Hirakata

Hirakata (枚方市, Hirakata-shi) is a city in northeastern Osaka Prefecture, Japan.[2] It is known for Hirakata Park, an amusement park which includes roller coasters made of wood.[3]

Hirakata

枚方市
Core City
Hirakata Park
Flag
Emblem
Location of Hirakata in Osaka Prefecture
Hirakata
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 34°49′N 135°39′E
CountryJapan
RegionKansai
PrefectureOsaka Prefecture
Government
 • MayorTakashi Fushimi[1]
Area
 • Total65.08 km2 (25.13 sq mi)
Population
 (October 31, 2019)
 • Total401,449
 • Density6,200/km2 (16,000/sq mi)
Symbols
 • TreeWillow
 • FlowerChrysanthemum
 • BirdCommon kingfisher
Time zoneUTC+9 (JST)
City hall address2-1-20 Ogaito-chō, Hirakata-shi, Osaka-fu
573-8666
WebsiteOfficial website

As of October 1, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 402,927, and a population density of 6,200 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 65.07 km2.

Eriko Aoki, author of "Korean children, textbooks, and educational practices in Japanese primary schools," stated that the city's location in proximity to both Osaka City and Kyoto contributed to its population growth of ten times its previous size from around 1973 to 2013.[4]

History

The modern city was founded on August 1, 1947. On April 1, 2001, Hirakata was designated as a special city of Japan.

Surrounding municipalities

Mayors
  • Sōichirō Terashima (in office 1947 - 1955, 1959 - 1967) former mayor of Hirakata-chō
  • Harufumi Hatakeyama (1955 - 1959)
  • Tomizō Yamamura (1967 - 1975)
  • Kazuo Kitamaki (1975 - 1991)
  • Kazuo Ōshio (1991 - 1995)
  • Hiroshi Nakatsuka (1995 - 2007)
  • Osamu Takeuchi (2007 - 2015)
  • Takashi Fushimi (2015–Present)

Demographics

Ethnic Koreans

As of 2013 the city has about 2,000 ethnic Koreans, including permanent residents of Japan, South Korean citizens, and those aligned to North Korea. Most Hirakata Koreans,[5] including children of school age, use Japanese names.[6] Most ethnic Korean children in Hirakata attend Japanese public schools, while some attend Chongryon schools located in Osaka City.[7] Many Koreans in Hirakata operate their own businesses. Hirakata has the "mother's society" or "Omoni no Kai", a voluntary association of ethnic Korean mothers. It also has branches of the Chongryon and Mindan, Japan's two major Korean associations. Hirakata has no particular Korean neighborhoods.[5]

There were about 3,000 ethnic Koreans in Hirakata in the pre-World War II period. In the 1930s Hirakata Koreans, fearful of keeping their own jobs, had negative attitudes towards Osaka-based Koreans who were looking for employment after having lost their jobs. Military construction was the most common job sector of that era's Korean population.[5]

Eriko Aoki stated that in 2013 there was still a sense of difference between the Koreans in Hirakata and the Koreans in Osaka.[5]

Burakumin

Eriko Aoki stated that there is no area obviously identified as a Burakumin area in Hirakata.[6]

Education

Colleges and universities

Prefectural senior high schools

Municipal high schools

Private senior high schools:

Transportation
Hirakata-shi Station

Rail

Highways

Companies with offices in Hirakata

Sister and friendship cities
  • Shimanto, Kōchi, Japan - Friendship city agreement concluded in 1974 (with former Nakamura city)
  • Betsukai, Hokkaidō, Japan - Friendship city agreement concluded in 1987
  • Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan - Friendship city agreement concluded in 1987 (with former Shionoe town)
  • Changning District, Shanghai, China - Sister city agreement concluded in 1987
  • Logan City, Queensland, Australia - Sister city agreement concluded in 1995

References
  1. https://www.city.hirakata.osaka.jp.e.cu.hp.transer.com/0000004030.html
  2. "Hirakata" at Britannica.com; retrieved 2013-8-28.
  3. "Hirakta Park" at Osaka-info.jp Archived 2013-09-21 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2013-8-28.
  4. Aoki, Eriko. "Korean children, textbooks, and educational practices in Japanese primary schools" (Chapter 8). In: Ryang, Sonia. Koreans in Japan: Critical Voices from the Margin (Routledge Studies in Asia's Transformations). Routledge, October 8, 2013. ISBN 1136353054, 9781136353055. Start: p. 157. CITED: p. 169-170.
  5. Aoki, Eriko. "Korean children, textbooks, and educational practices in Japanese primary schools" (Chapter 8). In: Ryang, Sonia. Koreans in Japan: Critical Voices from the Margin (Routledge Studies in Asia's Transformations). Routledge, October 8, 2013. ISBN 1136353054, 9781136353055. Start: p. 157. CITED: p. 170.
  6. Aoki, Eriko. "Korean children, textbooks, and educational practices in Japanese primary schools" (Chapter 8). In: Ryang, Sonia. Koreans in Japan: Critical Voices from the Margin (Routledge Studies in Asia's Transformations). Routledge, October 8, 2013. ISBN 1136353054, 9781136353055. Start: p. 171.
  7. Aoki, Eriko. "Korean children, textbooks, and educational practices in Japanese primary schools" (Chapter 8). In: Ryang, Sonia. Koreans in Japan: Critical Voices from the Margin (Routledge Studies in Asia's Transformations). Routledge, October 8, 2013. ISBN 1136353054, 9781136353055. Start: p. 157. CITED: p. 170-171.
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