Outline＆History of Date City
Outline of Date City
Date City is located in the northern part of Fukushima Prefecture, and to the northeasterly part of Fukushima City, the prefectural capital. Also, our city lays in the Fukushima basin, where there is a view of Ryozen, one of the Abukuma mountain chain, in the east, the Azuma rempoh (range of peaks) in the west, the alignment of mountains which borders Miyagi Prefecture, in the north.
Hobara Town, where the city hall is situated, is located some 50 meters above sea level. With the Abukumagawa River flowing through the city’s west side, the central part of the city and its surroundings are flat and is suitable as arable land due to its sandy soil. The Abukuma Highland, which measures 500 to 800 meters in length, lies in the north-south direction of south and west part of the city.
The transportation system in Date City consists of the National Highway Route 4 and JR Tohoku honsen (main train line in the northeastern part of Japan, operated by Japan Railways) which runs north to south in the west part of the city. In the south of the city, the National Highway Route 115 runs east to west with Routes 349 and 399 running through the central part of the city. The railway of Abukuma Kyukou Express, which links Fukushima City and Shibata Town in Miyagi Prefecture, runs in the southwest to northeast direction in the center of the city.
History of Date City
It is said that first people came to live in Date City during the Old Stone Age. Later uma-ya (facilities established under the legal codes, provided riding horses and horsemen, lodgments and provisions for document delivery, mutual flows of government officials and servants) and guuke (subordinate facilities of uma-ya) were put into place along the Tousandou (a main road situated along the central mountains of Honshu and it's name literally means "Eastern Mountain Way") during the Nara and Heian Periods. During the end of the Heian Period in 1189 (5th year of Bunji Period), Hitachino-nyudoh-nensai Nakamura from Hitachi-no-kuni (an old province of Japan, which today is Ibaraki Prefecture) was awarded the Shinobu and Date counties by Yoritomo Minamotono for the assistance in the Oshu Campaign, in which he was appointed as the land steward and took control of this district (part of the today's Tohoku Region).
In 1337 (2nd year of Engen Period) during the Nanbokucho Period (also known as the Northern and Southern Courts Period), Akiie Kitabatake of Nancho obeyed Imperial Prince Noriyoshi (latterly Emperor Go-Murakami) of Emperor Go-Daigo, and built a fort called Tagajyo Castle here in the center of Ryozen, although temporary, it was relocated to Mutsu-no-Kokufu (capital of Mutsu Province).
With strongholds in Date County, the Date Family expanded their influences on Oshu during the Kamakura and Muromachi Periods and established the greatest ascendancy in Oshu after the 14th family head, Tanemune Date, was appointed to serve as provincial constable of Mutsu in 1523 (3rd year of Daiei Period.)
Shinobu and Date Counties were ruled for 360 years from the Nishiyama Castle (Nishikata, Kori-machi) and Yanagawa Castle, until the 15th family head, Harumune Date, grandfather of the 17th family head, Masamune Date, had relocated the main castle to Yonezawa in 1548 (17th year of Tenbun).
After the Oshu Shioki (approach to punish the powerful warriors in the area of Oshu, to prevent them from strengthening their power) by Hideyoshi Toyotomi in the end of Sengoku Era, Date County was ruled under Ujisato Gamo, followed by Kagekatsu Uesugi from 1598 (3rd year of Keicho Era). However, during the 300 years from Tokugawa Bakuhan Taisei (feudal political system by the Tokugawa Family during the Edo Period, which was a militarily governed shogunate system), to the Meiji Period, experiencing so many turnovers of lords that Date County was divided and ruled under the territory which was directly owned and controlled by the feudal government (Tenryo) and that was governed by the Daimyo.
Fukushima Prefecture was formed in 1869 (2nd year of Meiji Period) by the annexation of Shinobu, Date and Adachi Counties and followed by Haihan Chiken (abolition of the clan system and establishment of the prefectural system), and the prefectural office was placed in Fukushima (today’s Fukushima City), which provided the basis for the development of today’s Fukushima City and Date City.
The boat transportation system (eastbound boat channel) was developed along the Abukuma River around 1671 (11th year of Kanbun Period) in order to ship Go-jyomai (rice as a render for the central administration) to Edo (today’s Tokyo), which was utilized as a means of transportation for silkworm eggs, Japanese silk and fabric, resulting in commercial prosperity.
Date City experienced a merger by parochialism (municipal system) in 1889 (22nd year of Meiji Period), along side with Fukushima City, in which the merger was promoted under the promulgation and enforcement of "Law to promote consolidations of town and villages" in post-war 1953 (28th year of Showa Period) and commerce and industry, especially the sericultural industry, developed in both cities.
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