Editing Fukushima (city) (section)

===Modern history===
On April 1, 1907, the town of Fukushima officially became the [[Cities of Japan|city]] of {{Nihongo|'''Fukushima'''|福島市|Fukushima-shi}}. It was the second municipality in the prefecture and 59th in the nation to become a city. At the time, Fukushima had a population of 30,000.

On April 14, 1908, the {{Nihongo|Shintatsu Tramway Company|信達軌道会社}} opened a [[light rail]] system that connected {{Nihongo|Fukushima Rail Stop|福島停車場}} to {{Nihongo|Yuno|湯野}} via {{Nihongo|Nagaoka|長岡}}. Also in 1908, the {{Nihongo|Fukushima City Library|福島市立図書館}} opened.

On June 28, 1918, the [[Fukushima Race Course]] held its first horse race. On August 30 of the same year, rice riots occurred in the city.

On April 13, 1924, the Fukushima Iizaka Electric Tramway, precursor to the present-day [[Fukushima Kōtsū Iizaka Line|Iizaka Line]], began service linking [[Fukushima Station (Fukushima)|Fukushima Station]] to Iizaka Station (present-day [[Hanamizuzaka Station]]). Three years later, in 1927, the line was extended further north to its present-day terminus of [[Iizaka Onsen Station]]. 1927 also saw the opening of {{Nihongo|Fukushima Building|福島ビル}} and with it the prefecture's first elevator. In 1929 the Fukushima City Library closed and the {{Nihongo|Fukushima Prefectural Library|県立図書館}} opened in its place, taking over the Fukushima City Library's collections and facilities. 1929 also saw the beginning of bus service within the city.

In 1937, a section of the village of {{Nihongo|Noda|野田村}} was absorbed into Fukushima, and in 1939 {{Nihongo|Yumoto Credit Financing Association|湯元信用無尽株式会社}} took over {{Nihongo|Fukushima Finance Association|福島無尽株式会社}}, changed its name to {{Nihongo|Fukushima Finance Provider|株式会社福島無尽金庫}}, and moved its head office to Fukushima. This was the precursor to the present-day {{Nihongo|[[Fukushima Bank]]|株式会社福島銀行}}.

In 1941, [[NHK]] opened its first broadcast station in the city.
Near the end of [[World War II]], in which Japan had initiated wars with a number of Pacific powers to create the [[Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere]], on July 20, 1945, a [[United States Army Air Forces]] [[Boeing B-29 Superfortress]] bombed the Watari area.

==== Post-Second World War ====
In 1946, [[Toho Bank]] moved its head office to Fukushima, on June 18, 1947 {{Nihongo|Fukushima Prefecture Girl's Medical School|福島県立女子医学専門学校}} became Fukushima Medical University, and on March 7, 1948, the Fukushima Prefecture Police Department was dismantled and the Fukushima City Police formed.

[[File:Matsukawa Incident.JPG|thumb|right|Scene of the Matsukawa incident, in which the Tōhoku Main Line tracks between Kanayagawa and Matsukawa stations were sabotaged, resulting in three deaths. This was highly reminiscent of the prior year's Niwasaka incident and the prior month's [[Mitaka incident]].]]

On April 27, 1948, at 12:04 am, a train on the [[Ōu Main Line]] bound for [[Ueno Station|Ueno]] derailed upon exiting a tunnel between [[Akaiwa Station|Akaiwa]] and [[Niwasaka Station|Niwasaka]] stations, killing three crew members. Upon inspection of the crash scene it was determined that someone had removed from the track two connecting plates, six [[Rail fastening system|spikes]], and four bolts. The perpetrator was never found. This became known as the [[Niwasaka incident]].

On August 17, 1949, at 3:09 am the [[Matsukawa incident]] occurred. In a scene highly reminiscent of the scene from the previous year's Niwasaka incident, a train bound for [[Ueno Station|Ueno]] derailed, killing three crew members. Inspection of the tracks revealed that connecting plates and spikes had been removed. Furthermore, a {{convert|25|m|abbr=on}} {{convert|925|kg|abbr=on}} section of rail had been moved {{convert|13|m|abbr=on}} from the track. No one was ever convicted of the crime. 1949 also saw the opening of [[Fukushima University]].

In 1952, a new city hall was opened in the {{Nihongo|Gorōuchi|五老内町}} neighborhood. The Seventh [[National Sports Festival of Japan]] was also held in the city, and in 1954 the present-day Fukushima Prefectural Office's main wing was completed and the Fukushima City Police were integrated into the Fukushima Prefecture Police. In March 1959 NHK began television broadcasts. Later that year, on May 11, the [[Bandai-Azuma Skyline]] tourist roadway opened.

In January 1966, the Kitamachi [[Japan National Route 4|Route 4]] bypass was completed, and on May 29 the {{convert|2376|m}} {{Nihongo|Kuriko Tunnel|栗子トンネル}} on [[Japan National Route 13|Route 13]] was opened.

The very first {{Nihongo|Waraji Festival|わらじ祭り}} was held on August 1, 1970. In the festival participants parade a large ''[[waraji]]'' straw sandal through the streets of Fukushima. Two months later, on November 1, Route13's {{Nihongo|Mt. Shinobu Tunnel|信夫山トンネル}}. The [[Iizaka East Line]] was shut down on April 12, 1971, leaving the Iizaka Line the only remaining railway operated by [[Fukushima Transportation]]. The same year Fukushima Prefectural Office's west wing was completed, making it, at the time, the tallest building in the prefecture. The section of the [[Tōhoku Expressway]] linking [[Kōriyama, Fukushima|Kōriyama]] in the south to [[Shiroishi, Miyagi|Shiroishi]] in the north, via Fukushima, opened on April 1, 1975. The [[Tōhoku Shinkansen]] opened on June 23, 1982, and connected [[Ōmiya Station (Saitama)|Ōmiya]] in the south to [[Morioka Station|Morioka]] in the north, via Fukushima.

[[File:AbukumaKyukoSen2005-4.jpg|thumb|left|The Abukuma Express Line opened on September 13, 1986, and linked Fukushima to Miyagi Prefecture in the north.]]

The Route 4 South Bypass opened on November 11, 1983, and the [[Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art]] and Prefectural Library were completed on July 22, 1983. Fukushima hosted the first [[Ekiden#East Japan Women.27s Ekiden|East Japan Women's Ekiden]] road relay race on November 24, 1985.

On August 4 and 5 of 1986 the Abukuma River and its tributaries flooded due to Nakdōri receiving from {{convert|200|to|300|mm|abbr=on}} of rain from a [[typhoon]]. Cities and towns along the Abukuma River and its tributaries, Fukushima included, suffered 11 people killed or injured, and damage to 14,000 buildings.

Later that year, on September 13, the [[Fukushima Azuma Stadium]] was completed. The [[Abukuma Express Line]], a {{convert|54.9|km|abbr=on}} railway line linking Fukushima to [[Marumori Station|Marumori]] in the north, began operations on July 1, 1988, and on November 12, the [[Yūji Koseki]] Memorial Museum was opened.

[[File:Surigamigawa-536-r1.jpg|thumb|right|The Surikamigawa Dam was officially completed on September 25, 2005.]]

The Fukushima Mutual Bank changed its name to Fukushima Bank in February 1989, and on September 27 [[National Route 115|Route 115]]'s {{convert|3360|m|abbr=on}} {{Nihongo|Tsuchiyu Tunnel|土湯トンネル}} was opened. On July 1, 1992, the [[Yamagata Shinkansen]] opened, connecting Fukushima to [[Yamagata Station|Yamagata]]. In 1995, the 50th [[National Sports Festival of Japan]] was held, primarily at Azuma Sports Park in the west of the city.

==== Since 2000 ====
The dam completion ceremony for the [[Surikamigawa Dam]] in the Moniwa area was held on September 25, 2005.

April 1, 2007, was the 100th anniversary of Fukushima becoming a city, and to celebrate, a {{nihongo||[[:ja:山車|山車]]|''dashi''|a type of parade float}} festival was held on June 30. ''Dashi'' representing the former towns and villages that make up modern-day Fukushima paraded and gathered in front of Fukushima Station.

During the [[Municipal mergers and dissolutions in Japan#Past mergers|Great Heisei Merger]], Fukushima and the towns of [[Kawamata, Fukushima|Kawamata]] and [[Iino, Fukushima|Iino]] held merger talks, however on December 1, 2006, Kawamata withdrew from the talks. Negotiations between Fukushima and Iino continued, and on July 1, 2008, the town of Iino was incorporated into Fukushima.[[File:Fukushima city hall.jpg|thumb|Fukushima's new city hall opened on January 4, 2011.]]

On January 4, 2011, Fukushima officially opened a new city hall to replace the previous one built in 1952. The new city hall, as was the previous one, is located in Gorōuchi-machi, next to [[Japan National Route 4|National Route 4]] in the center of the city.

On March 11, 2011, the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami]] occurred, with the earthquake causing ruptures in multiple water mains originating from the Surikamigawa Dam, which supplies much of the city's water. This resulted in the majority of the city losing access to running water.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.minpo.jp/pub/topics/jishin2011/2011/03/post_550.html |script-title=ja:摺上川ダム送水を停止 県内各地で断水 |publisher=Fukushima Minpo |date=12 March 2011 |access-date=23 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326082043/http://www.minpo.jp/pub/topics/jishin2011/2011/03/post_550.html |archive-date=26 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Train services were also stopped due to damage caused to railway infrastructure. The Iizaka Line reopened two days later on March 13,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/news/110313/dst11031312070042-n1.htm|script-title=ja:福島の飯坂電車、運転再開へ|publisher=MSN 産経ニュース|language=ja|access-date=15 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406133553/http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/news/110313/dst11031312070042-n1.htm|archive-date=6 April 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and on March 31 the [[Yamagata Shinkansen]] resumed limited service and the [[Ōu Main Line]] resumed full service.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://yamagata-np.jp/feature/shinsai/kj_2011033101168.php |script-title=ja:少しずつ「復旧」実感 山形新幹線が一部運転再開 |trans-title=Feeling Restoration Happen Little By Little: A Section of the Yamagata Shinkansen Reopens |work=Yamagata News Online |date=31 March 2011 |access-date=4 June 2012 |archive-date=13 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913081413/http://yamagata-np.jp/feature/shinsai/kj_2011033101168.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> By April 7 the [[Tōhoku Main Line]] was reopened in both directions, however it was closed again following a [[April 2011 Miyagi earthquake|strong earthquake later that night]]. The Tōhoku Main Line was again reopened in both directions from Fukushima on April 17.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.mynavi.jp/news/2011/04/11/047/index.html |script-title=ja:山形新幹線は12日に全線再開、福島 - 仙台間に「新幹線リレー号」運転 |trans-title=Yamagata Shinkansen Fully Open On the 12th, "Shinkansen Relay" Open Between Fukushima and Sendai |date=11 April 2011 |publisher=マイナビニュース |access-date=4 June 2012}}</ref> The [[Tōhoku Shinkansen]] reopened with limited service on April 23,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.asahi.com/travel/rail/news/TKY201109230547.html |script-title=ja:仙台―東京「はやぶさ」８分短縮 半年ぶりダイヤ復旧 |work=Asahi Shimbun |location=Japan |date=23 September 2011 |access-date=4 June 2012}}</ref> and the [[Abukuma Express Line]] resumed limited service from Fukushima on April 28.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://railf.jp/news/2011/04/28/213000.html |script-title=ja:阿武隈急行線 福島ー瀬上間が運転を再開 |trans-title=Abukuma Express Line Reopens Fukushima to Senoue Section |publisher=鉄道ファン |date=28 April 2011 |access-date=4 June 2012 |language=ja}}</ref>

On April 1, 2018, Fukushima City became a [[Core cities of Japan|core city]].