| Higashikagawa | |
| Native Name Lang: | ja |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Seal Type: | Emblem |
| Image Map1: | Higashikagawa in Kagawa Prefecture Ja.svg |
| Pushpin Map: | Japan |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Japan |
| Coordinates: | 34.25°N 156°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: | Ichiro Uemura |
| Leader Title1: | Vice Mayor |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 152.83 |
| Population Total: | 28,627 |
| Population As Of: | September 30, 2022 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | JST |
| Utc Offset1: | +09:00 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | City hall address |
| Blank Info Sec1: | 1847-1 Minato, Higashikagawa-shi, Kagawa-ken 769-2792 |
| Blank Name Sec2: | Climate |
| Blank Info Sec2: | Cfa |
is a city located in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan., the city had an estimated population of 28,627 in 13689 households and a population density of and a population density of 970 persons per km2.[2] The total area of the city is 152.83sqkm.
Higashikagawa is located in far eastern Kagawa Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku, facing the Seto Inland Sea to the north. The south borders Tokushima Prefecture through the Sanuki Mountains, which stretch from east to west. The city is located roughly halfway between Takamatsu City and Tokushima City.
Kagawa Prefecture
Tokushima Prefecture
Higashikagawa has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen 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. The average annual temperature in Higashikagawa is . The average annual rainfall is with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around, and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Higashikagawa was on 13 August 1984; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 7 February 2018.
Per Japanese census data, the population of Higashikagawa in 2020 is 28,279 people. Higashikagawa has been conducting censuses since 1920.
The area of Higashikagawa was part of ancient Sanuki Province. From the Heian period the Hiketa port prospered as a good natural harbor and a gateway to Shikoku from the Kinai region. From the Sengoku period, Hiketa Castle was a stronghold of the Ikoma clan and a castle town developed around the fortifications. Even today, many of the intricate alleyways and old buildings from the Edo and Meiji periods still exist, preserving the atmosphere of a pre-modern fishing town. During the Edo Period, this area was part of the holdings of Takamatsu Domain. Following the Meiji restoration, the area was organized into villages within Ōchi District, Kagawa with the creation of the modern municipalities system on February 15,1890. Hiketa was elevated to town status on October 1, 1909. The city of Higashikagawa was the result of a merger on April 1, 2003 between Hiketa and the towns of Ōchi and Shirotori, both from Ōkawa District (which was dissolved as a result of the merger).[3]
Higashikagawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members. Higashikagawa contributes two members to the Kagawa Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is within the Kagawa 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Higashikagawa has a mixed economy centered on light manufacturing, commercial fishing and agriculture.[4] Traditionally, the city was noted for its production of gloves, claiming a 90% market share;[5] however, due to labor costs, much of the market has been lost to China and southeast Asia. Another prominent industry is the manufacturing of bearings. JTEKT (formerly Koyo Seiko), one of the major companies of the Toyota Group, produces 25% of the global market share of tapered roller bearings. The former town of Hiketa is a center for producing wasanbon, a fine-grained sugar traditional to the region.[6] In terms of fishing, Yellowtail was first successfully farmed here.[7]
Higashikagawa has two public elementary schools and two public middle schools operated by the city government, and one public high schools operated by the Kagawa Prefectural Board of Education.