Toyama, Toyama

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Toyama
富山市
Core city
Toyama City
City central and Mt. Tate viewed from Mt. KurehaToyama Castle, Toyama Light RailTraditional medicines of Toyama, Owara Kaze no bon
City central and Mt. Tate viewed from Mt. Kureha
Toyama Castle, Toyama Light Rail
Traditional medicines of Toyama, Owara Kaze no bon
Flag of Toyama
Flag
Location of Toyama in Toyama Prefecture
Location of Toyama in Toyama Prefecture
Toyama is located in Japan
Toyama
Toyama
Location in Japan
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country Japan
Region Chūbu (Hokuriku)
Prefecture Toyama Prefecture
Government
 • Mayor Masashi Mori (since January 2002)
Area
 • Total 1,241.85 km2 (479.48 sq mi)
Population (May 31, 2011)
 • Total 417,324
 • Density 336.05/km2 (870.4/sq mi)
Symbols
 • Tree Zelkova serrata
 • Flower Thistle
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City Hall Address Higashi-shinmachi 7-38, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture (富山県富山市東新町７番38号)
930-8510
Website www.city.toyama.toyama.jp
File:Toyama city.jpg
City central

Toyama (富山市 Toyama-shi?) is the capital city of Toyama Prefecture, Japan, located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in the Chūbu region on central Honshū, about 200 km (120 mi) north of the city of Nagoya and 300 km (190 mi) northwest of Tokyo.

Historically, Toyama was the capital of Etchu Province. The modern city was incorporated on April 1, 1889, withdrawing from Kaminiikawa District.

As of May 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 417,324, with 162,663 households and a population density of 336.05 persons per km². The total area is 1,241.85 km².

Toyama is served by Toyama Airport and Toyama Station of West Japan Railway Company, with Toyama Light Rail, Toyama Chiho Railway.

History

The Toyama Plain is good farmland and historically it was a point of strategic and traffic importance. During the Feudal Age, it was frequently turned into a battlefield. Toward the end of the period of confusion, Sassa Narimasa became the governor of Etchū Province (the ancient name for present Toyama), and he accomplished the feat of taming the rampaging rivers, bringing about an even more flourishing agricultural industry in Toyama. In the early Edo Period, a positive industrial promotion policy was implemented on the production of medicine and washi (Japanese paper). Also, thanks to the improvement of both land and sea transportation routes, these industries thrived and Toyama became known nationwide as the province of medicine.

After the Meiji Restoration, heavy and chemical industries developed in Toyama, based on abundant electricity which was generated in some hydro power stations in the mountains near-by. During World War II, Allied POWs were sent to Toyama as forced labor.[1] Although the streets of Toyama were devastated by an air raid in August 1945, Toyama has become one of the most influential cities on the Japan Sea side with its good water supply, drainage system and thriving agricultural, forestry, fishery, commercial and manufacturing industries.

The city was completely destroyed on the night of August 1–2, 1945, when 173 B-29 bombers of the American 73rd Bomber Wing dropped incendiary bombs on the city. 1.87 square miles (4.8 km2), or about 99.5 percent, of the urban center was destroyed. At the time of the bombing, the city was a center for aluminum, ball-bearing and special steel production.[2][3] The city during the time had a population of around 150,000 residents.

Mergers

On April 1, 2005, the towns of Ōsawano and Ōyama (both from Kaminiikawa District), the towns of Fuchū and Yatsuo, and the villages of Hosoiri and Yamada (all from Nei District) were merged into Toyama. Kaminiikawa District and Nei District were both dissolved as a result of this merger.

Climate

Toyama has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot, humid summers and cool winters. Precipitation is abundant throughout the year, particularly in July, September and from November through January. Despite winter in Toyama being relatively mild, its position near the Sea of Japan places it within the heavy snow belt of Japan and on average 3.8 m (12 ft) of snow falls each season, almost all of it from December through March, as well as occasionally experiencing some tremendous amounts of snowfall.

Climate data for Toyama, Toyama (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 20.9
(69.6)		 22.5
(72.5)		 25.7
(78.3)		 32.4
(90.3)		 32.6
(90.7)		 36.4
(97.5)		 38.8
(101.8)		 39.5
(103.1)		 38.3
(100.9)		 33.3
(91.9)		 29.2
(84.6)		 21.6
(70.9)		 39.5
(103.1)
Average high °C (°F) 6.0
(42.8)		 6.8
(44.2)		 10.9
(51.6)		 17.3
(63.1)		 21.9
(71.4)		 25.1
(77.2)		 29.0
(84.2)		 30.9
(87.6)		 26.5
(79.7)		 21.1
(70)		 15.3
(59.5)		 9.6
(49.3)		 18.4
(65.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 2.7
(36.9)		 3.0
(37.4)		 6.3
(43.3)		 12.1
(53.8)		 17.0
(62.6)		 20.9
(69.6)		 24.9
(76.8)		 26.6
(79.9)		 22.3
(72.1)		 16.4
(61.5)		 10.8
(51.4)		 5.7
(42.3)		 14.1
(57.4)
Average low °C (°F) −0.1
(31.8)		 −0.3
(31.5)		 2.2
(36)		 7.2
(45)		 12.6
(54.7)		 17.4
(63.3)		 21.5
(70.7)		 22.9
(73.2)		 18.8
(65.8)		 12.4
(54.3)		 6.8
(44.2)		 2.4
(36.3)		 10.3
(50.5)
Record low °C (°F) −11.9
(10.6)		 −11.1
(12)		 −7
(19)		 −2.2
(28)		 2.3
(36.1)		 7.7
(45.9)		 13.0
(55.4)		 14.1
(57.4)		 8.9
(48)		 1.9
(35.4)		 −2
(28)		 −8.5
(16.7)		 −11.9
(10.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 259.5
(10.217)		 172.1
(6.776)		 158.5
(6.24)		 122.2
(4.811)		 134.2
(5.283)		 182.6
(7.189)		 240.4
(9.465)		 168.3
(6.626)		 220.2
(8.669)		 160.7
(6.327)		 234.4
(9.228)		 247.0
(9.724)		 2,300.1
(90.555)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 159
(62.6)		 125
(49.2)		 36
(14.2)		 1
(0.4)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 2
(0.8)		 57
(22.4)		 380
(149.6)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.5 mm) 23.7 19.9 18.7 13.1 11.8 12.3 14.7 11.0 13.9 14.4 17.7 22.0 193.2
Average snowy days 19.1 16.1 9.1 0.8 0 0 0 0 0 0.6 1.0 9.7 56.4
Average relative humidity (%) 82 79 73 69 72 79 81 77 79 77 77 80 77.1
Mean monthly sunshine hours 68.1 86.3 131.3 174.9 191.1 150.2 147.1 201.3 133.1 142.7 102.8 75.8 1,604.7
Source #1: Japan Meteorological Agency[4]
Source #2: Japan Meteorological Agency (records)[5]

Economy

Hokuriku Electric Power Company (colloquially known as Hokuden), the regional power-supply monopoly, is based in Toyama.[6] Bearing parts and industrial robot company Nachi-Fujikoshi and software company INTEC are also headquartered in Toyama.[7][8]

Regional banks include Hokuriku Bank, First Bank of Toyama, and Toyama Bank.[9]

Gohyaku rakan - five hundred statues depicting arhats, at the Chōkei-ji temple in Toyama

Points of interest

Festivals and events

  • Toyama Chindon Contest (Toyama Band of musical sandwichmen contest) - proposed by the Toyama Chamber of Commerce in 1955 and is held annually in early April. This event has become a festival, and many bands of sandwichmen (men wearing sandwich boards for advertisements) participate, attracting many tourists every year. But in 2011, the event was cancelled in the wake of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.[citation needed]
  • Kaze No Bon - held annually on September 1 to 3, in the Yatsuo region.[10]

Educational Institutions

Sister cities

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ [1]
  3. ↑ [2]
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ "Annual Report 2013." Hokuriku Electric Power Company. Retrieved on August 28, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Corporate Info." Nachi-Fujikoshi. Retrieved on August 27, 2014.
  8. ↑ "About INTEC." INTEC. Retrieved on August 27, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Corporate Data." Hokuhoku Financial Group. Retrieved on August 28, 2014.
  10. ↑ Visit Toyama. (2008). Visit Toyama. Retrieved Jan. 6, 2013, from prefectural web site, English version.

External links

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