Kameoka, Kyoto

Infobox City Japan
Name= Kameoka
JapaneseName= 亀岡市
Map

Region=Kansai
Prefecture=Kyoto
District=
Area_km2=224.90
PopDate=May 2008
Population=93,323
Density_km2=415
Coords=
LatitudeDegrees= 35
LatitudeMinutes= 1
LatitudeSeconds=
LongtitudeDegrees= 135
LongtitudeMinutes= 34
LongtitudeSeconds=
Tree=Sakura
Flower=Azalea
Bird=
Symbol
!border
SymbolDescription= Flag
Mayor= Masataka Kuriyama
CityHallPostalCode=621-8501
CityHallAddress=8, Yasumachi Nonogami, Kameoka-shi, Kyōto-fu
CityHallPhone=0771-22-3131
CityHallLink= [http://www.city.kameoka.kyoto.jp/ City of Kameoka]

nihongo|Kameoka|亀岡市|Kameoka-shi is a city located in Kyoto, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 93,323 and the density of 415 persons per km². The total area is 224.90 km². It is known as one of the Japan's foggiest cities.

Historically, the area served as a farming community for Kyoto, Japan's former capital. For centuries, area farmers provided ingredients used for traditional Japanese food served in Kyoto including chestnuts, black beans, azuki, rice, matsutake, yam, and daikon. Many of them are known as one of the best in the nation. Kameoka is continually known to be a provider of these high quality ingredients along with beef, chicken and ayu (also known as sweetfish.) In recent years, habanero peppers have been commercially produced.

It adjoins Kyoto to the east, and locates on the north of Osaka. It is on the border line between former Tanba and Yamashiro providences. Together with Nantan city, the region is known as Southern Tanba, Kuchitan or Nanatan. For centuries, Kameoka served as a key transportation point to connect San'in region and Tanba providence with Kyoto. Today, the city serves as one of the fastest growing suburbs of Metro Kyoto, and Metro Osaka.

The city was founded on January 1, 1955 by merging 1 town and 15 villages. In late 1950s, two more villages joined.

Kameoka is notable as the launch point for Hozugawa Kudari, a boat ride down the Hozu River. It is also the location of Anaoji Temple, one of the 21 temples in Western Japan authorized to issue amulets in the name of the Boddhisattva Kannon [http://www.city.kameoka.kyoto.jp/english/SIGHTSEEING.html#Anchorhozugawa] .

History

In the past, Kameoka was known as Kameyama and served as the provincial capital for Tamba province.

*300 B.C. - Rice farming colonies were built throughout the area
*741 - Emperor Shōmu established Kokubunji, provincial temple
*8th century - beginning to grow as a suburb of Nagaokakyo and Heian-kyo (the area was reigned by Seiwa Genji)
*1333 - Takauji Ashikaga raised his army in Kameoka to settle the Genko Rebellion in Kyoto
*1577 - Under the direction of Nobunaga Oda, Mitsuhide Akechi erected Kameyama Castle
*1582 - Mitsuhide Akechi raised his army in Kameoka to assassinate Nobunaga Oda & Nobutada Oda in Kyoto - The Incident at Honnō-ji
*1869 - Kameyama was renamed to Kameoka

Notable people from Kameoka

*Maruyama Ōkyo
*Masashi Satō of Quruli
*Baigan Ishida - the founder of Shingaku

Lords of Kameoka

*Mitsuhide Akechi
*Kobayakawa Hideaki
*Maeda Gen'i
*Oda Hidekatsu

Sister cities

* [http://www.knittelfeld.at/ Knittelfeld, Austria ] - April 14, 1964
* [http://www.stillwater.org/ Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA] - November 3, 1985
* [http://www.jandira.sp.gov.br/ Jandira, Brazil] - November 3, 1980
* [http://www.suzhou.gov.cn/ Suzhou, China] - December 31, 1996

External links

* [http://www.city.kameoka.kyoto.jp/english/ Kameoka official website] in English
* [http://www.city.kameoka.kyoto.jp/ Kameoka official website] in Japanese