Takahama (高浜町, ''Takahama-chō'') is a coastal town in

Fukui Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Fukui Prefecture has a population of 737,229 (1 January 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,190 Square kilometre, km2 (1,617 sq mi). Fukui Prefecture border ...

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 ...

, known for its beautiful beaches, scenic mountain views, and rich natural surroundings. Overlooking the tranquil waters of Wakasa Bay, Takahama is a popular destination for swimming, hiking, and enjoying fresh seafood. One of its most iconic landmarks is Mount Aoba, often referred to as the "Mount Fuji of Wakasa" for its elegant silhouette. As of 1 June 2018, the town had an estimated population of 10,490 in 4,278 households, with a population density of 63 persons per km². The total area of the town is 72.40 square kilometres (27.95 sq mi).

Geography

Takahama is located in the far southwestern corner of Fukui Prefecture, bordered by

Kyoto Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Kyoto Prefecture has a population of 2,561,358 () and has a geographic area of . Kyoto Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the northeast, Shiga Prefecture ...

to the west and the heavily indented

ria A ria (; , feminine noun derived from ''río'', river) is a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley. It is a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea. Definitions Typically rias have a dendriti ...

coast of

Wakasa Bay is a bay located in the Chūbu region of Japan, and spans the coasts of Kyoto Prefecture, and Fukui Prefecture. Geography Wakasa Bay is the area south of the straight line from Cape Kyoga on the west of Tango Peninsula to Cape Echizen on the e ...

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...

to the north. Parts of the town are within the borders of the

Wakasa Wan Quasi-National Park is a Quasi-National Park in Fukui and Kyōto Prefectures, Japan. Established in 1955, the central feature of the park is the ria coast of Wakasa Bay. In 2005 an area of of wetland in the Mikata Lakes was designated a Ramsar Site. Sites of ...

Neighbouring municipalities

*Fukui Prefecture ** Ōi *

Ayabe Ayabe (Japanese:綾部) may refer to: Places *Ayabe, Kyoto, a city in the Kyoto Prefecture. * Ayabe Domain, a feudal domain in Japan during the Edo period * Mount Ayabe, a mountain in Tatsuno, Hyōgo, Japan People * Kakeru Ayabe (綾部翔, born ...

Maizuru is a city in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 78,644 in 34,817 households and a population density of 230 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Maizuru is located in northern Kyoto Prefectu ...

Climate

Takahama has a Humid climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm, wet summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Takahama is 14.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1930 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.3 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.7 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,Takahama population statistics
/ref> the population of Takahama has declined slightly over the past 30 years.

History

Takahama is part of ancient

Wakasa Province was a province of Japan in the area that is today the southwestern portion of Fukui Prefecture in the Hokuriku region of Japan. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Wakasa''" in . Wakasa bordered on Echizen, Ōmi, Tanba, Tango, and Yamash ...

. During the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

, the area was part of the holdings of Obama Domain. 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 Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

, it was organised into part of Ōi District in Fukui Prefecture. With the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the village of Takahama was established. Takahama was elevated to town status on April 1, 1912. On February 11, 1955, Takahama annexed the neighbouring villages of Aonogō, Wada and Uchiura.

Economy

The economy of Takahama, previously dependent on

commercial fishing Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for Commerce, commercial Profit (economics), profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice ...

and agriculture is now very heavily dependent on the

nuclear power industry Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by ...

. The partial closure of the

Takahama Nuclear Power Plant The is a nuclear power plant located in the town of Takahama, Ōi District, Fukui Prefecture. It is owned and operated by the Kansai Electric Power Company and is on a site with an area of about 1 km2. The four pressurized water reactors ...

since the 2011

Fukushima Nuclear Disaster The Fukushima nuclear accident was a major nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan, which began on 11 March 2011. The cause of the accident was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which ...

has adversely affected the local economy.

Education

Takahama has four public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school.

Transportation

Railway

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...

Obama Line The is a railway line on the Sea of Japan coast of central Japan. It is operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The long single track railway connects Tsuruga Station on the Hokuriku Main Line in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture and Higa ...

** , , ,

Highway

International relations

Boryeong } Boryeong (; ), commonly known as Daecheon, is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Boryeong is known around Korea for its beaches, particularly Daecheon Beach, and the annual Boryeong Mud Festival around July. The city's beach-m ...

South Chungcheong South Chungcheong Province (), informally called Chungnam, is a province of South Korea in the Hoseo region in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. South Chungcheong borders the provinces of Gyeonggi to the north, North Chungcheong, Sejong ...

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

, friendship city since November 3, 1990

References

External links

* * {{Fukui Towns in Fukui Prefecture Populated coastal places in Japan