Marugame ( 丸亀市 , Marugame-shi ) is a city located in Kagawa Prefecture , Japan . As of 1 October 2022, the city had an estimated population of 108,541 in 46101 households and a population density of 970 persons per km. The total area of the city is 111.79 square kilometres (43.16 sq mi).
31-679: Marugame is located in north-center Kagawa Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku , facing the Seto Inland Sea to the north. The city covers the northeastern part of the Marugame Plain and part of the Shiwaku Islands . As with many other cities and towns in Kagawa Prefecture, there are many reservoirs. The Doki River flows from north to south through the center of the city, and to the south is Mount Tsutsumi, also known as Hatoko Fuji, one of
62-938: A commuter town for neighboring Takamatsu. In 2015, Imabari Shipbuilding announced the construction of a large dry dock capable of building world-class containerships in Marugame. Marugame has 18 public elementary schools and eight public middle schools operated by the city government, and four public high schools operated by the Kagawa Prefectural Board of Education. In addition, there are one private middle school, two private high schools and two correspondence high schools. The prefecture also operates one middle school and one high school. [REDACTED] JR Shikoku - Yosan Line [REDACTED] Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad - Kotohira Line Shikoku Shikoku ( 四国 , Shikoku , lit. ' four provinces ' ) , Japanese pronunciation: [ɕikokɯ]
93-417: A coastal belt of reclaimed land which contains a number of industrial parks , textile plants and shipyards. Traditionally, the city was noted for its production of uchiwa fans, claiming a 90% market share; however, due to mechanization and changes in fashion, only two workshops are left in the city. Due to its well-developed transportation network, industry is expanding, and the city is increasingly becoming
124-608: A directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 24 members. Marugame, together with Naoshima , contributes four members to the Kagawa Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the Kagawa 2nd district and the Kagawa 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan . Marugame has a mixed economy centered on agriculture (rice, vegetables, chicken, peaches) and manufacturing along
155-503: A southern part facing the Pacific Ocean. The Hydrangea hirta species can be found in these mountain ranges. Most of the 3.8 million inhabitants live in the north, and all but one of the island's few larger cities are located there. Mount Ishizuchi ( 石鎚山 ) in Ehime at 1,982 m (6,503 ft) is the highest mountain on the island. Industry is moderately well developed and includes
186-439: A type of deep-fried tofu pockets seasoned with sugar, mirin, and soy sauce. A thin slice of kamaboko , a halfmoon-shaped fish cake, is often added. Shichimi can be added to taste. Another specialty is Kōchi 's signature dish, seared bonito . The warm climate of Shikoku lends itself to the cultivation of citrus fruits. As a result, yuzu , mikan and other citrus fruits are plentiful on Shikoku and have become synonymous with
217-433: Is Matsuyama (population: 507,137) and is the capital of Ehime Prefecture . Shikoku is the main island with the third largest population density, at 193 inhabitants per square kilometre (500/sq mi). Per Japanese census data, and, Shikoku region's peak population was at 1950 and has had negative population growth from 1950 to 1970 and 1990 onward. Shikoku has historically been quite isolated and therefore it has kept
248-517: Is also famous for its 88-temple pilgrimage of temples. The pilgrimage was established by the Heian-period Buddhist priest Kūkai , a native of present-day Zentsūji-cho in Kagawa prefecture. According to legend, Kūkai still appears to pilgrims today. Most modern-day pilgrims travel by bus, rarely choosing the old-fashioned method of going by foot. They are seen wearing white jackets emblazoned with
279-518: Is an island country of 14,125 islands, of which approximately 260 are inhabited. Japan is the fourth-largest island country in the world, behind Australia, Indonesia , and Madagascar . Japan is also the second-most-populous island country in the world, only behind Indonesia. According to a survey conducted by the Japan Coast Guard in 1987, the number of islands in Japan was 6,852. At that time,
310-449: Is the largest of Japan's islands to completely lack them. But Shikoku did experience volcanic activity in the distant prehistoric past; a major volcanic caldera in the area of Mount Ishizuchi was active during the Miocene around 14 million years ago and the small volcanic cone of Mount Iino at an unknown date. Shikoku has a total population of 3,630,320 in 2022. The largest city
341-469: Is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan . It is 225 km or 139.8 mi long and between 50 and 150 km or 31.1 and 93.2 mi at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu . Shikoku's ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima ( 伊予之二名島 ) , Iyo-shima ( 伊予島 ) , and Futana-shima ( 二名島 ) , and its current name refers to
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#1732856188314372-590: The Kansai area which has a large population, including the large conurbations of Osaka , Kyoto , and Kobe . Therefore, the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway carries a large traffic volume. Many highway buses are operated between Kansai and Tokushima Prefecture . The central part of Shikoku is connected to Honshu by ferry, air, and – since 1988 – by the Great Seto Bridge network. Until completion of
403-429: The "Sanuki Seven Fujis". Mount Iino , nicknamed Sanuki Fuji and located on the border between Marugame and Sakaide, is another of the "Sanuki Seven Fujis". Kagawa Prefecture Marugame has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa ) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Marugame is 15.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1439 mm with September as
434-755: The Oboke Koboke sections of the river. Shikoku has four important capes: Gamōda in Anan, Tokushima on the easternmost point on the island, Sada in Ikata, Ehime on the westernmost point. Muroto in Muroto, Kōchi and Ashizuri, the southern extreme of Shikoku, in Tosashimizu, Kōchi , jut into the Pacific Ocean. The island's northernmost point is in Takamatsu . Unlike the other three major islands of Japan, Shikoku has no active volcanoes, and
465-409: The bridges, the region was isolated from the rest of Japan. The freer movement between Honshu and Shikoku was expected to promote economic development on both sides of the bridges, which has not materialized yet. Within the island, a web of national highways connects the major population centers. These include Routes 11 , 32 , 33 , 55 , and 56 . The Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku) serves
496-614: The characters reading dōgyō ninin ( 同行二人 ) meaning "two traveling together". Tokushima Prefecture also has its annual Awa Odori running in August at the time of the Obon festival, which attracts thousands of tourists each year from all over Japan and from abroad. Kōchi Prefecture is home to the first annual Yosakoi festival. The largest festival in Kōchi, it takes place in August every year and attracts dancers and tourists from all over Japan. One of
527-659: The city limits. From the Heian period onwards, it was noted as an entry point for pilgrims to the Kotohira-gū shrine. During the Edo Period , the area developed as the castle town for Marugame Domain , which was ruled for 210 years by the Kyōgoku clan . Following the Meiji restoration , the town of Marugame was established with the creation of the modern municipality system on February 15, 1890. It
558-469: The diet in Kagawa Prefecture (formerly Sanuki Province) in the Edo period . The larger southern area of Shikoku is mountainous and sparsely populated. The only significant lowland is a small alluvial plain at Kōchi , the prefectural capital. The area's mild winters stimulated some truck farming , specializing in growing out-of-season vegetables under plastic covering. Two crops of rice can be cultivated annually in
589-430: The four former provinces that make up the island: Awa , Tosa , Sanuki , and Iyo . Shikoku Island, comprising Shikoku and its surrounding islands, covers about 18,800 square kilometres (7,259 sq mi) and consists of four prefectures : Ehime , Kagawa , Kōchi , and Tokushima . Across the Seto Inland Sea lie Wakayama , Osaka , Hyōgo , Okayama , Hiroshima , and Yamaguchi Prefectures on Honshu . To
620-905: The island and connects to Honshu via the Great Seto Bridge . JR lines include: Private railway lines operate in each of the four prefectures on Shikoku. Shikoku lacks a full international airport but has four regional/domestic airports ( Tokushima Airport , Takamatsu Airport , Kōchi Ryōma Airport and Matsuyama Airport ). All of these airports have flights to Tokyo and other major Japanese cities such as Osaka , Nagoya , Sapporo , and Fukuoka . International flights to Seoul , South Korea are serviced by Asiana Airlines from Matsuyama and Takamatsu . There are periodic international charter flights as well. Sea Travel Ferries link Shikoku to destinations including Honshu, Kyushu , and islands around Shikoku. 33°45′N 133°30′E / 33.750°N 133.500°E / 33.750; 133.500 List of islands of Japan#Main islands Japan
651-403: The major foods of Shikoku is udon . Udon is often served hot as a noodle soup in its simplest form, as kake udon , in a mildly flavoured broth called kakejiru , which is made of dashi , soy sauce ( shōyu ), and mirin . It is usually topped with thinly chopped scallions. Other common toppings include tempura , often prawn or kakiage (a type of mixed tempura fritter ), or aburaage ,
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#1732856188314682-707: The major teams competing in Shikoku's major cities include: Two time darts Women's World Champion Mikuru Suzuki is a native of Takamatsu in Kagawa Prefecture on Shikoku. Shikoku is connected to Honshu by three expressways , which together form the Honshū–Shikoku Bridge Project . The eastern gateway to Shikoku, Naruto in Tokushima Prefecture has been linked to the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway since 1998. This line connects Shikoku to
713-418: The original characteristics of Japan for a longer period, especially in regards to vegetation and some architectural techniques. There are many Buddhist temples. The "lost" Shikoku has been described by an American writer, Alex Kerr , who lived in a remote mountain village near Oboke (大歩危) for many years from 1970 onwards. Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park is located in the south-west part of Shikoku. Shikoku
744-632: The past. According to the GSI, advances in surveying technology and the detailed representation of topographic features through digital mapping contributed to this announcement. The four main islands of Japan are: Most of these are located in the East China Sea . The northern half is administratively part of Kagoshima Prefecture and Kyushu . The North-Eastern Group: The North-Western Group: The Shichi-tō: The Southern Half, Okinawa Prefecture The Central Group or Ryukyu proper: Also known as
775-444: The processing of ores from the important Besshi copper mine . Land is used intensively. Wide alluvial areas, especially in the eastern part of the zone, are planted with rice and subsequently are double-cropped with winter wheat and barley. Fruit is grown throughout the northern area in great variety, including citrus fruits, persimmons, peaches, and grapes. Because of wheat production, Sanuki udon ( 讃岐うどん ) became an important part of
806-433: The regions they are grown in. Pioneering natural farmer Masanobu Fukuoka , author of The One-Straw Revolution , developed his methods here on his family's farm. Historically no Shikoku-based sports team has competed in the top Japanese division of baseball , football (soccer) or even rugby union . However, Tokushima Vortis have had two spells in the top flight of Japanese soccer ( J1 ) in 2014 and 2021. Currently
837-524: The southern area. The pulp and paper industry took advantage of the abundant forests and hydroelectric power. The major river in Shikoku is the Yoshino River . It runs 196 km (121.8 mi) from its source close to Mount Ishizuchi , flowing basically west to east across the northern boundaries of Kōchi and Tokushima Prefectures, reaching the sea at the city of Tokushima. The Yoshino is famous for Japan's best white-water rafting, with trips going along
868-481: The survey only counted islands with coastlines of 100 meters or more that were shown on paper maps. On February 28, 2023, the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan announced that the number of islands had been updated to 14,125 through a recount using digital maps. Since there is no international standard for counting islands, only islands with a coastline of 100 meters or more were counted, as in
899-408: The west lie Ōita and Miyazaki Prefectures on Kyushu . Shikoku is ranked as the 50th largest island by area in the world. Additionally, it is ranked as the 23rd most populated island in the world, with a population density of 193 inhabitants per square kilometre (500/sq mi). Mountains running east and west divide Shikoku into a narrow northern subregion, fronting on the Seto Inland Sea , and
930-452: The wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 5.3 °C. Per Japanese census data, the population of Marugame has recently plateaued after several decades of growth. The area of Marugame was part of ancient Sanuki Province and has been inhabited since ancient times, with many kofun burial mounds found within
961-410: Was elevated to city status on April 1, 1890, becoming the 53rd city in Japan. During the 1950s the southeast area of the city and some islands were amalgamated to form new parts of the city. On March 22, 2005, the towns of Ayauta and Hanzan (both from Ayauta District ) were merged into Marugame to create the current expanded city of Marugame. Marugame has a mayor-council form of government with