Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima

Hatsukaichi 廿日市市
—  City  —
Flag
Location of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima
Hatsukaichi
Coordinates: 34°21′N 132°20′E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku (San'yō)
Prefecture	Hiroshima
Government
• Mayor	Katsuhiro Shinno
Area
• Total	489.36 km2 (188.94 sq mi)
Population (February 2010)
• Total	115,120
• Density	235/km2 (610/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Sakura
- Flower	Satsuki azalea
Phone number	0829-20-0001
Address	1-11-1 Shimohera, Hatsukaichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken. 738-8501
Website	Hatsukaichi City

Hatsukaichi (廿日市市, Hatsukaichi-shi) is a city of some 120,000 people located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The name derives from a market traditionally held on the 20th of each month with hatsuka (廿日) meaning "20th day" and ichi (市) translating to "market". The market continues to this day on a small scale featuring fresh, locally grown vegetables and foodstuffs.

Following the absorption of the nearby towns of Ōno and Miyajima on November 3, 2005, as of February 2010, Hatsukaichi has a density of 235 persons per km². The total land area stands at 489.36 km².

History

• The name "Hatsuka-ichi" was from the ichi on the 20th of every month from Kamakura Period.
• The "Hatsukaichi-machi", Saeki District, Hiroshima was founded on April 1, 1889.
• The city "Hatsukaichi" was founded on April 1, 1988.
• On March 1, 2003, the town of Saeki and the village of Yoshiwa, both from Saeki District, merged into the expanded city of Hatsukaichi.
• On November 3, 2005, the towns of Miyajima and Ōno, both from Saeki District, merged into the city of Hatsukaichi, at which point Saeki District officially ceased to exist.

Education

• The Japanese Red Cross Hiroshima College of Nursing
• Sanyo Women's College

Points of interest

• Itsukushima Shrine - an UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of Itsukushima (also known as Miyajima) - one of the three most beautiful sites in Japan.
• Marine Plaza Miyajima - an aquarium on Miyajima
• Miyajima Natural Botanical Garden
• Miyao Castle ruins, site of the Battle of Miyajima (1555)
• Miyajima Under-water Firework Festival, held in August 14^{[citation needed]}

Torii Gate in Itsukushima Shrine

Transportation

• Hatsukaichi can be accessed from Hiroshima city via the JR West Sanyo Line; on the Hiroden streetcar services' Miyajima Line; as well as by buses and boats.
• JR Miyajima Ferry and Miyajima Matsudai Kisen connect between Miyajimaguchi and Miyajima.

Sister cities

Hatsukaichi has Sister City relationships with:

• Masterton, New Zealand
• Le Mont Saint-Michel, France

External links

• Hatsukaichi official website in Japanese
• Le Mont Saint-Michel in French
• The 150 year anniversary of France and Japan in 2008 in French