| Imabari 今治市 |
|
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Location of Imabari in Ehime | |
|
Imabari
|
|
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Shikoku |
| Prefecture | Ehime |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ryoji Kan (since February 2009) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 419.56 km2 (162 sq mi) |
| Population (January 1, 2010) | |
| • Total | 172,384 |
| • Density | 410.87/km2 (1,064.1/sq mi) |
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) |
| City symbols | |
| - Tree | Camphor Laurel |
| - Flower | Azalea |
| Phone number | (0898) 32-5200 |
| Address | 1-4-1 Bekku-chō, Imabari-shi, Ehime-ken 794-8511 |
| Website | City of Imabari |
Imabari (今治市 Imabari-shi) is a city located in Ehime, Japan. It is the second largest city in Ehime prefecture. Following a recent merger, the city has an estimated population of 172,384 and density of 410.87 persons per km². The total (merged) area is 419.56 km2 (162 sq mi).
Contents |
The city is serviced by Imabari Station on the JR Shikoku system. It is a main station on the Yosan line with limited express service. The city is also home to two large naval ports, and acts as a hub station for many of the ferry systems that link the nearby smaller islands.
In the center of the city lies Imabari Castle. It was built by Tōdō Takatora in 1604. It is unusual in that seawater is used in its moat.
Imabari has 6 temples of Shikoku Pilgrimage from 54 to 59 which are Enmeiji, Nankōji, Taisanji, Eifukuji, Senyuji, and Kokubunji.
Shigemi Shūkichi (重見 周吉), a teacher of Gakushuin and a physician in Tokyo, published A Japanese Boy by Himself in 1889, when he was studying at Yale University. In this book he wrote vividly about his young age in Imabari, because he needed money for his study.
Imabari is home to a large number of maritime facilities along the northern and eastern coastlines of the city. Facilities include a container port and 20 maintenance and construction shipyards. The ports have also long been a trading center within Shikoku. The city is home to a large cotton processing industry, with particular emphasis on towels. The city produces around 60% of the towels produced in Japan. As of 1998, there were over 200 towel production plants in the city. The city also specializes in the dyeing industry.
The area in which Imabari exists had long been a strategic point for the control of the Seto Inland Sea. As a result, it was controlled by a variety of forces throughout the warring period, including a number of inland sea pirate forces. The city was officially founded on February 11, 1920.
The city has recently experienced an economic surge as a result of the completion of the inter-island bridge network connecting it to Hiroshima.
On January 16, 2005 11 towns and villages from Ochi District merged with Imabari to form the new city of Imabari. As a result, there are no more villages within Ehime Prefecture. The municipalities participating in this merger were:
Imabari is twinned with: