Fukuyama City

Fukuyama 福山市
Core city
View of Fukuyama
Flag Emblem
Location of Fukuyama in Hiroshima Prefecture
Fukuyama Location in Japan
Coordinates: 34°29′N 133°22′E / 34.483°N 133.367°E / 34.483; 133.367Coordinates: 34°29′N 133°22′E / 34.483°N 133.367°E / 34.483; 133.367
Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku (San'yō)
Prefecture	Hiroshima Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Naoki Edahiro
Area
• Total	518.07 km2 (200.03 sq mi)
Population (April 30, 2016)
• Total	471,340
• Density	910/km2 (2,400/sq mi)
Symbols
• Flower	Rose
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City hall address	3-5 Higashi-Sakura-cho, Fukuyama-shi, Hiroshima-ken 720-8501
Website	www.city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp

Fukuyama (福山市, Fukuyama-shi) is a city located on the Ashida River in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.

As of January 31, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 465,238 and a population density of 898.02 persons per km². The total area is 461.23 km² (178.08 sq mi).

After Hiroshima, 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 the month of May. Fukuyama is a vital commercial, industrial and communications center. It produces machinery, koto (Japanese harps), rubber products, electronics, textiles, and processed foods.

What is today the city of Fukuyama was founded as a castle town in 1619 by Mizuno Katsunari, a cousin of shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Mizuno 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.

After the abolition of the han system in 1871, Fukuyama Prefecture was founded. A short time later the prefecture was renamed Fukatsu. Fukatsu Prefecture was merged with Kurashiki Prefecture in 1872 to form Oda Prefecture. In 1875 Oda Prefecture was merged into Okayama Prefecture.

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Wikipedia