Kagawa Prefecture

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Kagawa Prefecture (香川県; Kagawa-ken)
Map of Japan with Kagawa highlighted
Capital Takamatsu
Region Shikoku
Island Shikoku
Governor Takeki Manabe
Area 1,861.70 km² (47th)
 - % water 2.8%
Population  (2000)
 - Population 1,022,843 (40th)
 - Density 549 /km²
Districts 5
Municipalities 17
ISO 3166-2 JP-37
Website (Japanese) www.pref.kagawa.jp/
Prefectural Symbols
 - Flower Olive (Olea europaea)
 - Tree Olive (Olea europaea)
 - Bird Oriental cuckoo (Cuculus poliocephalus)
Symbol of Kagawa Prefecture
Symbol of Kagawa Prefecture

Kagawa Prefecture (香川県 Kagawa-ken?) is located on Shikoku island, Japan. The capital is Takamatsu.

Contents

[edit] History

Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.

[edit] Geography

Map of Kagawa Prefecture.
Map of Kagawa Prefecture.

Kagawa comprises the northeast corner of Shikoku, bordering Ehime Prefecture on the west and Tokushima Prefecture on the south, with a coastline on the Seto Inland Sea facing Okayama Prefecture and the Kansai.

Kagawa is currently the smallest prefecture, by area, in Japan. Osaka Prefecture held that title, until Kansai International Airport was reclaimed from the ocean in the early 1990's, pushing its land area slightly above Kagawa's[citation needed]. Kagawa is a relatively narrow prefecture between the mountains of Shikoku and the sea.

[edit] Cities

Eight cities are located in Kagawa Prefecture:

[edit] Towns

Towns and villages in each district:

Ayagawa
Utazu
Naoshima
Miki
Kotohira
Mannō
Tadotsu
Shōdoshima
Tonoshō

[edit] Mergers

(as of March 21, 2006)

  • On April 1, 2002 five towns in the western part of the former Okawa District (Shido, Tsuda, Nagao, Sangawa, and Okawa) merged to form the city of Sanuki.
  • On April 1, 2003, three towns (Hiketa, Shirotori, and Ohchi) from the former Okawa District merged to form the city of Higashikagawa, at which point the district ceased to exist.

[edit] Economy

[edit] Demographics

[edit] Culture

[edit] Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Kagawa.

Baseball

Basketball

Football (Soccer)

[edit] Tourism

There is a bonsai garden near the downtown area of Takamatsu.

Takamatsu is also the udon capital of Japan. Sanuki udon is famous throughout Japan.

[edit] Prefectural symbols

[edit] Miscellaneous topics

The novel Battle Royale by Koushun Takami was set in the fictional town of Shiroiwa ('Castle Rock') in the Kagawa Prefecture. Okishima, the fictional island on which much of the novel takes place is placed in the Seto Inland Sea. The manga also places Shiroiwa in the Kagawa Prefecture, while the film moves Shiroiwa to the Kanagawa Prefecture.

The 68th and 69th Prime Minister of Japan, Ohira Masayoshi, was born in Kagawa Prefecture.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:


Shadow picture of Kagawa Prefecture Kagawa Prefecture
Symbol of Kagawa Prefecture
Cities
Higashikagawa | Kan'onji | Marugame | Mitoyo | Sakaide | Sanuki | Takamatsu (capital) | Zentsūji
Districts and towns
Ayauta District: Ayagawa - Utazu | Kagawa District: Naoshima | Kita District: Miki | Nakatado District: Kotohira - Mannō - Tadotsu | Shōzu District: Shōdoshima - Tonoshō
edit

Coordinates: 34°16′N 133°57′E