Hamamatsu

Hamamatsu (Japanese浜 松 市, -shi, dt " beach pine trees " ) is a city of Shizuoka Prefecture on Honshu, the main island of Japan. It is located on the Pacific coast at Hamana Lake and has approximately 800,000 inhabitants, which she is ranked 17 of the largest cities in Japan. Hamamatsu is an important industrial city. Well-known companies in the automotive industry such as Yamaha and Suzuki as well as manufacturers of musical instruments such as Roland have their headquarters here. The area around Hamamatsu has developed in recent decades become a research and industrial center of optoelectronics.

• 4.1 ACT City
• 4.2 Ryugashi cave
• 4.3 Matsuri 4.3.1 Hamamatsu Matsuri
• 4.3.2 Hamakita Hiryuu Matsuri

• 7.1 Public local and long distance traffic
• 7.2 Road traffic
• 7.3 Airports

Geography

Geographical location

Hamamatsu is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen line between Nagoya and Yokohama. By 2005, the urban area to the east by the River Tenryu was bounded on the south by the Pacific Ocean and the west by the Lake Hamana. While the Lake Hamana through a wide access to the sea filled with brackish water, the centrally located smaller Sanaru Lake is fed with fresh water. After the expansion of the urban area to the north it extends to today in the Akaishi Mountains, in which the north-eastern boundary is the River Tenryu and now forms the northwestern border, where the Sakuma Dam is located on the border of Aichi Prefecture. The river enters the lower part of the municipality of the same name ( Tenryu -ku ) to the eastern border. Are located on the Pacific coast at Nakatajima (中 田岛) Nakatajima the sand dunes, the third largest natural sand dunes of Japan.

Boroughs

In July 2005, it came as part of a local government reform for the integration of 11 adjacent municipalities of Enshū (another name for the former province Tōtōmi ) in the city limits, including the cities of Tenryu and Hamakita in the north with just under 22,600 or 86,500 inhabitants, and the towns Inasa ( 14,500 ), Mikkabi (16,000 ) and Hosoe ( 22,000 ) to the west; Since then, the city has about 800,000 inhabitants.

As a " city government directive " Hamamatsu is divided into districts ( -ku ). These are:

• Hamakita -ku (浜 北区)
• Higashi -ku (东区)
• Kita- ku (北区)
• Minami -ku (南 区)
• Naka -ku (中 区)
• Nishi -ku (西区)
• Tenryu -ku (天 竜 区)

Population

As a Hamamatsu 1911 received the status of a city lived there just about 37,000 people. 17 years later, the population had already risen to 100,000 in 1928. The growth continued after a slight decrease at the end of World War II, rapidly advancing, and so lived in 1957 of 300,000 people in the city and in 1982 the milestone of half a million inhabitants has been exceeded. At the time of local government reform of 2005, the number was about 600,000 and enlarged by the incorporations to 800,000.

The number of foreign residents is approximately 29,000, which corresponds to a share of 3.5 %. With 16,000 of which form the Brazilian immigrants and the majority Hamamatsu has so nationwide most Brazilian population. Parts of the website of the city are also available in Portuguese.

Climate

In Hamamatsu, there is a warm- temperate climate. Summers are hot and humid, with most rainfall in June and July during the Japanese rainy season Tsuyu. In the fall there will be a second weaker rainy season, which is marked in September by numerous tropical cyclones. This is over the Pacific forming typhoons cause heavy rains and winds, which can lead to severe restrictions of public life. For example, the Category 4 Typhoon Roke reached ( Onyok ) 2011 maximum peak wind speeds of 260 km / h before he met on September 21, a day later near Hamamatsu on the mainland. Winters are dry with little snow, but will blow from the northwest this time of year a strong dry wind ( Karakkaze ).

The average annual temperature is 15.4 ° C, annual rainfall on average 1,873 millimeters. The warmest month is August with an average of 26.5 ° C, the coldest January with 4.9 ° C on average. Most precipitation falls in June with an average of 267 millimeters, the fewest in December and January, each 52 millimeters on average.

History

The status as a county-level city ( shi ) received Hamamatsu officially until 1 July 1911. However, already from the first Shogun and founder of the Tokugawa shogunate Tokugawa Ieyasu, the castle of Hamamatsu in 1570 created as a military and political center. The recent history is characterized by the following milestones:

Politics and Administration

In the since the 2011 election reduced to 46 members of the city council from Hamamatsu ( Hamamatsu shigikai ) represent non-party deputies in the majority. Strongest is the fraction of the Liberal Democratic Party ( LDP) with 21 members (as of May 2011). Since 2007, Yasutomo Suzuki mayor of Hamamatsu, which was in 2011 due to lack of opposition candidate re-elected without a vote; in the early 2000s he was a deputy in the national parliament for the Democratic Party (DPJ ).

Ins Prefecture Parliament of the districts Hamamatsu Shizuoka send 15 deputies, of which 2011 seven of the LDP and DPJ. For elections to the national lower house located Hamamatsu extends in three constituencies ( Shizuoka 3, 7 and 8), which are represented by three Liberal Democrats since 2012.

Attractions and festivals

ACT City

The ACT City Hamamatsu (アクト シティ 浜松) is a complex of buildings in the city center - located directly at the main train station - with the ACT Tower as a central element and symbol of the city. With its 45 floors and 213 meters high, it is the only skyscraper Hamamatsu and the highest of the Tōkai region. The ACT Tower was completed in 1994 and will bring with his harmonica a modeled form the connection of the city of music and musical instruments to express. The upper floors house a hotel with 324 rooms ( Okura ACT City Hotel ) and an observation deck on the top floor. For the building complex also includes a concert hall designed specifically for classical music, a multi-purpose hall with over 2,300 seats and an exhibition hall and a convention center. Furthermore, here is the only public museum music of Japan, will be exhibited in the more than 1,300 musical instruments from all over the world; among other things, an original harpsichord from the 18th century, built by François- Étienne Blanchet.

Ryugashi cave

The Ryugashi cave (竜ヶ岩洞Ryugashi -do) is located in the district of Kita- ku three kilometers from the northern shore of Lake Hamana, on the southern slope of the mountain Ryugashi same ( 359 m). It is a one kilometer long and 250 million years old stalactite cave, which was first described in 1981 opened and explored and made ​​accessible to the public in 1983. In the cave ganzjählich prevail 18 ° C and today it can be seen on 400 m length of tourists; is, among other things, a 30 m high waterfall in the cave.

Matsuri

In Hamamatsu find as everywhere in Japan every year more of the typical Japanese folk festivals take place, the so-called Matsuri, which vary regionally and are usually related to the local Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple or based on other historical traditions.

Hamamatsu Matsuri

From 3rd to 5th May, there is the Hamamatsu Matsuri (浜松 祭り) that about two million visitors annually. The main attraction is the kite of handmade kites, which have up to 10 m² space and must be kept with thick ropes by several men in the wind. The dragons consist only of the traditional materials of bamboo and paper, as well as fiber ropes. The more than 150 districts (町) occur in this sporty competition in close proximity to the major Nakatajima - sand dunes against each other and the dragons are drawn to trumpets in the sky. Besides many street festivals the districts on the last night to present in a large street parade in the city center its ornate floats in a great parade, which are similar to the German parades externally. Dressed in simple hard skirts to dress in uniforms participants each district and draw with drums and trumpets towards the city center. The chariots are provided with many ornate wood carvings and gold reference and have the air of a mobile temple.

The Matsuri is probably due to the over 400 year old tradition, when the then ruler of Hamamatsu to celebrate the birth of his firstborn son a kite let rise. First, however, historical documentaries about the dragon competitions date back only to the late 18th century and the relocation of the float goes back to the tradition of the formal reception of returning to town competitor.

Hamakita Hiryuu Matsuri

The Hamakita Hiryuu Matsuri (浜北 飛 龍 まつり) finds (now in its namesake district Hamakita -ku ) place in the former city Hamakita on the first weekend in June. It is celebrated in honor of Ryujin, the dragon god of the Tenryu River, which a Japanese dragon equal winds through the township. Among the events during the day include the kite flying ( Hamakita Takoage ) and a market for local specialties from the region and in the evening the dragon - fire festival ( Hiryu Himatsuri ).

Industry and Trade

Hamamatsu is an important industrial city. In addition to companies in the automotive industry (Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki) also known manufacturer of musical instruments (Roland, Kawai, Tokai Guitars ) their roots here and today their headquarters or major works in the city; and there are also companies in the textile and clothing industry, the chemical industry and food industry. Further, with Hamamatsu Photonics, a leader in advanced technology its origin and main production facilities in Hamamatsu.

As a result of globalization, many companies in the region have shifted since the 1990s for reasons of cost their production abroad, which led to an increasing decline in industrial production. Since the early 2000s, the state government of Shizuoka Prefecture tried using the structure of the Shizuoka Triangle Research Cluster to support local research institutions, universities and companies and through its collaboration technology centers in the area of ​​Medicine / Pharmacology ( Pharma Valley), food industry (Food Science Hill ) and optics / Electronics (Photon Valley) build. The so-called photon Valley comprises the western region of Shizuoka near Hamamatsu, with its universities and high -tech companies in the field of optoelectronics. It also links with research and industrial sites in this area in Germany - especially in the region around Jena (such as Jenoptik or the Institute of Photonic Technology ) - entertain.

Education

In Hamamatsu, there are several public and private universities. The faculties of engineering science and of computer science at the University of Shizuoka Hamamatsu located on the campus. 1949 this was established from a merger of several state schools, which include the pilot Hamamatsu, founded in 1922 was known for research on television by Prof. Kenjiro Takayanagi. In 1974, the state Hamamatsu University School of Medicine (浜 松 医科大学Hamamatsu Ika Daigaku ) was founded, in 1988 the private Tokoha Gakuen Hamamatsu University (常 叶 学园 浜 松 大学Tokoha Gakuen Hamamatsu Daigaku ) and 2002, Seirei Christopher University (聖隷 クリストファー 大学Seirei Kurisutofa Daigaku ) and Hamamatsu Gakuin University 2004 (浜 松 学院 大学Hamamatsu Gakuin Daigaku ).

Traffic

Hamamatsu was already during the Edo period to the important post of Commerce and Tōkaidō road and was on that a post office (宿 场 町Shukuba -machi ). The Shizuoka Nagoya connecting with National Highway 1, which runs primarily along the old Tōkaidō, today also leads through the city and Hamamatsu continues to be a major transport hub on the Tōkaidō Main Line.

Public local and long distance traffic

The city has a Shinkansen stop at the Hamamatsu JR Station, to which also express trains stop type Hikari, who need only just over 1.5 hours driving time for the trip to Tokyo or Osaka. Also, keep all Shinkansen Kodama type. Mainly for the local public transport is a bus system is used, which is operated in a star shape from the central bus terminal at the main station and includes particularly the original city of Hamamatsu. To connect the new city district in the north Hamakita serves the single-track railway line Enshū (鉄 道 线tetsudō - sen), also called Akaden ( " Red train "). This runs from Shin- Hamamatsu station in the south to Nishikajima in the district Tenryu ( northeastern boundary of Hamakita ), where the circulating between the cities of Kakegawa and Kosai single-track Tenryu- Hamamatsu - line (天 竜 浜 名 湖 线Tenryu Hamamatsu - sen) passes. This runs from there through the city districts Hamakita and Kita, past the northern shore of Lake Hamana and Inohana.

Road

In addition to the National Highway 1 also run other national roads by Hamamatsu ( see table). In addition, the city has two connection points to the toll Tomei highway connecting Tokyo with Nagoya. The under construction and, among others, in Hamamatsu 2012 already partially opened Shin Tomei highway runs inland parallel to the old Tomei highway and has to relieve future.

Airports

Hamamatsu does not have a civilian airport. By 2005, the Nagoya international airport at that time was the closest. This was replaced by the opening of the airport Chubu Aichi prefecture, which is located 87 km west of Hamamatsu. The easternmost national Shizuoka Airport is 43 km away and was opened in 2009.

Sports

In the district of Higashi -ku, the 8,000 comprehensive Hamamatsu Arena is located. The multi-purpose hall was opened in 1990 and is the home arena of the basketball team Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix ( bj league ). Among other things, also some of the preliminary matches of the Basketball World Championship 2006 were held.

In the district of Kita- ku, the Honda Miyakoda Football Stadium (capacity 4,000 spectators ) of the Honda FC, ​​which plays in the Japan Football League since 1999.

During World War II Hamamatsu was a military base. Even today there is a large military base in the northwest of the city, va is dominated by the Air Force Base and its airport. Jets like the F14 and F15 are almost seen every morning in the sky.

City of Music

Hamamatsu carries nickname as the title of " City of Music ". Apart from Kawai, Roland and Yamaha main plant for Pianos and Keyboards Hamamatsu also has an important college of music, a well-known orchestra with its own concert hall ( the Music Hall in the office and hotel complex ACT City ) as well as an extensive collection of instruments from several centuries, which can be seen in the local music museum.

Since 1991 takes place every three years instead of the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition, attend the young pianists from all over the world. The second prize was awarded, for example, in 2000 the Russian pianist Alexander Kobrin.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Barasui ( mangaka )
• Hironoshin Furuhashi ( float )
• Soichiro Honda (entrepreneur)
• Yasuhide Itō (composer, conductor and pianist )
• Keisuke Kinoshita (film director and screenwriter )
• Hiroshi Shimizu (director)
• Kiiti Morita ( mathematician )
• Gorō Shimura ( mathematician )
• Ryu Shionoya ( politician)
• Koji Suzuki ( writer )
• Hiromi Uehara ( jazz pianist )
• Kisho Yano ( football player)
• Tomoko Yoshida ( writer )

Adjacent Cities and Towns

• Iwata
• Kosai
• Toyohashi