Ashiya, Hyōgo: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 01:46, 27 June 2009

Ashiya seen from its JR station platform

Ashiya (芦屋市, Ashiya-shi) is a city founded on November 10, 1940 located in Hyōgo, Japan, between the cities of Osaka and Kobe. It is known as the Beverly Hills of Japan.^{[citation needed]}

Demographics

As of 2009, the city has an estimated population of 93,094 and the density of 5,030 persons per km². The total area is 18.47 km². The average household income in Ashiya is the highest of any city in Japan based on annual income tax reports.

History

Ashiya was established in 1871 as a township in Hyogo prefecture. In the early 1900's, it was designated as an urban planning area. This led to the building of large single-family homes with tennis courts, swimming pools, and tea houses, etc. along the hills overlooking Osaka Bay.

In 1945, the City of Ashiya prohibited the operation of pachinko parlors, gambling and entertainment facilities as well as small factories. Those laws still stand and there is no other municipal government with similar regulations in Japan.

In 1991, Ashiya residents elected Harue Kitamura (北村春江 Kitamura Harue, born July 11, 1928) as the first woman to hold the office of mayor of a city in Japan. Kitamura was mayor when Ashiya suffered major damage during the Kobe Earthquake on January 17, 1995.

Since 2008, buying, selling or building on property less than 4,269 square meters in area has been prohibited in the Rokurokusō-chō (六麓荘町) area by city architectural agreement.

Culture and People

Persons of note associated with Ashiya include Jiro Shirasu ("the man who reproached MacArthur"), Ryoji Noyori (Nobel prize winner), Takashi Asahina (symphony director), Chitaru Asahina (symphony director), Junichiro Tanizaki (writer), Haruki Murakami (writer), Atsuko Suga (writer/scholor of Italian literature), Yuriko Koike (House of Representatives member), Yoko Ogawa (writer), Hiroko Koshino (fashion designer) and Tsumasaburo Bando (Kabuki actor).

The city was the setting for Jun'ichiro Tanizaki's novel Sasameyuki (細雪） (The Makioka Sisters, Eng. trans. Edward G. Seidensticker).

A house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright sits on a hill overlooking Hankyu Ashiyagawa Station and Osaka Bay. It was completed in 1924 as a residence for the Yamamura family, founders of the famous sake company "Sakuramasamune" (櫻正宗). It is now known as the Yodokō Guest House and is open for tours.

External links

Template:Commonscat left

This Hyōgo Prefecture location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 ==History==
 {{Trivia|date=October 2007}}
+Ashiya was established in 1871 as a township in Hyogo prefecture. In the early 1900's, it was designated as an urban planning area. This led to the building of large single-family homes with tennis courts, swimming pools, and tea houses, etc. along the hills overlooking Osaka Bay.
-*In 1871, Ashiya was established as a township under Hyogo prefecture.
-*In early 1900's, large single family homes were built along hills that was the pointed urban planning area. Those homes have tennis courts, swimming pools, and tea houses, etc.
-*After 1945, the City of Ashiya prohibited to build pachinko parlor, any gambling and entertainment facilities as well as small factories. There is no other municipal government that has this regulation in Japan.
+In 1945, the City of Ashiya prohibited the operation of pachinko parlors, gambling and entertainment facilities as well as small factories. Those laws still stand and there is no other municipal government with similar regulations in Japan.
-*In 1991, the first female mayor in Japan was elected in Ashiya (Ms.Harue Kitamura).
+In 1991, Ashiya residents elected Harue Kitamura (北村 春江 ''Kitamura Harue'', born July 11, 1928) as the first woman to hold the office of mayor of a city in Japan. Kitamura was mayor when Ashiya suffered major damage during the [[Kobe Earthquake]] on January 17, 1995.
-[[Image:Yamamura house06s3200.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Yodoko Guest House in Ashiya, Hyogo, Japan]]
-*In 2008, the property that has less than 4,269 square meter is prohibited to sell, buy, or build in Rokurokuso area according to city architectural agreement.
+Since 2008, buying, selling or building on property less than 4,269 square meters in area has been prohibited in the Rokurokusō-chō (六麓荘町) area by city architectural agreement.
 ===Culture and People===
+Persons of note associated with Ashiya include Jiro Shirasu ("the man who reproached MacArthur"), Ryoji Noyori (Nobel prize winner), Takashi Asahina (symphony director), Chitaru Asahina (symphony director), Junichiro Tanizaki (writer), Haruki Murakami (writer), Atsuko Suga (writer/scholor of Italian literature), Yuriko Koike (House of Representatives member), Yoko Ogawa (writer), Hiroko Koshino (fashion designer) and Tsumasaburo Bando (Kabuki actor).
-*There is a house designed by [[Frank Lloyd Wright]] in Ashiya.
-*The [[Yodokō Guest House]], completed in 1924, was a residence of the Yamamura family, founders of the famous [[sake]] company "Sakuramasamune" (櫻正宗). Now it is the guest house of another company.
-*People - Jiro Shirasu, Ryoji Noyori (Nobel prize winner), Takashi Asahina (symphony director), Chitaru Asahina (symphony director), Junichiro Tanizaki (writer), Haruki Murakami (writer), Atsuko Suga (writer/scholor of Italian literature), Yuriko Koike (House of Representatives member), Yoko Ogawa (writer), Hiroko Koshino (fashion designer), Tsumasaburo Bando (Kabuki actor),
-*Ashiya is the main setting for [[Jun'ichiro Tanizaki]]'s novel ''Sasameyuki'' (細雪） (''[[The Makioka Sisters]]'', Eng. trans. [[Edward G. Seidensticker]]).
+The city was the setting for [[Jun'ichiro Tanizaki]]'s novel ''Sasameyuki'' (細雪） (''[[The Makioka Sisters]]'', Eng. trans. [[Edward G. Seidensticker]]).
+A house designed by [[Frank Lloyd Wright]] sits on a hill overlooking Hankyu Ashiyagawa Station and Osaka Bay. It was completed in 1924 as a residence for the Yamamura family, founders of the famous [[sake]] company "Sakuramasamune" (櫻正宗). It is now known as the [[Yodokō Guest House]] and is open for tours.
+[[Image:Yamamura house06s3200.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Yodoko Guest House in Ashiya, Hyogo, Japan]]
 == External links ==
 * {{ja icon}} [http://www.city.ashiya.hyogo.jp/ Official website]