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Government

Fukushima has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 35 members. The city also contributes eight members to the Fukushima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, most of the city falls within the Fukushima 1st district, a single-member constituency of the House of Representatives in the national Diet of Japan, which also includes the cities of Date, Sōma, Minamisōma and Date District and Sōma District.

Demographics

Fukushima has the third-highest population in the prefecture, behind the cities of Iwaki, with 377,288, and Kōriyama, with 336,328. This makes Fukushima the only prefectural capital in Japan that is the third-largest city in the prefecture.

The Fukushima metropolitan area had a May 2011 estimated population of 452,912 and consisted of the towns and cities of Nihonmatsu, Date, Kunimi, Koori, Kawamata, and Fukushima. It is the second most populous metropolitan area in Fukushima Prefecture, with the Kōriyama metropolitan area being the largest with a population of 553,996. The Fukushima metropolitan area is also the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the Tōhoku region.

Economy

As of 2005, the total income of all citizens of Fukushima totalled trillion. Of this income, 0.8% was made in the primary sector, 24.1% in the secondary sector, and 80.1% in the tertiary sector.

Income in the primary sector was led by that from agriculture, which totaled . The secondary sector was led by general manufacturing, with income there totaling billion. The service industry led the tertiary sector with a total income of billion.

Fruits by far make up the largest value of crops grown in Fukushima, led by an annual production of 14,935 tons of apples, 13,200 tons of Japanese pears, and 11,517 tons of peaches. While Fukushima produces more apples and pears than peaches, as a percentage of national fruit production, in 2010 Fukushima produced 8.2% of all peaches grown in the country, compared to 5.1% of all Japanese pears and 2.3% of all apples. When the neighboring cities of Date, Kunimi and Koori, all of which are also in the Fukushima Basin, are taken into effect, the Fukushima metro area produced 20.1% of all peaches grown in Japan in 2010.

The city is known for its many peach, pear, apple, and cherry orchards which are located throughout the city, especially along the so-called road that loops the western edge of the city. Fukushima is also sometimes known as the .

Industry

In 2009 Fukushima's industries directly employed 18,678 workers and shipped ¥671 billion worth of goods. This was led by information-related industries with 50.5% of total output. Other industries in Fukushima include those dealing with food at 7.6% of total output, metals at 7.5%, chemistry at 5.3%, ceramics at 4.9%, electricity at 4.5%, printed goods at 2.8%, steel at 2.5%, plastics at 2.5%, and electronics at 2.2%. Other various industries make up the final 9.8%.

In 2009, the value of goods shipped by Fukushima's industries comprised 14.2% of all of Fukushima Prefecture's total output for the year.

Transportation

thumb|right|A Fukushima Transportation 7000-series car on the Iizaka Line, between [[Bijutsukantoshokanmae Station|Bijutsukantoshokanmae and Iwashiroshimizu stations]]

thumb|right|Fukushima Station looking south from Mt. Shinobu. At the station the Tōhoku Shinkansen (top of photo) splits into the Tōhoku Shinkansen (bottom middle) heading north and Yamagata Shinkansen (bottom right) heading west.

Due to Fukushima having long been the junction of the Ōshū Kaidō and Ushū Kaidō routes, it has developed into an important transportation hub. It is currently the location of where National Route 13 breaks off from National Route 4. Fukushima Station is where the Ōu Main Line separates from the Tōhoku Main Line and the Tōhoku Shinkansen separates from the Yamagata Shinkansen.

Railway

In addition to the Tōhoku and Yamagata shinkansen, JR East also provides service from Fukushima Station on the Tōhoku Main Line and Ōu Main Line routes. Fukushima Station is north of Tokyo via the Tōhoku Main Line, which then continues north to Morioka Station. The Ōu Main Line originates at Fukushima Station then runs north to Aomori Station, taking a more western route than the Tōhoku Main Line. Train services are also provided by Fukushima Transportation and AbukumaExpress, which respectively run the Iizaka Line and the Abukuma Express Line. The Iizaka Line is a commuter train which connects the center of the city to Iizaka in the north of the city. The Abukuma Express Line takes a route following the Abukuma River and connects the city to Miyagi Prefecture in the north.

  • 22pxEast Japan Railway Company (JR East) - Tōhoku Shinkansen / Yamagata Shinkansen
  • Station in the city:
  • 22pxJR East - Tohoku Main Line
  • - - - -
  • 22pxJR East - Ōu Main Line (Yamagata Line)
  • - - -
  • AbukumaExpress - Abukuma Express Line
  • - - - -
  • Fukushima Transportation - Iizaka Line
  • - Soneda - Bijutsukantoshokanmae - Iwashiroshimizu - Izumi - Kamimatsukawa -Sasaya - Sakuramizu - Hirano - Iohji-mae - Hanamizuzaka - Iizaka Onsen

Highway

thumb|right|Route 4 at night in Fukushima

For automobile traffic, Fukushima is linked to Tokyo in the south and Aomori in the north via the Tōhoku Expressway, which passes through Fukushima and has multiple interchanges within the city. There are six national highways that run from or through Fukushima. Japan National Route 4 runs to Tokyo in the south, through Fukushima, then north to Sendai and beyond; Japan National Route 13 begins in Fukushima, runs through Yamagata Prefecture, then terminates in Akita Prefecture; Japan National Route 114 starts in Fukushima and runs southeast to the town of Namie; Japan National Route 115 runs through Fukushima, connecting Sōma in the east to Inwashiro in the west; Japan National Route 399 starts southeast of Fukushima in the city of Iwaki, Fukushima, continues northwest through Fukushima, and terminates in the city of Nan'yō, Yamagata; and Japan National Route 459 begins in Niigata, Niigata, runs eastward through Kitakata, through Fukushima, southward to Nihonmatsu, then eastward to Namie.

Also within the city is the Bandai-Azuma Skyline scenic toll road, which runs up and along Mt. Azuma on the western edge of the city, connecting Takayu Onsen and Tsuchiyu Onsen.

Local bus services throughout the city and region are primarily operated by Fukushima Transportation. Local bus service to the Kawamata area is offered by both JR Bus Tōhoku and Kanehachi Taxi. Intercity buses are operated by a multitude of companies and link Fukushima to the cities of Iwaki, Aizuwakamatsu, and Kōriyama within the prefectures and to the Sendai, Tokyo, and Kinki areas outside the prefecture, among others.

thumb|left|The northeast approach of the Bandai-Azuma Skyline scenic toll road

Airports

There is no commercial airport within the city limits. For air transportation, Fukushima is served by both Fukushima Airport in the city of Sukagawa and Sendai Airport in Natori, Miyagi.

Education

thumb|right|Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art, located at the southern foot of Mt. Shinobu

In addition to libraries and museums, Fukushima is home to many facilities for higher, secondary, and primary education

Museums located in Fukushima include the , the , the , and the . Fukushima is also the location of the Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art, located near Bijutsukantoshokanmae Station. The museum houses 2,200 works, including French Impressionism, 20th century American realism, Japanese modern paintings, prints, earthenwares, ceramics and textiles.

Fukushima operates 19 libraries and library branches throughout the city, and is also home to the Fukushima Prefectural Library, which is administered by Fukushima Prefecture and is adjacent to the Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art.

Institutes of higher learning that are located in Fukushima include Fukushima University, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima College, and Sakura no Seibo Junior College.

Sports

The city is home to the Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium, which was an Olympic venue at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Fukushima United football club play at the athletic Toho Stadium. The city's third professional team is basketball Japanese Second Division club Fukushima Firebonds.

Notes

References

  • Official Website
  • Fukushima City Tourism and Convention Association official website
  • Fukushima City Tourism and Convention Association official website