Sainðaul
| Sainðaul 安作崎・首都特別自治区 File:Saindzaul in kasechi.png | |||
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| Capital Special Administration District | |||
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| Country | Izaland | ||
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| Demonym | Saindzaulian | ||
| Government | |||
| • City Governor | Jumyo Attenki (寿苗掬石) | ||
| • Vice Governor | Nahami Tossari | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 591,12 km2 | ||
| Elevation | 0 - 567 m | ||
| Population | |||
| • Estimate (2021) | 14,829,146 | ||
| Postal Code | 100-0001 - 100-0599 | ||
Sainðaul (安作崎・首都特別自治区 Sainðaul shuto tukubyes jitsiku; traditional name in Ingerish Sinezawool, Gaerman Zeinzwaül, IPA reading: /'sainʣa‿ul/) is the largest city and the national capital of Izaland, located one third from north of the country across the Tandan Strait. Sainðaul is one of the most crucial international hubs for economym, culture, finance, production and tourism with nearly 15 millions inhabitants in the metropolitan city (the National Capital District, which corresponds to the city area plus some suburbs), increasing to 22,6 millions including the Greater Sainðaul Metropolitan Area.
Etymology - 地名由来
The name Sainðaul has uncertain origins, and the first records showing something similar to the current name date back to 1243, as in the Kojunjasshishū (古旬雑詩集) poem the name "Saen Tsoi Ōl" is mentioned. The kanzhi currently used for the city name, 安作崎, literally mean "peace - making - promontory", and were first introduced in the Agahaki Reforms of 1659, probably to represent the sound rather for the real meaning.
Geography - 地質
Sainðaul is located accross the two shores of the Tandan Strait, occupying either the continental part of Izaland, either part of Kubori island.
The original, oldest and historical core of the city is located on mount Kokendake, a less than 200 m hill located 6 km from the central station, that represents the new center of the city. As the settlements expanded towards the sea, along the Ariston river delta and the nearby islands, since the beginning of the 20th century a wider expansion on the Kubori island side has seen a major development. Until 1946, the urbanization on Kubori island was actually a different entity, as it was made up of many villages and towns, being Bajikoe (桐塚, Bajikoe) the main center, with a population of less than 800,000 people in 1945. Even today, going to the western side of the city is referred as "traveling to Bajikoe", although being the western part larger than the original center, the definition is quite wide, so usually one specifies in which area is heading to. Bajikoe is also the name of one of the three rivers crossing the city and eventually reaching the Sound of Pa in the western area, the other two being Jaiken river and Kunkobe river.
The city is almost located on a flat location, however many of the islands in the bay are mountainous, such as Mount Romokagego (567) and Mount Kingaus (456 m), creating a beautiful views when crossing the strait. In the districts of Takarimoto and Tomanae, south west, there are also low mountains and hilly areas, while Garotsu ward also has a vast wetland area, and many little lakes.
On the eastern part of the National Capital Special District, there are a bunch of towns under the special administration of the capital: Shakihori, Shimoroboe, Dankau, Kaimura and Yōneo.
Climate
History
The first settlements in the current area of Sainðaul date back to 7500 BC, as the necropolis of Chikurai and Oebatsun suggest. At that time the Ariston river delta was more inland than it is nowadays, and the civilization dwelling in this area was probably devoted to fishing.
Talking about the first record of a community in the area, the most ancient settlement was probably the nowadays Pakkishoi, then called Arawis.
Neighborhoods and cityscape
As already stated, Sainðaul is deeply divided geographically into the eastern, traditional area, and the western recently developed portion, and this division is actually easy to feel while traveling within the city.
The people living in the eastern part, still considered the city center, as it keeps the old town in Kokendake, the central station, most of the government buildings and some of the most ancient universities, watch from a position of superiority the newer western side (Bajikoe), located on Kubori island. Although nowadays the income and wealth differences between the two parts are nearly not visible, almost until half of the previous century Bajikoe area was widespreadly known to be relatively poor and undeveloped comparing to the affluent old city.
East side
The official name of the east side, in izaki is 'Tōbu (東部), and this area indicates all the extension of Sainðaul on the Ulethian (continental) side.
Kokendake, placed on the central-eastern area of the city, is the original core, with the historical center located on Mount Kokendake, registered as a Ulethan Heritage Site. This old town like area, places at a height of 100 to 150 m on the sea level, overlooks the rest of the newest urban development, and is often considered as the "Terrace of Sainðaul". On the back of Kokendake there are two wide buddhist temple areas, also part of the historical and cultural heritage, while the front area downhill hosts the huge Kokendake Palace esplanade and the park itself, extending more than 1,3 square kilometers. Near Kushidaru-Amiya station the most upscale and elegant area of Sainðaul takes place, with boutiques, refined restaurants and well established hotels in traditional historical buildings.
Herubori is a major business area, where most of the company headquarters are located, spreading as well towards Aketsue station, where media companies and design studios are concentrated. in the west area of Aketsue we also find Tomobeye Lan, one of the hearts of the famosu Izaki teen culture, where apparel shops, cafes, restaurants and game centers are especially spread.
The area located on the eastern side of Sainðaul Central Station is the result of an urbanistic refurbishment project carried on during the 80s, with the 750 m long Noujinkade Boulevard, notable buildings such as the Sainðaul City Hall, designed by the famous Izaki architect Pakali Yassukōri or the central library (architect: Kinshōn Erauki). Other points of interest include the Botanic Gardens, the Higoi Tamutta Museum of Art, visited every year by 20 millions of visitors, especially for objects like "the shadow" or "suspended", the Kaipō-ji Temple and Saint Luke cathedral.
The west square of the station covers the IZX high speed trains and the Airport Express platform, and continues with the Oboehari Business Park.
The area between Ekinðuka and Rosemane is the main museum area of the city, where there is also an open air fossil park with some dinosaurs and other prehistorical animal rests exhibited open air. Also, in this area there are most of the embassies.
West side
Although most of the people say "Bajikoe Area" to indicate the west side, on Kubori island, of Sainðaul, the official calling is 'Seibu (西部), literally meaning "west area".
Coming from the east side, the first approach is probably going to be Kasakuri Station, also a stop for the IZX services, and most of the Izarail cross-city network. Kasakuri Station is mainly a junction point, although some corporation headquarters, high rise residential towers and some shopping malls are also located. North of Kasakuri, the main logistics and goods shipping port area extends, with some cultural venues such as the DANKORE Museum of Art.
Most of Hokusei ward is residential in its western side, and occupied by port facilities, warehouses and distribution centers on the eastern side.
To be continued
Administrative divisions
Sainðaul does not exist as a city (市, shi) per se, like the other cities of Izaland. Instead, its top level administrative definition is the Capital Special Administration District. The subdivisions of Sainðaul are 18 wards (区, ku), four cities (市, shi) and two towns (町, 'nata'):
- Special Wards
- Juwon-gu (中央区) - considered the heart of the city
- Jufurai-ku (朱布来区)
- Kokendake-ku (古剣館区)
- Tomanae-ku (庥内区)
- Tobeskauri-ku (鴨沼区)
- Shiki-ku (北区)
- Garotsu-ku(賀呂都区)
- Hayatogaru-ku (久松区)
- Asaji-ku (安佐寺区)
- Niji-ku (西区)
- Hukusei-ku (北西区)
- Kōtō-ku (港東区)
- Bajikoe-ku (桐塚区)
- Shutazai-ku (守多彩区)
- Wikkaman-ku (偉珂万区)
- Takarimoto-ku
- Riihisano-ku(尾本区)
- Special cities
- Shakihori-shi (石登市)
- Shimoroboe-shi （亀岡市）
- Dankau-shi （檀洪市）
- Ibaruno-shi
- Special towns
- Kaimura-nata
- Yōneo-nata
Transportation
Sainðaul is the main hub of the whole country transportation, and all the north-south transit passes through the city. For this reason Sainðaul boasts a very specialized network of road and rail corridors, beside being the main aviation terminal of the country.
Railways
The railway network expands north and south-west from the station of Sainðaul Central, one of the busiest stations in the world, with about 3 million users daily. From here conventional and high speed railway (IZX) cross the Tandan Strait linking the city center with Bajikoe area and other destinations on Kubori Island. At the same way, from the central station other lines diramate to connect with the capital the other main cities of the Ulethian side of Izaland.
In particular, the main rail link between the two sides of the capital runs in a 3 km 6 tracks undersea tunnel, called Millennium tunnel connecting the stations of Shin-Ikashuni and Kasakuri. Another railway link is the Line X of the subway, providing a direct connection for the northern suburbs of Sainðaul to the center of Bajikoe. Lastly, another undersea link is the Kawashaku Line, linking Bajikoe with Kawayatsu, a city north from Sainðaul on the Ulethain side.
The suburban railway system of Sainðaul is called Capital Suburban Network, and is composed by 16 lines operated by Izarail, including the Loop Line, a circular line running in the original center. On the western side of the city, the railway infrastructure runs on a north-south double corridor.
Other private railways complete the network of Sainðaul.
Tramways
Before the heavy development of subway lines, Sainðaul had an extensive network of tramways and streetcars, which still survive with a smaller network and some isolated lines in the areas not covered by heavy rail. Still nowadays, especially after the legislation of Mayor Ikaro Asahosai in 2003, a vast program of new tramway projects is on the way, and 126 km of new tracks are going to be laid by 2025.
Metro system
The Sainðaul Metro is the mostly underground subway network of the metropolitan area, mainly developed on the two sides of the Tandan Strait. Only three lines cross the strait through the Kishagoi undersea tunnel. The system is composed by 19 lines (metro proper).
High Speed Railway
The high speed trains run on a mostly dedicated alignment. The most busy link is the Kubori Main High Speed Line (久保李本高鐵線, Kubori Hon-kōchessen), also called Keishin IZX Line (京深IZX線, Keishin Iziikksu sen) linking Sainðaul Station with Warohan, the second city in size of Izaland. Within the Capital Special Administration District the trains originating Sainðaul call at Kasakuri, the main station for the High Speed trains in Bajikoe, to head then to Sainðaul Asunahama International Airport, having a dedicated High Speed Railway station underneath.
Other lines stretching from Sainðaul to the continental area are the West Sea High Speed Line (西海高鐵線, Seikai kōchessen) joining with Shirukami, and the Ryānkai IZX Line (両海高鐵線, Ryānkai kōchessen), reaching Gaintei the access city to the highest peaks of Izaland, in the North-West of the country.
Projects
To decongest the millennium tunnel, a new project to build an alternative rail link between Sainðaul and Showanul is in progress, but due to the highly demanding technical challenges and the consequent costs, the building of this infrastructure is not going to happen anytime soon. This project is tentatively called Third East-West Rail Link vision (第三東西連絡鉄道線構想, Deisan dōnðai lyenlakusen kusān).