Iwata, Shizuoka

Iwata (磐田市, Iwata-shi) is a city located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, widely known as the headquarters of the Yamaha Motor Corporation. Iwata is also home to Júbilo Iwata, a J. League soccer team, as well as Yamaha Jubilo, a rugby team.

As of September 2015, the city had an estimated population of 164,680 and a population density was 1,010 persons per km². The total area was 163.45 square kilometres (63.11 sq mi).

Geography

Iwata is located in southwestern Shizuoka Prefecture, bordered by the Tenryū River to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the south.

Surrounding municipalities

History

Iwata is an ancient settlement, and contains the ruins of the Nara period provincial capital and Kokubun-ji of Tōtōmi province. During the Edo period, it developed as a post station on the Tokaidō and contained Mitsuke-juku, one of the 53 stations on the road.

During the cadastral reform of the early Meiji period on October 1, 1889, Mitsuke Village of Iwata District becomes Mitsuke Town. On the same day, Nakaizumi Village and Ninomiya Village merged to from Nakaizumi Town. These two towns merged on November 1, 1940 with Saikai Village and Tenryū Village to form the new town of Iwata. Iwata Town became Iwata City on April 1, 1948.