Takarazuka, Hyōgo

Takarazuka
宝塚市

Special city

Muko River and Takarazuka Revue

Flag

Location of Takarazuka in Hyōgo Prefecture

Takarazuka

Location in Japan

Coordinates: 34°48′N 135°22′E / 34.800°N 135.367°ECoordinates: 34°48′N 135°22′E / 34.800°N 135.367°E

Government

• Mayor

Tomoko Nakagawa

Area

• Total

101.89 km² (39.34 sq mi)

Population (April 1, 2008)

• Total

222,198

• Density

2,161.0/km² (5,597/sq mi)

Symbols

• Tree

Camellia sasanqua, Cornus kousa

• Flower

Viola mandshurica (Japanese violet/sumire)

• Bird

Cettia diphone, Motacilla grandis

Time zone

Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

City Hall Address

1-1 Tōyō-chō, Takarazuka-shi, Hyōgo-ken
665-8665

Website

www.city.takarazuka.hyogo.jp

Takarazuka (宝塚市, Takarazuka-shi)^[1] is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.

As of April 1, 2008, the city has an estimated population of 222,198 and a population density of 2,161 persons per km². The total area is 101.89 km².

Geography

Takarazuka from the Muko River

Takarazuka is nestled between the Rokko Range to the west and Nagao Range to the north with the Muko River running through the center of the city.

A bedroom community for Osaka and Kobe, there are quiet, upscale residential neighborhoods like Nigawa, Sakasegawa, and Hibarigaoka.

Known as the inner parlor of Kansai, Takarazuka is famous for the Takarazuka Revue, hot springs, and the Takarazuka Tourism Fireworks Display held since 1913. It is also famous as a choice residential area along with Ashiya and Nishinomiya.

At one time, the idea was raised of merging Takarazuka with Itami, Kawanishi, and Inagawa, but it is currently on hold.

History

825: Sumiyoshi Shrine built.
Between 1492 and 1500: Kohama town was established as a temple town for Koushou-ji.
17th century: Kohama Inn was established as a post station on Arima Road.
1887: Takarazuka hot springs opened.
1897: Hankaku Railroad (current Fukuchiyama Line) completed.
1910: Minoh Arima Electric Railway (current Hankyu Takarazuka Main Line completed).
1910s-1940s: The age of Hanshinkan Modernism. Takarazuka was a center of the culture.
April 1, 1914: First performance by Takarazuka Girls' Opera (current Takarazuka Revue).
March 15, 1951: Kohama Village, Kawabe District incorporated as Town of Takarazuka (宝塚町 Takarazuka-chō).
April 1, 1954: Town of Takarazuka and Yoshimoto Village, Muko District merge to become City of Takarazuka (宝塚市 Takarazuka-shi).
March 10, 1955: Nagao Village, Kawabe District annexed.
March 14, 1955: Nishitani Village, Kawabe District annexed.
April 1, 1955: Ogino, Aramaki,　Kounoike, and Ohno-Nitta ceded to Itami.
January 17, 1995: Great Hanshin earthquake causes more than 100 casualties.
April 1, 2003: Designated as a Special City.
April 1, 2004: 50th anniversary of establishment as city.

Government

Mayor: Tomoko Nakagawa (中川智子) (re-elected April 2013)

Economy

HI-LEX Corporation, a manufacturer of remote-controlling cables and accessories for multiple applications is headquartered in the city.^[2]

Sister Cities/Partner Cities

Domestic

Matsue, Shimane

International

Locality

Education

Elementary Schools: Ryogen Municipal, Takarazuka Number 1 Municipal, Kohama Municipal, Takarazuka Municipal, Nagao Municipal, Nishitani Municipal, Nigawa Municipal, Nishiyama Municipal, Mefu Municipal, Nagao South Municipal, Suenari Municipal, Akura Municipal, Nakayama-Sakuradai Municipal, Nagaodai Municipal, Sakasedai Municipal, Miza Municipal, Koumyo Municipal, Suehiro Municipal, Nakayama-Satsukidai Municipal, Maruhashi Municipal, Takatsukasa Municipal, Akura North Municipal, Sumiregaoka Municipal, Yamatedai Municipal, Hibarigaoka Academy
Junior High Schools: Takarazuka Number 1 Municipal, Takarazuka Municipal, Nagao Municipal, Nishitani Municipal, Houbai Municipal, Takatsukasa Municipal, South Hibarigaoka Municipal, Akura Municipal, Nakayama-Satsukidai Municipal, Gotenyama Municipal, Hikarigaoka Municipal, Yamatedai Municipal, Hibarigaoka Academy, Obayashi Seishin Women's Institute
Senior High Schools: Takarazuka Prefectural, Takarazuka West Prefectural, Takarazuka East Prefectural, Takarazuka North Prefectural, Hibarigaoka Academy, Obayashi Seishin Women's Institute
Miscellaneous Schools: Takarazuka Music School
Vocational Colleges: Municipal Nursing College
Universities: Koshien University, Takarazuka University of Art and Design

There was formerly a North Korean school, Takarazuka Korean Elementary School (宝塚朝鮮初級学校). ^[3]

Neighboring Municipalities

Inagawa, Itami, Kawanishi, Kobe (Kita-ku), Nishinomiya, Sanda.

Specialty Products

Ornamental trees and flowers (dahlias, irises, etc.)
Tansan senbei

Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum

Notable people from Takarazuka

Osamu Tezuka (cartoonist, deceased)
Makoto Imaoka (professional baseball player, Hanshin Tigers infielder)
Shinji Okazaki (footballer)
Taro Yamamoto (actor)
Kyoko Hikami (voice actress)
Saki Aibu (celebrity, actress)
Ikegawa Hiroki (Crossfaith bassist)
Akira Raijin (professional wrestler)

Takarazuka Hotel

Facilities

Takarazuka Grand Theatre (宝塚大劇場, Takarazuka Dai Gekijō)
Takarazuka Bow Hall
Flower Road (花のみち, Hana-no Michi)
Hanshin Racecourse (阪神競馬場, Hanshin-keibajō)
Takarazuka Hot Spring (宝塚温泉, Takarazuka Onsen)
Takarazuka Garden Fields
Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum (手塚治虫記念館, Tezuka Osamu Kinen-kan)
Takarazuka Hotel
Tessai Art Museum (鉄斎美術館, Tessai Bijutsu-kan)
Takedao Hot Spring (武田尾温泉, Takedao Onsen)
Shōji Residence (正司邸): Mixed Western- and Japanese-style mansion built in 1918-1919. (Designed by Masaharu Furuzuka. National Registry of Tangible Cultural Properties. Filming location for NHK drama Twins (ふたりっ子, Futarikko).)
Takarazuka City Historical Archives (former Matsumoto Residence): Western-style mansion built in 1937. (National Registry of Tangible Cultural Properties)
Kohama Inn Resource Center (小浜宿資料館, Kohama-juku Shiryō-kan)

Religious Institutions

Temples
Shrines
- Mefu Jinja
- Matsuo Jinja

Sightseeing and Festivals

Takarazuka Grand Theater and Bow Hall

Takarazuka Revue
Flower Road
Takarazuka Garden Fields
Takarazuka Tourism Fireworks Display
Takarazuka Memorial (horse race)

Transportation

Railways

Railways connect the city to other cities in the region including Osaka. Takarazuka Station, serving all railway lines in the city listed below, plays an important role as the city's central station.

Highways

Chūgoku Turnpike Takarazuka Interchange
- The West Takarazuka Tunnel, which goes through the city, is known as a famous spot for traffic jams.
National Road 176

Buses

Hankyu Bus
Hanshin Dentetsu Bus
Hankyu Country Bus
Shinki Bus

Notes

↑ The kanji 塚 (UTF-8 code FA10₁₆), which is part of Takarazuka's official name (宝塚市), is not available on all systems. (It can be entered in Wikipedia with HTML character 塚.) When not available, the kanji 塚 (UTF-8 code 585A₁₆, HTML character 塚) is used as a substitute, rendering Takarazuka as 宝塚市. ("Shirabetemimashita 'Takarazukashi' no zuka to ZU" (PDF). Kōhō Takarazuka (in Japanese) 1026: 8. 2004-06-15. Retrieved 2007-03-05. )
↑ "HI-LEX". Retrieved 5 March 2014.
↑ "ウリハッキョ一覧" (Archive). Chongryon. Retrieved on October 14, 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Takarazuka, Hyogo.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Takarazuka.

Takarazuka City official website (Japanese)
Takarazuka City official website
Takarazuka Revue
Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum (Japanese)

Hyōgo Prefecture

Kobe (capital)

Wards of Kobe	Chūō Higashinada Hyōgo Kita Nada Nagata Nishi Suma Tarumi

Core cities	Amagasaki Himeji Nishinomiya

Special cities	Akashi Kakogawa Takarazuka

Cities	Aioi Akō Asago Ashiya Awaji Itami Kasai Katō Kawanishi Miki Minamiawaji Nishiwaki Ono Sanda Sasayama Shisō Sumoto Takasago Tamba Tatsuno Toyooka Yabu

Akō District	Kamigōri

Ibo District	Taishi

Kako District	Harima Inami

Kanzaki District	Fukusaki Ichikawa Kamikawa

Kawabe District	Inagawa

Mikata District	Kami Shin'onsen

Sayō District	Sayō

Taka District	Taka

Metropolitan cities of Japan

Tokyo Metropolis	Special wards of Tokyo^※ (Adachi Arakawa Bunkyo Chiyoda Chūō Edogawa Itabashi Katsushika Kita Koto Meguro Minato Nakano Nerima Ōta Setagaya Shibuya Shinagawa Shinjuku Suginami Sumida Toshima Taitō)

Designated cities	Chiba^※ Fukuoka^※ Hamamatsu Hiroshima^※ Kawasaki Kitakyushu Kobe^※ Kumamoto^※ Kyoto^※ Nagoya^※ Niigata^※ Okayama^※ Osaka^※ Sagamihara Saitama^※ Sakai Sapporo^※ Sendai^※ Shizuoka^※ Yokohama^※

Core cities	Akita^※ Amagasaki Aomori^※ Asahikawa Fukuyama Funabashi Gifu^※ Hachiōji Hakodate Higashiōsaka Himeji Hirakata Iwaki Kagoshima^※ Kanazawa^※ Kashiwa Kawagoe Kōchi^※ Kōriyama Koshigaya Kurashiki Kure Kurume Maebashi^※ Matsuyama^※ Miyazaki^※ Morioka^※ Naha Nagano^※ Nagasaki^※ Nara^※ Nishinomiya Ōita^※ Okazaki Ōtsu^※ Sasebo Shimonoseki Takamatsu^※ Takasaki Takatsuki Toyama^※ Toyohashi Toyonaka Toyota Utsunomiya^※ Wakayama^※ Yokosuka

Special cities	Akashi Atsugi Chigasaki Fuji Fukui^※ Hachinohe Hiratsuka Ibaraki Ichinomiya Isesaki Jōetsu Kakogawa Kasugai Kasukabe Kawaguchi Kishiwada Kōfu^※ Kumagaya Matsue^※ Matsumoto Mito^※ Nagaoka Neyagawa Numazu Odawara Ōta Saga^※ Sōka Suita Takarazuka Tokorozawa Tottori^※ Tsukuba Yamagata^※ Yamato Yao Yokkaichi

Prefectural capitals	Fukushima Tsu Tokushima Yamaguchi

Note: ^※ also a prefectural capital

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 258413196 LCCN: n81071161 GND: 7562170-8 NDL: 00304196

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