URAYASU

city, Chiba ken (prefecture), central Honshu, Japan. Lying along Tokyo Bay, it is separated from Tokyo to the west by the Edo River. Urayasu was a thriving fishing village during the Tokugawa period (16031867) but grew only slowly until coastal land-reclamation projects in the 1960s expanded its area fourfold. In 1969 a subway line was built connecting the town with Tokyo, and its population grew rapidly thereafter. In 1983 Urayasu became the site of Tokyo Disneyland, a theme park duplicating the original Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. One of the most popular recreational attractions in Japan, the park spurred the growth of nearby hotels and other accommodations. The completion of a rail line (1988) between Tokyo and Urayasu further stimulated the city's commercial and industrial development. Pop. (1992 est.) 120,789.