was a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

located in Mima District,

Tokushima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 682,439 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,146 Square kilometre, km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture b ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. As of 2003, the village had an estimated

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 1,414 and a

density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the ratio of a substance's mass to its volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' (or ''d'') can also be u ...

of 14.45 persons per km². The total area was 97.88 km². On March 1, 2005, Ichiu, along with the towns of Handa and Sadamitsu (all from Mima District), was merged to create the town of Tsurugi.

Geography

Ichiu is dominated by steep and relatively tall mountains. The town is situated on the upper part of the Sadamitsu River.

Education

Ichiu has one junior high school, and one elementary school, Komi Elementary. Due to lack of students, Ichiu Junior High School closed in spring 2010.

Sightseeing

*Ichiu is known as "The Land of Giant Trees," and is home to a number of large, old trees. "Akabane Taishi no Enoki" is the oldest hackberry tree in Japan at an estimated 800 years old; it has a circumference of 8.7 meters. Ichiu is also home to Shikoku's oldest horse chestnut and Japanese red pine. *Dogama is a series of pools, rapids and waterfalls formed as the Sadamitsu river flows through a

slot canyon A slot canyon is a long, narrow channel or drainageway with sheer rock walls that are typically eroded into either sandstone or other sedimentary rock. A slot canyon has depth-to-width ratios that typically exceed 10:1 over most of its length and ...

. It is notable for the deep blue-green color of its water. * Mount Tsurugi and the

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

may be accessed via Route 438 through Ichiu.

Transportation

Japanese National Route

438 Year 438 (Roman numerals, CDXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Theodosius II, Theodosius and Anicius Acilius Glabrio Faustus, Glabrio (or, less frequ ...

is the main road in Ichiu. Ichiu is served by local buses.

External links

Tsurugi official website
(in Japanese)

(in Japanese) Dissolved municipalities of Tokushima Prefecture Tsurugi, Tokushima {{Tokushima-geo-stub