# Kōza District, Kanagawa

Kōza District (高座郡, Kōza-gun) is a district located in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It currently consists of only one town, Samukawa. The entire cities of Chigasaki, Fujisawa, Yamato, Ayase, Ebina, Zama; and parts of the city of Sagamihara, were formerly part of Kōza District.
As of 2009, the district has an estimated population of 47,812 and a density of 3,560 persons per km$^2$. The total area is 13.42 km$^2$.

## Towns and villages

* Samukawa

## History

Kōza District was one of the ancient subdivisions of Sagami Province, extending from Sagami Bay north to the border of Musashi Province between the Sagami River and the Sakai River. It was mentioned in the Nihon Shoki records of 675 AD in the Nara period as Takakura District (高倉郡, Takakura-gun). The provincial capital of Sagami Province and its kokubunji were located within Kōza District, although its exact location is today unknown.
The area was under the control of various shōen from the Heian period through the Sengoku period, and was held as tenryō territory administered by the shōgun under the Tokugawa shogunate of the Edo period.

### Timeline

After the Meiji Restoration, it was established as a district under the cadastral reform of 1878, with a district office built near what is now part of Chigasaki. This was moved to Fujisawa-Ōsaka Town (present-day Fujisawa) in 1906.
* On April 1, 1889, Kōza District was divided into one town (Fujisawa-Ōsaka) and 22 villages. In 1908, Chigasaki Village became a town, as did Kamimizo in 1928, and Zama in 1937. Fujisawa became a city in 1940. Samukawa and Ebina became towns the same year. In 1941, Zama, Kamimizo and six neighboring villages merged to form the town of Sagamihara. Yamato became a town in 1943, Shibuya in 1944 and Ayase in 1945. Chigasaki became a city in 1947.
* In 1948, Zama was separated from Sagamihara, which became a city in 1954.
* The town of Shibuya dissolved in 1955, with the southern portions merging with Fujisawa, and the northern portion reverting to the status of village until absorbed by Yamato town in 1956. Yamato became a city in 1959, and both Ebina and Zama became cities in 1971, and Ayase in 1978, leaving Samukawa as the only remaining component of Kōza District.

### Merger table

| April 1, 1889 | 1889 - 1926 | 1889 - 1926 | 1926 - 1944 | 1926 - 1944 | 1945 - 1954 | 1955 - 1989 | 1955 - 1989 | 1955 - 1989 | 1989–Present | Present |
| Samukawa village | Samukawa village | Samukawa village | November 1, 1940 Samukawa town | November 1, 1940 Samukawa town | Samukawa town | Samukawa town | Samukawa town | Samukawa town | Samukawa town | Samukawa |
| Chigasaki village | October 1, 1908 Chigasaki town | October 1, 1908 Chigasaki town | Chigasaki town | Chigasaki town | October 1, 1947 Chigasaki city | Chigasaki city | Chigasaki city | Chigasaki city | Chigasaki city | Chigasaki |
| Shorin village | October 1, 1908 Chigasaki town | October 1, 1908 Chigasaki town | Chigasaki town | Chigasaki town | October 1, 1947 Chigasaki city | Chigasaki city | Chigasaki city | Chigasaki city | Chigasaki city | Chigasaki |
| Tsurumine village | October 1, 1908 Chigasaki town | October 1, 1908 Chigasaki town | Chigasaki town | Chigasaki town | October 1, 1947 Chigasaki city | Chigasaki city | Chigasaki city | Chigasaki city | Chigasaki city | Chigasaki |
| Koide village | Koide village | Koide village | Koide village | Koide village | Koide village | April 5, 1955 merged with Chigasaki city (except for Endo division) | April 5, 1955 merged with Chigasaki city (except for Endo division) | April 5, 1955 merged with Chigasaki city (except for Endo division) | | | Chigasaki city | Chigasaki |
| Koide village | Koide village | Koide village | Koide village | Koide village | Koide village | April 5, 1955 merged with Fujisawa city (Endo division) | April 5, 1955 merged with Fujisawa city (Endo division) | April 5, 1955 merged with Fujisawa city (Endo division) | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa |
| Fujisawa-Ōsaka town | Fujisawa-Ōsaka town | April 1, 1908 Fujisawa town | October 1, 1940 Fujisawa city | October 1, 1940 Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | | | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa |
| Kamakura District Fujisawa-Ōtomi town | October 1, 1907 merge with Fujisawa-Ōsaka town | April 1, 1908 Fujisawa town | October 1, 1940 Fujisawa city | October 1, 1940 Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa |
| Kugenuma village | Kugenuma village | April 1, 1908 Fujisawa town | October 1, 1940 Fujisawa city | October 1, 1940 Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa |
| Meiji village | Meiji village | April 1, 1908 Fujisawa town | October 1, 1940 Fujisawa city | October 1, 1940 Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa |
| Mutsuai village | Mutsuai village | Mutsuai village | March 10, 1942 merge with Fujisawa city | March 10, 1942 merge with Fujisawa city | | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa |
| Goshomi village | Goshomi village | Goshomi village | Goshomi village | Goshomi village | Goshomi village | April 5, 1955 merge with Fujisawa city | April 5, 1955 merge with Fujisawa city | April 5, 1955 merge with Fujisawa city | | | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa |
| Shibuya village | Shibuya village | Shibuya village | November 3, 1944 Shibuya town | November 3, 1944 Shibuya town | Shibuya town | April 5, 1955 merged with Fujisawa city (southern portion) | April 5, 1955 merged with Fujisawa city (southern portion) | April 5, 1955 merged with Fujisawa city (southern portion) | | | Fujisawa city | Fujisawa |
| Shibuya village | Shibuya village | Shibuya village | November 3, 1944 Shibuya town | November 3, 1944 Shibuya town | Shibuya town | April 5, 1955 Shibuya town (northern portion) | September 1, 1956 merge with Yamato town | February 1, 1959 Yamato city | Yamato city | Yamato |
| Tsurumi village | September 25, 1891 Yamato village | September 25, 1891 Yamato village | November 3, 1943 Yamato town | November 3, 1943 Yamato town | Yamato town | Yamato town | Yamato town | | February 1, 1959 Yamato city | Yamato city | Yamato |
| Ayase village | Ayase village | Ayase village | Ayase village | Ayase village | April 1, 1945 Ayase town | November 1, 1978 Ayase city | November 1, 1978 Ayase city | November 1, 1978 Ayase city | Ayase city | Ayase |
| Ebina village | Ebina village | Ebina village | December 20, 1940 Ebina town | December 20, 1940 Ebina town | Ebina town | Ebina town | Ebina town | November 1, 1971 Ebina city | Ebina city | Ebina |
| Arima village | Arima village | Arima village | Arima village | Arima village | Arima village | April 20, 1955 merge with Ebina town | April 20, 1955 merge with Ebina town | | November 1, 1971 Ebina city | Ebina city | Ebina |
| Zama village | Zama village | Zama village | December 20, 1937 Zama town | April 29, 1941 Sagamihara town | September 1, 1948 Zama village | November 1, 1971 Zama city | November 1, 1971 Zama city | November 1, 1971 Zama city | Zama city | Zama |
| Araiso village | Araiso village | Araiso village | Araiso village | April 29, 1941 Sagamihara town | November 20, 1954 Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara |
| Asamizo village | Asamizo village | Asamizo village | Asamizo village | April 29, 1941 Sagamihara town | November 20, 1954 Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara |
| Tana village | Tana village | Tana village | Tana village | April 29, 1941 Sagamihara town | November 20, 1954 Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara |
| Mizo village | Mizo village | Mizo village | January 1, 1928 Kamimizo town | April 29, 1941 Sagamihara town | November 20, 1954 Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara |
| Osawa village | Osawa village | Osawa village | Osawa village | April 29, 1941 Sagamihara town | November 20, 1954 Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara |
| Aihara village | Aihara village | Aihara village | Aihara village | April 29, 1941 Sagamihara town | November 20, 1954 Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara |
| Ono Village | Ono Village | Ono Village | Ono Village | April 29, 1941 Sagamihara town | November 20, 1954 Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara city | Sagamihara |
35°22′27″N 139°23′27″E﻿ / ﻿35.37417°N 139.39083°E﻿ / 35.37417; 139.39083