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| image_map = Hiratsuka in Kanagawa Prefecture Ja.svg
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| map_caption = Location of Hiratsuka in
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| subdivision_name1 = [[Kantō region|Kantō]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Kanagawa Prefecture|Kanagawa]]
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| population_total = 257,
| population_as_of = April 1,
| population_density_km2 = auto
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| blank1_info_sec2 = 9-1 Sengenchō, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa-ken 254-8686
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[[file:Hiratsuka City Office 20150222.JPG|thumb|right|260px|Hiratsuka City Hall]]
▲As of April 1, 2017, the city has an estimated [[population]] of 257,877, with 109,020 [[household]]s,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.city.yamato.lg.jp/web/soumu/jinkoutosetaisu.html|title= Statistics of Hiratsuka City|publisher= Hiratsuka City|location= Japan|language= ja|access-date= 6 May 2017}}</ref> and a [[population density]] of 3,800 persons per km². The total area is 67.88 km².<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city.hiratsuka.kanagawa.jp/common/100066394.pdf|editor=Hiratsuka City Hall|title=Hiratsuka-shi Statistical Documentation|access-date=March 11, 2016}}</ref>
==Geography==
Hiratsuka is located in the [[Shōnan|Shōnan area]] on the right bank (west side) of the [[Sagami River]], almost in the center of Kanagawa Prefecture, and faces [[Sagami Bay]] to the south. The area from the Sagami River to the Kaname River is a plain to the northern end of the city area, and the urban area extends to the south. The west side of the Kaname River is a hilly area that is part of the Oiso Hills, and there is a lot of greenery. It is approximately midway between [[Tokyo]] and [[Mount Fuji]].
===Surrounding municipalities===
Kanagawa Prefecture
*[[Chigasaki, Kanagawa|Chigasaki]]
*[[Hadano, Kanagawa|Hadano]]
Line 130 ⟶ 129:
*[[Oiso, Kanagawa|Oiso]]
*[[Ninomiya, Kanagawa|Ninomiya]]
==Climate==
Hiratsuka has a [[Humid subtropical climate]] (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Hiratsuka is 14.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2144 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.4 °C.<ref>[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/kanagawa/hiratsuka-764643/ Hiratsuka climate data]</ref>
==Demographics==
Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-chiba.php Hiratsuka population statistics]</ref> the population of Hiratsuka has more than doubled over the past 60 years.
{{Historical populations
| 1950 | 49,638
| 1960 | 108,279
| 1970 | 163,671
| 1980 | 214,293
| 1990 | 245,950
| 2000 | 254,633
| 2010 | 260,776
|align = none
| footnote =
}}
==History==
The area around Hiratsuka has been settled since prehistoric times, and mention of the area as part of ancient [[Ōsumi District, Kanagawa|Ōsumi District]], [[Sagami Province]] is found in [[Nara period]] records. From the [[Heian period]] through [[Kamakura period]], the area was divided into ''[[shōen]]'' controlled by various [[samurai]] clans and in the [[Sengoku period]] was the site of several battles between the [[later Hōjō clan]] of Odawara and the [[Miura clan]]. After the defeat of the Odawara at the [[Siege of Odawara (1590)|Battle of Odawara]] by [[Hideyoshi Toyotomi]], the area came under the control of [[Ieyasu Tokugawa]], who built a summer palace (the ''Nakahara Goten'') in 1596 at the site now occupied by the Hiratsuka City Nakahara Elementary/Primary School. Hiratsuka was retained as ''[[tenryō]]'' territory after the establishment of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]], and flourished as [[Hiratsuka-juku]], a [[shukuba|post town]] on the [[Tōkaidō (road)|Tōkaidō]] connecting [[Edo]] with [[Kyoto]]. As the 7th station, it is often depicted in the series of [[ukiyo-e]] about the [[53 Stations of the Tōkaidō]] made among others by artists such [[Hokusai]] and [[Hiroshige]].
After the [[Meiji Restoration]], Hiratsuka town was founded on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the municipalities system, as part of the new [[Naka District, Kanagawa|Naka District]] within Kanagawa Prefecture. It merged with neighboring Suma Town on April 1, 1929, and was proclaimed Hiratsuka City on April 1, 1932.
Prior to [[World War II]], Hiratsuka was the location of the {{nihongo|[[Hiratsuka Navy Ammunitions Arsenal]]|平塚海軍火薬廠}} of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] and {{nihongo|[[Japan International Aircraft Industries]]|日本国際航空工業|}}, a [[Nissan]] group military aircraft factory. Hiratsuka was largely destroyed on July 16, 1945, during the [[Bombing of Hiratsuka in World War II]]. Due to its strategic location and wide beaches, it was also one of the targets for the [[Operation Downfall#Coronet|planned invasion of Japan]] during the final stages of World War II.
The city quickly rebuilt after the war, annexing several neighboring villages in the mid-1950s to attain its current area. The population exceeded 200,000 by 2001 and Hiratsuka became a [[Special cities of Japan|special city]] with increased autonomy from the central government. The current mayor is the independent Katsuhiro
==Government==
Hiratsuka has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city council of 26 members. Hiratsuka contributes three members to the Kanagawa Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Kanagawa 15th district of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].
==Economy==
Hiratsuka has a mixed economy, with tax revenue coming from bets made at the Shonan Bank Cycling Velodrome and, several industries located in industrial parks in the outskirts of town. Major plants are operated by [[Nissan Shatai]], [[Yokohama Rubber Company]], [[Canon (company)|Canon]], [[Furukawa Electric]], [[Pilot (pen company)]] - the famous Namiki pens are produced at Hiratsuka, [[Kansai Paint]], and [[Mitsubishi Plastics]]. Nissan Shatai is the largest employer in the city, but announced plans to move a factory to [[Kanda, Fukuoka|Kanda]]. Western firms such as Moog and MacDermid Performance Solutions also have a strong presence in this city.<ref>{{cite news|title=MacDermid Performance Solutions Completes Major Expansion of Japan Facility|work=[[Yahoo! Finance]]|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/macdermid-performance-solutions-completes-major-082000703.html|date=4 November 2016|access-date=2017-06-29 |quote=''MacDermid Performance Solutions’ state-of-the-art R&D facility is located in Hiratsuka City and now equipped with enhanced capabilities to accommodate the changing requirements of Japanese customers of both plating chemistry and assembly materials.''}}</ref> Hiratsuka is also a [[bedroom community]] for [[Yokohama]] and [[Tokyo]], with residents attracted by the "[[Shōnan]] lifestyle".
==Education==
Hiratsuka has 28 public elementary schools and 15 public middle schools operated by the city government. The city has five public high schools operated by the Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education and one private high school. The prefecture also operates four special education schools for the handicapped. A private junior college, the [[Tokai University Junior College of Nursing and Technology]] is located within Hiratsuka, which also has branch campuses of [[Kanagawa University]], [[Shoin University]] and [[Tokai University]].
==Transportation==
===Railway===
*
===Highway===
*{{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E85}}
*
*
*
*{{jct|country=JPN|Route|271}}, to [[Atsugi, Kanagawa|Atsugi]] or [[Odawara, Kanagawa|Odawara]] (toll)
*[[Shinshōnan Bypass]]
==Tourist attractions==
[[File:Hiratsuka Tanabata 2008 daytime-1.jpg|thumb|right|Hiratsuka Tanabata festival]]
*[[Tanabata]] festival
*[[Shonan Bellmare]] [[football (soccer)|football]] club, three-time Japanese champions based at [[Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium]]
*[[Kana Garden (Hiratsuka, Japan)|Kana Garden]]
*[[Hiratsuka Hachiman-gu]], Shinto shrine
*Hiratsuka Museum of Art
<gallery>
Hiratsuka MOA.JPG|Hiratsuka Museum of Art
Hiratsuka20100102 4.JPG|Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium
Yawatayamayoukan.jpg|Building of former Hiratsuka Navy Ammunitions Arsenal
</gallery>
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*[[You Can't Do That on Television#Cast|Michael Hora]] - former child actor
*[[Phongchi]] - Japanese idol of Vietnamese descent
*[[Yuki Kubota]], actress, model
*[[Michiko Kawai]], actress
== References ==
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