| Toyokawa 豊川市 |
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  Toyokawa
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| Coordinates: 34°50′N 137°23′E / 34.833°N 137.383°E | |||
| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Chūbu,Tōkai | ||
| Prefecture | Aichi | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Minoru Yamawaki | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 150.71 km2 (58.2 sq mi) | ||
| Population (September 1, 2009) |
161,006 | ||
| - Density | 1,070/km2 (2,771.3/sq mi) | ||
| City Symbols | |||
| - Tree | Japanese Black Pine | ||
| - Flower | Dwarf azalea | ||
| Website | City of Toyokawa | ||
| Phone number | 0533-89-2111 | ||
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1-1 Suwa-chō, Toyokawa-shi, Aichi-ken |
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Toyokawa (豊川市 Toyokawa-shi) is a medium-sized city of about 160,000 people located in the eastern part of Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The city, founded on June 1, 1943, originally comprised the three formerly independent Hoi-gun (district) towns of Toyokawa (豊川町), Ko (国府町), Ushikubo (牛久保町), and the village of Yawata (八幡村). Toyokawa is blessed with a good balance of industry, commerce, agriculture and forestry spread over its 150 km2 boundary, and is situated in an area rich in history, traditions, and culture.
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History
During the Edo period, Toyokawa's Goyu-chō was separate from Toyokawa and was known as Goyu-shuku. It thrived as a post town along the Tōkaidō, a historical travel route.
During World War II, the Toyokawa Naval Arsenal was the site of an important munitions factory complex. Numerous civilians were employed in the manufacture of arms and ammunition for the war effort. These civilian employees of the Imperial Navy were mainly from the local Mikawa region (eastern Aichi), and included many high school and junior high school girls. On August 7, 1945 the Toyokawa naval Arsenal was the target of an air raid by 124 American B-29 bombers.[1] According to a memorial plaque in downtown Toyokawa, about 2500 people were killed in the raid (the spirits of some of these victims were later enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, where their photos can still be seen). This air raid made Toyokawa one of the last places to be targeted using conventional explosive and incendiary bombs in the closing days of World War II. The significance of this event in history has been overshadowed by the fact that it occurred the day after Hiroshima was destroyed by an atomic bomb, and two days before an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.
Mergers
- On April 12, 1955 the village of Mikami, from Yana District, merged into Toyokawa.
- On April 1, 1959 the town of Goyu, from Hoi District, merged into Toyokawa.
- On February 1, 2006 the town of Ichinomiya, from Hoi District, merged into Toyokawa.
- On January 15, 2008 the towns of Otowa and Mito, from Hoi District, merged into Toyokawa.
Planned Mergers
- On February 1, 2010 the town of Kozakai, from Hoi District, will be merged into Toyokawa.
Sister City Relations
Toyokawa is at present officially sister cities with only Cupertino, California in the United States[2], but the city is currently investigating the possibility of sister city or friendship city status with others, including cities such as Santa Rosa City in the Province of Laguna, and Tagbilaran City in the Province of Bohol, both in the Philippines, and the Wuxi New District in the Jiangsu Province of China. Cupertino and Toyokawa have been sister cities for over 30 years and have an ongoing student exchange program. Toyokawa has sent a delegation of students every year from the beginning of the program thirty years ago, while Cupertino first sent a delegation of students beginning in 1984. Although the number of students visiting has in the past varied, for each year since 2004 sixteen students from Toyokawa and from the following year twelve students from Cupertino have been chosen to represent their respective cities and countries in the exchange.
References
- ^ Air War Pacific Chronology: America's Air War Against Japan in East Asia and the Pacific 1941-1945 by Eric Hammel, (Pacifica, CA: Pacifica Press, 1988, ISBN 0-935553-26-6)
- ^ "Consolidation of Local Governments in Japan and Effects on Sister City Relationships," Consulate General of Japan, San Francisco
External links
- Toyokawa official website in English (with link to pages in Japanese)
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Toyokawa, Aichi |
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