Sabae, Fukui

City in Chūbu, Japan

Sabae Flag Seal
Location of Sabae in Fukui Prefecture
35°57′23.3″N 136°11′3.4″E / 35.956472°N 136.184278°E / 35.956472; 136.184278
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Hokuriku)
Prefecture	Fukui
Government
• Mayor	Katsuhisa Sasaki (since October 2020)
Area
• Total	84.59 km² (32.66 sq mi)
Population (June 2018)
• Total	69,338
• Density	820/km² (2,100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
City symbols
-Tree	Sakura
-Flower	Azalea
-Bird	Aix galericulata
Phone number	0778-51-2200
Address	Nishiyamacho 13-1, Sabae-shi, Fukui-ken 916-8666
Website	www.city.sabae.fukui.jp

Sabae (鯖江市, Sabae-shi) is a city located in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 June 2018^[update], the city had an estimated population of 69,338 in 24,167 households and the population density of 820 persons per km².^[1] The total area of the city was 84.59 square kilometres (32.66 sq mi).

Geography

Sabae is located in central Fukui Prefecture, bordered by the city Fukui to the north and Echizen to the south.

Neighbouring municipalities

Fukui Prefecture
- Fukui
- Echizen
- Ikeda
- Echizen (town)

Climate

Sabae has a Humid climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm, wet summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Sabae is 14.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2417 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.0 °C.^[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[3] the population of Sabae has grown steadily over the past 50 years.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1970	52,612	—
1980	59,579	+13.2%
1990	62,283	+4.5%
2000	64,898	+4.2%
2010	67,450	+3.9%
2020	68,302	+1.3%

History

Sabae is part of ancient Echizen Province. During the Edo period, the area was part of the holdings of Sabae Domain. Following the Meiji restoration, it was organised into part of Imadate District in Fukui Prefecture. With the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the town of Sabae was established. It merged with the villages of Shinyokoe and Funatsu in 1948, and with the villages of Shinmei, Katakami, Nakagawa, and the villages of Tachimachi, Yoshikawa and Yutaka from Nyū District to form the city of Sabae on January 15, 1955. The city annexed the village of Kawada in March 1957. In 1995, the city was host to the World Gymnastics Championships

Government

Sabae has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 20 members.

Economy

Sabae is one of the largest manufacturing centers of eyeglass frames in Japan.^[4] Sabae is also home to a significant chemical and rayon industry.

Education

Sabae has 12 public elementary schools and three middle schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Fukui Prefectural Board of Education. The National Institute of Technology, Fukui College (NIT-Fukui), operated by the national government, is also located in Sabae.

Transportation

Railway

JR West surrendered ownership of the Hokuriku Main Line in Sabae to third-sector company Hapi-line Fukui on 16 March 2024.^[5]

Hapi-line Fukui
- Sabae, Kita-Sabae
Fukui Railway Fukubu Line
- Sundome Nishi - Nishi-Sabae - Nishiyama-Kōen - Mizuochi - Shinmei - Tobanaka

Highway

Local attractions

Nishiyama Park (West Mountain Park) is particularly beautiful in springtime, when hundreds of azaleas trees bloom on the slopes.
Nishiyama Zoo is inside the park.
ruins of Mitsumine Castle are located within the city.
Ōzan Kofun Cluster, A National Historic Site
Kabutoyama Kofun, A National Historic Site
Sabae Megane Museum

Nishiyama Park
Red panda in Nishiyama Zoo

References

^ "Official statistics of Sabae City" (in Japanese). Japan: Sabae City. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
^ Sabae climate data
^ Sabae population statistics
^ Lewis, Leo (April 4, 2018). "Made in Japan: can handcrafted glasses survive an automated world?". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
^ "並行在来線「ハピラインふくい」開業記念グッズに目輝かせるファンも" [Parallel conventional line "Hapi-Line Fukui" opens as commemorative goods go on sale]. Fukui Keizai Shimbun. 16 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.