Okazaki, Aichi
Flower = Wisteria|Tree = Black Pine|SymbolImage=|CityHallPostalCode = 444-8601|CityHallAddress=Okazaki-shi,
Juuou-machi 2-9|CityHallPhone=0564-23-6495|CityHallLink = Okazaki City | CityMap=Okazaki City.png|
Okazaki (岡崎市; -shi) is a city located in Aichi Prefecture on the main island of Japan.The city was founded on July 1, 1916, and was designated as a core city (中核 chūkakushi) in April 2003. On January 1, 2006, Okazaki annexed the neighboring town of Nukata. Okazaki enjoys a long history, and is well known for being the birthplace and original fief of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the feudal government that ruled Japan from 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.While the local Mikawa dialect is generally indistinguishable from what is considered modern, standard Japanese, there are very subtle differences; however, differences are much more apparent in nearby Nagoya, with the Nagoya dialect.As of May 1st 2006, the city government estimates the population at 368,201. The city remains young, with 139,233 households (2.64 residents per household). The population comprises 185,651 males and 182,550 females, reflecting the number of young men who move to Okazaki to work in the manufacturing sector. This fast population growth reflects the low unemployment rate, as well as affordable housing close to Nagoya. In April 2006 there were 263 births and 199 deaths, for a natural increase of 64 people. While for the same month 2,197 people moved into Okazaki, and 1,910 left, for a net increase of 287 people. Overall density has fallen to 950.83 persons per km² following the annexation by Okazaki of the neighboring town of Nukata, which in December 2004, had an estimated population of 9,508, and a density of just 59.32 persons per km². The Nukata area and the hilly forested areas of Okazaki's northeast remain sparsely populated.
Of the total population, 10,760 are foreign nationals (2.92% of total, compared with the nationwide average of 1.55%). There are 5,427 foreign males, and 5,333 foreign females. Including those registered as stateless, the foreign population comes from 71 nationalities, though more than half are from Brazil. As of April 2006, there were 5,573 registered Brazilians (3,042 males, 2,531 females), comprising 51.79% of the foreign population. Other significant foreign communities include Koreans (17.43%), Chinese (10.89%) and Filipinos (8.88%). There are very few Westerners in general (less than 3%), and the number of registered foreigners from countries where the majority of citizens are native English speakers is less than 200.Okazaki is located on the Tokaido Main Line; it can also be reached by the Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line. The Tokaido Main Line services JR Nishi Okazaki station and JR Okazaki station, which is the main transportation hub for the southern parts of the city. The Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line services 8 stations from Meitetsu Uto to Meitetsu Motojuku, including Higashi Okazaki which is the main transportation hub for the center and northern parts of the city.
A third railroad called the Aichi Loop Line starts from JR Okazaki Station and connects with the Meitetsu Line at Okazaki Koen-mae station before proceeding on to Toyota and Seto. The Tokaido Shinkansen passes through Okazaki‘s city limits but does not stop. The nearest shinkansen stations are Toyohashi, Mikawa-Anjo and at Nagoya.
Okazaki is of course also accessible by a number of roads including the Tomei Expressway and Route 1, both of which run east/west through the city. The main north/south arterial routes are Route 248 and 26. Driving/traffic conditions are comparable to that of an average urban/sub-urban American city; not at all as cumbersome as driving in Tokyo, though Route 248 is increasingly congested.While Okazaki's tourist facilities lack in comparison to other major cities in Japan (i.e. Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, etc), Okazaki nonetheless has a wide variety of historical sites, museums and festivals that shouldn't be missed.Okazaki CastleOkazaki Castle was originally built in 1455 by a warrior named Saigo Tsugiyori. Captured by the Matsudaira family in 1524 (and probably relocated from the other side of the river), the castle remains associated with Tokugawa Ieyasu, even though the latter transferred to Edo in 1590. During the Edo period it served as the seat of the daimyo of the Mikawa province and dominated the city until the new Meiji Government came into power, which ordered obsolescent castle-buildings demolished. The main donjon was destroyed in order to earn foreign exchange from scrap metals. In 1959 the donjon was reconstructed to its original style and specifications, the walls are the same as those reconstructed in 1620 by Lord Honda.FireworksAside from Tokugawa Ieyasu, Okazaki is also well-known, and perhaps most famous for, its fireworks. The Tokugawa Shogunate restricted production of gunpowder outside of its immediate region (with few exceptions), and even today, more than seventy percent (70%) of Japan's fireworks are designed and manufactured here. A large fireworks festival, which people from all over Japan come to see, is held annually on the first Saturday in August in the area surrounding Okazaki Castle.Hatcho MisoHatcho Miso is a dark miso paste made using a process of steaming soybeans (instead of boiling them) followed by maturation in cedar barrels under the weight of 3 tons of carefully stacked river stones for at least 2 years. Located 8 streets (Hatcho) west of Okazaki Castle near the Yahagi river, the old tiled buildings are heritage listed and one company (Kaku) has been a family business for 18 generations. It is one of the most famous miso producers in Japan, supplying the Emperor by appointment, and popular as a health food. The 2006 NHK morning drama serial, Junjo Kirari (Sparkling Innocence) was largely filmed inside the Hatcho Miso grounds. Tours are available every 30 minutes and free samples are provided.Universities
*National Institutes of Natural Sciences
*The Yamasa Institute
*Aichi Gakusen University
*Aichi Sangyou University
*Ningen Kankyou University
*Okazaki Joushi College
*Aichi Sangyou College* Newport Beach, California in the United States
* Uddevalla, Bohus County in Sweden
* Hohhot, Inner Mongolia in the People's Republic of China* Okazaki official website in Japanese (with link to English pages)
* Okazaki International Association website (with link to English pages)
* Okazaki City Guide website (English and German)
* Miss Okazaki - story of Japanese Friendship Doll sent to America by Okazaki in 1927
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