Urayasu
Geography. Urayasu is located in the northwestern part of Chiba Prefecture, about 20 kilometers from the prefectural capital at Chiba and within 10 to 20 kilometers from the center of Tokyo. It consists of a low-lying natural levee, a delta and a reclaimed land on the left bank of the mouth of the Edo River. The river runs along the western side of the city and separates it from the Edogawa ward of Tokyo. There are two parts to Urayasu: the original fishing village on natural levee on both banks of the Sakai River, which is a tributary  of the Edo River, and the newer reclaimed land portion which occupies about three-quarters of the city area, created since the 1960s. The new landfill area is called "Shin-Urayasu" (New-Urayasu), and has an "American" inspired layout, with a grid-like map of wide streets, large sidewalks, palm trees and parks. The buildings are tall, modern apartments, some having views on Tokyo Bay. Urayasu is one of the most sought after areas in the metropolitan area for young families to live. Neighboring municipalities. Chiba Prefecture Tokyo Metropolis Climate. Urayasu has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen "Cfa") characterized by  warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Urayasu is 15.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1435 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 6.2 °C. Demographics. Per Japanese census data, the population of Urayasu has been steeply increasing over the past 40 years. History. Early history. The area around Urayasu was "tenryō" territory within Shimōsa Province controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period. Urayasu served as an  important fishing village for the Edo capitol. Until the industrialization of the city it was a major center of production of "nori", an edible seaweed, "hamaguri", and "asari" clams. All three are important elements of the traditional Japanese diet. Modern history. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868 the area became part of Chiba Prefecture. Urayasu Village was created on April 1, 1889 under Higashikatsushika District with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. Urayasu became a town in September 1909. Many of the residents of Urayasu perished during the 1944 Bombing of Tokyo. Urayasu grew in the 1960s and 1970s  with massive landfill projects along the shores of Tokyo Bay, public housing projects, and increasing infrastructure. Urayasu became part of the Keiyō Industrial Zone in this period, which spans from the city across the Tokyo Bay coast of Chiba Prefecture to Futtsu to the south. An area of the Tokyo Bay near the town was reclaimed form the sea in 1960s called Maihama. Fishing was abandoned in Urayasu in 1971 due to the industrialization of the city. Urayasu was elevated to city status on April 1, 1981. Tokyo Disneyland opened in 1983 on 200 acres in Maihama. 2011 Tōhoku earthquake  and tsunami. Urayasu was greatly affected by the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The reclaimed land across most of northern Chiba Prefecture was damaged by soil liquefaction in the earthquake. Urayasu, with major areas of reclaimed land, had as much as 85% of the utility infrastructure, roads, buildings, and houses damaged or affected to some degree by soil liquefaction. The damage cost the city approximately ¥73.4 billion to repair. Government. Urayasu has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 21 members. Urayasu contributes two members to the Chiba  Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Chiba 5th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Economy. Urayasu is a regional commercial center and a bedroom community for nearby Chiba and Tokyo. The commuting rate to the central Tokyo is 49.0% per the 2015 interim census. The primary local employer in the city is The Oriental Land Company and businesses related to Tokyo Disney Resort. Education. High schools. Public (operated by Chiba Prefectural Board of Education): Private schools: Primary and middle schools. Urayasu has 17 public elementary schools and nine public middle  schools operated by the city government and two private middle schools. Transportation. Railway. JR East – Keiyō Line