is one of the six wards of the city of Chiba in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of April 2012, the ward had an estimated population of 149,314 and a population density of 7,060 persons per km<sup>2</sup>. The total area was 21.16 km<sup>2</sup>.
Geography
Mihawa Ward is located in northwestern Chiba Prefecture, and consists entirely of reclaimed land from Tokyo Bay. As such, the area is flat, and portions are below sea level.
Surrounding municipalities
History
Being land formerly underwater, Mihama had no predecessor towns or villages before the reform of the old provincial system in 1872.
Reclamation of 19 kilometers of white sand beach and mudflats along the shore of Tokyo Bay began in 1912, with the construction of Japan's first civilian aerodrome. The site is commemorated today by the Inage Civil Aviation Commemoration Center. Following World War II, the expanding Tokyo Metropolis created a demand for additional factory locations and public housing. The development of the Kaihin New Town from 1969 to 1995 was one such project. With the promotion of Chiba to a designated city with additional autonomy from Chiba prefecture and the central government on April 1, 1992, Mihama Ward was created as an administrative unit.
Economy
Mihama Ward is largely a regional commercial center and bedroom community for central Chiba and Tokyo. The newly developed waterfront area of Kaihin Makuhari is in Mihama-ku.
Aeon, Seiko Instruments and several other companies are headquartered in the Makuhari business district of Mihama-ku. Japan's second largest convention center Makuhari Messe and Chiba Marine Stadium, the home ground of the Chiba Lotte Marines baseball team are located in Kaihin Makuhari.
Transportation
Railroads
Education
Universities and colleges
Municipal elementary and junior high schools, and one public high school in this ward (Inage Senior High School) are operated by the Chiba City Board of Education ().
Municipal junior high schools:
- Inage Senior High School Affiliated Junior High School (稲æ¯Âé«ÂéÂÂå±Âä¸Âå¦校)
- Inahama (稲æµÂä¸Âå¦校)
- Isobe ()
- Makuhari Nishi (å¹Â張西ä¸Âå¦校)
- Masago (çÂÂç Âä¸Âå¦校)
- Sawaicho No. 1 (幸çº第ä¸Âä¸Âå¦校)
- Sawaicho No. 2 ()
- Takahama ()
- Takasu ()
- Utase ()
Former junior high schools
- Isobe No. 1 ()
- Isobe No. 2 (磯辺第äºÂä¸Âå¦校)
- Masago No. 1 (çÂÂç Â第ä¸Âä¸Âå¦校)
- Masago No. 2 (çÂÂç Â第äºÂä¸Âå¦校)
- Takasu No. 1 ()
- Takasu No. 2 (é«Â洲第äºÂä¸Âå¦校)
Municipal elementary schools:
- Kaihin Utase ()
- Inage No. 2 (稲æ¯Â第äºÂå°Âå¦校)
- Inahama (稲æµÂå°Âå¦校)
- Isobe (磯辺å°Âå¦校)
- Isobe No. 3 (磯辺第ä¸Âå°Âå¦校)
- Makuhari Nishi (å¹Â張西å°Âå¦校
- Masago No. 5 (çÂÂç Â第äºÂå°Âå¦校)
- Masago Higashi (çÂÂç ÂæÂ±å°Âå¦校)
- Masago Nishi (çÂÂç Â西å°Âå¦校)
- Mihama Utase ()
- Saiwaicho (幸çºå°Âå¦校)
- Saiwaicho No. 3 ()
- Takahama No. 1 ()
- Takahama Kaihin (é«ÂæµÂæµ·æµÂå°Âå¦校)
- Takasu ()
- Takasu No. 3 (é«Â洲第ä¸Âå°Âå¦校)
- Takasu No. 4 (é«Â洲第åÂÂå°Âå¦校)
- Utase ()
Former elementary schools:
- Isobe No. 1 (磯辺第ä¸Âå°Âå¦校)
- Isobe No. 2 (磯辺第äºÂå°Âå¦校)
- Isobe No. 4 (磯辺第åÂÂå°Âå¦校)
- Masago No. 1 (çÂÂç Â第ä¸Âå°Âå¦校)
- Masago No. 2 (çÂÂç Â第äºÂå°Âå¦校)
- Masago No. 3 (çÂÂç Â第ä¸Âå°Âå¦校)
- Masago No. 4 (çÂÂç Â第åÂÂå°Âå¦校)
- Saiwaicho No. 1 (幸çº第ä¸Âå°Âå¦校)
- Saiwaicho No. 2 (幸çº第äºÂå°Âå¦校)
- Saiwaicho No. 4 (幸çº第åÂÂå°Âå¦校)
- Takahama No. 2 (é«ÂæµÂ第äºÂå°Âå¦校)
- Takahama No. 3 (é«ÂæµÂ第ä¸Âå°Âå¦校)
- Takasu No. 1 (é«Â洲第ä¸Âå°Âå¦校)
- Takasu No. 2 (é«Â洲第äºÂå°Âå¦校)
Private schools:
Noted people from Mihama Ward
References