Ebina, Kanagawa

Ebina (海老名市, Ebina-shi) is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.As of 1 October 2024, the city had an estimated population of 141,276 and a population density of 5300 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 26.69 square kilometres (10.31 sq mi). Geography Ebina is located approximately 50 kilometers from central Tokyo and 20 kilometers from Yokohama. The city is roughly rectangular, 8.7 kilometers north-to-south by 6.15 kilometers east-to-west, with an elevation of 11 to 84 meters above sea level. It is in the middle of the Sagami Plain, part of western Kantō Plain. The city sits on the eastern bank of the Sagami River, and the Hikiji River flows through part of the city. The Tōmei Expressway cuts across the southern end of the city. Surrounding municipalities Kanagawa Prefecture Atsugi Ayase Fujisawa Samukawa Yamato Zama Climate Ebina has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Ebina is 15.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1632 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 5.2 °C. Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Ebina has grown steadily over the past century. History The area of modern Ebina has been settled since prehistoric times, and has a number of remains from the Kofun period. Ebina became the provincial capital of Sagami Province in the Nara period, and was the location of the kokubunji, or provincial temple. It was home to the Yokoyama clan, one of the seven warrior clans of the Musashi region during the early Kamakura period. During the Edo period, the lands around Ebina were tenryō territory theoretically administered directly by the Tokugawa Shogunate in Edo; however, in reality, the area was a patchwork of small fiefs held by various hatamoto, as well as exclaves under the control of Sakura Domain and Karasuyama Domain. After the Meiji Restoration, the area became part of Kōza District, Kanagawa Prefecture and was administratively divided into Ebina Village and Arima Village on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. The area was connected by rail in 1926 via the Sagami Railway and in 1927 by the Odakyu Electric Railway, leading to an increase in population and a change in status of Ebina from village to town in 1940. In 1955, Arima Village merged into Ebina Town. Ebina was elevated to city status on November 1, 1971. Urban development projects in the 1980s and 1990s have modernized the city center. Government Ebina has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 22 members. Ebina contributes one member to the Kanagawa Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Kanagawa 13th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Economy Ebina is home to over 150 factories. The town is a center of the production of electrical appliances, metal products, and machinery. Taito operates the Ebina Development Center in Ebina. The city was once known for its broad rice paddies, but agriculture now centers on the cultivation of strawberries, tomatoes, and ornamental plants. Ebina serves as a bedroom community to the greater Tokyo and Yokohama area. Education Ebina has 13 public elementary schools and six public middle schools operated by the city government. The city has three public high schools operated by the Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education, and the prefecture also operates two special education schools for the handicapped. Transportation Railway JR East – Sagami Line Ebina–Atsugi–Shake–Kadosawabashi Odakyu Electric Railway – Odakyū Odawara Line Ebina–Atsugi Sagami Railway – Sagami Railway Main Line Ebina–Kashiwadai–Sagamino Highway Tōmei Expressway - Ebina Service Area - Ebina Junction Shin-Tōmei Expressway - Ebina-minami Junction Ken-Ō Expressway - Ebina-minami Junction - Ebina Interchange - Ebina Junction National Route 246 Local attractions Sagami Kokubun-ji, provincial temple of Sagami Province and national historic site Ebina Premium Film Festival (held annually in autumn) Notable people from Ebina Riko Gunji, badminton player Takashi Kamoshida, Japanese football player (Fukushima United FC, J3 League) Kensuke Kitahama, professional shogi player, ranked 8-dan Akiko Kijimuta, former professional tennis player Naoko Kijimuta, former professional tennis player Syuri Kondo mononymously known as Syuri, professional wrestler, shoot boxer, kickboxer and mixed martial artist Miyu Nagasaki, table tennis player Haruma Saikyo, kickboxer Yukiya Yokoyama, former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher ZUN, video game creator References External links Official Website (in Japanese)