Ichihara (市原市) is a city, located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 274,117 in 128,316 households and a population density of 240 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 368.20 sqkm. The city is home, together with the city of Chiba, to the JEF United football club. The whole city is also parts of Greater Tokyo Area.

Geography

Ichihara is located in the western part of the Bōsō Peninsula, and geographically is the largest of Chiba Prefecture's cities and towns. The south is a mountainous area connected to the Boso hills. The highly industrialized northern part of the city faces Tokyo Bay. Ichihara, dense in housing developments, serves as a satellite town of Tokyo and Chiba City.

Surrounding municipalities

Chiba Prefecture

Climate

Ichihara has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Ichihara is 15.1 C. The average annual rainfall is 1673.1 mm with October as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.5 C, and lowest in January, at around 4.1 C.

History

The area of modern Ichihara is the center of ancient Kazusa province. The ruins of the Nara period Kazusa Kokubun-ji provincial temple have been found within the borders of Ichihara, although the exact location of the Nara-period provincial capital remains uncertain. During the Sengoku period, the area was contested between the Chiba clan to the north, and the Satomi clan to the south. During the Edo period, the area was divided between Goi Domain, Tsurumaki Domain and large areas of tenryō territory controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate and administered by various hatamoto.

Timeline

Government

Ichihara has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 32 members. Ichihara contributes four members to the Chiba Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Chiba 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Ichihara has recently plateaued after several decades of strong growth.

Economy

The city's economy is fueled by a large industrial complex overlooking Tokyo Bay. It contains the largest number of oil refineries in Japan, as well as power, petrochemical and shipbuilding companies.

Education

Transportation

Railway

JR East – Uchibō Line Keisei Electric Railway – Keisei Chihara Line Kominato Railway – Kominato Line

Highway

Sister cities

Crime and safety

The Soai-kai yakuza syndicate is headquartered in Ichihara. A designated yakuza group, the Soai-kai is one of the three dominating yakuza syndicates in Chiba Prefecture, along with the Sumiyoshi-kai and the Inagawa-kai.

Notable people from Ichihara