Iwaki, Fukushima

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Lore & Background

Iwaki's history reaches back to ancient Mutsu Province. Under the Nara period Taika Reform of 645 AD, the central government formed Iwaki district in the north and Kikuta district in the south of the present city. In 718, Iwaki Province was formed, composed of five districts. The imperial government constructed the Nakoso barrier around 708 AD against possible invasion by the Emishi tribes. In the late 11th century, the Iwaki clan of Hitachi Province invaded and ruled the area from the Kamakura period to the end of the Sengoku period. In 1600, Iwaki Sadataka opposed Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara, and the clan was deposed. Torii Tadamasa was appointed daimyō of Iwakitaira Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate, with an assessed kokudaka of 100,000 koku, and constructed Iwakitaira Castle. After the Meiji Restoration and the 1871 Abolition of the han system, the new Meiji government created Iwakitaira, Yunagaya, and Izumi Prefectures, which were incorporated into Iwamae (Iwasaki) Prefecture and then into current Fukushima Prefecture in 1876. The present city was incorporated on October 1, 1966, with the merger of 14 municipalities: five cities (Taira, Uchigō, Iwaki, Nakoso, Jōban), four towns (Yotsukura, Tōno, Ogawa, Hisanohama), and five villages (Yoshima, Miwa, Tabito, Kawamae, Ōhisa). Taira was chosen as the location for the city hall. On April 1, 1999, the city was designated a core city. On 11 March 2011, the city was struck by an earthquake and tsunami; by 20 May 2011, 303 were dead and 82 still missing.

Reader's Guide

Iwaki is a designated core city with a mayor-council government and a unicameral city legislature of 37 members. It contributes 10 members to the Fukushima Prefectural Assembly and is part of the Fukushima 4th District of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. The city is divided into thirteen zones (Ōaza). The central area is the former city of Taira, which houses Iwaki City Hall, Iwaki City Lyceum, and Iwaki Station. Yumoto is home to Iwaki Yumoto Onsen, one of the oldest onsen in Japan, and Spa Resort Hawaiians, which draws 1.5 million visitors per year and was the subject of the 2006 movie Hula Girls. Onahama is a port town with factories, fisheries, port facilities, an aquarium, beaches, and seaside restaurants. The main foundations of the economy are industry and agriculture, with Iwaki being a centre for manufacturing machinery, wood-based products, and chemicals. Industrial production in Iwaki City is #1 in the Tōhoku region. The city is rich in sightseeing resources, with 7.64 million tourists visiting annually. The Nakoso Thermal Power Station, a large coal-fired thermal power station, is located in Iwaki. The Jōban Line runs north and south, with the central station being Iwaki Station, which is also a terminus for the East Ban'etsu Line linking Iwaki to Kōriyama. The annual Taira Tanabata Festival is held from 6–8 August.

Did You Know?

• Iwaki is the 10th largest city in Japan (2010) in terms of area.
• The city's flag and seal depict the meeting of the warm Kuroshio Current and the cold Oyashio Current.
• The Jōban coalfield was the largest coalfield in Honshū and the nearest to Tokyo.
• Spa Resort Hawaiians draws 1.5 million visitors per year and was the subject of the 2006 movie Hula Girls.
• On 11 March 2011, the city was struck by an earthquake and tsunami; by 20 May 2011, 303 were dead and 82 still missing.

Geography and the Meeting of Two Currents

Iwaki is located at the southeastern end of the Tōhoku region and borders Ibaraki Prefecture. The city occupies around 8.9 percent of the total area of Fukushima Prefecture. The eastern part of the city is made up of 60 kilometres of coastline facing the Pacific Ocean, while the western part goes through the Abukuma highlands and joins the central part of Fukushima Prefecture. The western part is a range of mountains and forests, occupying about 70 percent of the city. Rivers flowing east from the mountains have steep riverbeds that form the deep valleys of the Natsuigawa Gorge and the Shidokigawa Gorge. The flatter eastern part is where most of the population is located. There are seven beaches on the coastline. Off the coast, the warm Kuroshio Current and the cold Oyashio Current meet, making for an abundant fishing ground. The city's flag and seal depict the meeting of these two currents. The prevailing winds from the ocean are warm and wet. Iwaki has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) with an average temperature of 13.1 °C and average annual precipitation of 1,383.0 mm. The highest recorded temperature is 37.7 °C, and the lowest is −10.7 °C. The average year has 14.4 days with a high over 25 °C and only 3.1 days with a low below 0 °C. The city is rarely hit by typhoons, experiencing only 0.7 days with more than 10 cm of snowfall per year. Bright sunshine averages 2,058.1 hours annually.

A Layered History of Rule and Reformation

The area of present-day Iwaki was part of ancient Mutsu Province. The forms いわき, 石城, 岩城, 巖城, 巌城, and 磐城 all mean 'rocky castle'. Under the Nara period Taika Reform of 645 AD, the central government formed Iwaki district (磐城郡) in the northern part and Kikuta district (菊多郡) in the southern part. In 653, the Iwaki district incorporated part of Taga Province and became Iwaki district (岩城評). In 718, Iwaki Province was formed, composed of five districts from Mutsu Province: Iwaki (岩城), Shineha, Namekata, Uta, Watari, and Kikuta from Hitachi Province. The imperial government constructed the Nakoso barrier around 708 AD against possible invasion by the Emishi tribes. In the late 11th century, the Iwaki clan (岩城氏) of Hitachi Province invaded Iwaki district (磐城郡) and divided it into four districts: Yoshima, Iwasaki, Iwaki, Naraha. The clan ruled from the Kamakura period to the end of the Sengoku period. In 1600, Iwaki Sadataka opposed Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara, and the clan was deposed. Torii Tadamasa was appointed daimyō of Iwakitaira Domain with an assessed kokudaka of 100,000 koku and constructed Iwakitaira Castle. Other parts of the city were under Izumi Domain (1634) and Yunagaya Domain (1670). All three domains joined the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei during the Bakumatsu period in support of the Tokugawa against the Satchō Alliance during the Boshin War. After the Meiji Restoration and the 1871 Abolition of the han system, the new Meiji government created Iwakitaira Prefecture, Yunagaya Prefecture, and Izumi Prefecture, which were incorporated into Iwamae (Iwasaki) Prefecture (磐前県) and then into current Fukushima Prefecture in 1876.

Coal, Rails, and the Rise of a Resort Town

In 1896, Iwaki Bank and Taira Bank were established. In 1897, the Japanese Government Railway filled in the inner moat of Iwakidaira Castle and built Taira Station. The Jōban coalfield, the largest coalfield in Honshū and the nearest to Tokyo, was developed, and the population of Taira increased to support the exploitation of the coalfield. The Jōban Line was made for haulage of the coal. Iwaki's fishery, forestry, and agricultural sectors also developed from this time. After World War II, the Jōban coalfield was closed. The same natural hot springs that were troublesome to coal miners were put to good use, and a hot springs resort was developed: Spa Resort Hawaiians. The present city was incorporated on October 1, 1966, with the merger of 14 municipalities. Taira was chosen as the location for the city hall and other administrative offices and continues to function as the centre of Iwaki. In April 1979, an 'Iwaki Number' automobile number plate was introduced.

A Mild Climate and a Steady Population

Iwaki is situated in a temperate climate zone (Köppen Cfa, humid subtropical climate) and has a moderate climate. The city's average temperature is 13.1 °C, and its average annual precipitation is 1,383.0 mm. The highest recorded temperature is 37.7 °C, and the lowest is −10.7 °C. The average year has 14.4 days with a high temperature over 25 °C and only 3.1 days with a low temperature below 0 °C, which is smaller compared to other Japanese cities. The city is rarely hit by typhoons and experiences only 0.7 days with more than 10 cm of snowfall in the average year. The duration of bright sunshine is 2,058.1 hours in the average year. Per Japanese census data, the population of Iwaki has remained relatively steady over the past 60 years. As of 1 August 2023, Iwaki had a population of 322,019 in 143,500 households, with a population density of 261 persons per km². The total area of the city is 1,232.02 km², making it the largest city in the prefecture and the 10th largest city in Japan (2010) in terms of area. Iwaki is a designated core city and one of the growing number of cities written in hiragana.