Kure, Hiroshima

Kure (呉市) is a city in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 208,024 in 106,616 households and a population density of 590 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 352.80 sqkm. With a strong industrial and naval heritage, Kure hosts the second-oldest naval dockyard in Japan and remains an important base for the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force.

History
The area of Kure is part of ancient Aki Province, and the port of Kure was an important seaport for Hiroshima Domain in the Edo period.

The Kure Naval District was first established in 1889, leading to the construction of the Kure Naval Arsenal and the rapid growth of steel production and shipbuilding in the city. Kure was formally incorporated on October 1, 1902. From 1889 until the end of World War II, the city served as the headquarters of the Kure Naval District.

Kure dockyards recorded a number of significant engineering firsts including the launching of the first major domestically built capital ship, the battlecruiser JAPANESE CRUISER Tsukuba (1905) and the launching of the largest battleship ever built, the JAPANESE BATTLESHIP Yamato (1940).

During the Pacific War, Kure acted as the Imperial Japanese Navy's single-largest naval base and arsenal. Most of the city's industry and workforce were employed in the service of the naval installations, munitions factories and associated support functions. In the later stages of the conflict Kure came under sustained aerial bombardment culminating in the Bombing of Kure in June and July 1945.

From February 1946 until the end of Japan's postwar occupation in 1952, military establishments in Kure served at the operational headquarters for the British Commonwealth Occupation Force.

Since 2005, Kure has attracted attention as a tourism center with the Yamato Museum hosting a 1:10 scale model of the Yamato alongside a waterfront JMSDF museum of Japanese naval history.

The city continues as a major maritime center hosting both the dockyards of Japan Marine United and numerous shore-based facilities of the JMSDF including training centers and a major hospital. The city serves as the home port of an Escort Flotilla (Destroyers), a Submarine Flotilla and the Training Squadron of the JMSDF Regional Kure District.

Historic timeline

 * July 1, 1889 — Kure Naval District established.
 * 1895 — Kure naval shipyard established, initially as a subsidiary of the Onohama Shipyards in Kobe.
 * October 1, 1902 — The towns of Washō and Futagawa and the villages of Miyahara and Sōyamada merge to form the city of Kure.
 * November 10, 1903 — Kure Naval Arsenal established.
 * December 27, 1903 Kure rail line opens providing direct rail access to Hiroshima
 * April 1, 1928 — The towns of Kegoya, Yoshiura, and Aga merge into Kure.
 * April 21, 1941 — The town of Nigata and the village of Hiro incorporated into Kure.
 * March 19, 1945 — US Navy aircraft attack Japanese warships at Kure
 * May 5, 1945 — Bombing of Hiro Naval Arsenal.
 * June 22, 1945 — Bombing of Kure Naval Arsenal.
 * July 1, 1945 — Kure Air Raid.
 * July 24–28, 1945 — Battle of Kure, American bombers attack the remaining fleet in Kure Naval Base.
 * July 1, 1954 — Japan Maritime Self Defense Forces founded.
 * October 1, 1956 — The town of Tennō and the village of Shōwa in Aki District, and the village of Gōhara in Kamo District merge into Kure.
 * November 1, 2000 — Kure becomes a Special City
 * April 1, 2003 — The town of Shimokamagari (from Aki District) was merged into Kure.
 * April 1, 2004 —The town of Kawajiri (from Toyota District) was merged into Kure.
 * March 20, 2005 — The towns of Ondo, Kurahashi and Kamagari (all from Aki District), and the towns of Yasuura, Toyohama and Yutaka (all from Toyota District) were merged into Kure.
 * April 1, 2016 — Kure officially became a Core city with increased local autonomy

Government
Kure has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 31 members. Kure contributes five members to the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Hiroshima 5th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Geography
Kure is located 20 km south-east of Hiroshima city and faces the Seto Inland Sea. Surrounded by steep hillsides to the north, the two major commercial and industrial centers of the city are bisected by Mount Yasumi 497 m. The city is next to the Setonaikai National Park. As well as densely populated urban and industrial centers, the city also incorporates sparsely inhabited outlying islands such as Kurahashi-jima, Shimo-kamagari, Kami-kamagari and Toyoshima.

Adjoining municipalities
Hiroshima Prefecture
 * Minami-ku, Hiroshima
 * Higashihiroshima
 * Etajima
 * Saka
 * Kumano
 * Ōsakikamijima

Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Kure has been declining for the past 40 years.

Climate
Kure has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year and is heaviest in summer.

Economy

 * Japan Marine United, formerly IHI Marine United, has a shipyard in the city
 * Nisshin Steel
 * Yodogawa Steel Works
 * Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems
 * Sailor Pen Company
 * Disco Corporation has three manufacturing plants in Kure
 * Mitutoyo
 * Oji Paper Company

Colleges and Universities

 * Japan Coast Guard Academy
 * Kure University
 * National Institute of Technology, Kure College
 * Kure Kyosai Hospital Nursing College
 * Goko Academy

Primary and secondary education
Kure has 37 public elementary schools, 25 public junior high schools and one public high school operated by the city government, and seven public high school operated by the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education. There are also one private middle school and three price high schools. The prefecture also operates two special education schools for the disabled.

Railway
JR West (JR West) - Kure Line
 * Yasuura - Ato - Akikawajiri - Nigata - Hiro - Shin-Hiro - Akiaga - Kure - Kawaraishi - Yoshiura - Karugahama - Tennō - Kure-Portopia

Highways

 * JP Expressway E75.svg Higashihiroshima-Kure Expressway
 * JP Expressway E31.svg Hiroshima-Kure Road

Sister cities
, Kure has sister city agreements with the following cities.

Sister cities

 * 🇺🇸 Bremerton, Washington, United States (since August 1970)
 * 🇪🇸 Marbella, Andalusia, Spain (since December 1990)
 * 🇰🇷 Jinhae-gu, Changwon, South Gyeongsang, South Korea (since October 1999)
 * Keelung, Taiwan (since April 2017)

Friendship cities

 * 🇯🇵 Daisen, Tottori (since September 1995)

Friendship ports

 * Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China (since May 2001)

Museums

 * Kure Municipal Museum of Art and Museum Avenue
 * Irifuneyama Memorial Museum
 * Sannose Gohonjin Art and Culture
 * Rantokaku Art Museum
 * Kurahashi-cho Nagato Museum of Shipbuilding History
 * JMSDF Kure Museum (Displaying Yūshio-class submarine Akishio), nicknamed Iron Whale Museum
 * Yamato Museum

Shrines

 * Kameyama Shrine

Historical places

 * Former Kure-chinjufu
 * Former House of Prince Takamatsu
 * House of Kimiyo Fujii
 * Takechimaru anti-invasion cement ships

Parks and gardens

 * Rekishi-no-mieru-Oka and Park
 * Nagasako Park
 * Allay Karasu Kojima Park
 * Ondono-seto and Park
 * Setonaikai National Park
 * Kure Port-pia Park
 * Nikokyo Park

Mountains

 * Mount Noro
 * Haiga-mine
 * Mount Yasumi
 * Nikyu-kyo
 * Honjo Suigenchi

Beaches

 * Romantic Beach Karuga
 * Kajigahama Beach

Festivals

 * Kure Port Festival
 * Kure Fireworks above the Sea (late July or early August)
 * Kameyama Shrine Festival (2nd Sunday in October, and the day before)

Musicians

 * Michiru Jo
 * Miyu Matsuki
 * Machico
 * Akira Sakata
 * Hitomi Shimatani

Authors

 * Hiromu Ono
 * Shinji Wada

Sports

 * Fumio Fujimura
 * Shinji Hamazaki
 * Tatsuro Hirooka
 * Ryō Hirakawa

Politicians

 * Rob Lucas