ASHIYA

city, Hyogo ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. It is surrounded by the Rokko Mountains and faces Osaka Bay. Located on railway lines and highways between Kobe (west) and Osaka (east), it has been known for its beauty since the Heian period (7941185), when court nobles and men of letters lived there. After the establishment of the first railway line to it in 1905, the city became a renowned residential area. One-third of its central area was destroyed during World War II, but it has since been rebuilt. It remains one of the wealthiest cities in Japan. Pop. (1990) 87,528.