ICHIHARA

city, Chiba ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. It lies on the east coast of Tokyo Bay. The city was formed by the amalgamation of the towns of Ichihara, Goi, Sanwa, Shizu, and Anegasaki in 1962. Except for the trade centre and railway station of Goi, the towns' economies before World War II were based on agriculture and fishing. Agriculture has deteriorated, and air pollution is a serious problem. Ichihara is now part of the Keihin Industrial Zone. Its coastal area has been reclaimed for use by petrochemical and steel industries. Pop. (1994 est.) 275,129.