Ichihara, Chiba facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ichihara 市原市
City
Kominato Line, Keiyō Industrial Zone & Mount Fuji Takataki Dam Sunplaza Ichihara Umegase Gorge Kazusa Kokubun-ji Chiba Port district 4：Goi・Anegasaki
Flag Seal
Location of Ichihara in Chiba Prefecture
Ichihara Location in Japan
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Chiba
First official recorded	mid 3rd century (official)
Goi town settled	May 20, 1891
Ichihara town settled	March 31, 1955
Both town merged and city settled	May 1, 1963
Area
• Total	368.17 km2 (142.15 sq mi)
Population  (December 1, 2020)
• Total	274,117
• Density	744.539/km2 (1,928.348/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number	0436-22-1111
Address	1-1-1 Kokubunjidai Chūō, Ichihara-shi, Chiba-ken 290-8501
Climate	Cfa
Symbols Bird Japanese bush-warbler Flower Cosmos Tree Ginkgo biloba

Ichihara City Hall

Ichihara (市原市 (Ichihara-shi)) is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of December 2020, about 274,117 people lived in Ichihara. The city covers an area of about 368 square kilometers (142 square miles).

Ichihara is a big part of the Greater Tokyo Area. It is also home to the JEF United football (soccer) club, which it shares with the city of Chiba.

Exploring Ichihara's Geography

Ichihara is found in the western part of the Bōsō Peninsula. It is the largest city in Chiba Prefecture by land area. The southern part of the city has mountains and hills.

The northern part of Ichihara is very industrial. It faces Tokyo Bay. Many people live in Ichihara, and it acts as a "satellite town" for Tokyo and Chiba City. This means many residents work or study in those bigger cities.

Neighboring Cities and Towns

Ichihara shares its borders with several other places in Chiba Prefecture:

• Chiba
• Mobara
• Sodegaura
• Kisarazu
• Kimitsu
• Nagara
• Chōnan
• Ōtaki

Ichihara's Climate

Ichihara has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has warm summers and cool winters. There is usually little to no snowfall. The average temperature each year is about 15.1 degrees Celsius (59.2°F).

The city gets a lot of rain, about 1673 millimeters (65.9 inches) per year. October is usually the wettest month. August is the warmest month, with temperatures around 26.5 degrees Celsius (79.7°F). January is the coldest, at about 4.1 degrees Celsius (39.4°F).

A Look at Ichihara's History

The area where Ichihara is today was once the center of an ancient Japanese province called Kazusa province. Archeologists have found the ruins of the Nara period Kazusa Kokubun-ji temple here. This was a very important provincial temple.

During the Sengoku period (a time of civil wars in Japan), different powerful families fought over this area. These included the Chiba clan and the Satomi clan. Later, during the Edo period, the land was split into different areas. Some parts were controlled by local lords, and others were directly managed by the main Japanese government.

Important Dates in Ichihara's History

• In the Meiji period, around the late 1800s, the area was organized into many small villages.
• In September 1923, a very strong earthquake, the Great Kanto earthquake, affected the city.
• By 1945, many of these small villages had joined together to form five towns and 16 villages.
• The modern city of Ichihara was officially created on May 1, 1963, by merging several towns and villages.
• On October 1, 1967, the town of Nansō and the village of Kamo became part of Ichihara.
• On March 11, 2011, a powerful earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. This caused a fire at an oil refinery in Ichihara.

Ichihara's Population Over Time

The number of people living in Ichihara grew a lot for many decades. Recently, the population has stayed about the same.

Economy and Industry

Ichihara's economy is strong because of its large industrial area. This area is located along Tokyo Bay. The city has many oil refineries, more than any other place in Japan.

It also has companies that produce power, make petrochemicals (chemicals from oil and gas), and build ships. These industries provide many jobs and help the city's economy grow.

Education in Ichihara

Ichihara has many schools for young people. The city government runs 41 public elementary schools and 21 public middle schools. The Chiba Prefectural Board of Education operates six public high schools.

There is also one private elementary school and two private high schools. For students with special needs, the prefecture runs one special education school. Ichihara is also home to Teikyo Heisei University.

Getting Around Ichihara: Transportation

Ichihara has a good transportation system, including railways and highways.

Railway Lines

Several train lines serve Ichihara, making it easy to travel.

• JR East – Uchibō Line
  • Yawatajuku - Goi - Anegasaki
• Keisei Electric Railway – Keisei Chihara Line
  • Chiharadai
• Kominato Railway – Kominato Line
  • Goi - Kazusa-Murakami - Amaariki - Kazusa-Mitsumata - Kazusa-Yamada - Kōfūdai - Umatate - Kazusa-Ushiku - Kazusa-Kawama - Kazusa-Tsurumai - Kazusa-Kubo - Takataki - Satomi - Itabu - Tsukizaki - Kazusa-Ōkubo - Yōrōkeikoku

Major Highways

Highways connect Ichihara to other parts of Japan.

• Ken-Ō Expressway
• Tateyama Expressway
• National Route 16
• National Route 297
• National Route 409

Sister City

Ichihara has a special connection with another city far away.

• Mobile, Alabama, United States, since November 10, 1993. This means they are "sister cities" and share cultural and educational exchanges.

Famous People from Ichihara

Many talented people come from Ichihara, including:

• Chiaki, a singer
• Neko Hiroshi, a marathon runner
• Katsushige Kawashima, a boxer
• Hirotoshi Ishii, a baseball player
• Kohei Kudo, a soccer player
• Suzuran Yamauchi, a TV personality (tarento)

See also

In Spanish: Ichihara (Chiba) para niños