Shizuoka, Chūbu Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Shizuoka, Chūbu Region, JapanShizuoka (静岡市) is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and the prefecture's second-largest city in both population and area. It has been populated since prehistoric times. As of 1 December 2019, the city had an estimated population of 690,881 in 106,087 households, and a population density of 490 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,300/sq mi).

Overview The city's name is made up of two kanji, 静 shizu, meaning "still" or "calm"; and 岡 oka, meaning "hill(s)". In 1869, Shizuoka Domain was first created out of the older Sunpu Domain, and that name was retained when the city was incorporated in 1885. In 2003, Shizuoka absorbed neighboring Shimizu City (now Shimizu Ward) to create the new and expanded city of Shizuoka, briefly becoming the largest city by land area in Japan. In 2005, it became one of Japan's "designated cities".

Geography Shizuoka City lies in central Shizuoka Prefecture, about halfway between Tokyo and Nagoya along the Tōkaidō Corridor, between Suruga Bay to the south and the Minami Alps in the north. Shizuoka had the largest area of any municipality in Japan after merging with Shimizu City in April 2003, until February 2005, when Takayama in Gifu Prefecture superseded it by merging with nine surrounding municipalities.

The total area of the city is 1,411.90 km² (545.14 sq mi). Shizuoka is the 5th largest city in Japan in terms of geographic area after Takayama, Hamamatsu, Nikkō, and Kitami. It is also the 2nd largest city in Shizuoka Prefecture in terms of both geographic area and population after Hamamatsu, but ranks higher as an Urban Employment Area, and leads as a metropolitan area and business region.

The fan-like shape of the Shizuoka Plain and Miho Peninsula were formed over the ages by the fast-flowing Abe River, carrying along collapsed sand and earth. These areas form the foundations of the city today.  The isolated Mount Kunō separates the Suruga coastline from the Shimizu coastline.

Economy Shizuoka has 35,579 businesses as of 2012.

Employment by industry: Agriculture 0.1%, Manufacturing: 26.9%, Service 73.0%.

Greater Shizuoka, Shizuoka Metropolitan Employment Area, has a GDP of US$45.8 billion as of 2010.

Shizuoka's GDP per capita (PPP) 2014 was US$41,472.

Fuji Dream Airlines is headquartered in Aoi-ku, Shizuoka.

Agriculture Green tea Varieties such as Motoyama and Yabukita are grown in all corners of the city, and the varieties grown especially in the Warashina area in Aoi Ward and the Ryōgōchi area of Shimizu Ward are known for their high quality

Strawberries "Stonewall strawberries" (石垣いちご, ishigaki ichigo) are strawberries that grow in holes on inclined stone walls, grown especially along an 8 km (5 mi) stretch of Kunō Kaidō (route 150), also known as "Strawberry Road", along the coast of Suruga Bay.

Wasabi especially in areas such as Utōgi in Aoi Ward

Mandarin orange and other citrus fruits

especially Satsuma, a seedless and easy-peeling citrus mutant, known as mikan (みかん) or formally unshū mikan (ウンシュウミカン)

Lotus roots especially in the Asahata area of Aoi Ward

Roses especially in the Ihara and Okitsu areas in Shimizu Ward

Peaches especially in the Osada area; Potatoes Especially the Sebago potato. Originally exported to Crookwell.

Fishery Shimizu Port boasts the largest haul of tuna in all Japan. Kanbara Harbour enjoys a prosperous haul of sakura ebi, and Mochimune Harbour enjoys a prosperous haul of shirasu sardines.

Products Abekawa Mochi is a type of rice cake (or mochi) made with kinako soy flour that is a specialty of Shizuoka.

Shizuoka has a long history of being involved in the craft industries going back over 400 years ago, using trees, including hinoki cypress. The model industry goes back to the late 1920s when wood was used to produce model toys, using sashimono woodworking joinery techniques, purely for educational purposes. Craftsmen later moved on to lighter woods including balsa, but following the war, with the importation of US built scale models, many companies either turned to plastic models to compete or went under.

The town has since become internationally notable for its plastic scale model kits and is resident to long-established companies such as Aoshima, Fujimi, Hasegawa, and Tamiya. Another model brand, Bandai, produces its Gundam models exclusively at its Bandai Hobby Center plant in the city. The city hosts the long-running Shizuoka Hobby Show annually in May at Twin Messe Shizuoka.

Media: Print The Shizuoka Shimbun is the area's primary newspaper.

Media: Television • NHK Shizuoka (Analogue Channel 9; Digital Channel 1) • NHK Shizuoka Educational Channel (Analogue Channel 2; Digital Channel 2) • Shizuoka Broadcasting System (SBS) (Analogue Channel 11; Digital Channel 6) • TV Shizuoka (Analogue Channel 35; Digital Channel 8) • Shizuoka Daiichi Television (Analogue Channel 31; Digital Channel 4) • Shizuoka Asahi Television (Analogue Channel 33; Digital Channel 5) • Shizuoka Cable Television (Dream Wave Shizuoka).

Media: Radio • NHK1 882 kHz • NHK2 639 kHz • NHK-FM 88.8 MHz • SBS 1404 kHz / 93.9 MHz • K-MIX 79.2 MHz • FM-Hi！76.9 MHz • Marine Pal (FM Shimizu) 76.3 MHz • Guzen Media Japan—A podcast and vidcast based in Shizuoka, Japan.

Education: University • Shizuoka University

National university, founded 1949. Main campus in Suruga Ward. Abbreviated to 静大 (Shizudai). • University of Shizuoka（Shizuoka Prefectural University）

Public university whose main campus is in Suruga Ward, close to Kusanagi Station. • Tokai University

Shimizu campus of the Tokyo-based private university • Tokoha Gakuen University

Private university founded in 1946 • Shizuoka Eiwa Gakuin University

Co-educational private university in Suruga Ward, founded by missionaries from the Methodist Church of Canada with the support of the Shizuoka prefectural government. First institution in Shizuoka Prefecture to offer secondary education for girls, it became a four-year coeducational university in 2002. • University of Shizuoka Junior College

Junior college in Suruga Ward, affiliated with University of Shizuoka. • Tokai University Junior College

Junior college in Aoi Ward, affiliated with Tokai University. • Tokoha Gakuen Junior College

Junior college in Aoi Ward, affiliated with Tokoha Gakuen University.