Ichinomiya, Aichi

Ichinomiya (一宮市) is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The city is sometimes called Owarichinomiya to avoid confusion with other municipalities of the same name, including Ichinomiya (now part of the city of Toyokawa) and Ichinomiya in Chiba Prefecture. , the city had an estimated population of 379,654 in 161,434 households, and a population density of 3,336 persons per km2. The total area of the city was 113.82 sqkm.

Geography
Ichinomiya is situated in western Aichi Prefecture, bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the west. The Kiso River and the Gojō River both flow through the city.

Climate
The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Ichinomiya is 15.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1833 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 28.1 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.2 °C.

Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Ichinomiya has increased steadily over the past 70 years.

Neighboring municipalities

 * Aichi Prefecture
 * Kōnan
 * Iwakura
 * Inazawa
 * Kitanagoya
 * Kiyosu
 * Gifu Prefecture
 * Hashima
 * Kakamigahara
 * Kasamatsu
 * Ginan

Origins
"Ichinomiya" literally means "the first shrine" of a province.

Ancient history
In case of Owari Province, this was Masumida Shrine, which dates to the Nara period and was located close to the provincial capital in what is now the city of Inazawa.

Middle Ages
Ichinomiya developed as a monzen-machi from the Heian period and was part of the holdings of Owari Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa Shogunate.

Meiji period
In the early Meiji period, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the town of Ichinomiya was created within Nakashima District

Ichinomiya was raised to city status on September 1, 1921.

Modern Ichinomiya
The city annexed the neighboring villages of Haguri and Nishinari in 1940, and with an additional eight surrounding municipalities (the villages of Chiaki, Tanyo, and Kitakata, and the towns of Asai, Yamato, Akiwara, Oku and a portion of Imaise) in 1955.

On April 1, 2002, Ichinomiya was designated as a special city, with increased local autonomy.

On April 1, 2005, the city was further expanded by absorbing the city of Bisai, and the town of Kisogawa (from Haguri District) which made it the fourth largest in Aichi Prefecture, after Nagoya, Toyota, and Toyohashi.

On April 1, 2021, Ichinomiya was designated as a core city, with increased local autonomy.

Mayor-council
Ichinomiya has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 38 members.

Prefectural Assembly
The city contributes five members to the Aichi Prefectural Assembly.

House of Representatives
In terms of national politics, the city is divided between Aichi District 9 and Aichi District 10 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Police

 * Aichi Prefectural Police
 * Ichinomiya police station

Firefighting

 * Fire department
 * Ichinomiya fire department

Health care

 * Hospital
 * Ichinomiya Municipal Hospital
 * Kisogawa Municipal Hospital

Post office

 * Ichinomiya Post office
 * Bisai Post office

Library

 * Ichinomiya City Library

International

 * Friendship cities
 * 🇮🇹Treviso (Veneto, Italy)
 * since January 30, 2013

National

 * Disaster Alliance city
 * Takaoka (Toyama Prefecture, Chūbu region)
 * since October 31, 2007
 * Seki (Gifu Prefecture, Tōhoku region)
 * since, 2011

Primary sector of the economy
Traditionally noted for textiles, Ichinomiya is now a regional commercial center with a mixed economy of manufacturing and agriculture.

Agriculture

 * Dry Daikon
 * Allium fistulosum
 * Rice

Animal husbandry

 * Poultry farming

Manufacturing
The Eisaku Noro Company, which produces colorful handcrafting and machine yarns for clothing, is also based here.

Commerce
Kanesue has its headquarters in Ichinomiya. It moved to its current headquarters in July 1976.
 * Shopping center
 * APiTA Ichinomiya (TelassWalk Ichinomiya)
 * Æon mall Kisogawa
 * Kanesue
 * Meitetsu Department Store Ichinomiya

Companies headquartered in Ichinomiya

 * Aichi small-elevator manufacturing corporation
 * Ichibanya
 * Kanesue
 * Konami Amusement
 * SOTOH
 * Japan Ecosystem

University

 * Shubun University

College

 * Aichi Kiwami College of Nursing
 * Ichinomiya Kenshin College

Primary and secondary education

 * Ichinomiya has 42 public elementary schools and 19 public middle schools operated by the city government, and 10 public high schools operated by the Aichi Prefectural Board of Education. The city also has one private middle school and two private high schools. The prefecture also operates two special education schools for the handicapped.

Conventional lines

 * JR logo (central).svg Central Japan Railway Company
 * Tōkaidō Line: – Owari-Ichinomiya – Kisogawa –
 * Meitetsu logomark 2.svg Meitetsu
 * Nagoya Main Line: Shima-Ujinaga – Myōkōji – Meitetsu-Ichinomiya – Imaise – Iwato – Shin-Kisogawa – Kuroda – Kisogawazutsumi
 * Bisai Line: Tamano – Hagiwara – Futago – Kariyasuka – Kannonji – Meitetsu-Ichinomiya – Nishi-Ichinomiya – Kaimei – Okuchō – Tamanoi

Expressways

 * [[Image:JP Expressway E1.svg|24px|link=|alt=E1]] Meishin Expressway
 * - Owari Ichinomiya PA – Ichinomiya IC – Ichinomita JCT –
 * [[Image:JP Expressway E41.svg|24px|link=|alt=E41]] Tōkai-Hokuriku Expressway
 * Ichinomiya JCT – Ichinomiya-Nishi IC – Hizai IC – Ichinomiya-Kisogawa IC –
 * Japanese Urban Expwy Sign 0016.svg Nagoya Expressway
 * Route 16 (Nagoya Expressway)

Water taxi

 * Nishinakano tosen (Kiso River)

Local attractions

 * Castle
 * Ichinomiya Castle
 * Kuroda Castle
 * Ōno_Castle

Festivals

 * Ichinomiya Tanabata Festival (Double Seventh Festival)

Notable people from Ichinomiya

 * Ichinomiya Katsumi, owner of the city
 * Ichinomiya Eisuke, the heir of the city
 * Ichikawa Fusae, politician
 * Masaaki Kanda, politician
 * Shinichi Kondoh, retired baseball player
 * Tetsuma Esaki, politician
 * Yukiko Okada, singer
 * Haruka Tomatsu, voice actress
 * Rie Kitahara, actress, former idol
 * Hisa Ōta, stage actress
 * Kazuo Funaki, actor
 * Jōji Matsuoka, movie director
 * Masayuki Toyoshima, shogi player
 * Tange Sakura, voice actress