Kiryū, Gunma

Japanese city | Name = Kiryū City
JapaneseName = 桐生市| Region = Kantō region
Prefecture = Gunma Prefecture
District =
Area_km2 = 274.57 | Population = 132,443
PopDate = 2005
Density_km2 = 482
Mayor = Toyofumi Kameyama
Coords=
LatitudeDegrees= 36
LatitudeMinutes= 24
LatitudeSeconds=
LongtitudeDegrees= 139
LongtitudeMinutes= 20
LongtitudeSeconds=
Elevation = | Tree = Sweet Osmanthus
Flower = Salvia
Symbol
| Map

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CityHallPostalCode = 376-8501
CityHallAddress= 1-1 Orihimechō, Kiryū, Gunma
CityHallPhone= 0277-46-1111
CityHallLink = [http://www.city.kiryu.gunma.jp/ Kiryū City] | City

ExtraNotes =

nihongo|Kiryū|桐生市|Kiryū-shi is a city located in Gunma, Japan, near the cities of Ōta and Ashikaga. Incorporated on March 1, 1921, Kiryū is considered both a city and part of the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area, although it is still widely thought of as a rural area. Its population has been in steady decline since the early 1990s, due to both a national population stagnation as well as a steady migration of young people to metropolitan areas (principally Tokyo).

Name origin

The characters of the city name translate as "paulownia tree" and "life".

Demographics

As of 2005, the city has an estimated population of 132,443 and population density of 482 persons per km². On June 13 2005, Kiryū was consolidated with the villages of Niisato and Kurohone, increasing its total area from 137.47 to 274.57km², and raising its population by almost 20,000. With 50,150 households in 2005, Kiryū's population is divided fairly evenly along gender lines, with 64,157 males and 68,286 females.

Economy

For over a millennium, Kiryū's principle industry was textile manufacturing, primarily silk, with records dating silk production as far back as 713. Pachinko manufacturing arrived in Kiryū after World War II, during the period of industrial reconstruction, with the formation of two main companies—the Heiwa Corporation in 1949, and the Sophia Corporation in 1951. Kiryū's factories are responsible for manufacturing 60% of Japan's pachinko machines. However, the decreased demand for silk goods and the closure of several area manufacturing concerns have caused the local economy to suffer.

Geography

Kiryū is located at coord|36|25|N|139|20|E|region:JP_type:city in the southeast part of Gunma, near the Tochigi border. It is about 100 kilometers northwest of Tokyo. The city is located not far from Mount Akagi, a large but dormant volcano.

Situated at the foot of Mount Azuma, the city boasts one of the most beautiful settings in the Kantō region. Two rivers, the Kiryū and the Watarase, run through the heart of the city and it is likewise surrounded by picturesque mountains to the north. Umeda, a district on the north side of the city, is well-known for its cedar trees, while red pines are also common in other areas.

Attractions

Having been virtually untouched by bombs during World War II, the city boasts one of the greatest concentrations of pre-war architecture in all of Japan.

*Kiryugaoka Amusement Park
*Kiryugaoka Zoo
*Kiryu Nature Sanctuary
*Caribbean Beach
*Kiryu Motorboat Race Course
*Gunma Insect World

Transportation

Located on the Ryōmō Line, Kiryū Station is in the city centre, connecting it westward to Maebashi and Takasaki, and eastward to Oyama. With Shin-Kiryū Station located at the southern end of the city, Kiryū is served by the Tōbu Kiryū Line that runs between Midori (Akagi Station) and Ōta. Nishi-Kiryū Station, a terminus station on the Jōmō Line, also connects Kiryū to Maebashi.

Kiryū also has the southern terminus station for the Watarase Keikoku Line, which runs north through the prefecture. It ends in Ashio, Tochigi, infamous for the Ashio Copper Mine, a site of severe environmental damage in the 1880s.

ister Cities

*Columbus, Georgia, USA
*Biella, Piemonte, Italy

Kiryu is also the nickname of Mechagodzilla in the Millennium series of the Godzilla franchise.

External links

* [http://www.city.kiryu.gunma.jp/ Kiryū official website] in Japanese
* [http://www.kiea.jp/ Kiryu International Exchange Organization] in English and Japanese