Yoshida, Shizuoka

Yoshida 吉田町
Town
Yoshida Town hall
Flag Seal
Location of Yoshida in Shizuoka Prefecture
Yoshida
Coordinates: 34°46′N 138°15′E / 34.767°N 138.250°ECoordinates: 34°46′N 138°15′E / 34.767°N 138.250°E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu Tōkai
Prefecture	Shizuoka Prefecture
District	Haibara
Area
• Total	20.84 km^2 (8.05 sq mi)
Population (September 2014)
• Total	29,117
• Density	1,400/km^2 (4,000/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Tree	Pine
- Flower	Chrysanthemum
Phone number	548-33-1111
Address	87 Sumiyoshi, Yoshida-chō, Haibara-gun, Shizuoka-ken 421-0395
Website	Town of Yoshida HP

Yoshida (吉田町 Yoshida-chō) is a town located in Haibara District, southern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of September 2014, the town har an estimated population of 29,117 and a population density of 1400 persons per km². The total area was 20.84 km².

Geography

Yoshida is located on the coastal plains of southwest Shizuoka Prefecture, facing Suruga Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The Ōi River passes to the west of town. Warmed by the Kuroshio Current, the area enjoys a temperate maritime climate with hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters.

Surrounding municipalities

• Makinohara
• Shimada
• Yaizu

History

Located in former Tōtōmi Province, Yokosuka was a castle town in the Sengoku period, with Koyama castle built by the Takeda clan in 1568. The castle was destroyed by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1582 and never rebuilt, although the town continued to prosper during the Edo period as a regional commercial center due to its proximity to the Tōkaidō. During the cadastral reform of the early Meiji period in 1889, the area was reorganized into Yoshida Village from the merger of 6 pre-Meiji hamlets. It was elevated to town status on April 1, 1889.

Economy

Yoshida has a mixed economy based on agriculture, commercial fishing and light industry. Local specialities include eel, melons and iceberg lettuce. Several industries are located along the Tōmei Expressway, which passes through the town. These include Fujifilm, AGC Technologies, Sony and Kurita Kogyo.

Transportation

Yoshida has an interchange on the Tōmei Expressway and is also serviced by Japan National Route 150. The town has no rail connections.

Sister city relations

Yoshida had formerly established sister city relations with other cities of the same name around Japan. All of these cities have now been merged into other cities and no longer exist as independent municipalities.

• Yoshida (Saitama Prefecture) - (Became a sister city in 1995) (Now the city of Chichibu)
• Yoshida (Niigata Prefecture) - (Became a sister city in 1995) (Now the city of Tsubame)
• Yoshida (Hiroshima Prefecture) - (Became a sister city in 1995) (Now the city of Akitakata)
• Yoshida (Ehime Prefecture) - (Became a sister city in 1995) (Now the city of Uwajima)
• Yoshida (Kagoshima Prefecture) - (Became a sister city in 1995) (Now the city of Kagoshima)

External links

• Yoshida official website in Japanese
• Kataoka Shrine (Commonly called "Sumiyoshi Shrine")