Funabashi

Funabashi (船橋) is a city in Japan. It is located within the Chiba prefecture. The city borders the Bay of Tokyo in the south and goes towards the north. Sanbanze stretches along the coastline. A majority of the people live in the agricultural areas which are in the North. The commercial districts are located towards the southern part of the city. The population of this city is 560,000.

The city has access to ports with other areas and the New Tokyo International Airport provides air links with the rest of the world. Because of the convenient access to the rest of the world it is favored by the manufacturing world. There are steel processors, a beer company and secondary food processing and distribution. There are 570 manufacturing enterprises in the city that gross over 753 billion yen a year. Agricultural goods such as spinach, carrots, pears and cyclamen are just some of the exports this area has. The city flow is the Sasanqua chosen in 1970.

History

Funabashi was established as a town on April 1st, 1937. The history of this settlement goes back much farther than 1937. Stone tools from over 10,000 years ago have been found in the Nishinodai remains in Futawa-nishi. Ancient tombs from the Kofun Era in the 4th to 6th centuries are all gone from the city now, but the culture from the area still remains.

In 1937 five towns combined to make Funabashi and those towns were Funabashicho, Kasaicho, Yasakamura, Hoten Mura and Tsukadamura. Soon after during the war military plants were built in the city and the population increased because of war evacuees coming from Tokyo. This city missed most of the bombing. Because the city remained strong after the war it was a center for agricultural and fishing produce and was even called the Shanghai of Japan. Since then industrialization, changes in commerce and development in the public transportation system helped make the town what it was today.

Points of Interest

There are many interesting shops and stores within Funabashi. Many famous retailers make their home in the Lalaport Mall. This is the biggest shopping mall in the Japan and the Far East. This mall offers the latest in trends and entertainment for the younger generation and is a popular place to meet up. Thanks to this shopping center it is second in the Chiba prefecture and makes over 1,320 billion yen.

External Links

• Funabashi Official Website (English)
• Funabashi Official Website (Japanese)