Yaizu, Shizuoka

Yaizu
焼津市

City

Yaizu City Hall

Flag

Seal

Location of Yaizu in Shizuoka Prefecture

Yaizu

Coordinates: 34°52′N 138°19′E / 34.867°N 138.317°ECoordinates: 34°52′N 138°19′E / 34.867°N 138.317°E

Chūbu (Tōkai)

Government

• - Mayor

Hiroshi Shimizu

Area

• Total

164.08 km² (63.35 sq mi)

Population (September 2014)

• Total

139,678

• Density

1,980/km² (5,100/sq mi)

Time zone

Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

- Tree

Pine

- Flower

Satsuki azalea

- Bird

Black-headed gull

Phone number

054-626-1111

Address

2-16-32 Hommachi, Yaizu-shi, Shizuoka-ken 425-8502

Website

www.city.yaizu.shizuoka.jp

Yaizu (焼津市, Yaizu-shi) is a city located in central Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.

As of September 2014, the city had an estimated population of 139,678 and a population density of 1980 persons per km². The total area was 70.62 km². The Japan Air Self-Defense Force Shizuhama Air Base is located in Yaizu.

Geography

Yaizu is located in central Shizuoka Prefecture, on a heavily indented coastline of Suruga Bay, facing the Pacific Ocean. The climate, tempered by the warm Kuroshio Current offshore is maritime temperature, with hot, humid summers and short cool winters.

Surrounding municipalities

History

Yaizu is an ancient settlement, with Yaizu Shrine claiming to have been founded in the 5th century during the Kofun period. During the Edo period, Yaizu developed as a port under Tanaka Domain, and fish from Yaizu was frequently supplied to the retired Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu at nearby Sumpu Castle. In the October 1, 1886 cadastral reform after the Meiji Restoration, Yaizu Village was established within Mashizu District, Shizuoka prefecture. Mashizu District merged into neighboring Shida District in 1896. The following year, in 1897, author Lafcadio Hearn began his residence in Yaizu.

Yaizu was elevated to town status on June 28, 1901. Yaizu Fishing Cooperative was established in 1903, and started to take frozen catch from Yaizu to Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market from 1908. Shipbuilding facilities, primarily for the production of fishing vessels, was established in 1924. The Yaizu Fishing Cooperative began the first wireless communication with its fishing fleet in Japan in 1925, but overfishing soon led to collapse of bonito stocks in 1926, resulting in a five-year fishing moratorium. After the start of World War II, the Yaizu fishing industry was again hit hard by the requisition of entire Yaizu fishing fleet (113 vessels) and crewmen by Imperial Japanese Navy in 1941. Only 10 vessels survived the war.

Yaizu was elevated to city status on March 1, 1951. On November 1, 1953, Toyota Village merged into Yaizu City. The city name gained international prominence over the Daigo Fukuryū Maru Incident, in which a Yaizu-based fishing vessel was irradiated by atomic testing at Bikini Atoll on March 4, 1954. The city further expanded on January 1, 1955 by annexation of the neighboring villages of Higashi Mashizu, Kogawa, Ōtomi, and Wada, and on April 1, 1957 when Hirohata Village was divided between Yaizu and Fujieda cities. Yaizu port underwent a major expansion in March 1968. The city was the site of the 2001 Japan Airlines mid-air incident on January 31, 2001.

On November 1, 2008, the town of Ōigawa (from Shida District) was merged into Yaizu.^[1]

Economy

JASDF Shizuhama Air Base in Yaizu

The economy of Yaizu is dominated by the commercial fishing industry. Yaizu Port was first in Japan in terms of tonnage of bonito and tuna in 2002, and third in terms of mackerel. Local industries are centered around food processing, including the production of katsuobushi, shiokara, tsukudani, and kamaboko (especially narutomaki). Agricultural products include green tea, melons, tangerines, and tomatoes. Yaizu is also the home of the Hasegawa plastic model kit manufacturing company.^[2] Yaizu is also home to one of Sapporo Brewery's Largest factories, as well as the company's new product development division.