Kawasaki History, Japan

Initial rulers of Kawasaki - Heian and Hojo Clans

The city of Kawasaki is located in the center of the Japanese Archipelago. In Japanese the name of the city signifies “point on the river”. It is neighboring Tokyo and happens to be the cultural, economic and political capital of Japan. The area encompassing Kawasaki was initially a section of the Musashi Province which was situated near Edo (now known as Tokyo).

In erstwhile Japan, Musashi was a Japanese Province. Kawasaki was ruled by various clans in its historic journey to modernism. It was controlled by the Inage clan in the Heian period right through 794 AD to 1185 AD.

This period was followed by the Kamakura period from 1185-1333 AD, whereby it was reigned by the Hojo clan. Perhaps the golden period in the history of Kawasaki was the Edo period running from 1603-1868 AD. Kawasaki was a center of major activities during this phase. The town served as a significant stoppage for the traders along the Tokaido highway that linked Kyoto and Edo.

Edo EraThe Edo era bestowed an important commercial sector to Kawasaki. There was a systematic governmental structure. The agriculture was given due importance. The financial and marketing schemes were organized and basically the whole city was given uplift.  

Meiji and Taisho Era The Meiji and the Taisho era followed the Edo period. This epoch fell between 1868-1926 AD. Kawasaki witnessed a foremost developmental chapter during this time. The railroad services commenced between Tokyo and Yokohama and the Kawasaki station was constructed. With the advent of time, the city became busy and the railroad services increased. One thing led to another. Due to its convenient location and extremely good connectivity, the city attracted many business establishments. Huge factories and big companies set up their offices over here.  At the genesis of 20th century the city was already developing into a chief industrial area. It was strengthening and flourishing. This phase was soon to end as the seeds of World War I were already being sowed.  

World War I and After

Kawasaki was perhaps one of the worst victims of the World War I. It was heavily bombarded and almost the entire city was leveled by the time Japan signed the peace treaty. However, the natives took this as a challenge and overtook the gargantuan task of rebuilding and redesigning the entire city. Their intentions and labor succeeded and once again, Kawasaki became the bustling metro of Japan. The infrastructure was immensely improved and the city has emerged to be one of the best and spectacular, modern destinations of the world.  In 1924, it was a small municipality and had about 50,000 citizens only. The city now not only boasts as an international metropolis, it also has a population of 1.4 million. Ever since 1980, Kawasaki is following improvements in the urban designing. Various programs have been initiated to titivate the city and further enhance the civic amenities.