270px, Sakaide City Hall 270px, Aerial view of Sakaide city center 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

Kagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kagawa Prefecture has a population of 949,358 (as of 2020) and is the smallest prefecture by geographic area at . Kagawa Prefecture borders Ehime Prefecture to the southwest and Tok ...

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 ...

. , the city had an estimated population of 49,439 in 21347 households 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 and a population density of 530 persons per km². The total area of the city is .

Geography

Sakaide is located in north-center Kagawa Prefecture, on the island of

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...

, facing the

Seto Inland Sea The , sometimes shortened to the Inland Sea, is the body of water separating Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū, three of the four main islands of Japan. It serves as a waterway connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan. It connects to Osaka ...

to the north. The northern part of the city is flat and low elevation, with parts on

reclaimed land Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new Terrestrial ecoregion, land from oceans, list of seas, seas, Stream bed, riverbeds or lak ...

. The city includes part of the

Shiwaku Islands The or are an archipelago in the Seto Inland Sea, between the larger Japanese islands of Honshu and Shikoku. The group is situated between Okayama Prefecture and Kagawa Prefecture in the western Bisan Seto and consists of 28 islands of various ...

, including a number of islands which are connected by the

Great Seto Bridge The is a series of double deck bridges connecting Okayama and Kagawa prefectures in Japan across a series of five small islands in the Seto Inland Sea. Built over the period 1978–88, it is one of the three routes of the Honshū–Shikoku Bri ...

. The southern part of the city is hill, and as with many other cities and towns in Kagawa Prefecture, there are many reservoirs.

Fuchu Dam Fuchu Dam ( ja, 府中ダム ) is a dam in Fuchu Town, Sakaide, Kagawa 270px, Sakaide City Hall 270px, Aerial view of Sakaide city center is a city located in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 49,439 in 21347 h ...

constructed on the main stream of the Ayagawa River, creates Lake Fuchu. Mount Iino, nicknamed ''Sanuki Fuji'' located on the border between Marugame and Sakaide and is one of the "Sanuki Seven Fujis". The

connects the city with

Kurashiki is a historic city located in western Okayama Prefecture, Japan, sitting on the Takahashi River, on the coast of the Inland Sea. As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 483,576 and a population density of 1,400 persons per ...

Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,906,464 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefectur ...

across the Seto Inland Sea.

Neighbouring municipalities

Kagawa Prefecture *

Takamatsu 270px, Takamatsu City Hall 270px, Aerial view of Takamatsu city center 270px, View from Yashima to Takashima port is a city located in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 414,134 in 190120 households and a popul ...

Marugame 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. The total area of the city is . Geography Marugame is located in north-ce ...

Utazu is a town located in Ayauta District, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 18,687 in 8932 households and a population density of 2300 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Geography Utazu is locate i ...

* Ayagawa

Climate

Sakaide has a

Humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Sakaide is 15.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1439 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around 26.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around 5.4 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Sakaide has been declining steadily since the 1980s.

History

The area of Sakaide was part of ancient

Sanuki Province was a province of Japan in the area of northeastern Shikoku. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Sanuki''" in . Sanuki bordered on Awa to the south, and Iyo to the west. Its abbreviated form name was . In terms of the Gokishichidō system, ...

and has been inhabited since ancient times, with many

kofun are megalithic tombs or tumuli in Northeast Asia. ''Kofun'' were mainly constructed in the Japanese archipelago between the middle of the 3rd century to the early 7th century CE.岡田裕之「前方後円墳」『日本古代史大辞典』� ...

burial mound Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

s found within the city limits. During the

Asuka period The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 (or 592 to 645), although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after t ...

the fortresss of Kiyama was constructed to guard against the possibility of invasion from

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

China. 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 ...

, the area was part of the holdings of

Takamatsu Domain 270px, Matsudaira Yoritoshi. pre-1903 270px, Takamatsu Castle Tsukimi Yagura was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, in what is now Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It was centered around Takamatsu Ca ...

, and once flourished as a center for salt production. Following the

Meiji restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

, the town of Sakaide was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on February 15, 1890. It was elevated to city status on July 1, 1942.

Government

Sakaide has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one. Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multic ...

city council of 20 members. Sakaide, together with Utazu, contributes three members to the Kagawa Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Kagawa 2nd district of the

lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

of the

Diet of Japan The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...

Economy

Sakaide is an industry city, with shipbuilding and chemical industries, refineries and power stations located in the Bannoshu Rinkai Industrial Park, Hayashida-Agawahama Rinkai Industrial Park and other areas along the coast. Due to its position at the Shikoku end of the Great Seto Bridge, many logistics companies are concentrated are also concentrated in these areas.

Education

Sakaide has 12 public elementary schools and five public middle schools operated by the city government, and one each by the national government. The city has three public high schools operated by the Kagawa Prefectural Board of Education, and the prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

Transportation

Railways

JR Shikoku The , commonly known as , is the smallest of the seven constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates of intercity and local rail services in the four prefectures on the island of Shikoku in Japan. The company has it ...

Yosan Line The is the principal railway line on the island of Shikoku in Japan, connecting the major cities of Shikoku, and via the Honshi-Bisan Line, with Honshu. It is operated by the Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku), and is aligned approximately pa ...

Seto-Ōhashi Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku) in Japan which links Okayama Station in Okayama Prefecture with Takamatsu Station in Kagawa Prefectu ...

Marine Liner The is a rapid train service in Japan operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku) since April 1988. The ''Marine Liner'' links Okayama, the capital city of Okayama Prefecture and a major station on ...

* - - -

Highways

Seto-Chūō Expressway The is a tolled Expressways of Japan, expressway that connects Okayama Prefecture, Okayama and Kagawa Prefecture, Kagawa prefectures in Japan across a series of five small islands in the Seto Inland Sea. Built between 1978 and 1988, it is one of t ...

Takamatsu Expressway The is an expressway in the Shikoku region of Japan. The expressway is numbered E11. Overview The expressway is an important route connecting the greater Osaka area with Takamatsu, the capital of Kagawa Prefecture. Beyond Takamatsu, the rout ...

* * *

Sister city relations

* -

Sausalito Sausalito (Spanish for "small willow grove") is a city in Marin County, California, United States, located southeast of Marin City, south-southeast of San Rafael, and about north of San Francisco from the Golden Gate Bridge. Sausalito's p ...

, California, USA since February 2, 1988 * -

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making ...

, USA, friendship city since April 12, 1996

Local attractions

Kagawa Prefectural Higashiyama Kaii Setouchi Art Museum Kagawa Prefectural Higashiyama Kaii Setouchi Art Museum ( ja, 香川県立東山魁夷せとうち美術館, Kagawa Kenritsu Higashiyama Kaii Setouchi Bijutsukan) is an art museum dedicated to Japanese painting master Kaii Higashiyama. The museu ...

, (

Kaii Higashiyama was a Japanese writer and artist particularly renowned for his Nihonga style paintings. As one of the most popular artists in post-war Japan, Higashiyama was awarded the Japan Art Academy Prize in 1956 and the Order of Culture in 1969. Biograph ...

`s Art Museum) *

Kandani Shrine Kandani Shrine (神谷神社, ''Kandani jinja'') is a Shinto shrine located in Sakaide, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. It enshrines the kami Kagu-tsuchi (火結命), Okitsuhiko no mikoto (奥津彦命), and Okitsuhime no mikoto (奥津姫命). Accordin ...

* Mount Iino (Kagawa's

Mount Fuji , or Fugaku, located on the island of Honshū, is the highest mountain in Japan, with a summit elevation of . It is the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia (after Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra), and seventh-highest p ...

) * Kiyama (A castle ruin of

Yamato was originally the area around today's Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a name for the whole of Japan. Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial House of Japan. Japanese his ...

court) * Shōtsu-ji Castle (A castle ruin,

Ikoma Chikamasa Ikoma Chikamasa (生駒親正, 1526 – March 25, 1603) was a Japanese ''daimyō'' during the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods around the turn of the 17th century. His father was Ikoma Chikashige. Chikamasa was appointed one of the san-''chūrō ...

and

Sengoku Hidehisa , childhood name Gonbei (権兵衛) was a samurai warrior of the Sengoku period and the Edo period. He was the head of the Komoro Domain in Shinano Province. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie du J ...

were commander of the castle) * Tomb of

Emperor Sutoku was the 75th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 崇徳天皇 (75)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Sutoku's reign spanned the years from 1123 through 1142. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chry ...

* Tennō-ji, 79th temple on the

Shikoku Pilgrimage The or is a multi-site pilgrimage of 88 temples associated with the Buddhist monk Kūkai (''Kōbō Daishi'') on the island of Shikoku, Japan. A popular and distinctive feature of the island's cultural landscape, and with a long histor ...

.) * Shiromine-ji, 81st temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage *

(Lake Fuchu) *

Gallery

File:SanukiFuji 02.jpg, Mountain Iino File:Fuchuko20070519 (1).JPG, Lake Fuchu File:Kphsam01s3872.jpg, Kaii Higashiyama Art Museum File:Sutokutenno Shiraminegoryo 01.JPG, Memorial Shinto shrine and mausoleum honoring Emperor Sutoku File:Shiraminegu 01.JPG, Shiramine Shrine File:Sirominezi 11.jpg, Shiromine-ji Temple File:Mount Ki (Kagawa), zenkei.jpg, Kiyama File:Kiyama Castle (Sanuki), Jomon.jpg, Kiyama's gate and stone wall

Festivals

*Sakaide

Tengu are a type of legendary creature found in Japanese folk religion (Shinto). They are considered a type of ''yōkai'' (supernatural beings) or Shinto ''kami'' (gods). The ''Tengu'' were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey and a ...

Festival *Sakaide Salt Festival (May) *Sakaide Ohashi Festival (August)

Noted people from Sakaide

Juichi Tsushima Juichi Tsushima ( ja, 津島壽一) (1888–1967) was the 7th President of the Japanese Olympic Committee (1959–1962). He was a graduate of the University of Tokyo , abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bun ...

, former Head of the Japan Olympic Committee

References

External links

* Cities in Kagawa Prefecture Port settlements in Japan Populated coastal places in Japan {{Kagawa-geo-stub