Oyama, Tochigi

Oyama 小山市
City
upper:Omoigawa River, upper middle: Oyama Yuen, Oyamamachi Station lower middle: Shirahige Jinja, Oyama City Achives lower:Aeon Oyama shopping center
Flag Seal
Location of Oyama in Tochigi Prefecture
Oyama
Coordinates: 36°18′52.6″N 139°48′0.6″E / 36.314611°N 139.800167°ECoordinates: 36°18′52.6″N 139°48′0.6″E / 36.314611°N 139.800167°E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Tochigi Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Toshio Okubo (since July 2000)
Area
• Total	171.76 km^2 (66.32 sq mi)
Population (May 2015)
• Total	165,852
• Density	966/km^2 (2,500/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
Symbols
• Tree	Quercus myrsinaefolia
• Flower	Omoigawazakura (Prunus × subhirtella)
• Bird	Japanese wagtail
Phone number	0285-23-1111
Address	1-1-1 Chūō-chō, Oyama-shi, Tochigi-ken 323-8686
Website	Official website

Oyama City Hall

Oyama (小山市 Oyama-shi) is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. As of May 2015, the city had an estimated population of 165,852 and a population density of 966 persons per km². Its total area was 171.76  km². In 2006, Oyama became the second most populous city in Tochigi Prefecture, with the capital Utsunomiya retaining the number one spot.

Geography

Oyama is located in the far southeastern corner Tochigi Prefecture, bordered by Ibaraki Prefecture to the south and east. The Omoigawa, a branch of the Watarase River flows through the center of the city.

Surrounding municipalities

• Tochigi Prefecture
  • Tochigi
  • Shimotsuke
  • Mooka
  • Nogi
• Ibaraki Prefecture
  • Yūki
  • Chikusei
  • Koga

History

Oyama-shuku was a post station on the Nikkō Kaidō connecting Edo with the shrines at Nikkō, and was controlled by Utsunomiya Domain during the Edo period. Oyama town was established within Shimotsuga District, Tochigi with the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Oyama merged with the neighboring village of Otani on March 31, 1954 and was elevated to city status. On April 18, 1963, Oyama annexed the town of Mamada and village of Mita, both from Shimotsuga District. This was followed by the town of Kuwakinu on September 30, 1965.

Economy

Oyama is a regional commercial center with a mixed economy. In agriculture, cultivation of rice, kampyo and sericulture are important. One of the major employers in the city is Komatsu making iron castings, diesel engines, fork lift trucks and other hydraulic equipment.

Education

• Hakuoh University

Primary and secondary schools

• Oyama also has 27 primary schools, 11 middle schools and six high schools.

It also has a North Korean school, Tochigi Korean Elementary and Junior High School (栃木朝鮮初中級学校).

Transportation

Railway

• JR East – Tōhoku Shinkansen
  • Oyama
• JR East – Tōhoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line)
  • Mamada - Oyama
• JR East – Ryōmō Line
  • Oyama - Omoigawa
• JR East – Mito Line
  • Oyama

Highway

• Japan National Route 4
• Japan National Route 50

External relations

• - Cairns, Australia, sister-city since March 15, 2006 ^[1]
• - Lübz, Germany, since January 2, 2003 ^[2]
• – Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China, friendship-city since October 22, 2010 ^[3]
• – Benxi, Liaoning, China, friendship-city since October 26, 2014^[2]

Noted people from Oyama

• Yasushi Iihara – professional baseball player ^[4]
• Masashi Ebinuma – Olympic judoka
• Hiromichi Kataura – scientist
• Hiroaki Takaya – professional baseball player^[5]
• Kosuke Hagino - Olympic gold medallist swimmer

References

1. Cairns Post
2. Lübz official home page
3. Tochigi Prefectural government official home page
4. baseball-reference.com
5. baseball-reference.com

External links

Media related to Oyama, Tochigi at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website (Japanese)