is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be de ...

in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 188,693 in 76,087 households, and a population density of 2,193 persons per km². The total area of the city was .

Geography

Pedestrian deck at the south exit of Anjo Station

Anjō is situated in southern Aichi Prefecture, approximately from central Nagoya, in the center of the Okazaki Plain, on the west bank of the Yahagi River. National Route 1 and

National Route 23 Route 23, or Highway 23, can refer to: International * European route E23 Australia * Federal Highway (Australia) * Monaro Highway * (South Australia) * Dorat Road (not signed everywhere) Austria * Autobahn Südosttangente Wien Canada * Alber ...

provide the main east-west access through the city, with Aichi Prefectural Route 48 running between the two.

Climate

The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

''Cfa''). The average annual temperature in Anjō is 15.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1576 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.4 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Anjō has grown rapidly over the past 70 years.

Neighboring municipalities

; Aichi Prefecture *

Okazaki Okazaki may refer to: *Okazaki (surname) *Okazaki, Aichi, a city in Japan *Okazaki Castle, a castle in Japan *Okazaki fragments Okazaki fragments are short sequences of DNA nucleotides (approximately 150 to 200 base pairs long in eukaryotes) w ...

* Hekinan * Takahama * Kariya *

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

Chiryū is a city in central Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 71,992 in 32,579 households, and a population density of 4,414 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Chiryū is situated in central Ai ...

* Nishio

History

Origins

The area of present-day Anjō has been continuously occupied since preshistoric times. Archaeologists have found numerous remains from the

Japanese Paleolithic The is the period of human inhabitation in Japan predating the development of pottery, generally before 10,000 BC. The starting dates commonly given to this period are from around 40,000 BC; although any date of human presence before 35,000 BC ...

period and burial mounds from the Kofun period.

Ancient history

During the

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara, Nara, Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remai ...

, the area was assigned to ancient Hekikai County, and was divided into several '' shōen'' during the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese ...

, largely under the control of the

Fujiwara clan was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since the ancient times and dominated the imperial court until ...

or the Taira clan.

Middle Ages

However, in the

Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first '' shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...

, parts of the territory came under the control of the

Jōdo Shinshū , also known as Shin Buddhism or True Pure Land Buddhism, is a school of Pure Land Buddhism. It was founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran. Shin Buddhism is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan. History Shinran ...

sect, who challenged the secular authority of the various

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of History of Japan#Medieval Japan (1185–1573/1600), medieval and Edo period, early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retai ...

clans, most notably the Matsudaira clan. During the

Sengoku period The was a period in Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga shogunate. Variou ...

, numerous fortifications were erected in the area.

Early modern period

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fel ...

unified the region and destroyed the power of the Jōdo Shinshū sect in the Battle of Azukizaka (1564). During the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional ''daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was character ...

, half of present-day Anjō was controlled by Okazaki Domain and the other half by

Kariya Domain was a feudal domain of the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate located in Mikawa Province (modern-day Aichi Prefecture), Japan, what is now part of the modern-day cities of Kariya and Anjō. It was centered on Kariya Castle, which was located i ...

under the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in ...

with some scattered portions of '' tenryō'' territory ruled directly by the shogunate. During this period, the area was noted for its production of cotton and textiles.

Late modern period

At the start of the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

, on October 1, 1889, Anjō was one of a collection of villages organized within

Hekikai District was a rural district located in central Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As a result of various consolidations and mergers of municipalities, the district was incorporated into the five cities of Kariya, Anjō, Takahama, Chiryū and Hekinan in 2005. H ...

, Aichi Prefecture by the establishment of the modern municipalities system,. It was elevated to town status on May 1, 1906. The opening of the Meiji Irrigation Canal transformed the area in the 1920s and 1930s into one of the most agriculturally productive regions of the period, sparking the comparison with Denmark, then regarded the most highly advanced agricultural nation in the world. This led to Anjō's moniker of , which remains in the form of Den Park, a Danish theme park, as well as Den Beer, a microbrew available in the park.

Contemporary history

Anjō was elevated to city status on May 3, 1952. On April 1, 1967, it annexed the neighboring town of Sakurai.

Government

Anjō has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one. Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multi ...

city legislature of 28 members. The city contributes two members to the Aichi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Aichi District 13 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Anjō is a regional commercial center with a mixed economy of manufacturing and agriculture.

Primary sector of the economy

Agriculture

In addition to rice, wheat, and soybeans, notable agricultural products include figs, Japanese pears, and

cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

in neighboring Toyota City, Anjō is host to many factories supplying components into the automobile industry.

Companies headquartered in Anjō

* Makita, power tools, founded in Anjō, 1915. *Aisin AW, automotive components *Anden, automotive components *Central Motor Wheel, automotive components *Hekikai Shinkin Bank *Sugi Holdings, pharmaceuticals *Tosho Holdings, real estate File:The headquarters of AISIN AW.jpg, The headquarters of AISIN AW File:20160722 306 libramont.jpg, Makita lawn mowers File:Sugi Pharmacy headquarters.2008.jpg, Sugi Pharmacy headquarters File:Tosho Building 2008.jpg, Tosho Building File:Anforet exterior 2019-02 ac (4).jpg, Anforet main building File:Anforet outdoor plaza2017-06-02 ac (1).jpg, Anforet outdoor plaza

Education

Schools

Primary and secondary education *Anjō has 21 public elementary schools and eight public middle schools operated by the city government. The city has four public high schools operated by the Aichi Prefectural Board of Education. In addition the prefecture operates one special education school for the handicapped.

International schools

* Escola São Paulo – Brazilian school (Ensinos Fundamental e Médio)Escolas Brasileiras Homologadas no Japão

Archive
. Embassy of Brazil in Tokyo. Retrieved on October 13, 2015. "Endereço: 1-3-4 Sasame-cho, Anjo-shi, Aichi-ken 446-0073"

Professional development school

*Denso Technical Skills Academy

Transportation

Railways

The Tōkaidō Shinkansen stops at

Mikawa-Anjō Station is a railway station in the city of Anjō, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Tōkai). Lines Mikawa-Anjō Station is served by the Tokaido Shinkansen and Tōkaidō Main Line, and is located from the starting ...

, but

Anjō Station 270px, Platforms is a railway station in the city of Anjō, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Tōkai). Lines Anjō Station is served by the Tōkaidō Main Line, and is located 333.7 kilometers from the sta ...

on the

Tōkaidō Main Line The is a major Japanese railway line of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) network, connecting and stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities. The high-speed Tōkaidō Shinkansen largely parall ...

and Shin-Anjō Station on the

Meitetsu , referred to as , is a private railway company operating around Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture of Japan. Some of the more famous trains operated by Meitetsu include the '' Panorama Car'' and the '' Panorama Car Super'', both of which ...

Nagoya Main Line {{BS-map , title=Nagoya Main Line , title-bg=red , top= *Subway: Nagoya Municipal Subway *Lines are Meitetsu unless otherwise noted , collapse=yes , map= {{BS, STR, , , Tokaido Main Line} {{BS3, , STR, hSTR, , , Tokaido Shinkansen} {{BS5, ...

and

Nishio Line The is a railway line operated by the private railway operator Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu) in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, connecting Shin Anjō and Kira Yoshida. It originally included a branch from Nishio-guchi to Okazaki-shin on the Tokaido Main ...

serve the commercial center of the city.

High-speed rail

;

Central Japan Railway Company * Tōkaidō Shinkansen：- –

Conventional lines

;

Central Japan Railway Company *

：- – – ; Meitetsu logomark 2

：- – *

：- – – – – – – –

Roads

Expressways

* Isewangan Expressway

Japan National Route

* * File:Mikawa-Anjō Station.jpg,

File:Mikawa-Anjo Station Tokaido Shinkansen platform - 2.jpg, Tōkaidō Shinkansen File:Anjo Station 2008.jpg,

Anjo Station Anjo is a given name. As a Portuguese name, it means angel. Notable people with the name include: * Anjo Buckman (born 1989), German rugby union player * Anjo Caram (born 1991), Filipino basketball player * Anjo Damiles (born 1996), Filipin ...

File:Toyota-Anjo Cycling Road in Daito-cho.jpg, Cycling Road from Anjō to Toyota

External relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

International

* Huntington Beach（California, United States of America） **since July 4, 1992 * Hobsons Bay（ Victoria, Australia） **since October 15, 1994 *

Kolding Kolding () is a Danish seaport located at the head of Kolding Fjord in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is the seat of Kolding Municipality. It is a transportation, commercial, and manufacturing centre, and has numerous industrial compani ...

（ Southern Denmark, Denmark） **since January 21, 2009

Local attractions

Tourist attraction

;National Historic Sites * Honshōji – Buddhist temple that was the site of the Battle of Azukizaka (1564) *

Futago Kofun 1936 map of Futago Kofun The is a Kofun period burial mound, located in the Sakurai neighborhood of the city of Anjō, Aichi in the Tōkai region of Japan. The tumulus was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1927, and its border ...

Himeogawa Kofun The is a Kofun period burial mound located in the Himeogawa neighborhood of the city of Anjō, Aichi in the Tōkai region of Japan. The tumulus was designated as a National Historic Site in 1927. Overview The Himeogawa Kofun is located on ...

; Other historical sites *Anjō Castle – Site of Anjo Castle, built in 1480, destroyed in 1562 *Anjō shrine *Meijigawa Shrine File:Ansho Castle 08.jpg, Anjō Castle File:本證寺 (安城市)02.jpg, Honshōji temple File:Anjo shrine ac (3).JPG, Anjō shrine File:Meijigawa Shrine 1.jpg, Meijigawa Shrine File:160312 Whole view of Futago Kofun.jpg, Futago Kofun ;Parks *Den Park *Horiuchi Park File:Denpark main gate.jpg, Den Park File:Horiuchi Park 140613.JPG, Horiuchi Park

Culture

Festival

*Anjo Tanabata Festival

Sports

Anjo City Sports Center in 2018 ac.jpg,

Anjō City Gymnasium Anjō City Gymnasium (安城市体育館, ''Anjō-shi Taiikukan'') is an arena in Anjo, Aichi, Japan. It is the home arena of the Aisin AW Areions Anjo of the B.League The B.League is a professional men's basketball league that began in Japan ...

Anjo Sports Park softball field ac.jpg, Anjo Sports Park Softball Field File:Aisin AW Gymnasium2.jpg,

Aisin AW Gymnasium Anjochiku Kibonooka Gymnasium is an arena in Anjo, Aichi, Japan. It is the home arena of the Aisin Areions of the B.League The B.League is a professional men's basketball league that began in Japan in September 2016. The league is operated ...

Notable people

* Tohru Fukuyama, organic chemist * Tam Nakano (Real Name: Yuria Tauchi, Nihongo: 田内友里愛, ''Tauchi Yuria''), professional wrestler * Kazuchika Okada, professional wrestler * Ayumi Tanimoto, Olympic gold-medalist judo wrestler * Ryōka Yuzuki, voice actress *

Goiti Yamauchi is a Japanese-born Brazilian mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Welterweight division for Bellator MMA. As of December 13, 2022, he is #5 in the Bellator Welterweight Rankings. Background Yamauchi was born in Anjō, Aichi to ...

, Japanese Brazilian Mixed martial artist *

Tsuneko Gauntlett Tsuneko Yamada Gauntlett (ガントレット恒, October 26, 1873 – November 29, 1953), born Yamada Tsune, was a Japanese temperance, suffrage, and peace activist. In 1937 she was international president of the Pan-Pacific Women's Association. ...

, suffrage, and peace activist

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Anjo, Aichi Cities in Aichi Prefecture Anjō, Aichi