was a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

located in Mima District,

Tokushima is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 728,633 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,146 km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the north, E ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. As of 2003, the town had an estimated

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 5,372 and a

density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the substance's mass per unit of volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' can also be used. Mathematical ...

of 104.27 persons per km². The total area was 51.52 km². On March 1, 2005, Handa, along with the town of Sadamitsu, and the village of Ichiu (all from Mima District), was merged to create the town of Tsurugi.

Geography

Handa was situated in the valley created by the Handa River. Most of the population was concentrated near the mouth of the valley, near the Yoshino River. Yachiyo, the southern part of Handa, was mountainous and contains a number of peaks over 1000 meters.

Education

Handa was served by Handa Junior High School, and Handa and Yachiyo elementary schools.

Transportation

* National Route 192 runs along Handa's northern edge. *

Awa-Handa Station is a passenger railway station located in the Handa neighborhood of the town of Tsurugi, Mima District, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by JR Shikoku and has the station number "B19". Lines Awa-Handa Station is served by the Toku ...

is on the JR Shikoku Tokushima Line.

Sightseeing

*Handa is famous for its

sōmen , ''somyeon'' ( ko, 소면; 素麵), or ''sùmiàn'' () is a very thin noodle made of wheat flour, less than 1.3 mm in diameter. The noodles are used extensively in East Asian cuisines. Japanese ''sōmen'' is made by stretching the dough ...

noodles. "Handa Sōmen" has been a special product of the area for over 250 years, and several sōmen makers still operate today. *Dodoro falls is a 30m waterfall in Yachiyo. *Oyasu Park is a popular spot for viewing

cherry blossom A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generally ...

s, and provides good views of the main part of town. *Ishido-yama (1636m) and Yahazu-yama (1848m), although located in Ichiu, are easily accessed via a trailhead at Oso Ishido Jinja, in Handa. Yahazu-yama provides panoramic views of the

Iya Valley The Iya Valley (祖谷 ''Iya'') region in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan is a scenic area known for its dramatic mountain valleys, thatched roof farmhouses and historic vine bridges. Although access has improved in recent years, the Iya Valley and ...

and prominent mountains such as

Mount Tsurugi Mount Tsurugi may refer to: * Mount Tsurugi (Hokkaido) (剣山), in Hokkaido, Japan * Mount Tsurugi (Tokushima) (剣山), in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan * Mount Tsurugi (Toyama) (剱岳), in Toyama Prefecture, Japan See also * Tsurugisan (train) ...

, Jirogyu, and Miune.

External links

Tsurugi official website
(in Japanese) {{Authority control Dissolved municipalities of Tokushima Prefecture Tsurugi, Tokushima