were killed and 247 were injured during a stampede after a fireworks show. Five city officials were subsequently convicted of negligence in connection with the incident. Akashi became a Core city on April 1, 2018 with increased local autonomy. Government Akashi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 30 members. Akashi contributes four members to the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Hyōgo 9th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Akashi is governed by Mayor Fusaho Izumi, an independent. Economy Akashi is located within the Hanshin Industrial Area and Harima Seaside Industrial Area and has succeeded in attracting many companies to its Futami Seaside Industrial Park. the city has long been noted for aviation-related instrumentation manufacturers and electronic component manufacturers. Yamato Scale, a leading global manufacturer of commercial weighing and packaging equipment, is headquartered in the city. Due to its transportation connections and location, numerous bedroom communities have developed for commuters to Kobe and Osaka, which is estimated to exceed 30% of the working population. The city has also been noted since the Edo Period for its production of sake. Education Akashi has 28 public elementary schools, 13 public middle schools and one public high school operated by the city government and seven public high schools operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Department of Education. There is also one national elementary school. The city also operates one special education school for the handicapped. The nursing school of University of Hyogo is located in Akashi. The city also has the National Institute of Technology Akashi College (NITAC)． () The city once had a North Korean school, and Akashi Junior College (). Transportation Railway JR West – San'yō Shinkansen JR West – San'yō Main Line (JR Kobe Line) - - - - Sanyo Electric Railway - Main Line - - - - - - - - - - - Highways Daini-Shinmei Road (Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima, Shimonoseki) (Kobe, Tokushima) (Maizuru) (Kobe, Okayama) (Maizuru) (Nishiwaki, Asago) Ferries Akashi Awaji Ferry and Awaji Jenova Line to Awaji Island International relations Twin towns – Sister/friendship cities Akashi is twinned with: Vallejo, California, USA, sister city since 1968 Wuxi, China, friendship city since 1981 Local attractions Akashi Castle, National Historic Site Akashi Municipal Planetarium, which stands on the meridian of 135 degrees east longitude, which is used