Kitakami, Iwate
Kitakami is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 March 2017, the city had an estimated population of 92,945, a population density of 212 persons per km2 in 37,085 households; the total area of the city is 437.55 square kilometres. The city is famous for the sakura. Kitakami is located in south-central Iwate Prefecture, in the Kitakami River valley 45 kilometers south of the prefectural capital of Morioka, 490 kilometers north of Tokyo; the city is at the confluence of the Kitakami River and the Waga River and has an altitude ranging from 50 to 200 meters above sea level, rising to 400 meters in the east. Iwate Prefecture Hanamaki Ōshū Nishiwaga Kanegasaki Kitakami has a humid climate characterized by mild summers and cold winters; the average annual temperature in Kitakami is 10.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1319 mm with September as the wettest month and February as the driest month; the temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.3 °C, lowest in January, at around -2.4 °C.
Per Japanese census data, the population of Kitakami has increased over the past 40 years. The area of present-day Kitakami was part of ancient Mutsu Province, has been settled since at least the Jōmon period by the Emishi people; the area was a stronghold for the Emishi chieftain Aterui until his death at the hands of Sakanoue Tamuramaro. During the portion of the Heian period, the area was ruled by the Abe clan, became a battleground during the Former Nine Years War The Abe were followed by the Northern Fujiwara clan. During the Sengoku period, the area came under the control of the Nanbu clan; the area was part of Morioka Domain during the Edo period, under the Tokugawa shogunate, with the exception of two villages on its southeastern border, which were under Sendai Domain. The town of Kurosawajiri was established by the Meiji period creation of the municipalities system on April 1, 1891; the modern city of Kitakami was founded on April 1, 1954, by the merger of the town of Kurosawajiri, with the villages of Iitoyo, Saraki, Oniyanai and Fukuoka.
On April 1, 1991 Kitakami absorbed town of Waga. Kitakami has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 26 members; the economy of Kitakami was traditionally agricultural. Kitakami has 17 public elementary schools and nine public junior high schools operated by the city government and five public high schools operated by the Iwate Prefectural Board of Education. East Japan Railway Company – Tōhoku Shinkansen Kitakami East Japan Railway Company – Tōhoku Main Line Kitakami - Murasakino East Japan Railway Company – Kitakami Line Kitakami - Yanagihara - Ezuriko - Fujine - Tatekawame -Yokokawame - Iwasawa - Wakasennin Tōhoku Expressway – Kitakami-Kanegasaki IC, Kitakami-Ezuriko IC Akita Expressway – Kitakami IC, Kitakami-Nishi IC Japan National Route 4 Japan National Route 107 Japan National Route 456 The city is famous for the sakura that bloom in Tenshochi Park, regarded as one of the hundred best places in Japan to view cherry blossoms.
Another hallmark of the city is Oni Kenbai, a traditional sword dance where the dancers dress as demons, performed during the summer festivals, such as Kitakami Michinoku Traditional Dance Festival. Kitakami boasts a site, reputed to be the grave of the famous Heian period waka poet Izumi Shikibu. USA – Concord, United States, sister cities since October 25, 1974 China – Sanmenxia, Henan Province, friendship cities since May 25, 1985 Tamaki Saitō, psychologist Hiroki Suzuki, actor Saori Takahashi, professional women’s volleyball player Tatsuo Hirano, politician Yoshiaki Fujiwara, professional wrestler Akira Yaegashi, professional boxer Yoshida Tatsuya, musician Media related to Kitakami, Iwate at Wikimedia Commons Official Website
Tōhoku Shinkansen
The Tohoku Shinkansen is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture in a route length of 674 km, making it Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island, is being extended as the Hokkaido Shinkansen through the Seikan Tunnel to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto and on to Sapporo by 2030, it has the Yamagata Shinkansen and Akita Shinkansen. The line is operated by East Japan Railway Company. There are four services in operation: Hayabusa, Tokyo – Shin-Aomori/Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto limited-stop, starting 5 March 2011 Hayate, Morioka/Shin-Aomori - Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto limited-stop, starting December 2002 Yamabiko, Tokyo – Sendai limited-stop, all-stations to Morioka, starting June 1982 Nasuno, Tokyo – Oyama/Nasushiobara/Kōriyama all-stations, starting 1995One service has been discontinued: Aoba, Tokyo – Sendai all-stations, June 1982 – October 1997 Through trains on the Akita Shinkansen and Yamagata Shinkansen lines run on Tōhoku Shinkansen tracks from Morioka and Fukushima respectively.
As of 16 March 2013, the maximum line speed is 110 km/h between Tokyo and Ōmiya, 275 km/h between Ōmiya and Utsunomiya, 320 km/h between Utsunomiya and Morioka, 260 km/h between Morioka and Shin-Aomori. On 30 October 2012, JR East announced that it is pursuing research and development to increase speeds to 360 km/h on the Tohoku Shinkansen by 2020. Work seems to be ongoing to upgrade the section between Morioka and Shin-Aomori to 320 km/h in the form of improved sound barriers; this should make operating at 360 km/h possible, if the improved noise dampening techniques being tested using the ALFA-X test train are successful. 〇→All trains stop ▲→Some trains pass △->Some trains stop レ→All trains pass ⇑,⇓ One direction only As of March 2015, the following types are used on Tohoku Shinkansen services. E2 series: Hayate / Yamabiko / Nasuno services E3 series: Tsubasa / Yamabiko / Nasuno services E5 series: Hayabusa / Hayate / Yamabiko / Nasuno services E6 series: Komachi / Hayabusa / Yamabiko / Nasuno services 200 series: Yamabiko / Nasuno services 400 series: Tsubasa / Nasuno services E1 series: Max Yamabiko services E4 series: Max Yamabiko / Max Nasuno services Class E926 East i 28 November 1971: Construction starts on the line.
23 June 1982: The Ōmiya–Morioka section opens. 14 March 1985: The Ueno–Ōmiya section opens. 20 June 1991: The Tokyo–Ueno section opens. October 1998: 1 billionth passenger carried on Tōhoku and Nagano Shinkansen lines. 1 December 2002: The Morioka–Hachinohe section opens. 13 April 2010: Test running starts on the extension from Hachinohe to Shin-Aomori. 4 December 2010: The extension from Hachinohe to Shin-Aomori opens. 5 March 2011: New Hayabusa services operating at 300 km/h commence operation between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori using new E5 series trainsets. 23 June 2012: The line's 30th anniversary was celebrated, with 1.93 billion passengers having been transported on the line. From Shin-Aomori, construction is underway to continue the line to Shin-Hakodate in Hokkaido, passing through the world's longest undersea railway tunnel, the Seikan Tunnel, a further 211.3 km to Sapporo by 2030. The mountainous terrain that the line passes through has necessitated heavy reliance on tunnels; the Iwate-Ichinohe Tunnel on the Morioka–Hachinohe stretch, completed in 2000, was the world's longest land rail tunnel at 25.8 km, but in 2005 it was superseded by the Hakkōda Tunnel on the extension to Aomori, at 26.5 km.
In 2007 the Lötschberg Base Tunnel, in 2010 the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland superseded both. On the afternoon of 11 March 2011, services on the Tohoku Shinkansen were suspended as a result of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. JR East estimated that around 1,100 repairs would be required for the line between Omiya and Iwate-Numakunai, ranging from collapsed station roofs to bent power pylons. Limited service on the line was restored in segments: Tokyo to Nasushiobara was re-opened on 15 March, Morioka to Shin-Aomori was re-opened on 22 March; the line between Morioka and Ichinoseki re-opened on 7 April, Nasu-Shiobara and Fukushima on 12 April, the rest of the line on or around 30 April, although not at full speed or a full schedule. The trains returned to full-speed operations on 23 September 2011. On 23 June 2007, 10-car set K47 was used for a special Yamabiko 931 service from Omiya to Morioka to mark the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen. On 23 June 2012, 10-car set K47 was used for a special Yamabiko 235 service from Omiya to Morioka to mark the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen.
JR East website Japan blasts longest land tunnel
Ōmiya Station (Saitama)
Ōmiya Station is a railway station in Ōmiya-ku, Japan. It is a major interchange station for the East Japan Railway Company, is operated by the private railway operator Tobu Railway; the following lines serve the station. Tohoku Shinkansen Hokkaido Shinkansen Yamagata Shinkansen Akita Shinkansen Joetsu Shinkansen Hokuriku Shinkansen Tohoku Main Line Takasaki Line Shōnan-Shinjuku Line Ueno-Tokyo Line Keihin-Tōhoku Line Saikyō Line Kawagoe Line Tobu Urban Park Line Ina Line These are five ground-level island platforms. Tracks 5 and 10 are through tracks not served by platforms; these are three elevated island platforms at the third-floor level. These are two underground island platforms; these platforms are bay platforms. A single platform on the middle of a balloon loop. Ōmiya Station opened on 16 March 1885 as a station of Nippon Railway. In 1894, a railway workshop was opened to the north of the station, this facility is still operated by JR East and Japan Freight Railway Company. In fiscal 2013, the JR East station was used by an average of 245,479 passengers daily, making it the busiest station operated by JR East in Saitama Prefecture and the eighth-busiest station on the JR East network as a whole.
The JR East passenger figures for previous years are as shown below. The Railway MuseumLocal and late-night buses and intercity coaches including ones to Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport airports depart from this station. List of railway stations in Japan Ōmiya Station Ōmiya Station information Ōmiya Station information Ōmiya Station information
Yokote Station
Yokote Station is a railway station in Yokote, Akita Prefecture, operated by East Japan Railway Company. Yokote Station is served by both the Ōu Main Line, it is a terminal station for the Kitakami Line and is located 61.1 km from the opposing terminus of the line at Kitakami Station. It is located 228.3 km from the terminus of the Ōu Main Line at Fukushima Station. Yokote Station has a single island platform and two opposed side platforms serving four tracks, although Platform 4 is not in use; the platforms are connected by an overpass. Yokote Station opened on June 15, 1905 as a station on the Japanese Government Railways, serving the town of Yokote, Akita; the Yokosho Railway began operations to the station on August 18, 1918 and the predecessor to the Kitakami line began operations from October 10, 1920. A new station building was completed in November 1924, but was destroyed in American air raids on July 15 and August 5, 1945; the JGR became the Japanese National Railways after World War II.
The Yokosho Line ceased operations on April 20, 1971. A new station building was completed in April 1978. All freight operations were discontinued from November 1986; the station was absorbed into the JR East network upon the privatization of the JNR on April 1, 1987. A new station building was opened in October 2011. Yokote City Office National Route 13 Hiraka General Hospital List of railway stations in Japan JR East Station information
Tokyo Station
Tokyo Station is a railway station in the Chiyoda City, Japan. The original station is located in Chiyoda's Marunouchi business district near the Imperial Palace grounds; the newer Eastern extension is not far from the Ginza commercial district. Due to its large area covered, the station is divided into Marunouchi and Yaesu sides in its directional signage. Served by Shinkansen high-speed rail lines, Tokyo Station is the main intercity rail terminal in Tokyo, it is the busiest station in Japan in terms of number of trains per day, the fifth-busiest in Eastern Japan in terms of passenger throughput. It is served by many regional commuter lines of Japan Railways, as well as the Tokyo Metro network. Trains on the following lines are available at Tokyo Station: JR East Tohoku Shinkansen Yamagata Shinkansen Akita Shinkansen Joetsu Shinkansen Hokuriku Shinkansen Hokkaido Shinkansen Tokaido Main Line Ueno–Tokyo Line Keihin-Tohoku Line Yamanote Line Chūō Main Line Sōbu Main Line Yokosuka Line Keiyo Line JR Central Tokaido Shinkansen Tokyo Metro Marunouchi LineThe station is linked by underground passageways to the Ōtemachi underground station complex served by the Tōzai, Hanzōmon, Mita subway lines.
It is possible to walk to the Nijūbashimae, Hibiya, Yūrakuchō, Higashi-ginza Stations underground, but these stations can be reached more by train. Tokyo Station is a major intercity bus terminal, with regular midday service to several cities in the Kantō region and overnight service to the Kansai and Tōhoku regions; the main station façade on the western side of the station is brick-built, surviving from the time when the station opened in 1914. The main station consists of 10 island platforms serving 20 tracks, raised above street level running in a north-south direction; the main concourse runs east-west below the platforms. The Shinkansen lines are on the east side of the station, along with a multi-storey Daimaru department store. Underground are the two Sōbu/Yokosuka line platforms serving four tracks to the west of the station; the whole complex is linked by an extensive system of underground passageways which merge with surrounding commercial buildings and shopping centres. Lines 3 through 10 were numbered as lines 1 through 8 and additional lines were numbered sequentially from west to east through the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen in 1964.
Lines 9 through 13 were used for the Tokaido Main Line and Yokosuka Line but were removed in 1988, line numbers 12 and 13 were used for the new Tohoku Shinkansen platform from 1991 to 1997. The current Chuo Main Line platform opened in 1995 as lines 1 and 2, other lines were renumbered accordingly, leaving lines 10 and 11 unused; the current line numbering became effective in 1997, when one of the Tokaido Main Line platforms was repurposed for the Joetsu Shinkansen as lines 20 and 21. The existing Tohoku Shinkansen platforms were renumbered as 22 and 23. In 1889, a Tokyo municipal committee drew up plans for an elevated railway line connecting the Tōkaidō Main Line terminal at Shinbashi to the Nippon Railway terminal at Ueno; the Imperial Diet resolved in 1896 to construct a new station on this line called Central Station, located directly in front of the gardens of the Imperial Palace. Construction was delayed due to the outbreak of the First Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War, but commenced in 1908.
The three-story station building was designed by architect Tatsuno Kingo as a restrained celebration of Japan's costly victory in the Russo-Japanese War. The building is rumoured to be fashioned after Amsterdam Centraal railway station in the Netherlands, although there is little evidence to support the opinion. Terunobu Fujimori, a scholar of Western architecture, denies the rumor, having studied Tatsuno's styles as well as the building itself. Tokyo Station opened on December 1914 with four platforms; the Chūō Main Line extension to the station was completed in 1919 and stopped at the platform now used by northbound Yamanote/Keihin-Tōhoku trains. During this early era, the station only had gates on the Marunouchi side, with the north side serving as an exit and the south side serving as an entrance. In 1921, Prime Minister Hara Takashi was assassinated at the south gates; the Yaesu side of the station opened in 1929. Much of the station was destroyed in B-29 firebombing on May 25, 1945; the bombing shattered the impressive rooftop domes.
The station was rebuilt within the year, but simple angular roofs were built in place of the domes, the restored building was only two stories tall instead of three. These postwar alterations are blamed for creating the mistaken impression that the building is based on the central station in Amsterdam. Plans in the 1980s to demolish the building and to replace it with a larger structure were derailed by a preservation movement; the Yaesu side was rebuilt following the war, but the rebuilt structure was damaged by fire in 1949, the Yaes
Hottoyuda Station
Hottoyuda Station is a railway station on the Kitakami Line in the town of Nishiwaga, Iwate Prefecture, operated by East Japan Railway Company. Hottoyuda Station is served by the Kitakami Line, is located 35.2 km from the terminus of the line at Kitakami Station. Hottoyuda Station has a side platform and an island platform connected to the station building by a level crossing; the station has a Midori no Madoguchi ticket office. The station opened on December 1922, as Rikuchū-Kawajiri Station, it was absorbed into the JR East network upon the privatization of the Japanese National Railways on April 1, 1987. A new station building was completed in April 1989, rebuilt in January 1995; the station was renamed Hottoyuda Station on June 20, 1991. In fiscal 2015, the station was used by an average of 109 passengers daily. National Route 107 Kawajiri Post Office Yuda Onsen List of railway stations in Japan Official website
Yahaba Station
Yahaba Station is a railway station on the Tōhoku Main Line in the town of Yahaba, Iwate Prefecture, operated by East Japan Railway Company. Yahaba Station is served by the Tōhoku Main Line, is located 525.1 rail kilometers from the terminus of the line at Tokyo Station. Yahaba Station has one island platform; the platforms are elevated, with the station building located underneath. The station is adjacent to the elevated rails of the Tōhoku Shinkansen, although the Tōhoku Shinkansen does not stop here; the station is has a Midori no Madoguchi ticket office. Yahaba Station was opened on 1 September 1898; the station building was rebuilt in March 1977. The station was absorbed into the JR East network upon the privatization of the Japanese National Railways on 1 April 1987. A new elevated station building was completed in March 2009. In fiscal 2015, the station was used by an average of 2,952 passengers daily. Site of Tokutan Castle Yahaba Post Office List of Railway Stations in Japan JR East Station information
Japan
.svg){kind=logo}
.svg){kind=logo}
