KEIYO INDUSTRIAL ZONE

Japanese Keiyo Kogyo Chitai, industrial region in east-central Japan that, along with the Keihin Industrial Zone, is part of the Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area. Keiyo is neither an administrative nor a political entity. It occupies part of Chiba prefecture (ken) on the Boso Peninsula, along the northeastern shore of Tokyo Bay, and lies just east of Tokyo. This area along the bay was formerly used for seaweed collection, fishing, and resorts. Development of heavier industry began with construction of a steel plant in Chiba city in 1952. Other iron and steel, chemical (including petrochemical), and shipbuilding industries then migrated to Keiyo owing to industrial decentralization in Keihin across the bay. Deepwater ports and thermal power generators were built, and large tracts of land were reclaimed from the bay for expansion of the Keiyo region. Further development in Keiyo took place during the 1960s. By the mid-1970s, production of heavy metals and chemicals in Keiyo was the highest among Japan's industrial regions. Cities in Keiyo include Chiba, Funabashi, Kisarazu, and Kimitsu. Rail and highway connections are extensive.