Ichihara, Chiba


Ichihara is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
, the city has an estimated population of 275,776, and a population density of 749 persons per km2. The total area is. The city is home, together with the city of Chiba, to the JEF United football club.

Geography

Ichihara is located in the western part of the Bōsō Peninsula, and geographically is the largest of Chiba Prefecture's cities and towns. The highly industrialized northern part of the city sits on Tokyo Bay, while the southern part of the city is primarily mountainous. Ichihara, dense in housing developments, serves as a satellite town of Tokyo and Chiba City.

Surrounding municipalities

Chiba Prefecture
The area of modern Ichihara is the center of ancient Kazusa province. The ruins of the Nara period Kazusa kokubun-ji have been found within the borders of Ichihara, although the exact location of the Nara-period provincial capital remains uncertain. During the Sengoku period, the area was contested between the Chiba clan to the north, and the Satomi clan to the south. During the Edo period, the area was divided between Goi Domain, Tsurumaki Domain and large areas of tenryō territory controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate and administered by various hatamoto.

City formation

On Friday, March 11, 2011, the city was struck by the Tōhoku earthquake. Natural gas storage tanks at the Cosmo oil refinery in Ichihara were set on fire by the earthquake.

Economy

The city's economy is fueled by a large industrial complex overlooking Tokyo Bay. It contains the largest number of oil refineries in Japan, as well as power, petrochemical and shipbuilding companies.

Crime and safety

The Soai-kai yakuza syndicate is headquartered in Ichihara. A designated yakuza group, the Soai-kai is the three dominating yakuza syndicates in Chiba Prefecture, along with the Sumiyoshi-kai and the Inagawa-kai.

Education

Railway