View source for Hamamatsu

{{Short description|City in Shizuoka prefecture, Japan}}
{{Other}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| name                    = Hamamatsu
| native_name             = {{nobold|{{lang|ja|浜松市}}}}
| official_name           = 
| settlement_type         = [[Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan|Designated city]]
| image_skyline           ={{multiple image
| border      = infobox
| total_width = 270
| perrow      = 1/2/2/2
| image1      = 浜松市都心部夜景.png
| caption1    =  Downtown Hamamatsu
| image2      = Hamamatsu Castle, enkei-3.jpg
| caption2    = [[Hamamatsu Castle]]
| image3      = ActCityHamamatsu.jpg
| caption3    = [[Act Tower]]
| image4      = Akihasanhongu Akiha Jinja Shrine Kamisha - View from Honden 02, Tenryu Ward Hamamatsu 2012.jpg
| caption4    = [[Akihasan Hongū Akiha Shrine|Akihasanhongu Akiha Jinja Shrine]]
| image5      = Hamanako Palpal 01.JPG
| caption5    = Hamanako Palpal
| image6      = Nakatajima sand dunes.jpg
| caption6    = Nakatajima dunes
| image7      = 浜名湖サービスエリア 恋人の聖地.jpg
| caption7    = [[Lake Hamana]]
}}
| imagesize               = 
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = <table style="width:280px; margin:2px auto; border-collapse:collapse">
<tr><td style = "width:100%" colspan="2">Hamamatsu City center from [[Act Tower]]</tr>
<tr><td style = "width:50%">[[Hamamatsu Castle]]<td style="width:50%">[[Act Tower]]</tr>
<tr><td style = "width:50%">[[Akihasan Hongū Akiha Jinja]]<td style="width:50%">{{ill|Hamanako Palpal|ja|浜名湖パルパル}}</tr>
<tr><td style = "width:50%">[[Nakatajima Sand Dunes]]<td style="width:50%">[[Lake Hamana]]</tr></table>
| image_flag              = Flag of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka.svg
| flag_alt                = 
| image_seal              = Emblem of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka.svg
| seal_alt                = 
| image_shield            = 
| shield_alt              = 
| image_blank_emblem      = 
| nickname                = "City of Music"
| motto                   = 
<!-- maps and coordinates -->
| image_map               = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=7}}
| image_map1              = Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_alt1                = 
| map_caption1            = Location of Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture
| pushpin_map             = Japan
| pushpin_label_position  = <!-- position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_map_alt         = 
| pushpin_map_caption     = &nbsp;
| coordinates             = {{coord|34|42|39|N|137|43|39|E|region:JP-22|display=it}}
| coor_pinpoint           = <!-- to specify exact location of coordinates (was coor_type) -->
| coordinates_footnotes   = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
<!-- location -->
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name        = [[Japan]]
| subdivision_type1       = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[Chūbu region|Chūbu]] ([[Tōkai region|Tōkai]])
| subdivision_type2       = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2       = [[Shizuoka Prefecture|Shizuoka]]
| subdivision_type3       = 
| subdivision_name3       = 
<!-- established -->
| established_title       = <!-- Settled -->
| established_date        = 
| founder                 = 
| named_for               = 
<!-- seat, smaller parts -->
| seat_type               = <!-- defaults to: Seat -->
| seat                    = 
<!-- government type, leaders -->
| government_footnotes    = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| leader_party            = 
| leader_title            = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name             = [[Yusuke Nakano (politician)|Yusuke Nakano]]
| leader_title1           = 
| leader_name1            = 
<!-- display settings  -->
| total_type              = <!-- to set a non-standard label for total area and population rows -->
| unit_pref               = <!-- enter: Imperial, to display imperial before metric -->
<!-- area -->
| area_magnitude          = <!-- use only to set a special wikilink -->
| area_footnotes          = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| area_total_km2          = 1558.06
| area_land_km2           = 
| area_water_km2          = 
| area_water_percent      = 
| area_note               = 
<!-- elevation -->
| elevation_footnotes     = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_m             = 
<!-- population -->
| population_footnotes    = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| population_total        = 780128
| population_as_of        = September 1, 2023
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_est          = 
| pop_est_as_of           = 
| population_demonym      = <!-- demonym, i.e. Liverpudlian for someone from Liverpool -->
| population_note         = 
| population_metro_footnotes = 
<!-- time zone(s) -->
| timezone1               = [[Japan Standard Time]]
| utc_offset1             = +9
<!-- postal codes, area code -->
| postal_code_type        = 
| postal_code             = 
| area_code_type          = <!-- defaults to: Area code(s) -->
| area_code               = 
<!-- blank fields (section 1) -->
| blank_name_sec1         = Phone&nbsp;number
| blank_info_sec1         = 53-457-2111
| blank1_name_sec1        = Address
| blank1_info_sec1        = 103-2 Motoshiro-chō, [[Chūō-ku, Hamamatsu|Chūō-ku]], Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka-ken 430-8652
<!-- blank fields (section 2) -->
| blank_name_sec2        = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info_sec2        = [[Humid subtropical climate|Cfa]]
<!-- website, footnotes -->
| website                 = {{URL|http://www.city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp}}
| footnotes               = 
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
 | tree = [[Pine]]
 | flower = [[Citrus unshiu|Mikan]]
 | bird = [[Japanese bush warbler]]
 | flowering_tree = 
 | butterfly = 
 | fish = 
 | other_symbols = 
}}
}}
{{nihongo|'''Hamamatsu'''|浜松市|Hamamatsu-shi}} is a [[Cities of Japan|city]] located in western [[Shizuoka Prefecture]], [[Japan]]. In September 2023, the city had an estimated [[population]] of 780,128 in 340,591 households,<ref>[https://www.city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp/gyousei/library/index.html Hamamatsu City official statistics] {{in lang|ja}}</ref> making it the prefecture's largest city, with a [[population density]] of {{convert|500|PD/km2|abbr=on}} over the total urban area of {{convert|1558.06|km2|2|abbr=on}}. The city ranked first in the happiness index of Japan's government-designated cities, published by the Japan Research Institute, in both 2018 and 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=浜松市が政令市幸福度ランキング1位 4年ぶり2度目 |url=https://hamamatsu.keizai.biz/headline/3087/ |access-date=2025-11-19 |website=浜松経済新聞}}</ref>

==Overview==
Hamamatsu is a member of the [[World Health Organization]]'s [[Alliance for Healthy Cities]]  (AFHC).<ref>[http://www.alliance-healthycities.com/htmls/about/index_about.html Alliance for Healthy Cities] official home page</ref>

== History ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2013}}
===Prehistoric ages===
The area now comprising Hamamatsu has been settled since prehistoric times, with numerous remains from the [[Jōmon period]] and [[Kofun period]] having been discovered within the present city limits, including the [[Shijimizuka site]] [[shell mound]] and the [[Akamonue Kofun]] ancient tomb. 
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Shijimizuka Site, tatemono.jpg|[[Shijimizuka site]]
File:Komyosan Kofun, kouenbu-1.jpg|[[Kōmyōsan Kofun]]
</gallery>

===Ancient ages===
In the [[Nara period]], it became the capital of [[Tōtōmi Province]].

===Feudal period===
During the [[Sengoku period]], [[Hamamatsu Castle]] was the home of future ''[[shōgun]]'' [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]. 
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:高根城（浜松市）.jpg|Takane Castle
File:井伊谷宮 - panoramio (2).jpg|[[Iinoya-gū]]
File:Hamamatsu Castle Park 浜松城公園3 - panoramio.jpg|[[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]
File:Hamamatsu Castle, enkei-2.jpg|[[Hamamatsu Castle]]
File:Battle of Mikatagahara.jpg|[[Battle of Mikatagahara]] (1573)
</gallery>

===Early modern ages===
Hamamatsu flourished during the [[Edo period]] under a succession of ''[[daimyō]]'' rulers as a [[jōkamachi|castle town]], and as a [[shukuba|post town]] on the [[Tōkaidō (road)|Tōkaidō]] highway connecting [[Edo]] with [[Kyoto]]. 
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Brooklyn Museum - Hamamatsu from Fifty-three Stations on the Tokaido Highway (Tokaido Goju-san Tsugi no Uchi) - Utagawa Hiroshige (Ando).jpg|[[Hamamatsu-juku]]
File:Hamamatsu (5759536694).jpg|[[Hamamatsu-juku]]
File:NDL-DC 2554563 04-Utagawa Hiroshige-東海道五拾三次 舞坂-crd.jpg|[[Maisaka-juku]]
File:Maisaka Gyosho Tokaido.jpg|[[Maisaka-juku]]
</gallery>

===Late modern ages===
After the [[Meiji Restoration]], Hamamatsu became a short-lived prefecture from 1871 to 1876, after which it was united with Shizuoka Prefecture. 
[[Hamamatsu Station]] opened on the [[Tōkaidō Main Line]] in 1889.

The same year, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system, Hamamatsu became a town.

* July 1, 1911: Hamamatsu is upgraded from a town to a city
* 1918: [[Rice riots of 1918]] affect Hamamatsu
* 1921: The village of Tenjinchō merges with Hamamatsu
* 1926: [[Imperial Japanese Army]] [[Hamamatsu Air Base]] opens
* 1933: Imperial Japanese Army Flight School opens
* 1936: The villages of Hikuma and Fujizuka merge with Hamamatsu
* December 7, 1944: [[1944 Tōnankai earthquake|Tonankai earthquake]] causes much damage
* June 1945: Hamamatsu largely destroyed by [[Bombing of Hamamatsu in World War II|US air raids]]
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Hamamatsu Hirokoji Dori in 1930s.jpg|Hirokoji Street in the 1930s
File:Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha headquarter & factory in Hamamatsu, c.1935.jpg|Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha headquarter & factory (1935)
File:Hamamatsu after the 1945 air raid.JPG|[[Bombing of Hamamatsu in World War II]] (1945)
</gallery>

===Contemporary ages===
* 1948: [[:ja:浜松事件 (抗争事件)|Hamamatsu Incident]], ethnic rioting of [[Zainichi Korean]] residents.
* 1951: The villages of Aratsu, Goto, and Kawarin merge with Hamamatsu
* 1954: Eight villages in Hamana District merge with Hamamatsu
* 1955: The village of Miyakoda merges with Hamamatsu
* 1957: The village of Irino merges with Hamamatsu
* 1960: The village of Seto merges with Hamamatsu
* 1961: The village of Shinohara merges with Hamamatsu
* 1965: The village of Shonai merges with Hamamatsu
* May 1, 1990: Hamamatsu Arena opened
* January 1, 1991: The village of Kami in [[Hamana District, Shizuoka|Hamana District]] merges with Hamamatsu.
* April 1, 1991: The first [[Hamamatsu International Piano Competition]] was held.
* May 1, 1994: [[Act City Tower]] opened.
* October 1, 1995: Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments opened.
* April 1, 1996: Hamamatsu is designated a [[Core cities of Japan|core city]] by the central government.
* June 1, 1996: Hamamatsu City Fruit Park opened.
* April 1, 1997: Hamamatsu is designated as an Omnibus Town.
* April 1, 1998: Act City Musical School opened.
* April 3, 2000: [[Shizuoka University of Art and Culture]] opened.
* July 1, 2001: The city's 90th anniversary is commemorated
* August 1, 2002: Launched the conference on Pan-Hamanako Designated City Simulation.
* April 1, 2003: Shizuoka New Kawafuji National High School Competition was held.
* June 1, 2003: Launched Tenryūgawa-Hamanako Region Merger Conference.
* April 8 – October 11, 2004: Pacific Flora 2004 (Shizuoka International Garden and Horticulture Exhibition) was held at Hamanako Garden Park.
* July 1, 2005: Hamamatsu absorbed the cities of [[Hamakita, Shizuoka|Hamakita]] and [[Tenryū, Shizuoka|Tenryū]]; the town of [[Haruno, Shizuoka|Haruno]] (from [[Shūchi District, Shizuoka|Shūchi District]]), the towns of [[Hosoe, Shizuoka|Hosoe]], [[Inasa, Shizuoka|Inasa]] and [[Mikkabi, Shizuoka|Mikkabi]] (all from [[Inasa District, Shizuoka|Inasa District]]), the towns of [[Misakubo, Shizuoka|Misakubo]] and [[Sakuma, Shizuoka|Sakuma]], the village of [[Tatsuyama, Shizuoka|Tatsuyama]] (all from [[Iwata District, Shizuoka|Iwata District]]), and the towns of [[Maisaka, Shizuoka|Maisaka]] and [[Yūtō, Shizuoka|Yūtō]] (both from [[Hamana District, Shizuoka|Hamana District]]) were merged into Hamamatsu.<ref>{{Cite web |last=浜松市 |title=合併の経緯 |url=https://www.city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp/shiminkyodo/kaigi/chiikikyougikai/ground/index.html |access-date=2024-02-07 |website=浜松市公式ホームページ |language=ja |quote=平成17年7月1日、浜松市、浜北市、天竜市、舞阪町、雄踏町、細江町、引佐町、三ヶ日町、春野町、佐久間町、水窪町及び龍山村の12市町村が合併して、新しい浜松市が誕生しました。}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jK33qQjYcQ4C |title=住民基本台帳人口移動報告年報 |date=2005 |publisher=総務庁統計局 |pages=142 |language=ja |trans-title=Annual Report on Population Movement in the Basic Resident Register |quote=Tenryu-shi, Hamakita-shi, Haruno-cho, Tatsuyama-mura, Sakuma-cho, Misakubo-cho, Maisaka-cho, Yuto-cho, Hosoe-cho, Inasa-cho, and　Mikkabi-cho were incorporated into Hamamatsu-shi as of July 1, 2005.}}</ref> Inasa District and Iwata District were both dissolved as a result of this merger. Therefore, there are no more villages left in Shizuoka Prefecture.
* April 1, 2007: Hamamatsu became a [[Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan|city designated by government ordinance]] by the central government.

===Cityscapes===
<gallery>
File:Hamamatsu Castle, enkei-3.jpg|[[Hamamatsu Castle]]
File:Views from Hamamatsu Castle20211002.jpg|City views from [[Hamamatsu Castle]]
File:Hamamatsu view - panoramio.jpg|[[Central Business District|CBD]] of Hamamatsu
File:Hamamatsu from Mount Tonmaku.jpg|Part of Hamamatsu Skyline
File:Skyline of Hamamatsu01.jpg|Skyline of Hamamatsu
File:Arco Mall Yurakugai in Hamamatsu City（2）.jpg|Yūrakugai
File:Night view of Hamamatsu city.jpg|Night view of Hamamatsu
</gallery>

== Geography ==
[[File:BentenjimaKaihinkoenHamamatsu6.jpg|thumb|200px|right|[[Lake Hamana]]]]
[[File:Inasacho Tabatake, Kita Ward, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture 431-2221, Japan - panoramio.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Ryugashido Cave]]
[[File:Cloud Dance (180155689).jpeg|thumb|200px|right|Lake Sanaru]]
[[File:View of mt fuji from hamamatsu.JPG|thumb|200px|View of Mt. Fuji from Hamamatsu]]
[[File:Tenryū River, Tenryū Ward Hamamatsu 2012.JPG|thumb|200px|[[Tenryū River]]]]
Hamamatsu is {{convert|260|km|mi}} southwest of [[Tokyo]].<ref name=FukueForeigners>Fukue, Natsuko. "[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/news/2010/03/13/national/nonprofit-brings-together-foreign-japanese-residents-in-hamamatsu/#.VhuENvSZqVB Nonprofit brings together foreign, Japanese residents in Hamamatsu]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20151018083414/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/news/2010/03/13/national/nonprofit-brings-together-foreign-japanese-residents-in-hamamatsu/ Archive]). ''[[The Japan Times]]''. March 13, 2010. Retrieved on October 12, 2015.</ref>

Hamamatsu consists of a flat plain and the Mikatahara Plateau in the south, and a mountainous area in the north. It is roughly bordered by [[Lake Hamana]] to the west, the [[Tenryū River]] to the east, and the [[Pacific Ocean]] to the south.

=== Climate ===
The climate in southern Hamamatsu has a [[humid subtropical climate]] with cool to mild winters with little snowfall; however, it is windy in winter because of the dry monsoon called ''Enshū no Karakaze'', which is unique to the region. The climate in northern Hamamatsu is much harsher because of [[foehn wind]]s. Summer is hot with the highest temperature often exceeds 35 degrees in the Tenryu-ku area, while it snows in winter.

{{Weather box
|width=auto
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = Hamamatsu (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1882−present)
|Jan record high C = 20.7
|Feb record high C = 23.6
|Mar record high C = 24.9
|Apr record high C = 28.1
|May record high C = 31.8
|Jun record high C = 36.7
|Jul record high C = 39.2
|Aug record high C = 41.1
|Sep record high C = 36.6
|Oct record high C = 32.1
|Nov record high C = 27.8
|Dec record high C = 23.2
|Jan record low C = -6.0
|Feb record low C = -5.5
|Mar record low C = -3.3
|Apr record low C = 0.0
|May record low C = 4.7
|Jun record low C = 10.4
|Jul record low C = 15.3
|Aug record low C = 16.8
|Sep record low C = 12.4
|Oct record low C = 3.8
|Nov record low C = 0.1
|Dec record low C = -4.2
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 59.2
|Feb precipitation mm = 76.8
|Mar precipitation mm = 147.1
|Apr precipitation mm = 179.2
|May precipitation mm = 191.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 224.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 209.3
|Aug precipitation mm = 126.8
|Sep precipitation mm = 246.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 207.1
|Nov precipitation mm = 112.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 62.7
|year precipitation mm = 1843.2
|Jan mean C = 6.3
|Feb mean C = 6.8
|Mar mean C = 10.3
|Apr mean C = 15.0
|May mean C = 19.3
|Jun mean C = 22.6
|Jul mean C = 26.3
|Aug mean C = 27.8
|Sep mean C = 24.9
|Oct mean C = 19.6
|Nov mean C = 14.2
|Dec mean C = 8.8
|year mean C = 16.8
|Jan high C = 10.6
|Feb high C = 11.5
|Mar high C = 15.0
|Apr high C = 19.6
|May high C = 23.7
|Jun high C = 26.6
|Jul high C = 30.3
|Aug high C = 31.8
|Sep high C = 28.8
|Oct high C = 23.6
|Nov high C = 18.6
|Dec high C = 13.2
|year high C = 21.1
|Jan low C = 2.4
|Feb low C = 2.7
|Mar low C = 5.7
|Apr low C = 10.7
|May low C = 15.3
|Jun low C = 19.4
|Jul low C = 23.4
|Aug low C = 24.7
|Sep low C = 21.5
|Oct low C = 16.2
|Nov low C = 10.4
|Dec low C = 4.8
|year low C = 13.1
|Jan humidity = 57
|Feb humidity = 56
|Mar humidity = 59
|Apr humidity = 65
|May humidity = 70
|Jun humidity = 78
|Jul humidity = 77
|Aug humidity = 76
|Sep humidity = 74
|Oct humidity = 72
|Nov humidity = 64
|Dec humidity = 61
|year humidity = 67
|Jan sun = 206.6
|Feb sun = 187.8
|Mar sun = 201.9
|Apr sun = 199.7
|May sun = 205.1
|Jun sun = 148.1
|Jul sun = 176.3
|Aug sun = 211.4
|Sep sun = 166.7
|Oct sun = 162.6
|Nov sun = 171.8
|Dec sun = 200.1
|year sun = 2237.9
|Jan snow cm = 0
|Feb snow cm = 0
|Mar snow cm = 0
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 0
|Dec snow cm = 0
|year snow cm = 0
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 5.9
|Feb precipitation days = 6.5
|Mar precipitation days = 9.8
|Apr precipitation days = 10.4
|May precipitation days = 10.8
|Jun precipitation days = 13.1
|Jul precipitation days = 11.9
|Aug precipitation days = 8.4
|Sep precipitation days = 11.9
|Oct precipitation days = 10.9
|Nov precipitation days = 7.5
|Dec precipitation days = 6.3
|year precipitation days = 113.4
|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/index.php?prec_no=50&block_no=47654&year=&month=&day=&view=
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値） 
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]
| access-date = May 19, 2021}}</ref>
}}
{{Weather box
|width=auto
|collapsed = Y
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|location = [[Sakuma, Shizuoka|Sakuma]], Hamamatsu (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present)
|Jan record high C = 17.8
|Feb record high C = 23.0
|Mar record high C = 26.3
|Apr record high C = 31.9
|May record high C = 34.1
|Jun record high C = 36.9
|Jul record high C = 40.2
|Aug record high C = 39.6
|Sep record high C = 37.3
|Oct record high C = 33.6
|Nov record high C = 25.7
|Dec record high C = 23.0
|Jan record low C = -7.1
|Feb record low C = -8.1
|Mar record low C = -4.8
|Apr record low C = -2.6
|May record low C = 3.3
|Jun record low C = 9.0
|Jul record low C = 15.3
|Aug record low C = 16.4
|Sep record low C = 9.8
|Oct record low C = 2.4
|Nov record low C = -1.9
|Dec record low C = -6.3
|Jan high C = 9.7
|Feb high C = 11.1
|Mar high C = 14.9
|Apr high C = 20.2
|May high C = 24.8
|Jun high C = 27.5
|Jul high C = 31.3
|Aug high C = 32.9
|Sep high C = 28.9
|Oct high C = 23.2
|Nov high C = 17.3
|Dec high C = 11.8
|Jan mean C = 3.1
|Feb mean C = 4.3
|Mar mean C = 7.9
|Apr mean C = 13.1
|May mean C = 17.9
|Jun mean C = 21.5
|Jul mean C = 25.2
|Aug mean C = 26.3
|Sep mean C = 22.8
|Oct mean C = 16.9
|Nov mean C = 10.6
|Dec mean C = 5.2
|Jan low C = -1.5
|Feb low C = -0.8
|Mar low C = 2.3
|Apr low C = 7.2
|May low C = 12.4
|Jun low C = 17.3
|Jul low C = 21.3
|Aug low C = 22.3
|Sep low C = 19.0
|Oct low C = 12.8
|Nov low C = 6.2
|Dec low C = 0.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 71.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 97.6
|Mar precipitation mm = 184.1
|Apr precipitation mm = 193.5
|May precipitation mm = 192.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 265.6
|Jul precipitation mm = 339.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 225.9
|Sep precipitation mm = 320.9
|Oct precipitation mm = 223.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 120.8
|Dec precipitation mm = 78.1
|year precipitation mm = 2344.0
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 6.5
|Feb precipitation days = 6.7
|Mar precipitation days = 9.9
|Apr precipitation days = 10.2
|May precipitation days = 10.7
|Jun precipitation days = 13.0
|Jul precipitation days = 13.6
|Aug precipitation days = 11.0
|Sep precipitation days = 11.7
|Oct precipitation days = 10.6
|Nov precipitation days = 7.2
|Dec precipitation days = 6.8
|Jan sun = 152.9
|Feb sun = 167.1
|Mar sun = 187.4
|Apr sun = 194.0
|May sun = 194.0
|Jun sun = 138.0
|Jul sun = 156.4
|Aug sun = 187.4
|Sep sun = 148.2
|Oct sun = 163.1
|Nov sun = 151.7
|Dec sun = 142.4
|year sun = 1982.5
|source 1 = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=50&block_no=0986&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = April 26, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=50&block_no=0986&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値） 
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = April 26, 2022}}</ref>}}

=== Demographics ===
Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-shizuoka.php Hamamatsu population statistics]</ref> the population of Hamamatsu has been increasing over the past 70 years.
{{Historical populations
| 1940 | 434,253
| 1950 | 494,296
| 1960 | 568,214
| 1970 | 631,284
| 1980 | 698,982
| 1990 | 751,509
| 2000 | 786,306
| 2010 | 800,912
| 2020 | 790,718
|align       = none
| footnote = 
}}

====Foreign population====
[[File:Takara-supermarket-hamamatsu.jpg|thumb|200px|Super Mercado Takara, a Brazilian supermarket]]
{{see also|Brazilians in Japan}}
{{see also|Dekasegi}}
Hamamatsu has a significant non-Japanese population. The population of [[Nikkei people|Nikkei]] foreigners, especially Brazilians, increased after a 1990 change in Japanese immigration law allowed them to work in Japan. At one point, Hamamatsu had the largest Brazilian Nikkei population of any Japanese city.<ref name="Sugino">Sugino, Toshiko ([[National Defense Academy of Japan]]). "[http://www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/41478746.pdf Linguistic Challenges and Possibilities of Immigrants In Case of Nikkei Brazilians in Japan]" (Country Note on Topics for Breakout Session 4) ([https://web.archive.org/web/20151018083415/http://www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/41478746.pdf Archive]). Centre for Education Research and Innovation (CERI), [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] [http://www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/ceri-globalisationandlinguisticcompetenciesrelateddocuments.htm See list of reports]. p. 1/8. Retrieved on October 12, 2015.</ref> Many foreigners work in the manufacturing sector, taking temporary jobs in [[Honda]], [[Suzuki]], and [[Yamaha Motor Company|Yamaha]] plants.<ref name=FukueForeigners/> {{As of|2008}} the number of non-Japanese in Hamamatsu was 33,332.<ref name=Aparecidap217>Aparecida, Tsutsumi Angela (Burajiru Fureai Kai). "[http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED532169.pdf The Contradiction Between "Being and Seeming" Reinforces Low Academic Performance ]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160305080316/http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED532169.pdf Archive]). ''US-China Education Review'' B 2 (2012) p. 217-223. CITED: p. 217.</ref> Portuguese signage can be seen throughout the city, and many businesses catering to Brazilians display Brazilian flags. The city also hosts a Brazilian school.<ref name="Sugino"/> However, Natsuko Fukue of ''[[The Japan Times]]'' wrote in 2010 that many foreign children have difficulty integrating to society in Hamamatsu because "Japanese and foreign communities live largely separate from one another."<ref name=FukueForeigners/>

The foreign population dropped significantly after the [[2008 financial crisis]], with the Hamamatsu city government offering aid for some foreign nationals to return to their home countries.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/business/global/23immigrant.html|title=Japan Pays Foreign Workers to Go Home, Forever|last=Tabuchi|first=Hiroko|author-link=Hiroko Tabuchi |date=2009-04-22|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-03-06|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The foreign population was estimated as 25,084 as of August 1, 2019,  per official city statistics.<ref>[https://www.city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp/gyousei/library/1_jinkou-setai/documents/setaisu-jinkousu_area_r01-08.pdf Hamamatsu City official statistics] {{in lang|ja}}</ref>

===Neighboring municipalities===
;{{flagicon|Aichi}} [[Aichi Prefecture]]
*[[Shinshiro, Aichi|Shinshiro]]
*[[Tōei, Aichi|Tōei]]
*[[Toyohashi, Aichi|Toyohashi]]
*[[Toyone, Aichi|Toyone]]
;{{flagicon|Nagano}} [[Nagano Prefecture]]
*[[Iida, Nagano|Iida]]
*[[Tenryū, Nagano|Tenryū]]
;{{flagicon|Shizuoka}} [[Shizuoka Prefecture]]
*[[Iwata, Shizuoka|Iwata]]
*[[Kawanehon, Shizuoka|Kawanehon]]
*[[Kosai, Shizuoka|Kosai]]
*[[Mori, Shizuoka|Mori]]
*[[Shimada, Shizuoka|Shimada]]

==Government==
[[File:Hamamatsu near city hall.JPG|thumb|200px|right|Downtown of Hamamatsu city (near city hall)]]
Hamamatsu has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city legislature of 46 members. The city contributes 15 members to the Shizuoka Prefectural Assembly.

=== Wards ===
Hamamatsu is administratively divided into three [[Wards of Japan|wards]]:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name!! Area (km<sup>2</sup>)!! Population (Oct 2023)!!Pop Density
|-
| {{Nihongo|[[Chūō-ku, Hamamatsu|Chūō-ku]]|中央区}} || 268.45 || 608,145 || 
|-
| {{Nihongo|[[Hamana-ku, Hamamatsu|Hamana-ku]]|浜名区}} || 345.77 || 155,996 || 
|-
| {{Nihongo|[[Tenryū Ward|Tenryū-ku]]|天竜区}} || 943.84 || 24,515 || 
|}
{{Clear}}

==== Reorganization ====
On 1 January 2024, the number of wards was reduced from seven to three as part of a municipal reorganization. [[Naka-ku, Hamamatsu|Naka-ku]], [[Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu|Higashi-ku]], [[Nishi-ku, Hamamatsu|Nishi-ku]], [[Minami-ku, Hamamatsu|Minami-ku]] and [[Kita-ku, Hamamatsu|Kita-ku]] were merged into a new [[Chūō-ku, Hamamatsu|Chūō-ku]], Hamakita-ku and Kita-ku were merged to form [[Hamana-ku, Hamamatsu|Hamana-ku]], while Tenryu-ku will remain unchanged. The reorganization was initially approved by a referendum held on April 7, 2019.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp/kikaku/kuseido/index.html | title=行政区の再編について }}</ref>

== Economy ==
[[File:Hamamatsu Metropolitan Employment Area 2010.svg|thumb|200px|A map showing Hamamatsu [[Urban Employment Area|Metropolitan Employment Area]].]]
[[File:Unagi Hamamatsu.JPG|thumb|200px|left|Eel, for which Hamamatsu is famous]]
[[File:Entetsu Department Store at night.jpg|thumb|200px|Entetsu Department Store]]
Hamamatsu has been famous as an industrial city, especially for [[musical instrument]]s and [[motorcycle]]s. It also has been known for fabric industry, but most of those companies and factories went out of business in the 1990s. As of 2010, Greater Hamamatsu, Hamamatsu [[Urban Employment Area|Metropolitan Employment Area]], has a GDP of US$54.3 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/UEA/uea_data_e.htm|title = Metropolitan Employment Area (MEA) Data|author = Yoshitsugu Kanemoto|publisher = Center for Spatial Information Science, The [[University of Tokyo]]|access-date = 2016-09-29|archive-date = 2018-06-15|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180615111107/http://www.csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/UEA/uea_data_e.htm|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>[https://data.oecd.org/conversion/exchange-rates.htm Conversion rates – Exchange rates] – OECD Data</ref>
2014 Hamamatsu's GDP per capita(PPP) was US$41,470.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.brookings.edu/research/global-metro-monitor/|title = Global Metro Monitor|date = 22 January 2015}}</ref>

===Companies headquartered in Hamamatsu===
* [[Enkei Corporation]]<ref>"[http://www.enkei.co.jp/eng/corporate/ Corporate Outline] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915002758/http://www.enkei.co.jp/eng/corporate/ |date=2019-09-15 }}." [[Enkei Corporation]]. Retrieved on June 5, 2018.</ref>
* [[Hamamatsu Photonics|Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.]]<ref>"[http://www.hamamatsu.com/eu/en/hamamatsu/overview/domestic_center/index.html#Headquarters Headquarters] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420074340/http://www.hamamatsu.com/eu/en/hamamatsu/overview/domestic_center/index.html#Headquarters |date=2016-04-20 }}." [[Hamamatsu Photonics]]. Retrieved on February 17, 2015.</ref>
* [[Kawai Musical Instruments|Kawai Musical Instruments Mfg.]]
* [[Roland Corporation]]
* [[Suzuki|Suzuki Motor Co.]]
* [[Tōkai Gakki]] (also known as ''Tokai Guitars Company Ltd.'')
* [[Yamaha Corporation]]

=== Companies founded in Hamamatsu ===
* [[Honda|Honda Motor Co.]]
<gallery>
File:The frontview of Suzuki SWIFT HYBRID RS (DAA-ZC53S).jpg|[[Suzuki Motor]]
File:Yamaha MT-10.jpg|[[Yamaha Motor Company|Yamaha Motor]]
</gallery>

==Media==
=== Radio stations ===
* [[FM Haro!]] (JOZZ6AB FM, 76.1&nbsp;MHz)
* [[K-MIX]] (JOKU FM, 78.4&nbsp;MHz)
* [[NHK FM Broadcast|NHK FM]] (JOPK FM, 82.1&nbsp;MHz)
* SBS Radio (1404&nbsp;kHz / 94.7&nbsp;MHz)
*{{in lang|pt}} Radio Phoenix (internet)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.radiophoenix.jp/index.html |title=Radio Phoenix – CONECTOU...TÁ NA PHOENIX |publisher=Radiophoenix.jp |access-date=2013-03-26 |archive-date=2013-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325221509/http://radiophoenix.jp/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Transportation ==
[[File:JASDF-Hamamatsu-AirPark.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Hamamatsu Air Base]]]]
[[File:JR浜松駅北口.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Hamamatsu Station]] exterior]]
[[File:新浜松駅 - 駅舎.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Shin-Hamamatsu Station]]]]
[[File:Enshu Railway Linemap.svg|thumb|200px|Enshu Railway Linemap]]
[[File:JR Central Hamamatsu Workshop.jpg|thumb|200px|JR Hamamatsu workshop in 2008]]

===Airways===
====Airport====
There are no commercial airports in Hamamatsu. However, [[Shizuoka Airport]] ({{coord|34.796111|N|138.189444|E|format=dms|region:JP_type:airport}}) is the closest, located {{convert|43|km}} from Hamamatsu Station, between [[Makinohara, Shizuoka|Makinohara]] and [[Shimada, Shizuoka|Shimada]].

[[Chūbu Centrair International Airport]] in [[Aichi Prefecture]], located about {{convert|87|km}}<ref>From Chūbu Centrair International Airport to Hamamatsu station ({{coord|34.703866|N|137.734759|E|format=dms|region:JP_type:landmark}}) (surveying http://vldb.gsi.go.jp/sokuchi/surveycalc/bl2stf.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518020224/http://vldb.gsi.go.jp/sokuchi/surveycalc/bl2stf.html |date=2008-05-18 }} {{in lang|ja}})</ref> west of the city, is the second closest.

===Railways===
====High-Speed Rail====
;[[File:JR logo (central).svg|20px]] [[Central Japan Railway Company]]
*[[Tōkaidō Shinkansen]]: - {{STN|Hamamatsu|x}} -
**JR Central Hamamatsu workshop: maintenance facility for the Tōkaidō Shinkansen<ref name="Semmens1997">{{cite book |last=Semmens |first=Peter |title=High Speed in Japan: Shinkansen - The World's Busiest High-speed Railway |publisher=Platform 5 Publishing |date=1997 |location=Sheffield, UK |page=58 |isbn=1-872524-88-5}}</ref>

====Conventional Lines====
;[[File:JR logo (central).svg|20px]] [[Central Japan Railway Company]]
*[[Tōkaidō Main Line]]: - {{STN|Tenryūgawa|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Hamamatsu|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Takatsuka|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Maisaka|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Bentenjima|x}} -
*[[Iida Line]]: - {{STN|Izumma|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Kamiichiba|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Urakawa|x|Shizuoka}}{{•}} {{STN|Hayase|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Shimokawai|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Chūbu-Tenryū|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Sakuma|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Aizuki|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Shironishi|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Mukaichiba|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Misakubo|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Ōzore|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Kowada|x}} -
;[[File:Entetsu logo.svg|13px]] [[Enshū Railway Line|Enshū Railway]]
*[[Enshū Railway Line]]: - {{STN|Shin-Hamamatsu|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Dai-Ichi-dōri|x}}{{•}}  {{STN|Enshū-Byōin|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Hachiman|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Sukenobu|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Enshū-Hikuma|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Enshū-Kamijima|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Jidōsha-Gakkō-Mae|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Saginomiya|x|Shizuoka}}{{•}} {{STN|Sekishi|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Enshū-Nishigasaki|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Enshū-Komatsu|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Hamakita|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Misono-Chūō-kōen|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Enshū-Kobayashi|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Enshū-Shibamoto|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Enshū-Gansuiji|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Nishi-Kajima|x}}
;[[Tenryū Hamanako Railroad Tenryū Hamanako Line|Tenryū Hamanako Railroad]]
*[[Tenryū Hamanako Railroad Tenryū Hamanako Line|Tenryū Hamanako Line]]: - {{STN|Tenryū-Futamata|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Futamata-Hommachi|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Nishi-Kajima|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Gansuiji|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Miyaguchi|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Fruit Park|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Miyakoda|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Hamamatsudaigakumae|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Kanasashi|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Kigakōkōmae|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Kiga|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Nishi-Kiga|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Sunza|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Hamanako-Sakume|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Higashi-Tsuzuki|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Tsuzuki|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Mikkabi|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Okuhamanako|x}}{{•}} {{STN|Ona|x}} -

===Roads===
====Expressways====
*[[Image:JP Expressway E1.svg|22px|alt=E1]] [[Tōmei Expressway]] (Hamamatsu interchange, Hamamatsu Nishi interchange, and Mikkabi interchange)
*[[Image:JP Expressway E1A.svg|30px|alt=E1A]] [[Shin-Tōmei Expressway]]

====Hiways====
*[[Image:JP Expressway E69.svg|30px|alt=E69]] [[San-en Nanshin Expressway]] (under construction)

====Bypasses====
*Hamamatsu Bypass
*Hamana Bypass

====Japan National Highways====
**{{jct|country=JPN|Route|1}}
**{{jct|country=JPN|Route|42}}
**{{jct|country=JPN|Route|150}}
**{{jct|country=JPN|Route|152}}
**{{jct|country=JPN|Route|257}}
**{{jct|country=JPN|Route|301}}
**{{jct|country=JPN|Route|362}}
**{{jct|country=JPN|Route|473}}

==Education==
[[File:Shizudai1.JPG|thumb|200px|[[Shizuoka University]] Hamamatsu Campus]]
[[File:Shizuoka University of Art and Culture - Courtyard.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Shizuoka University of Art and Culture]]]]
[[File:Hamamatsu-Municipal-SeniorHighSchool-2014072102.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Hamamatsu Municipal Senior High School]]]]

=== Colleges and universities ===
* [[Hamamatsu Gakuin University]]
* [[Hamamatsu University]]
* [[Hamamatsu University School of Medicine]]
* [[Seirei Christopher University]]
* [[Seisa University]], Hamamatsu campus
* [[Shizuoka University]] (Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Informatics)
* [[Shizuoka University of Art and Culture]]
*[[Tokoha University]], Hamamatsu campus

=== Primary and secondary schools ===
{{expand section|date=July 2019}}
Senior high schools operated by Shizuoka Prefecture:
* [[Shizuoka Prefectural Hamamatsu North High School]] ([[:ja:静岡県立浜松北高等学校|静岡県立浜松北高等学校]])
* [[Shizuoka Prefectural Hamamatsu Nishi Senior and Junior High Schools|Shizuoka Prefectural Hamamatsu Nishi (West) Senior and Junior High Schools]] ([[:ja:静岡県立浜松西高等学校・中等部|静岡県立浜松西高等学校・中等部]])
* [[Shizuoka Prefectural Hamamatsu East High School]] ([[:ja:静岡県立浜松東高等学校|静岡県立浜松東高等学校]])
* [[Shizuoka Prefectural Hamamatsu South High School]] ([[:ja:静岡県立浜松南高等学校|静岡県立浜松南高等学校]])
* [[Shizuoka Prefectural Kiga High School]] ([[:ja:静岡県立気賀高等学校|静岡県立気賀高等学校]])
* [[Shizuoka Prefectural Kohoku High School]] ([[:ja:静岡県立浜松湖東高等学校|静岡県立浜松湖東高等学校]])
* [[Shizuoka Prefectural Mikkabi High School]] ([[:ja:静岡県立三ヶ日高等学校|静岡県立三ヶ日高等学校]])

There is one senior high school operated by the city government: [[Hamamatsu Municipal Senior High School]]

Elementary and junior high schools are operated by the city government. {{As of|2008}}, the city had 117 public elementary schools and 52 public junior high schools.<ref name=Aparecidap218>Aparecida, Tsutsumi Angela (Burajiru Fureai Kai). "[http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED532169.pdf The Contradiction Between "Being and Seeming" Reinforces Low Academic Performance]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160305080316/http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED532169.pdf Archive]). ''US-China Education Review'' B 2 (2012) p. 217-223. CITED: p. 218.</ref>

=== Multicultural education ===
The city has the following [[Brazilian schools in Japan|Brazilian international schools]]:
* [[Escola Brasil]] (former Escola Brasileira de Hamamatsu) – Primary and secondary school<ref name=Brazilschools>"[http://www.brasemb.or.jp/portugues/community/school.php Escolas Brasileiras Homologadas no Japão]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20151018083340/http://www.brasemb.or.jp/portugues/community/school.php Archive]). Embassy of Brazil in Tokyo. Retrieved on October 13, 2015.</ref>
* [[Escola Alegria de Saber]] – Primary and secondary school<ref name=Brazilschools/>
* Escola Alcance – Primary school<ref name=Brazilschools/>

It has one combined Peruvian school ([[:ja:ペルー学校|ペルー学校]]) and Brazilian primary school, [[Mundo de Alegría]].<ref name=Brazilschools/><ref>"[http://www.mundodealegria.org/peru/schoolintroduction/access/schoolintroduction/access_158.html Ubicación y Acceso]." [[Mundo de Alegría]]. Retrieved on October 24, 2015. "〒431–0102 Shizuoka-ken Hamamatsu-shi　Nishi-ku Yuto-cho Ubumi 9611-1" – [http://www.mundodealegria.org/schoolintroduction/access/schoolintroduction/access_83.html Japanese address]: "住所 〒431-0102 静岡県　浜松市　西区　雄踏町　宇布見　9611-1"</ref>

The city formerly hosted other Brazilian schools, Colégio Pitágoras Brasil and Escola Cantinho Feliz.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20080207160806/http://www.brasemb.or.jp/portugues/community/school.php Escolas Brasileiras Homologadas no Japão]" ([http://web.archive.org/web/20080207160806/http://www.brasemb.or.jp/portugues/community/school.php Archive]). Embassy of Brazil in Tokyo. February 7, 2008. Retrieved on October 13, 2015.</ref>

As of May 1, 2009, the municipal elementary and junior high schools had 1,638 non-Japanese students.<ref>Kitawaki, Yasuyuki (北脇保之)<!--http://www.tufs.ac.jp/blog/ts/g/cemmer/img/pdf/12_kitawaki.pdf - https://www.webcitation.org/6cDlDfA7y?url=http://www.tufs.ac.jp/blog/ts/g/cemmer/img/pdf/12_kitawaki.pdf --> (Former mayor of Hamamatsu, Director of the Center for Multilingual Multicultural Education and Research, [[Tokyo University of Foreign Studies]] (CEMMER, 東京外国語大学多言語・多文化教育研究センター)). "[http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/Publication/BookCoE12-Kitawaki.pdf A Japanese approach to municipal diversity management: The case of Hamamatsu City]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20110304150312/http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/Publication/BookCoE12-Kitawaki.pdf Archive]). ''Managing Diversity: Stronger Communities, Better Cities''. [http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/Publication/BookCoE03-Introduction.pdf Information about the book] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20100905205059/http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/Publication/BookCoE03-Introduction.pdf Archive]). At the [[Council of Europe]] website. Retrieved on October 12, 2015. PDF p. 7-8/13.</ref> {{As of|2008}}, there were 932 [[Brazilians in Japan|Brazilians]] enrolled in Hamamatsu's municipal elementary and junior high schools: 646 Brazilians were enrolled in 61 public elementary schools, and 286 Brazilians were enrolled in 38 public junior high schools.<ref name=Aparecidap218/>

Within public schools Brazilian students have the same academic programs and take the same classes as Japanese nationals.<ref name=Aparecidap218/> Special teachers and assistants work with foreign students at municipal elementary and junior high schools with significant numbers of non-Japanese enrolled.<ref name="Kitawakip8">Kitawaki, Yasuyuki (北脇保之)<!--http://www.tufs.ac.jp/blog/ts/g/cemmer/img/pdf/12_kitawaki.pdf - https://www.webcitation.org/6cDlDfA7y?url=http://www.tufs.ac.jp/blog/ts/g/cemmer/img/pdf/12_kitawaki.pdf --> (Former mayor of Hamamatsu, Director of the Center for Multilingual Multicultural Education and Research, [[Tokyo University of Foreign Studies]] (CEMMER, 東京外国語大学多言語・多文化教育研究センター)). "[http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/Publication/BookCoE12-Kitawaki.pdf A Japanese approach to municipal diversity management: The case of Hamamatsu City]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20110304150312/http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/Publication/BookCoE12-Kitawaki.pdf Archive]). ''Managing Diversity: Stronger Communities, Better Cities''. [http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/Publication/BookCoE03-Introduction.pdf Information about the book] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20100905205059/http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/Publication/BookCoE03-Introduction.pdf Archive]). At the [[Council of Europe]] website. Retrieved on October 12, 2015. PDF p. 8/13.</ref> In particular the schools use their part-time interpreters to assist Brazilian students. The interpreters are not formal teachers, yet Tsutsumi Angela Aparecida of Hamamatsu's Burajiru Fureai Kai wrote that "[t]heir assistance 
has become very useful".<ref name=Aparecidap218/> Toshiko Sugino of the [[National Defense Academy of Japan]] wrote that the municipal and prefectural schools in Hamamatsu "follow traditional views of education and enforce rigid school rules" despite the reputation of open-mindedness in the residents of Hamamatsu, causing some foreigners to send their non-Japanese children to foreign private schools.<ref name=Suginop4>Sugino, Toshiko ([[National Defense Academy of Japan]]). "[http://www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/41478746.pdf Linguistic Challenges and Possibilities of Immigrants In Case of Nikkei Brazilians in Japan]" (Country Note on Topics for Breakout Session 4) ([https://web.archive.org/web/20151018083415/http://www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/41478746.pdf Archive]). Centre for Education Research and Innovation (CERI), [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] ([http://www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/ceri-globalisationandlinguisticcompetenciesrelateddocuments.htm See list of reports]). p. 4/8. Retrieved on October 12, 2015.</ref>

As of 2008, many Brazilian parents have difficulty in deciding whether to send their children to Japanese schools or Brazilian schools, and it is common for Brazilian children attending Japanese schools to switch to a Brazilian school and vice versa.<ref name=Aparecidap218/> By 2010, many Brazilian parents had lost their jobs due to an economic decline, and many were unable to afford the Brazilian school monthly tuitions of ¥30,000 to ¥40,000.<ref name=FukueForeigners/>

As of 2010, about 50% of Brazilians of high school age in Hamamatsu [[Fushūgaku|do not attend high school]]. The inability to afford high school and difficulty with Japanese resulted in lower high school attendance rates. Hamamatsu NPO Network Center has made efforts to increase school attendance.<ref name=FukueForeigners/>

In Hamamatsu volunteers and a non-profit organization have established Japanese-language classes and native language classes for foreign children.<ref name=Kitawakip8/>

== Local attractions ==
* '''[[Act City Tower]] Observatory''': Hamamatsu's only [[skyscraper]], situated next to JR Hamamatsu Station, is a symbol of the city. It was designed to resemble a [[harmonica]], a reminder that Hamamatsu is sometimes known as the "City of Music".  The building houses shopping and a food court, the Okura Hotel, and an observatory on the 45th floor overlooking all of central Hamamatsu, even down to the sand dunes at the shore.
* '''Chopin Monument''' This is a 1:1-scale replica of the famous [[Art Nouveau]] bronze statue of [[Chopin Monument (Warsaw)|Chopin]] by the famed artist [[Wacław Szymanowski]]. The original is in Hamamatsu's [[Twin towns and sister cities|sister city]], [[Warsaw]].　
* {{ill|Gosha Suwa Shrine|ja|五社神社・諏訪神社|fr|Gosha-Suwa-jinja|simple}} is a [[Beppyo shrine]] in the city. It was formed from a merger of two shrines that were too damaged by the [[Bombing of Hamamatsu in World War II]] to be independent.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gosha Shrine/Suwa Shrine {{!}} iN HAMAMATSU.COM |url=https://www.inhamamatsu.com/culture/gosha-shrine.php |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=www.inhamamatsu.com}}</ref>
* '''[[Hamamatsu Castle]]''': Hamamatsu Castle Park stretches from the modern city hall building to the north. The castle is located on a hill in the southeast corner of the park, near city hall. It was built by [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]. His rule marks the beginning of the [[Edo period]]. Tokugawa Ieyasu lived here from 1571 to 1588.  There is a small museum inside, which houses some armor and other relics of the period, as well as a miniature model of how the city might have looked 400 years ago. North of the castle is a large park with a [[Japanese garden]], a [[koi]] pond, a [[Japanese tea ceremony|ceremonial teahouse]], and some commons areas.
* '''[[Nakatajima Sand Dunes]]''': one of the three largest sand dune areas in Japan
* '''Hamamatsu Flower Park'''
* '''Hamamatsu Fruit Park'''
* '''Hamamatsu Municipal Zoo'''
* [[Iinoya-gū]] shrine
* [[Motoshirochō Tōshō-gū]] shrine

<gallery>
File:Hamamatsu Castle, enkei-3.jpg|Hamamatsu Castle
File:Nakatajima sand dunes.jpg|Nakatajima Sand Dunes
File:230126 Hamanako Garden Park Hamamatsu Japan07s3.jpg|Hamanako Garden Park
File:Wedding Central Park.JPG|Hamamatsu Wedding Central Park
File:Lake Hamana.JPG|Lake Hamana
File:Pacific ocean.JPG|Hamamatsu Pacific Ocean
File:Kanzanji ropeway.JPG|Lake Hamana PALPAL
File:24gosya.jpg|alt=|{{ill|Gosha Suwa Shrine|ja|五社神社・諏訪神社|fr|Gosha-Suwa-jinja|simple}}
</gallery>

==Culture==
[[File:Hamamatsu festival c.JPG|thumb|200px|During Hamamatsu Festival]]
=== Festivals ===<!-- This section is linked from [[Nakatajima Sand Dunes]] -->

====Akiha Fire Festival====
: Haruno, Tenryu-ku<nowiki>:</nowiki> December
Long ago, Mount Akiha was believed to have supernatural powers to prevent fires. Bow and arrow, sword, and fire dances are performed at the Akiha Shrine. At the Akiha Temple, a [[firewalking]] ceremony is performed where both believers and spectators celebrate the festival.

====Enshū Dainenbutsu====
: Saigagake Museum, Hamamatsu City<nowiki>:</nowiki> July 15
When a family commemorates the first ''Obon'' holidays after the death of a loved one, they may request that a ''[[dainenbutsu]]'' (Buddhist chanting ritual) be performed outside their house. This is one of the local performing arts of the region. The group always forms a procession in front of the house led by a person carrying a lantern and marches to the sound of [[flute]]s, Japanese [[drum]]s and [[cymbal]]s.

====Hamamatsu Kite Festival====
: Naka-ku, Minami-ku, others<nowiki>:</nowiki> May
[[Hamamatsu Kite Festival]] is also called Hamamatsu Festival. Hamamatsu Kite Festival held from May 3 to May 5 each year, includes a ''Tako Gassen'', or kite fight, and luxuriously decorated palace-like floats. The festival originated about 430 years ago, when the lord of Hamamatsu Castle celebrated the birth of his first son by flying kites. In the Meiji Era, the celebration of the birth of a first son by flying ''Hatsu Dako'', or the first kite, became popular, and this tradition has survived in the form of Hamamatsu Kite Festival. During the nights of Hamamatsu Kite Festival, people parade downtown carrying over 70 ''yatai'', or palace-lake floats, that are beautifully decorated while playing Japanese traditional festival music. The festival reaches its peak when groups representing the city's various districts compete by energetically marching through the downtown streets.

====Hamakita Hiryu Festival====
: Hamakita-ku<nowiki>:</nowiki> June
This festival is held in honor of Ryujin, the god believed to be associated with the [[Tenryū River]], and features a wide variety of events such as the Hamakita takoage (kite flying) event and the ''Hiryu himatsuri'' (flying dragon fire festival) which celebrates water, sound, and flame.

====Hamamatsu International Piano Competition====
: November
This festival celebrates Hamamatsu's history as a city of musical instruments and music, and brings dozens of the best young pianists from all over the world. It has been held triennially since 1991 at the Act City Concert Hall and Main Hall.

====Hamakita Man'yō Festival====
: [[Hamakita-ku, Hamamatsu]]<nowiki>:</nowiki> October
This event takes place in Man'yō-no-Mori Park to commemorate the [[Man'yō]] period and introduce its culture. As part of the festival, people reenact the ancient past by wearing traditional clothes from the [[Heian period]] and presenting [[Japanese poetry]] readings.

====Inasa Puppet Festival====
: Inasa, Kita-ku<nowiki>:</nowiki> November
One of the few [[puppet]] festivals held in Japan, featuring 60 performances of about 30 plays by puppet masters from all over the country. The shows provide a full day of enjoyment for both children and adults.

====Princess Road Festival====
: Hosoe, Kita-ku<nowiki>:</nowiki> April
This reenactment of a procession made by the princess in her [[palanquin]] along with her entourage of over 100 people including maids, [[samurai]], and servants makes for a splendid scene beneath the [[cherry blossom]]s along the [[Toda River]]. In the [[Edo period]], princesses enjoyed traveling this road which came to be known as a ''[[hime kaidō]]'' (''princess road'').

====Samba Festival====
The Hamamatsu [[Samba]] Festival is held in the city.<ref name="Kitawakip9">Kitawaki, Yasuyuki (北脇保之)<!--http://www.tufs.ac.jp/blog/ts/g/cemmer/img/pdf/12_kitawaki.pdf - https://www.webcitation.org/6cDlDfA7y?url=http://www.tufs.ac.jp/blog/ts/g/cemmer/img/pdf/12_kitawaki.pdf --> (Former mayor of Hamamatsu, Director of the Center for Multilingual Multicultural Education and Research, [[Tokyo University of Foreign Studies]] (CEMMER, 東京外国語大学多言語・多文化教育研究センター)). "[http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/Publication/BookCoE12-Kitawaki.pdf A Japanese approach to municipal diversity management: The case of Hamamatsu City]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20110304150312/http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/Publication/BookCoE12-Kitawaki.pdf Archive]). ''Managing Diversity: Stronger Communities, Better Cities''. [http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/Publication/BookCoE03-Introduction.pdf Information about the book] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20100905205059/http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/Publication/BookCoE03-Introduction.pdf Archive]). At the [[Council of Europe]] website. Retrieved on October 12, 2015. PDF p. 9/13.</ref>

====Shoryu Weeping Ume Blossom Festival====
: Inasa, Kita-ku<nowiki>:</nowiki> late February to late March
In Ryusui Garden there is a stream with seven small waterfalls and about 80 weeping ''[[Prunus mume|ume]]'' trees pruned to give the appearance of [[dragon]]s riding on clouds to the heavens. There are also 200 young trees planted along the mountainside.

===Sports===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!scope="col"| Club
!scope="col"| Sport
!scope="col"| League
!scope="col"| Venue
!scope="col"| Established
|-
| style="background:red"| [[San-en NeoPhoenix|<span style="color:yellow">San-en NeoPhoenix</span>]]
| [[Basketball]]
| [[B.League]]
| [[Toyohashi City General Gymnasium]], [[Hamamatsu Arena]]
| 1965
|-
| style="background:red"| [[Honda FC|<span style="color:white;">Honda FC</span>]]
| [[Soccer]]
| [[Japan Football League]] (JFL)
| [[Honda Miyakoda Soccer Stadium]]
| 1971
|-
| style="background:navy"| [[Agleymina Hamamatsu|<span style="color:orange">Agleymina Hamamatsu</span>]]
| [[Futsal]]
| [[F.League]]
| [[Hamamatsu Arena]]
| 1996
|-
| style="background:#00B7CE;"| [[Breath Hamamatsu|<span style="color:white">Breath Hamamatsu</span>]]
| [[Volleyball]]
| [[V.Challenge League|V.League]]
| [[Hamamatsu Arena]]
| 2012
|}
<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" caption="" heights="130px" perrow="3">
File:Hamamatsu stadium.JPG|Hamamatsu stadium
File:Hamamatsu Arena.jpg|[[Hamamatsu Arena]]
File:HondaFC miyakoda1.JPG|[[Honda Miyakoda Soccer Stadium]]
</gallery>

====Football====
* [[Honda FC]] which plays [[Japan Football League]] (third division) games at their own [[Miyakoda Soccer Stadium]]. Honda competed in the [[Japan Soccer League]]'s First Division from 1981 to 1991, but chose to relegate itself and not compete in the professional divisions due to parent company [[Honda]]'s choice to retain team ownership. Many Hamamatsu football fans prefer to follow [[Júbilo Iwata]], across the [[Tenryū River]] in [[Iwata, Shizuoka|Iwata]]. Júbilo maintains a club shop within Hamamatsu.
* [[Volare FC Hamamatsu]], an autonomous club who competed in the Tokai Regional Football League Division 2 in 2011, flouted plans to either overtake Honda FC or merge with it, but it finished last in the Tokai League and was relegated. [[Hamamatsu University]] also keeps a team in the said division, but college teams cannot be promoted to the top three tiers.

====Basketball====
* [[SAN-EN NeoPhoenix]] plays in the [[B.League]], Japan's first division of professional basketball. The team plays its home games at the [[Toyohashi City General Gymnasium]].

The [[Hamamatsu Arena]] was one of the host arenas of the [[2006 FIBA World Championship]].

Hamamatsu 3x3 FIBA: Placed Second at FIBA World Tour Final in ABU Dhabi in 2016.
(Bikramjit Gill, Inderbir Gill, Chiro Kheda)

====Women's volleyball====
Hamamatsu was one of the host cities of the official [[2010 Women's Volleyball World Championship]].

==International relations==
===Sister cities===
Hamamatsu has ratified Music Culture Exchange Treaty with the following cities (however, of the following Rochester is the only official sister city):
{|class="wikitable"
![[City]]!![[Country]]!![[State (polity)|State]]!!Since
|-
|[[Porterville, California|Porterville]]
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[United States]]
|[[California]]
|February 16, 1981 (once a sister city of [[Hosoe, Shizuoka|Hosoe]], Hamamatsu assumed the sister city honors in 1981)
|-
|[[Camas, Washington|Camas]]
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[United States]]
|[[Washington (state)|Washington]]
|September 29. 1981 (once a sister city of [[Mikkabi, Shizuoka|Mikkabi]], Hamamatsu assumed the sister city honors in 1981)
|-
|[[Chehalis, Washington|Chehalis]]
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[United States]]
|[[Washington (state)|Washington]]
|October 22, 1990 (once a sister city of [[Inasa, Shizuoka|Inasa]], Hamamatsu assumed the sister city honors in 1998)
|-
|[[Rochester, New York|Rochester]]
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[United States]]
|[[New York (state)|New York]]
|October 12, 2006 (once a sister city of Hamamatsu assumed the Music Culture Exchange Treaty honors in 1996)
|}
===Twinned cities===
Hamamatsu is [[twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
{|class="wikitable"
![[City]]!![[Country]]!![[State (polity)|State]]!!Since
|-
|[[Warsaw]]
|{{flagicon|POL}} [[Poland]]
|[[Masovian Voivodeship]]
|February 22, 1990<ref>{{cite web|url=http://um.warszawa.pl/v_syrenka/new/index.php?dzial=aktualnosci&ak_id=3284&kat=11 |title=Miasta partnerskie Warszawy |work=um.warszawa.pl |publisher=Biuro Promocji Miasta |date=2005-05-04 |access-date=2008-08-29 |language=pl |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011111033/http://um.warszawa.pl/v_syrenka/new/index.php?dzial=aktualnosci&ak_id=3284&kat=11 |archive-date=October 11, 2007 }}</ref>
|-
|[[Manaus]]
|{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Brazil]]
|[[Amazonas (Brazilian state)|Amazonas]]
|June 20, 2008
|-
|[[Taipei]]
|{{flagicon|TWN}} [[Taiwan]]
|[[Special municipality (Taiwan)|Special municipality]]
|July 31, 2013
|-
|[[Bologna]]
|{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Italy]]
|[[Emilia-Romagna]]
|April 23, 2014
|-
|[[Bandung]]
|{{flagicon|INA}} [[Indonesia]]
|[[West Java]]
|December 19, 2014
|}
===Friendship cities===
{|class="wikitable"
![[City]]!![[Country]]!![[State (polity)|State]]!!Since
|-
|[[Shenyang]]
|{{flagicon|CHN}} [[China]]
|[[Liaoning]]
|August 28, 2010
|-
|[[Hangzhou]]
|{{Flagicon|CHN}} [[China]]
|[[Zhejiang]]
|April 6, 2012
|}

==Notable people==
{{category see also|People from Hamamatsu}}
{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2013}}

{{div col|colwidth=26em}}
* [[Hiroshi Amano]], 2014 [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] winner
* [[Haruhi Aiso]], singer, songwriter
* [[Barasui]], manga artist
* [[Yuri Chinen]], J-pop talent, singer
* [[Yōsuke Fujigaya]], professional football player
* [[Yuji Fujimoto]], politician
* [[Ken Fujita]], professional football player
* [[Hironoshin Furuhashi]], Olympic swimmer
* [[Kazuhiro Furuhashi]], anime movie director
* [[Tatsuya Furuhashi]], professional football player
* [[Taketoshi Gotoh]], professional baseball player
* [[Akari Hibino]], voice actress
* [[Coco Hayashi]], voice actress
* [[Soichiro Honda]], engineer, industrialist, founder of Honda Motor Company
* [[Yusuke Inuzuka]], professional football player 
* [[Yasuhide Ito]], composer
* [[Toshio Kakei]], actor
* [[Takeshi Kamo]], Olympic football player
* [[Yoko Kando]], Olympic swimmer
* [[Naoyuki Kato]], illustrator
* [[Genichi Kawakami]], former president of Yamaha
* [[Keisuke Kinoshita]], movie director
* [[Naoyuki Kinoshita]], art historian
* [[Sanae Kobayashi]], voice actress
* [[Shigetatsu Matsunaga]], professional football player
* [[Takuya Matsuura]], professional football player
* [[Kanako Momota]], J-pop singer and leader of [[Momoiro Clover Z]]
* [[Kiiti Morita]], mathematician
* [[Ken Namba]], composer
* [[Jiro Ono (chef)|Jiro Ono]], renowned sushi chef
* [[Yuki Oshitani]], professional football player	
* [[Ken'ya Ōsumi]], dancer
* [[Keisuke Ota (footballer born 1981)|Keisuke Ota]], professional football player
* [[Yoshiaki Ota]], professional football player
* [[Fumiya Sankai]], Vlogger and actor in the Philippines, recording artist, and a businessman
* [[Kentaro Sato (composer)|Kentaro Sato]], composer
* [[Shinichiro Sawai]], movie director, screenwriter
* [[Goro Shimura]], mathematician
* [[Ryu Shionoya]], politician
* [[Hideto Suzuki]], professional football player
* [[Koji Suzuki (writer)|Koji Suzuki]], science-fiction writer
* [[Michio Suzuki (inventor)|Michio Suzuki]], founder of Suzuki Motors
* [[Yasutomo Suzuki]], politician, mayor of Hamamatsu
* [[Saya Takagi]], actress
* [[Kenjiro Takayanagi]], engineer, pioneer in development of the television
* [[Nobuhiro Takeda]], professional football player
* [[Kenji Tsuruta]], manga artist
* [[Kōji Tsuruta]], actor
* [[Azumi Uehara]], J-pop singer
* [[Hiromi Uehara]], Jazz composer, pianist
* [[Tetsuya Wakuda]], Japanese-Born Australian Chef
* [[Hiroki Yamada (footballer)|Hiroki Yamada]], professional football player
* [[Kosuke Yamamoto]], professional football player
* [[Masaaki Yanagishita]], professional football player
* [[Kisho Yano]], professional football player
<!-- Please maintain alphabetical order (by family name) when adding new entries -->
{{div col end}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Japan}}
* ''[[Nikkei Brazilians at a Brazilian School in Japan]]''

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Hamamatsu, Shizuoka}}
* {{official website|http://www.city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp/}} {{in lang|ja}}
* {{Official website|http://www.city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp/foreign/english/|Hamamatsu City official website}} {{in lang|en}}
* [http://www.inhamamatsu.com/ In Hamamatsu]
* {{Wikivoyage inline|Hamamatsu}}
* {{osmrelation-inline|4674741}}
* [http://hamamatsu-daisuki.net/english/top.html Hamamatsu Daisuki Net (I love Hamamatsu)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912003156/http://hamamatsu-daisuki.net/english/top.html |date=2009-09-12 }} {{in lang|en}}
{{Navboxes
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{{Shizuoka}}
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{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Hamamatsu| ]]
[[Category:Brazilian communities]]
[[Category:Cities in Shizuoka Prefecture]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]
[[Category:Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan]]