Where is Japan's "Center"?—The Secrets of Akashi City and Standard Time
Where is Japan's "Center"?—The Secrets of Akashi City and Standard Time てぇ Japan's archipelago stretches long from north to south, and it's well-known that Tokyo is the center of the country's economy and politics. But where exactly is Japan's "center"? Let's delve into this intriguing question. Actually, the reference line for Japan's time standard, known as "Japan Standard Time" (JST), is located in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture! Yes, Akashi City, famously known as "the town of the meridian." The eastern longitude 135-degree meridian, which serves as the official time reference for Japan, runs through this city, passing near the Akashi City Planetarium. In 1886, Japan established its standard time based on a position 9 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time in England. Therefore, the eastern longitude 135-degree meridian became the standard time reference for Japan. Akashi City was the first in Ja...