Takamatsu,_Kagawa

Takamatsu, Kagawa

is located in central Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan, and is the seat of the prefectural government. It is designated a core city by the Japanese Government. It is a port city located on the Inland Sea, and is the closest port to Honshu from Shikoku island. For this reason it flourished under the Daimyo (feudal lords) as a castle town in the fiefdom of Takamatsu, during the Edo Period. Takamatsu is a city with a large concentration of nationwide companies' branch offices, which play a large role in its economy, and it contains most of the federal government's branch offices for Shikoku. The castle tower formerly used as the symbol of the city was destroyed during the Meiji Period In 2004, construction of the Symbol Tower, the new symbol of Takamatsu, was completed.

The Takamatsu metropolitan region has a population of 670,000, making it the largest in Shikoku. Takamatsu Airport is located in Takamatsu.

Geography and Demographics

As of March 1, 2006, the city has an estimated population of 426,514 with a population density of 1137 persons per km². The total area is 375.05 km² following the September 26, 2005 and January 10, 2006 expansions, in which the towns of Shionoe, Mure, Aji, Kagawa, Konan, and Kokubunji merged into the city.

History and tourism

The city was officially founded on February 15, 1890. It had been a political and economic center in this area since the Edo period when the Matsudaira clan made Takamatsu the capital of their han.

Since the opening of the Great Seto Bridge, trains service carries passengers between Takamatsu and Uno (Tamano, Okayama).

The city's major tourist attraction is Ritsurin Park, a beautiful garden, created in the Edo period.

Takamatsu Castle's tenshu (keep) is being reconstructed and will be a tourist attraction when completed.