Asago - Asago

This is the name of a former town (Asago-cho) in Asago County, central Hyogo Prefecture. It is currently a district occupying the central-western part of Asago City. The former Asago Town was established in 1954 (Showa 29) when the villages of Nakagawa and Yamaguchi merged and became a town. The town took its name from the county. In 2005 (Heisei 17), it merged with the towns of Ikuno, Santo, and Wadayama and became a city, becoming Asago City. Located in the Bantan Mountains, the Maruyama River runs through the center of the former town area from south to north, and the JR Bantan Line, National Route 312, and the Bantan Link Road run through this valley, connecting Tajima and Harima. National Route 312 branches off into National Route 429 at Tateno. Mikobata has been actively producing silver since the end of the 15th century and was even a government-run mine for a time, but later became an ore-dressing facility for the Akenobe Mine (Yabu City).

The town's main industries are agriculture, forestry and mining, but with the rationalization of Akenobe mining, the population dropped sharply in 1971, and the Okutataragi Power Station, a pumped-storage power station completed in 1975, became a pillar of the town's economic development. Expansion work on this power station was completed in 1998 (Heisei 10), and with a maximum output of 1.93 million kilowatts, it became one of Japan's leading pumped-storage power stations. The Akenobe Mine closed in 1987. The Mikobata Cast Iron Bridge, built by foreign engineers in 1885 (Meiji 18), is a nationally designated important cultural property, and the large Yashiro zelkova tree is a national natural monument.

[Mamoru Otsuki]

"History of Asago Town, Volumes 1 and 2 (1981-1982, Asago Town)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

兵庫県中央部、朝来郡にあった旧町名（朝来町(ちょう)）。現在は朝来市の中西部を占める一地区。旧朝来町は1954年（昭和29）中川、山口の両村が合併、町制を施行して成立。郡名をとって町名とした。2005年（平成17）生野(いくの)、山東(さんとう)、和田山(わだやま)の3町と合併、市制を施行して朝来市となる。播但(ばんたん)山地に位置し、円山(まるやま)川が旧町域中央部を南から北へ貫流し、この谷をJR播但線と国道312号、播但連絡道路が走って、但馬(たじま)と播磨(はりま)を結ぶ。国道312号は立野(たての)で国道429号を分岐する。神子畑(みこばた)は15世紀末から銀を盛んに産出し、一時官営鉱山ともなったが、その後、明延(あけのべ)鉱山（養父(やぶ)市）の選鉱場となる。

　農業、林業と鉱業が中心であるが、明延鉱業の合理化に伴い、1971年には人口も激減し、1975年に完成した揚水式発電所の奥多々良木発電所(おくたたらぎはつでんしょ)は、町勢振興の柱となった。この発電所は1998年（平成10）に増設工事が完了、最大出力193万キロワットと日本有数の揚水式発電所となった。1987年には明延鉱山が閉山。1885年（明治18）に外国人技師の架けた神子畑鋳鉄橋は国指定重要文化財、八代(やしろ)の大ケヤキは国の天然記念物である。

［大槻　守］

『『朝来町史』上下（1981～1982・朝来町）』

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