri Station in the north, was opened. In Fukushima, this saw the opening of Fukushima Station and Matsukawa Station.
In 1888, there was a large-scale merger of municipalities. In the Date district, the village of absorbed the village of , the villages of and merged to form the village of , the villages of and merged to form the village of . In the Adachi district, the village of absorbed the village of . In the Shinobu district, the village of became the town of . The Shinobu district reduced one town and 70 villages down to two towns and 26 villages.
1890 saw the opening of the , which was the predecessor of Fukushima Medical University. On March 19, 1893, Mt. Azuma's Mt. Issaikyō peak erupted, and on May 15, 1899, Fukushima was linked to Yonezawa by rail via the opening of the , part of the present-day Ōu Main Line. The opening of Niwasaka Station corresponded with the opening of the line. Also in 1899, a Bank of Japan branch was established in Fukushima, the bank's first branch in the Tōhoku region.
20th century.
Turn of the century to end of World War II.
On April 1, 1907, the town of Fukushima officially became the city of . It was the second municipality in the prefecture and 59th in the nation to become a city. At the time, Fukushima had a population of 30,000.
On April 14, 1908, the opened a light rail system that connected to via . Also in 1908, the opened.
On June 28, 1918, the Fukushima Race Course held its first horse race. On August 30 of the same year, rice riots occurred in the city.
On April 13, 1924, the Fukushima Iizaka Electric Tramway, precursor to the present-day Iizaka Line, began service linking Fukushima Station to Iizaka Station (present-day Hanamizuzaka Station). Three years later, in 1927, the line was extended further north to its present-day terminus of Iizaka Onsen Station. 1927 also saw the opening of and with it the prefecture's first elevator. In 1929 the Fukushima City Library closed and the opened in its place, taking over the Fukushima City Library's collections and facilities. 1929 also saw the beginning of bus service within the city.
In 1937, a section of the village of was absorbed into Fukushima, and in 1939 took over , changed its name to , and moved its head office to Fukushima. This was the precursor to the present-day .
In 1941, NHK opened its first broadcast station in the city.
Near the end of World War II, in which Japan had initiated wars with a number of Pacific powers to create the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, on July 20, 1945, a United States Army Air Forces Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombed the Watari area.
Post-war.
In 1946, Toho Bank moved its head office to Fukushima, on June 18, 1947 became Fukushima Medical University, and on March 7, 1948, the Fukushima Prefecture Police Department was dismantled and the Fukushima City Police formed.
On April 27, 1948, at 12:04 am, a train on the Ōu Main Line bound for Ueno derailed upon exiting a tunnel between Akaiwa and Niwasaka stations, killing three crew members. Upon inspection of the crash scene it was determined that someone had removed from the track two connecting plates, six spikes, and four bolts. The perpetrator was never found. This became known as the Niwasaka incident.
On August 17, 1949, at 3:09 am the Matsukawa incident occurred. In a scene highly reminiscent of the scene from the previous year's Niwasaka incident, a train bound for Ueno derailed, killing three crew members. Inspection of the tracks revealed that connecting plates and spikes had been removed. Furthermore, a section of rail had been moved from the track. No one was ever convicted of the crime. 1949 also saw the opening of Fukushima University.
In 1952, a new city hall was opened in the neighborhood. The Seventh National Sports Festival of Japan was also held in the city, and in 1954 the present-day Fukushima Prefectural Office's main wing was completed and the Fukushima City Police were integrated into the Fukushima Prefecture Police. In March 1959 NHK began television broadcasts. Later that year, on May 11, the Bandai-Azuma Skyline tourist roadway opened.
In January 1966, the Kitamachi Route 4 bypass was completed, and on May 29 the on Route 13 was opened.
The very first was held on August 1, 1970. In the festival participants parade a large "waraji" straw sandal through the streets of Fukushima. Two months later, on November 1, Route13's . The Iizaka East Line was shut down on April 12, 1971, leaving the Iizaka Line the only remaining railway operated by Fukushima Transportation. The same year Fukushima Prefectural Office's west wing was completed, making it, at the time, the tallest building in the prefecture. The section of the Tōhoku Expressway linking Kōriyama in the south to Shiroishi in the north, via Fukushima, opened on April 1, 1975. The Tōhoku Shinkansen opened on June 23, 1982, and connected Ōmiya in the south to Morioka in the north, via Fukushima.
The Route 4 South Bypass opened on November 11, 1983, and the Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art and Prefectural Library were completed on July 22, 1983. Fukushima hosted the first East Japan Women's Ekiden road relay race on November 24, 1985.
On August 4 and 5 of 1986 the Abukuma River and its tributaries flooded due to Nakdōri receiving from of rain from a typhoon. Cities and towns along the Abukuma River and its tributaries, Fukushima included, suffered 11 people killed or injured, and damage to 14,000 buildings.
Later that year, on September 13, the Fukushima Azuma Stadium was completed. The Abukuma Express Line, a railway line linking Fukushima to Marumori in the north, began operations on July 1, 1988, and on November 12, the Yūji Koseki Memorial Museum was opened.
The Fukushima Mutual Bank changed its name to Fukushima Bank in February 1989, and on September 27 Route 115's was opened. On July 1, 1992, the Yamagata Shinkansen opened, connecting Fukushima to Yamagata. In 1995, the 50th National Sports Festival of Japan was held, primarily at Azuma Sports Park in the west of the city.
The dam completion ceremony for the Surikamigawa Dam in the Moniwa area was held on September 25, 2005.
April 1, 2007 was the 100th anniversary of Fukushima becoming a city, and to celebrate, a festival was held on June 30. "Dashi" representing the former towns and villages that make up modern-day Fukushima paraded and gathered in front of Fukushima Station.
During the Great Heisei Merger, Fukushima and the towns of Kawamata and Iino held merger talks, however on December 1, 2006, Kawamata withdrew from the talks. Negotiations between Fukushima and Iino continued, and on July 1, 2008, the town of Iino was incorporated into Fukushima.
21st century.
On January 4, 2011, Fukushima officially opened a new city hall to replace the previous one built in 1952. The new city hall, as was the previous one, is located in Gorōuchi-machi, next to National Route 4 in the center of the city.
On March 11, 2011, the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami occurred, with the earthquake causing ruptures in multiple water mains originating from the Surikamigawa Dam, which supplies much of the city's water. This resulted in the majority of the city losing access to running water. Train services were also stopped due to damage caused to railway infrastructure. The Iizaka Line reopened two days later on March 13, and on March 31 the Yamagata Shinkansen resumed limited service and the Ōu Main Line resumed full service. By April 7 the Tōhoku Main Line was reopened in both directions, however it was closed again following a strong earthquake later that night. The Tōhoku Main Line was again reopened in both directions from Fukushima on April 17. The Tōhoku Shinkansen reopened with limited service on April 23, and the Abukuma Express Line resumed limited service from Fukushima on April 28.
On April 1, 2018, Fukushima City became a core city.
Government.
Fukushima has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 35 members. The city also contributes eight members to the Fukushima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, most of the city falls within the Fukushima 1st district, a single-member constituency of the House of Representatives in the national Diet of Japan, which also includes the cities of Date, Sōma, Minamisōma and Date District and Sōma District.
Economy.
As of 2005, the total income of all citizens of Fukushima totalled trillion. Of this income, 0.8% was made in the primary sector, 24.1% in the secondary sector, and 80.1% in the tertiary sector.
Income in the primary sector was led by that from agriculture, which totaled . The secondary sector was led by general manufacturing, with income there totaling billion. The service industry led the tertiary sector with a total income of billion.
Company headquarters located within Fukushima include that of Toho Bank, Fukushima Bank, and Daiyu Eight.
Agriculture.
The majority of Fukushima's agricultural economic output is from planting crops. As of 2010, out of a total agricultural monetary yield of billion, crops accounted for billion and livestock accounted for billion. Of crops planted in Fukushima, fruit comprises 60% of monetary yield, rice 13%, vegetables 12%, and other various crops round out the final 15%. For livestock, both milk and chicken led production with values of million each.
Fruits by far make up the largest value of crops grown in Fukushima, led by an annual production of 14,935 tons of apples, 13,200 tons of Japanese pears, and 11,517 tons of peaches. While Fukushima produces more apples and pears than peaches, as a percentage of national fruit production, in 2010 Fukushima produced 8.2% of all peaches grown in the country, compared to 5.1% of all Japanese pears and 2.3% of all apples. When the neighboring cities of Date, Kunimi and Koori, all of which are also in the Fukushima Basin, are taken into effect, the Fukushima metro area produced 20.1% of all peaches grown in Japan in 2010.
The city is known for its many peach, pear, apple, and cherry orchards which are located throughout the city, especially along the so-called road that loops the western edge of the city. Fukushima is also sometimes known as the .
Industry.
In 2009 Fukushima's industries directly employed 18,678 workers and shipped ¥671 billion worth of goods. This was led by information-related industries with 50.5% of total output. Other industries in Fukushima include those dealing with food at 7.6% of total output, metals at 7.5%, chemistry at 5.3%, ceramics at 4.9%, electricity at 4.5%, printed goods at 2.8%, steel at 2.5%, plastics at 2.5%, and electronics at 2.2%. Other various industries make up the final 9.8%.
In 2009, the value of goods shipped by Fukushima's industries comprised 14.2% of all of Fukushima Prefecture's total output for the year.
Commerce.
For the year of 2007, wholesale products sold in Fukushima totalled billion and employed 6,645 workers, while retail sales for the same time period totalled billion, and employed 18,767 workers. Total combined sales of both retail and wholesale products in 2007 came to billion, approximately a quarter less than sales in 1997 a decade prior.
Transportation.
Due to Fukushima having long been the junction of the Ōshū Kaidō and Ushū Kaidō routes, it has developed into an important transportation hub. It is currently the location of where National Route 13 breaks off from National Route 4. Fukushima Station is where the Ōu Main Line separates from the Tōhoku Main Line and the Tōhoku Shinkansen separates from the Yamagata Shinkansen.
Railway.
In addition to the Tōhoku and Yamagata shinkansen, JR East also provides service from Fukushima Station on the Tōhoku Main Line and Ōu Main Line routes. Fukushima Station is north of Tokyo via the Tōhoku Main Line, which then continues north to Morioka Station. The Ōu Main Line originates at Fukushima Station then runs north to Aomori Station, taking a more western route than the Tōhoku Main Line. Train services are also provided by Fukushima Transportation and AbukumaExpress, which respectively run the Iizaka Line and the Abukuma Express Line. The Iizaka Line is a commuter train which connects the center of the city to Iizaka in the north of the city. The Abukuma Express Line takes a route following the Abukuma River and connects the city to Miyagi Prefecture in the north.
Highway.
For automobile traffic, Fukushima is linked to Tokyo in the south and Aomori in the north via the Tōhoku Expressway, which passes through Fukushima and has multiple interchanges within the city. There are six national highways that run from or through Fukushima. Japan National Route 4 runs to Tokyo in the south, through Fukushima, then north to Sendai and beyond; Japan National Route 13 begins in Fukushima, runs through Yamagata Prefecture, then terminates in Akita Prefecture; Japan National Route 114 starts in Fukushima and runs southeast to the town of Namie; Japan National Route 115 runs through Fukushima, connecting Sōma in the east to Inwashiro in the west; Japan National Route 399 starts southeast of Fukushima in the city of Iwaki, Fukushima, continues northwest through Fukushima, and terminates in the city of Nan'yō, Yamagata; and Japan National Route 459 begins in Niigata, Niigata, runs eastward through Kitakata, through Fukushima, southward to Nihonmatsu, then eastward to Namie.
Also within the city is the Bandai-Azuma Skyline scenic toll road, which runs up and along Mt. Azuma on the western edge of the city, connecting Takayu Onsen and Tsuchiyu Onsen.
Local bus services throughout the city and region are primarily operated by Fukushima Transportation. Local bus service to the Kawamata area is offered by both JR Bus Tōhoku and Kanehachi Taxi. Intercity buses are operated by a multitude of companies and link Fukushima to the cities of Iwaki, Aizuwakamatsu, and Kōriyama within the prefectures and to the Sendai, Tokyo, and Kinki areas outside the prefecture, among others.
Airports.
There is no commercial airport within the city limits. For air transportation, Fukushima is served by both Fukushima Airport in the city of Sukagawa and Sendai Airport in Natori, Miyagi.
Education.
In addition to libraries and museums, Fukushima is home to many facilities for higher, secondary, and primary education
Museums located in Fukushima include the , the , the , and the . Fukushima is also the location of the Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art, located near Bijutsukantoshokanmae Station. The museum houses 2,200 works, including French Impressionism, 20th century American realism, Japanese modern paintings, prints, earthenwares, ceramics and textiles.
Fukushima operates 19 libraries and library branches throughout the city, and is also home to the Fukushima Prefectural Library, which is administered by Fukushima Prefecture and is adjacent to the Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art.
Institutes of higher learning that are located in Fukushima include Fukushima University, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima College, and Sakura no Seibo Junior College.
Sports.
The city is home to the Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium, which was an Olympic venue at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Fukushima United football club play at the athletic Toho Stadium. The city's third professional team is basketball Japanese Second Division club Fukushima Firebonds.