Kasugai, Aichi

Kasugai (春日井市) is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 306,764, and a population density of 3,306 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 92.78 sqkm. The city is sometimes called Owarikasugai to avoid confusion with other municipality of the same name, including Kasugai (now part of Fuefuki) in Yamanashi Prefecture.

Geography
Kasugai is located in northwest Aichi Prefecture, north of the Nagoya metropolis, in the northern Nōbi Plain. The Shōnai River flows through the southern portion of 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 Kasugai is 15.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1681 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 28.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.3 °C.

Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Kasugai has increased rapidly over the past 70 years with the 1960s being the fastest growing decade.

Surrounding municipalities

 * Aichi Prefecture
 * Nagoya (Kita-ku, Moriyama-ku)
 * Inuyama
 * Komaki
 * Seto
 * Toyoyama
 * Gifu Prefecture
 * Tajimi

History
The area which is now Kasugai contains many Kofun period burial mounds. During the Edo period, the area was mostly part of the holdings of Owari Domain.

With the Meiji period establishment of the modern municipalities system, the area was organized into villages under Higashikasugai District, including the village of Kachigawa on October 1, 1889. Kachigawa was raised to town status on July 25, 1900. On June 1, 1943, Kachigawa was merged with neighboring villages of Toriimatsu and Shinogi to form the city of Kasugai, and in 1958, Kasugai annexed the neighboring towns of Sakashita and Kōzōji.

Kasugai gained special city status on April 1, 2001, with increased local autonomy.

Mayor-council
Kasugai has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 32 members.

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

House of Representatives
In terms of national politics, the city is part of Aichi 6th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

International

 * Sister City

National

 * Disaster Alliance city

Economy
Due to its location, Kasugai is increasingly becoming a bedroom community for the greater Nagoya metropolis.

In terms of agricultural production, Kasugai is noted for horticulture and produces over 80% of the cactus sold as houseplants. Oji Paper Company, Panasonic and Fujitsu have large factories in Kasugai. There are also several shopping centers in Kasugai, including APiTA Kōzōji (SUN MARCHÉ), Æon Kasugai shopping center, Shimizuya, and The Mall Kasugai.

Companies headquartered in Kasugai include Aichi Electric, Amiyaki Tei, Daito ME, Chita Kogyo, Toyo Electric Corporation, KDK (Panasonic Ecology Systems), Panasonic Industrial Devices SUNX, Fine Sinter, and Mitsuchi Corporation.

University
Colleges and universities:
 * Chubu University
 * Meijo University, Kasugai campus

Primary and secondary education

 * Kasugai has 37 public elementary schools and 15 public junior high schools operated by the city government, and seven public high schools operated by the Aichi Prefectural Board of Education. Chubu University owns one private junior high school and one private high school on its campus. The prefecture also operates two special education schools for the handicapped.

International schools

 * Toshun Korean Primary School (東春朝鮮初級学校) – North Korean school

Airports

 * Nagoya Airfield

Conventional lines

 * JR logo (central).svg Central Japan Railway Company
 * Chūō Main Line: Jōkōji – Kōzōji – Jinryō – Kasugai – Kachigawa –
 * Meitetsu logomark 2.svg Meitetsu
 * Komaki Line: - Ajiyoshi – Kasugai – Ushiyama – Manai –
 * TKJ logomark.svg Tōkai Transport Service Company
 * Jōhoku Line: Kachigawa – Ajiyoshi –
 * Aikan logomark.svg Aichi Loop Railway
 * Aichi Loop Line: Kōzōji –

Highways

 * [[Image:JP Expressway E1.svg|24px|link=|alt=E1]] Tōmei Expressway
 * [[Image:JP Expressway E19.svg|24px|link=|alt=E19]] Chūō Expressway
 * [[Image:JP Expressway C2.svg|24px|link=|alt=C2]] Nagoya Dai-Ni Kanjo Expressway (Meinikan)

Local attractions

 * Castle
 * Jōjō Castle ruins
 * Ōdome Castle
 * Yoshida Castle
 * Buddhist temple
 * Enpuku-ji temple
 * Kōzō-ji temple
 * Mitsuzō-in temple
 * Rinsyō-in temple
 * Shintoku-ji temple
 * Taigaku-ji temple


 * Archaeological sites
 * Ajiyoshi Futagoyama Kofun
 * Library
 * Kasugai city library
 * Park
 * Greenpia Kasugai
 * Ochiai Park

Notable residents

 * Eiji Okuda, actor and director
 * Takehiro Donoue, professional baseball player
 * Naomichi Donoue, professional baseball player
 * Sho Ito, professional soccer player
 * Asahiyutaka Katsuteru, sumo wrestler
 * Kousei Amano, actor
 * Jurina Matsui, actress
 * Gaku Hasegawa, politician
 * Company Matsuo, pornographic movie actor/director