Takamatsu, Kagawa
Encyclopedia
is a city located in central Kagawa Prefecture
on the island of Shikoku
in Japan
, and is the seat of the prefectural government. It is designated a core city
by the Japanese Government. It is a port city located on the Seto Inland Sea, and is the closest port to Honshu
from Shikoku island. For this reason it flourished under the Daimyo
(feudal lords) as a castle town in the fiefdom of Takamatsu, during the Edo Period
. Takamatsu is a city with a large concentration of nationwide companies' branch offices, which play a large role in its economy, and it contains most of the national government's branch offices for Shikoku. The castle tower formerly used as the symbol of the city was destroyed during the Meiji Period
. In 2004, construction of the Symbol Tower, the new symbol of Takamatsu, was completed. The Symbol Tower is located in the Sunport
area of the city.
The Takamatsu metropolitan region has a population of 670,000, making it the largest in Shikoku. Takamatsu Airport
is located in Takamatsu.
On September 26, 2005 the town of Shionoe
, from Kagawa District
, was merged into Takamatsu. Then on January 10, 2006 Takamatsu absorbed the towns of Aji
and Mure
, both from Kita District
, the towns of Kagawa
and Kōnan
, both from Kagawa District
, and the town of Kokubunji
, from Ayauta District
, to form the new and expanded city of Takamatsu.
of 419,361 with a population population density
of 1117 persons per km². The total area is 375.11 km² following the September 26, 2005 and January 10, 2006 expansions, in which the towns of Shionoe
, Mure
, Aji
, Kagawa
, Konan
, and Kokubunji
merged into the city.
when the Matsudaira clan
made Takamatsu the capital of their han
.
Since the opening of the Great Seto Bridge
, trains service carries passengers between Takamatsu and Uno (Tamano, Okayama
).
The city's major tourist attraction is Ritsurin Garden, a garden created in the Edo period
.
Takamatsu Castle's
tenshu (keep) is being reconstructed and will be a tourist attraction when completed. Other sites include Yashima-ji
and Shikoku Mura
.
has its headquarters in Takamatsu. Asiana Airlines
operates a sales office on the twelfth floor of the Nihon Seimei Ekimae Building in Takamatsu.
Takamatsu Station
has trains to Okayama Station
on Honshū via the Seto-Ōhashi Bridge, and to destinations around Shikoku. A local tram service operated by Kotoden connects much of Takamatsu. This tram service, as well as local buses operated by Kotoden accept a contactless payment card for travel called an IruCa.
Long distance coach services operate from the city to destinations such as Ōsaka
, Kyoto
, Tokyo
, and Hiroshima
.
syndicate is based in Takamatsu. The Shinwa-kai is the only designated yakuza group based in the Shikoku
region.
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:...
on the island of Shikoku
Shikoku
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...
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...
, and is the seat of the prefectural government. It is designated a core city
Core city
A is a class of Japanese city created by the first clause of Article 252, Section 22 of the Local Autonomy Law of Japan. Core cities are delegated many functions normally carried out by prefectural governments, but not as many as designated cities...
by the Japanese Government. It is a port city located on the Seto Inland Sea, and is the closest port to Honshu
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
from Shikoku island. For this reason it flourished under the Daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
(feudal lords) as a castle town in the fiefdom of Takamatsu, during the Edo Period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
. Takamatsu is a city with a large concentration of nationwide companies' branch offices, which play a large role in its economy, and it contains most of the national government's branch offices for Shikoku. The castle tower formerly used as the symbol of the city was destroyed during the Meiji Period
Meiji 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 :...
. In 2004, construction of the Symbol Tower, the new symbol of Takamatsu, was completed. The Symbol Tower is located in the Sunport
Sunport Takamatsu
is a redevelopment district located on the site of the former Takamatsu Freight Depot in Hamanochō, Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. The development includes a shopping mall, hotel, apartments, convenience stores and several restaurants, and the Konami Sports Club Takamatsu...
area of the city.
Takamatsu Airport
is a second class airport located south southwest of Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan. It handles a very small number of international flights.It is equipped with an Instrument Landing System, VHF Omni-directional Radio Range, Distance Measuring Equipment, Airport Surveillance Radar, approach lights,...
is located in Takamatsu.
On September 26, 2005 the town of Shionoe
Shionoe, Kagawa
was a town located in Kagawa District, Kagawa, Japan.On September 26, 2005 Shionoe was merged into the expanded city of Takamatsu and no longer exists as an independent municipality....
, from Kagawa District
Kagawa District, Kagawa
is a district located in Kagawa, Japan.As of the January 10, 2006 Takamatsu merger , the district consists of the single town of Naoshima and has an estimated population of 3,583 and a density of 251.97 persons per km²...
, was merged into Takamatsu. Then on January 10, 2006 Takamatsu absorbed the towns of Aji
Aji, Kagawa
Aji was a town located in Kita District, Kagawa, Japan.On January 10, 2006 Aji, along with the town of and Mure, also from Kita District, the towns of Kagawa and Kōnan, both from Kagawa District, and the town of Kokubunji, from Ayauta District, was merged into the expanded city of Takamatsu and no...
and Mure
Mure, Kagawa
was a town located in the suburbs of Takamatsu in Kita District, Kagawa, Japan. The north and south of the town are hilly; the center is flat and suitable for housing development....
, both from Kita District
Kita District, Kagawa
is a district located in Kagawa, Japan.As of the January 10, 2006 Takamatsu merger, the district consists of the town of Miki with an estimated population of 29,015 and a density of 382.88 persons per km²...
, the towns of Kagawa
Kagawa, Kagawa
was a town located in Kagawa District, Kagawa, Japan.On January 10, 2006 Kagawa, along with the towns of Aji and Mure, both from Kita District, the town of Kōnan, also from Kagawa District, and the town of Kokubunji, from Ayauta District, was merged into the expanded city of Takamatsu and no longer...
and Kōnan
Konan, Kagawa
was a town located in Kagawa District, Kagawa, Japan.On January 10, 2006 Kōnan, along with the towns of Aji and Mure, both from Kita District, the town of Kagawa, also from Kagawa District, and the town of Kokubunji, from Ayauta District, was merged into the expanded city of Takamatsu and no longer...
, both from Kagawa District
Kagawa District, Kagawa
is a district located in Kagawa, Japan.As of the January 10, 2006 Takamatsu merger , the district consists of the single town of Naoshima and has an estimated population of 3,583 and a density of 251.97 persons per km²...
, and the town of Kokubunji
Kokubunji, Kagawa
Kokubunji was a town located in Ayauta District, Kagawa, Japan.On January 10, 2006 Kokubunji, along with the towns of Aji and Mure, both from Kita District, and the towns of Kagawa and Kōnan, both from Kagawa District, was merged into the expanded city of Takamatsu and no longer exists as an...
, 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...
, to form the new and expanded city of Takamatsu.
Geography and demographics
As of January 1, 2010, the city has 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 419,361 with a population population 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 1117 persons per km². The total area is 375.11 km² following the September 26, 2005 and January 10, 2006 expansions, in which the towns of Shionoe
Shionoe, Kagawa
was a town located in Kagawa District, Kagawa, Japan.On September 26, 2005 Shionoe was merged into the expanded city of Takamatsu and no longer exists as an independent municipality....
, Mure
Mure, Kagawa
was a town located in the suburbs of Takamatsu in Kita District, Kagawa, Japan. The north and south of the town are hilly; the center is flat and suitable for housing development....
, Aji
Aji, Kagawa
Aji was a town located in Kita District, Kagawa, Japan.On January 10, 2006 Aji, along with the town of and Mure, also from Kita District, the towns of Kagawa and Kōnan, both from Kagawa District, and the town of Kokubunji, from Ayauta District, was merged into the expanded city of Takamatsu and no...
, Kagawa
Kagawa, Kagawa
was a town located in Kagawa District, Kagawa, Japan.On January 10, 2006 Kagawa, along with the towns of Aji and Mure, both from Kita District, the town of Kōnan, also from Kagawa District, and the town of Kokubunji, from Ayauta District, was merged into the expanded city of Takamatsu and no longer...
, Konan
Konan, Kagawa
was a town located in Kagawa District, Kagawa, Japan.On January 10, 2006 Kōnan, along with the towns of Aji and Mure, both from Kita District, the town of Kagawa, also from Kagawa District, and the town of Kokubunji, from Ayauta District, was merged into the expanded city of Takamatsu and no longer...
, and Kokubunji
Kokubunji, Kagawa
Kokubunji was a town located in Ayauta District, Kagawa, Japan.On January 10, 2006 Kokubunji, along with the towns of Aji and Mure, both from Kita District, and the towns of Kagawa and Kōnan, both from Kagawa District, was merged into the expanded city of Takamatsu and no longer exists as an...
merged into the city.
History and tourism
The city was officially founded on February 15, 1890. It had been a political and economic center in this area since the Edo periodEdo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
when the Matsudaira clan
Matsudaira clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Minamoto clan. It first originated in and took its name from Matsudaira village, in Mikawa Province . Over the course of its history, the clan produced many branches, most of which also centered around Mikawa Province...
made Takamatsu the capital of their han
Han (Japan)
The or domain was the name of the estate belonging to a warrior in Japan after the 17th century. The fiefs of the daimyos of the samurai class of Japan during the Edo period were called han.-Edo period:...
.
Since the opening of the Great Seto Bridge
Great Seto Bridge
The , or Seto-Ohashi Bridge, is a series of double deck bridges connecting Okayama and Kagawa prefectures in Japan across a series of five small islands in the Seto Inland Sea. Built over the period 1978–88, it is one of the three routes of the Honshū-Shikoku Bridge Project connecting Honshū and...
, trains service carries passengers between Takamatsu and Uno (Tamano, Okayama
Tamano, Okayama
is a city located in the southern Okayama, Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 64,980, with a household number of 27,933 and the density of 627.16 persons per km². The total area is 103.61 km²....
).
The city's major tourist attraction is Ritsurin Garden, a garden created in the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
.
Takamatsu Castle's
Takamatsu Castle (Sanuki)
is located in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku, Japan. This castle is also called .-History:This castle, built in 1590, is well-known as one of the three 'Mizujiro', literally 'Castles in the sea' in Japan, with Imabari Castle in Ehime Prefecture and Nakatsu Castle in Oita...
tenshu (keep) is being reconstructed and will be a tourist attraction when completed. Other sites include Yashima-ji
Yashima-ji
is a Shingon temple in Yashima, a lava plateau to the northeast of Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. A branch temple of Ninna-ji in Kyoto, it is the eighty-fourth temple on the Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage. It is said to have been founded as a Ritsu school temple by Ganjin in 754, and to have...
and Shikoku Mura
Shikoku Mura
is an open-air architectural park in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. It houses over twenty buildings from around Shikoku dating from the Edo period through to the Taishō period, four of which have been designated Important Cultural Properties. The park opened in 1976 and covers an area of...
.
Economy
Shikoku Railway CompanyShikoku Railway Company
, commonly known as , is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group . It operates intercity rail services in the four prefectures on the island of Shikoku in Japan. The company is headquartered in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture.- Lines :...
has its headquarters in Takamatsu. Asiana Airlines
Asiana Airlines
Asiana Airlines Inc. is one of South Korea's two major airlines, along with Korean Air. Asiana has its headquarters in Asiana Town in Osoe-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul...
operates a sales office on the twelfth floor of the Nihon Seimei Ekimae Building in Takamatsu.
Transportation
JR ShikokuShikoku Railway Company
, commonly known as , is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group . It operates intercity rail services in the four prefectures on the island of Shikoku in Japan. The company is headquartered in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture.- Lines :...
Takamatsu Station
Takamatsu Station (Kagawa)
is a railway station on the Yosan and Kōtoku lines in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by Shikoku Railway Company.The station is the terminus of the Yosan Line and the Kōtoku Line.- Ground platforms :-External links:*...
has trains to Okayama Station
Okayama Station
is a railway station located in the ward of Kita-ku, city of Okayama, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. The station is operated by West Japan Railway Company ....
on Honshū via the Seto-Ōhashi Bridge, and to destinations around Shikoku. A local tram service operated by Kotoden connects much of Takamatsu. This tram service, as well as local buses operated by Kotoden accept a contactless payment card for travel called an IruCa.
Long distance coach services operate from the city to destinations such as Ōsaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, and Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
.
Crime and safety
The Shinwa-kai yakuzaYakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
syndicate is based in Takamatsu. The Shinwa-kai is the only designated yakuza group based in the Shikoku
Shikoku
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...
region.
Sports teams
- Takamatsu Five ArrowsTakamatsu Five ArrowsThe Takamatsu Five ArrowsThe Takamatsu Five ArrowsThe Takamatsu Five Arrows(高松ファイブアローズ） are a Japanese basketball team, playing in the Western Conference of the bj league. They are based in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture.The 2nd place of bj league 2006-2007.- Roster :*Season 2011-2012...
(basketball, bj leagueBj leagueThe bj league is a professional basketball league in Japan that began on November 5, 2005. The ten team league is divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference, and the Western Conference. It had its inaugural All-Star game in 2006. One of its major sponsors is Spalding.The bj league...
) - Kagawa Olive GuynersKagawa Olive GuynersThe is a baseball team in the Shikoku Island League of Japan. Established in 2005, the Guyners play at Olive Stadium in the Kagawa Prefectural Baseball Complex in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture....
(baseball) - Kamatamare SanukiKamatamare SanukiKamatamare Sanuki is a football club based in Takamatsu, the capital city of Kagawa Prefecture of Japan. They play in the Japan Football League. The first part of their name was coined by combining the Japanese word Kamatama and the Italian Mare . The second part is what Kagawa Prefecture used to...
(football)
Sister cities
Takamatsu is twinned with:- Sister cities
-
St. Petersburg, FloridaSt. Petersburg, FloridaSt. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, United States -
ToursToursTours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
, France
-
- Friendship cities
-
NanchangNanchangNanchang is the capital of Jiangxi Province in southeastern China. It is located in the north-central portion of the province. As it is bounded on the west by the Jiuling Mountains, and on the east by Poyang Lake, it is famous for its scenery, rich history and cultural sites...
, China
-
In literature
- Takamatsu is the main setting of Haruki MurakamiHaruki Murakamiis a Japanese writer and translator. His works of fiction and non-fiction have garnered him critical acclaim and numerous awards, including the Franz Kafka Prize and Jerusalem Prize among others.He is considered an important figure in postmodern literature...
's novel Kafka on the ShoreKafka on the Shoreis a 2002 novel by Japanese author Haruki Murakami. John Updike described it as a "real page-turner, as well as an insistently metaphysical mind-bender"...
. The author was born in Takamatsu City in 1900 and gives an account of his childhood there.