Narashino

Narashino (習志野市, Narashino-shi) is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.[1][2] As of December 1, 2015, the city had an estimated population of 170,331, and a population density of 8,120 persons per km². The total area is 20.97 square kilometres (8.10 sq mi).

Narashino

習志野市
City
Area around JR Tsudanuma Station
Flag
Seal
Location of Narashino in Chiba Prefecture
Narashino
 
Coordinates: 35°40′49.4″N 140°01′35.4″E
CountryJapan
RegionKantō
PrefectureChiba Prefecture
Government
 • MayorTaisuke Miyamoto (since May 2011)
Area
 • Total20.97 km2 (8.10 sq mi)
Population
 (December 1, 2015)
 • Total170,331
 • Density8,120/km2 (21,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- TreeAcacia
- FlowerHydrangea
Phone number047-451-1151
Address2-1-1 Saginuma, Narashino-shi, Chiba-ken 275-8601
Websitehttp://www.city.narashino.lg.jp/
Narashino City Hall

Geography

Narashino is located in far northwestern Chiba Prefecture, bordered by Tokyo Bay to the southwest.[3] The city is located on the Shimōsa Plateau and reclaimed land fill on Tokyo Bay.[2]

Surrounding municipalities

Chiba Prefecture

History

The area around Narashino has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Archaeologists have found shell middens and numerous other remains from Jōmon period, as well as burial tumuli from the Kofun period. However, for most of its history, the area was a sparsely populated wetland and swamp along the northern shore of Edo Bay.

After the Meiji Restoration, Tsudanuma (津田沼村, Tsudanuma-mura) was founded within Chiba District on April 1, 1889 on the merger of five small hamlets with a total population of 4500 people. The area only began to develop with the coming of the railway, and Tsudanuma was raised to town status on March 3, 1903, with a population of 6,000.

The Narashino area of Tsudanuma was used for cavalry maneuvers by the Imperial Guard and the early Imperial Japanese Army, and was visited by the Meiji Emperor early in the Meiji period (1868 – 1912).[4][2] A prisoner of war camp was built in 1904 to house POWs from the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 and World War I. The Imperial Japanese Army Narashino School was the main training school for cavalry, and later for tank warfare.[1]

On August 1, 1954, Tsudanuma merged with a portion of the neighboring city of Chiba (the former town of Makuhari) to form the new city of Narashino.[4]

Places
  • Akanehama
  • Akitsu
  • Fujisaki
  • Hanasaki
  • Higashi-Narashino
  • Izumicho
  • Kanadenomori
  • Kasumi
  • Mimomi
  • Moto-Okubo
  • Okubo
  • Saginuma
  • Saginumadai
  • Shibazono
  • Shin-ei
  • Sodegaura
  • Tsudanuma
  • Yashiki
  • Yatsu
  • Yatsumachi

Economy

Narashino is a regional commercial center and a bedroom community for nearby Chiba and Tokyo. The coastal area, mostly on reclaimed land is part of the Keiyō Industrial Zone and is home to much heavy industry, especially related to chemical processing.

Transportation

Railways

Highways

Education

Local attractions
  • Akitsu Baseball Stadium
  • Frontier Soccer Field (naming rights from April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2018), formerly known as Akitsu Soccer Stadium.
  • Chiba International General Swimming Center
  • Ōnomatsu stable

Notable places
  • Yatsu-higata (谷津干潟), a Ramsar Site and protected wetlands for migratory birds. The spring and summer months see an increase of jellyfish and small crabs to the wetlands.[3]
  • Yatsu Bara-en (谷津バラ園), a rose garden which displays over 6,000 individual blossoms in May and October. The garden was founded with Yatsu Yūen (谷津遊園), an amusement park which was managed by Keisei Electric Railway and closed in 1982. When the park was closed, the city bought the garden, and has managed it since that time.

Sister city relations

Noted people from Narashino

References
  1. "Narashino". Encyclopedia of Japan. Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 56431036. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2012-07-26.
  2. "習志野（市）" [Narashino]. Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 153301537. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  3. "習志野" [Narashino]. Dijitaru Daijisen (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 56431036. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2012-07-26.
  4. "習志野" [Narashino]. Nihon Kokugo Daijiten (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 56431036. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2012-07-12.
  5. "Interactive City Directory". Sister Cities International. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
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