Yachiyo, Chiba

Yachiyo 八千代市
City
Shumei University in Yachiyo
Flag of Yachiyo Flag Official seal of Yachiyo Seal
Location of Yachiyo in Chiba Prefecture Location of Yachiyo in Chiba Prefecture
Yachiyo
Coordinates:
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Chiba Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Toshiro Toyoda (since December 2003)
Area
• Total	51.27 km2 (19.80 sq mi)
Population (April 2012)
• Total	189,512
• Density	3,700/km2 (10,000/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
-Tree	Azalea
- Flower	Rose
Phone number	047-483-1151
Address	312-5, Ōwadashinden, Yachiyo-shi, Chiba-ken 276-8501
Website	Yachiyo official website

Yachiyo (八千代市, Yachiyo-shi) is a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

As of August 2011, the city has an estimated population of 189,512 and a population density of 3,700 persons per km². The total area is 51.27 km².

Geography

Yachiyo is located in northwestern Chiba Prefecture on the Shimōsa Plateau. The Shin River, 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) in length, flows through Yachiyo and forms the upper part of the Inba Discharge Channel. Pollution is problematic along the river. Phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen drain from vegetable farms along the length of the river. A 19 kilometers (12 mi) walking path was built by the city of Yachiyo, and features a pedestrian suspension bridge with an observation platform.

Neighboring municipalities

• Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba
• Funabashi, Chiba
• Sakura, Chiba
• Inzai, Chiba
• Shiroi, Chiba
• Narashino, Chiba

History

Early history

Yachiyo has been inhabited since the Japanese Paleolithic period, and archaeologists have found stone tools dating to over 30,000 years ago. The Chiba clan controlled the area of present-day Yachiyo from the late Heian period to the early Muromachi period. In the Sengoku period, the area came under the control of the Murakami clan.

Edo period

During the Edo period the area was divided between tenryō territory under the direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate and areas controlled under the Sakura Domain. It developed as a post town on the pilgrimage route to the temples at Narita.

Modern history

After the Meiji Restoration, the villages of Owada in Chiba District and Aso in Inba District, Chiba Prefecture were founded on April 1, 1889. However, much of the area of these villages was already under the control of the Imperial Japanese Army, who had established a training school in 1876 for infantry maneuvers. The school remained an active military installation until 1945. Yachiyo Town was created by the merger of Owada Town with Aso and Mutsu villages in 1954. Yachiyo was elevated to city status on January 1, 1967.

Economy

Yachiyo is a regional commercial center and a bedroom community for nearby Chiba and Tokyo. There is some residual agriculture, with rice and nashi pears grown. Pearl Musical Instrument Company is located within Yachiyo.

Education

Universities

• Shumei University, Yachiyo main campus - (Private)

High schools

• Yachiyo High School - (Public)
• Yachiyo Higashi High School - (Public)
• Yachiyo Nishi High School - (Public)
• Yachiyo Shoin High School - (Private)
• Chiba Eiwa High School - (Private)
• Shumei Yachiyo High School - (Private)

Transportation

Railway

• Keisei Electric Railway - Keisei Main Line
  • Yachiyodai - Keisei Ōwada - Katsutadai
• Tōyō Rapid Railway Company - Tōyō Rapid Railway Line
  • Yachiyo-Midorigaoka - Yachiyo-Chūō - Murakami - Tōyō-Katsutadai

Highway

• Japan National Route 16
• Japan National Route 296

Noted places

• Shūkaku-in is a Buddhist temple in Yachiyo. Its wooden statue of the Shaka Nyorai is a designated prefectural treasure.

Noted people from Yachio

• Yaoya Oshichi – Edo-period arsonist
• Yusuke Kobori – professional boxer
• Kodai Watanabe – professional soccer player

Sister city relations

• – Tyler, Texas, United States, since 1992
• – Bangkok, Thailand, since 2008

External links

• Yachiyo City official website (Japanese)