Hamamatsu City is located in the western part of Shizuoka Prefecture and is the largest ordinance-designated city in Shizuoka Prefecture in terms of population.

The area is rich in nature, from the mountains in the north to the Sea of Enshu in the south, and is the second largest municipality in Japan in terms of area.

Hamamatsu Castle

Tokugawa Ieyasu, the main character in the NHK historical drama “Dare Ieyasu,” spent 17 years from the age of 29 to 45 at Hamamatsu Castle. During that period, Ieyasu faced trying times, including a crushing defeat at the Battle of Mikagahara by the Takeda forces, but it was also a place where he gained valuable experience in creating the later history of the Tokugawa shogunate, including the founding of the Edo shogunate.

After Ieyasu left Hamamatsu Castle, many of the successive lords of the castle were appointed to important positions in the shogunate, and Hamamatsu Castle came to be known as the castle of successors.

With the Taiga Drama Pavilion scheduled to open, Hamamatsu City is on the rise.

Foreigners living in Hamamatsu City

The current population of Hamamatsu City is approximately 790,000, the largest in Shizuoka Prefecture. About 25,000 of them are foreigners, with Brazilians accounting for about 40%, followed by Filipinos and Vietnamese.

Hamamatsu City has the largest number of Brazilian residents among all the municipalities, and the Consulate General of Brazil in Hamamatsu is located there.

The number of foreign residents had been increasing rapidly since the enforcement of the revised Immigration Control Act in 1990, but it began to decline after the Lehman Shock in 2008. However, since around 2016, the number has been on the rise again, with Filipinos and Vietnamese making up a growing proportion of the total.

Industries in Hamamatsu City

Hamamatsu City has many automobile-related companies such as Suzuki and Honda. Japan’s first motorcycle and light car were developed in Hamamatsu. Because of this, the city has developed as a manufacturing town and industry is flourishing. Many foreigners work in these factories.

Hamamatsu is also home to musical instrument manufacturers such as Kawai Gakki, Yamaha, and Roland, and is also known as the “City of Music,” where many musical events are held.

Village Houses in Hamamatsu City

There are 16 village houses throughout the city, including Tenryu and Kita wards, which are rich in nature with mountains and rivers, Naka ward, which is in the center of the city and convenient for daily life, and Nishi ward, which is near the sea and has a large shopping center. There are also 16 locations throughout the city, including 2K and 2DK apartments for singles and 3DK apartments for families, to accommodate various lifestyles. There is also a 14-story property called “Hamamatsu Tower” in Minami-ku that is highly recommended.

There are also three pet-friendly properties (Village House Koto, Village House Futamata, and Village House Hosoe).

Hamamatsu City has one of the longest hours of sunlight in Japan, a mild climate, and almost no snowfall. The city offers a variety of natural features such as oceans, mountains, and rivers, but it is also an easy area to live in, with a wide range of convenient commercial facilities.

If you are interested, why not consider a village house in Hamamatsu City?