| Kōriyama | |
| Settlement Type: | Core city |
| Pushpin Map: | Japan |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | |
| Coordinates: | 37.4004°N 140.3597°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Japan |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Tōhoku |
| Subdivision Type2: | Prefecture |
| Subdivision Name2: | Fukushima |
| Established Title: | First official recorded |
| Established Date: | 135 AD |
| Established Title2: | Town settled |
| Established Date2: | April 1, 1889 |
| Established Title3: | City settled |
| Established Date3: | September 1, 1924 |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Masato Shinagawa |
| Area Total Km2: | 757.20 |
| Population Total: | 321938 |
| 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: | Prunus serrulata (Japanese hill cherry) |
| Blank2 Name Sec1: | - Flower |
| Blank2 Info Sec1: | Japanese iris |
| Blank3 Name Sec1: | - Bird |
| Blank3 Info Sec1: | Common cuckoo |
| Blank4 Name Sec1: | - Fish |
| Blank5 Name Sec1: | - Insect |
| Blank Name Sec2: | Phone number |
| Blank Info Sec2: | 024-924-2491 |
| Blank1 Name Sec2: | Address |
| Blank1 Info Sec2: | 1-23-7 Asahi, Koriyama, Fukushima 963-8024[1] |
is a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan., the city had an estimated population of 321,938 people in 141760 households,[2] and a population density of 425 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 757.2sqkm. Kōriyama is designated as a core city and functions as a commercial center for Fukushima Prefecture. Kōriyama is the third largest conurbation in the Tōhoku region.
Kōriyama is located in the center of the Nakadōri region of Fukushima Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. The Adatara Mountains are to the north, Lake Inawashiro is to the west, and the Abukuma Highlands are to the east. The Abukuma River flows through downtown Kōriyama. The downtown area extends to the west of Kōriyama Station.
Kōriyama has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by hot wet summers and cool, quite dry winters. The average annual temperature in Kōriyama is . The average annual rainfall is 1216mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around, and lowest in January, at around .[3]
Per Japanese census data,[4] the population of Kōriyama has increased over the past 60 years.
Kōriyama originated as a regional governmental center in the Nara period, when the area was on the frontier of Yamato settlement of the Tōhoku region. The surrounding area developed into shōen controlled by various samurai clans in the Heian and Kamakura periods. Nearby centers, such as Nihonmatsu developed into castle towns under Hatakeyama clan and which were later controlled by the Date clan, Kōriyama remained as a commercial center and thrived as a post town because of its importance as a traffic focal point into the Edo period and was part of the territory of Nihonmatsu Domain.
With the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the town of Kōriyama was established within Asaka District. In the early Meiji period, many dispossessed samurai were assigned undeveloped lands in the area to reclaim and as a result, the population grew and region developed into an agricultural center. The relative abundance of hydroelectric power also helped with the development of local industry.
Kōriyama was raised from town to city status on September 1, 1924 with the annexation of neighboring Odawara Village. Kuwano Village was likewise annexed on June 1, 1925. During the 1930s, Kōriyama was noted a center for military equipment production. It was thus a target for American bombers during World War II, and the city was subject to three large-scale air raids during the war.
From 1954 to 1955, Kōriyama expanded by annexing the town of Otsuki and portions of the villages of Tomita and Iwae, and in 1965 annexed the villages of Nishida and Nakata. In 1997, the city received core city designation, giving it increased autonomy from national and prefectural governments.
On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake caused damage, but Kōriyama is located outside of the mandatory evacuation zone set by the Japanese government after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Many people from the evacuation zone relocated to Kōriyama. On 30 July 2020, a shabu-shabu restaurant exploded, damaging an area spanning several hundred meters.[5]
Kōriyama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 38 members. The city contributes nine members to the Fukushima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, Kōriyama is part of the Fukushima 2nd Electoral District, which includes neighbouring Nihonmatsu, Motomiya and Adachi District.
Sources:[6]
Kōriyama city is called the "commercial capital in Fukushima" and the economic bloc is the biggest in Fukushima Prefecture.
Kōriyama is an important transportation hub, as it is located in the center of Fukushima Prefecture and is the nexus of several railway lines and expressways. Kōriyama Station is the central station for the city. However, Kōriyama does not have an airport.
CATY
Kōriyama has ten public high schools operated by the Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education and six private high schools
Both Engaged to the Unidentified (未確認で進行形 - Mikakunin de Shinkoukei) and Kimi to Pico-Pico (きみとピコピコ) manga take place in the city. Fans have created maps in order to make related pilgrimages to their favorite locations.[9] [10]