Ichinoseki, Iwate

is a city in the south of Iwate Prefecture, Japan and on the Iwai River. After Morioka and Ōshū, it is the third largest city in the prefecture.

Description

Ichinoseki is in the southernmost area of Iwate Prefecture in the Tohoku region of Japan. The city's name means first gate in Japanese.
The city has expanded in area by taking in and joining neighboring towns.  The current city of Ichinoseki became larger after 7 towns merged on September 20, 2005. The city is now equivalent to former Iwai District, and it is connected to Miyagi and Akita Prefectures. The population is nearly 120,000, with 42,335 households.

Population
There are many factories belonging to large Japanese companies such as Sony and NEC in Ichinoseki. The city has many Brazilian workers living there. Outside the city center there are many farms. Some Chinese and Filipino women have moved here to marry local farmers.

Attractions
 Ichinoseki is close to historically important Hiraizumi to the north. Tsuriyama Park is near the center of the original city of Ichinoseki. Tsuriyama Park gives a good view of Ichinoseki. Hondera Farm Village has been named an Important Cultural Landscape.

City History
April 1, 1948 - The city of Ichinoseki was started by combining 2 towns and 2 villages.
January 1, 1955 - The city of Ichinoseki merged with the villages of Genbi, Hagisho, Maikawa, and Yasakae to make a new city of Ichinoseki
September 1, 1956 - The city added parts of the town Hiraizumi.
May 1, 1964 - The city added parts of the town Hiraizumi for the second time.
September 20, 2005 - the towns of Daitō, Higashiyama, and Senmaya, and the villages of Kawasaki and Murone (all from Higashiiwai District) and the town of Hanaizumi (from Nishiiwai District) merged with the old city of Ichinoseki and approximately doubled the old city's population and nearly tripled its size.

Sister Cities/Friendship Cities

In Japan
Miharu (Tamura District, Fukushima Prefecture)
Signed between the former city of Ichinoseki on August 8, 1987
Kesennuma (Miyagi Prefecture)
Signed between the former cities of Ichinoseki and Kesennuma on May 1, 1997
Signed between the former city of Kesennuma and former town of Murone on May 8, 2003
Tanabe (Wakayama Prefecture)
Signed between the former village of Murone and the town of Hongu on August 8, 1987
Yoshikawa (Saitama Prefecture)
Signed by the former village of Murone on April 15, 1997

Railway

East Japan Railway Company

Tōhoku Shinkansen
 Ichinoseki Station

Tōhoku Main Line
 Yushima Station (Iwate)　　　　　　　　
 Hanaizumi Station
 Shimizuhara Station
 Ichinoseki Station
 Yamanome Station

Ōfunato Line
 Ichinoseki Station
 Mataki Station
 Rikuchū-Kanzaki Station
 Iwanoshita Station
 Rikuchū-Matsukawa Station
 Geibikei Station
 Shibajuku Station
 Surisawa Station
 Senmaya Station
 Konashi Station
 Yagoshi Station
 Orikabe Station
 Niitsuki Station

Education

Elementary Schools

Junior High Schools

High schools
Ichinoseki Gakuin High School (一関学院高等学校)
Ichinoseki Shuko High School (一関修紅高等学校) (also has a preschool and a university)
Ichinoseki No. 1 High School (岩手県立一関第一高等学校)
Ichinoseki No. 2 High School (岩手県立一関第二高等学校)
Hanaizumi High School (岩手県立花泉高等学校)
Daito High School (岩手県立大東高等学校)
Senmaya High School (岩手県立千厩高等学校)
Ichinoseki Tech High School (岩手県立一関工業高等学校)

Vocational schools
 Ichinoseki National College of Technology (一関工業高等専門学校)

Junior Colleges
 Shuko Junior College (修紅短期大学)

Transportation
Ichinoseki is on the JR East Tōhoku Shinkansen connecting Ichinoseki with Tokyo. It is also on the Tōhoku Main Line, which connects Ichinoseki and the prefecture's capital, Morioka.

References

Other websites
  Ichinoseki official website

Cities in Japan
Settlements in Iwate Prefecture