Marugame, Kagawa
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in Kagawa
, Japan
.
of 110,550 and the density
of 989 persons per km². Marugame occupies the centre of an alluvial plain. The total area is 111.79 km².
Marugame is famous for Marugame Castle
- one of only 12 castles with original wooden tenshu (keeps) in the whole of Japan. The castle stands on a man-made hill which is over 50m high, making it the largest castle mount in Japan.
Marugame is also famed for its fan (uchiwa) production. About 90% of all fans made in Japan are produced in Marugame.
Places of interest to visit close to Marugame include:
Since 1947, the city has played host to an annual road running
competition: the Marugame Half Marathon. Occurring in early February, the race attracts thousands of runners each year. The Asian record in the half marathon
was set on the course by Kayoko Fukushi
in 2006.
era. Marugame was the 53rd city to be given a city code
in Japan
. From the 1940s to 1950s (during the Showa
era) the southeast area of the city and some islands were amalgamated
to form new parts of the city. In 1999 (the 11th year of the Heisei
era) Marugame celebrated its 100th anniversary.
On March 22, 2005 the towns of Ayauta
and Hanzan
, both from Ayauta District
were merged into Marugame to form the current expanded city of Marugame.
, officially opened on April 20, 1991, but closed due to financial difficulties in August 2000.
It reopened on April 11, 2004 with new funding. There are many attractions, two restaurants, a spa and hotel in the theme park. Total annual attendance was 660,000 in 2009, significantly reduced compared with 1.6 million attendance in 2004, possibly due to the inconvenience of public transport.
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
located in Kagawa
Kagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.- History :Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.For a brief period between August 1876 and December 1888, Kagawa was made a part of Ehime Prefecture.-Battle of Yashima:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Geography
As of 2008, the city had an estimated populationPopulation
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 110,550 and the density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 989 persons per km². Marugame occupies the centre of an alluvial plain. The total area is 111.79 km².
Points of interest
Marugame Castle
, also known as Kameyama Castle and Horai Castle, is a hirayamashiro located in Marugame, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan.-History:...
- one of only 12 castles with original wooden tenshu (keeps) in the whole of Japan. The castle stands on a man-made hill which is over 50m high, making it the largest castle mount in Japan.
Marugame is also famed for its fan (uchiwa) production. About 90% of all fans made in Japan are produced in Marugame.
Places of interest to visit close to Marugame include:
- Sanuki-fuji
- ZentsujiZentsūjiis the name of famous Buddhist temple and city in Japan. Below is an incomplete list:*Temple - Zentsū-ji. It is an origin of the following city name.*City - Zentsūji, Kagawa...
TempleTempleA temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out... - Kotohira ShrineKotohira Shrineis a Shintō shrine in the town of Kotohira in Nakatado District of Kagawa Prefecture, Japan....
- KotohiraKotohira, Kagawais a town located in Nakatado District, Kagawa, Japan. The town is best known as the site of Shikoku's largest shrine complex, the Kotohira Shrine ....
Kabuki TheatreKabukiis classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill... - Seto Ohashi Bridge
Since 1947, the city has played host to an annual road running
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
competition: the Marugame Half Marathon. Occurring in early February, the race attracts thousands of runners each year. The Asian record in the half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
was set on the course by Kayoko Fukushi
Kayoko Fukushi
is a Japanese long-distance runner who specializes in the 5000 and 10,000 metres. Fukushi represented Japan at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics....
in 2006.
History
Marugame was founded in April, 1899 during the MeijiMeiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
era. Marugame was the 53rd city to be given a city code
Community Identification Number
The Official Municipality Key, formerly also known as the Official Municipality Characteristic Number or Municipality Code Number, is a number sequence for the identification of politically independent municipalities or unincorporated areas...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. From the 1940s to 1950s (during the Showa
Showa period
The , or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989.The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor...
era) the southeast area of the city and some islands were amalgamated
Merger and dissolution of municipalities of Japan
Municipal mergers and dissolutions carried out in Japan can take place within one municipality or between multiple municipalities and are required to be based upon consensus.- Merger policy:...
to form new parts of the city. In 1999 (the 11th year of the Heisei
Heisei
is the current era name in Japan. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the first day after the death of the reigning Emperor, Hirohito. His son, Akihito, succeeded to the throne...
era) Marugame celebrated its 100th anniversary.
On March 22, 2005 the towns of Ayauta
Ayauta, Kagawa
Ayauta was a town located in Ayauta District, Kagawa, Japan.On March 22, 2005 Ayauta, along with the town of Hanzan, also from Ayauta District, was merged into the expanded city of Marugame and no longer exists as an independent municipality....
and Hanzan
Hanzan, Kagawa
Hanzan was a town located in Ayauta District, Kagawa, Japan.On March 22, 2005 Hanzan, along with the town of Ayauta, also from Ayauta District, was merged into the expanded city of Marugame and no longer exists as an independent municipality....
, both from Ayauta District
Ayauta District, Kagawa
is a district located in Kagawa, Japan.As of the Takamatsu merger but using 2000 population data, the district has an estimated population of 41,598 and a density of 353 persons per km²...
were merged into Marugame to form the current expanded city of Marugame.
- The former AyautaAyauta, KagawaAyauta was a town located in Ayauta District, Kagawa, Japan.On March 22, 2005 Ayauta, along with the town of Hanzan, also from Ayauta District, was merged into the expanded city of Marugame and no longer exists as an independent municipality....
was founded in 1959 (the 34th year of the Showa era) with the amalgamation of the villages of Kumatama and Okada. Kumatama was in turn founded with the amalgamation of the villages of Kurikuma and Tomikuma in 1951.
- The former HanzanHanzan, KagawaHanzan was a town located in Ayauta District, Kagawa, Japan.On March 22, 2005 Hanzan, along with the town of Ayauta, also from Ayauta District, was merged into the expanded city of Marugame and no longer exists as an independent municipality....
was founded in 1956 (the 31st year of the Showa era) with the amalgamation of the villages of Sakamoto and Hokunji.
Economy
The economy produces chemicals, textiles, fans, salt, rice and barley. In the early 1980s, large coastal salt fields were reclaimed from the sea to stimulate further economic development. The city's importance as a port for pilgrims coming from the Kyōto and Ōsaka areas to worship at the Kompira Shrine in Kotohira (from the Tokugawa period to the early Meiji period), declined with the opening of the railway between Matsuyama and Takamatsu in 1889, and more recently with the development of bus and air service linking Kotohira with major cities.Reoma World
Reoma World, a well-known recreational facility in ShikokuShikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
, officially opened on April 20, 1991, but closed due to financial difficulties in August 2000.
It reopened on April 11, 2004 with new funding. There are many attractions, two restaurants, a spa and hotel in the theme park. Total annual attendance was 660,000 in 2009, significantly reduced compared with 1.6 million attendance in 2004, possibly due to the inconvenience of public transport.
MIMOCA
Marugame is home to the Marugame Inokuma Museum Of Contemporary Art (MIMOCA), situated just east of the railway station, housing the works of Gen'ichiro Inokuma, as well as playing host to many large visiting exhibitions.External links
- Official website in English