▁ ▁K ō ri y ama ▁was ▁raised ▁from ▁town ▁to ▁city ▁status ▁on ▁September ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 2 4 ▁with ▁the ▁an nex ation ▁of ▁neighbor ing ▁O da w ara ▁Village . ▁K uw ano ▁Village ▁was ▁like wise ▁an nex ed ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 2 5 . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁K ō ri y ama ▁was ▁noted ▁a ▁center ▁for ▁military ▁equipment ▁production . ▁It ▁was ▁thus ▁a ▁target ▁for ▁American ▁bom bers ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁and ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁subject ▁to ▁three ▁large - scale ▁air ▁ra ids ▁during ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 5 4 – 1 9 5 5 , ▁K ō ri y ama ▁expanded ▁by ▁an nex ing ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁O ts uki ▁and ▁port ions ▁of ▁the ▁villages ▁of ▁Tom ita ▁and ▁I wa e , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁an nex ed ▁the ▁villages ▁of ▁N ish ida ▁and ▁Nak ata . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁the ▁city ▁received ▁core ▁city ▁design ation , ▁giving ▁it ▁increased ▁aut onomy ▁from ▁national ▁and ▁pre fect ural ▁govern ments . ▁ ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁Great ▁East ▁Japan ▁Earth qu ake ▁caused ▁damage , ▁but ▁K ō ri y ama ▁is ▁located ▁outside ▁of ▁the ▁mand atory ▁ev acu ation ▁zone ▁set ▁by ▁the ▁Japanese ▁government ▁after ▁the ▁F uk