Yawata City (八幡市)
Yawata City is a city located in the southern part of Kyoto Prefecture and borders on Osaka Prefecture. It was developed as the temple town of Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine.
Since the Keihan Electric Railway and Nihon Jutaku Kodan (Japan Housing Urban Development Corporation) (present Urban Renaissance Agency) prepared housing sites, such as Kuzuha Rose Town and Otokoyama housing complex in Otokoyama area near Kuzuha Station of the Keihan Electric Railway (Hirakata City Osaka Prefecture) in and after the 1970's, the city became a commuter town for Osaka and thereby the population of the city almost doubled in a short term and surpassed that of Fukuchiyama City, Osaka Prefecture. (Now Fukuchiyama City is more populated than Yawata City.)
With an increase in the population, Yawata Town was reorganized as Yawata City on November 1, 1977.
Yawata City has its detached areas which are located between Kyoto City and Kumiyama-cho, Kuse-gun, and between Kyotanabe City and Hirakata City, Osaka Prefecture.
Geography
Mountain: Mt. Otoko whose triangulation point is Hatogamine peak (142.5 m)(Nickname: Hachimansan)
River: Kizu-gawa River (Kyoto Prefecture), Uji-gawa River, and Yodo-gawa River
The city has borders with Kumiyama-cho, Kuse-gun across the Kizu-gawa River and with Hirakata City, Osaka Prefecture over Horaga-toge mountain pass, and National Route 1 runs through the center of the city. Prefectural and municipal roads, which lead to Kyotanabe City, are arranged in such a manner as they meet the National Route 1 at right angles.
The western edge of the city is the Yodo-gawa River, over which Oyamazaki-cho Otokuni-gun Kyoto Prefecture, Shimamoto-cho Mishima-gun Osaka Prefecture, and Takatsuki City Osaka Prefecture can be seen. There is a joining of the Kizu-gawa River, Uji-gawa River, and the Yodo-gawa River in Kawakita Nature and Sports Park located in the northern edge of the city. The National Route 478 running near the part connects the city with Oyamazaki-cho.
The city has three railway stations. Yawatashi Station and Hashimoto Station (Kyoto Prefecture) of the Keihan Main Line. Otokoyamasanjo Station of the Keihan Kosaku-sen cable car line.
Express, semi-express and local trains stop at Yawatashi Station. Only local and semi-express trains stop at Hashimoto Station. Visitors to Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine, the most important place of interest, take the Kosaku-sen Line.
The bus network has been well developed. Keihan Bus offers a variety of networks mainly between Kuzuha Station and Yawatashi Station and has high passenger load factors.
Residential areas and rural zones spread as if they surround Mt.Otoko; in particular the western side is an densely populate area called Otokoyama housing complex.
Adjacent municipalities
Kyoto Prefecture
Kyoto City
Fushimi Ward
Kyotanabe City
Joyo City
Otokuni-gun
Oyamazaki-cho
Kuse-gun
Kumiyama-cho
Osaka Prefecture
Hirakata City
Mishima-gun
Shimamoto-cho
History
Outline
April 1, 1889: Yawata-machi, Tsuzuki-mura, and Uchigo-mura were founded in Tsuzuki-gun when the municipal organization was enforced.
October 1, 1954: The above three villages were merged to become Yawata-machi.
November 1, 1977: Yawata-machi became the eleventh city of Kyoto Prefecture when it was reorganized as Yawata City.
Population
Administration
Industry
The scale of its industry is the smaller for its large population. The agriculture makes up the highest rate of the its industry and pears have high reputation as its specialty. The pear farms are open to public in Autumn.
Industrial facilities are located along the National Route 1. Metalworking is its typical industry. The city has many physical distribution centers and warehouses because of its convenient location.
However, commerce has not prospered in the city. Only Izumiya Yawata Branch can be seen as a large scale retailer. Consumers who live in the Otokoyama housing complex and its surrounding residential areas--Yawata City's large portion of the population--go out to Hirakata City Kuzuha area and the rate of consumption within the city is quite low. In addition, recently developed residential areas of the eastern part of the city have a commercial district, but it is on such a small scale that customers flow out to large retailers in Kumiyama-cho and Kyotanabe City. In addition to the outflow of customers, employment opportunities also flow out of city, bringing down the municipal financial situation.
Main Businesses having headquartered in Yawata City
Nippon Luna Inc. - Nippon Ham Group
Post Office
Yamashiro Yawata Post Office
Others
Boatpier Kyoto Yawata
Sister and associated cities
International
Milan, Ohio, the United States of America
A sister city relationship was established on August 12, 1986.
Baoji City, Shan Xi Province, China
A sister city relationship was established on November 2, 1992.
District
Education
Transportation
Railroads
Keihan Electric Railway
Keihan Main Line
Yawatashi Station - Hashimoto Station (Kyoto Prefecture) (- Kuzuha Station)
Although Yawatashi Station is supposed to be the main entrance of the city, roads around it are so small that many bus lines within Yawata City arrive in and depart from Kuzuha Station in Hirakata City, Osaka Prefecture. Since special express trains started to stop in Kuzuha Station in September 2003, the number of express trains that stop at Yawatashi Station greatly decreased; Kuzuha Station, in effect, serves as the main entrance of Yawata City. The number of passengers of Yawatashi Station is only one-fifth of those of Kuzuha Station. For reference, the Mayor of Yawata City requested Keihan Electric Railway that special express trains stop at Kuzuha Station upon the timetable revision of September, 2003.
Buses
Keihan Buses are in service. Keihan Bus Co., Ltd. Otokoyama Office located within the city offers bus service in almost all areas except for the eastern part of the city covered by its Kyotanabe Office (with exceptions).
Roads
Congestions rarely occur even in the urban district of Yawata City; in contrast its neighbor city, Hirakata City is noted that there are no roads to speak of between the Kyoto and Osaka region.
This is because the separation among the community road, industrial road, and the highway has been taken into consideration since the onset of development. However, such roads as the National Route 1, the Kyoto Moriguchi Line of Kyoto Prefectural and Osaka Prefectural Route 13, and Yawata-Kizu Line of Kyoto Prefectural Route 22 had been apparently congested within the city before the Dainikeihan Road and Kyoto Second Outer Ring Road opened.
Expressway
Dainikeihan Road, Yawata Higashi Interchange
(Other than the above, there is a Meishin Expressway Interchange one kilometer away.)
Scenic and historic sites
Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine
Nagare Bashi (floating bridge)
Toganoo-jinja Shrine
Rakugaki-dera Temple
ZIP Code
Yamashiroyawata Post Office (614-00, 614-08, 614-09, 614-80, 614-81, 614-82, 614-83, 614-84)
Kumiyama Post Office (613-09)