Takarazuka City Directory 2006 - The history of Takarazuka City

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Takarazuka City was established on April 1, 1954, when Takarazuka Town and Ryogen Village, on both sides of the Muko River, were merged to found a municipality. In the following year, the neighboring villages, Nagao and Nishitani, joined in the municipality, and formed the city area as it is today. The city area of Takarazuka is long and thin from north to south, and consists of the southern residential and business area and the northern rural area nestled in a rich natural environment. During the period of high economic growth, the population expanded rapidly. The population was only about 40,000 when the city was founded. However it exceeded 220,000 in 2005.

1950's

1954: April 1 - Takarazuka Town and Ryogen Village were merged to found a municipality. Population was 40,581 and the city area was 28.3km2.; November - The 1st Sports Festival for the City Residents (the present Residents Sports Recreation Festival) was held.
1955: March - Nagao and Nishitani Villages joined in the municipality. Population became 55,205 and the city area was expanded to 101.89 km2.

1960's

1960: April - The new Takarazuka Bridge was completed.
1962: June - Declaration of Safe City.
1964: June - Juman road was opened.
1967: January - Population of the city exceeded 100,000.; August - Tourism Sister City Agreement with Matsue City was concluded.
1968: August - Sports Center was completed.
1969: May - Citizen's Charter of Takarazuka was established.

1970's

1971: April - The 1st Takarazuka Garden Trees Festival was held.
1972: August - The 1st Takarazuka Festival (present Takarazuka Summer Festa) was held.
1973: August - Population of the city exceeded 150,000.
1974: March - As the first urban district redevelopment project in Japan, Sun Viola was opened as the Takarazuka Minamiguchi Station Square urban district redevelopment project.
1976: April - Health Promotion Center (present Health Center) was opened.
1978: October - Rebuilding of Takarazuka Ohashi (Takarazuka Main Bridge) was completed.

1980's

1980: August - The City Library (present Central Library) and a complex facility “Vega Hall” was opened.
New city hall was completed in Toyo-cho.
1984: May - Tarazuka City Hospital was opened.; August - The 1st Takarazuka International Indoor Choral Competition was held.
1985: April - New fire headquarters and the west fire station were completed.; July - General Welfare Center was opened.
1986: November - “Apia 3” was opened as the Sakasegawa Station Square urban district redevelopment project.
1987: March - Commercial facilities “Apia 1” and “Apia 2” were opened as the Sakasegawa Station Square urban district redevelopment project.; May - Takarazuka City General Gymnasium and Budokan were opened.; November - Population of the city exceeded 200,000.
1988: May - East Community Hall and East Fire Station were opened.
1989: March - Declaration of the Nuclear-free Peace City.
The 1st Flower and Greenery Festival was held.; April - Sister City Agreement with Augusta City (present Augusta Richmond County), Georgia, U.S.A. was concluded.
Municipal Day-care Service Center (present Akura Day-care Service Center) was opened.; October - Women's Center (present Gender Equality Center) was opened.
The 1st Vega Music Contest was held.

1990's

Flower Boulevard just after
the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.

Muko-River

Pipia Mefu

1990: October - The 1st Musical Festival in Takarazuka (present Takarazuka Musical Contest) was held.
1993: April - International and Cultural Center was opened.
A commercial complex “Sorio Takarazuka” and a cultural facility “Sorio Hall” were opened as Takarazuka Station Square Redevelopment Project.
General Education Center was opened.
1994: April - West Community Hall and West Library were opened.
Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum was opened.; September - Kohama Lodge Reference Center was opened.; October - Sister City Agreement with No. 9 Ward of Vienna City in Austria was concluded.
Declaration of the Gender Equality City.; November - Hourai Bridge (“S-shape” Bridge) was completed.; December - New Muko River Bridge was completed.
1995: January 17 - The Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake occurred. In Takarazuka, 118 people died, and 2,201 people were injured and the sum of totally/partially collapsed households reached 20,360. (as of April 1, 2003); March - Joint Memorial Service for the victims of the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake was held.; April - Nursing Professional School was opened.; June - Oral Health Center was opened.
The Earthquake Recovery Plan was established.; July - Step House Takarazuka, a health service facility for the elederly people was opened.; October - Joined in the “Conference of Information Exchange among Flower Cities”.
1996: March - Declaration of the Respect for Human Rights City.; May - Comprehensive Disaster-Prevention System was completed.; July - Continuation of the Sister City Agreement with Augusta Richmond was declared.; September - Declaration of the Environment Conscious City.
1997: March - Public disaster recovery houses were completed in Mukogawa-cho, Akura-minami and Nakasuji-yamate.; November - Public disaster recovery houses were completed in Kamei-cho.
1998: September - Declaration of the Healthy City.; October - A support center for helping the handicapped people to be independent was opened.
1999: March - A project team to help and raise service dogs was established in the City Government.; July - “Old Residence of Wada Family”, a museum of folk history, was opened.
The town development associations were organized throughout the City area.; October - “Pipia Mefu” and the publicly-run movie theater “Cine Pipia” was opened as the Mefu Jinja Station Square Earthquake Recovery/Redevelopment Project.

2000's

Flower Boulevard Seruka

2000: April - “Aiai Park”, a promotion center of gardening industry in Takarazuka, was opened.; September - “Flower Boulevard Seruka” was opened as the Flower Boulevard Area Earthquake Recovery/Redevelopment Project.
Community FM broadcasting station “FM Takarazuka” was opened.; November - The 1st Takarazuka Movie Festival was held.
2001: April - Nagatani Peony Park was opened.
Kohama Crafts Center (Tonkachi Building)” was opened.; Nagao-yama tunnel road was opened.
2002: February - “Plaza Com 1”, a volunteer assistance center, was opened.; March - Forest fire was broke out in Kirihata Nagao-yama and approximately 32 hectares were destroyed.; June - “Fure Mira Takarazuka”, a complex facility consisting of a welfare center for elderly people and a large-scale children's center.; October - The act for the service dogs in assistance of the handicapped people was executed.
2003: March - “Sarara Nigawa” was opened as the Nigawa Station Square Earthquake Recovery/Redevelopment Project.; April - Takarazuka City was designated as the Special Exemption City.
Celebrated the birthday of the Astro Boy “Atom”.; September - Takrazuka Garden Fields was opened on the site of Takarazuka Family Land Amusement Park.

Suehiro Central Park

2004: February - Agreement was concluded with Kwansei Gakuin University for the urban development.; April - Suehiro Central Park was opened as a disaster-prevention park to function as a bases for relief activities in times of disaster.; October - Typhoon No.23 caused major damages to the city, especially in Takedao district.
2005: January - Population of the city exceeded 220,000.; April - The security mail service, to transmit the information about crimes, disasters and emergencies, started.; November - “Nishitani Fureai Yume Plaza” was opened.; December - The 1st Takarazuka Half Marathon was held.