Kawasaki
About Kawasaki
Kawasaki is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan, between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is the 8th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area. Its total area is 144.35 km² and occupies a belt of land stretching about 30km along the south bank of the Tama River, which divides it from Tokyo proper, with the city of Yokohama immediately to the south.
The eastern end of the belt is flat, and much of it consists of heavily industrialized and densely built working-class areas, centered around JR Kawasaki Station. The reclaimed coastline of Tokyo Bay is occupied by vast heavy chemical industry complexes at the heart of the Keihin Industrial Area.
In contrast, its western suburbs occupy an area of hills known as Tama Hills and are mostly pleasant, often newly developed residential areas for people commuting to Tokyo. Shin-Yurigaoka station on the Odakyu line serves as the regional hub of the western half of the city.
Demography
As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 1,385,003 where 0.71 million are male and 0.67 million are female. The population density is 9,465 persons per km² which made it the 9th most populous in Japan.
The total land area is 144.35 km². Area is constantly expanded due to construction of artificial islands in Tokyo Bay, though very little of the expanded zone is used for housing.
As of December 31, 2007, it has a total of 30,592 registered foreign residents.
Economy and Culture
Kawasaki City supported Japan’s rapid economic growth as a manufacturing city, and has since undergone a drastic transformation into an international city for cutting-edge industries that is home to many world-class hi-tech companies and R&D organizations.
Situated adjacent to both Tokyo and Yokohama, the city offers very convenient transportation, and its efforts to develop quality residential areas and attractive commercial locations has made it a comfortable place to live.
The agglomeration of industrial technology and R&D functions brings great potential to Kawasaki, and companies from various sectors – automobiles/machinery, chemicals, information & communications, and the environment – have moved into both the inland areas and the seaside districts of the city.
Kawasaki has several factories and development bases of the companies of heavy indusry (e.g., JFE Group, Nippon Oil Corporation) and high technology (Fujitsu, NEC Corporation, Toshiba).
Its major industries include manufacturing in the fields of electronics and communication, precision machinery and Petro chemistry. Information services are also one of its major industries.
Kawasaki also has growing industries in the field of information and telecommunications, environment, welfare and life science and lifestyle/cultural related.
Weather
Kawasaki city offers an excellent environment with a temperate climate throughout the year. There is little or no rainfall during the winter season.
Its average annual temperature ranges from 12 to 15 degrees centigrade, and average
annual rainfall is from 1200 to 2400 millimeters.
Administrative Divisions
Kawasaki has seven wards (ku):
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