Marugame, Kagawa Explained

Marugame
Native Name Lang:ja
Settlement Type:City
Seal Type:Chapter
Image Map1:Marugame in Kagawa Prefecture Ja.svg
Pushpin Map:Japan
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Japan
Coordinates:34.2833°N 181°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Japan
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Shikoku
Subdivision Type2:Prefecture
Subdivision Name2:Kagawa
Subdivision Type3:District
Extinct Title:Now part of
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Kyoji Matsunaga (from April 2021)
Leader Title1:Vice Mayor
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Total Km2:111.79
Population Total:108,541
Population As Of:October 1, 2022
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:JST
Utc Offset1:+09:00
Blank Name Sec1:City hall address
Blank Info Sec1:2-3-1 Ōtemachi, Marugame-shi, Kagawa-ken 763-8501
Module:
Embedded:yes

is a city located in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan., the city had an estimated population of 108,541 in 46101 households and a population density of 970 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 111.79sqkm.

Geography

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 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".[2]

Neighbouring municipalities

Kagawa Prefecture

Climate

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 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.[3]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[4] the population of Marugame has recently plateaued after several decades of growth.

History

The area of Marugame was part of ancient Sanuki Province and has been inhabited since ancient times, with many kofun burial mounds found within 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 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.

Government

Marugame has a mayor-council form of government with 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.

List of mayors of Marugame (from 1899 to present)

width=10% Namewidth=6% Office Enteredwidth=6% Office Left
Motoyoshi Toyoda
(豊田元良)
3 August 18998 January 1904
Aina Hasegawa
(長谷川和愛)
18 June 190417 June 1910
Kenkichi Fujiyoshi
(藤好乾吉)
8 June 191012 January 1915
Kenichi Saito
(斎藤研一)
2 November 19151 June 1917
Tokutaro Higuchi
(樋口德太郎)
15 September 19177 October 1920
Kiyoshi Hisano
(久野廉)
3 June 19217 March 1923
Iwao Osuka
(大須賀巖)
5 July 19234 July 1931
Kikuma Takaki
(高木季熊)
17 November 193110 April 1934
Seizaburo Ogaza
(大柏淸三郎)
25 July 193424 July 1942
Toshisuke Irie
(入江俊輔)
25 July 194224 July 1946
Katsuhide Mihara
(三原勝英)
26 April 194729 April 1963
Shigetoshi Horiie
(堀家重俊)
30 April 196329 April 1991
Keisuke Katayama
(片山圭之)
30 April 1991 29 April 2003
Tetsuji Arai
(新井哲二)
30 April 200323 April 2013
Masaharu Kaji
(梶正治)
24 April 2013present

Economy

Marugame has a mixed economy centered on agriculture (rice, vegetables, chicken, peaches) and manufacturing along 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 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.[5]

Education

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.

Transportation

Railways

JR Shikoku - Yosan Line

Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad - Kotohira Line

Highways

Sister city relations

Local attractions

Events

Notable people from Marugame

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Marugame city official statistics. Japan. ja.
  2. Web site: Mt. Iino (飯野山). 14 May 2012.
  3. https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/kagawa-prefecture/marugame-5739/ Marugame climate data
  4. https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-ehime.php Marugame population statistics
  5. Web site: Imabari to build giant dock in Japan . 2023-07-18 . Nikkei Asia . en-GB.
  6. Web site: Marugame city homepage. Japan. ja.
  7. Web site: Freunde aus Japan begrüßt . www.stadt-willich.de . 2023-07-27 . de.
  8. News: List of Sister City Affiliations with Japan (by country). Clair Singapore. July 15, 2017. October 23, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161023112337/http://www.clair.org.sg/exchange/index.html. dead.
  9. Ota, Shigenobu (2009-02-02). Marugame Half Marathon. ARRS. Retrieved on 2010-02-07.
  10. Nakamura, Ken (2006-02-05). Fukushi sets Asian Half-Marathon record in Marugame. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-07.