Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa

Ashigarashimo District (足柄下郡, Ashigarashimo-gun) is a district of Japan located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Most of the mountainous district is sparsely populated, and is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. The majority of the area of the city of Odawara was formerly part of Ashigarashimo District.

Map of Ashigarashimo District with Meiji period area in yellow, modern area in green

1 - Hakone, 2 - Manazuru, 3 - Yugawara

As of 2009, the district had an estimated population of 48,713 and a density of 346 persons per km2. The total area was 140.73 km2.

Towns and villages

edit

History

edit
 
Historic Map of Ashigaramshimo District

Ashigarashimo District was one of the ancient subdivisions of Sagami Province, per the Nara period Ritsuryō system, under the name as Ashinoshimo District (足下郡, Ashinoshimo-gun). The area was under control of the later Hōjō clan in the Sengoku period, and part of Odawara Domain during the Edo period. Following disasters caused by eruptions of nearby Mount Fuji, a portion also came to be held as tenryō territory administered by the Tokugawa shogunate.

Timeline

edit

After the Meiji Restoration, it initially formed part of the short-lived Ashigara Prefecture, before was established as a district of Kanagawa Prefecture under the cadastral reform of 1878. In 1889, it was administratively divided into two towns (Odawara and Hakone) and 30 villages. On December 20, 1940, Odawara was elevated to city status. A planned merger of Yugawara into Odawara in 2005 was rejected by local voters in an August 8, 2004 referendum.

Merger table

edit
before 1889 April 1, 1889 1889 - 1926 1926 – 1944 1945 - 1954 1955 - 1989 1989–Present Present
  Shimonaka village Shimonaka village Shimonaka village Shimonaka village April 1, 1955
Tachibana town
April 1, 1971
merged with Odawara city
Odawara city Odawara
Maeha village Maeha village Maeha village Maeha village
Shimofuchu village Shimofuchu village Shimofuchu village April 1, 1948
merged with Odawara city
Odawara city
Kamifuchu village Kamifuchu village Kamifuchu village December 1, 1954
merged with Odawara city
Shimosoga village Shimosoga village Shimosoga village
Toyokawa village Toyokawa village Toyokawa village July 15, 1954
merged with Odawara city
Tajima village Tajima village Tajima village April 1, 1948
merged with Kōzu town
December 1, 1954
merged with Odawara city
Kōzu village April 1, 1924
Kōzu town
Kōzu town Kōzu town
Sakawa village Sakawa village Sakawa village April 1, 1942
Sakawa town
Sakawa town
December 20, 1940
Odawara city
(Amiisshiki・Sannohara area)
Odawara city
Odawara town Odawara town Odawara town December 20, 1940
Odawara city
Ashiko village April 1, 1908
Ashigara village
February 11, 1940
Ashigara town
Futakawa village
Kuno village
Tomizu village
Ōkubo village Ōkubo village Ōkubo village
Hayakawa village Hayakawa village Hayakawa village
Ishibashi village April 1, 1913
Kataura village
Kataura village December 1, 1954
merged with Odawara city
Yonegami village
Nebukawa village
Enoura village
Yumoto village Yumoto village October 1, 1927
Yumoto town
Yumoto town September 30, 1956
Hakone town
Hakone town Hakone
Onsen village Onsen village Onsen village Onsen village
Miyagino village Miyagino village Miyagino village Miyagino village
Sengokubara village Sengokubara village Sengokubara village Sengokubara village
Hakone town Hakone town Hakone town January 1, 1954
Hakone town
Motohakone village Motohakone village Motohakone village
Ashinoyu village Ashinoyu village Ashinoyu village
Manazuru village Manazuru village October 1, 1927
Manazuru town
Manazuru town September 30, 1956
Manazuru town
Manazuru village Manazuru
Iwa village Iwa village Iwa village Iwa village
Doi village July 1, 1926
Yugawara town
Yugawara town Yugawara town April 1, 1955
Yugawara town
Yugawara town Yugawara
Yoshihama village Yoshihama village April 1, 1940
Yoshihama town
Yoshihama town
Fukuura village Fukuura village Fukuura village Fukuura village

35°12′38″N 139°03′16″E / 35.21056°N 139.05444°E / 35.21056; 139.05444