Kagawa Prefecture

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

History

Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.

Geography

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. Kagawa is a relatively narrow prefecture between the mountains of Shikoku and the sea.

Cities

Eight cities are located in Kagawa Prefecture:

Higashikagawa Kan'onji Marugame

Mitoyo Sakaide Sanuki

Takamatsu (capital) Zentsuji

Towns

Towns and villages in each district:

Ayauta District Ayagawa Utazu Kagawa District Naoshima

Kita District Miki Nakatado District Kotohira Manno Tadotsu

Shozu District Shodoshima Tonosho

Mergers

(as of March 21,2006)

Main article: Merger and dissolution of municipalities of Japan

• 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.

• On March 22, 2005, the towns of Hanzan and Ayauta from Ayauta District merged into the expanded city of Marugame.

• On September 26, 2005 the town of Shionoe from Kagawa District merged into the expanded city of Takamatsu.

• On October 11, 2005 the towns of Onohara and Toyohama from Mitoyo District merged to form the city of Kan'onji.

• On January 1, 2006 all towns from Mitoyo District (Mino, Nio, Saita, Takase, Takuma, Toyonaka and Yamamoto) merged to form the city of Mitoyo. Mitoyo District was dissolved as a result of this merger. (Merger Information Page)

• On January 10, 2006 the towns of Mure and Aji from Kita District, the towns of Kagawa and Konan from Kagawa District and the town of Kokubunji from Ayauta District merged into the city of Takamatsu. (Merger Information Page)

• On March 20, 2006 the towns of Kotonami, Chunan, and Manno (all from Nakatado District) merged to form the new town of Manno.

• On March 21, 2006 the towns of Uchinomi and Ikeda from Shozu District merged to form the new town of Shodoshima.

• On March 21, 2006 the towns of Ayakami and Ryonan from Ayauta District merged to form the new town of Ayagawa.

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Kagawa.

Baseball

• Kagawa Olive Guyners

Basketball

• Takamatsu Five Arrows (Takamatsu)

Football (Soccer)

• Kamatamare Sanuki (Takamatsu)

Tourism

• Kotohira Shrine
• Shodo Island
• Takamatsu Castle
• Yashima, the island on which the Battle of Yashima was fought.
• Ritsurin Park

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.

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.

External links

• Kagawa Prefecture English homepage
• Template:Ja icon Official Kagawa Prefecture Japanese homepage

34°16′N 133°57′E