Himeji
Himeji
姫路市 | |
---|---|
Evergreen Oak |
Himeji (姫路市, Himeji-shi) is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. As of 1 June 2022[update], the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of 980 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 534.35 square kilometres (206.31 sq mi).[1]
Geography
Himeji is located in the central western part of the Harima Plain in the western part of Hyogo Prefecture, and is the central city of the Harima region of the prefecture. The Ichikawa River is located in the central eastern part of the city, and the Senba River and Noda River are located in the center. The Ieshima Islands in the Seto Inland Sea are within the city limits and are located off the coast of Harima Bay. The city is surrounded by the mountains and the sea.
Neighbouring municipalities
Hyōgo Prefecture
Climate
Himeji has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Summers are significantly wetter than winters. The average annual temperature in Himeji is 15.6 °C (60.1 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,254.7 mm (49.40 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.8 °C (82.0 °F), and lowest in January, at around 4.4 °C (39.9 °F).[2] The highest temperature ever recorded in Himeji was 38.0 °C (100.4 °F) on 31 August 2020; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −10.0 °C (14.0 °F) on 24 January 1963.[3]
Climate data for Himeji (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1948−present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 17.5 (63.5) |
21.6 (70.9) |
23.3 (73.9) |
28.0 (82.4) |
31.8 (89.2) |
34.9 (94.8) |
37.3 (99.1) |
38.0 (100.4) |
36.6 (97.9) |
31.8 (89.2) |
26.4 (79.5) |
21.5 (70.7) |
38.0 (100.4) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.6 (49.3) |
10.4 (50.7) |
13.8 (56.8) |
19.1 (66.4) |
23.7 (74.7) |
26.8 (80.2) |
30.5 (86.9) |
32.5 (90.5) |
28.6 (83.5) |
23.1 (73.6) |
17.3 (63.1) |
11.9 (53.4) |
20.6 (69.1) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) |
5.0 (41.0) |
8.3 (46.9) |
13.6 (56.5) |
18.5 (65.3) |
22.4 (72.3) |
26.4 (79.5) |
27.8 (82.0) |
23.8 (74.8) |
17.9 (64.2) |
11.9 (53.4) |
6.6 (43.9) |
15.6 (60.0) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.2 (32.4) |
0.5 (32.9) |
3.2 (37.8) |
8.2 (46.8) |
13.5 (56.3) |
18.5 (65.3) |
23.0 (73.4) |
24.0 (75.2) |
19.8 (67.6) |
13.4 (56.1) |
7.3 (45.1) |
2.4 (36.3) |
11.2 (52.1) |
Record low °C (°F) | −10.0 (14.0) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−7.6 (18.3) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
1.5 (34.7) |
7.9 (46.2) |
13.0 (55.4) |
14.3 (57.7) |
8.9 (48.0) |
1.7 (35.1) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−7.4 (18.7) |
−10.0 (14.0) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 36.9 (1.45) |
48.6 (1.91) |
92.0 (3.62) |
104.7 (4.12) |
127.3 (5.01) |
160.4 (6.31) |
184.3 (7.26) |
105.4 (4.15) |
177.8 (7.00) |
108.7 (4.28) |
61.2 (2.41) |
47.5 (1.87) |
1,254.7 (49.40) |
Average snowfall cm (inches) | 1 (0.4) |
4 (1.6) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (0.4) |
6 (2.4) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 4.7 | 6.0 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 9.0 | 10.8 | 10.3 | 7.0 | 9.3 | 7.5 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 92.9 |
Average snowy days (≥ 1 cm) | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 1.5 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
70 | 69 | 67 | 66 | 70 | 75 | 78 | 73 | 74 | 73 | 73 | 72 | 72 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 149.1 | 142.5 | 173.7 | 191.8 | 203.1 | 156.0 | 172.1 | 209.9 | 158.8 | 167.4 | 154.8 | 155.1 | 2,034.4 |
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[3][2] |
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Himeji in 2020 is 530,495 people.[4] Himeji has been conducting censuses since 1920.
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1920 | 209,208 | — |
1925 | 221,240 | +5.8% |
1930 | 232,805 | +5.2% |
1935 | 244,556 | +5.0% |
1940 | 270,719 | +10.7% |
1945 | 308,321 | +13.9% |
1950 | 325,329 | +5.5% |
1955 | 348,365 | +7.1% |
1960 | 372,824 | +7.0% |
1965 | 412,507 | +10.6% |
1970 | 447,666 | +8.5% |
1975 | 479,360 | +7.1% |
1980 | 494,825 | +3.2% |
1985 | 506,101 | +2.3% |
1990 | 509,129 | +0.6% |
1995 | 527,854 | +3.7% |
2000 | 534,969 | +1.3% |
2005 | 536,232 | +0.2% |
2010 | 536,338 | +0.0% |
2015 | 535,664 | −0.1% |
2020 | 530,495 | −1.0% |
Himeji population statistics[4] |
History
Himeji has been the center of
On March 27, 2006, the town of Yasutomi (from Shisō District), the town of Kōdera (from Kanzaki District), and the towns of Ieshima and Yumesaki (both from Shikama District) were merged into Himeji.
Air raids
During
Government
Himeji has a
Mayors of Himeji City (1889–Present)
|
|
Economy
Himeji is located within the Hanshin Industrial Area and Harima Seaside Industrial Areas. The coastal region is heavily industrialized, with steel mills, chemical plants, semiconductor and automobile electronics predominating. In addition,
Education
Colleges and universities
- University of Hyogo - Himeji Institute of Technology
- Himeji University
- Himeji Dokkyo University
- Himeji Hinomoto College
- Kenmei Women's Junior College (1951–2008)
Primary and secondary schools
Himeji has 66 public elementary schools, 32 public middle schools and three public high schools operated by the city government and 13 public high schools operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Department of Education. There are also four private combined middle/high schools. There are also four special education school for the handicapped, one operated by the city and three by the prefecture.
A
Transportation
Railway
- Himeji-Bessho - Gochaku - Higashi-Himeji - Himeji --- Agaho - Harima-Katsuhara - Aboshi
- Himeji - Harima-Takaoka - Yobe - Ōichi
Sanyo Electric Railway - Main Line
- Ōshio - Matogata - Yaka - Shirahamanomiya - Mega - Shikama - Kameyama - Tegara - Sanyo Himeji
- Shikama - Nishi-Shikama - Yumesakigawa - Hirohata - Sanyo-Temma - Hiramatsu - Sanyo-Aboshi
Highways
- San'yō Expressway
- Chūgoku Expressway
- Bantan Renraku Road
- National Route 2
- National Route 29
- National Route 179
- National Route 250
- National Route 312
- National Route 372
- National Route 436
Ferries
- Shodoshima Ferry: Himeji Kazuma Port-Fukuda Port (Shōdoshima)
- Bozeki Kisen: Himeji Kazuma Port - Tanga Island - Boze Island
- Kosoku Ieshima: Himeji Kazuma Port - Iejima
- Takafuku Liner: Himeji Kazuma Port - Iejima
International relations
Himeji is
Twin towns – Sister cities
International
- Charleroi, Belgium
- Phoenix, Arizona, United States[9]
- Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
- South Gyeongsang, South Korea
Japan
- Matsumoto, in Nagano Prefecture
- Tottori, capital city in Tottori Prefecture
Sister castles
- Château de Chantilly in Chantilly, France
- Conwy Castle (Castell Conwy) in North Wales, since October 2019[10]
Local attractions
- World Heritage Site. For over 400 years, Himeji Castle has remained intact, even throughout the extensive bombing of Himeji in World War II and natural disasters such as the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake and various typhoons.[11][12][13]
- Engyō-ji temple
- Mount Seppiko
- Himeji Central Park (a safari park)
- Himeji City Tegarayama Botanical Garden
- Harima Kokubun-ji ruins, National Historic Site
- Koko-en Garden.
- Okishio Castle - A castle ruin, Home castle of the Akamatsu clan.
-
Koko-en Garden
-
Tegarayama Central Park
Notable people from Himeji
- Kuroda Kanbei (黒田 官兵衛) (1546–1604), famed strategist under Toyotomi Hideyoshi
- Mikinosuke Kawaishi (川石 酒造之助) (1899–1969), judoka
- Aya Matsuura (松浦 亜弥) (1986-), entertainer
- Psycho le Cému (サイコ・ル・シェイム), visual kei rock band
- Kenzō Takada (高田 賢三) (1939-2020), fashion designer
- Tetsuro Watsuji (和辻 哲郎) (1889-1960), philosopher and historian
- Masahisa Takenaka (竹中 正久) (1933-1985), the 4th kumicho of Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest yakuza syndicate
References
- ^ a b "Himeji city official statistics" (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan.
- ^ a b 気象庁 / 平年値(年・月ごとの値). JMA. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
- ^ a b 観測史上1~10位の値(年間を通じての値). JMA. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
- ^ a b Himeji population statistics
- ^ 21st Bomber Command Tactical Mission Report 247, 250, Ocr
- ^ "David Millet".
- ^ ウリハッキョ一覧. Chongryon. Archived from the original on December 19, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2015..
- ^ Sister Cities Archived 2014-07-12 at the Wayback Machine. City of Himeji. Retrieved August 24, 2008. (in Japanese)
- ^ "Phoenix Sister Cities". Phoenix Sister Cities. Archived from the original on 2013-07-24. Retrieved 2013-08-06.
- ^ "Conwy and Himeji castles' twinning starts "beautiful friendship"". BBC News. November 7, 2019.
- The Daily Yomiuri. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
- ^ "Himeji Castle starts its renovation in April". Official Tourism Guide for Japan Travel. Archived from the original on March 24, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
- ^ "Himeji Castle". Japan Atlas. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
External links
- Himeji City official website (in Japanese)
- Official tourism website (in English)
- Geographic data related to Himeji at OpenStreetMap