Hyōgo-ku, Kobe

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File:Hyogo-ku in Kobe City.svg
Location of Hyōgo-ku in Kobe City

Hyogo (兵庫区 Hyōgo-ku?) is one of nine wards of Kobe in Japan. It has an area of 14.56 km2 and a population of 106,322 (as of January 1, 2015).[1]

The area's location with a natural harbour near the Akashi Strait which links Osaka Bay and the Seto inland sea has been an important location throughout the history of Japan. The capital of Japan was located in the area for a short period in the 12th century. Today the area is an important manufacturing zone.

The modern ward of Hyogo was formed as Sōsai-ku (湊西区, lit. "Minato West Ward"?) when the City of Kobe adopted the system of wards in 1931. Its name was changed to Hyogo in 1933 and its current boundaries were settled in 1971. The floral emblem of the ward is the pansy.[2]

Etymology

The literal meaning of the two kanji that make up the name Hyogo is "weapons warehouse".[3] From the Heian period, the area was also known as Ōwada-no-Tomari (大輪田泊 Ōwada-no-tomari?).[4]

History

File:Kiyomori Zuka 001.JPG
Kiyomori-zuka, a 12th-century monument to Taira no Kiyomori

Pre-Edo period

The features of the natural harbour around Wadamisaki peninsula has meant the port in Hyogo has been an important gateway to the Seto inland sea since the 8th century Nara period.[1] In the 12th century, in the latter part of the Heian period, Taira no Kiyomori recognized the strategic benefit of the location and developed the harbour.[1] Kiyomori, the de facto ruler of Japan between 1160 and 1180, had his official residence in Fukuhara, in what is modern-day Hyogo. Fukuhara became the capital of Japan for a brief period near the end of Kiyomori's rule.[1][5] A monument erected shortly after his death, the Kiyomori-zuka, stands in the gardens of a shrine opposite Kiyomori Bridge, also named in his honour.

Edo-Meiji periods

In the mid-19th century, at the end of the Edo period, Hyogo port was one of the first to be opened to foreign vessels, ending Japan's 250-year long isolation.[6]

Modern period

On 1 September 1931 the city of Kobe was the 6th city in Japan to adopt the system of dividing the city into wards. The area of the previous Hyogo town which lay west of the Minato River became Sōsai-ku (湊西区, lit. "Minato West Ward"?). The area of Hyogo town which lay east of the Minato River became part of Sōtō-ku (湊東区, lit. "Minato East Ward"?). On 1 January 1933 Sōsai's name was changed to Hyogo in recognition of the area's historic name.

Bombing during World War II

The concentration of manufacturing facilities including Kawasaki Shipbuilding, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, Kobe Steel, Kawanishi Aircraft and Kawasaki Aircraft made the city of Kobe a primary target of bombing by the United States during World War II.[7]

Boundary changes

On 1 May 1945 the city restructured the wards, with Hyogo expanded to include Minato-ku, the western portion of Sōtō-ku, and the portion of Hayashida-ku that lay east of the Hyogo Canals.

On 1 March 1947 the city of Kobe expanded due to the merger of the town of Arima and nine other villages from the districts of Muko, Arima and Akashi. Of these, Arima town and the villages Yamada in Muko and Arino in Arima District became a part of Hyogo ward. On 1 July 1951 the villages of Hata, Dōjō and Ōzō that were located in Arima District merged into Kobe and Hyogo ward. On 15 October 1955 Nagao village in Arima merged into Kobe and Hyogo ward. This was followed by the village Ōgo of Minō District on 1 February 1958. This expansion northwards made Hyogo the largest of Kobe's wards in size, encompassing 256.4km2 of Kobe's 557km2.

On 1 August 1973 the area of Hyogo north of the Rokko mountains, consisting of all of the former villages from the districts of Arima, Minō and Muko, were split from Hyogo to create the new Kita-ku. This reduced Hyogo to its current size of 14.56 km2.

Geography

Hyogo is bounded by Osaka Bay to the south, Kita Ward to the north, Nagata Ward to the west and Chūō Ward to the east. It features the eastern portion of a network of canals named the "Hyogo Canals" (Hyogo Unga) in the south,[1] and its northern border is at the base of the Rokko mountains.

Hyogo Canals

File:Hyōgo Canal 001.JPG
Hyogo Canal

The Hyogo Unga is the generic name for the network of five canals located along the southern coast of Hyogo and Nagata Wards, facing Osaka Bay. The canals have a total length of 6,470 metres and total area of almost 34 hectares,[8] making it one of the largest canal netowrks in Japan. They were first planned in the 1870s and completed in December 1899.[8]

Eastern end of Hyogo Canal from Kiyomori Bridge

The five canals are:

  1. Niigawa Canal – The first canal to be completed, it was built between 1874 and 1876.
  2. Hyogo Canal
  3. Hyogo Feeder Canal
  4. Karumojima Canal – The longest canal at 2,200m.
  5. Shinminatogawa Canal – The shortest canal at 320m.

Economy

Industry

Hyogo is one of the main industrial areas of Kobe. Fujitsu Ten[9] is headquartered within the ward, and other large corporations including Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Electric and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have manufacturing facilities in Hyogo.[1] In particular, railcars for the bullet train are manufactured in Hyogo by Kawasaki.

Arts and culture

As well as several monuments to Kiyomori, Hyogo is also the location of Nōfuku-ji temple, home of the Hyogo Daibutsu, an 11-metre tall statue of Buddha. Yanagihara Ebisu Shrine is in the centre of Hyogo, close to Hyogo Station. It hosts the Tōka-Ebisu Taisai (lit. "10th Day Ebisu Grand Festival"), an annual festival held from 9 to 11 January in honour of Ebisu, the Shinto god of commerce. At the event people pray for success in their business, the health and safety of their family, and success in studies and obtaining employment.[10] Tōka-Ebisu is the most important cultural event in Hyogo throughout the year.

The Shinkaichi area in eastern Hyogo, with its numerous cinemas, theatres and restaurants, was known as the "Western Asakusa" in the period before World War II.[1]

  • Second Great Buddha (built in 1991)

  • Kobe-hirukojinjya19.JPG

    Main hall of Yanagihara Ebisu Shrine

  • Pre-war Shinkaichi

Sports

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120px
Outside and inside views of Misaki Park Stadium.

Misaki Park Stadium is the home of the Vissel Kobe professional soccer and Kobelco Steelers professional rugby teams. The stadium hosted matches during the 2002 FIFA World Cup[11] and will also be one of the hosts of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.[12]


Government

Hyogo is administered by the Hyogo ward office, which is located next to Minatogawa Station and Minatogawa Park. The Hyogo Police Station of the Hyogo Prefectural Police is located in the same vicinity and is responsible for policing the ward (excluding the marine areas that fall within the Kobe Water Police's jurisdiction). It maintains 14 kōban ("police boxes") within the ward and a substation near Hyogo Station.[13]

The ward is represented by 5 councilors in the 69-seat Kobe City council assembly.[14] In the April 2015 unified local elections, two candidates from the Liberal Democratic Party and one each from the Komeito, Communist and Innovation/Democratic (joint endorsement) were elected to the council.[15] Takashi Moriya, an LDP member elected to his sixth term in the council,[15] was subsequently elected by the council's members to serve as the council's chairman.[16]

Hyogo has two representatives on the 89-seat Hyogo Prefectural Assembly. At the 2015 unified elections Issei Matsuda of the Komeito Party was elected to his fourth term and Shigetoshi Fukushima of the Liberal Democratic Party was elected to his first term.[17]

At the national level, the wards of Hyogo, Nagata and Kita form Hyogo No.2 District in the House of Representatives. Kazuyoshi Akaba of the Komeito Party has represented the district from 1993 to 2009 and again from 2012 until present, most recently elected to his 7th term in the December 2014 general election. Upon his return to the Diet in 2012 Akaba served as a Senior Vice-Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry and Senior Vice-Minister for the Cabinet Office in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's second cabinet from December 2012 until September 2014. Voter turnout at the December 2014 general election was 45.7% of Hyogo's 89,848 eligible voters,[18] the second lowest percentage in Kobe[18] and below the national turnout rate of 52.66%.[19]

Education

The following educational institutions are located in Hyogo:

High schools

Junior high schools

All junior high schools in Hyogo are operated by the City of Kobe:[20]

<templatestyles src="Div col/styles.css"/>

  • Hyogo JHS
    • Hyogo JHS (Northern Campus)
  • Minatogawa JHS
  • Susano JHS
  • Yoshida JHS
  • Yumeno JHS

Elementary schools

All elementary schools in Hyogo are operated by the City of Kobe:[20]

<templatestyles src="Div col/styles.css"/>

  • Arata ES
  • Egeyama ES
  • Hamayama ES
  • Hirano ES
  • Hyogo Daikai ES
  • Meishin ES
  • Minatoyama ES
  • Mizuki ES
  • Wadamisaki ES
  • Yumenono'oka ES[a]

Special education

  • Kobe Yuusei Special Education School: A school for physically and mentally handicapped children, it has classes for children from kindergarten to high school.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Hyogo is served by the JR Kobe Line and Wadamisaki spur line, the Kaigan and Seishin-Yamate lines of the Kobe Municipal Subway, Shintetsu Arima Line of the Kobe Electric Railway, and the Tozai Line (which carries Hankyu, Hanshin and Sanyo services).

Japan National Route 2 is the main arterial road through the area.[1]

Notable people

Notes

^a. Opened in 2009 as a result of a merger of Kikusui, Higashiyama, Hiyodorigoe and Yumeno Elementary Schools.[21]

References

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  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons

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