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Hamamatsu-shi is a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. In September 2023, the city had an estimated population of 780,128 in 340,591 households, Hamamatsu City official statistics making it the prefecture's largest city, with a population density of over the total urban area of .
The same year, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system, Hamamatsu became a town.
===Cityscapes===
Hamamatsu consists of a flat plain and the Mikatahara Plateau in the south, and a mountainous area in the north. It is roughly bordered by Lake Hamana to the west, the Tenryū River to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the south.
The foreign population dropped significantly after the 2008 financial crisis, with the Hamamatsu city government offering aid for some foreign nationals to return to their home countries. The foreign population was estimated as 25,084 as of August 1, 2019, per official city statistics. Hamamatsu City official statistics
Chūbu Centrair International Airport in Aichi Prefecture, located about From Chūbu Centrair International Airport to Hamamatsu station () (surveying http://vldb.gsi.go.jp/sokuchi/surveycalc/bl2stf.html ) west of the city, is the second closest.
There is one senior high school operated by the city government: Hamamatsu Municipal Senior High School
Elementary and junior high schools are operated by the city government. , the city had 117 public elementary schools and 52 public junior high schools.Aparecida, Tsutsumi Angela (Burajiru Fureai Kai). " The Contradiction Between "Being and Seeming" Reinforces Low Academic Performance" ( Archive). US-China Education Review B 2 (2012) p. 217-223. CITED: p. 218.
It has one combined Peruvian school (ペルー学校) and Brazilian primary school, Mundo de Alegría." Ubicación y Acceso." Mundo de Alegría. Retrieved on October 24, 2015. "〒431–0102 Shizuoka-ken Hamamatsu-shi Nishi-ku Yuto-cho Ubumi 9611-1" – Japanese address: "住所 〒431-0102 静岡県 浜松市 西区 雄踏町 宇布見 9611-1"
The city formerly hosted other Brazilian schools, Colégio Pitágoras Brasil and Escola Cantinho Feliz." Escolas Brasileiras Homologadas no Japão" ( Archive). Embassy of Brazil in Tokyo. February 7, 2008. Retrieved on October 13, 2015.
As of May 1, 2009, the municipal elementary and junior high schools had 1,638 non-Japanese students.Kitawaki, Yasuyuki (北脇保之) (Former mayor of Hamamatsu, Director of the Center for Multilingual Multicultural Education and Research, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (CEMMER, 東京外国語大学多言語・多文化教育研究センター)). " A Japanese approach to municipal diversity management: The case of Hamamatsu City" ( Archive). Managing Diversity: Stronger Communities, Better Cities. Information about the book ( Archive). At the Council of Europe website. Retrieved on October 12, 2015. PDF p. 7-8/13. , there were 932 Brazilians enrolled in Hamamatsu's municipal elementary and junior high schools: 646 Brazilians were enrolled in 61 public elementary schools, and 286 Brazilians were enrolled in 38 public junior high schools.
Within public schools Brazilian students have the same academic programs and take the same classes as Japanese nationals. Special teachers and assistants work with foreign students at municipal elementary and junior high schools with significant numbers of non-Japanese enrolled.Kitawaki, Yasuyuki (北脇保之) (Former mayor of Hamamatsu, Director of the Center for Multilingual Multicultural Education and Research, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (CEMMER, 東京外国語大学多言語・多文化教育研究センター)). " A Japanese approach to municipal diversity management: The case of Hamamatsu City" ( Archive). Managing Diversity: Stronger Communities, Better Cities. Information about the book ( Archive). At the Council of Europe website. Retrieved on October 12, 2015. PDF p. 8/13. In particular the schools use their part-time interpreters to assist Brazilian students. The interpreters are not formal teachers, yet Tsutsumi Angela Aparecida of Hamamatsu's Burajiru Fureai Kai wrote that "their assistance
has become very useful". Toshiko Sugino of the National Defense Academy of Japan wrote that the municipal and prefectural schools in Hamamatsu "follow traditional views of education and enforce rigid school rules" despite the reputation of open-mindedness in the residents of Hamamatsu, causing some foreigners to send their non-Japanese children to foreign private schools.Sugino, Toshiko (National Defense Academy of Japan). " Linguistic Challenges and Possibilities of Immigrants In Case of Nikkei Brazilians in Japan" (Country Note on Topics for Breakout Session 4) ( Archive). Centre for Education Research and Innovation (CERI), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( See list of reports). p. 4/8. Retrieved on October 12, 2015.
As of 2008, many Brazilian parents have difficulty in deciding whether to send their children to Japanese schools or Brazilian schools, and it is common for Brazilian children attending Japanese schools to switch to a Brazilian school and vice versa. By 2010, many Brazilian parents had lost their jobs due to an economic decline, and many were unable to afford the Brazilian school monthly tuitions of ¥30,000 to ¥40,000.
As of 2010, about 50% of Brazilians of high school age in Hamamatsu do not attend high school. The inability to afford high school and difficulty with Japanese resulted in lower high school attendance rates. Hamamatsu NPO Network Center has made efforts to increase school attendance.
In Hamamatsu volunteers and a non-profit organization have established Japanese-language classes and native language classes for foreign children.
The Hamamatsu Arena was one of the host arenas of the 2006 FIBA World Championship.
Hamamatsu 3x3 FIBA: Placed Second at FIBA World Tour Final in ABU Dhabi in 2016.
(Bikramjit Gill, Inderbir Gill, Chiro Kheda)
Local attractions
Culture
Festivals
Akiha Fire Festival
Long ago, Mount Akiha was believed to have supernatural powers to prevent fires. Bow and arrow, sword, and fire dances are performed at the Akiha Shrine. At the Akiha Temple, a firewalking ceremony is performed where both believers and spectators celebrate the festival.
Enshū Dainenbutsu
When a family commemorates the first Obon holidays after the death of a loved one, they may request that a dainenbutsu (Buddhist chanting ritual) be performed outside their house. This is one of the local performing arts of the region. The group always forms a procession in front of the house led by a person carrying a lantern and marches to the sound of , Japanese and .
Hamamatsu Kite Festival
Hamamatsu Kite Festival is also called Hamamatsu Festival. Hamamatsu Kite Festival held from May 3 to May 5 each year, includes a Tako Gassen, or kite fight, and luxuriously decorated palace-like floats. The festival originated about 430 years ago, when the lord of Hamamatsu Castle celebrated the birth of his first son by flying kites. In the Meiji Era, the celebration of the birth of a first son by flying Hatsu Dako, or the first kite, became popular, and this tradition has survived in the form of Hamamatsu Kite Festival. During the nights of Hamamatsu Kite Festival, people parade downtown carrying over 70 yatai, or palace-lake floats, that are beautifully decorated while playing Japanese traditional festival music. The festival reaches its peak when groups representing the city's various districts compete by energetically marching through the downtown streets.
Hamakita Hiryu Festival
This festival is held in honor of Ryujin, the god believed to be associated with the Tenryū River, and features a wide variety of events such as the Hamakita takoage (kite flying) event and the Hiryu himatsuri (flying dragon fire festival) which celebrates water, sound, and flame.
Hamamatsu International Piano Competition
This festival celebrates Hamamatsu's history as a city of musical instruments and music, and brings dozens of the best young pianists from all over the world. It has been held triennially since 1991 at the Act City Concert Hall and Main Hall.
Hamakita Man'yō Festival
This event takes place in Man'yō-no-Mori Park to commemorate the Man'yō period and introduce its culture. As part of the festival, people reenact the ancient past by wearing traditional clothes from the Heian period and presenting Japanese poetry readings.
Inasa Puppet Festival
One of the few puppet festivals held in Japan, featuring 60 performances of about 30 plays by puppet masters from all over the country. The shows provide a full day of enjoyment for both children and adults.
Princess Road Festival
This reenactment of a procession made by the princess in her palanquin along with her entourage of over 100 people including maids, samurai, and servants makes for a splendid scene beneath the along the Toda River. In the Edo period, princesses enjoyed traveling this road which came to be known as a hime kaidō ( princess road).
Samba Festival
The Hamamatsu Samba Festival is held in the city.Kitawaki, Yasuyuki (北脇保之) (Former mayor of Hamamatsu, Director of the Center for Multilingual Multicultural Education and Research, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (CEMMER, 東京外国語大学多言語・多文化教育研究センター)). " A Japanese approach to municipal diversity management: The case of Hamamatsu City" ( Archive). Managing Diversity: Stronger Communities, Better Cities. Information about the book ( Archive). At the Council of Europe website. Retrieved on October 12, 2015. PDF p. 9/13.
Shoryu Weeping Ume Blossom Festival
In Ryusui Garden there is a stream with seven small waterfalls and about 80 weeping Prunus mume trees pruned to give the appearance of riding on clouds to the heavens. There are also 200 young trees planted along the mountainside.
Sports
Basketball B.League Toyohashi City General Gymnasium, Hamamatsu Arena 1965 Soccer Japan Football League (JFL) Honda Miyakoda Soccer Stadium 1971 Futsal F.League Hamamatsu Arena 1996 Volleyball V.League Hamamatsu Arena 2012
Football
Basketball
Women's volleyball
Hamamatsu was one of the host cities of the official 2010 Women's Volleyball World Championship.
International relations
Sister cities
Hamamatsu has ratified Music Culture Exchange Treaty with the following cities (however, of the following Rochester is the only official sister city):
Porterville United States California February 16, 1981 (once a sister city of Hosoe, Hamamatsu assumed the sister city honors in 1981) Camas United States Washington September 29. 1981 (once a sister city of Mikkabi, Hamamatsu assumed the sister city honors in 1981) Chehalis United States Washington October 22, 1990 (once a sister city of Inasa, Hamamatsu assumed the sister city honors in 1998) Rochester United States New York October 12, 2006 (once a sister city of Hamamatsu assumed the Music Culture Exchange Treaty honors in 1996)
Twinned cities
Hamamatsu is twinned with:
Warsaw Poland Masovian Voivodeship February 22, 1990 Manaus Brazil Amazonas June 20, 2008 Taipei Taiwan Special municipality July 31, 2013 Bologna Italy Emilia-Romagna April 23, 2014 Bandung Indonesia West Java December 19, 2014
Friendship cities
Shenyang China Liaoning August 28, 2010 Hangzhou China Zhejiang April 6, 2012
Notable people
See also
External links
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