is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

located in

Saga Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of 809,248 (1 August 2020) and has a geographic area of 2,440 km2 (942 sq mi). Saga Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northeast and Nagasak ...

on the island of

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

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 ...

. Imari is most notable because of

Imari porcelain is a Western term for a brightly-coloured style of Japanese export porcelain made in the area of Arita, in the former Hizen Province, northwestern Kyūshū. They were exported to Europe in large quantities, especially between the second half o ...

, which is the European collectors' name for Japanese porcelain wares made in the town of

Arita Arita may refer to: *Arita (surname) *Arita, Saga, a town in Saga Prefecture, Japan :* Arita ware, a kind of Japanese porcelain made in the area around the town * ''Arita'' (skipper), a genus of butterflies in the grass skipper family *Arita, a br ...

, Saga Prefecture. The porcelain was exported from the port of Imari specifically for the European export trade. As of October 1, 2016, the city has 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 54,907 and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

of 220 persons per km². The total area is 254.99 km².

Geography

Imari is located in the western part of

. The city center is located around the mouth of the Imari River. *

Mountains A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...

: Mt. Hachiman (764 m), Mt. Seira (599 m), Mt. Eboshi (597 m) *

River A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

s: Matsuura River, Imari River, Hata River, Kurōtake River, Arita River

Adjoining municipalities

Karatsu is a city located in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. Its name, formed from the Japanese word roots 唐 ''kara'' (China, or continental East Asia in general), and 津 ''tsu'' (port), signifies its historical importance as a ...

** Takeo *

Nagasaki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Nagasaki Prefecture has a population of 1,314,078 (1 June 2020) and has a geographic area of 4,130 Square kilometre, km2 (1,594 sq mi). Nagasaki Prefecture borders ...

Sasebo is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons p ...

** Matsuura

Climate

History

Arita porcelain bottle, Edo period (1615-1868), Japan

During the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

this region flourished due to the export of

ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...

and

porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainl ...

. High quality goods to be presented to

Shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

and the Imperial Court were produced in what is now called Ōkawachiyama. From the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

to 1955 coal was also a major export. *August 15, 1281 - The 2nd Mongol invasion fleet retreated into Imari Bay and was destroyed here by

Kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...

typhoon. *April 1, 1889 - The modern municipal system was established. The current city region was occupied by one town (Imari), and 11 villages (Higashiyamashiro, Kurokawa, Makishima, Matsuura, Minamihata, Niri, Nishiyamashiro, Ōdake, Ōkawa, Ōkawachi and Ōtsubo). *February 16, 1901 - Ōdake Village was renamed Hatatsu Village. *December 10, 1928 - Makishima Village was incorporated into Imari Town. *April 1, 1936 - Nishiyamashiro Village became Yamashiro Town. *December 8, 1943 - The villages of Ōkawachi and Ōtsubo were incorporated into Imari Town. *April 1, 1954 - The towns of Imari and Yamashiro, and the villages of Higashiyamashiro, Kurokawa, Hatatsu, Minamihata, Ōkawa, Matsuura, and Niri were merged to create Imari City.

Education

Vocational schools

*Imari College of Nursing

High schools

*Saga Prefectural Imari High School (佐賀県立伊万里高等学校) *Saga Prefectural Imari Agriculture and Forestry High School (佐賀県立伊万里農林高等学校) *Saga Prefectural Imari Business High School (佐賀県立伊万里商業高等学校) *Keitoku High School (敬徳高等学校)

Transportation

Air

The nearest airports are

Saga Airport is an airport in the Kawasoe area of Saga, Saga Prefecture, Japan. It also uses the unofficial name . Saga Airport is located on the edge of the Ariake Sea, in what is best called a polder, 35 minutes from JR Saga Station by bus. History ...

Fukuoka Airport , formerly known as Itazuke Air Base, is an international and domestic airport located east of Hakata Station in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Fukuoka Airport is the principal airport on the island of Kyushu and is the fourth busiest passenger ...

, and

Nagasaki Airport is an international airport located west of the railway station in the city of Ōmura and north northeast of the Nagasaki railway station in the city of Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. The airport terminal and runway 14/32 are on a ...

Rail

JR Kyushu The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan and the JR Kyushu Jet Ferry Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait ...

Chikuhi Line The is a railway line in Kyushu, Japan, connecting Meinohama Station in Fukuoka, Fukuoka (and via a subway through service, Fukuoka itself) to Karatsu Station in Karatsu, Saga, and from Yamamoto Station in Karatsu to Imari Station in Imari, ...

***

Komanaki Station is a railway station on the Chikuhi Line operated by JR Kyushu, located in Imari, Saga Prefecture, Japan. Lines The station is served by the western section of the Chikuhi Line and is 11.0 km from the starting point of this section at . ...

Ōkawano Station is a railway station in Ōkawa-machi Ōkawano, Imari, Saga Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by JR Kyushu and is on the Chikuhi Line. Lines The station is served by the western section of the Chikuhi Line and is 12.9 km from the starting p ...

- Hizen-Nagano Station -

Momonokawa Station is a railway station located in Imari, Saga Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by JR Kyushu and is on the Chikuhi Line. Lines The station is served by the western section of the Chikuhi Line and is 17.4 km from the starting point of this se ...

Kanaishihara Station is a railway station located in Imari, Saga Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by JR Kyushu and is on the Chikuhi Line. Lines The station is served by the western section of the Chikuhi Line and is 19.7 km from the starting point of this se ...

- Kami-Imari Station -

Imari Station is a train station located in Imari City, Saga Prefecture, Japan. It is a transfer station between the JR Kyushu Chikuhi Line and the third-sector Matsuura Railway Nishi-Kyushu Line. Lines Imari is the western terminus of the western secti ...

Matsuura Railway is a third-sector railway company in Nagasaki and Saga Prefecture in Japan. Lines The railway company operates the 93.8 km Nishi-Kyushu Line from in Saga Prefecture to in Nagasaki Prefecture, with 57 stations. Principal investors * Nag ...

Nishi-Kyūshū Line The is a Japanese railway line operated by the private railway operator Matsuura Railway, which connects Arita in Saga Prefecture with Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture. This is the westernmost railway line in Japan, with Tabira-Hiradoguchi Station b ...

*** Kanatake Station - Kawahigashi Station -

- Higashiyamashiro Station - Sato Station - Kusuku Station - Naruishi Station - Kubara Station -

Haze Station is a train station located in Imari, Saga Prefecture, Japan. It is on the Nishi-Kyūshū Line which has been operated by the third-sector Matsuura Railway since 1988. Lines * Matsuura Railway ** Nishi-Kyūshū Line Trains on this branch termin ...

Uranosaki Station is a railway station in Yamashiro-chō Tachiiwa, Imari City, Saga Prefecture. It is operated by Matsuura Railway and is on the Nishi-Kyūshū Line. The station is popular with photographers and railfans due to an abundance of cherry blossoms ...

Fukushimaguchi Station is a train station located in Imari, Saga Prefecture, Japan. It is on the Nishi-Kyūshū Line which has been operated by the third-sector Matsuura Railway since 1988. Lines * Matsuura Railway ** Nishi-Kyūshū Line Trains on this branch termin ...

The main station is Imari Station.

Road

Expressways Expressway may refer to: *Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic. *Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road. *Expressway, the fictional slide ...

: **There are no expressway interchanges in Imari. The closest is the

Nagasaki Expressway is one of the Expressways of Japan from Tosu to Nagasaki. It runs through the prefecture of Saga, and the southern half of the Nagasaki prefecture. The total length is 120.4 km. History * November 16, 1973, Tosu Interchange and Junction ...

Takeo-Kitagata Interchange. *

National highways National Highways, formerly the Highways Agency and later Highways England, is a State-owned enterprise, government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving Roads in England, motorways and major A roads in England. It al ...

: ** Route 202 **

Route 204 The following highways are numbered 204: Canada * Manitoba Provincial Road 204 * Newfoundland and Labrador Route 204 * Nova Scotia Route 204 * Prince Edward Island Route 204 * Quebec Route 204 China * China National Highway 204 Costa Rica ...

** Route 498 * Prefectural roads: **Saga Prefectural Route 5 (Imari-Matsuura) **Saga Prefectural Route 32 (Hatagawachi-Chikushino) **Saga Prefectural Route 321 (Kurokawa-Matsushima)

Sea

The port of Imari is a medium size port which receives ocean ships of various types, including container ships, dry bulk ships, cruise ships...etc

. The port of Imari is also the location of the main shipyard of Nomura Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., an

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

based shipbuilding and repair compan

Pottery

* Ōkawachiyama, 'The Village of the Secret Kilns', used to be the home of the

Nabeshima clan is a Japanese samurai kin group. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Nabeshima", ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p.38 retrieved 2013-5-5. History The clan controlled Saga Do ...

kilns, with masters such as

Hatase Buemon Hatase Buemon was a Japanese potter. He was the son of Hatase Jūbei. Hatase Jūbei worked for the famed Nabeshima Katsushige (1580–1657) who was the lord of the Saga Domain. Nabeshima opened the first porcelain kiln in the Arita area of Iwat ...

and

Sakaida Kakiemon Sakaida Kakiemon (), or Sakaida Kizaemon (1596 — 1666) was a Japanese potter who invented the style known after him as Kakiemon. He worked in association with Higashijima Tokue, and created the first enamelled porcelain in Japan. Biography ...

The Imari Pear

Imari is the largest

Japanese pear ''Pyrus pyrifolia'' is a species of pear tree native to East Asia. The tree's edible fruit is known by many names, including: Asian pear, Japanese pear, Chinese pear, Korean pear, Taiwanese pear, apple pear, zodiac pear, three-halves pear, pa ...

producing center in western Japan. The cultivation of the Japanese pear from Imari (), which originated in the Ōkawa area 100 years ago, has spread out to the Minamihata area and other areas of the city. Today, they are produced over about 350 hectares of land, and their quantity of production was about 4800 tons per year as of 2007. Ōkawa originally had little rice fields, but in 1906 this led the chairman of the Ōkawa Junior Chamber of Commerce, Takeji Fujita and 11 other people to spearhead the reclamation of forest lands and the cultivation of Japanese pears as a cash crop in Ōkawa. Since then the production and the crop acreage of Imari ''nashi'' have increased. According to the latest municipal statistics, the production is the fifth and the acreage is the third in the nation. The characteristics of Imari ''nashi'' are juiciness and crispness. Thanks to the adoption of light sensor systems for fruit sorting, only those which are of excellent quality can be selected and are shipped to Kantō, Kansai, and Kyūshū districts. Recently export to China has started and been promoted. The main brands of Imari nashi are Kosui, Hosui, and Niitaka. The most produced is Kosui, but Hosui is the most popular brand of the three.

Festivals

The Imari Ton-Ten-Ton Festival is held annually for three days from October 22 to 24, beginning at the Imari Shrine in Imari City. The festival is well known as one of the three great fighting festivals of Japan.

People from Imari

Fujiko (actress) , real name or , born 5 March 1980, is Japanese actress and model. Selected filmography * ''MPD Psycho'' (2000 TV) * ''Visitor Q'' (2001) * '' Strange Circus'' (2005) * '' Manji'' (2006 remake) * ''Tokyo Daigaku Monogatari is a Japan ...

* Tatsuo Ikeda - avant-garde artist *

Sayuri Katayama is a Japanese singer, stage actress and songwriter. She has played the role of Kou Seiya in the Sailor Moon musicals. As a songwriter, she is known as Sayuri. Personal life Sayuri studied at Horikoshi High School as a student, and knew Nana Mi ...

- singer * Kyohei Maeyama - Footballer for

Blaublitz Akita is a Japanese professional association football team based in Akita, Akita Prefecture. In 2014 they entered the J3 League after previously playing in the Japan Football League, the third tier of the Japanese association football league system. ...

* Ryosuke Mizumachi - Basketball player for

Akita Northern Happinets The Akita Northern Happinets are a Japanese professional basketball team based in Akita that competes in the Eastern Conference of the First Division of the B.League. The team was formed as an expansion team of the bj league in 2010 and found succ ...

Taichiro Morinaga Taichiro Morinaga (1865–1937) was a Japanese philanthropist and entrepreneur. In 1899, he founded what would become Morinaga & Co, the first modern candy company in Japan, and the first to mass-produce chocolates in the country. Now known for ...

- Morinaga & Co founder * Yōsuke Takasu - baseball player *

Masayuki Tanaka is a Japanese singer. He was born in Imari, Saga Prefecture. He is one of the two original vocalists of the band , known for their anime soundtracks such as where Tanaka provided the vocals in the chorus of its opening theme. After leaving Cryst ...

- singer

References

External links

Imari City official website
{{Authority control Cities in Saga Prefecture Port settlements in Japan Populated coastal places in Japan