 The area of the city continued to expand through the 1950s and 1960s through merger with outlying towns and villages.On 1 October 1964, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen began services to Shizuoka, and on 25 April 1969 the city was connected to the Tōmei Expressway.On 7 July 1974, the Abe River flooded, and landslides occurred during heavy rains, killing 23 people.