Toyohashi, Aichi

Infobox City Japan
Name= Toyohashi
JapaneseName= 豊橋市
Map

Region= Chūbu
Prefecture= Aichi
District=
Area_km2= 261.26
PopDate= October 1, 2005
Population= 379,830
Density_km2= 1413.94
Coords=
LatitudeDegrees= 34
LatitudeMinutes= 46
LatitudeSeconds=
LongtitudeDegrees= 137
LongtitudeMinutes= 23
LongtitudeSeconds=
Tree= Camphor Laurel
Flower= Azalea
Bird=
Symbol
!border
SymbolDescription= Flag
Mayor= Masaru Hayakawa
CityHallPostalCode= 440-8501
CityHallAddress= 1 Imabashi-chō, Toyohashi-shi, Aichi-ken
CityHallPhone= 0532-51-2111
CityHallLink= [http://www.city.toyohashi.aichi.jp/ City of Toyohashi]

nihongo|Toyohashi|豊橋市] |Toyohashi-shi is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

The city was founded on August 1, 1906. As of October 12005, the city has an estimated population of 379,830 and a density of 1,413.94 persons per km². The total area is Convert|261.26|km2|m2|0|abbr=on.

Features

The city is located in the east of Aichi Prefecture, and is the central city of the prefecture's Higashi Mikawa district. Mikawa Port is a major port for worldwide trade, and its presence has made Toyohashi an important city as the biggest import and export hub in Japan for automobiles, in volume terms. Compared to other ports around the world, Mikawa is roughly on a par with the German port of Bremerhaven. [ [http://www.city.toyohashi.aichi.jp/en/welcome.html Toyohashi City / Welcome ] ]

The city also has a beach along the Pacific Ocean, where sea turtles have been seen laying eggs.

By size, Toyohashi was Aichi Prefecture's second-largest city until March 31, 2005. It was on April 1, 2005 that Toyota city combined with six peripheral municipalities and saw its total population rise above 400,000 people, thus edging ahead of Toyohashi into second place. Meanwhile, Ichinomiya city combined with two peripheral towns and saw its population rise above 370,000, and may soon surpass Toyohashi.

Hamamatsu city is just across the border in Shizuoka Prefecture, and saw large-scale municipal government mergers on July 1, 2005. There is some question as to whether Hamamatsu and Toyohashi might be merged in the future. Dubious|date=March 2008

Administration

Mayor

Masaru Hayakawa (1996 -)

National government

Akihiko Yamamoto (Liberal Democratic Party (Japan))

Transportation

Rail

Toyohashi is a station on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and the Tōkaidō Main Line. The Hikari shinkansen stops in Toyohashi Station approximately once every two hours, and the Kodama shinkansen stops twice an hour. Aside from the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and Tōkaidō Main Line, Toyohashi Station is the start of the Iida Line, Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line, Toyohashi Railroad Atsumi Line, and the Toyohashi Railroad Azumada Main Line, making it an important transportation hub.

The Azumada Main Line of Toyohashi Railroad is a local "shiden" (市電 "street car") line running north from Ekimae station through Undō Kōen Mae station and Akaiwa station. The Atsumi Line runs along the Atsumi Peninsula.

Roads

* Expressway
** Tomei Expressway (Toyokawa IC :Toyokawa city)

* National Highways
** Route 1
** Route 23
** Route 42
** Route 151
** Route 259
** Route 362

Bus

Almost all services are operated by Toyohashi Railroad (Toyotetsu or Houtetsu).

Industry

Automobiles made by Toyota, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Daimler-Chrysler, Ford, Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen are imported and exported through Toyohashi. The city acts as the port for approximately 50% of all automobile imports into Japan, and the volume of foreign-car imports is rising annually. Toyohashi was also the top producer of thread and textiles in volume terms during World War II.Fact|date=February 2007

Agriculture

Toyohashi is active in growing vegetables such as cabbage, and is also one of the top producers in Japan of quail. The city is a leading agricultural area, producing roughly ¥600 million annually.Fact|date=February 2007

pecial products

Chikuwa, Gohei rice cake (五平餅 "Gohei-mochi"), beach fermented soybeans, food boiled down in soy of goby, egg of the quail of production volume Japan one, Toyohashi writing brush (豊橋筆 "Toyohashi-fude").

Place of interests & ruins

Yoshida castle mark (吉田城址), Urigo ruins (瓜郷遺跡), Toumeidai of Maeshiba, Futagawa inn headquarter data mansion and Toyohashi Itimi technique museum, Watashi of Ushikawa, Toyohashi city public hall (豊橋市公会堂 "Toyohashi-shi Kōkaidō") and Akaiwa temple. [http://www.city.toyohashi.aichi.jp/en/i_map_e.html Toyohashi Culture Map] ]

Facilities and parks

Toyohashi is the self-governing community city in Japan with the most parks, encompasseing a flora and fauna park, Imou swamp, Mikawa Seaside Forest, Kamo Iris Garden, and the Mukaiyama "Ume" Garden. It also has what is considered to be the best surfing beach in Aichi and the surrounding region of Japan.

Festivals

Toyohashi Festival, Spring Festival, Flower iris Festival, Gion festival, Ogre festival, Akumi joruri performed by manipulating marionettes, festival model of flame.

Educational facilities

Universities

*Aichi University [http://www.aichi-u.ac.jp/]
*Toyohashi University of Technology [http://www.tut.ac.jp]
*Toyohashi Sozo College [http://www.sozo.ac.jp/]

Media

*FM Toyohashi(JOZZ6AA-FM, 84.30 MHz)
*Higashi Aichi Newspaper
*Tonichi Newspaper

References

External links

* [http://www.city.toyohashi.aichi.jp/ Toyohashi official website]
*wikitravel|Toyohashi