Hatsukaichi
Appearance
Template:Infobox City Japan 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
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]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/ItsukushimaTorii7396.jpg/220px-ItsukushimaTorii7396.jpg)
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
References
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima.
- Hatsukaichi official website in Japanese
- Le Mont Saint-Michel in French
- The 150 year anniversary of France and Japan in 2008 in French