Yotsukaidō

Yotsukaidō 四街道市
City
Yotsukaidō City Hall Yotsukaidō City Hall
Flag of Yotsukaidō Flag Official seal of Yotsukaidō Seal
Location of Yotsukaidō in Chiba Prefecture Location of Yotsukaidō in Chiba Prefecture
Yotsukaidō
Coordinates:
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Chiba Prefecture
Government
• - Mayor	Hitoshi Sado (since February 2010)
Area
• Total	34.70 km2 (13.40 sq mi)
Population (April 2012)
• Total	88,167
• Density	2,540/km2 (6,600/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
-Tree	Japanese cherry
- Flower	Primrose
Phone number	043-421-2111
Address	Shikawatashi, Yotsukaidō -shi, Chiba-ken 284-8555
Website	City of Yotsukaidō

Yotsukaidō (四街道市, Yotsukaidō-shi) is a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

As of April 2012, the city has an estimated population of 88167 and a population density of 2,540 persons per km². The total area is 34.70 km².

Neighboring municipalities

• Inage-ku, Chiba
• Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba
• Wakaba-ku, Chiba
• Sakura, Chiba

History

Yotsukaidō was inhabited by the Mononobe clan in ancient Japan, from whose name the Monoi region of the city is derived. In the Heian and Kamakura period, it was under the control of shōen ruled by the Chiba clan for over 600 years. During the Edo period, portions were ruled by the Sakura Domain, and portions were tenryō under the direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate . After the Meiji Restoration, the villages of Chiyoda and Asahi were founded on April 1, 1889 within Inba District, Chiba Prefecture. However, much of the area of these villages was already under the control of the Imperial Japanese Army, who had established a field artillery training school in 1886. The artillery school remained an active military installation until 1945. Chiyoda was elevated to town status on December 23, 1940, and merged with Asahi Village on March 10, 1955 to form Yotsukaidō Town. Yotsukaidō was elevated to city status on April 1, 1981. Proposals to merge the city into neighboring Chiba were rejected by public referendum in 2003 and 2004.

Economy

Yotsukaidō is a regional commercial center and a bedroom community for nearby Chiba and Tokyo. The largest industry within the city borders is a large food processing facility operated by Yakult.

Education

• Aikoku Gakuen University

Transportation

Railway

• JR East - Sōbu Main Line
  • Yotsukaidō - Monoi

Highway

• Higashi-Kantō Expressway
• Japan National Route 51

Noted people from Yotsukaidō

• Kazuo Shii – Japan Communist Party chairman
• Yusuke Kobori – professional boxer
• Kodai Watanabe – professional soccer player

Sister city relations

• – Livermore, California, United States, from April 19, 1977

External links

• Yotsukaidō City official website (Japanese)
• Yotsukaidō City official website (English)