Ayase

Ayase is a small, densely settled city in north-central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, on the plains along the Sagami River, with the Hikiji River crossing part of its territory. About 18 percent of the city is occupied by the Naval Air Facility Atsugi. In the Edo period the land was a direct holding of the Tokugawa shogunate, and the village of Ayase was formed on 1 April 1889 from eight hamlets, became a town in 1945 and on 11 November 1978 became the newest city in the prefecture. The Tokaido Shinkansen passes through but there is no rail station, and the Tomei Expressway added an Ayase interchange in 2021. The city is known for its processed meat industry and is the leading producer of pork products in Kanagawa, and it has a humid subtropical climate.