Hekinan, Aichi Prefecture, Chūbu Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Hekinan is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The total area of the city was 36.68 square km (14.16 sq mi).

Geography Hekinan is located in south-central Aichi Prefecture, and is surrounded by Lake Aburagafuchi, the Yahagi River, Kinuura Bay, and Mikawa Bay. Most of the city area lies on reclaimed ground, with an average elevation of under seven meters above sea level.

Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Hekinan has been increasing steadily over the past 50 years.

Surrounding municipalities Aichi Prefecture • Anjō • Takahama • Nishio.

History The area is part of ancient Mikawa Province. Under then Edo period, Tokugawa Shogunate, much of what is now Hekinan was part of the holdings of Numazu Domain, with the remainder being tenryō territory under direct control of the shogunate.

Late modern period Widespread rioting occurred in the area against the new Meiji government and its policy of shinbutsu bunri in 1871. The area was organized into towns and villages within Hekikai District by the Meiji period establishment of the modern municipalities system in 1889.

Showa period The towns of Ohama, Shinkawa and Tanao, and the village of Asahi merged on April 5, 1948, to form the city of Hekinan As it is located on the southern (南) part of Hekikai District (碧海郡), the city was named Hekinan (碧南). Hekinan was the tenth city founded in Aichi Prefecture. Since it had harbors and rails, the city developed quickly after Pacific War.

On April 1, 1955, one part of the village of Meiji, which is currently called Nishibata, was incorporated into Hekinan.

On September 26, 1959, Typhoon Vera also known as the "Isewan Typhoon" heavily damaged the city.

On July 14, 1974, Rinkai Kōen Pool or also known as Kinuura Mammoth Pool was opened.

Because the city reclaimed the seaside for industrial purposes in 1960's, Hekinan opened this pool for people who complained about losing their beautiful beach.

On May 23, 1988, Hekinan Municipal Hospital was opened.

Heisei period In 1993, Hekinan Thermal Power Station was created by Chubu Electric Power on the reclaimed ground. This provides high tax revenue to the city. On August 17, 2003, since the facility of the Rinkai Kōen Pool became old and the number of the visitors of the pool was reduced, the city shut down the pool. Instead, the city created Hekinan Rinkai Park on the same place.

Government Hekinan has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 22 members, which is considerably higher than other cities of similar size. The city contributes one member to the Aichi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Aichi District 13 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy Hekinan is one of the wealthiest cities in Japan. Its financial capability index is 1.70. Automobile-related components, metal, tile, and food processing are the main industries in the city. In 2006 the number of factories was 463 with 16,778 workers. The value of shipments was 84,356,533 million yen in total in 2006. The Hekinan Thermal Power Station is one of largest thermal power plants in the world.

Agriculture Even though only 4% of the population of Hekinan engage in agriculture, one-quarter of the area is farmland. The main products are carrots, onions, potatoes and figs. Anjo and Hekinan are the largest producer of figs in Japan.

Manufacturing • Automobile

In 2010, there were 9,148 people working in this industry, shipping products worth 47,058,959 yen which is more than half of the amount of shipments in the city. Toyota Industries is the biggest company for the industry in the city. There were 1,722 Toyota employees in Hekinan, or about 10% of the total industrial workers in the city in 2010. • Ceramic tile

One remarkable industry in the city is related to ceramic roofing tiles. Hekinan is one of the cities that produce Sanshu kawara, a well-known regional brand. In Japan, 58 per cent of tiles, which is about 50,000,000 tiles, are Sanshu kawara.

Education Hekinan has seven public elementary schools and five public junior high schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Aichi Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

High schools • Hekinan High School • Hekinan Technical High School; Middle schools • Hekinan Shinkawa Middle School • Hekinan Chūō Middle School • Hekinan Nishibata Middle School • Hekinan Higashi Middle School • Hekinan Minami Middle School; Elementary schools • Hekinan Ōhama Elementary School • Hekinan Shinkawa Elementary School • Hekinan Tanao Elementary School • Hekinan Chūō Elementary School • Hekinan Nishibata Elementary School • Hekinan Nisshin Elementary School • Hekinan Washizuka Elementary School; International schools • Escola Alegria de Saber (エスコーラ・アレグリア・デ・サベール) – Brazilian school (Ensinos Fundamental e Médio).

Transport: Rail Meitetsu • Meitetsu Mikawa Line: (Takahama)- Kitashinkawa – Shinkawamachi – Hekinan Chūō – Hekinan (Terminus); Kinuura Rinkai Railway • Hekinan Line: (Takahama)- Hekinanshi – Gongenzaki (Terminus).

Transport: Road Japan National Route • National Route 247; Prefectural road • Aichi Prefectural road 43 • Aichi Prefectural road 45 • Aichi Prefectural road 46 • Aichi Prefectural road 50 • Aichi Prefectural road 265 • Aichi Prefectural road 291 • Aichi Prefectural road 295 • Aichi Prefectural road 301 • Aichi Prefectural road 302 • Aichi Prefectural road 303 • Aichi Prefectural road 304 • Aichi Prefectural road 305 • Aichi Prefectural road 306 • Aichi Prefectural road 307.

Seaways Seaport • Kinuura Bay Port ◦ Ohama Port ◦ Shinkawa Port.

Local attractions • Hekinan Rinkai park ◦ Hekinan Sea Side Aquarium (碧南海浜水族館) ◦ Hekinan Rinkai Gym ◦ Hekinan Rinkai park ground • Aoi park • Mugaen – Philosophy Taiken Village • Akashi Park • Hekinan Tatsukichi Fujii Museum of Contemporary Art • Myōfuku-ji (妙福寺/志貴毘沙門天) • Shōmyō-ji – A temple related to Tokugawa Ieyasu.