Makinohara, Shizuoka

Makinohara 牧之原市
—  City  —
Flag
Location of Makinohara in Shizuoka
Makinohara
Coordinates: 34°44′N 138°13′E / 34.733°N 138.217°E / 34.733; 138.217Coordinates: 34°44′N 138°13′E / 34.733°N 138.217°E / 34.733; 138.217
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu
Prefecture	Shizuoka
Government
– Mayor	Shigeki Nishihara
Area
– Total	111.68 km2 (43.1 sq mi)
Population (February 2010)
– Total	48,745
– Density	436/km2 (1,129.2/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	camellia sinensis
- Flower	hydrangea
Phone number	548-23-0001
Address	447 Shizunami, Makinohara-shi, Shizuoka-ken 421-0495
Website	City of Makinohara

Makinohara (牧之原市, Makinohara-shi^?) is a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 48,745 and a density of 436 persons per km². The total area was 111.68 km².

Geography

Makinohara is located in south-central Shizuoka. It is bordered by Suruga Bay on the Pacific Ocean to the east, and rises gradually to the Makinohara Plateau in the west. The area has a temperature martime climate, characterized by hot, humid summers and mild winters, with the warm Kuroshio Current offshort providing a moderating effect.

Surrounding municipalities

• Omaezaki
• Kikugawa
• Shimada
• Yoshida, Haibara District

History

The area of present-day Makinohara was part of former Tōtōmi Province. During the Edo period, the town of Sagara was the center of Sagara Domain.In the cadastral reform of the early Meiji period on April 1, 1889, the area Sagara incorporated as a town within Haibara District. Makinohara was founded by the merger of Sagara with the neighboring town of Haibara on October 11, 2005.

Economy

The local economy of Makinohara is dominated by the production of green tea, and to a lesser extent by fishing, and manufacturing of automobile components for Suzuki Motor Corporation^[1].

Fuji Dream Airlines has its headquarters in Makinohara.^[2]

Transportation

Shizuoka Airport, which opened in 2009, straddles the border between Makinohara and Shimada. The city has no train connections.

Highway

• Tōmei Expressway - Makinohara Interchange
• Japan National Route 150
• Japan National Route 473

Local attractions

Makinohara is the site of Sagara Oil field, Japan's only oil field on the Pacific coast. Hand-pumping began in 1873, and the following year, Nippon Oil opened the first mechanical pumping operation in the country at Sagara. Operations ceased in 1955, and in 1980 the field was made into the "Yuden no Sato" Park, operated by the Shizuoka Prefectural government [2][3].

Sister city relations

• - Kelso, Washington, USA
• - Matsukawa, Nagano (Shimoina), Japan
• - Sannohe, Aomori, Japan
• - Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto, Japan

Noted people from Makinohara

• Umetaro Suzuki - scientist, pioneer in vitamin research
• Takuma Edamura - professional soccer player

References

1. ^ Suzuki Motor Corporation[1]
2. ^ "会社概要." Fuji Dream Airlines. Retrieved on February 21, 2010.

External links

Japan portal

• (Japanese) Makinohara official website