| Taishi | |||
| Native Name Lang: | ja | ||
| Settlement Type: | Town | ||
| Seal Type: | Chapter | ||
| Pushpin Map: | Japan | ||
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Japan | ||
| Coordinates: | 34.8333°N 168°W | ||
| Subdivision Type: | Country | ||
| Subdivision Name: | Japan | ||
| Subdivision Type1: | Region | ||
| Subdivision Name1: | Kansai | ||
| Subdivision Type2: | Prefecture | ||
| Subdivision Name2: | Hyōgo | ||
| Subdivision Type3: | District | ||
| Subdivision Name3: | Ibo | ||
| Leader Title: | Mayor | ||
| Leader Title1: | Vice Mayor | ||
| Unit Pref: | Metric | ||
| Area Total Km2: | 22.61 | ||
| Population Total: | 33,753 | ||
| Population As Of: | June 1, 2022 | ||
| Population Density Km2: | auto | ||
| Timezone1: | JST | ||
| Utc Offset1: | +09:00 | ||
| Blank Name Sec1: | City hall address | ||
| Blank Info Sec1: | 280-1 Ikaruga, Taishi-chō, Ibo-gun, Hyōgo-ken 671-1592 | ||
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is a town located in Ibo District, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan., the town had an estimated population of 33,753 in 13941 households and a population density of 1500 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the town is 22.61sqkm.
Taishi is located in southwestern Hyōgo prefecture, and is enveloped to the west by the city of Tatsuno, and to the east by the city of Himeji.
Hyōgo Prefecture
Taishi has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Taishi is 15.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1519 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 21.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.6 °C.[2]
Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Taishi has steadily increased over the 100 years.
Taishi is located in ancient Harima Province, and the name appears in the Nara period Nihon Shoki records. In 606 AD, Prince Shōtoku, also known as Shōtoku-taishi, gave a lecture on the Lotus Sutra to the Imperial Court, and was rewarded with the estate of Ikaruga-no-shō, which is located on the present town area.
The village of Ikaruga was created within Ibo District, Hyōgo with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was raised to town status on April 1, 1931. The villages of Sekkai and Ōda were merged with Ikaruga to form the town Taishi on April 1, 1951. On April 1, 1955, Taishi annexed the village of Tatsuda.
In October 2005 three towns (Ibogawa, Shingū, Mitsu) of Ibo District along with the town of Tatsuno merged into a single city bearing the name of Tatsuno. The merger left Taishi as the sole remaining independent town of the Ibo District. Separate plans have been laid out respectively for the merger Taishi and Tatsuno, or the merger of Taishi and Himeji.
Taishi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 14 members. Taishi, together with the city of Tatsuno, contributes one member to the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Hyōgo 12th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Taishi has mostly a rural economy based on agriculture and light manufacturing. Toshiba has a factory for the production of semiconductors and related products.
Taishi has four public elementary schools and two public middle schools operated by the town government and one public high school operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Department of Education.
The West Japan Railway Company (JR West) San'yō Shinkansen / San'yō Main Line run through the town, but there is no station. The nearest train station is Aboshi Station in Himeji.