Suzuka, Mie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Suzuka 鈴鹿市
City
Suzuka City Office
Flag Seal
Location of Suzuka in Mie Prefecture
Suzuka Location in Japan
Country	Japan
Region	Kansai
Prefecture	Mie
Area
• Total	194.46 km2 (75.08 sq mi)
Population  (August 2020)
• Total	197,977
• Density	1,018.086/km2 (2,636.83/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Japanese zelkova
- Flower	Satsuki azalea
Phone number	059-382-1100
Address	1-18-18 Kanbe, Suzuka-shi, Mie-ken 513-8701

Suzuka (鈴鹿市, Suzuka-shi) is a cool city located in Mie Prefecture, Japan. In 2020, about 198,000 people lived there. The city covers an area of about 194 square kilometers.

Exploring Suzuka's Location

Suzuka is in the northeast part of Mie Prefecture, on the Kii Peninsula. It's right next to Ise Bay on its eastern side. Some areas of the city are part of beautiful nature parks, like the Ise-no-Umi Prefectural Natural Park and the Suzuka Quasi-National Park.

Cities Near Suzuka

Suzuka shares borders with several other cities:

• In Mie Prefecture:

* Kameyama * Tsu * Yokkaichi

• In Shiga Prefecture:

* Kōka

Suzuka's Climate

Suzuka has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has warm summers and cool winters. There's usually not much snow. The average temperature in Suzuka is about 15.6 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit). It rains quite a bit, with about 1737 millimeters (68 inches) of rain each year. September is usually the wettest month. The hottest month is August, with temperatures around 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit). January is the coldest, at about 4.7 degrees Celsius (40 degrees Fahrenheit).

Suzuka's Growing Population

The number of people living in Suzuka has more than doubled in 50 years, from 1960 to 2010.

A Look Back: Suzuka's History

The name Suzuka appears in old Japanese records from the Nara period. An ancient road called the Tōkaidō passed through Suzuka. This road was very important for travel and trade.

During the Sengoku period, a powerful leader named Oda Nobutaka controlled the area from Kanbe Castle. Later, in the Edo period, the area was ruled by the Honda clan. Two important rest stops, Ishiyakushi-juku and Shōno-juku, were located here. They were busy because many people traveled to the famous Ise Grand Shrine.

Suzuka became a modern city on December 1, 1942. It was formed by combining the town of Kanbe with many smaller villages. Over the years, more villages joined Suzuka, making it larger.

Suzuka's Economy and Industry

Suzuka is an important industrial city. Big companies like Sharp and Honda have major factories here. These factories provide many jobs.

The city also has a unique approach to language. While Japanese schools teach English, Suzuka offers many classes in Portuguese and Spanish. This is because many workers from South America live and work in the city. Since 2004, the city even prints garbage information and local signs in both Japanese and Portuguese.

Learning in Suzuka: Education

Suzuka has many schools and colleges for students of all ages.

Colleges and Universities

• Suzuka International University
• Suzuka Junior College
• Suzuka National College of Technology
• Suzuka University of Medical Science

Schools for Kids and Teens

The city government runs 30 public elementary schools and 10 public middle schools. The Mie Prefectural Department of Education operates five public high schools. There is also one private middle school and one private high school. For students with special needs, there is a special education school.

International Schools

• Escola Alegria de Saber is a Brazilian school in Suzuka.

Getting Around: Transport in Suzuka

Suzuka has good transportation links, including trains and highways.

Train Lines

JR Tōkai – Kansai Main Line

• Kawano - Kasado

Ise Railway – Ise Line

• Suzuka – Tamagaki – Suzuka Circuit Inō – Tokuda – Nakaseko

Kintetsu Railway - Nagoya Line

• Nagonoura - Mida - Ise-Wakamatsu - Chiyozaki - Shiroko - Tsuzumigaura - Isoyama

Kintetsu Railway - Suzuka Line

• Ise-Wakamatsu - Yanagi - Suzukashi - Mikkaichi - Hiratachō

Major Highways

• Higashi-Meihan Expressway
• Shin-Meishin Expressway
• National Route 1
• National Route 23
• National Route 25
• National Route 306

Fun Things to See: Local Attractions

Suzuka has some interesting historical sites:

• Ise Kokubun-ji ruins, a National Historic Site
• Ise Kokufu ruins, also a National Historic Site
• Ōzuka Kofun, an ancient burial mound and National Historic Site

Sports in Suzuka

Suzuka is home to a few sports teams:

• Mie Honda Heat – a rugby club
• Atletico Suzuka Club – a soccer (association football) club

The Famous Suzuka Circuit

Suzuka Circuit map

The Suzuka Circuit is a world-famous racetrack owned by Honda. It has hosted the exciting Japanese Grand Prix many times since 1987. This track is special because it's the only one in the championship shaped like a figure-eight! Drivers really like it, even though it has many tricky turns. Next to the circuit is the Honda Safety Riding/Driving School. Here, thousands of people, including police officers, learn how to drive cars and motorcycles safely.

Friends Around the World: Sister Cities

Suzuka has two sister cities:

• Le Mans, Maine, France, since 1990
• Bellefontaine, Ohio, United States, since 1991

Famous People from Suzuka

Many talented people come from Suzuka, including:

• Miwa Asao, a beach volleyball player
• Hideo Fukuyama, a racing driver
• Reo Hatate, a professional soccer player
• Eisuke Nakanishi, a professional soccer player
• Takafumi Ogura, a professional soccer player
• Saitō Ryokuu, an author from the Meiji period
• Sumie Sakai, a professional wrestler
• Nobutsuna Sasaki, an author and poet
• Nobuhide Tachi, a racing driver
• Keisuke Tanimoto, a professional baseball player

See also

In Spanish: Suzuka (Mie) para niños