Itō, Shizuoka Explained

Itō
Native Name Lang:ja
Settlement Type:City
Pushpin Map:Japan
Pushpin Map Caption: 
Coordinates:34.9657°N 139.1019°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Japan
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Chūbu (Tōkai)
Subdivision Type2:Prefecture
Subdivision Name2:Shizuoka
Established Title:First official recorded
Established Date:680 AD
Established Title2:City settled
Established Date2:August 10, 1947
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Tatsuya Ono (from May 2017)
Area Total Km2:124.10
Population Total:63343
Population As Of:August 1, 2023
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:Japan Standard Time
Utc Offset1:+9
Blank Name Sec1:City Symbols
Blank1 Name Sec1:- Tree
Blank1 Info Sec1:Camellia
Blank2 Name Sec1:- Flower
Blank2 Info Sec1:Camellia
Blank3 Name Sec1:- Bird
Blank3 Info Sec1:Blue Rock-thrush
Blank Name Sec2:Phone number
Blank Info Sec2:0557-36-0111
Blank1 Name Sec2:Address
Blank1 Info Sec2:2-1-1 Ōhara, Ito-shi, Shizuoka-ken 414-8555

right|280px|thumb|Itō City Hall is a city located on the eastern shore of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan., the city had an estimated population of 63,343 [1] and a population density of 510 persons per km2. The total area was 124.13sqkm.

Geography

Itō is located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, on the northeast corner of Izu Peninsula, facing Sagami Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The landscape is hilly, and the heavily indented coastline is scenic. Much of the coastal area of the city is within the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, and due to this, the city is noted for its onsen hot springs with many hotels and resorts. It is located within the Izu-Tobu volcanic zone. Due to its proximity to the Tokyo metropolis and ease of transportation, it has been noted as the most visited national park in all Japan.

Surrounding municipalities

Shizuoka Prefecture

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[2] the population of Itō peaked in around the year 2000.

Climate

The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Itō is 14.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2200 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.1 °C, and lowest in January, at around 5.3 °C.[3]

History

During the Edo period, all of Izu Province was tenryō territory under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate, and the area now comprising Itō was occupied by 15 small farming and fishing hamlets. It was in this area that the Tokugawa shogunate ordered Englishman William Adams to construct Japan's first western-style sailing vessels in 1604. The first ship, an 80-ton vessel, was used for surveying work, and the second ship, the 120-ton San Buena Ventura was sailed to Mexico. The period is commemorated in Itō by a street named after Adams (Anjinmiuradori). The area was reorganized into four villages (Tsushima, Itō, Komuro and Usami) within Kamo District with the establishment of the modern municipalities system in the early Meiji period in 1889, and was transferred to Tagata District in 1896.

On January 1, 1906 the village of Itō was elevated to town status. The 1923 Great Kanto earthquake caused damage in Itō with a 5 meter high tsunami. Train services started in 1938. It annexed neighboring Komuro Village on August 10, 1947 and became the city of Itō. In 1950 Itō was proclaimed an "International Tourism and Cultural City" by the central government. It further expanded through annexation of neighboring Tsushima and Usami villages on April 1, 1955. Izu-Kōgen Station opened on December 10, 1961, which helped promote tourism to the local resort area.

Government

Itō has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 20 members. The city contributes one member to the Shizuoka Prefectural Assembly.

Economy

Itō is one of the well known hot spring resort towns near the greater Tokyo metropolis, one of the best three in all of Japan, thus tourism is the mainstay of the economy. Commercial fishing and the production of stockfish form a secondary economy. Itō has a fishing commercial harbour as well as the popular Michi no Eki Itō Marine Town rest area with a yacht harbour, along the coast along Road 135.

Education

Itō has ten public elementary schools and five public middle schools operated by the city government and two public high schools operated by the Shizuoka Prefectural Board of Education. In addition, the prefecture also operates one special education school for the disabled.

Transportation

Railway

Highways

Sister city relations

Local attractions

Notable people from Itō

Itō in media

Notes and References

  1. https://www.city.ito.shizuoka.jp/gyosei/index.html Itō City official statistics
  2. https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-shizuoka.php Itō population statistics
  3. https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/shizuoka/ito-764695/ Itō climate data
  4. Web site: International Exchange. List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). 21 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160113132810/http://www.clair.or.jp/cgi-bin/simai/e/03.cgi?p=22&n=Shizuoka%20Prefecture. 13 January 2016. dead.