"ErnieGal's Fukuyama Page" a Fukuyama Travel Page by ErnieGal

It is said that Fukuyama originated in 1619, when Mizuno Katsunari who had become the feudal lord of 100,000 koku (a koku is approximately 180 liters of rice or in this case the "land necessary to produce that rice.") of the Bingo area named the territory "Fukuyama". Thereafter it developed as a castle town and the foundation of present-day Fukuyama was formed.

Under the municipal system in 1889, it became Fukuyama-cho (Fukuyama Town) and played a central role in regional administration. In 1891, the opening of the "Sanyo Main Railroad" helped the formation of the city base. In 1916, under enforcement of the municipal system, "Fukuyama City" was born with a population of 32,356 people.

Ten connecting villages were annexed in 1933, and two more in 1942, expanding the city. In 1945, 80 percent of the city was lost to the fires caused by an air raid. Since then the city has seen a striking recovery. Ten more towns and villages were added in 1956. The infrastructure for national highways progressed, such that Fukuyama rapidly grew as a strategic industrial, cultural, and transportation hub connecting both the San-in and Sanyo regions to the Shikoku area.

From olden times Fukuyama was the regional base of textile production, but when Fukuyama was selected as the location of what was considered the world's largest single factory steel plant in 1961, the industrial outlook of the city changed greatly. When Fukuyama received designation as a "Special Industrial Development Region" in 1964, it began to convert to a heavy industrial city supporting the national economy.

Fukuyama continued annexing surrounding areas: Fukayasu-cho in 1962, Matsunaga City in 1966, Ashida-cho in 1974, Kamo-cho and Ekiya-cho in 1975. At present city area is 364.47 sq. km and the population exceeds 380,000, making it the fourth largest in the Chugoku Region.