Core city in Shikoku, Japan
Takamatsu
(
高松市
,
Takamatsu-shi
,
Japanese:
[taka?mats?]
)
is a capital
city
located in
Kagawa Prefecture
, Japan. As of 1 November 2022
[update]
, the city had an estimated
population
of 414,134 in 190,120 households and a
population density
of 1,100 persons per km
2
.
[1]
The total area of the city is 375.41 square kilometres (144.95 sq mi). It is the capital city of the prefecture.
Geography
[
edit
]
Takamatsu is located in central
Kagawa Prefecture
on the island of
Shikoku
. The city is located in the Takamatsu Plain, which is part of the Sanuki Plain, and is occupied by a gentle slope as a whole. The northern part faces the
Seto Inland Sea
, forming a semicircular urban area centered on Takamatsu Port and Takamatsu New Port (commonly known as Shinminato).The western part of the city consists of an
alluvial fan
formed by the sedimentation of the Koto River. The eastern part is a flooded plain formed by the Kasuga River and Shinkawa River. In the northeastern part of the island, there is
Yashima
, a table-shaped plateau protruding into the Seto Inland Sea, which was the site of the
Battle of Yashima
in the
Genpei War
, and Cape Takei, the northernmost tip of the main island of Shikoku. Parts of the city are located within the borders of the
Setonaikai National Park
. The city area also includes a number of small inhabited islands in the Seto Inland Sea.
Neighbouring municipalities
[
edit
]
Kagawa Prefecture
Tokushima Prefecture
Climate
[
edit
]
Takamatsu has a
humid subtropical climate
(
Koppen climate classification
Cfa
) with hot, humid summers, and cool winters. Some rain falls throughout the year, but the months from May to September have the heaviest rain.
Climate data for Takamatsu (1991?2020 normals, extremes 1941?present)
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
18.9
(66.0)
|
24.0
(75.2)
|
25.5
(77.9)
|
30.9
(87.6)
|
32.6
(90.7)
|
36.5
(97.7)
|
38.2
(100.8)
|
38.6
(101.5)
|
37.6
(99.7)
|
34.0
(93.2)
|
26.6
(79.9)
|
21.2
(70.2)
|
38.6
(101.5)
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
9.7
(49.5)
|
10.5
(50.9)
|
14.1
(57.4)
|
19.8
(67.6)
|
24.8
(76.6)
|
27.5
(81.5)
|
31.7
(89.1)
|
33.0
(91.4)
|
28.8
(83.8)
|
23.2
(73.8)
|
17.5
(63.5)
|
12.1
(53.8)
|
21.1
(70.0)
|
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
5.9
(42.6)
|
6.3
(43.3)
|
9.4
(48.9)
|
14.7
(58.5)
|
19.8
(67.6)
|
23.3
(73.9)
|
27.5
(81.5)
|
28.6
(83.5)
|
24.7
(76.5)
|
19.0
(66.2)
|
13.2
(55.8)
|
8.1
(46.6)
|
16.7
(62.1)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
2.1
(35.8)
|
2.2
(36.0)
|
5.0
(41.0)
|
9.9
(49.8)
|
15.1
(59.2)
|
19.8
(67.6)
|
24.1
(75.4)
|
25.1
(77.2)
|
21.2
(70.2)
|
15.1
(59.2)
|
9.1
(48.4)
|
4.3
(39.7)
|
12.8
(55.0)
|
Record low °C (°F)
|
?7.7
(18.1)
|
?6.0
(21.2)
|
?4.4
(24.1)
|
?2.4
(27.7)
|
2.8
(37.0)
|
7.5
(45.5)
|
15.3
(59.5)
|
15.8
(60.4)
|
9.4
(48.9)
|
2.0
(35.6)
|
?1.8
(28.8)
|
?5.3
(22.5)
|
?7.7
(18.1)
|
Average
precipitation
mm (inches)
|
39.4
(1.55)
|
45.8
(1.80)
|
81.4
(3.20)
|
74.6
(2.94)
|
100.9
(3.97)
|
153.1
(6.03)
|
159.8
(6.29)
|
106.0
(4.17)
|
167.4
(6.59)
|
120.1
(4.73)
|
55.0
(2.17)
|
46.7
(1.84)
|
1,150.1
(45.28)
|
Average snowfall cm (inches)
|
0
(0)
|
1
(0.4)
|
0
(0)
|
0
(0)
|
0
(0)
|
0
(0)
|
0
(0)
|
0
(0)
|
0
(0)
|
0
(0)
|
0
(0)
|
0
(0)
|
1
(0.4)
|
Average precipitation days
(≥ 0.5 mm)
|
7.5
|
8.0
|
10.8
|
10.1
|
9.4
|
11.5
|
10.5
|
7.9
|
10.5
|
9.3
|
7.8
|
7.9
|
111.3
|
Average
relative humidity
(%)
|
63
|
63
|
62
|
62
|
64
|
72
|
73
|
70
|
72
|
70
|
69
|
66
|
67
|
Mean monthly
sunshine hours
|
141.4
|
143.8
|
175.0
|
194.5
|
210.1
|
158.2
|
191.8
|
221.2
|
159.6
|
164.6
|
145.5
|
142.7
|
2,046.5
|
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency
[2]
|
Climate data for
K?nan
, Takamatsu (2003?2020 normals, extremes 2003?present)
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
16.6
(61.9)
|
22.8
(73.0)
|
25.2
(77.4)
|
29.6
(85.3)
|
31.9
(89.4)
|
34.8
(94.6)
|
36.0
(96.8)
|
37.8
(100.0)
|
35.5
(95.9)
|
31.9
(89.4)
|
26.1
(79.0)
|
19.4
(66.9)
|
37.8
(100.0)
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
8.2
(46.8)
|
9.3
(48.7)
|
13.1
(55.6)
|
18.8
(65.8)
|
23.7
(74.7)
|
26.4
(79.5)
|
30.2
(86.4)
|
31.7
(89.1)
|
27.5
(81.5)
|
21.9
(71.4)
|
16.3
(61.3)
|
10.5
(50.9)
|
19.8
(67.6)
|
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
4.1
(39.4)
|
4.9
(40.8)
|
8.0
(46.4)
|
13.3
(55.9)
|
18.3
(64.9)
|
21.8
(71.2)
|
25.6
(78.1)
|
26.7
(80.1)
|
22.8
(73.0)
|
17.3
(63.1)
|
11.8
(53.2)
|
6.5
(43.7)
|
15.1
(59.2)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
0.4
(32.7)
|
0.7
(33.3)
|
3.0
(37.4)
|
7.9
(46.2)
|
13.0
(55.4)
|
17.7
(63.9)
|
22.0
(71.6)
|
22.8
(73.0)
|
19.1
(66.4)
|
13.3
(55.9)
|
7.7
(45.9)
|
2.7
(36.9)
|
10.9
(51.5)
|
Record low °C (°F)
|
?5.6
(21.9)
|
?5.5
(22.1)
|
?3.6
(25.5)
|
?1.1
(30.0)
|
2.9
(37.2)
|
9.7
(49.5)
|
16.3
(61.3)
|
15.9
(60.6)
|
11.0
(51.8)
|
4.6
(40.3)
|
?0.4
(31.3)
|
?4.9
(23.2)
|
?5.6
(21.9)
|
Average
precipitation
mm (inches)
|
41.0
(1.61)
|
54.8
(2.16)
|
84.8
(3.34)
|
77.8
(3.06)
|
105.5
(4.15)
|
160.7
(6.33)
|
193.2
(7.61)
|
150.1
(5.91)
|
214.4
(8.44)
|
148.4
(5.84)
|
64.4
(2.54)
|
59.0
(2.32)
|
1,353.9
(53.30)
|
Average precipitation days
(≥ 1.0 mm)
|
6.6
|
8.4
|
10.1
|
9.8
|
8.3
|
11.1
|
10.5
|
8.7
|
10.2
|
8.5
|
8.0
|
7.9
|
108.1
|
Source:
Japan Meteorological Agency
[3]
[4]
|
Demographics
[
edit
]
Per Japanese census data, the population of Takamatsu in 2020 is 417,496 people.
[5]
Takamatsu has been conducting censuses since 1920.
Historical population
Year
| Pop.
| ±%
|
---|
1920
| 186,963
| ?
|
---|
1925
| 199,141
| +6.5%
|
---|
1930
| 213,001
| +7.0%
|
---|
1935
| 222,545
| +4.5%
|
---|
1940
| 219,082
| ?1.6%
|
---|
1945
| 246,809
| +12.7%
|
---|
1950
| 269,159
| +9.1%
|
---|
1955
| 284,684
| +5.8%
|
---|
1960
| 295,178
| +3.7%
|
---|
1965
| 307,549
| +4.2%
|
---|
1970
| 327,170
| +6.4%
|
---|
1975
| 360,024
| +10.0%
|
---|
1980
| 386,547
| +7.4%
|
---|
1985
| 401,020
| +3.7%
|
---|
1990
| 406,853
| +1.5%
|
---|
1995
| 412,626
| +1.4%
|
---|
2000
| 416,680
| +1.0%
|
---|
2005
| 418,125
| +0.3%
|
---|
2010
| 419,291
| +0.3%
|
---|
2015
| 420,748
| +0.3%
|
---|
2020
| 417,496
| ?0.8%
|
---|
Takamatsu population statistics
[5]
|
History
[
edit
]
The area of Takamatsu was part of ancient
Sanuki Province
. During the
Heian
and
Kamakura period
, as the closest port to
Honshu
from Shikoku island, the area was a transportation center and gateway for pilgrims to the
Kotohira Shrine
. During the
Sengoku period
,
Ikoma Chikamasa
suit the first
Takamatsu Castle
in 1588. In 1642,
Matsudaira Yorishige
, the son of
Tokugawa Yorifusa
of
Mito Domain
and grandson of
Tokugawa Ieyasu
, was awarded the 120,000
koku
Takamatsu Domain
, which his descendants would continue to rule until the
Meiji restoration
.
[6]
Following the Meiji restoration, the city of Takamatsu was created with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on February 15, 1890. The
castle tower
formerly used as the symbol of the city was destroyed during the
Meiji period
. The city borders expanded in several iterations by the annexation on neighboring villages and towns. During
World War II
, Takamatsu was selected as a target by the United States'
XXI Bomber Command
because the city was an important focal point of Shikoku's rail and road transit systems, and containing some industry vital to supporting the war effort. On July 3, 1945, at 6:40 PM (
JST
) 128
B-29 Superfortress
bombers dropped over 800 tons of incendiary bombs on Takamatsu, destroying 78% of the built-up areas of the city and killing 1359 people.
[7]
The city quickly recovered after the war, and its borders continued to expand. On April 1, 1999 it was designated a
core city
with increased local autonomy.
On September 26, 2005, the town of
Shionoe
(from
Kagawa District
) was merged into Takamatsu. On January 10, 2006, Takamatsu absorbed the following towns:
Aji
and
Mure
(from
Kita District
),
Kagawa
and
K?nan
(from
Kagawa District
), and
Kokubunji
(from
Ayauta District
).
Government
[
edit
]
Takamatsu has a
mayor-council
form of government with a directly elected mayor and a
unicameral
city council of 40 members. Takamatsu contributes 15 members to the Kagawa Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between Kagawa 1st district and Kagawa 2nd district of the
lower house
of the
Diet of Japan
.
Crime and safety
[
edit
]
The
Shinwa-kai
yakuza
syndicate is based in Takamatsu. The Shinwa-kai is the only
designated yakuza group
based in the
Shikoku
region.
[8]
In October 2017,
Japan Today
reported 5 people received minor injuries when a
wild boar
entered a local
Aeon
mall.
[9]
Economy
[
edit
]
Takamatsu is the largest municipality in Shikoku and is a city with a large concentration of nationwide companies' branch offices, which play a large role in its economy. It also contains most of the national government's branch offices for Shikoku. In 2004, construction of the Symbol Tower, the new symbol of Takamatsu, was completed. The Symbol Tower is in the
Sunport
area of the city. The Symbol Tower is the tallest building in Takamatsu, and is right next to another tall building The JR Clement Hotel (formerly the ANA Clement Hotel), which is also part of the Sunport complex. Sunport Takamatsu is also connected to the ports of Takamatsu.
Companies headquartered in the city include:
Education
[
edit
]
Takamatsu has 48 public elementary schools, 22 public middle schools and one public high school operated by the city government. The city has eight public high schools and one combined middle/high school operated by the Kagawa Prefectural Board of Education. There are also two private combined middle/high schools, seven private high schools and one national elementary, one national middle and one national high school.The Kagawa Prefectural government also operates three special education schools for the handicapped.
Universities
[
edit
]
Transportation
[
edit
]
The main train station is
Takamatsu Station
, operated by
JR Shikoku
. Trains from here run to destinations around Shikoku, as well as
Okayama Station
on Honsh? via the
Seto-?hashi Bridge
. The private
Kotoden
railway connects much of Takamatsu, with a hub and department store at
Kawaramachi Station
, and Takamatsu-Chikko Station nearby Takamatsu Station. Buses and trains operated by Kotoden accept a
contactless payment
card for travel called an IruCa.
[12]
Airports
[
edit
]
Railways
[
edit
]
Shikoku Railway Company
-
Yosan Line
Shikoku Railway Company
-
K?toku Line
Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad
-
Kotoden Kotohira Line
Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad
-
Kotoden Nagao Line
Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad
-
Kotoden Shido Line
Highways
[
edit
]
Ports
[
edit
]
Local attractions
[
edit
]
- Ritsurin Garden
, a
Japanese garden
designated as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty by the Japanese government
- Takamatsu Castle
is known for using seawater in its moat and recently the old keep of the castle was successfully restored and opened for public viewing.
[13]
- Yashima
plateau which is home to various sightseeing spots. At the base of the mountain is the open air museum
Shikoku Mura
where aspects of regional history and culture are exhibited. On the mountain itself is
Yashima-ji
, number 84 of the
Shikoku pilgrimage
. At the top of the mountain there is also an observation deck which offers views across the Seto Inland Sea.
- Takamatsu also acts as a hub to access various islands of the Seto Inland Sea. These include,
Megijima
,
Ogijima
,
Naoshima
,
Teshima
and
Sh?doshima
. Since 2010, Takamatsu, along with these islands and more, has been host to the
Setouchi Triennale
, a contemporary art festival with many outdoor exhibitions by prominent artists from across the world.
Sports teams
[
edit
]
International relations
[
edit
]
Twin towns ? Sister cities
[
edit
]
Takamatsu is
twinned
with:
Friendship cities
[
edit
]
Takamatsu has friendship arrangements with:
In literature
[
edit
]
Notable people from Takamatsu
[
edit
]
The following politicians, celebrities, and other well-known people are from Takamatsu (listed alphabetically by surname):
- Ema Fujisawa
(actor, born 1982)
- Shinichiro Furumoto
(politician, born 1956)
- Yoshihiro Hamaguchi
(Olympic athlete, 1926-2011)
- Takuya Hirai
(politician, born 1958)
- Ikuko Kawai
(musician and composer, born 1968)
- Kan Kikuchi
(writer and publisher, 1888-1948)
- Akiko Kinouchi
(actor, born 1981)
- Makoto Kitano
(soccer player, born 1967)
- Kenji Kobayashi
(shogi player, born 1957)
- Akihito Kondo
(baseball player, 1938-2019)
- Yasuhiro Konishi
(karateka, 1893-1983)
- Bukichi Miki
(politician, 1884-1956)
- Ryuki Miki
(tennis player, 1904-1967)
- Lu Wanyao
(golfer, born 1996)
- Yoshiro Maeda
(mixed martial artist, born 1981)
- Shigeru Makino
(baseball player, 1928-1984)
- Ryuya Matsumoto
(baseball player, born 1994)
- Kojin Nakakita
(sledge hockey coach, born 1963)
- Futoshi Nakanishi
(baseball player, born 1933)
- Kiyotaka Nanbara
(comedian and TV personality, born 1965)
- Ayano Ninomiya
(violinist, born 1971)
- Tetsuya Noguchi
(artist, born 1980)
- Junya Ogawa
(politician, born 1971)
- Kentaro Sonoura
(politician, born 1972)
- Mikuru Suzuki
(darts player, born 1982)
- Daisuke Tsuda
(singer and drummer, born 1977)
- Ayako Uehara
(pianist, born 1980)
- Emiko Uematsu
(politician, born 1967)
- Satoru Uyama
(fencer, born 1991)
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Takamatsu city official statistics"
(in Japanese). Japan.
- ^
?象? / 平年値(年?月ごとの値)
.
Japan Meteorological Agency
. Retrieved
May 19,
2021
.
- ^
?測史上1~10位の値(年間を通じての値)
.
JMA
. Retrieved
April 24,
2022
.
- ^
?象? / 平年値(年?月ごとの値)
.
JMA
. Retrieved
April 24,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
Takamatsu population statistics
- ^
Nakayama, Yoshiaki (2015).
江?三百藩大全 全藩藩主?遷表付
. Kosaido Publishing.
ISBN
978-4331802946
.
(in Japanese)
- ^
"21st Bomber Command Tactical Mission Report 247, 250, Ocr | Aviation | Armed Conflict"
.
- ^
"2021 Police White Paper Chapter 2 : Furtherance of Organized Crime Countermeasures"
, 2021,
National Police Agency
(in Japanese)
- ^
"5 injured after wild boar goes on rampage through Kagawa mall
, 2007,
Japan Today
(in English)
- ^
"
Company Information
Archived
2010-03-24 at the
Wayback Machine
."
Shikoku Railway Company
. Retrieved on March 27, 2010.
- ^
"
Corporate Profile
Archived
2016-03-04 at the
Wayback Machine
."
Tadano Limited
. Retrieved on April 15, 2015.
- ^
"Takamatsu Japan, what to do there"
. 20 December 2009
. Retrieved
2010-03-13
.
- ^
高松城天守閣復元
.
www.takamatsujyo.com
. Retrieved
2016-01-19
.
- ^
"St. Petersburg"
. Takamatsu city. Archived from
the original
on 2009-06-11
. Retrieved
2009-05-26
.
- ^
"Tours"
. Takamatsu city. Archived from
the original
on 2009-06-11
. Retrieved
2009-05-26
.
- ^
"Nanchang"
. Takamatsu city. Archived from
the original
on 2009-06-11
. Retrieved
2009-05-26
.
- ^
"Nanchang City and Sister Cities Intercommunion"
.
Nanchang Municipal Party Committee of the CPC and Nanchang Municipal Government
. Nanchang Economic Information Center. Archived from
the original
on 2013-05-22
. Retrieved
2013-11-05
.
- ^
Hara, Tameichi
(1961). "Born A Samurai".
Japanese Destroyer Captain
. New York & Toronto:
Ballantine Books
.
ISBN
978-1-59114-354-3
.
OCLC
255849609
.
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
|
※
also a
prefectural capital
;
†
eligible for core city status but not yet nominated;
☆
to become core cities
|
|
---|
2,000,000 and more
| |
---|
1,000,000?1,999,999
| |
---|
500,000?999,999
| |
---|
200,000?499,999
| |
---|
|
---|
International
| |
---|
National
| |
---|
Geographic
| |
---|
Academics
| |
---|