Chiba Prefecture

Chiba Prefecture was settled in prehistoric times, as evidenced by the Jōmon period remains in every part of the region. The prefecture holds the largest kaizuka sea shell mounds in Japan, evidence of a large population in the prefecture that relied on the rich marine products of the Pacific Ocean and Tokyo Bay. Kofun burial mounds are found across the prefecture, with the largest group being in Futtsu along Tokyo Bay.[7]

In the Asuka period (538 – 710), under the Taika Reform of 645, the administrative structure of present-day Chiba Prefecture changed significantly. The historical province of Fusa Province, which may have covered much of Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures, was divided into two provinces: Shimōsa Province (also called Shimofusa) in the north and Kazusa Province in the southern area. Awa Province at the south of Chiba Prefecture, was separated from Kazusa Prefecture in 718. These administrative units existed until they were abolished and merged into Chiba Prefecture after the Meiji Restoration. The central government established a kokubunji provincial temple in each province.[8]

The imperial court gradually extended its authority over the three provinces in the Nara (710 – 794) and Heian (794 – 1185) periods. Shōen feudal estates were established across the three provinces, and the region became an important source of tax revenue, sending agricultural and other products to the capital in Kyoto. As the Heian period progressed, however, the kokushi provincial governors came to exert military power independent of the central government in Kyoto. The Chiba clan broke entirely with the imperial court and was instrumental in the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate.[8][9]

Student militia of the Japanese 52nd Army training on Kujūkuri Beach, early 1945

Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873, with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture. The 1923 Great Kantō earthquake caused widespread destruction in Chiba Prefecture, most notably in the southernmost part of the Boso Peninsula, where 1,300 residents were killed. Areas of the prefecture adjacent to Tokyo saw much damage, and mob violence against Koreans and other ethnic minorities occurred in the chaos after the earthquake in Funabashi, Ichikawa, and other areas.[10] Koreans, in several neighborhoods of Yachiyo, were killed, and a tower was erected in 1972 near Yachiyodai Station to memorialize those killed in the incident.[11] The militarization of Chiba Prefecture dates to the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905). Coastal fortifications were built along Tokyo Bay, as far south as Tateyama, to protect the capital of the Japanese Empire from attack. In the 1930s, the north and central areas of the prefecture became a center of large-scale military production, and military bases and fortifications were constructed in most of the coastal areas of the prefecture. After the United States took control of Saipan, the northern part of the prefecture (most notably the cities of Chiba and Chōshi) was firebombed. Much of the industrialized north of the prefecture was destroyed. Operation Coronet, one of two parts of Operation Downfall, was the planned land invasion of Tokyo in March 1946 by the United States. Coronet planned Kujūkuri Beach as one of two initial landing bases, the other being Hiratsuka via Sagami Bay. The U.S. First Army would enter at Kujūkuri, sweep across the Boso Peninsula, and meet the U.S. Eighth Army at Tokyo. The plan was not carried out since Japan surrendered after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.[12]

Nippon Steel Kimitsu Works, 2007, Kimitsu, Keiyō Industrial Zone

During the Occupation of Japan (1945–1952) Chiba Prefecture was controlled by American forces from the second floor of the prefectural capitol building in the city of Chiba. Numerous other cities in the prefecture, including Chōshi to the north and Tateyama to the south, were used as bases of the occupation; rich agricultural areas across the prefecture somewhat safeguarded the region's population from potential food shortages, and starvation, immediately following the war. The immediate post-war period was characterized by carefully planned industrial expansion in the north of the prefecture, and the significant increase of agriculture after land reforms across the prefecture. The Keiyō Industrial Zone brought together smaller, industrial areas along the entirety of the western coast of Chiba Prefecture, and the industrial zone became (and remains) an important center of heavy industrial production and large-scale port facilities in Japan. Cities to the northeast of the prefecture (in close proximity to Tokyo) were connected by rail to the capitol, and became and remain bedroom communities to Tokyo. Narita International Airport began operation in 1978 in Narita, after much protest to replace the overcrowded Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport). The majority of international air traffic enters Japan via Chiba Prefecture. The cultivation of rice and vegetables to feed the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area expanded greatly and became a source of income to the northeast and central areas of the prefecture. The expansion of agriculture in the central and southern regions of the prefecture was in contrast to the depopulation of these areas as a significant part of the population moved to the northeast of the prefecture as a result of the urbanization of Japan, a process that continues into the 21st century.

The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and the subsequent Fukushima nuclear disaster, caused some damage which affected areas as far south as Chiba Prefecture. While the loss of life and damage to housing and industry was far less than in the Tōhoku region, 20 people were killed in Chiba Prefecture, mostly from the tsunami that hit Asahi to the northeast of the prefecture; 13 deaths were recorded. An oil refinery fire broke out at the Cosmo Oil Chiba Refinery, in Ichihara, and was widely covered in the news media following the triple disaster. Large liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanks burned from March 11–21, 2011.[13] Soil liquefaction, in areas of reclaimed land across the northern and western areas of Chiba Prefecture, caused damage to housing.[14][15] Chiba City, Funabashi, Narashino, and especially Urayasu were greatly affected.[16] As a result of permanent damage to housing stock (due to soil liquefaction, and evidence of radioactive materials caused by the Fukushima radiation), the population of Chiba Prefecture fell for the first time since 1920.[14][17]

Coastal area in Emi, Kamogawa

With the exception of the large-scale Keiyō Industrial Zone in the northeast, the entirety of the coast of Chiba Prefecture is protected as two quasi-national parks and one prefectural natural park under the national park system of Japan. As of 1 April 2012, 6% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks.[19]

• Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park encompasses a large area of the Tone River basin and the area around Mount Tsukuba in Ibaraki Prefecture. The park was established in 1953 to protect not only the environment of the area, but also its unique cultural heritage. The mouth of the Tone River and to Cape Inubō and Byōbugaura in northeastern Chiba Prefecture make up the southern part of the park.[20]
• Minami Boso Quasi-National Park was established in 1953 to protect much of the southern coastal areas of Chiba Prefecture from Cape Futtsu on Tokyo Bay to Cape Inubō in northeastern Chiba Prefecture. The park spans across nine administrative districts in the prefecture. Minami Boso Quasi-National Park was established to protect not only the environment of coastal areas, but also the unique cultural assets of associated with these areas, notably the temples associated with Nichiren.[21]

Chiba Prefecture has designated and maintains eight prefectural natural parks to protect both natural and cultural areas, namely the Inba Tega, Kasamori Tsurumai, Kujūkuri, Mineokasankei, Ōtone, Takagoyama, Tomisan, and Yōrō Keikoku Okukiyosumi Prefectural Natural Parks.[22] Cities, towns, and villages in the prefecture also have designated and protected parklands. These parks are maintained for environmental protection as well as providing local recreational facilities.

With the introduction of modern municipalities (cities/towns/villages) in 1889, Chiba's districts were subdivided into 43 towns and 315 villages. The first city was created in 1921 when Chiba Town from Chiba District became district-independent as Chiba City. The postwar/1950s Great Shōwa mergers reduced the number of municipalities in Chiba to 101 by 1960, including 14 cities by then. The early 3rd millennium Great Heisei mergers created the current 54 municipalities by 2010.

Chiba Prefecture is home to one of Japan's largest industrial areas. Prior to World War II manufacturing in the prefecture was centered on the brewing industry, specifically the production of soy sauce, sake and mirin sweet cooking sake. The manufacturing sector expanded greatly after the war. The prefecture was chosen as the site for a major Kawasaki Steel factory in 1950. In the same period the prefectural government embarked on a large-scale land reclamation program to dredge large plots of waterfront property. The large-scale construction of factories, warehouses, and docks on this reclaimed land around the Tokyo Bay area ultimately formed the Keiyō Industrial Zone.[25] Chiba Prefecture is now 6th in Japan in industrial output with the bulk of the industry focused on the petroleum, chemical, and steel and machine industries.[26] Together, these industries account for forty-five percent of the prefecture's exports. In recent years, the government has funded more than eighty industrial parks to bring development further inland as well.

Rice production, Sawara, Katori

The prefecture also boasts Japan's overall second-highest agricultural output. Among all the prefectures, only Hokkaidō produces more agricultural products, and Chiba leads Hokkaidō in vegetable production. Peanuts are considered a specialty product of Chiba: 78 per cent of the country's peanuts are produced in the prefecture.[27]

Chiba Prefecture leads the nation in the production of several vegetables, including carrots; cabbage; daikon radish; negi, the ubiquitous Japanese cultivar of the Welsh onion; loquat; nashi, the Japanese cultivar of the pear, which has a two hundred-year history of cultivation in the prefecture; tomatoes; and spinach[28][29] It is the nation's second largest producer of corn.[28] Rice is also grown, and seaweed, specifically nori, is harvested in large quantities from Tokyo Bay.[30]

Chiba University Library

• Chiba
  • Chiba University in Inage, Chuo
  • Chiba Economic University in Inage
  • The Open University of Japan in Mihama
  • The Meteorological College of Japan
  • Heisei Teikyo University in Mihama
  • Shukutoku University in Chuo
  • Tokyo Information Sciences University in Wakaba
  • Tokyo Dental College in Mihama
  • Kanda University of International Studies in Mihama
  • Tokyo University of Career Development in Chuo
• Funabashi
  • Toho University - Narashino Campus
  • Nihon University - Funabashi Campus
• Matsudo
  • Nihon University - Matsudo Campus
  • Ryutsu Keizai University
  • Seitoku University
• Ichikawa
  • Chiba Commerce University
  • Wayo Women's University
• Kashiwa
  • University of Tokyo - Kashiwa Campus
  • Chiba University - Kashiwanoha Campus
  • Kaichi International University
  • Nishogakusha University - Kasiwa Campus
  • Reitaku University
• Narashino
  • Chiba Institute of Technology
  • Nihon University - Narashino and Mimomi Campus
• Ichihara
  • Heisei Teikyo University - Ichihara Campus
• Yachiyo
  • Shumei University
  • Tokyo Seitoku University
• Sakura
  • Keiai University - Sakura Campus
• Noda
  • Tokyo University of Science - Noda Campus
• Nagareyama
  • Edogawa University
  • Toyo Gakuen University
• Urayasu
  • Juntendo University - Urayasu Campus
  • Meikai University
  • Ryotokuji University
• Abiko
  • Chuo Gakuin University
  • Kawamura Gakuen Woman's University
• Kisarazu
  • Seiwa University
• Togane
  • Josai International University
• Inzai
  • Juntendo University - Sakura Campus
• Kamogawa
  • Kameda College of Health Sciences

The Chiba Prefectural Board of Education oversees municipal school districts in the prefecture. The board also directly operates the prefecture's public high schools.

Chiba Museum of Science and Industry

Chiba Prefecture is home to one national-level museum and several prefectural and local museums. The National Museum of Japanese History is located in Sakura and focuses on the history, archaeology, and folk culture of Japan.[32] The Chiba prefectural museums consist of a main museum, the Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba in the central Chuō-ku ward of Chiba City, and six branch museums throughout the prefecture. The Chiba Prefectural Museum of Art is in Chiba City. The Chiba Prefectural Boso-no-mura in Sakae focuses on the local culture of the late Edo period, and the Chiba Prefectural Otone Museum in Katori focuses on the culture of the Tone River basin. The reconstructed Japanese castles of Sekiyado and Ōtaki host regional historical museums. The Chiba Museum of Science and Industry is located in Ichikawa on the site of a former factory, and the Coastal Branch of Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba in Katsuura focuses on the marine environment of the Pacific Ocean coast.[33] Numerous other municipalities in the prefecture also host museums.

The Chiba Prefectural Library consists of three libraries. The Chiba Prefectural Central Library is located in the central Chuō-ku ward of Chiba City directly southwest of Chiba Castle and in close proximity to the City of Chiba offices. The Central Library houses a general collection as well as the central research collection for the prefecture.[34][35] The Chiba Prefectural West Library is located in Matsudo next to the Matsudo Museum,[36] and houses a research collection focused on natural history and the fine arts. The Chiba Prefectural East Library is located in Asahi,[37] and houses a research collection focused on the literature and history of the prefecture.[38] The Chiba Prefectural Archives are located across the Miyako River from the City of Chiba offices. The archive maintains a collection of rare books and materials from across the prefecture, as well as materials related to the administration of Chiba Prefecture.[39] Each municipality in the prefecture maintains a local libraries, and many shrines and temples maintain archival collections related to their institutions.

• X-League: Obic Seagulls (Narashino)
• X-League: IBM Big Blue (Yachiyo)

• J.League (J1): Kashiwa Reysol (Kashiwa)
• J.League (J2): JEF United Ichihara Chiba (Chiba, Ichihara)

• NPB: Chiba Lotte Marines (Chiba)

• B.League: Chiba Jets Funabashi (Funabashi)

• Nihon IBM Big Blue (Yachiyo)
• Kubota Spears (Funabashi)
• NEC Green Rockets (Abiko)

• F.League: Bardral Urayasu (Urayasu)

• V.Challenge League II: Chiba Zelva (Chiba)

Most Tokyo-bound visitors arriving on international flights land in Narita International Airport, which is situated in Narita in the north of the prefecture, and connected to Tokyo by the East Japan Railway's Narita Express and the Keisei Electric Railway's Skyliner.

Jōban Line

Narita Line

Kominato Railway

Isumi Railway

• East Japan Railway Company
  • Sōbu Main Line
    • Chūō-Sōbu Line
    • Sōbu Line (Rapid)
  • Jōban Line
    • Jōban Line (Local)
    • Jōban Line (Rapid)
  • Narita Line
  • Uchibō Line
  • Sotobō Line
  • Keiyō Line
  • Musashino Line
  • Tōgane Line
  • Kashima Line
  • Kururi Line
• Keisei
  • Main Line
  • Narita Sky Access
  • Chiba Line
  • Chihara Line
  • Higashi Narita Line
• Shin-Keisei Line
• Hokuso Line
• Toyo Rapid Line
• Shibayama Railway
• Tobu
  • Noda Line
• Tsukuba Express
• Tokyo Metro Tozai Line
• Toei Shinjuku Line
• Nagareyama Line
• Choshi Electric Railway
• Kominato Railway
• Isumi Railway
• Disney Resort Line

• Chiba Urban Monorail
• Yamaman Yukarigaoka Line

• Joban Expressway
• Narita Airport Expressway
• Higashi Kanto Expressway
• Tokyo Gaikan Expressway
• Tateyama Expressway
• Shuto Expressway
• Keiyo Road
• Togane Road
• Tokyo Bay Aqua Line

• Route 6
• Route 14
• Route 16
• Route 51
• Route 124
• Route 126
• Route 127
• Route 128
• Route 294
• Route 295
• Route 296
• Route 297
• Route 298
• Route 356
• Route 357
• Route 408
• Route 409
• Route 410
• Route 464
• Route 465

As of 2014, Chiba is divided into 54 contiguous municipalities (see list above): 37 cities, 16 towns and one village,[46] as in all of postwar Japan each with a directly elected mayor and assembly. The most populous and Chiba's only designated major city is the capital Chiba City. Two cities, Funabashi and Kashiwa, are core cities. After late 20th century mergers, much of the rest of the prefecture is also organized in independent cities: Of the (today purely geographical) counties, only six remain, four of which have only one or two remaining towns or villages. – After the reorganization of county and municipal governments in all prefectures in 1889/1890, there had initially been 12 counties and no city in Chiba;[47] Chiba town in Chiba county became the first municipality in Chiba to be elevated to city status in 1921.