Lably
Skip to content

Kure, Hiroshima

Core city in Chūgoku, Japan

  • 6 min read
  • 11 chapters
広島県呉市のモンタージュ画像
水だらけのプール · CC BY-SA 4.0

Related on Lably

Through Population density, Shipyard and Unicameralism

Lab · Class 8–12Archaeology of DelhiLab · Class 6–9Indus Valley Civilisation

History

The area of Kure is part of ancient Aki Province, and the port of Kure was an important seaport for Hiroshima Domain in the Edo period.

The Kure Naval District was first established in 1889, leading to the construction of the Kure Naval Arsenal and the rapid growth of steel production and shipbuilding in the city. Kure was formally incorporated on October 1, 1902. From 1889 until the end of the Pacific War, the city served as the headquarters of the Kure Naval District.

Kure dockyards recorded a number of significant engineering firsts including the launching of the first major domestically built capital ship, the battlecruiser Tsukuba (1905) and the launching of the largest battleship ever built, the Yamato (1940).

During the Pacific War, Kure acted as the Imperial Japanese Navy's single-largest naval base and arsenal. Most of the city's industry and workforce were employed in the service of the naval installations, munitions factories and associated support functions. In the later stages of the conflict Kure came under sustained aerial bombardment culminating in the bombing of Kure in June and July 1945.

From February 1946 until the end of Japan's postwar occupation in 1952, military establishments in Kure served as the operational headquarters for the British Commonwealth Occupation Force.

Since 2005, Kure has attracted attention as a tourism center with the Yamato Museum hosting a 1:10 scale model of the Yamato alongside a waterfront JMSDF museum of Japanese naval history.

The city continues as a major maritime center hosting both the dockyards of Japan Marine United and numerous shore-based facilities of the JMSDF including training centers and a major hospital. The city serves as the home port of an Escort Flotilla (Destroyers), a Submarine Flotilla and the Training Squadron of the JMSDF Regional Kure District.

Historic timeline

  • July 1, 1889 — Kure Naval District established.
  • 1895 — Kure naval shipyard established, initially as a subsidiary of the Onohama Shipyards in Kobe.
  • October 1, 1902 — The towns of Washō and Futagawa and the villages of Miyahara and Sōyamada merge to form the city of Kure.
  • November 10, 1903 — Kure Naval Arsenal established.
  • December 27, 1903 Kure rail line opens providing direct rail access to Hiroshima
  • April 1, 1928 — The towns of Kegoya, Yoshiura, and Aga merge into Kure.
  • April 21, 1941 — The town of Nigata and the village of Hiro incorporated into Kure.
  • March 19, 1945 — US Navy aircraft attack Japanese warships at Kure
  • May 5, 1945 — Bombing of Hiro Naval Arsenal.
  • June 22, 1945 — Bombing of Kure Naval Arsenal.
  • July 1, 1945 — Kure Air Raid.
  • July 24–28, 1945 — Battle of Kure, American bombers attack the remaining fleet in Kure Naval Base.
  • July 1, 1954 — Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force founded.
  • October 1, 1956 — The town of Tennō and the village of Shōwa in Aki District, and the village of Gōhara in Kamo District merge into Kure.
  • November 1, 2000 — Kure becomes a Special City
  • April 1, 2003 — The town of Shimokamagari (from Aki District) was merged into Kure.
  • April 1, 2004 —The town of Kawajiri (from Toyota District) was merged into Kure.
  • March 20, 2005 — The towns of Ondo, Kurahashi and Kamagari (all from Aki District), and the towns of Yasuura, Toyohama and Yutaka (all from Toyota District) were merged into Kure.
  • April 1, 2016 — Kure officially became a Core city with increased local autonomy

Sign in to keep reading

10 more chapters are free with a Lably account.

More in Cities

Washington, D.C.Capital city of the United StatesBerlinCapital and largest city of GermanyChicagoMost populous city in Illinois, USViennaCapital and largest city of AustriaPhiladelphiaMost populous city in Pennsylvania, USBostonCapital and largest city in Massachusetts, United States