Yokkaichi facts for kids

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Yokkaichi

四日市市

Special city

Yokkaichi Port Building and Yokkaichi Port
Hureai mall	Yokkaichi Municipal Museum
Yokkaichi kombinat	Yokkaichi-Tonteki
Yokkaichi City skyline

Flag

Seal

Location of Yokkaichi in Mie Prefecture

Yokkaichi

Location in Japan

Country

Area

• Total

206.44 km² (79.71 sq mi)

Population

(August 2021)

• Total

310,259

• Density

1,502.90/km² (3,892.50/sq mi)

Time zone

UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)

Phone number

059-354-8244

Address

1-5 Suwa-chō, Yokkaichi-shi, Mie-ken 510-8601

Climate

Cfa


Symbols
Bird	Black-headed gull
Flower	Salvia splendens
Tree	Cinnamomum camphora

Yokkaichi (四日市市, Yokkaichi-shi) is a city in Mie Prefecture, Japan. As of August 2021, about 310,259 people lived here in 142,162 homes. The city covers an area of 206.44 square kilometers.

Geography of Yokkaichi

Yokkaichi is located in the north-central part of Mie Prefecture. It is part of the northeastern Kii Peninsula. The city stretches across Mie Prefecture. To the east, it borders Ise Bay on the Pacific Ocean. To the northwest, it borders Shiga Prefecture.

Cities and Towns Nearby

Yokkaichi shares borders with several other places.

In Mie Prefecture

Asahi
Inabe
Kawagoe
Komono
Kuwana
Suzuka
Tōin

In Shiga Prefecture

Kōka

Yokkaichi's Climate

Yokkaichi 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 15.2 °C (59.4 °F). The city gets about 1,807.3 mm (71.15 in) of rain annually. September is the wettest month. Temperatures are highest in August, around 26.8 °C (80.2 °F). They are lowest in January, at about 4.3 °C (39.7 °F).

Climate data for Yokkaichi (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1966−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	19.9 (67.8)	22.2 (72.0)	24.5 (76.1)	29.5 (85.1)	33.1 (91.6)	35.4 (95.7)	37.9 (100.2)	38.8 (101.8)	36.9 (98.4)	31.5 (88.7)	24.8 (76.6)	21.9 (71.4)	38.8 (101.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	9.0 (48.2)	10.0 (50.0)	13.3 (55.9)	18.7 (65.7)	23.2 (73.8)	26.1 (79.0)	29.9 (85.8)	31.4 (88.5)	27.7 (81.9)	22.4 (72.3)	17.0 (62.6)	11.5 (52.7)	20.0 (68.0)
Daily mean °C (°F)	4.3 (39.7)	4.9 (40.8)	8.1 (46.6)	13.3 (55.9)	18.0 (64.4)	21.7 (71.1)	25.6 (78.1)	26.8 (80.2)	23.2 (73.8)	17.5 (63.5)	11.8 (53.2)	6.6 (43.9)	15.2 (59.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−0.1 (31.8)	0.0 (32.0)	2.9 (37.2)	7.9 (46.2)	13.0 (55.4)	17.8 (64.0)	22.2 (72.0)	23.2 (73.8)	19.4 (66.9)	13.0 (55.4)	7.1 (44.8)	2.0 (35.6)	10.7 (51.3)
Record low °C (°F)	−6.0 (21.2)	−6.3 (20.7)	−4.6 (23.7)	−1.1 (30.0)	3.8 (38.8)	9.8 (49.6)	13.7 (56.7)	15.8 (60.4)	9.7 (49.5)	2.2 (36.0)	−1.0 (30.2)	−5.6 (21.9)	−6.3 (20.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	55.5 (2.19)	67.2 (2.65)	117.8 (4.64)	153.7 (6.05)	189.3 (7.45)	249.0 (9.80)	208.0 (8.19)	158.8 (6.25)	286.9 (11.30)	182.9 (7.20)	79.7 (3.14)	58.5 (2.30)	1,807.3 (71.15)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm)	5.9	7.2	9.2	9.2	9.9	12.3	11.7	8.9	11.5	9.4	6.1	6.4	107.7
Average snowy days	10.0	8.9	4.3	0.4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.1	5.3	29
Average relative humidity (%)	68	67	65	67	73	79	83	79	80	75	74	71	73
Mean monthly sunshine hours	152.2	149.5	181.7	189.8	194.2	147.9	162.4	196.2	151.8	153.9	156.8	151.6	1,988
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency

Population of Yokkaichi

The number of people living in Yokkaichi has grown steadily. This has happened over the last 60 years.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1960	206,379	—
1970	241,409	+17.0%
1980	266,756	+10.5%
1990	285,015	+6.8%
2000	302,102	+6.0%
2010	307,807	+1.9%

History of Yokkaichi

Suwa park exchange hall

The area where Yokkaichi is today has been lived in since ancient times. Many old burial mounds from the Kofun period have been found here. This area was also a battle site during the Asuka period Jinshin War. For a long time, it was just a small port village.

How Yokkaichi Got Its Name

The area grew a lot during the Kamakura period. By the Azuchi–Momoyama period, the port was busy. A regular market opened on the 4th, 14th, and 24th day of each month. This is how the city got its name: "yokka" means "fourth day," and "ichi" means "market."

From Edo Period to Modern City

After the Honnō-ji Incident, a famous warlord named Tokugawa Ieyasu escaped from Yokkaichi port by sea. During the Tokugawa shogunate, Yokkaichi was directly controlled by the shōgun. It was a busy stop on the Tōkaidō highway, which connected Edo (now Tokyo) with Kyoto. Sadly, a big earthquake destroyed much of the city during this time.

After the Meiji Restoration in 1889, Yokkaichi officially became a town. It was chosen as the capital of Mie Prefecture. The port of Yokkaichi grew a lot, thanks to a merchant named Inaba Sanuemon. He worked for 12 years to make the port modern. In 1899, it became an Official International Port. At first, the port traded things like seed oil, Banko ware (a type of pottery), and Ise tea. Today, it handles cotton, wool, glass, and heavy machinery. Yokkaichi became a city on August 1, 1897.

Yokkaichi in World War II

In 1939, Yokkaichi became a big center for the chemical industry. The Imperial Japanese Navy built a large oil refinery near the port. During World War II, Yokkaichi was one of the first Japanese cities bombed by the United States. This happened on April 18, 1942. Later, on June 18, 1945, many bombers attacked the city. They destroyed 35% of the city and killed 736 people. There were eight more air raids until August 8, 1945.

Recent History and Growth

From 1960 to 1972, people in Yokkaichi faced health problems. This was due to air pollution from local factories. A health condition called Yokkaichi zensoku (Yokkaichi asthma) is named after the city.

Downtown Yokkaichi

On November 1, 2000, Yokkaichi became a special city. This gave it more local control. On February 7, 2005, the town of Kusu joined with Yokkaichi.

Economy of Yokkaichi

Yokkaichi is a major manufacturing hub. It produces many different goods.

Banko ware: A special kind of earthenware and stoneware.
Automobiles: Cars and other vehicles.
Textiles: Cotton fabrics.
Chemicals: Various chemical products.
Tea: Local tea products.
Cement: Building materials.
Computer parts: Such as flash memory made by companies like Kioxia and Western Digital.

Education in Yokkaichi

Yokkaichi has many schools for students of all ages.

Yokkaichi Nursing and Medical Care University

Universities and Colleges

Humanitec Junior College
Yokkaichi Nursing and Medical Care University
Yokkaichi University

Schools for Younger Students

The city government runs 38 public elementary schools and 22 public middle schools. There are also three private middle schools. For students with special needs, the city has one special education school.

High Schools

The Mie Prefectural Board of Education operates ten public high schools. There are also five private high schools. The prefecture also runs two special education schools for students with disabilities.