Yagi, Kyoto
Encyclopedia
was a town
located in Funai District
, Kyoto
, Japan
.
On January 1, 2006, Yagi was merged with the towns of Hiyoshi
and Sonobe
, all from Funai District
, and the town of Miyama
, from Kitakuwada District
, to form the new city of Nantan
.
Nestled between mountains and situated in the Oi River basin, Yagi is more a collection of small villages than a single town. The town center, situated along the river, is only a small part of Yagi's total area. Though Yagi is decidedly rural, its proximity to Kyoto
by train makes it an extended suburb of sorts. It is estimated that about 60% of Yagi's adult working population commutes to Kyoto or Osaka
daily. Yagi is easily accessible via the JR Sagano Train Line from Kyoto.
As of 2003, the town had an estimated population
of 8,916 and a density
of 179.90 persons per km². The total area was 49.56 km².
Yagi has a long history dating back at least as far as the Nara Period
, when Yagi's extant Sanin Road was a main route through the prefecture, linking Kyoto to Kameoka
and Sonobe.
In 1960 Yagi and the surrounding area was hit by a massive typhoon. The banks of the Oi River collapsed, and the town suffered extensive flooding. A number of people died during the storm and the flood that followed.
Yagi has one junior high school and five elementary schools: Yagi, Tomimoto, Shinjo, Yoshitomi and Kamiyoshi. Yagi has been a long-time participant in the JET Programme
, and employs a foreigner and native speaker to teach English in the town's schools.
for its annual fireworks festival, held on or around August 14. Thousands of people gather near Yagi's Oi River Bridge to watch the fireworks show, the largest of its kind in Kyoto Prefecture. The festival was first held in 1947, and officially begins every year at 6 p.m. with Tōrō nagashi
, a Buddhist ceremony in which paper lanterns are floated down the river. The fireworks show is now held both as celebration of summer and a commemoration for those who died in the 1960 typhoon.
Yagi is also known for several progressive environmental projects. In 1995, Yagi Junior High became the first school in Japan to be solar powered, and Yoshitomi and Shinjo elementary schools also use supplemental solar and wind energy. Additionally, Yagi's Bio-Ecology Center turns cow manure from nearby dairy farms into electricity by utilizing the methane gas produced during decomposition.
Seigen-ji temple, in Yagi's northern foothills, is famous because it houses 22 wood carvings created by the wandering ascetic priest Mokujiki-san. Mokujiki-san traveled throughout Japan on a pilgrimage whose purpose was to spread Buddhist teachings and carve 1,000 images of the Buddha and his disciples. Shaka, the image of Buddha at Seigen-ji, is the 1,000th carving, which Mokujiki-san completed in 1806.
Yagi's northern foothills are also home to Kyoto Taishakuten, a Buddhist temple established in 780. Other temples and shrines are to be found throughout the region.
Towns of Japan
A town is a local administrative unit in Japan. It is a local public body along with prefecture , city , and village...
located in Funai District
Funai District, Kyoto
Funai is a district located in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.As of 2006, the district has an estimated population of 17,945 and a density of 59 persons per km²...
, Kyoto
Kyoto Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Kyoto.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Kyoto prefecture was known as Yamashiro....
, 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...
.
On January 1, 2006, Yagi was merged with the towns of Hiyoshi
Hiyoshi, Kyoto
was a town located in Funai District, Kyoto, Japan.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 6,090 and a density of 49.31 persons per km². The total area was 123.50 km²....
and Sonobe
Sonobe, Kyoto
was a town located in Funai District, Kyoto, Japan.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 16,958 and a density of 164.99 persons per km². The total area was 102.78 km²...
, all from Funai District
Funai District, Kyoto
Funai is a district located in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.As of 2006, the district has an estimated population of 17,945 and a density of 59 persons per km²...
, and the town of Miyama
Miyama, Kyoto
is a town located in Kitakuwada District, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 5,070 and a density of 14.89 persons per km². The total area was 340.47 km²....
, from Kitakuwada District
Kitakuwada District, Kyoto
Kitakuwada was a district located in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.As of 2005, the district had an estimated population of 5,233 and a density of 15.37 persons per km²...
, to form the new city of Nantan
Nantan, Kyoto
is a city located in Kyoto, Japan.As of May 1, 2008, the city has an estimated population of 35,424. The total area is 616.31 km².The city was founded on January 1, 2006 by the merger of the former towns of Sonobe, Yagi, Hiyoshi, and Miyama...
.
Nestled between mountains and situated in the Oi River basin, Yagi is more a collection of small villages than a single town. The town center, situated along the river, is only a small part of Yagi's total area. Though Yagi is decidedly rural, its proximity to 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:...
by train makes it an extended suburb of sorts. It is estimated that about 60% of Yagi's adult working population commutes to Kyoto or Osaka
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...
daily. Yagi is easily accessible via the JR Sagano Train Line from Kyoto.
As of 2003, the town had an estimated population
Population
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 8,916 and a 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 179.90 persons per km². The total area was 49.56 km².
Yagi has a long history dating back at least as far as the Nara Period
Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...
, when Yagi's extant Sanin Road was a main route through the prefecture, linking Kyoto to Kameoka
Kameoka, Kyoto
is a city located in Kyoto, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 93,323 and a density of 415 persons per km². The total area is 224.90 km². It is known as one of Japan's foggiest cities....
and Sonobe.
In 1960 Yagi and the surrounding area was hit by a massive typhoon. The banks of the Oi River collapsed, and the town suffered extensive flooding. A number of people died during the storm and the flood that followed.
Yagi has one junior high school and five elementary schools: Yagi, Tomimoto, Shinjo, Yoshitomi and Kamiyoshi. Yagi has been a long-time participant in the JET Programme
JET Programme
or is a Japanese government initiative that brings college graduates—mostly native speakers of English—to Japan as Assistant Language Teachers and Sports Education Advisors in Japanese kindergartens, elementary, junior high and high schools, or as Coordinators for International Relations in...
, and employs a foreigner and native speaker to teach English in the town's schools.
Notable attributes
Yagi is famous throughout the Kansai RegionKansai
The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included...
for its annual fireworks festival, held on or around August 14. Thousands of people gather near Yagi's Oi River Bridge to watch the fireworks show, the largest of its kind in Kyoto Prefecture. The festival was first held in 1947, and officially begins every year at 6 p.m. with Tōrō nagashi
Toro nagashi
is a Japanese ceremony in which participants float paper lanterns down a river; tōrō is traditionally another word for lantern, while nagashi means "cruise, flow"...
, a Buddhist ceremony in which paper lanterns are floated down the river. The fireworks show is now held both as celebration of summer and a commemoration for those who died in the 1960 typhoon.
Yagi is also known for several progressive environmental projects. In 1995, Yagi Junior High became the first school in Japan to be solar powered, and Yoshitomi and Shinjo elementary schools also use supplemental solar and wind energy. Additionally, Yagi's Bio-Ecology Center turns cow manure from nearby dairy farms into electricity by utilizing the methane gas produced during decomposition.
Seigen-ji temple, in Yagi's northern foothills, is famous because it houses 22 wood carvings created by the wandering ascetic priest Mokujiki-san. Mokujiki-san traveled throughout Japan on a pilgrimage whose purpose was to spread Buddhist teachings and carve 1,000 images of the Buddha and his disciples. Shaka, the image of Buddha at Seigen-ji, is the 1,000th carving, which Mokujiki-san completed in 1806.
Yagi's northern foothills are also home to Kyoto Taishakuten, a Buddhist temple established in 780. Other temples and shrines are to be found throughout the region.