# Ichihara, Chiba

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**Ichihara** (市原市, *Ichihara-shi*) is a [city](/source/Cities_of_Japan), located in [Chiba Prefecture](/source/Chiba_Prefecture), [Japan](/source/Japan).[1] As of 01 December 2020, the city had an estimated [population](/source/Population_(human_biology)) of 274,117 in 128,316 households and a [population density](/source/Population_density) of 240 people per km2.[2] The total area of the city is 368.20 square kilometres (142.16 sq mi). The city is home, together with the city of [Chiba](/source/Chiba,_Chiba), to the [JEF United](/source/JEF_United_Ichihara_Chiba) football club. The whole city is also part of the [Greater Tokyo Area](/source/Greater_Tokyo_Area).

## Geography

Ichihara is located in the western part of the [Bōsō Peninsula](/source/B%C5%8Ds%C5%8D_Peninsula), and geographically is the largest of Chiba Prefecture's cities and towns. The south is a mountainous area connected to the Boso hills. The highly industrialized northern part of the city faces [Tokyo Bay](/source/Tokyo_Bay). Ichihara, dense in housing developments, serves as a [satellite town](/source/Satellite_town) of Tokyo and Chiba City.

### Surrounding municipalities

Chiba Prefecture

- [Chiba](/source/Chiba,_Chiba)
- [Chōnan](/source/Chonan,_Chiba)
- [Kimitsu](/source/Kimitsu,_Chiba)
- [Kisarazu](/source/Kisarazu,_Chiba)
- [Mobara](/source/Mobara,_Chiba)
- [Nagara](/source/Nagara,_Chiba)
- [Ōtaki](/source/%C5%8Ctaki,_Chiba)
- [Sodegaura](/source/Sodegaura,_Chiba)

### Climate

Ichihara has a [humid subtropical climate](/source/Humid_subtropical_climate) (Köppen *Cfa*) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Ichihara is 15.1 °C (59.2 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,673.1 mm (65.87 in) with October as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.5 °C (79.7 °F), and lowest in January, at around 4.1 °C (39.4 °F).[3]

## History

The area of modern Ichihara is the center of ancient [Kazusa province](/source/Kazusa_province). The ruins of the [Nara period](/source/Nara_period) [Kazusa Kokubun-ji](/source/Kazusa_Kokubun-ji) [provincial temple](/source/Kokubun-ji) have been found within the borders of Ichihara, although the exact location of the Nara-period [provincial capital](/source/Kokufu) remains uncertain. During the [Sengoku period](/source/Sengoku_period), the area was contested between the [Chiba clan](/source/Chiba_clan) to the north, and the [Satomi clan](/source/Satomi_clan) to the south. During the [Edo period](/source/Edo_period), the area was divided between [Goi Domain](/source/Goi_Domain), [Tsurumaki Domain](/source/Tsurumaki_Domain) and large areas of *[tenryō](/source/Tenry%C5%8D)* territory controlled directly by the [Tokugawa shogunate](/source/Tokugawa_shogunate) and administered by various *[hatamoto](/source/Hatamoto).*

### Timeline

- During the [Meiji period](/source/Meiji_period), the area was reorganized into 171 villages under [Ichihara District](/source/Ichihara_District,_Chiba), Chiba Prefecture with the establishment of the modern municipalities system.
- In September 1923, the city was affected by [Great Kanto earthquake](/source/Great_Kanto_earthquake).
- By 1945, these villages had been consolidated into five towns and 16 villages.
- Through further consolidation and mergers, the city of Ichihara was founded on May 1, 1963.
- On 1 October 1967, the neighboring town of Nansō, and village of Kamo were merged into Ichihara.
- On 11 March 2011, the city was struck by [earthquake and tsunami](/source/2011_T%C5%8Dhoku_earthquake_and_tsunami) and the subsequent [Fukushima nuclear disaster](/source/Fukushima_nuclear_disaster), which causes of the [natural gas](/source/Natural_gas) storage tanks at the [Cosmo oil refinery](/source/Cosmo_Oil_Company) in Ichihara were set on fire by the earthquake.[4][5]

## Government

Ichihara has a [mayor-council](/source/Mayor-council) form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [unicameral](/source/Unicameral) city council of 32 members. Ichihara contributes four members to the Chiba Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of [Chiba 3rd district](/source/Chiba_3rd_district) of the [lower house](/source/House_of_Representatives_of_Japan) of the [Diet of Japan](/source/Diet_of_Japan).

## Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[6] the population of Ichihara has recently plateaued after several decades of strong growth.

Historical population Year Pop. ±% 1920 68,825 — 1930 71,287 +3.6% 1940 75,069 +5.3% 1950 98,375 +31.0% 1960 94,309 −4.1% 1970 155,852 +65.3% 1980 216,394 +38.8% 1990 257,716 +19.1% 2000 278,218 +8.0% 2010 280,416 +0.8% 2020 269,524 −3.9%

## Economy

The city's economy is fueled by a large industrial complex overlooking Tokyo Bay. It contains the largest number of [oil refineries](/source/Oil_refinery) in Japan, as well as power, petrochemical and shipbuilding companies.[7]

## Education

- [Teikyo Heisei University](/source/Teikyo_Heisei_University)
- Ichihara has 41 public elementary schools and 21 public middle schools operated by the city government, and six public high schools operated by the Chiba Prefectural Board of Education. There are also one private elementary school and two private high schools. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

## Transportation

### Railway

[JR East](/source/JR_East) – [Uchibō Line](/source/Uchib%C5%8D_Line)

- - -

[Keisei Electric Railway](/source/Keisei_Electric_Railway) – [Keisei Chihara Line](/source/Keisei_Chihara_Line)

[Kominato Railway](/source/Kominato_Line) – [Kominato Line](/source/Kominato_Line)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

## Sister cities

- [Mobile, Alabama](/source/Mobile,_Alabama), United States, since November 10, 1993

## Crime and safety

The [Soai-kai](/source/Soai-kai) [yakuza](/source/Yakuza) syndicate is headquartered in Ichihara.[8] A [designated yakuza group](/source/Yakuza#Designated_bōryokudan), the Soai-kai is one of the three dominating yakuza syndicates in Chiba Prefecture, along with the [Sumiyoshi-kai](/source/Sumiyoshi-kai) and the [Inagawa-kai](/source/Inagawa-kai).[9]

## Notable people from Ichihara

- [Chiaki](/source/Chiaki_(tarento)), Singer
- [Neko Hiroshi](/source/Neko_Hiroshi), Marathon Runner
- [Hirotoshi Ishii](/source/Hirotoshi_Ishii), Baseball Player[10]
- [Katsushige Kawashima](/source/Katsushige_Kawashima), Boxer
- [Kohei Kudo](/source/Kohei_Kudo_(footballer)), Soccer Player
- [Suzuran Yamauchi](/source/Suzuran_Yamauchi), Tarento

## References

1. ["千葉県地域"](https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/toukei/toukeidata/nenreibetsu/r04/documents/2022tyuui.pdf)

1. ["Ichihara city official statistics"](https://www.city.ichihara.chiba.jp/joho/toukei/jinkou-top/setaisu_jinkou.html) (in Japanese)

1. ["ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）"](https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=45&block_no=1238&year=&month=&day=&view=h0). [JMA](/source/Japan_Meteorological_Agency). Retrieved April 2, 2022.

1. ["Japan earthquake causes oil refinery inferno"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110313123422/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8375497/Japan-earthquake-causes-oil-refinery-inferno.html). Daily Telegraph, London, 11 March 2011, Retrieved 11 March 2011

1. ["Natural gas storage tanks burn at Cosmo oil refinery in Ichihara city"](http://www.trust.org/alertnet/multimedia/pictures/detail.dot?mediaInode=50cde84c-27ff-443c-8ffc-1183be4ce4c2) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120406115209/http://www.trust.org/alertnet/multimedia/pictures/detail.dot?mediaInode=50cde84c-27ff-443c-8ffc-1183be4ce4c2) 2012-04-06 at the Wayback Machine. [Reuters AlertNet](/source/Reuters_AlertNet). 11 March 2011, Retrieved 11 March 2011

1. [Ichihara population statistics](https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-chiba.php)

1. ["An Outline of Ichihara City"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080216090257/http://www.city.ichihara.chiba.jp/english/o_0.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.city.ichihara.chiba.jp/english/o_0.htm) on 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2008-03-23.

1. ["2010 Police White Paper Chapter 2 : Furtherance of Organized Crime Countermeasures"](http://www.npa.go.jp/hakusyo/h22/honbun/pdf/22p02000.pdf), 2010, *[National Police Agency](/source/National_Police_Agency_(Japan))* (in Japanese)

1. ["Condition of Boryokudan"](http://www.police.pref.chiba.jp/safe_life/gangsters/index3.php) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110820064903/http://www.police.pref.chiba.jp/safe_life/gangsters/index3.php) 2011-08-20 at the Wayback Machine, as of late 2010, *[Chiba Prefectural](/source/Chiba_Prefecture) [Police](/source/Japanese_police)* (in Japanese)

1. ["Hirotoshi Ishii Japanese Leagues Statistics"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=ishii-001hir). *Baseball-Reference.com*. Retrieved 2026-01-03.

## External links

- [Official Website](http://www.city.ichihara.chiba.jp/) (in Japanese)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ichihara, Chiba](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichihara%2C_Chiba) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichihara%2C_Chiba?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.