Kashima, Ibaraki
Kashima (鹿嶋市, Kashima-shi) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2020, the city had an estimated population of 67,197 in 28,873 households and a population density of 634 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 31.5%.[1] The total area of the city is 106.02 square kilometres (40.93 sq mi). Kashima is the home of the J. League's Kashima Antlers. Its home field, Kashima Soccer Stadium, was used as a site during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The city is also the site of the Kashima Shrine, one of the oldest Shinto shrines in eastern Japan, and considered the birthplace of many influential styles of Japanese swordsmanship (Kenjutsu).
Kashima
鹿嶋市 | |
|---|---|
 Kashima city hall | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Kashima in Ibaraki Prefecture | |
  Kashima | |
| Coordinates: 35°57′56.3″N 140°38′41.4″E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kantō |
| Prefecture | Ibaraki |
| First official recorded | 660 BC |
| Town settled | April 1, 1889 |
| City settled | September 1, 1995 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Shinichi Taguchi (from April 2022) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 106.02 km2 (40.93 sq mi) |
| Population (July 2022) | |
| • Total | 66,098 |
| • Density | 620/km2 (1,600/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| Phone number | 0299-82-2911 |
| Address | 1187-1 Hirai, Kashima-shi, Ibaraki-ken 314-8655 |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Website | Official website |
| Symbols | |
| Bird | Green pheasant |
| Flower | Rosa rugosa |
| Tree | Pine |
Geography
Kashima is located in southeastern Ibaraki Prefecture, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east and Lake Kitaura (Lake Kasumigaura) to the west, with a width of less than 10 kilometers from east-to-west. It is approximately 110 kilometers to the northeast of Tokyo.
Climate
Kashima has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kashima is 15.0 °C (59.0 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,581.9 mm (62.28 in) with October as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.6 °C (78.1 °F), and lowest in January, at around 4.7 °C (40.5 °F).[2]
| Climate data for Kashima (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 19.3 (66.7) |
23.6 (74.5) |
24.3 (75.7) |
29.4 (84.9) |
32.6 (90.7) |
33.6 (92.5) |
36.6 (97.9) |
36.1 (97.0) |
36.4 (97.5) |
32.8 (91.0) |
25.6 (78.1) |
23.8 (74.8) |
36.6 (97.9) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 9.4 (48.9) |
9.9 (49.8) |
12.8 (55.0) |
17.5 (63.5) |
21.7 (71.1) |
24.2 (75.6) |
28.3 (82.9) |
29.9 (85.8) |
26.3 (79.3) |
21.3 (70.3) |
16.6 (61.9) |
11.8 (53.2) |
19.1 (66.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.7 (40.5) |
5.4 (41.7) |
8.5 (47.3) |
13.1 (55.6) |
17.3 (63.1) |
20.3 (68.5) |
24.1 (75.4) |
25.6 (78.1) |
22.7 (72.9) |
17.9 (64.2) |
12.5 (54.5) |
7.2 (45.0) |
14.9 (58.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 0.3 (32.5) |
1.0 (33.8) |
4.2 (39.6) |
9.0 (48.2) |
13.6 (56.5) |
17.3 (63.1) |
21.0 (69.8) |
22.7 (72.9) |
19.9 (67.8) |
14.7 (58.5) |
8.5 (47.3) |
2.9 (37.2) |
11.3 (52.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −5.8 (21.6) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
5.1 (41.2) |
9.8 (49.6) |
13.8 (56.8) |
15.8 (60.4) |
10.5 (50.9) |
4.7 (40.5) |
0.7 (33.3) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 88.2 (3.47) |
72.1 (2.84) |
129.8 (5.11) |
123.3 (4.85) |
132.7 (5.22) |
145.4 (5.72) |
134.8 (5.31) |
102.3 (4.03) |
210.9 (8.30) |
273.7 (10.78) |
105.8 (4.17) |
66.6 (2.62) |
1,581.9 (62.28) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 6.7 | 7.3 | 11.2 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 11.6 | 10.1 | 7.3 | 11.4 | 11.8 | 8.5 | 6.7 | 114 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 189.5 | 173.3 | 176.6 | 187.4 | 184.2 | 140.1 | 165.9 | 204.3 | 149.5 | 136.8 | 145.2 | 168.1 | 2,020.8 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[3][2] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
Per Japanese census data,[4] the population of Kashima has recently plateaued after a long period of growth.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 18,922 | — |
| 1930 | 20,284 | +7.2% |
| 1940 | 21,701 | +7.0% |
| 1950 | 27,481 | +26.6% |
| 1960 | 26,811 | −2.4% |
| 1970 | 34,700 | +29.4% |
| 1980 | 51,355 | +48.0% |
| 1990 | 59,092 | +15.1% |
| 2000 | 62,287 | +5.4% |
| 2010 | 66,093 | +6.1% |
| 2020 | 66,950 | +1.3% |
History
Kashima was developed from the Nara period together with the ichinomiya of Hitachi Province, Kashima Shrine. After the Meiji Restoration, the town of Kashima was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889 within Kashima District. In 1954, Kashima annexed with the neighboring villages of Takamatsu, Toyosu, Toyosato and Namino. Kashima merged with the village of Ono on September 1, 1995 and was elevated to city status.
Government
Kashima has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 20 members. Kashima contributes one member to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Ibaraki 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy
Kashima is the central city of the Kashima Industrial Zone, and it has a large industrial park with about 1500 factories, especially petrochemical and steel plants. The Japanese government created this zone in 1963, and the development was mostly completed in 1973. Agriculture and commercial fishing also play a part in the local economy.
Education
Kashima has 12 public elementary schools and five public middle schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education. There are also one private middle school and two private high schools.
- Seishin Gakuen Women's Junior College (1984-2003)
Sports
Kashima Antlers is the local J. League football club.
Transportation
Railway
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Highway
Seaport
Sister city relations
– Seogwipo, Jeju Province, Republic of Korea, since November 2003[5]
– Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, China, since November 2008[6]
Notable people from Kashima
- Tsukahara Bokuden, swordsman
- Harumi Hanayagi, actress
- Ryuta Sasaki, former professional soccer player
- Hitoshi Sogahata, professional soccer player
- Yuichi Nemoto, former professional soccer player
- Yasutaka Nomoto, professional soccer player
- Juri Takahashi, singer, dancer, K-pop idol and former J-pop idol, member of K-pop girlgroup Rocket Punch
- Yoko Matsugane, gravure idol
Gallery
Port of Kashima with Kamisu in the foreground
The Torii Gate at the entrance of Kashima Shrine
Monument for Kashima Antlers near Kashima Shrine
References
- "Ibaraki prefectural official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
- 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
- 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
- Kashima population statistics
- "Status of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Sister City". Island of World Peace, Jeju. Jeju Self-Governing Province. December 2009. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- "Yancheng". Welcome to Jiangsu China. Jiangsu Provincial government official site. 2005. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
External links
- Official Website (in Japanese)
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