Hamamatsu

is a ceety locatit in wastren Shizuoka Prefectur, Japan.  On 1 Julie 2005, the ceety mergit wi 11 surroondin ceeties an touns. It became a ceety designatit bi govrenment ordinance on 1 Aprile 2007.

## History
The aurie nou comprisin Hamamatsu haes been settled syne prehistoric times, wi numerous remains frae the Jomon period an Kofun period haein been discovered athin the present ceety leemits, includin the Akamonue Kofun in wha is nou present-day Hamakita-ku In the Nara period, it became the caipital o Tōtōmi Province. Durin the Sengoku period, Hamamatsu Castle wis the hame o futur Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Hamamatsu flourished durin the Edo period unner a succession o daimyo rulers as a castle toun, an as a post toun on the Tōkaidō. Efter the Meiji Restoration, Hamamatsu became a short-livit prefectur frae 1871–1876, efter which it wis unitit wi Shizuoka Prefecture. The Tōkaidō Main Line railwey opened Hamamatsu Station in 1889. The same year, in a cadastal reform o Japan, Hamamatsu became a toun.

* 1 Julie 1911 - Hamamatsu is upgradit frae a toun tae a ceety.
* 1918 - Rice Riots o 1918 affect Hamamatsu
* 1921 - The veelage o Tenjinchō merges wi Hamamatsu
* 1926 - Imperial Japanese Airmy Hamamatsu Air Base opens
* 1933 - Imperial Japanese Airmy Flicht Schuil opens.
* 1936 - The veelages o Hikuma an Fujizuka merge wi Hamamatsu
* 7 December 1944 - Tonankai Yirdquauk causes hintle damage
* Juin 1945 - Hamamatsu lairgely destroyed bi US air raids
* 1948 - Hamamatsu Incident, ethnic riotin Zainichi Korean residents.
* 1951 - The veelages o Aratsu, Goto, Kawarin merge wi Hamamatsu
* 1954 - Aicht veelages in Hamana Destrict merge wi Hamamatsu
* 1955 - The veelage o Miyakoda merges wi Hamamatsu
* 1957 - The veelage o Irino merges wi Hamamatsu
* 1960 - The veelage o Seto merges wi Hamamatsu
* 1961 - The veelage o Shinohara merges wi Hamamatsu
* 1965 - The veelage o Shonai merges wi Hamamatsu
* Mey 1, 1990 - Hamamatsu Arena opened.
* 1 Januar 1991- The veelage o Kami in Hamana Destrict merges wi Hamamatsu.
* 1 Aprile 1991- The first Hamamatsu International Piano Competition wis held.
* 1 Mey 1994 - Act Ceety Hamamatsu opened.
* 1 October 1995 - Hamamatsu Museum o Muisical Instruments opened.
* 1 Aprile 1996 - Hamamatsu is designatit a core ceety bi the central govrenment.
* 1 Juin 1996 - Hamamatsu Ceety Fruit Pairk opened.
* 1 Januar 1997 - Stairtit separatit collection o garbage in residential auries.
* 1 Aprile 1997 - Hamamatsu is designatit as an Omnibus Toun.
* 1 Aprile 1998 - Act Ceety Muisical Schuil opened.
* 3 Aprile 2000 - Shizuoka University o Airt an Cultur opened.
* 1 Julie 2001 - Commemoratit the ceety's 90t anniversary.
* 1 August 2002 - Launched the conference on Pan-Hamanako Designated Ceety Simulation.
* 1 Aprile 2003 - Shizuoka New Kawafuji Naitional High School Competition wis held.
* 1 Juin 2003 - Launched Tenryūgawa-Hamanako Region Merger Conference.
* 8 Aprile - 11 October 2004 - Pacific Flora 2004 (Shizuoka International Garden an Horticultur Exhibition) wis held at Hamanako Garden Pairk.
* 1 Julie 2005 - Hamamatsu mergit wi Hamakita an Tenryū; Inasa, Hosoe, an Mikkabi in Inasa Destrict (resultin in the destrict's dissolution); Yūtō an Maisaka in Hamana Destrict; Sakuma, Misakubo, an Tatsuyama in Iwata Destrict (dissolvit as a result an aw); an Haruno in Shūchi Destrict.
* 1 Aprile 2007 - Hamamatsu became a ceety designatit bi govrenment ordinance bi the central govrenment.

## Geography

Hamamatsu consists o a flat plain an the Mikatahara Plateau in the sooth, an a muntainous aurie in the north. It is roughly bordered bi Lake Hamana tae the wast, the Tenryū River tae the east, an the Paceefic Ocean tae the sooth. The climate in soothren Hamamatsu is mild wi little snaw faw in the winter; housomeivver, it is windy in winter acause o the dry monsoon cried *[[Enshū no Karakaze]]*, which is unique tae the region. The climate in northren Hamamatsu is hintle hairsker acause o foehn winds. In simmers, the heichest temperatur aften exceeds 35 degrees in the Tenryu-ku aurie, while it snaws in winter.

## Wairds
Hamamatsu is admeenistratively dividit intae seiven wairds:

* Hamakita-ku (浜北区)
* Higashi-ku (東区)
* Kita-ku (北区)
* Minami-ku (南区)
* Naka-ku (中区) - admeenistrative center
* Nishi-ku (西区)
* Tenryū-ku (天竜区)

## Tourism
* **[[Act City Tower]] Observatory** - Hamamatsu's anly skyscraper, situated next tae JR Hamamatsu Station, is a seembol o the city. It wis designed tae resemble a harmonica, a reminder that Hamamatsu is whiles kent as the "City of Music".  The building houses shopping an a fuid court, the Okura Hotel, an an observatory on the 45th floor overlooking aw o central Hamamatsu, even doun tae the saund dunes at the shore.
* **Chopin Monument** This is a 1:1-scale replica o the famous Art Nouveau bronze statue o Chopin bi the famed airtist Wacław Szymanowski. The oreeginal is in Hamamatsu's sister city, Warsaw.　
* **[[Hamamatsu Castle]]** - Hamamatsu Castle Pairk stretches frae the modren city hall building tae the north. The castle is locatit on a hill in the southeast corner o the pairk, near city hall. It wis biggit bi Tokugawa Ieyasu. His rule marks the beginnin o the Edo Period. Tokugawa Ieyasu lived here frae 1571 tae 1588.  Thare is a smaw museum inside, which houses some airmour an ither relics o the period, as well as a miniature model o how the city might hae looked 400 years ago. North o the castle is a lairge pairk wi a Japanese garden, a koi pond, a ceremonial teahouse, an some commons auries.
* Nakatajima Sand Dunes - ane o the 3 lairgest saund dune auries in Japan
* **Hamamatsu Flower Pairk**
* **Hamamatsu Fruit Pairk**
* **Hamamatsu Municipal Zoo**

## Industry

Hamamatsu haes been famous as an industrial ceety, especially for muisical instruments an motorcycles. It haes been kent for fabric industry an aw, but maist o those companies an factories went oot o business in the 1990s. O the 274,700 Japanese Brazilians wirkin in Japan, currently 19,000 wirk in Hamamatsu.

### Companies headquartered in Hamamatsu
* Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
* Kawai Muisical Instruments Mfg.
* Roland Corporation
* Suzuki
* Tōkai Gakki (kent as *Tokai Guitars Company Ltd.* an aw)
* Yamaha Corporation

### Companies foondit in Hamamatsu
* Honda
## Transportation
### Railways
Hamamatsu is a station on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen an Tōkaidō Main Line. This station is servit bi a sma selection o *[[Hikari (Shinkansen)|Hikari]]* services an aw passin *[[Kodama (Shinkansen)|Kodama]]* services. Hamamatsu is approximately haufwey alang the Tōkaidō line, as the journey time tae baith Tokyo an Shin-Osaka is approximately ane an hauf oors wi Hikari, an twa oors wi Kodama.

Tōkaidō Main Line stops at the follaein stations:
* Bentenjima Station
* Maisaka Station
* Takatsuka Station
* Hamamatsu Station
* Tenryūgawa Station

Iida Line stops at several stations in Sakuma aurie.

Enshu Railway Line, kent as *Akaden* (the reid train) an aw, is a local line runnin north frae Shin-Hamamatsu Station throu Nishikajima Station.

Tenryū Hamanako Line stops at several stations in Kita-ku, Hamakita-ku, an Tenryū-ku.

### Roads
* Expressways
** Tōmei Expressway (Hamamatsu I.C., Hamamatsu Nishi I.C., an Mikkabi I.C.)
** Second Tomei Expressway (unner construction)
** Sanen Nanshin Highway (unner construction)
* Bypasses
** Hamamatsu Bypass
** Hamana Bypass
* Naitional Heich-gates
** Route 1
** Route 42
** Route 150
** Route 152
** Route 257
** Route 301
** Route 362

### Airport
Thare are nae civilian airports in Hamamatsu. Shizuoka Airport() is the closest, locatit  frae Hamamatsu station atween Makinohara an Shimada

Chūbu Centrair International Airport in Aichi Prefectur, locatit aboot  wast o the ceety, is the seicont closest.

## Festivals

### Akiha Fire Festival
Ever syne lang ago, Moont Akiha wis believed tae hae supernatural powers tae prevent fires. Bow an arrow, swuird, an fire dances are performed at the Akiha Shrine. At the Akiha Temple, a firewalking ceremony is performed whaur baith believers an spectators celebrate the festival. (Haruno, Tenryu-ku &mdash; December)

### Enshu Dainenbutsu
When a faimily commemorates the first *Obon* holidays efter the daith o a loved ane, thay mey request that a *[[dainenbutsu]]* (Buddhist chanting ritual) be performed ootside thair hoose. This is ane o the local performing airts o the region. The group always forms a procession in front o the hoose led bi a person carrying a lantern an marches tae the sound o flutes, Japanese drums an cymbals. (Saigagake Museum, Hamamatsu City &mdash; Julie 15)

### Hamamatsu Festival
Hamamatsu Festival, held frae Mey 3 throu Mey 5 each year, is weel kent for *Takoage Gassen*, or the kite fecht, an luxuriously decorated palace-lik floats. The festival originated aboot 430 years ago, when the lord o Hamamatsu Castle celebrated the birth o his first son bi fleein kites. In the Meiji Era, the celebration o the birth o a first son bi fleein *Hatsu Dako*, or the first kite, became popular, an this tradeetion haes survived in the form o Hamamatsu Festival. It is extremely exciting tae see ower 160 lairge kites fleein in the sky tae the sound o trumpets. Those who veesit Hamamatsu at this time o the year can experience the city at its maist exciting time.

During the nights o Hamamatsu Festival, fowk parade downtown carrying ower 70 *yatai*, or palace-lake floats, that are beautifully decorated while playin Japanese traditional festival muisic. The festival reaches its peak when groups o fowk compete bi violently marching across toun. (Naka-ku, Minami-ku &mdash; Mey)

### Hamakita Hiryu Festival
This festival is held in honour o Ryujin, the god o the Tenryu River, an features a wide variety o events sic as the Hamakita takoage (kite fleein) event an the *Hiryu himatsuri* (fleein draigon fire festival) which celebrates watter, sound, an flame. (Hamakita-ku &mdash; Juin)

### Hamamatsu International Piano Competition
This festival celebrates Hamamatsu's history as a city o muisical instruments an muisic, an brings dozens o the best young pianists frae aw ower the warld. It haes been held triennially syne 1991 at the Act City Concert Hall an Main Hall. (November)

### Hamakita Manyo Festival
This event takes place in Manyo-no-Mori Pairk tae commemorate the Manyo Period an introduce its cultur. As pairt o the festival, fowk reenact the auncient past bi wearing traditional claes frae the Heian period an presenting Japanese poetry readings. 
(Hamakita-ku, Hamamatsu &mdash; October)

### Inasa Puppet Festival
Ane o the few puppet festivals held in Japan, featurin 60 performances o aboot 30 plays bi puppet masters frae aw ower the kintra. The shows provide a full day o enjoyment for baith childer an adults. (Inasa, Kita-ku &mdash; November)

### Princess Road Festival
This reenactment o a procession made bi the princess in her palanquin alang wi her entourage o ower 100 fowk includin maids, samurai, an servants maks for a splendid scene beneath the cherry blossoms alang the Toda River. In the Edo period, princesses enjoyed travelin this road which came tae be kent as a *[[hime kaidō]]* (*princess road*). 
(Hosoe, Kita-ku &mdash; Aprile)

### Shoryu Weeping Ume Blossom Festival
In Ryusui Garden thare is a stream wi seiven sma waterfaws an aboot 80 weepin *[[ume]]* trees pruned tae gie the appearance o draigons ridin on clouds tae the heavens. Thare are 200 young trees planted alang the muntainside an aw. (Inasa, Kita-ku &mdash; late Februar tae late Mairch)

## Notable fowk

*Michio Suzuki (1887–1982)
*Soichiro Honda
*Torakusu Yamaha
*Kenjiro Takayanagi
*Koichi Kawai
*Koji Suzuki
*Hiromi Uehara
*Yuri Chinen

## Radio stations
* FM Haro! (JOZZ6AB FM, 76.1&nbsp;MHz)
* K-MIX (JOKU FM, 78.4&nbsp;MHz)
* NHK FM (JOPK FM, 82.1&nbsp;MHz)
* Radio Phoenix (internet)

## Colleges an universities
* Hamamatsu Gakuin University
* Hamamatsu University
* Hamamatsu University Schuil o Medicine
* Seirei Christopher University
* Shizuoka University (Faculty o Ingineerin an Faculty o Information)
* Shizuoka University o Airt an Cultur

## Sports teams
### Fitbaa
The closest thing tae a tap diveesion club Hamamatsu haes is Honda F.C., which play Japan Football League (third diveesion) gemmes at thair awn Miyakoda Soccer Stadium. Honda competit in the Japan Soccer League's First Diveesion frae 1981 tae 1991, but chose tae relegate itsel an no compete in the profeesional diveesions due tae parent company Honda's choice tae retain team awnership. Maist Hamamatsu fitbaa fans prefer tae follae Júbilo Iwata, athort the Tenryu River in Iwata. Júbilo maintains a club shop athin Hamamatsu.

Volare FC Hamamatsu, an autonomous club who competit in the Tokai Regional Football League Diveesion 2 in 2011, floutit plans tae aither owertake Honda FC or merge wi it, but it feenished last in the Tokai League an wis relegatit. Hamamatsu University keeps a team in the said diveesion an aw, but college teams canna be promotit tae the tap three tiers.

## Internaitional relations
Hamamatsu haes ratifeed Muisic Cultur Exchange Treaty wi the follaein ceeties (housomeivver, o the follaein Rochester is the anerlie offeecial sister ceety):
*  Rochester, New York, Unitit States (syne 1 October 1996)

### Twin touns an sister ceeties
Hamamatsu is twinned wi:
*  Warsaw, Poland (syne 1 Februar 1990)
*  Rochester, New York, Unitit States (syne October, 2006)
*  Camas, Washington, Unitit States (syne September, 1981)
*  Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
*  Chehalis, Washington, Unitit States (syne October, 1998)
*  Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
*  Porterville, Californie, Unitit States (syne October, 1981)

## References

## Freemit airtins

* Ceety's offeecial wabsteid