Mishima, Shizuoka

Mishima 三島市
—  City  —
Mishima Station (train)
Flag
Location of Mishima in Shizuoka
Mishima
Coordinates: 35°7′N 138°55′E / 35.117°N 138.917°E / 35.117; 138.917Coordinates: 35°7′N 138°55′E / 35.117°N 138.917°E / 35.117; 138.917
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu, Tōkai
Prefecture	Shizuoka
Government
- Mayor	Takeshi Toyooka (since December 2010)
Area
- Total	62.13 km2 (24 sq mi)
Population (February 2009)
- Total	112,078
- Density	1,800/km2 (4,662/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Ginkgo biloba
- Flower	Mishima Sakura
- Bird	European Kingfisher
Phone number	055-975-3111
Address	4-47 Kitatamachi, Mishima-shi, Shizuoka-ken 411-8666
Website	city.mishima.shizuoka.jp

Mishima City from south

Mishima City Skyline

Mishima Taisha Shrine

Mishima (三島市, Mishima-shi^?) is a city located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2009, the city has an estimated population of 112,078 and a population density of 1,800 persons per km². The total area is 62.13 km². Its population has expanded since the opening of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen line made it possible to commute to Tokyo.

Geography

Mishima is located in far eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, at the top of Izu Peninsula and in the foothills of Mount Fuji. The area has a temperate martitime climate with hot, humid summers and cool, mild winters.

Surrounding municipalities

Shizuoka Prefecture

• Numazu
• Susono
• Kannami
• Shimizu
• Nagaizumi

Kanagawa Prefecture

• Hakone

History

Mishima is an ancient town, which developed around the important Shinto shrine of Mishima Shrine (三嶋大社, Mishima Taisha^?). Under the Ritsuryo administration system established in the Nara period, Mishima was made capital of Izu Province. It was also the location of the Kokubun-ji for Izu Province. In the Edo period, Mishima prospered from its location on the Tōkaidō highway connecting Edo with Kyoto, and Mishima-shuku was one of the 53 post stations on that road. The area was tenryō territory ruled by a daikan appointed directly by the Tokugawa shogunate. After the Meiji Restoration, Mishima became part of the short-lived Nirayama Prefecture in 1868. This merged with the equally short-lived Ashigara Prefecture in 1871, and became part of Shizuoka Prefecture from April 18, 1876. During the cadastral reform of 1889, the area was reorganized as Mishimi Town within Kimisawa District. In 1892, Prince Komatsu Akihito established a villa in Mishima. Its gardens, the Rakujūen, are a noted visitor attraction in Mishima to this day. In 1896, Kimisawa District became part of Tagata District, Shizuoka. Mishima received its first train connection in 1898 when the predecessor of the Izuhakone Railway established what is now Shimo-Togari Station. The Sunzu Line began operations from 1906. However, Mishima's fortunes revived strongly only after the Tanna Tunnel was completed in 1934, connecting the town to the Tōkaidō Main Line railway between Tokyo and Shizuoka. Mishima developed rapidly afterwards, merging with neighboring Kitakami Village in 1935 and Watada Village in 1941. Mishima Town was elevated in status to a city on April 29, 1941. It became a stop on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen from 1969. Mishima is home to the Ryūtaku-ji Rinzai Zen temple.

Economy

Mishima is a major industrial center within Shizuoka Prefecture. In addition to a railroad repair facility operated by JR Central, the city hosts factories from:

• Toray
• DMW Corporation
• Toshiba TEC Corporation
• Yokohama Rubber Company
• CFS Corporation (HAC Drugstores)
• Izuhakone Railway Company Ltd

Sister City relations

• Pasadena, California, United States, since July 24, 1957
• New Plymouth, New Zealand, since April 29, 1991
• Lishui, China, since May 12, 1997

Transport

Rail

• JR Tōkai - Tōkaidō Shinkansen
  • Mishima Station
• JR Tōkai - Tōkaidō Main Line
  • Mishima Station
• Izuhakone Railway - Sunzu Line
  • Mishima - Mishima-Hirokōji - Mishima-Tamachi - Mishima-Futsukamachi - Daiba

Highway

• Japan National Route 1
• Japan National Route 136

Education

The College of International Relations for Nihon University is located in Mishima. Mishima is also home to the National Institute of Genetics.

Culture

Novelist Kimitake Hiraoka adopted his pen name Yukio Mishima after the city.

The Mishima Summer Festival takes place from August 15 to 17 every year, in and around the Mishima Taisha shrine, as well as near Mishima Station. Mikoshi are carried through the streets and the taiko are played.

Notable people from Mishima

• Makoto Ooka - poet and literary critic
• Yukiko Sakamoto - politician
• Naohiro Takahara - professional soccer player

External links

Media related to Mishima, Shizuoka at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website (Japanese)