Isehara, Kanagawa

Isehara 伊勢原市
City
Isehara City Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Isehara in Kanagawa Prefecture
Isehara
Coordinates: 35°23′N 139°18′E / 35.383°N 139.300°ECoordinates: 35°23′N 139°18′E / 35.383°N 139.300°E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Kanagawa Prefecture
Government
• - Mayor	Matsutaro Takayama (since October 2012)
Area
• Total	55.52 km^2 (21.44 sq mi)
Population (June 1, 2012)
• Total	101,052
• Density	1,820/km^2 (4,700/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
• Tree	Castanopsis
• Flower	Chinese bellflower
• Bird	Copper pheasant
Phone number	0463-94-4711
Address	348, Tanaka, Isehara-shi, Kanagawa-ken 259-1188
Website	www.city.isehara.kanagawa.jp

Isehara (伊勢原市 Isehara-shi) is a city located in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

As of June 2012, the city has an estimated population of 101,052 and a population density of 1,820 persons per km². The total area is 55.52 km².

Geography

Isehara is located in the hilly center of Kanagawa Prefecture. A large portion of the city is within the Tanzawa-Ōyama Quasi-National Park.

Surrounding Municipalities

• Atsugi
• Hadano
• Hiratsuka

History

The area of present-day Isehara City was part of several large shōen in Sagami Province during the Kamakura period. During the Edo period, it was nominally part of Odawara Domain, although large portions were tenryō territory controlled by the Shogun in Edo through various hatamoto.

After the Meiji Restoration and with the establishment of the district system in 1878, the area came under the control of Ōsumi District (大住郡 Ōsumi-gun), Kanagawa Prefecture and became Isehara Town on April 1, 1889. On March 26, 1896, Ōsumi District and Yurugi District were merged to create Naka District. The town began to experience rapid growth after the opening of Isehara Station on the Odakyu Electric Railway on April 1, 1929. On December 21, 1954, the town expanded through merger with neighboring Oyama Town and three villages. Its area expanded further on September 30, 1956 through annexation of a portion of neighboring Okazaki Village. Isehara was elevated to city status on March 1, 1971.

Economy

Known primarily as a bedroom community for Yokohama and the greater Tokyo area, Isehara is also home to Amada Co, a machine tool manufacturer and a number of manufacturing plants. It is also home to a Maru-Chan (Toyo Suisan) instant noodle factory.

Transportation

Highway

• Japan National Route 246, to central Tokyo or Numazu

Railroad

• Odakyu Electric Railway
  • Isehara Station, to Shinjuku and Odawara

Sister City relations

• - Chino, Nagano, Japan, since January 21, 1986
• - La Mirada, California, United States, since September 21, 1981

Noted people from Isehara

• Ōta Dōkan – Sengoku period warlord
• Saeko Shimazu – voice actress
• Kazumi Murata – model and actress
• Yoshiyuki Kamei – politician
• Shinobu Yaguchi – film director and screenwriter
• Zentaro Kamei – politician
• Yasuhiro Kido – kickboxer

See also

• Mount Ōyama

External links

• Isehara City official website (Japanese)