Kagawa Prefecture

Japanese: 香川[県] - かがわ

A prefecture in the northeast of Shikoku, facing the Seto Inland Sea. The prefectural capital is Takamatsu City. It has an area of ^{1,876.72 km2} (the smallest of all prefectures). It has a population of 995,842 (2010). [History] Formerly part of Sanuki Province, it was divided into the Takamatsu Domain (Matsudaira clan), Marugame Domain (Kyogoku clan), and Tadotsu Domain (a branch of the Kyogoku clan) during the Edo period, and islands such as Shodo Island were under the control of the Kurashiki magistrate. In 1871, the Tadotsu Domain became Kurashiki Prefecture, and both Takamatsu and Marugame Domains became prefectures. In the same year, they were integrated into Kagawa Prefecture, merged with Ehime and Tokushima Prefectures, and after being separated again, the current prefectural boundaries were established in 1888. [Nature] The Sanuki Mountains, which form the border with Tokushima Prefecture, stretch from east to west in the south, and plateaus and hills from the central part north reach the Seto Inland Sea, forming Shodoshima and Teshima, with the Sanuki Plain formed by alluvial rivers between them. The plain is divided into four parts, with the central Takamatsu Plain being the largest. The rivers are short and steeply sloped, so they are not used much, and there are many irrigation ponds scattered around. The climate is Seto Inland Sea-style, with warm temperatures and little rain. [Industry] The population breakdown by industry is 7.1% primary, 26.6% secondary, and 65.4% tertiary (2005). About 7% of the working population is engaged in agriculture, but the scale is small and many people have multiple jobs. In addition to rice, wheat, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, and other vegetables are cultivated in the plains, and mandarin oranges, grapes, peaches, and other fruit trees are cultivated at the foot of the plateau. Flowers, plants and bonsai are cultivated in the outskirts of Takamatsu City and on islands such as Shodoshima. The Kagawa Irrigation Canal, which uses Sameura Dam as its water source, has been flowing since 1974, but has not yet resolved the chronic water shortage. Forestry is sluggish. The fishing industry has a low catch but is rich in fish species, and yellowtail, known for being a pioneer in this area, is cultivated, as well as sea bream, kuruma prawns, seaweed, oysters and pearls. Salt production was once thriving and was known as one of the three whites of Sanuki, but now the coastal areas have become industrial zones due to the closure of salt fields and the relocation and reclamation of land. Oil, shipbuilding, electrical equipment, food and chemical factories are located in the coastal cities of Takamatsu, Sakaide, Marugame and Kannonji. Specialties include gloves from Okawa District, soy sauce from Shodoshima, somen noodles and udon noodles from various regions. Major tourist spots include the Great Seto Bridge, Kotohira Shrine in Kotohira Town, Mt. Zozu, Yashima and Shodoshima which are part of the Setonaikai National Park, and Ritsurin Park in Takamatsu City. [Transportation] The Yosan Line, National Route 11, and Takamatsu Expressway run almost along the Setouchi coast, connecting major cities, and the Kotoku Line and Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railway lines branch off from Takamatsu, while the Dosan Line branches off from Tadotsu. There are also routes to and from Hanshin, centering around Takamatsu Port. In 1988, the Kojima-Sakai Route of the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge (Great Seto Bridge) was opened, connecting the Great Seto Bridge Line and the Setouchi Chuo Expressway. New Takamatsu Airport was completed in 1989, opening a route to Seoul and becoming Shikoku's first international airport.
→Related topics Sanuki udon | Shikoku region

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

四国北東部，瀬戸内海に面する県。県庁所在地は高松市。1876.72km²（都道府県中最小）。99万5842人（2010）。〔沿革〕　かつての讃岐(さぬき)国に当たり，江戸時代高松藩（松平氏），丸亀藩（京極氏），多度津藩（京極氏支藩）に分かれ，小豆(しょうど)島などの島々は倉敷代官の支配地であった。1871年多度津藩領は倉敷県，高松・丸亀両藩はともに県となり，同年香川県として統合，愛媛・徳島両県との合併，再分離の後1888年現県域となった。〔自然〕　南部は徳島県との境をなす讃岐山脈が東西にのび，中部以北は台地と丘陵で瀬戸内海に達し，小豆島，豊島(てしま)などを形成，その間に河川の沖積による讃岐平野がある。平野部は四つに分かれ，中央の高松平野が最大。河川は短く勾配が大きいため利用度が低く，灌漑(かんがい)用溜池(ためいけ)が数多く散在。瀬戸内式気候で温暖少雨。〔産業〕　産業別人口構成は第１次7.1％，第２次26.6％，第３次65.4％（2005）。就業人口の約７％が農業に従事するが，規模は小さく兼業が多い。平野部では米作のほか小麦やレタス，タマネギ，キュウリなどの野菜，台地の山麓ではミカン，ブドウ，モモなどの果樹を栽培する。高松市近郊や小豆島などの島々では花卉(かき)，植木・盆栽なども作られる。早明浦(さめうら)ダムを水源とする香川用水が1974年から通水されたが，慢性的水不足の解消には至っていない。林業は不振。漁業は漁獲高は少ないが魚種に富み，先進地として知られるハマチの養殖をはじめ，タイ，クルマエビ，ノリ，カキ，真珠の養殖が行われる。かつて盛んであった製塩は讃岐三白の一つとして知られたが，現在では塩田廃止による転用や埋立てにより，臨海部は工場地帯になっている。沿岸都市の高松，坂出，丸亀，観音寺に石油，造船，電機，食品，化学などの工場が立地する。特産に大川郡の手袋，小豆島の醤油，そうめん，各地のうどんがある。主要観光地は瀬戸大橋，琴平町の金刀比羅(ことひら)宮，象頭(ぞうず)山，瀬戸内海国立公園に属する屋島と小豆島，高松市の栗林(りつりん)公園など。〔交通〕　ほぼ瀬戸内海岸沿いに予讃線と国道11号線，高松自動車道が通じ主要都市を結び，高松から高徳線，高松琴平電鉄各線，多度津から土讃線が分岐する。高松港を中心に阪神との航行もある。1988年には本州四国連絡橋児島・坂出ルート（瀬戸大橋）が開通し，瀬戸大橋線，瀬戸中央自動車道が通じた。1989年新高松空港が完成，ソウルとの航路も開かれ，四国初の国際空港になった。
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