Sakai City

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Nintoku-ryo Tumulus

City Area 149.992 kilometers
City Population 838,995 people (As of Sept. 1, 2010)
No. of households 346,773 households (As of Sept. 1, 2010)
City hall address 3-1 Minami-kawaramachi, Sakai 590-0078
Industrial promotion departments Sakai, Industrial Promotion Office, Commerce and Labor Dept., Monozukuri Support Div.
Phone 072-228-7534
Fax 072-228-8816
City webpage http://www.city.sakai.lg.jp
Local industries 1 Bicycle
Local industries 2 Knife & Scissors
Local industries 3 Carpet Industry
Local industries 4 Chusen textile
Local industries 5 Senko (Incense Stick)
Local industries 6 Carp Streamers
Local industries 7 Kombu Kelp
Local industries 8 Timber processing
Industry & History Sakai is located in the middle of the Kinki region and the south-central part of Osaka prefecture. The city was designated the 15th city in Japan and the 4th city in the Kinki region in April 2006, with the second largest population and size in Osaka prefecture. During the 4th and 5th century, over a hundred graves such as the Nintoku-ryo Tumulus that make up the Mozu Tumulus Group were created. Manufacturing in Sakai goes all the way back to the time when items were made to put in ancient graves. Since the Heian Period, this area has been called "Sakai" because it is situated on the border of the three major kingdoms, Settsu, Kawachi and Izumi.
Sakai entered a golden area during the Warring States Period as a trade harbor. A number of items entered Sakai through trade overseas and the foundation for traditional industries like the matchlock, knives to cut tobacco and manufacturing of incense would be built during this period. During the Edo Period, the western sea route is opened and kombu from the Hokkaido region began entering Sakai by boat. The kombu was then made into Oboro kombu or Tororo kombu by special knives manufactured in Sakai. Sakai is also located in between the cotton producing region of Senshu and the consuming region of Osaka and the cotton bleaching industry did well because the area benefited from the abundance of water supplied by the rivers which was necessary to treat the cotton cloths and the land to bleach them in the sun. This technique would come together with the Chusen technique to change the form of Yukata and towels into vivid colors.
When Sakai entered the Meiji Era, modernization proceeded rapidly. Once bicycles began to be imported, gun smithing techniques were used to repair bicycles and manufacture parts. This was the beginning of the bicycle industry in Sakai city. Meanwhile, hand woven rugs started to be woven on the side by farmers and when the rugs were exhibited at the 1st Japan Industrial Exhibition, they soon became the top product exported from Osaka. The origin of the rug industry in Sakai is the Sakai rug.
During the Middle Ages it was a gateway to the world, and during the height of the economic growth period the coastal area brought about prosperity in Sakai by being a major location for heavy and chemical industries. The coastal area is now an industrial complex that has the world's largest LCD panel plant among other related facilities and in addition a solar power facility has also partially started operation. In these ways, Sakai is working to create a location for low carbon industries. Sakai is working to achieve a low carbon emitting city called "Cool City Sakai" which would largely eliminate the emission of greenhouse gases without hindering economic activity. As shown here, traditional industries with hundred year histories exist in Sakai city alongside companies with state-of-the-art technologies, and today Sakai city continues growing robustly as a city.
Manufacturer's
Association
Sakai Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Location 130-23 Nagasone-cho, Kita-ku, Sakai 592-8502
Phone 072-258-5581
Fax 072-258-5580
HP(URL) http://www.sakaicci.or.jp/
Manufacturer's
Association
Sakai Bicycle Assembly and Wholesale Association
Location 1-1-29 kuken-cho Nishi Sakai-ku, Sakai 590-0939 (Inside the Sakai Bicycle Hall)
Phone 072-232-0089
Fax 072-232-0085
HP(URL) http://www.sakainojitensya.jp/
Manufacturer's
Association
Sakai Hamono Commerce and Industry Joint Association
Location 1-1-30 Nishi Zaimoku-cho, Sakai-ku, Sakai 590-0941 (Inside the Sakai Knife Traditional Industry Hall)
Phone 072-227-1001
Fax 072-238-8906
HP(URL) http://www.sakaihamono.or.jp/main.html
Manufacturer's
Association
Osaka Special Textile Manufacturing Association
Location 693-5 Higashiyama Naka-ku, Sakai 599-8247
Phone 072-235-5396
Fax 072-236-6203
HP(URL) http://osaka-orisen.com
Manufacturer's
Association
Sakai Hand-dyeing and Bleaching Association
Location 324 Kena-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai 599-8266
(Inside Kena Hall)
Phone 072-273-2147
Fax 072-273-2147
HP(URL) -
Manufacturer's
Association
Sakai Senko Manufacturing Association
Location 3-2-23 Ichino-cho Higashi Sakai-ku, Sakai 590-0952 (Morishima Nyokyudou Incense Co.)
Phone 072-233-4913
Fax 072-221-0701
HP(URL) http://www.sakaisenkou.net
Manufacturer's
Association
Sakai Kombu Processing Association
Location 6-629 Otori-higashi-machi, Nishi-ku, Sakai 593-8324 (Inside Matsumoto Co., Ltd.)
Phone 072-274-1818
Fax 072-271-6232
HP(URL) -
Manufacturer's
Association
Osaka Lumber Industry Development Co-Op
Location 4-1-1 Mokuzai-doori, Mihara, Sakai 587-0042
Phone 072-361-2670
Fax 072-361-0629
HP(URL) http://www.wood.or.jp/