Takarazuka, Hyōgo

Infobox City Japan
Name= Takarazuka
JapaneseName= 宝塚市
Map

Region= Kansai
Prefecture= Hyōgo
District=
Area_km2= 101.89
PopDate= Apr 1, 2008
Population= 222,198
Density_km2= 2161.0
Coords=
LatitudeDegrees= 34
LatitudeMinutes= 48
LatitudeSeconds=
LongtitudeDegrees= 135
LongtitudeMinutes= 22
LongtitudeSeconds=
Tree= Camellia sasanqua, Cornus kousa
Flower= Viola mandshurica (Japanese violet/Sumire)
Bird= Cettia diphone, Matacilla grandis
Symbol
!border
SymbolDescription= The Takarazuka city emblem, a stylization of the characters ta-ka-ra (タ-カ-ラ), represents the town of Takarazuka joining hands over the Muko River.
Mayor= Yoshihide Sakaue
CityHallPostalCode= 665-8665
CityHallAddress= 1-1 Tōyō-chō, Takarazuka-shi, Hyōgo-ken
CityHallPhone= 0797-71-1141
CityHallLink= [http://www.city.takarazuka.hyogo.jp/ City of Takarazuka] Nihongo|Takarazuka|宝塚市|Takarazuka-shiThe kanji 塚 (UTF-8 code FA10₁₆), which is part of Takarazuka's official name (宝塚市), is not available on all systems. (It can be entered in Wikipedia with HTML character 塚.) When not available, the kanji 塚 (UTF-8 code 585A₁₆, HTML character 塚) is used as a substitute, rendering Takarazuka as 宝塚市. (cite journal | title="Shirabetemimashita 'Takarazukashi' no zuka to ZU" ja icon | journal=Kōhō Takarazuka | volume=1026 | date=2004-6-15 | pages=8 | url=http://www.city.takarazuka.hyogo.jp/le_html/kouhou/k_pdf/160615/8.pdf | format=PDF | accessdate=2007-03-05)] is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.

Geography

Takarazuka is nestled between the Rokko Range to the west and Nagao Range to the north with the Muko River running through the center of the city.

A bedroom community for Osaka and Kobe, there are quiet, upscale residential neighborhoods like Nigawa, Sakasegawa, and Hibarigaoka.

Known as the inner parlor of Kansai, Takarazuka is famous for the Takarazuka Revue, hot springs, and the Takarazuka Tourism Fireworks Display held since 1913. It is also famous as a choice residential area along with Ashiya and Nishinomiya.

At one time, the idea was raised of merging Takarazuka with Itami, Kawanishi, and Inagawa, but it is currently on hold.

History

*A.D. 825: Sumiyoshi Shrine built.
*Between 1492 and 1500: Kohama town was established as a temple town for Koushou-ji.
*17th Century: Kohama Inn was established as a post station on Arima Road.
*1887: Takarazuka Hot Springs opened.
*1897: Hankaku Railroad (current Fukuchiyama Line) completed.
*1910: Minoh Arima Electric Railway (current Hankyu Takarazuka Main Line completed.
*1910s-1940s: The age of Hanshin Modernism. Takarazuka was a center of the culture.
*April 1, 1914: First performance by Takarazuka Girls' Opera (current Takarazuka Revue).
*March 15, 1951: Kohama Village, Kawabe District incorporated as Town of Takarazuka (宝塚町 "Takarazuka-chō").
*April 1, 1954: Town of Takarazuka and Yoshimoto Village, Muko District merge to become City of Takarazuka (宝塚市 "Takarazuka-shi").
*March 10, 1955: Nagao Village, Kawabe District annexed.
*March 14, 1955: Nishitani Village, Kawabe District annexed.
*April 1, 1955: Ogino, Aramaki,　Kounoike, and Ohno-Nitta ceded to Itami.
*January 17, 1995: Great Hanshin earthquake causes more than 100 casualties.
*April 1, 2003: Designated Special City.
*April 1, 2004: 50th anniversary of establishment as city.

Government

Mayor: Yoshihide Sakaue (阪上善秀 "Sakaue Yoshihide") (current term ends April 8, 2010)

Sister Cities/Partner Cities

Domestic

*Matsue, Shimane

International

*flagicon|United StatesAugusta, Georgia (United States of America)
*flagicon|AustraliaMelville, Western Australia (Australia)
*flagicon|AustriaAlsergrund, Vienna (Austria)

Locality

Education

;Elementary Schools:Ryogen Municipal, Takarazuka Number 1 Municipal, Kohama Municipal, Takarazuka Municipal, Nagao Municipal, Nishitani Municipal, Nigawa Municipal, Nishiyama Municipal, Mefu Municipal, Nagao South Municipal, Suenari Municipal, Akura Municipal, Nakayama-Sakuradai Municipal, Nagaodai Municipal, Sakasedai Municipal, Miza Municipal, Koumyo Municipal, Suehiro Municipal, Nakayama-Satsukidai Municipal, Maruhashi Municipal, Takatsukasa Municipal, Akura North Municipal, Sumiregaoka Municipal, Yamatedai Municipal, Hibarigaoka Academy;Junior High Schools:Takarazuka Number 1 Municipal, Takarazuka Municipal, Nagao Municipal, Nishitani Municipal, Houbai Municipal, Takatsukasa Municipal, South Hibarigaoka Municipal, Akura Municipal, Nakayama-Satsukidai Municipal, Gotenyama Municipal, Hikarigaoka Municipal, Yamatedai Municipal, Hibarigaoka Academy, Obayashi Seishin Women's Institute;Senior High Schools:Takarazuka Prefectural, Takarazuka West Prefectural, Takarazuka East Prefectural, Takarazuka North Prefectural, Hibarigaoka Academy, Obayashi Seishin Women's Institute;Miscellaneous Schools:Takarazuka Music School;Vocational Colleges:Municipal Nursing College;Universities:Koshien University, Takarazuka University of Art and Design

Neighboring Municipalities

Inagawa, Itami, Kawanishi, Kobe (Kita-ku), Nishinomiya, Sanda.

Specialty Products

*Ornamental trees and flowers (dahlias, irises, etc.)
*Soda rice crackers

Famous People from Takarazuka

*Osamu Tezuka (cartoonist, deceased)
*Makoto Imaoka (professional baseball player, Hanshin Tigers infielder)
*Taro Kida (composer)
*CRAZY COOL JOE (former DEAD END band member)
*Koji Higashino (comedian)
*Yoshiaki Kanemura (former professional baseball player (Seibu Lions, Kintetsu Buffaloes), baseball commentator)
*Masaaki Onishi (stuntman)
*Taro Yamamoto (actor)
*Kiyoko Taniguchi (disc jockey, celebrity)
*Seiko Nakajo (NHK announcer)
*Kyoko Kamei (TV Tokyo announcer)
*Yuichi Uwaizumi (Mainichi Broadcasting System announcer)
*Tomomi Sekine (former Asahi Broadcasting Corporation announcer)
*Kyoko Hikami (voice actress)
*Saki Aibu (celebrity, actress)

Facilities

*Takarazuka Grand Theatre
*Takarazuka Bow Hall
*Flower Road
*Hanshin Racecourse
*Takarazuka Hot Spring
*Takarazuka Garden Fields
*Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum
*Takarazuka Hotel
*Tessai Art Museum
*Takedao Hot Spring
*Masashi Residence: Mixed Western- and Japanese-style mansion build in 1918-1919. (Designed by Masaharu Furuzuka. National Registry of Tangible Cultural Properties. Filming location for NHK drama "Twins".)
*Takarazuka City Historical Archives (former Matsumoto Residence): Western-style mansion build in 1937. (National Registry of Tangible Cultural Properties)
*Kohama Inn Resource Center

Major Religious Institutions

*Temples
**Nakayamadera
**Kiyoshikoujin Seichou-ji
**Heirin-ji
**Gosho-ji

*Shrines
**Mefu Jinja
**Matsuo Jinja
**Tenman Jinja

Siteseeing and Festivals

*Takarazuka Revue
*Flower Road
*Takarazuka Garden Fields
*Takarazuka Tourism Fireworks Display
*Takarazuka Memorial (horse race)

Transportation

Railways

Railways connect the city to other cities in the region including Osaka. Takarazuka Station, serving all railway lines in the city listed below, plays an important role as the city's central station.

*West Japan Railway (JR West)
**Fukuchiyama Line (JR Takarazuka Line)
***Nakayamadera Station
***Takarazuka Station
***Takedao Station
*Hankyu Railway
**Takarazuka Main Line:
***Yamamoto Station
***Nakayama Station
***Mefu-Jinja Station
***Kiyoshikōjin Station
***Takarazuka Station
**Imazu Line:
***Takarazuka Station
***Takarazuka-Minamiguchi Station
***Sakasegawa Station
***Obayashi Station
***Nigawa Station

Highways

*Chūgoku Turnpike Takarazuka Interchange
**The West Takarazuka Tunnel, which goes through the city, is known as a famous spot for traffic jams.
*National Road 176

Buses

*Hankyu Bus
*Hanshin Dentetsu Bus
*Hankyu Country Bus
*Shinki Bus

External links

*en icon [http://www.city.takarazuka.hyogo.jp/en/index.html City of Takarazuka, Japan]
*en icon [http://kageki.hankyu.co.jp/english/tg_stage.html Takarazuka Revue]
*ja icon [http://www.city.takarazuka.hyogo.jp/tezuka/ Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum]

Notes