Fukuyama, Hiroshima

Fukuyama (福山市; -shi) is a city located in Hiroshima, Japan.

As of the February 1, 2005 merger, the city has an estimated population of 426,795 and a density of 925 persons per km². The total area is 461.23 km². After Hiroshima city it is the largest city in Hiroshima prefecture and is located on the far east side of the prefecture. The City's symbol is the rose and it holds an annual 'Rose' festival in May.

What is today the city of Fukuyama was founded as a castle town in 1619 by Mizuno Katsushige, a cousin of Tokugawa Ieyasu who was given command of a territory in western Japan consisting of southern Bingo Province and southwestern Bitchu Province. He built a new castle-town as his capital and called it Fukuyama. It first became a city in 1916.

• 1871 With the abolition of the han system, the Fukuyama Prefecture was founded, shortly renamed Fukatsu (?) Prefecture.
• 1872 Fukatsu Prefecture and Kureshiki Prefecture were merged to form Oda (?) Prefecture
• 1875 Oda Prefecture merged into Okayama Prefecture
• 1876 Much of the former Bingo Province, including Fukuyama, transferred to Hiroshima Prefecture
• July 1, 1916 Fukuyama Town becomes Fukuyama City with a population of 32,356
• 1933 10 villages from surrounding Fukayasu district are merged into Fukuyama
• 1942 2 villages from Numakuma district are merged into Fukuyama
• August 8, 1945 (two days after the atom-bombing of Hiroshima) 91 B-29 bombers make an air-raid on Fukuyama, destroying much of the city
• March 31, 1954 several towns and villages in Kōrimatsu district merge to found the city of Matsunaga (?)
• 1956 Several towns and villages in Fukuyasu district merge into Fukuyama
• 1962 Fukuyasu Town, Fukayasu district merges with Fukuyama
• May 1, 1966 Fukuyama City and Matsunaga City merge to form a new Fukuyama City.
• April 1, 1974 Ashida Town in Ashina District merges with Fukuyama
• February 1, 1975 Kamo Town, Fukayasu District and Ekiya Town, Ashina District merge with Fukuyama
• April 1, 1998 Status raised to that of Core city
• February 3, 2003 Uchiuma Town in Numakuma District and Shin'ichi Town in Ashina District are merged into Fukuyama. Ashina District is dissolved thereby
• February 1, 2005 Numakuma Town in Numakuma District merges with Fukuyama, dissolving the district.

The city was founded on July 1, 1916.

External links

• Official website in Japanese