Kōriyama

Lore & Background

Kōriyama is a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, situated in the center of the Nakadōri region within the Tōhoku area. It is the third largest conurbation in Tōhoku and functions as a core city and commercial hub for the prefecture. The city lies between the Adatara Mountains to the north, Lake Inawashiro to the west, and the Abukuma Highlands to the east, with the Abukuma River flowing through its downtown. Its climate is humid subtropical, featuring hot, wet summers and cool, dry winters. The city originated as a regional governmental center during the Nara period, when the area marked the frontier of Yamato settlement. In the Heian and Kamakura periods, the surrounding lands became shōen controlled by samurai clans. During the Edo period, Kōriyama remained a commercial center and flourished as a post town due to its strategic position as a traffic focal point, falling under the territory of Nihonmatsu Domain. In the early Meiji period, dispossessed samurai were assigned to reclaim undeveloped lands, spurring population growth and transforming the area into an agricultural center. The abundance of hydroelectric power further supported local industry. Kōriyama was a noted center for military equipment production in the 1930s, making it a target for American bombers during World War II, during which it endured three large-scale air raids. The city received core city designation in 1997, granting increased autonomy. After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, many evacuees from the mandatory evacuation zone relocated to Kōriyama.

Reader's Guide

Kōriyama originated as a regional governmental center during the Nara period, when the area lay on the frontier of Yamato settlement in the Tōhoku region. During the Heian and Kamakura periods, the surrounding land developed into shōen controlled by various samurai clans. While nearby centers like Nihonmatsu became castle towns, Kōriyama remained a commercial center and thrived as a post town due to its importance as a traffic focal point into the Edo period, when it was part of Nihonmatsu Domain. In the early Meiji period, many dispossessed samurai were assigned undeveloped lands in the area to reclaim, which spurred population growth and transformed the region into an agricultural center. The relative abundance of hydroelectric power further aided local industrial development. During the 1930s, Kōriyama became a noted center for military equipment production, making it a target for American bombers during World War II, and the city endured three large-scale air raids. The city’s economy is the largest in Fukushima Prefecture, anchored by companies such as XEBIO, Kourakuen, and York Benimaru, and it hosts several universities and colleges. Kōriyama is designated as a core city and functions as the commercial capital of the prefecture, while also serving as a major transportation hub where several railway lines and expressways converge.

Did You Know?

• The city was subject to three large-scale air raids during World War II.
• Kōriyama is the third largest conurbation in the Tōhoku region.