Origins of Hamamatsu
Monument for the shell mounds
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Maehara Dotaku
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Hamamatsu is a city blessed by nature and a moderate climate. Evidence of human settlement in the Tenryugawa area can be traced as far back as the Paleolithic Era; human bones discovered in the Hamakita area, dating from about 18,000 years back, constitute the oldest fossils found in Honshu. The archeological ruins of prehistoric people who lived with nature can also be found in every part of the city. Most important of all are the shell mounds from the Jomon period (ca. 10,000 BCE - 300 BCE) found on the eastern shores of Lake Sanaru. To this day, they are the only artifacts of their kind found in Shizuoka.
In the Yayoi period (ca. 300 BCE - 300 CE), when rice first began to be grown in Japan, many people came to live on the lower reaches of the plains, a location ideally suited for cultivating rice paddies. Over 20
dotaku, or bronze instruments believed to have been used in ancient rituals, have been excavated in Hamamatsu to date, making the city one of historical importance.
Many
kofun, or ancient burial mounds, were also constructed in this area in the tradition of the enormous
kofun built for clan leaders found in Osaka, Nara, and other places. Among those found in Hamamatsu include the famous Akamonue
kofun (Hamakita) and the Komyosan
kofun (Tenryu).
The origins of the name "Hamamatsu"
A mokkan
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In the Nara period (ca. 8
th century), the western part of Shizuoka was called Totsu-omi. A
mokkan (or strip of wood on which official records were written) from the Nara period, found at an Iba excavation site, reveals that the city's name originates from over 1,300 years ago. The Izayoi Chronicle, a 13
th century travelogue, also mentions several locations in the area by name. We thus know that the place names of Inasa and Miyakoda, among many others, have similarly long histories.
From the Civil War Period to the Tokugawa Shogunate Era
Hamamatsu became a battlefield among the Tokugawa, Imagawa, and Takeda clans during the civil wars that tore apart the country in the 16
th century. The famous Hamamatsu Castle was built during this period by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the man who later founded the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled during the Edo period. Many important battles were waged during the 17 years Tokugawa spent at the castle, including the famous Battle of Mikatagahara in 1572. Because of its strategically crucial position, ally lords were often stationed at the Castle by the Shogunate. Many of these lords were later appointed to important positions in the central government, as a result, the Castle earned the nickname "the Castle of Success".
During the peaceful Edo era, which followed the civil wars, Hamamatsu thrived as an important central stop along the Tokaido Road. This road was the main artery connecting the Kyoto/Osaka area to Edo (now Tokyo) for centuries.
Meiji Restoration
Feudal domains were replaced by prefectures at the beginning of the modern era. In 1871 Hamamatsu became the capital of Hamamatsu Prefecture, which is now the western part of Shizuoka.
Hamamatsu Town was established in 1888 after the government officially announced the reorganization of cities, towns and villages. 1888 was also the year when the Tokaido Railway was fully opened to traffic. Around 1900, Teikoku Seibo Co. (now Teibo), Nihon Gakki Co. (now Yamaha), Hamamatsu Momen Co. (now Nihon Keisen) and other companies were established; they would later become the key industries of Hamamatsu.
Municipalization
On July 1, 1911 Hamamatsu officially became a municipality. At the time it had a population of 36,782 and covered an area of 8.66 km2. Although the nation's economy went through a series of ups and downs in the early 20th century due to World War I, Hamamatsu continued to grow steadily through the brisk evolution of the city's textile, dye-works, musical instrument and other key industries.
Major Air Raid on Hamamatsu
During World War II Hamamatsu became a major target for air raids due to the congregation of air force bases and munitions factories in the area. A total of 27 air raids and gunboat attacks struck the city during the war, resulting in over 5,000 casualties and the destruction of 30,000 houses. A major air attack at daybreak on June 18, 1945 instantly transformed the city into an inferno, destroying 16,011 homes and killing 1,157 people.
Postwar Reconstruction
The Pacific War ended on August 15, 1945. People rose from the ruins to rebuild their shattered lives, fighting hunger and poverty along the way. Manufacturing industries were given special support and as a result they were restored to 70% of the pre-war capacity in just three years. Hamamatsu's three major industries (textile, musical instruments and motorcycle) developed particularly rapidly during this period. Hamamatsu City itself also continued to grow through the amalgamation with surrounding villages and towns.
City with Half-a-Million People
The 1950s was a high-growth period in which the infrastructure that later supported the growth of Hamamatsu-based industries was first established, notably the Tokaido Shinkansen Railway, the Tomei Expressway and the Mikatabara Irrigation Canal. The elevation of the Tokaido and Enshu Railways, which divided the city into the four directions of the compass, made city traffic significantly smoother. In 1982 the North Plaza of Hamamatsu Station was reconstructed, and a 16-sided bus terminal was completed; this was also the year when the population of Hamamatsu reached 500,000.
A city of technology and music
In 1982 rapid advances were made in the high-tech fields of optics and electronics as the city aimed for the creation of a technolopis city. The Hamanako International Neurology Center was completed in 1992, and the area zoning of the Miyakoda Technolopis was completed a year later. As a city acclaimed for its contributions to technological research, Hamamatsu has drawn the attention of not only Japan, but of the entire world.
In addition, Hamamatsu is enacting policies that relate to the cultural development of the city as "a City of Music". Act City was built in 1994, becoming the symbol of the new Hamamatsu and a location in which international meetings and competitions, such as the International Piano Competition, are often held. Since accepting the challenge in 1988 of becoming an "International Convention City", Hamamatsu has accepted visitors from all over the world. A recent example is the Shizuoka International Garden and Horticulture Exhibition, held at Hamanako in 2004, which attracted over 5.4 million people in the six months it was open.
A Future with Infinite Possibility
In 1996 Hamamatsu was designated as a Core City, and the 4th Hamamatsu Total Development Project was initiated. In 2003, the year the population reached 600,000, discussions on amalgamation began with towns in the Tenryugawa and Hamanako areas, with a focus on a spirit of equality. In June 2005 Hamamatsu merged with 11 other cities, towns and villages to become a brand-new Hamamatsu. Furthermore, the city plans to reinvent itself yet again by becoming an ordinance-designated city by April 2007, drawing on the strength of its citizens and other valuable resources.
