| Kanaya | |||
| Native Name Lang: | ja | ||
| Settlement Type: | Former municipality | ||
| Seal Type: | Emblem | ||
| Pushpin Map: | Japan | ||
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Japan | ||
| Coordinates: | 34.8345°N 138.1268°W | ||
| Subdivision Type: | Country | ||
| Subdivision Name: | Japan | ||
| Subdivision Type1: | Region | ||
| Subdivision Name1: | Chūbu (Tōkai) | ||
| Subdivision Type2: | Prefecture | ||
| Subdivision Name2: | Shizuoka Prefecture | ||
| Subdivision Type3: | District | ||
| Subdivision Name3: | Hiabara | ||
| Extinct Title: | Merged | ||
| Extinct Date: | May 1, 2005 (now part of Shimada) | ||
| Leader Title: | Mayor | ||
| Leader Title1: | Vice Mayor | ||
| Unit Pref: | Metric | ||
| Area Total Km2: | 64.36 | ||
| Population Total: | 20,364 | ||
| Population As Of: | October 2008 | ||
| Population Density Km2: | 318.29 | ||
| Timezone1: | JST | ||
| Utc Offset1: | +09:00 | ||
| Blank Name Sec1: | City hall address | ||
| Module: |
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was a town located in Haibara District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2005, the town had an estimated population of 20,364 and a density of 318.29 persons per km2. The total area was 64.36 km2.
On May 5, 2005, Kanaya was merged into its long-time twin city, the expanded city of Shimada and thus no longer exists as an independent municipality.[1]
Kanaya was developed from the Edo period as Kanaya-juku, a post town on the Tōkaidō. Located on the west bank of the Ōi River, Kanaya prospered from the Tokugawa Shogunate's policy of not allowing any bridge or ferry to be established on the Ōi River in order to strengthen Edo's defenses. Travellers waiting to cross the river on foot were often trapped in Kanaya for days, if not weeks, waiting for the river to become shallow enough to ford.
Kanaya Town was established in 1889. It merged with neighboring Goka Village in 1957.
Its main industry was green tea production.