History Fujisawa, Kanagawa

fujisawa in 1933

the area around present-day fujisawa city has been inhabited thousands of years. archaeologists have found stone tools , shell middens japanese paleolithic period, ceramic shards jomon period, , graves kofun period @ numerous locations. area mentioned in nara period nihon shoki chronicles. heian period, central sagami province divided shōen controlled muroaoka, oe, , other local warlords. during kamakura period, fujisawa setting number of battles overthrow kamakura shogunate mentioned in late 14th century taiheiki. during muromachi period, fujisawa developed around yugyo-ji, buddhist temple, established in 1325.

with edo period, fujisawa prospered fujisawa-shuku, post station on tōkaidō highway connecting edo kyoto. shogun tokugawa ieyasu built palace in fujisawa rest stop between edo , sunpu.

following meiji restoration, area divided villages in kōza district , kamakura district within kanagawa prefecture. kōza district office located in fujisawa 1878. area developed rapidly after opening of fujisawa station of tōkaidō main line in 1887.

during cadastral reform of april 1, 1889, fujisawa-Ōsaka town (in kōza district) , fujisawa-Ōtomi town (in kamakura district) created through merger of local hamlets. emperor meiji visited fujisawa in 1891 watch military maneuvers. ija 49th infantry regiment under ija 1st division stationed in fujisawa 1907. during same year, fujisawa-Ōsaka town absorbed fujisawa-Ōtomi town , expanded further in 1908 annexing neighboring villages of kugenuma , meiji (both kamakura district), renaming fujisawa town.

the 1923 great kantō earthquake caused severe damage fujisawa, 4,000 houses destroyed. imperial japanese navy artillery school established in tsujido in 1926.

the town of fujisawa elevated city status on october 1, 1940. fujisawa expanded annexing village of muraoka in 1941, village of mutsuai in 1942, town of katase in 1947, , villages of goshomi, chogo, takakura , parts of koide (hamlet of endo) in 1955. fujisawa hosted yachting events of 1964 summer olympics.

these improved transport links, such yokohama subway line , express train services on odakyu line, have made fujisawa increasingly attractive , cost-effective commuter suburb tokyo , yokohama.