HIRATSUKA

city, Kanagawa ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. It lies along Sagami Bay of the Pacific Ocean. Hiratsuka developed as a post town along the main TokyoKyoto Highway during the Tokugawa period (16031867). When the railway between Tokyo and Kobe was opened in 1887, a commercial centre developed around the railroad station in the eastern part of the city. The city's northern sector is industrialized, with rubber, chemical, machinery, automobile, and food-processing plants. The surrounding agricultural region produces vegetables and dairy cattle. Much farmland in the area has been used for large housing projects for commuters to the TokyoYokohama Metropolitan Area. Hiratsuka's annual Star Festival is renowned. Pop. (1987 est.) 234,759.