As a result of the growth of modern industries since 1937, Hachinohe's population expanded rapidly and Hachinohe became one of the leading concentrations of population in Aomori Prefecture. Hachinohe is now, in addition to its manufacturing position, the largest service center for the southern part of the prefecture. In 1990, the population was about 241,000. This paper is concerned with the changes of urban land use pattern of Hachinohe from 1937 to 1993, and gives particular attention to the process through which a whole urban pattern develops.
Hachinohe has five historic cores: old Hachinohe founded as a small castle town during the Edo period, other four such cores as Konakano, Minato, Shirogane and Same, which were the fishing and trading ports at distances of one to five kilometers east of old Hachinohe. After 1937, two modern industrial districts developed along the northern coastal lowland. Beyond the old built-up area the zone characterized by shopping, warehouses and small-scale industries expanded on the lowlands and the residential land uses mainly spread over the southern uplands. Some industrial estates, distribution centers and city housing projects isolated on the urban fringe were established.
Based upon the process of urban development we can understand that Hachinohe is made up of three counterparts, each of which has grown from old Hachinohe, four port towns and two modern industrial districts respectively. It is identified that old Hachinohe has been occupied with the most important position for extensive new urban development. The urban area of Hachinohe, multi-nuclear though it seems to be, can be virtually represented as the zonal growth with old Hachinohe as a single urban core. Two industrial districts and four port towns merely modify this zonal expansion together with topography and the main transportation routes.
