Kagawa Prefecture

Infobox Prefecture Japan
Name = Kagawa
JapaneseName = 香川県
Rōmaji = Kagawa-ken
Symbol = Symbol of Kagawa Prefecture.svg
Capital = Takamatsu
Region = Shikoku
Island = Shikoku
TotalArea = 1,861.70
AreaRank = 47^th
PCWater = 2.8
PopDate = 2000
Population = 1,022,843
PopRank = 40^th
Density = 549
Districts = 5
Municipalities = 17
ISOCode = JP-37
Flower = Olive ("Olea europaea")
Tree = Olive ("Olea europaea")
Bird = Oriental cuckoo ("Cuculus poliocephalus")

---

Website = [http://www.pref.kagawa.jp/foreigner.shtml www.pref.kagawa.jp/foreigner.shtml]
Governor = Takeki Manabenihongo|Kagawa Prefecture|香川県|Kagawa-ken is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.

History

Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.

For the brief period between August 1876 and December 1888, Kagawa was made a part of Ehime Prefecture.cite book
editor = Ikatachōshi Editing Committee
language = Japanese
title = nihongo|Ikata Town History|伊方町誌|Ikatachōshi
publisher = Town of Ikata, printed by DAI-ICHI HOKI Publishing
date = March 31, 1987 ]

Battle of Yashima

Located in Kagawa's capital city, Takamatsu, the mountain of Yashima was the battlefield for one of the best-known battles between the Heike and the Genji clans. The name Yashima means literally 'roof island'. Yashima, so called because of its shape like the roof of a traditional Japanese farm house, is a mesa headland jutting out into the Seto Inland Sea. But at the time when the Genpei War was fought, it was, as is implied by the name, an island separated from the mainland by the Aibikigawa River.The military forces of the Heikes, defeated at Ichinotani, retreated to Yashima with Emperor Antoku and set up his temporary court and their headquarters at Dannoura Inlet of Yashima. Yashima retains many names related to the historic battle. According to the stories, the main battlefield was the whole Dannoura area, where now stands Yashima-higashi Primary School. Visitors now find the old court site of Emperor Antoku, Tombs of Sato Tsugunobu and Kikuomaru, Rock on which Nasuno Yoichi prayed for success of his feat, Rock on which the bestriding Yoichi shot his arrow at the fan. The place names of Genjigamine Peak, Funakakushi, Chinoike Pond and others are reminiscent of the past.

Geography

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. The Sanuki Mountains run along the southern border.

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 1990s, pushing its land area slightly above Kagawa'sFact|date=February 2007. Kagawa is a relatively narrow prefecture located between the mountains of Shikoku and the sea.

Cities

Eight cities are located in Kagawa Prefecture:

Towns

Towns and villages in each district:

Mergers

Economy

Demographics

Culture

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Kagawa.

Baseball

*Kagawa Olive Guyners

Basketball

*Takamatsu Five Arrows (Takamatsu)

Football (Soccer)

*Kamatamare Sanuki (Takamatsu)Volleyball

*Eighty8 queen

Tourism

* Kotohira Shrine
* Shodo Island
* Takamatsu Castle
* Marugame Castle
* Yashima, the island on which the Battle of Yashima was fought.
* Ritsurin Park
* Tamamo Park
* Megijima (Onigashima) & Ogijima
* Goshikidai

Based on its ancient name, Sanuki, Kagawa is famous for its Sanuki Udon (wheat noodles). Recent years has seen a great interest in Sanuki Udon across Japan, and many Japanese now take day trips to taste the many Sanuki Udon restaurants in Kagawa.

Prefectural symbols

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.

References

External links

* [http://www.pref.kagawa.jp/foreigner.shtml Kagawa Prefecture English homepage]
* [http://www.pref.kagawa.jp/ Official Kagawa Prefecture Japanese homepage]
* National Archives of Japan [http://jpimg.digital.archives.go.jp/jpg_prg/jgmWeb?%TmpFileDisp%env=jpeg2k_images/ezu/fukenchizu/027_kagawa_e.env ... Kagawa map (1891)]
* [http://www.notesfromshikoku.com Notes from Shikoku] in English

References