Akashi, Hyōgo

Akashi(明石市,Akashi-shi)is acityin southernHyōgo Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 February 2024, the city had an estimatedpopulationof 305,925 in 137,288 households and apopulation densityof 6,200 people per km.The total area of the city is 49.42 square kilometres (19.08 sq mi).
Akashi is located in southern Hyōgo prefecture, and is a long and narrow municipality along theSeto Inland Sea. It is separated fromAwaji Islandby Harima Bay; however, the terminus of theAkashi Kaikyō Bridge, which connectsHonshutoAwaji Islandand toShikoku, is not in Akashi but inTarumi-ku, Kōbe. The 135th meridian east line that determinesJapan Standard Timepasses through the city.
Hyōgo Prefecture
Akashi has ahumid subtropical climate(Köppen climate classificationCfa) with hot summers and cool to cold winters. Precipitation is significantly higher in summer than in winter, though on the whole lower than in most parts of Honshū, and there is no significant snowfall. The average annual temperature in Akashi is 15.9 °C (60.6 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,156.6 mm (45.54 in) with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.7 °C (81.9 °F), and lowest in January, at around 5.2 °C (41.4 °F).The highest temperature ever recorded in Akashi was 37.2 °C (99.0 °F) on 13 August 2019; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −4.3 °C (24.3 °F) on 30 January 2003.
Akashi is mentioned in awaka(five-line, 31-syllable poem) written byKakinomoto no Hitomaroin the 7th century and it is the setting for one of the chapters of the 11th-century novelThe Tale of Genji. It developed as thecastle townofAkashi Domainduring theEdo Period, from 1617 to 1871 due to its  location dominating theSan'yōdōhighway connecting theKinai regionwith western Japan. The famous swordsmanMiyamoto Musashiis claimed to have laid out the design of the castle town. The town of Akashi was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to city status on November 1, 1919. The city annexed the neighboring villages of Hayashizaki on February 11, 1942 and Okubo, Uozumi and Futami on January 10, 1951 to reach its present dimensions. A proposal to merge with the city of Kobe was rejected by a referendum in 1955. The city suffered from  theGreat Hanshin earthquakeof 1995 with 4,839 houses were completely or partially destroyed and nine fatalities.
On July 21, 2001,11 people were killed and 247 were injuredduring acrowd crushafter a fireworks show. Five city officials were subsequently convicted of negligence in connection with the incident.
Akashi became aCore cityon April 1, 2018 with increased local autonomy.
Akashi has amayor-councilform of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameralcity council of 30 members. Akashi contributes four members to theHyogo Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Hyōgo 9th district of thelower houseof theDiet of Japan. Akashi is governed by Mayor Fusaho Izumi, anindependent.
Akashi is located within the Hanshin Industrial Area and Harima Seaside Industrial Area and has succeeded in attracting many companies to its Futami Seaside Industrial Park. the city has long been noted for aviation-related instrumentation manufacturers and electronic component manufacturers.Yamato Scale, a leading global manufacturer of commercial weighing and packaging equipment, is headquartered in the city.Due to its transportation connections and location, numerousbedroom communitieshave developed for commuters to Kobe and Osaka, which is estimated to exceed 30% of the working population. The city has also been noted since the Edo Period for its production ofsake.
Akashi has 28 public elementary schools, 13 public middle schools and one public high school operated by the city government and seven public high schools operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Department of Education. There is also one national elementary school. The city also operates one special education school for the handicapped. The nursing school ofUniversity of Hyogois located in Akashi.
The city also has the National Institute of Technology Akashi College (NITAC( (国立明石工業高等専門学校).
The city once had aNorth Korean school, Akashi Korean Elementary School(明石朝鮮初級学校)andAkashi Junior College(明石短期大学).
JR West–San'yō Shinkansen
JR West–San'yō Main Line(JR Kobe Line)
Sanyo Electric Railway-Main Line
Akashi istwinnedwith:
Akashi is known forAkashiyaki, a kind oftakoyakiparticular to the region. Small pieces of octopus (tako) are placed inside a ball-shaped mold containing a mixture of flour and eggs, and this is then fried.Akashiyakiis often eaten by dipping in a thin soup. People who live in Akashi call it"tamagoyaki"(tamago,玉子or卵, literally "egg").