Tonoshō
土庄町 | |
---|---|
Town | |
Coordinates: 34°29′N 134°11′E / 34.483°N 134.183°E | |
Country | Japan |
Region | Shikoku |
Prefecture | Kagawa Prefecture |
District | Shōzu |
Government | |
• Mayor | Yoshiyuki Okano |
Area | |
• Total | 74.38 km2 (28.72 sq mi) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 12,915 |
• Density | 170/km2 (450/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
City hall address | 559-2 Kō, Tonoshō-chō, Shōzu-gun, Kagawa-ken 761-4192 |
Website | www |
Symbols | |
Flower | Azalea |
Mascot | Olive Shimachan |
Tree | Ubame oak (Quercus phillyraeoides) |
Tonoshō (土庄町, Tonoshō-chō) is a town and port in Shōzu District, Kagawa, Japan, with a population of 12,915.[1] The town lies on the west coast of the island of Shōdoshima—the second-largest island in the Seto Inland Sea—and it is the main passenger access for the island.[2] First settled around the 8th century,[3] the town center grew into a complex maze of streets during the war-torn Muromachi period (1336–1573) to inhibit enemy forces.[4] The town was officially incorporated in 1898,[5] and today sesame oil, olives, sōmen noodles, fishing and tourism are important industries.[6]
The town's jurisdiction totals 74.38 km2,[3] covering historic Tonoshō and smaller settlements on western Shōdoshima, as well as Teshima, Odeshima, and other nearby islands.[5]
The town is known as the setting of the manga and anime Teasing Master Takagi-san and is the creator's hometown.[7] Tonoshō also participates in the regional Setouchi Triennale art festival, and several art installations are found in the area.[8]
Per Japanese census data,[9] the population of Tonoshō has roughly halved over the past half-century.
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1970 | 22,037 | — |
1980 | 21,398 | −2.9% |
1990 | 20,191 | −5.6% |
2000 | 17,711 | −12.3% |
2010 | 15,123 | −14.6% |
2020 | 12,846 | −15.1% |
Modern Tonoshō includes all of western Shodoshima, Teshima, and surrounding islands.