text:
Yuge, Ehime

Yuge (弓削町) was a town located in Ochi District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

The municipality consisted of the four inhabited islands of Yugeshima, Sashima, Teshima, and Hyakkanjima. The town office was located in Yugeshima (now Kamishima Town Hall).

Yugeshima Village was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on December 15, 1889. In September 1895, Uoshima became a separate village. Yuge was elevated to town status on January 1, 1953.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 3,683 and a density of 312.91 persons per km2. The total area was 11.77 km2.

On October 1, 2004, the town of Yuge was merged with the villages of Ikina, Iwagi and Uoshima (all from Ochi District) to create the town of Kamijima and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

title: Yuge, Ehime


text:
Ikina, Ehime

Ikina (生名村) was a village located in Ochi District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

Ikina's total area was 3.87 km2. As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 1,982 and a density of 512.14 persons per km2.

On October 1, 2004, Ikina, along with the town of Yuge, and the villages of Iwagi and Uoshima (all from Ochi District), was merged to create the town of Kamijima and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Ikina, Ehime


text:
Iwagi, Ehime

Iwagi (岩城村) was a village located in Ochi District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

Iwagi's total area was 11.51 km2. As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 2,214 and a density of 192.35 persons per km2.

On October 1, 2004, Iwagi, along with the town of Yuge, and the villages of Ikina and Uoshima (all from Ochi District), was merged to create the town of Kamijima. Iwagi no longer exists as an independent municipality, although it remains the unofficial name for the island proper, as the other merged municipalities are on other islands.

title: Iwagi, Ehime


text:
Kamiura, Ehime

Kamiura (上浦町) was a town located in Ochi District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 3,517 and a density of 157.64 persons per km2. The total area was 22.31 km2.

On January 16, 2005, Kamiura, along with the towns of Hakata, Kikuma, Miyakubo, Namikata, Ōmishima, Ōnishi, Tamagawa and Yoshiumi, and the villages of Asakura and Sekizen (all from Ochi District), was merged into the expanded city of Imabari and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

title: Kamiura, Ehime


text:
Ōmishima, Ehime

Ōmishima (大三島町) was a town located in Ōmishima Island, Ochi District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 4,006 and a density of 92.45 persons per km2. The total area was 43.33 km2.

On January 16, 2005, Ōmishima, along with the towns of Hakata, Kamiura, Kikuma, Miyakubo, Namikata, Ōnishi, Tamagawa and Yoshiumi, and the villages of Asakura and Sekizen (all from Ochi District), was merged into the expanded city of Imabari and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

The island is the home of Ōyamazumi Shrine.

title: Ōmishima, Ehime


text:
Sekizen, Ehime

Sekizen (関前村) was a village located in Ochi District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 763 and a density of 138.22 persons per km2. The total area was 5.52 km2.

On January 16, 2005, Sekizen, along with the towns of Hakata, Kamiura, Kikuma, Miyakubo, Namikata, Ōmishima, Ōnishi, Tamagawa and Yoshiumi, and the village of Asakura (all from Ochi District), was merged into the expanded city of Imabari and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

title: Sekizen, Ehime


text:
Ochi District, Ehime

The Ochi District (越智郡) is a district located in Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2004 the total population of 8,419 with a total area is 30.35 km2.

It consists of one town:
 * Kamijima

History

 * September 12, 1895 — The village of Yuge broke off the village of Uoshima.
 * April 1, 1897 — The Noma District was absorbed into the Ochi District. (1 town, 38 villages)
 * July 1, 1899 — The village of Kameyama broke off from the village of Uzuura. (1 town, 39 villages)
 * January 1, 1908 — The village of Hashihama gained town status. (2 towns, 38 villages)
 * January 1, 1908 — The village of Kikuma gained town status. (3 towns, 37 villages)
 * October 1, 1917 — The village of Sakurai gained town status. (4 towns, 36 villages)
 * February 11, 1920 — The town of Imabari and the village of Hiyoshi merged to form the city of Imabari. (3 towns, 35 villages)
 * April 1, 1925 — The village of Kasen merged into the town of Kikuma. (3 towns, 34 villages)
 * February 11, 1933 — The village of Chikami merged into the city of Imabari. (3 towns, 33 villages)
 * January 1, 1940 — The village of Tachibana merged into the city of Imabari. (3 towns, 31 villages)
 * November 1, 1940 — The village of Higashihakata gained town status to become the town of Hakata. (4 towns, 31 villages)
 * August 1, 1952 — The village of Miyakubo gained town status. (5 towns, 30 villages)
 * January 1, 1953 — The village of Yuge gained town status. (6 towns, 29 villages)
 * March 31, 1954 — The villages of Nibukawa, Kuwa, Kanbe, and Ryūoka merged to form the village of Tamagawa. (6 towns, 26 villages)
 * March 31, 1954 The villages of Tsukura, Kameyama, Uzuura, and Ōyama merged to form the town of Yoshiumi. (7 towns, 23 villages)
 * March 31, 1954 — Parts of the village of Ōyama merged into the town of Miyakubo. (7 towns, 22 villages)
 * January 1, 1955 — The village of Nishihakata merged into the town of Hakata. (8 towns, 20 villages)
 * February 1, 1955 — The towns of Sakurai, Tomita, the villages of Shimizu, Hitaka, Noma, and the town of Hashihama merged into the city of Imabari. (6 towns, 16 villages)
 * March 31, 1955 — The villages of Ōi and Konishi merged to form the town of Ōnishi. (7 towns, 14 villages)
 * March 31, 1955 — The villages of Setozaki and Moriguchi merged to form the village of Kamiura. (7 towns, 13 villages)
 * March 31, 1955 — The villages of Kagami and Miyaura merged to form the town of Ōmishima. (8 towns, 11 villages)
 * March 31, 1955 — The village of Kameoka merged into the town of Kikuma. (8 towns, 10 villages)
 * August 1, 1955 — parts of the town of Yoshiumi (Umashima Island) merged into the city of Imabari.
 * March 31, 1956 — The villages of Kamiasakura and Shimoasakura merged to form the village of Asakura. (8 towns, 9 villages)
 * September 23, 1956 — The village of Okayama merged into the town of Ōmishima. (8 towns, 8 villages)
 * March 1, 1960 — The village of Namikata gained town status. (9 towns, 7 villages)
 * May 1, 1960 — Parts of Oura in the town of Namikata merged into the city of Imabari.
 * April 1, 1962 — The village of Tamagawa gained town status. (10 towns, 6 villages)
 * April 1, 1964 — The village of Kamiura gained town status. (10 towns, 5 villages)
 * October 1, 2004 — The towns of Yuge, and the villages of Ikina, Iwagi, and Uoshima merged to form the town of Kamijima. (10 towns, 2 villages)
 * January 16, 2005 — The towns of Hakata, Kamiura, Kikuma, Miyakubo, Namikata, Ōmishima, Ōnishi, Tamagawa and Yoshiumi, and the villages of Asakura and Sekizen merged into the expanded city of Imabari. (1 town)

title: Ochi District, Ehime


text:
Shigenobu, Ehime

Shigenobu (重信町) was a town located in Onsen District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 23,729 and a density of 235.90 persons per km2. The total area was 100.59 km2.

On September 21, 2004, Shigenobu, along with the town of Kawauchi (also from Onsen District), was merged to create the city of Tōon and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

title: Shigenobu, Ehime


text:
Kawauchi, Ehime

Kawauchi (川内町) was a town located in Onsen District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 11,159 and a density of 100.66 persons per km2. The total area was 110.86 km2.

On September 21, 2004, Kawauchi, along with the town of Shigenobu (also from Onsen District), was merged to create the city of Tōon and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

title: Kawauchi, Ehime


text:
Nakajima, Ehime

Nakajima (中島町) was a town located in Onsen District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 5,802 and a density of 155.63 persons per km2. The total area was 37.28 km2.

On January 1, 2005, Nakajima, along with the city of Hōjō, was merged into the expanded city of Matsuyama and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

title: Nakajima, Ehime


text:
Onsen District, Ehime

Onsen (温泉郡) was a district located in Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

The district had an estimated population of 40,690 and the total area was 248.73 km2 (combined calculations of the former towns of Shigenobu, Kawachi, and Nakajima).

History
This district was located in what is currently the center of Matsuyama. It was once known as the Yu District (湯郡), where yu means "hot water."

The district was named after the Dōgo Onsen.

 * Due to the 1878 Land Reforms, Kasahaya, Wake, and Kume Districts merged with Onsen District.
 * December 15, 1889 — Due to the city status enforcement, The city of Matsuyama was formed.
 * Around 1897 — Several villages from the Kamiukena District were reassigned to the Onsen District: Ukena, Ebara, Sakamoto, Minamiyoshii, Haishi, and Miuchi.
 * During 1897 — The village of Habu (from Iyo District) was reassigned to Onsen District.
 * During 1897 — The village of Yodo (from Iyo District) was reassigned to Onsen District. (2 towns, 40 towns)
 * November 28, 1898 — The village of Hōjō was elevated to town status. (3 towns, 39 villages)
 * October 1, 1914 — Parts of the village of Tateiwa was merged into the village of Asanami.
 * April 1, 1923 — The village of Dōgo split and merged into the city of Matsuyama and the town of Dōgoyuno (respectively). (3 towns, 38 villages)
 * May 10, 1925 — The village of Furumitsu was merged into the town of Mitsuhama. (3 towns, 37 villages)
 * February 11, 1926 — The villages of Soga, Yūgun, Asami and Miyuki were merged into the city of Matsuyama. (3 towns, 33 villages)
 * February 1, 1932, parts of the town of Dōgoyuno (former village of Dōgo areas) was merged into the city of Matsuyama.
 * June 1, 1937 — The village of Shinhama was merged into the town of Mitsuhama. (3 towns, 32 villages)
 * August 1, 1940 — The villages of Mibu, Kuwabara, Wake, Horie, Shiomi and Hisaeda, and the town of Mitsuhama were merged into the city of Matsuyama. (2 towns, 26 villages)
 * April 1, 1944 — The villages of Habu and Shōseki, and the town of Dōgoyuno were merged into the city of Matsuyama. (1 town, 24 villages)
 * April 1, 1951 — The town of Hōjō, and the villages of Nanba and Masaoka were merged to create the town of Hōjō. (1 town, 22 villages)
 * August 1, 1952 — The village of Higashinakajima was elevated to town status. (2 towns, 21 villages)
 * February 1, 1954 — The village of Gogoshima was merged into the city of Matsuyama. (2 towns, 20 villages)
 * October 1, 1954 — The village of Yodo was merged into the city of Matsuyama. (2 towns, 19 villages)
 * March 31, 1955 — The town of Hōjō, and the villages of Asanami, Tateiwa, Kōno and Awai were merged to create the town of Hōjō. (2 towns, 15 villages)
 * April 25, 1955 — The villages of Kawakami and Miuchi were merged to create the village of Kawauchi. (2 towns, 14 villages)
 * May 1, 1955 — The villages of Idai, Kume, Gomyō and Yuyama were merged into the city of Matsuyama. (2 towns, 12 villages)
 * September 1, 1956 — The villages of Kitayoshii, Minamiyoshii and Haishi were merged to create the town of Shigenobu. (3 towns, 9 villages)
 * September 1, 1956 — The village of Kawauchi and parts of the village of Nakagawa (from Shūsō District) were merged to create the town of Kawauchi. (4 towns, 8 villages)
 * September 30, 1956 — The villages of Ebara and Sakamoto were merged to create the village of Kutani. (4 towns, 7 villages)
 * November 1, 1958 — The town of Hōjō was elevated to city status, thus leaving the district. (3 towns, 7 villages)
 * March 31, 1959 — The village of Jinwa, and the town of Nakajima were merged to create the town of Nakajima. (3 towns, 6 villages)
 * April 10, 1959 — The village of Ukena was merged into the city of Matsuyama. (3 towns, 5 villages)
 * March 31, 1960 — The village of Mutsuno was merged into the town of Nakajima. (3 towns, 4 villages)
 * December 15, 1961 — The village of Ono was merged into the city of Matsuyama. (3 towns, 3 villages)
 * April 1, 1962 — The village of Ishii was merged into the city of Matsuyama. (3 towns, 2 villages)
 * March 31, 1963 — The village of Nishinakajima was merged into the town of Nakajima. (3 towns, 1 village)
 * October 25, 1968 — The village of Kutani was merged into the city of Matsuyama. (3 towns)
 * September 21, 2004 — The towns of Kawauchi and Shigenobu were merged to create the city of Tōon. (1 town)
 * January 1, 2005 — The town of Nakajima, along with the city of Hōjō, was merged into the expanded city of Matsuyama. Thus the Onsen District was dissolved.

title: Onsen District, Ehime


text:
Kuma, Ehime

Kuma (久万町) was a town located in Kamiukena District, Ehime, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 7,043 and a density of 42.71 persons per km2. The total area was 164.92 km2.

On August 1, 2004, Kuma, along with the villages of Mikawa, Omogo and Yanadani (all from Kamiukena District), was merged to create the town of Kumakōgen and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

title: Kuma, Ehime


text:
Omogo, Ehime

Omogo (面河村) was a village located in Kamiukena District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 809 and a density of 5.13 persons per square kilometer. The total area was 157.81 km2.

On August 1, 2004, Omogo, along with the town of Kuma, and the villages of Mikawa and Yanadani (all from Kamiukena District), was merged to create the town of Kumakōgen and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

title: Omogo, Ehime


text:
Mikawa, Ehime

Mikawa (美川村) was a village located in Kamiukena District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 2,232 and a density of 16.61 persons per km2. The total area was 134.38 km2.

On August 1, 2004, Mikawa, along with the town of Kuma, and the villages of Omogo and Yanadani (all from Kamiukena District), was merged to create the town of Kumakōgen and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

title: Mikawa, Ehime


text:
Yanadani, Ehime

Yanadani (柳谷村) was a village located in Kamiukena District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 1,214 and a density of 9.59 persons per km2. The total area was 126.55 km2.

On August 1, 2004, Yanadani, along with the town of Kuma, and the villages of Mikawa and Omogo (all from Kamiukena District), was merged to create the town of Kumakōgen and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

title: Yanadani, Ehime


text:
Oda, Ehime

Oda (小田町) was a town located in Kamiukena District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 3,555 and a density of 25.42 persons per km2. The total area was 139.84 km2.

On January 1, 2005, Oda, along with the town of Ikazaki (from Kita District), was merged into the expanded town of Uchiko and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

title: Oda, Ehime


text:
Kamiukena District, Ehime

Kamiukena (上浮穴郡) is a district located in Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2004, the estimated population is 11,222 with a total area of 583.66 km2.

It consists of one town.

 * Kumakōgen

History

 * Due to 1878 Land Reforms, the district was created after the breakup of Ukena District. (24 villages)
 * 1889
 * The villages of Kamigawa, Nakagawa, and Hongawa merged to become the village of Sangawa. (22 villages)
 * The villages of Ōhira, Hinokawa, Machi, and Tera merged to become the village of Odamachi. (19 villages)
 * The villages of Tateishi and Nanzan merged to become the village of Ishiyama. (18 villages)
 * The villages of Yoshinokawa, Nakatado, Kamitado, and Usuki merged to become the village of Tado. (17 villages)
 * August 20, 1900 — The village of Kumamachi gained town status to become the town of Kuma. (1 town, 14 villages)
 * February 11, 1924 — The village of Sugō merged into the town of Kuma. (1 town, 13 villages)
 * January 1, 1934 — The village of Somagawa was renamed to the village of Omogo.
 * April 1, 1943
 * The village of Ishiyama merged into the village of Odamachi. (1 town, 12 villages)
 * Parts of the village of Ukena merged into the village of Sōgawa in the Higashiuwa District.
 * Parts of the village of Ukena merged with the villages of Kawabe, Ōtani, and Uwakawa from Kita District to form the village of Hijikawa in Kita District (now the city of Ōzu). (1 town 11 villages)
 * September 1, 1943 — The village of Myōjin merged into the town of Kuma. (1 town, 10 villages)
 * March 31, 1955
 * Parts of the village of Nakatsu merged into the village of Yanadani.
 * The villages of Hirokata, Shinagawa, and parts of Nakatsu merged to become the village of Mikawa. (1 town, 8 villages)
 * The villages of Tado, Sangawa, and Odamachi merged to become the town of Oda. (2 towns, 5 villages)
 * March 31, 1959 — The villages of Kawase, Fujimine, and parts of the village of Mikawa merged into the town of Kuma. (2 towns, 3 villages)
 * August 1, 2004 — The town of Kuma, and the villages of Mikawa, Omogo and Yanadani merged to form the new town of Kumakōgen. (2 towns)
 * January 1, 2005 — The town of Oda, and the town of Ikazaki, from Kita District, merged into the expanded town of Uchiko in Kita District. (1 town)

title: Kamiukena District, Ehime


text:
Masaki, Ehime

Masaki (松前町) is a town located in Iyo District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 30,411 in 13768 households and a population density of 1500 persons per km². The total area of the town is 20.41 sqkm. It is the smallest municipality in terms of area in Ehime Prefecture.

Geography
Masaki faces the Seto Inland Sea, and is located at the southern end of the Dogo Plain in the northwestern part of the island of Shikoku. It is the only municipality in Ehime Prefecture that does not have any mountains. The town area is longer in the east-west direction than in the north-south direction.

Surrounding municipalities
Ehime Prefecture
 * Matsuyama
 * Iyo
 * Tobe

Climate
Masaki has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Masaki is 15.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1777 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around 26.1 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.5 °C.

Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Masaki has been generally increasing since the 1960s.

History
The area of Masaki was par of ancient Iyo province. Masaki was developed as a castle town by Kato Yoshiaki in the late Sengoku period; however, when he relocated to Matsuyama Castle, and of the merchants and artisans relocated with him. in the Edo Period, most of the area wash part of Matsuyama Domain with a smaller portion under the control of Ōzu Domain. The village of Masaki was established on December 15, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was elevated to town status on October 31, 1922. Masaki annexed neighboring Okada and Kita-Iyo villages on March 31, 1955.

Government
Masaki has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 14 members. Masaki, together with the city of Tobe, contributes two members to the Ehime Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Ehime 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy
Masaki is an industrial center for the production of textiles and synthetic fibers. Food processing is also a component of the local economy. The area was traditionally dependent on commercial fishing and on agriculture, and is increasingly becoming a commuter town for neighboring Matsuyama.

Education
Masaki has three public elementary schools and three public middle school operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Ehime Prefectural Board of Education.

Railways
Shikoku Railway Company - Yosan Line Iyotetsu Gunchū Line
 * Kita-Iyo - Iyo-Yokota
 * Okada - Koizumi - Masaki -Jizōmachi

Points of interest

 * Kubota Palm Garden

Noted people from Masaki

 * Reiko Kataoka, actress

title: Masaki, Ehime


text:
Tobe, Ehime

Tobe (砥部町) is a town located in Iyo District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 20,485 in 9385 households and a population density of 200 persons per km2. The total area of the town is 101.59 sqkm.

Geography
Tobe is almost in the center of Ehime Prefecture, across the Shigenobu River south of Matsuyama City. There are many mountains in the south, and the northern portion of the town occupies the southern tip of the Matsuyama Plain. The entire Tobe area is located on gentle hills.

Surrounding municipalities
Ehime Prefecture
 * Matsuyama
 * Iyo
 * Masaki
 * Uchiko
 * Kumakōgen

Climate
Tobe has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Tobe is 14.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1777 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around 25.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.2 °C.

Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Tobe has been generally increasing since the 1960s.

History
The area of Tobe was part of ancient Iyo Province. There are a number of Kofun period burial mounds within the city limits, and the name of Tobe appears in Nara period records as an estate belonging to the temple of Hōryū-ji. The area was famous from the Heian period onwards for its production of whetstones. During the Edo period, the area was part of the holdings of Matsuyama Domain and was later part of Ōzu Domain and its subsidiary Niiya Domain. The village of Tobe was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system in 1889. It was raised to town status in 1928 and annexed the neighboring village of Haramachi in 1955. On January 1, 2005, the village of Hirota, also from Iyo District, was merged into Tobe.

Government
Tobe has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 16 members. Tobe, together with the town of Matsumae, contributes two members to the Ehime Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Ehime 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy
Tobe is famous for the production of Tobe ware ceramics, and there are more than 80 kilns in the town. Agriculture, notably citrus cultivation and light manufacturing (food processing and electrical components) are mainstays of the local economy. The town is also increasing a commuter town for neighboring Matsuyama.

Education
Tobe has four public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Ehime Prefectural Board of Education. The Ehime Prefectural University of Health Science is located in the town.

Railway
Tobe has no passenger rail service. The nearest stations are Iyotetsu's Matsuyamashi Station or Iyo-Tachibana Station.

Highway

 * JP Expressway E56.svg Matsuyama Expressway

Local attractions

 * Tobe Zoological Park
 * Ehime Prefectural Sports Compex

Noted people from Tobe

 * Masao Inoue, stage actor, director

title: Tobe, Ehime


text:
Hirota, Ehime

Hirota (広田村) was a village located in Iyo District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 1,099 and a density of 24.77 persons per km2. The total area was 44.37 km2.

On January 1, 2005, Hirota was merged with the expanded town of Tobe and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

title: Hirota, Ehime


text:
Nakayama, Ehime

Nakayama (中山町) was a town located in Iyo District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 4,256 and a density of 56.43 persons per km2. The total area was 75.42 km2.

On April 1, 2005, Nakayama, along with the town of Futami (also from Iyo District), was merged into the expanded city of Iyo.

title: Nakayama, Ehime


text:
Futami, Ehime

Futami (双海町) was a town located in Iyo District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 5,202 and a density of 83.67 persons per km2. The total area was 62.17 km2.

On April 1, 2005, Futami, along with the town of Nakayama (also from Iyo District), was merged into the expanded city of Iyo.

title: Futami, Ehime


text:
Oliver Phelps (politician)

Oliver Phelps (October 21, 1749 –February 21, 1809) was an American politician. He was early in life a tavern keeper in Granville, Massachusetts. During the Revolution he was Deputy Commissary of the Continental Army and served until the end of the war. After the war ended, he was appointed a judge, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and became a land speculator in western New York state. A depressed real estate market forced him to sell most of his holdings.

Personal life
Phelps was born in Poquonock in the Connecticut Colony. His father, Thomas Phelps, died in Oliver's first year of life, and his mother was left to raise their seventeen children. Phelps took a job at age seven in a local store to help support his family.

When he was 21 in 1770, Oliver and his young wife Mary moved to Suffield, where he apprenticed to a local merchant, and in 1770 the couple moved to Granville, where he opened his own store.

Career
At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, Phelps joined the Continental Army and fought in the Battle of Lexington. He left the service in 1777 and, relying on his experience as a merchant, became Massachusetts Superintendent of Purchases of Army Supplies, a Deputy Commissary of the Continental Army. He was introduced to Robert Morris, the great financier of Revolutionary times. He supplied troops and received commendation from General George Washington for his efforts. He was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1778 to 1780 and a member of the Federal Constitutional Convention in 1779 and 1780. After the war ended, he became a prominent businessman and was elected to the Massachusetts Senate in 1785 and served on the Governor's council in 1786. He was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Eighth United States Congress, holding office from March 4, 1803, to March 3, 1805, and ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor of New York in 1804 on the ticket headed by Aaron Burr.

Land speculation
The connections he established during the Revolutionary War aided his efforts in forming in 1788 a syndicate with Nathaniel Gorham, also a former member of the Federal Constitutional Convention. They organized a company of speculators, retaining 82 shares for themselves, and brought in competing companies to join in their effort. They sold 15 shares to the Niagara Company, composed of Colonel John Butler, Samuel Street, and other Tory friends of the Indians, and another 23 shares were divided among 21 persons. Following the American Revolution, there remained a confusing collection of contradictory royal charters from James I, Charles I, and Charles II, mixed with a succession of treaties with the Dutch and with the Indians, which made the legal situation intractable. Massachusetts owned land west of the "Preemption Line" in New York that was disconnected geographically from the rest of the state. New York and Massachusetts reached a compromise settling their competing claims for the region in December 1786 with the signing of the Treaty of Hartford. The syndicate lobbied for a law that was passed by the Massachusetts legislature that enabled them to buy land, payable over three years, using Massachusetts Consolidated Scrip, which was worth about 20 cents on a dollar at the time.

On July 4–8, 1788 a council was held with chiefs of the Five Nations of Indian at Buffalo Creek. Phelps was the active agent for the syndicate and negotiated with the Indians to purchase their title to the land. The Indians considered themselves to be the owners of the land, but Phelps persuaded the Chiefs that since they had been allies to the defeated British during the Revolutionary War, and since the British had given up the lands in the 1783 peace treaty, the tribes could only expect to retain whatever lands the United States would allow them to keep. Phelps and Gorham wanted to buy 2600000 acre, but the Indians refused to sell the rights to any land west of the Genesee River. Phelps suggested that the Indians could take advantage of a grist mill to grind their maize which would relieve the women of the grinding work. The Indians asked how much land was needed for a grist mill, and Phelps suggested a section of land 20 mi wide and 12 mi deep, about 288 sqmi, along the western bank of the river. Phelps and Gorham finally bought the rights to 494000 acre including a tract on the west bank of the river later named Mill Yard Tract where they planned to locate a saw mill and grist mill. The Indians were later much amazed that so large a tract of land was needed for the grist mill.

They paid US$1 million (about £300,000), or less than 25 cents per acre, between 1787 and 1788.

At first Phelps and Gorham thought they would make the site of current-day Geneva their headquarters, but discovered that their survey had somehow left that site just east of their boundary. So they chose Canandaigua, New York, at the head of Canandaigua Lake, as the seat of the new Ontario County. The name Canandaigua is derived from the Iroquois word "Kanandarque" which means chosen spot. It was the site of the principal village of the Seneca Indians, burned by the whites during the war in the Sullivan Expedition.

Builds home in Suffield
After the purchase, Phelps returned to Suffield, Connecticut, and bought what was later named the Hatheway House from its builder Shem Burbank, who as a Tory sympathizer during the American Revolution had suffered financial difficulties afterward. Phelps spent generously on furnishings for the home, hired servants, and added a wing to the home in 1794, a display of his wealth and an "architectural masterpiece" that still features original Paris-made wallpaper.

He opened one of the first land sales offices in the U.S. in Suffield and another in Canandaigua. During the next two years he and his partners sold 500000 acre at a higher price to a number of buyers. But land sales failed to raise enough capital to meet their payment requirements, and in August 1790 they sold 1276569 acre to U.S. Senator Robert Morris of Pennsylvania, who Phelps had done business with during the Revolutionary War. Morris paid eight pence half penny or between 11 and 12 cents per acre, about half of what Phelps and Gorham had paid. They retained only two townships totaling 47000 acre for themselves. Morris almost immediately sold the land to an English syndicate for £75,000 (about $333,000), netting a good profit.

Phelps was appointed the first judge of Ontario County (1789–1793), even before he moved to Canandaigua in 1792. He built the first framed house in Canandaigua and a grist mill. Phelps retained extensive holdings in the infant Ontario County. He maintained an interest in its affairs and in further land speculations. He was a founder and the largest stock holder in the Hartford National Bank and Trust Co. He was also the largest financial contributor to the Hamilton-Oneida Academy built in 1793 by Samuel Kirkland on 300 acre acres he donated. Kirkland, a Presbyterian minister and missionary among the Oneida, had aided Phelps in his land purchase from the Indians and had received 4000 acre acres from the Oneidas and New York State. He was also appointed the first judge of Ontario County and served in Congress between 1803 and 1805.

Loses land holdings and home
Later in 1789, the value of the Massachusetts scrip had risen to par value and substantially inflated the cost to purchase the remaining 1000000 acre which they had not yet obtained title to from the Indians. They gave up their contract for the land instead. Despite his remaining, vast land holdings, changing money values affected the mortgages held on the tracts of land and a depressed land market caused Phelps to get into financial difficulty. In August 1790, the reverses forced him to sell his Suffield home and his interest in the Hartford National Bank and Trust Co.

He continued to invest in land and by 1796 had purchased roughly a million acres of land along the Mississippi River. He also helped organize the Connecticut Land Company which for $1,200,000 bought all but the extreme western portion of the Connecticut Western Reserve in the Northwest Territory from the state of Connecticut. Phelps borrowed heavily to finance the company. In 1796, his creditors demanded payment. Facing the possibility of debtors' prison, Phelps went into seclusion. In 1802 he moved to Canandaigua, New York, and he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1803 to 1805.

Personal life
He married Mary Seymour, daughter of Zachariah Seymour and Sarah ( Steele) Seymour. Together, they were the parents of a son and a daughter:

 * Oliver Leicester Phelps (1775–1813), who married Elizabeth "Betsy" Law Sherman, a daughter of William Sherman and granddaughter of founding father Roger Sherman.
 * Mary Phelps (1778–1859), who married Amasa Jackson, the first president of the Union Bank of New York; he was a son of General Michael Jackson, who commanded a regiment of minutemen in the Battle of Lexington.

Purchasers of his land had continued difficulty paying off the mortgage loans which he held. He tried to help those who had bought his land contracts but who could not fulfill their contracts, and Phelps died on February 21, 1809, in the town he sold and helped develop. He was interred in the Pioneer Cemetery in Canandaigua, New York.

Descendants
Through his daughter Mary, he was a grandfather of Harriet Jackson (1804–1868), who married John Albert Granger, son of U.S. Postmaster General Gideon Granger and younger brother to U.S. Representative Francis Granger.

title: Oliver Phelps (politician)


text:
Iyo District, Ehime

Iyo (伊予郡) is a district located in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. The district contains two towns: Masaki and Tobe. As of 2004 the estimated population is 52,832 with a total area of 121.89 km2.

History
In 1887, the villages of Habu and Yodo were reassigned from Iyo District to the Onsen District (now part of the city of Matsuyama).

In 1889, the village of Nakayama, originally in Kita District, was moved to the Shimoukena District. The village of Kurita merged into the village of Hirota within the Shimoukena District.

In 1896, several villages, including Haramachi, Tobe, Hirota, Nakayama, Izubuchi, Saredani, Kaminada, and Shimonada, were reassigned from the Shimoukena District to the Iyo District. This reorganization resulted in one town and fifteen villages.

On January 1, 1907, the village of Izubuchi merged into the village of Nakayama, reducing the count to one town and twelve villages.

On September 30, 1908, parts of the village of Shimonada were incorporated into the village of Michiho (now the town of Uchiko) in the Kita District.

On September 3, 1921, the village of Kaminada gained town status, resulting in two towns and thirteen villages.

On October 31, 1922, the village of Masaki achieved town status, bringing the total to three towns and twelve villages.

On April 1, 1925, portions of the village of Kaminada merged into the village of Minamiyamasaki. The village of Nakayama attained town status, resulting in four towns and eleven villages.

On November 10, 1928, the village of Tobe gained town status, increasing the count to five towns and ten villages.

On March 15, 1929, parts of the village of Hirota (formerly the Kurita area) merged into the town of Nakayama

On January 1, 1940, the village of Gunchū merged into the town of Gunchū, leaving five towns and nine villages.

On January 1, 1955, the villages of Minamiyamasaki, Kitayamasaki, Minamiiyo, and the town of Gunchū combined to form the city of Iyo, resulting in four towns and six villages.

On February 1, 1955, the village of Saredani merged into the town of Nakayama, maintaining four towns and five villages.

On March 31, 1955, the village of Haramachi merged into the town of Tobe, leaving four towns and four villages. The villages of Kitaiyo and Okada merged into the town of Masaki, resulting in four towns and two villages. The town of Kaminada and the village of Shimonada combined to form the town of Futami, with four towns and one village.

On November 1, 1958, parts of the city of Iyo merged into the town of Tobe.

On January 1, 2005, the village of Hirota merged into the town of Tobe, resulting in a total of four towns.

On April 1, 2005, the towns of Nakayama and Futami combined to form the city of Iyo, resulting in a total of two towns.

Historical significance
The district is home to ancient temples, shrines, and historic landmarks. Notable sites include Iyo-Mishima Shrine, Tobe Zoological Park, and Masaki Castle Ruins. Iyo District preserves traditional crafts like Iyo Kasuri, a distinctive textile weaving technique. Here, local artisans create beautiful fabrics using intricate patterns.

The district’s scenic landscapes, including Mt. Ishizuchi, Japan’s highest peak in western Shikoku, attract nature enthusiasts. Cherry blossoms, lush forests, and serene rivers contribute to its charm. The Iyo Taisai Festival celebrates local traditions with processions, music, and dance. Residents come together to honor their heritage during these lively events.

Notable people

 * Masanobu Fukuoka (1913-2008), Japanese farmer, philosopher, and author.
 * Daichi Kamada (born 1996), Japanese professional footballer.

title: Iyo District, Ehime


text:
Nagahama, Ehime

Nagahama (長浜町) was a town located in Kita District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

In 2003, the town had an estimated population of 8,765 and a density of 117.19 persons per km2. The total area was 74.79 km2.

On January 11, 2005, Nagahama, along with the town of Hijikawa and the village of Kawabe (all from Kita District), was merged into the expanded city of Ōzu and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

Located on the coast, some of Nagahama's industries include fishing, logging, and a traditional wooden sandal factory. It is renowned in its area for its fugu (blowfish) sushi.

There is an observatory in Nagahama from which a view of the Hijikawa River feeding into the Seto Inland Sea can be seen. There is a famous old drawbridge that is the oldest of its kind in Japan still in use. Iyo-Nagahama Station serves Nagahama and has been featured in several movies.

Nagahama is also known as Iyo-Nagahama and is not to be confused with Nagahama City in Shiga Prefecture.

title: Nagahama, Ehime


text:
Public holidays in Paraguay

The following are national holidays in Paraguay

All holidays in Paraguay can be moved by presidential decree, but there has to be a presidential decree for such a change. The following holidays are the exception (dates are fixed and to not change): January 1, May 14, December 8, December 25, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

title: Public holidays in Paraguay


text:
Uchiko, Ehime

Uchiko (内子町) is a town located in Kita District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 15,153 in 7005 households and a population density of 52 persons per km2. The total area of the town is 299.43 sqkm.

Geography
Uchiko is located in roughly in the center of Ehime Prefecture, approximately 40 kilometers southwest of Matsuyama City, the prefectural capital.Three streams run through the area: the Oda, the Nakayama and the Fumoto. Uchiko has few flat areas and about 70% of the land is forest.

Neighbouring municipalities
Ehime Prefecture
 * Ōzu
 * Seiyo
 * Iyo
 * Kumakōgen
 * Tobe

Climate
Uchiko has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Uchiko is 14.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1915 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.9 °C.

Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Uchiko has been decreased steadily since the 1950s.

History
The area of Uchiko was part of ancient Iyo Province and prospered since ancient times as an important transportation hub on the Ōzu Highway and as a transit point for the Shikoku Pilgrimage. During the Edo period, the area was part of the holdings of Ōzu Domain or its semi-subsidiary, Niiya Domain. The town of Uchikoi was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on December 1, 1889. From the Edo period to the Meiji period, it prospered in the production of Japanese paper and Japanese wax. In particular, Japanese wax became famous overseas for its high quality, accounting for about 30% of the national production at its peak. At that time the Yokaichi and Gokoku districts became industrialised and their historical houses still retain some vestige of Uchiko’s former glory. In the Yokaichi and Gokoku districts is a street of merchant houses, which have solemn white or cream coloured plaster walls, lattices, decorative walls and old-style Japanese desks. This traditional street is about 600 meters long and around 90 of these historical houses are still lived in. After the Taisho period (1912-1926), Japan wax production declined due to the spread of oil and electricity. In 1982, its historic townscape was designated as an "Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings". On January 1, 2005, the town of Ikazaki, from Kita District; and the town of Oda, from Kamiukena District, were merged into Uchiko.

Government
Uchiko has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 15 members. Uchiko, together Ōzu, contributes two members to the Ehime Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Ehime 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy
Uchiko has a typical hilly and mountainous area, and agriculture and forestry are the main industries. The soil is fertile and leaf tobacco, shiitake mushrooms, and fruits such as persimmons, grapes and nashi pears make use of the sloping land, opening the way for tourist orchards.. The riversides are used mainly by farms and farmland can extend to the hills and the steep mountainsides.

Education
Uchiko has eight public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the town government, and two public high schools operated by the Ehime Prefectural Board of Education.

Railway
Shikoku Railway Company - Yosan Line Shikoku Railway Company - Uchiko Line
 * Iyo-Tachikawa - Uchiko
 * Ikazaki - Uchiko

Highways

 * JP Expressway E56.svg Matsuyama Expressway

Sister Cities

 * 🇺🇸 Wasilla, Alaska, United States
 * 🇩🇪 Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany

Uchiko Theatre
The Uchiko-za was built as a traditional Kabuki theatre in 1916 and was famous for its Kabuki and Bunraku (traditional puppet show) performances. In the course of time, it became used for film shows, variety shows and lectures, amongst other things. In 1985, the theatre was restored to its original appearance. Today, Uchiko-za presents plays, concerts and other events, including the very popular Bunraku performances. The Uchiko-za is unique and traditional because of its open Taiko-drum tower, the boxed seating area, the broad ramp leading to the stage along one side of the audience and the wooden, revolving stage. The Uchiko-za is considered a showpiece of Japanese culture and architecture.

The Kamihaga Residence and Japanese Wax Museum
The Kamihaga Residence was built in 1894 by a family who were a branch of the Honhaga household (the main household in Uchiko). The Kamihaga family was one of the most influential families in Uchiko. They established the production of wax in Uchiko and thus, the family became very wealthy and powerful. Now, this elegant and traditional property, with its spacious garden, is used a museum that has exhibitions on commerce, the lifestyle of the merchants and the production of wax. These grounds are designated as an Important Cultural Property and have been since 1990.

Annual events

 * Late April: The Raft Festival at the River Oda, Oda.
 * May 5: The Kite Flying Festival in Ikazaki.
 * Late May – Early June:Rice planting in Ikazaki
 * August 6–8: The Bamboo Festival in Uchiko.
 * August 15: The Fire Festival in Oda.
 * October: The Autumn Festival, The Japanese Lion Dance.
 * November: Momiji – Autumn leaf viewing.
 * December: Solfa Ski Resort opens in Oda.

Notable people from Uchiko

 * The Nobel laureate Kenzaburō Ōe was born in the former village of Ōse, which is now today a part of Uchiko.

title: Uchiko, Ehime


text:
Ikazaki, Ehime

Ikazaki (五十崎町) was a town located in Kita District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 5,746 and a density of 149.29 persons per km2. The total area was 38.49 km2.

On January 1, 2005, Ikazaki, along with the town of Oda (from Kamiukena District), was merged into the expanded town of Uchiko and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

Ikazaki has an annual kite fighting competition on May 5. Bladed metal instruments called 'gagari' are attached to kite strings and used to cut down other kites.

title: Ikazaki, Ehime


text:
Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/March 8

Note: International Women's Day is an observance, thus this entry does not violate the 4 event rule.

In the entry for 1782, would someone mind changing "in the hands of" to "at the hands of"? Thanks. —David Wahler (talk)  13:21, 8 March 2006 (UTC)
 * No problem. Done. -- PFHLai 16:32, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

Today is International Women's Day in various countries; not Mother's Day...
In countries where International Women's Day is big Mother's Day tend to be small are does not exist.... Can somebody please cahnge Mother's Day into International Women's Day please? —  Yulia Romero  • Talk to me!  16:42, 8 March 2012 (UTC)
 * Today is Mother's Day and International Women's Day in various countries, but the IWD article is not posted because it is tagged for cleanup/sourcing issues. Nikkimaria (talk) 16:49, 8 March 2012 (UTC)

I see... that is another of many thing I learned now because of Wikipedia! Thanks for the explanation! —  Yulia Romero  • Talk to me!  17:51, 8 March 2012 (UTC)

2013 notes
— howcheng  {chat} 06:49, 7 March 2013 (UTC)
 * Omitted: Copán; Treaty of Roskilde; Nader Shah; Castle Gate Mine disaster; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series)
 * Included: International Women's Day (9th appearance, last in 2011; rescued from Ineligible); Ferdowsi (2nd appearance, last in 2011); Johannes Kepler (5th appearance, last in 2011); Anne, Queen of Great Britain (8th appearance, last in 2010); Raymonde de Laroche (2nd appearance, last in 2011); Evil empire (4th appearance, last in 2010)

2014 notes
— howcheng  {chat} 05:37, 7 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Moved to Ineligible: Nelson's Pillar (maintenance)
 * Omitted: Ferdowsi; Johannes Kepler; Raymonde de Laroche (ineligible—maintenance); Evil empire
 * Included: Copán (2nd appearance, last in 2012); John Casor (2nd appearance, last in 2011); Castle Gate Mine disaster (2nd appearance, last in 2012; 90th anniversary); The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series) (4th appearance, last in 2012)
 * Repeats: Anne, Queen of Great Britain (2nd consecutive appearance, 8 total)

2015 notes
— howcheng  {chat} 07:20, 6 March 2015 (UTC)
 * Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Nelson's Pillar
 * Omitted: Copán; John Casor; Anne, Queen of Great Britain; Castle Gate Mine disaster; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series)
 * Included: Ferdowsi (3rd appearance, last in 2013); Johannes Kepler (6th appearance, last in 2013); Egyptian Revolution of 1919 (first appearance); 1963 Syrian coup d'état (first appearance); Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (first appearance)

2016 notes
— howcheng  {chat} 08:04, 6 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Deleted: Clara Zetkin (moved to March 19)
 * Moved to Ineligible: Nelson's Pillar (maintenance)
 * Omitted: Ferdowsi; Johannes Kepler; Egyptian Revolution of 1919; Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (ineligible—maintenance)
 * Included: Treaty of Roskilde (3rd appearance, last in 2012); Nader Shah (3rd appearance, last in 2012); Castle Gate Mine disaster (3rd appearance, last in 2014); Evil empire (5th appearance, last in 2013)
 * Repeats: 1963 Syrian coup d'état (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total)

2017 notes
— howcheng  {chat} 08:24, 8 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Moved to Ineligible: Ferdowsi (maintenance)
 * Omitted: Mother's Day (ineligible—maintenance); Treaty of Roskilde; Nader Shah; Castle Gate Mine disaster; 1963 Syrian coup d'état; Evil empire
 * Included: Copán (3rd appearance, last in 2014); Anne, Queen of Great Britain (10th appearance, last in 2014); Egyptian revolution of 1919 (2nd appearance, last in 2015); Nelson's Pillar (9th appearance, last in 2011; rescued from Ineligible); The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series) (5th appearance, last in 2014); Beatrice of Castile (1293–1359) (first appearance); Haseeb Ahsan (first appearance)

2018 notes
— howcheng  {chat} 16:44, 8 March 2018 (UTC)
 * Deleted: Mildred Gillars (moved to March 10)
 * Moved to Ineligible: Nader Shah (maintenance)
 * Omitted: Copán; Anne, Queen of Great Britain; Egyptian revolution of 1919; Nelson's Pillar; Beatrice of Castile (1293–1359); Haseeb Ahsan
 * Included: Johannes Kepler (7th appearance, last in 2015; 400th anniversary); Treaty of Roskilde (4th appearance, last in 2016); Raymonde de Laroche (3rd appearance, last in 2013; rescued from Ineligible); Castle Gate Mine disaster (4th appearance, last in 2016); Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge (first appearance); Gladys Bustamante (first appearance); Juvénal Habyarimana (first appearance)
 * Repeats: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series) (2nd consecutive appearance, 6 total; 40th anniversary)

2019 notes
— howcheng  {chat} 17:12, 8 March 2019 (UTC)
 * New articles (ineligible): Petra Kvitová (maintenance)
 * Omitted: Treaty of Roskilde; Raymonde de Laroche; Castle Gate Mine disaster; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series); Gladys Bustamante; Juvénal Habyarimana
 * Included: Anne, Queen of Great Britain (11th appearance, last in 2017); Egyptian Revolution of 1919 (3rd appearance, last in 2017; 100th anniversary); Evil Empire speech (6th appearance, last in 2016); Azure Window (first appearance); Beatrice Shilling (first appearance); Alfons Rebane (first appearance)
 * Repeats: Johannes Kepler (2nd consecutive appearance, 8 total); Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge (2nd consecutive appearance, 2 total; 200th anniversary)

2020 notes
— howcheng  {chat} 16:24, 9 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Omitted: Johannes Kepler; Anne, Queen of Great Britain; Egyptian Revolution of 1919; Evil Empire speech; Azure Window; Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge; Beatrice Shilling; Alfons Rebane
 * Included: Copán (4th appearance, last in 2017); John Casor (3rd appearance, last in 2014); 1963 Syrian coup d'état (3rd appearance, last in 2016); The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series) (7th appearance, last in 2018); Adela of Normandy (first appearance); Simon Cameron (first appearance); Petra Kvitová (first appearance; 30th birthday; rescued from Ineligible)

2021 notes
— howcheng  {chat} 07:47, 10 March 2021 (UTC)
 * New articles (ineligible): Louie Nunn (TFA for 2020-12-28)
 * Omitted: John Casor; 1963 Syrian coup d'état; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series); Adela of Normandy; Simon Cameron; Petra Kvitová
 * Included: Aurat March (first appearance); Treaty of Roskilde (5th appearance, last in 2018); Raymonde de Laroche (4th appearance, last in 2018); Castle Gate Mine disaster (5th appearance, last in 2018); Nelson's Pillar (10th appearance, last in 2017); Pope Celestine II (first appearance); Bramwell Booth (first appearance); José Raúl Capablanca (2nd appearance, last in 2017; also appears on November 19, his birthday))
 * Repeats: Copán (2nd consecutive appearance, 5 total)

2022 notes
— howcheng  {chat} 17:49, 9 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Moved to Ineligible: Johannes Kepler (maintenance)
 * New articles (ineligible): Frank Avery Hutchins (appeared on DYK 2022-02-09)
 * Rescued from Ineligible (unused): Louie Nunn
 * Omitted: Copán; Treaty of Roskilde; Raymonde de Laroche; Castle Gate Mine disaster; Nelson's Pillar; Pope Celestine II; Bramwell Booth
 * Included: Anne, Queen of Great Britain (12th appearance, last in 2019); Nader Shah (4th appearance, last in 2016; rescued from Ineligible); Egyptian Revolution of 1919 (4th appearance, last in 2019); The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series) (8th appearance, last in 2019); Evil Empire speech (7th appearance, last in 2019); Azure Window (2nd appearance, last in 2019); Beatrice of Castile (1293–1359) (3rd appearance, last in 2019; also appeared on October 25, her death anniverasry); Frederic Goudy (first appearance)
 * Repeats: José Raúl Capablanca (2nd consecutive appearance, 3 total; 80th anniversary)

Frank Avery Hutchins ineligible?
Out of curiosity, why is Frank Avery Hutchins listed as "ineligible" in the staging area? I reread the Selected Anniversaries rules, but I don't see anything about featuring in DYK being cause to disqualify a page from featuring on Selected Anniversaries. P-Makoto (talk) 21:34, 10 November 2022 (UTC)


text:
Hijikawa, Ehime

Hijikawa (肱川町) was a town located in Kita District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 3,114 and a density of 49.05 persons per km2. The total area was 63.30 km2.

On January 11, 2005, Hijikawa, along with the town of Nagahama, and the village of Kawabe (all from Kita District), was merged into the expanded city of Ōzu and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

title: Hijikawa, Ehime


text:
Kawabe, Ehime

Kawabe (河辺村) was a village located in Kita District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 1,220 and a density of 22.97 persons per km2. The total area was 53.12 km2.

On January 11, 2005, Kawabe, along with the towns of Hijikawa and Nagahama (all from Kita District), was merged into the expanded city of Ōzu and no longer exists as an independent municipality.

title: Kawabe, Ehime


text:
Kita District, Ehime

The Kita District (喜多郡) is a district located in Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2005, the estimated population is 20,784 with a total area is 299.50 km2.

The district includes one town.

 * Uchiko

Origin of name
The name "Kita" is first found in the year 901 in the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku. The Kita district originally formed the northern part of the Uwa District; kita (北) means "north", though nonstandard kanji (喜多) are used in this case.

History

 * November 8, 1866 — Northern Uwa District broke off and formed Kita District.
 * 1877 — The district was re-instituted by Meiji era land reforms. (2 towns, 34 villages)
 * January 1878 — The district hall was placed in the town of Ōzu (now the city of Ōzu).
 * 1889 — The village of Nakayama was reassigned to the Shimoukena District (now the city of Iyo). (2 towns, 33 villages)
 * February 1899 — The village of Hirano from Nishiuwa District was reassigned to the Kita District. (2 towns, 34 villages)
 * April 1, 1908 — The villages of Taira and Kita merged to become the village of Ōzu. (2 towns, 33 villages)
 * September 30, 1908 — Parts of the village of Shimonada in Iyo District merged into the village of Mitsuho.
 * April 1, 1909
 * The village of Tadokoro merged into the village of Yanagisawa. (2 towns, 32 villages)
 * The villages of Yamatokasa and Okuna merged to form the village of Kawabe. (2 towns, 31 villages)
 * May 21, 1920 — The village of Ikazaki gained town status to become the town of Ikazaki. (3 towns, 30 villages)
 * November 1, 1921 — The villages of Ōnaru and Kurakawa merged to become the village of Ōkawa. (3 towns, 28 villages)
 * January 1, 1922 — The villages of Shiba and Takigawa merged to become the village of Shirataki. (3 towns, 28 villages)
 * April 1, 1922
 * The villages of Toyoshige and Aioi merged to become the village of Yamato. (3 towns, 27 villages)
 * The village of Kitayama merged into the village of Niiya. (3 towns, 26 villages)
 * August 10, 1925 — Parts of the village of Minamikume merged into the town of Ōzu.
 * December 26, 1929 — The village of Murasaki split and merged into the villages of Gojō, Ōse, and Tenjin. (3 towns, 25 villages)
 * January 1, 1934 — The village of Kume merged into the town of Ōzu. (3 towns, 23 villages)
 * April 1, 1943 — The villages of Kawabe, Ōtani, Uwagawa, and parts of the village of Ukena from Kamiukena District, merged to form the village of Hijikawa. (3 towns, 21 villages)
 * April 1, 1948 — Parts of the village of Hikjikawa merged into the village of Ōkawa.
 * January 1, 1951 — The village of Hijikawa broke up into the villages of Hijikawa and Kawabe. (3 towns, 22 villages)
 * September 1, 1954
 * The villages of Hirano, Awazu, Miyoshi, Kamisukai, the town of Ōzu, and the villages of Minamikume, Sugeta, Niiya, Yanagisawa, and Ōkawa merged to form the city of Ōzu. (2 towns, 12 villages)
 * The villages of Tenjin, and Misogi merged into the town of Ikazaki. (2 towns, 11 villages)
 * January 1, 1955
 * The village of Kitanada, the town of Nagahama, and the villages of Kushū, Izumi, Yamato, and Shirataki merged to become the town of Nagahama. (3 towns, 6 villages)
 * The villages of Mitsuho, Tatsukawa, Gojō, and Ōse merged into the town of Uchiko. (3 towns, 2 villages)
 * February 11, 1955 — Parts of the village of Kaibuki from Higashiuwa District and parts of the village of Yokobayashi from Higashiuwa District merged into the village of Hijikawa.
 * November 3, 1959 — The village of Hijikawa gained town status to become the town of Hijikawa. (4 towns, 1 village)
 * January 1, 2005 — The towns of Ikazaki, and Oda from Kamiukena District, merged into the town of Uchiko. (3 towns, 1 village)
 * January 11, 2005 — The towns of Hijikawa and Nagahama, and the village of Kawabe merged into the expanded city of Ōzu. (1 town)

title: Kita District, Ehime


text:
Honai, Ehime

Honai (保内町) was a town located in Nishiuwa District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 10,686 and a density of 288.73 persons per km2. The total area was 37.01 km2.

On March 28, 2005, Honai was merged into the expanded city of Yawatahama.

title: Honai, Ehime


text:
Ikata

Ikata (伊方町) is a small peninsula town located in Nishiuwa District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 8,497 in 15638 households and a population density of 90 persons per km2. The total area of the town is 93.98 sqkm

Following a recent merger with the neighboring towns of Misaki and Seto, the town now spans the mountainous Sadamisaki Peninsula, the narrowest peninsula in Japan and the westernmost point on the island of Shikoku.

This unique geography has greatly influenced Ikata's growth. On the one hand, it has presented significant challenges to urban development that were not overcome until recently in the town's long history. On the other, the peninsula is what gives the town its beautiful mountain and ocean scenery which, bolstered by significant investments in infrastructure and tourist facilities, has formed the basis for a burgeoning tourism industry.

In addition to the beauty of its rugged, natural landscape, Ikata has long been known for fishing and mikan orange farming. In recent years Ikata has also become a hotspot of modern energy production—the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant produced much of Shikoku's electricity until it was shut down in 2012 following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami (before being reactivated in 2018 ), and the town's windy mountains are dotted by dozens of windmills.

Geography
Ikata is on the Sadamisaki Peninsula, Japan's narrowest peninsula and the westernmost point on the island of Shikoku. The peninsula is extremely mountainous, with steep cliffs and precious little usable flat land. To combat this, the town's bays and ponds have seen vigorous coastal reclamation efforts dating back to the early Meiji period (late 1800s). Ikata's mountainsides are covered with terraced mikan fields, and natural forest in the undeveloped areas.

The various neighborhoods of Ikata are found nestled among the foothills of the mountains, connected only by winding coastal roads and a single highway, Route 197. The biggest of the neighborhoods and the administrative center of Ikata is Minatoura, near the eastern edge of the town.

Ikata is surrounded on three sides by ocean—the Iyo Sea (part of the Inland Sea) to the north, the Uwa Sea (Pacific Ocean) to the south, and the Hōyo Strait (separating Shikoku from Kyūshū) to the west.

Neighbouring municipalities

 * Ehime Prefecture
 * Yawatahama

Climate
The climate in Ikata is warm, with an average year-round temperature of 16 – and 1,500 ml of yearly rain. The coldest parts of winter remain above freezing (5 °C or 41 °F on average), with snowfall seen only once or twice per year. Rain is concentrated in the rainy season in June and July, and also in September.

The length of the peninsula makes accurate weather prediction difficult for the town; when driving down Melody Line, it is not uncommon to find it sunny between one set of tunnels, rainy between another, and foggy between yet another. Ikata's position, stretching out into the ocean, also makes it a frequent target for typhoons.

Demographics
Ikata is a small town, with a population of 8,196 as of June 30, 2023. The total land area of the town is 94.37 km2, making the population density 113 persons per km2. However, much of the land on the peninsula is quite mountainous and not suited for development; the population density of the individual settlements, which are squeezed into the small bay areas in the foothills of the mountains, is much higher. Extrapolating from data based on the most recent land survey, only 3.21% of the town's land is inhabited; this puts the population density at a much higher 3,510 persons/kilometer-squared.

Like much of rural Japan, Ikata faces a rapidly declining and aging population. According to the Ikata website, roughly 40% of the town's population is 65 or older. Furthermore, many elementary and middle schools have closed since the 1970s. Those that remain have very small student populations. For example, Ikata Elementary School is Ikata's largest elementary school; there were 303 students in 1987, 162 in 2006, and 128 in 2014; Toyonoura Elementary was Old Ikata's smallest school; it had 51 students in 1987, and only 14 in 2007. before it closed in 2010. Currently, Futami Elementary is Ikata's smallest Elementary school with 21 students. However, plans are in effect to close the school at the end of the current fiscal year (April, 2015).

This population issue was a significant part of the impetus for the recent merger of Old Ikata with Seto and Misaki. While Old Ikata is geographically more accessible, and has enjoyed the economic benefits of the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant, Seto and Misaki have experienced even more severe aging and decline of their populations. In 2000, Seto's working-age population dipped below 50% of its total.

Ethnically Ikata is extremely homogeneous with only a handful of non-Japanese residents, most of whom are either temporary farm laborers from China, or English educators on the JET Programme.

Per Japanese census data, the population of Ikata has been decreasing steadily since the 1950s, and is now less than third of what it was a century ago.

Prehistory
The Sadamisaki Peninsula area has been inhabited since at least the Jōmon period (10,000–300 BC), as evidenced by the discovery of stone tools and earthenware pots in the Misaki and Kushi neighborhoods.

In 1963 a local man discovered a stone ax dating to the mid-Yayoi period (300 BC–250 AD) in his farm plot in the Kawachi neighborhood. Upon further investigation by the Japan Archaeological Society in 1986, the area was recognized as containing the remains of a highland settlement (高地性集落). This is a type of settlement usually located several tens of meters above the surrounding area on mountainsides, and is peculiar to the Yayoi period.

Classical era
After the Taika Reform of 646, Ikata and the greater surrounding area became known as the Uwa District in 701. The Uwa District covered the entire Nanyo region (map) until it was split in two in 866. Since districts were defined by population, one can infer that the area was underdeveloped and sparsely populated at the time.

Feudal era
Towards the end of the Heian period, the Yawatahama and Ikata area became known as Yano (矢野郷). As ownership of farmlands became increasingly concentrated in the hands of local ruling families, control of the Yano area was given to Taira no Tadamitsu, a member of the Heike clan.

Some members of the Heike family secretly settled in the Seto area in 1185 after being defeated in the Genpei Wars.

Entering the Edo period and the Tokugawa shogunate, the Uwa District came under control of the Uwajima Domain (宇和島藩). From 1610 to 1612, the first Uwajima feudal lord, Tomita Nobutaka, gathered farmers from the local area to dig a canal through the thinnest part of the Sadamisaki Peninsula, Seto's Mitsukue neighborhood. The project was soon canceled due to insufficient funds. By this time, the name Ikata (伊方浦) can be seen in records of taxes paid to the feudal lords. The Mitsukue neighborhood prospered as a port town during the feudal period, as it was used as a port of rest for daimyō on their way to and from the capital as part of the sankin-kōtai system. This traffic was likely the source of the demand for Nobutaka's abortive attempt to create a shortcut through the peninsula.

Modern era
A decade after the Meiji Restoration, in March 1878 the Uwa District was divided into the current Kitauwa, Minamiuwa, Higashiuwa, and Nishiuwa districts (North-, South-, East-, and West-Uwa, respectively). Ikata was designated a village (村) in 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system, and other neighborhoods along the peninsula soon followed suit, many merging to reduce the number of independent settlements from 26 to 6.

More recently, Seto's Mitsukue Bay was used for submarine training operations by the Imperial Japanese Navy leading up to World War II, as the bay's shape is similar to that of Pearl Harbor. A monument named The Nine War Heroes (九軍神) stands in Suka Park in Mitsukue as a memorial dedicated to the nine young men (ages 21–28) who were stationed in the Mitsukue area for these exercises. According to the plaque on the monument, the men were quite friendly with the locals, and stories are still told about them in the neighborhood to this day. The men died on December 8, 1941, during one of the initial attacks on Pearl Harbor.

In 1955 another round of mergers corresponding to the Great Shōwa Merger reduced the number of municipal entities to three.

In 1977 the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant began operation as the first nuclear power plant on the island of Shikoku.

On April 1, 2005, Ikata merged with the nearby towns of Misaki and Seto to create the new town of Ikata, which spans the Sadamisaki Peninsula.

Current events

 * March, 2014. National attention turns to Ikata as the towns elections near. Many wonder if Ikata will approve the restart of its nuclear power generators.

 * The installation of many new windmills in 2006 and 2007 solicited a significant amount of noise complaints from nearby residents.

Timeline

 * March 1878 — Meiji reforms create the Nishiuwa District
 * 1889 — Ikata is designated a village.
 * March 31, 1955 — The villages of Ikata and Machimi merge, forming the old town of Ikata
 * September 30, 1977 — Reactor No. 1 of the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant begins operation
 * April 1, 2005 — The towns of Misaki and Seto were merged into Ikata to form the new and expanded town of Ikata

Government and politics
Ikata has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 13 members. Ikata together with Yawatahama, contributes two members to the Ehime Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Ehime 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Ikata experienced significant political turbulence leading up to and immediately following the April 1, 2005 merger with Seto and Misaki. To begin with, multiple potential merger plans were put forth, one of which was for all of the contiguous Nishiuwa District towns (Misaki, Seto, Old Ikata, and Honai) to merge. However, when Honai announced that it would merge with the nearby city of Yawatahama, polls indicated that Misaki residents still preferred to merge with Honai and Yawatahama, rather than Seto and Old Ikata, despite their being discontiguous (a Misaki-Honai-Yawatahama merger would make Misaki an exclave). Ultimately this was found to be impractical, and the Misaki-Seto-Ikata merger was approved with some grumbling over the naming of the new town. Once the merger was decided upon, suggestions for the new town's name were solicited from the residents. Despite the many other reasonable suggestions and the seeming unfairness toward Seto and Misaki, the "new" name was chosen to be "Ikata."

Following the merger a heated mayoral race was held, with 11 members of incumbent Kiyoyoshi Nakamoto's campaign arrested for electoral fraud. Challenger Yoshihisa Hatanaka ultimately won, only to be arrested in February 2006 for corruption relating to government construction contracts. He resigned soon thereafter. A second race was held in April 2006, with Kazuhiko Yamashita defeating rival Kiyohiko Takakado by only 90 votes. Voter turnout was 87.43%.

There has been and remains political resistance among some Ikata residents to the nuclear power plant.

The most recent mayoral election took place on April 13, 2014 which found incumbent Yamashita in seat for his third term as mayor. 85.33% of the total 9,190 eligible voters turning out to cast a ballot. Mr. Yamashita garnered a total of 3,266 of the electorate while a certain Mr. Yoshihisa Hatanaka (see above) came in second place with a total of 2,399 votes. A non-Ikata resident of the "People Who Don't Need Nukes" Party (原発いらない人々) managed to win slightly more than 1% of the electorate with 104 votes.

Economy
Ikata's main industries are farming (largely citrus fruits such as mikans), fishing, and electrical power. Ikata produces a substantial fraction of Shikoku's electricity. There are two main power production methods currently in use.

Wind power

The former town of Seto erected eleven Mitsubishi MWT-1000 wind generators in January 2002. The Old Ikata installed two Vestas V52-850 kW generators in March 2005. Together they have an expected yearly energy output of 34,700 MWh.

Ikata is investing heavily in wind power infrastructure, with 45 additional towers currently under construction. The town plans to have a total of 60 generators within the next few years.

Nuclear power
Ikata is the site of Shikoku's only nuclear power plant. The Ikata Nuclear Power Plant has two Mitsubishi 538 MWe Pressurized Water Reactor units with the Two Reactor Coolant Loop design (similar to the original Westinghouse design at Prairie Island, Kewaunee, and Point Beach plants) and one Mitsubishi Pressurized Water Reactor unit with the Three Reactor Coolant Loop design (similar to the Westinghouse Surry, North Anna, and Robinson plants). Units 1 and 2 started up on September 30, 1977 and March 19, 1981 respectively. Unit 3 is a three loop PWR rated at 846 MWe that started up on December 15, 1994.

April 1, 2007, marked a milestone for the Ikata plant as it reached a total of 300 million kilowatt-hours of energy generated since beginning operations in 1977.

Education
Ikata has six public elementary schools and three public middle schools operated by the city government. The city has one public high school operated by the Ehime Prefectural Board of Education.

Railways
Ikata has no passenger rail service. The closest station is the JR Shikoku Yawatahama Station on the Yosan Line.

Background
Due to Ikata's length and mountainous terrain, regular bus service did not reach the tip of the peninsula until the 1960s. Until then, the only public transportation available was local ferries that connected the bays of each neighborhood. In 1963, the original Japan National Route 197 was completed. It follows the coastline, and is thus extremely winding and narrow, with very little room for cars to pass. Traversing the peninsula by this route takes hours and can be quite nerve-wracking; this earned it the ire of the locals, who came up with a disparaging nickname that is a pun on the actual name: "the Don't-go-there Terrible Road" (イクナ酷道).

Modern day
The Ikata leg of the new National Route 197 was completed in 1987 and is the heart of transportation in modern Ikata, affectionately nicknamed "Melody Line". This nickname later spawned a musical road portion of the road built to celebrate its anniversary that was completed and added in 2011, so the road could literally have a "melody". The road "plays" parts of two Japanese songs when certain sections of the road are driven over. Unlike the old roads, Melody Line boasts two full lanes and runs relatively straight down the peninsula. Seated high in the mountains, drivers can enjoy views of both the Pacific Ocean and Inland Sea. The route terminates at Misaki and continues over to Kyūshū by ferries that connect Misaki Port with Saganoseki (Ōita, Ōita) and Beppu, Ōita.

Melody Line is such an improvement over the old roads that it has become a significant Ehime sightseeing attraction in itself, with many tourists coming to see cherry blossoms in the spring. Together with the city of Iyo's seaside Route 378, Melody Line makes one of the prefecture's recommended sightseeing routes, and one of JTB's "100 Hidden Treasures of Japan" (日本の秘境100選).

Iyo Railway bus service runs up and down the peninsula, to and from Yawatahama, and offers express buses from Misaki to Matsuyama. However, commuter buses run infrequently and, due to the length of the peninsula and the scattered nature of the town's neighborhoods, bus travel remains more expensive and less convenient than in denser areas. Some tour buses also come across the strait from Kyūshū by ferry.

International exchange and sister cities
Relations with Ikata's only overseas sister city, Red Wing, Minnesota, USA, originally began as an exchange of technical knowledge and skills between engineers at the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant and Red Wing's Prairie Island plant. The two towns became official sister cities in August 1995.

Since then, Ikata has put much effort into expanding the horizons of its residents through English language education via the JET Programme, and an annual international student exchange with Red Wing. Beginning in 1995, Ikata middle school students have traveled almost yearly to Red Wing for home stays of one to two weeks, and students from Red Wing likewise come to Ikata to learn about life in rural Japan.

Ikata's high school, Misaki High School, maintains an exchange program with Australia.

Ikata has two sister cities, both of which also have nuclear power plants:
 * 🇯🇵 Tomari, Hokkaidō, Japan, since February 1998
 * 🇺🇸 Red Wing, Minnesota, United States, since August 1995

Local attractions

 * Sadamisaki Lighthouse
 * This lighthouse stands at the tip of the peninsula, overlooking the Hōyo Strait. On clear days you can see across to Kyūshū. Almost two kilometers of hiking trails and observation decks make up part of the Setonaikai National Park.

 * Seto Wind Hill Park
 * Located atop a mountain in the Gongen Mountain Park, Seto Wind Hill Park is located in the center of the peninsula and is free and open to the public. From it you can see dozens of Ikata's 29.5-meter, 4.3-ton windmills, and get up close to 11 of them. An actual wing of one of the windmills is on display in the park so visitors can get a better idea of the actual size. Benches and observation decks dot the park and Haikus about the windmills, submitted for Ikata's Windmill Festival, are on display year-round.

Public restrooms are available and powered by solar energy.

 * Ikata Visitors House
 * This hands-on science museum teaches all about nuclear power with beautiful interactive displays and fun activities for all ages. The building is connected to the Kirara-kan,

 * Kirara-kan
 * Opened in 1994, Kirara-kan houses an aquarium and sells souvenirs and local agricultural products. There are also several exhibits on display such as an Ikata Toji (Brew Master) exhibit and an International Relations exhibit with items on display from Ikata's sister city of Red Wing. Necklaces and pendants using pearls harvested from Uwa Sea to the south are also on sale. The second floor is a folk museum with scale-model fishing boat, and other tools and items of cultural significance to Ikata on display year-round. The third floor is a rest area offering a panorama view of the peninsula. Kirara-kan is connected to the Ikata Visitors House.

 * Red Wing Park
 * This park was constructed to commemorate the official joining of Ikata to her Sister City of Red Wing, Minnesota, after which it is named. Of note is the 21-meter stainless-steel monument located at the entrance of the park, a twin sister of the one in Bay Point Park, Red Wing. Beneath the monument lies a commemorative stone plaque bearing the signatures of each of the mayors at the time. It is home to Adventure Hill—a playground full of climbing nets, roller slides, and other children's play equipment. The park is free and open to the public. Tennis courts and a gravel field are available in the Community Grounds adjacent to the park. Reservations for use are made at the town office.

 * Kamegaike Onsen
 * A hot spring bathing facility and park opened to the public in August 2007. Hot spring water is sourced from a well at a depth of 1,500 meters. The bath is divided into two large bathing areas "Misaki" and "Toji" that are male or female only. Which area is designated as male and which is designated as female switches weekly. The Onsen is wheelchair-friendly and offers bathing options to fit every need. A local-goods shop and a restaurant are located in the onsen. Overnight stays are not available. Public transportation is available daily. A bus stop is located directly in front of the entrance. Parking is free. According to legend, a giant crab lives in the adjacent Kamegaike Pond.

Roadside Stations
Ikata has two roadside stations along National Route 197. These are highway rest stops that offer refreshments, travel information, recreation facilities, and local goods for sale.

 * Ikata Kirara-kan
 * Features an aquarium, an exhibit chronicling Ikata's relations with its American sister city, Red Wing, Minnesota, and a small museum of Old Ikata historical artifacts. Attached to the Ikata Visitors House.

 * Seto Agriculture Park
 * Gelateria DanDan offers travelers unique ice cream and sorbet flavors like sake, kintarō potato, black sesame, and more. A Christmas tree decorated with mikan orange peels, a monument to Ikata explorer Hyōichi Kōno, and the Windmill Restaurant can also be found here.

Etymology of name
The origin of the name Ikata is unclear and there are several competing theories.
 * It may have come from iekata (家方) or iokata (庵方), meaning "a place with small houses or shacks".
 * Ika can be found in the names of places surrounded by mountains or located in foothills; ta can mean "land". Ikata could therefore be "a place by the mountains".
 * In the Ainu language, ika means "to pass through the mountains and cross the land". However, the Ainu are thought to have had little influence as far south as Shikoku.

Food
Ikata is known for its mikans and mikan juice. More than 20 different varieties of mikan are grown in Ikata. Old Ikata also has a very old sake brewing tradition that dates back to the Edo period, with several tōji brewmasters in the local area. There is even a museum dedicated to the Ikata Tōji.

The Seto area produces vegetables such as the bright-purple kintarō potato, and also catches baby sardines called chirimen (ちりめん). Misaki has a strong fishing tradition, producing many horse mackerel (鯵) and mackerel (鯖). Four Misaki Fishing Co-op products are part of the Ehime "With Love" (『愛』ある) brand: Horse mackerel, mackerel, largehead hairtail (太刀魚), and abalone (鮑).

One Ikata specialty cuisine is jakoten (じゃこ天), a tempura-fried patty of pressed white fish meat and vegetables. Other variations include jakokatsu (じゃこカツ), which is the same but fried and breaded like tonkatsu, and jako-croquette (じゃこコロッケ) which is prepared like a croquette.

Language
Residents of Ikata speak the Iyo dialect of Japanese, which is similar in many respects to the Hiroshima dialect. One feature particular to the Nanyo (southern Ehime) region is the use of the sentence-final particle ga (が) as a replacement for no (の) in some contexts. For example, Nani shiteru no? (何してるの？ "What are you doing?" in standard Japanese) becomes Nani shiyoru ga? (何しよるが？) in Iyo dialect.

Ikata's largest town celebration in late summer, the Kinahaiya Ikata Festival, is another example of the Iyo dialect—kinahai ya (来なはいや) literally means "come on over" (kinasai yo 来なさいよ in standard Japanese).

Festivals and events
Ikata has a wide variety of festivals and attractions the year around.

February
 * Misaki Oise Dance (お伊勢踊り)
 * Men and women of unlucky ages (厄年) receive the blessings of local Buddhist priests in the form of a set of ceremonial dances. Afterwards, lucky decorative ornaments and free sake are offered to the crowd.

April
 * Moo Moo Festival (もぉ〜モォ〜フェスティバル)
 * Held on Seto's Kōmo Highland atop Mt. Miharashi, the main event of this festival is an outdoor barbecue featuring locally-raised beef.

May June July August
 * Seto Gathering of the Sea (海のつどい)
 * Misaki Fishing Festival (豊漁祭)
 * Kirara Festival (きららまつり)
 * Chirimen Festival (ちりめん祭り)
 * Kinahaiya Ikata Festival (きなはいや伊方まつり)
 * This is Ikata's largest summer festival. Attractions include film and dance competitions, a taiko performance, children's sumo, and bare-handed fish catching, all concluded with a fireworks display in the evening.

 * Seto Bridal Festival (花嫁まつり)
 * Local single women put on a wedding dress fashion show, followed by fireworks in the evening. An outdoor barbecue and bare-handed fish wrangling are held in the nearby Suka Park.

September
 * Ōku Shan Shan Dance (しゃんしゃん踊り)
 * Every September a handful of local men and women gather along the Ōku beach to sing and perform this dance, with the purpose of placating the dead spirit of a woman who is said to have been washed ashore in Ōku long, long ago.

October
 * Autumn Festival (秋祭り)
 * Each main region of Ikata holds its own separate Autumn Festival. Misaki's is perhaps the most spectacular of the three. The main attraction is the battle between the Ox Demon (牛鬼) and the 4-meter tall Four Drums (四ツ太鼓), which are two ceremonial mikoshi floats carried by the young local men and women. Participants compete in repeatedly pulling the floats up along a giant 10-meter scaffold, then trying to drop theirs on top of the other.

 * 3 important deities and demons make their appearance at most of Ikata's autumn festivals.

1. Ox Demon (牛鬼)
 * The tradition of the Ox Demon and festivals in Ikata dates back to the middle of Edo Japan (1800s). It is said that that Ox Demon and the voices of the men yelling おしょにん、エン、エン、エーン (Oshonin, en, en, e~n)keeps away the evil spirits from the Portable Shrines (神輿｜Mikoshi) as they make their way through the center of town.

2.Guardian Lion (唐獅子)
 * The Karashishi is most notably found in Japan at the entrance of Shinto Shrines and are used to either ward-off bad spirits or welcome good spirits. The Karashishi dance in Ikata involves two persons dancing under a single guardian lion costume to the beat of the drum of a young boy. Ikata's performers are especially well-known throughout most of the prefecture for their dedication to the dance.

3.Five Deer (五ツ鹿)
 * Although the origins of the five-deer dance are unknown, it is said that its traditions were brought over from Uwajima during the [Kanei] (寛永) period. (1624-1644) Especially popular at the time, many believe that it first made its appearance in Ikata at then Kawanagata-ura (川永田浦).

The rats of Kuroshima
There are two small, uninhabited islands in the Uwa Sea near Yawatahama that belong to Ikata: Kuroshima and Karasushima. A legend written in the 13th century text A Collection of Things Heard, Ancient and Modern (古今著聞集) tells the following story: In the Antei era (1227–1229), in the Yano area of the Iyo Province there was an island called Kuroshima. It was about one ri (4 km) from the nearest settlement. On the island lived a fisherman known as the Daiku of Katsurahazama (thought to be modern-day Honai). One night he was walking around looking for a good place to set his nets when he saw that the spots with fish appeared to glow in the night darkness. By every shore of the island the light glowed so brightly that he gleefully put out his nets, only to find that there were no fish at all. Instead what he pulled up was countless rats. After he pulled them ashore the rats fled, disappearing into the darkness. The fisherman was stunned. How strange this was! The island thus became full of rats, which ate all of the crops, and made the land infertile to this day. Though rats can of course be found on land, what a strange thing it is that they would be at the bottom of the sea!

The giant crab of Kamegaike
Local legend tells of a giant crab, eight tatami mats in size, that lives in the Kamegaike Pond in Old Ikata's Futami neighborhood. Long ago a large crab lived in the Kuchō Pond. The crab grew bigger and bigger every day, until it reached eight tatami mats in size and was unable to swim comfortably in its pond. Looking for a new home, it went to the Kamegaike Pond in the next neighborhood over. In Kamegaike Pond there lived a kappa, which thought its home was too big, so it happily traded with the crab.

The crab thus found a new, larger home, and swam around happily. Unfortunately, its swimming caused the pond to overflow nearly every day, and the waves often capsized the nearby farmers' boats. The distraught farmers thus prayed to the gods to have the crab sealed at the bottom of the pond.

To this day, every year in the fall the local people hold a festival in which a ceremonial ox demon (牛鬼) float is carried across the pond so as to keep the crab sealed in its depths.

In popular culture
The Ikata Power Plant was referenced in the 1995 movie Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. Godzilla attempts to attack the power plant, but meets resistance from the Self Defense Force's "Super-X III" weapon.

Notable people from Ikata

 * Shūji Nakamura, 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics winner, inventor of the blue LED, hails from the former town of Seto.
 * Adventurer Hyōichi Kōno successfully reached the North Pole in 1997. He died in 2001 while attempting to walk from the North Pole back to his birthplace, the former town of Seto.
 * Nenten Tsubouchi is a haiku poet whose unique and quirky poems have been featured in elementary school textbooks in Japan. He was born in the Kuchō neighborhood of Ikata.

title: Ikata


text:
Seto, Ehime

Seto (瀬戸町) was a town located in Nishiuwa District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 2,696 and a density of 84.01 persons per km2. The total area was 32.09 km2.

On April 1, 2005, Seto, along with the town of Misaki (also from Nishiuwa District), was merged into the expanded town of Ikata.

title: Seto, Ehime


text:
Misaki, Ehime

Misaki (三崎町) was a town located in Nishiuwa District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 3,863 and a density of 114.90 persons per km2. The total area was 33.62 km2.

On April 1, 2005, Misaki, along with the town of Seto (also from Nishiuwa District), was merged into the expanded town of Ikata.

title: Misaki, Ehime


text:
Mikame, Ehime

Mikame (三瓶町) was a town located in Nishiuwa District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 8,660 and a density of 209.38 persons per km2. The total area was 41.36 km2.

On April 1, 2004, Mikame, along with the towns of Akehama, Nomura, Shirokawa and Uwa (all from Higashiuwa District), was merged to create the city of Seiyo.

title: Mikame, Ehime


text:
London sewer system

The London sewer system is part of the water infrastructure serving London, England. The modern system was developed during the late 19th century, and as London has grown the system has been expanded. It is currently owned and operated by Thames Water and serves almost all of Greater London.

History
During the early 19th century the River Thames was an open sewer, with disastrous consequences for public health in London, including cholera epidemics. These were caused by enterotoxin-producing strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Although the contamination of the water supply was correctly diagnosed by Dr John Snow in 1849 as the method of communication, up to the outbreak of 1866 it was believed that miasma, or bad air, was responsible. Proposals to modernise the sewerage system had been made in the early 1700s but the costs of such a project deterred progress. Further proposals followed in 1856, but were again neglected due to the costs. However, after the Great Stink of 1858, Parliament realised the urgency of the problem and resolved to create a modern sewerage system.

Joseph Bazalgette, a civil engineer and Chief Engineer of the Metropolitan Board of Works, was given responsibility for the work. He and his colleagues, including William Haywood, designed an extensive underground sewerage system that diverted waste to the Thames Estuary, downstream of the main centre of population. Six main interceptor sewers, totalling almost 160 km (100 miles) in length, were constructed, some incorporating stretches of London's "lost" rivers. Three of these sewers were north of the river, the southernmost, low-level one being incorporated in the Thames Embankment. The Embankment also allowed new roads, new public gardens, and the Circle line of the London Underground. Victoria Embankment was finally officially opened on 13 July 1870.

The intercepting sewers, constructed between 1859 and 1865, were fed by 450 miles (720 km) of main sewers that, in turn, conveyed the contents of some 13,000 miles (21,000 km) of smaller local sewers. Construction of the interceptor system required 318 million bricks, 2.7e6 m3 of excavated earth and 670,000 m3 of concrete. The innovative use of Portland cement strengthened the tunnels, which were in good order 150 years later.

Gravity allows the sewage to flow eastwards, but in places such as Chelsea, Deptford and Abbey Mills, pumping stations were built to raise the water and provide sufficient flow. Many sewers north of the Thames feed into the Northern Outfall Sewer, which transports sewage to Beckton Sewage Treatment Works. South of the river, the Southern Outfall Sewer extends to a similar facility at Crossness. Smaller sewage treatment plants also serve areas further away from central London, such as at Mogden and Edmonton.

During the 20th century, major improvements were made to the sewerage system and to the sewage treatment provision to substantially reduce pollution of the Thames Estuary and the North Sea. The sewage works, from west to east, discharging into the tidal Thames in 1950-53 were:

Modern development needs
The original system was designed to cope with 6.5 mm (1/4") per hour of rainfall within the catchment area, and supported a smaller population than today's. London's growth has put pressure on the capacity of the sewerage system. During storms, for example, high levels of rainfall (in excess of 6 mm per hour) in a short period of time can overwhelm the system. Sewers and treatment works are unable to cope with the large volumes of rainwater entering the system. Rainwater mixes with sewage in combined sewers and excess mixed water is discharged into the Thames. If this does not happen quickly enough, localised flooding occurs (surcharge). Such sanitary sewer overflow can mean streets becoming flooded with a mixture of water and sewage, causing a health risk.

In redeveloping the Isle of Dogs and Royal Docks areas of east London during the late 1980s and early 1990s, the London Docklands Development Corporation invested in major new drainage infrastructure to manage future sewage and surface water run-off from proposed developments. Consulting engineer Sir William Halcrow & Partners designed a system of large diameter tunnels served by new pumping stations. In the Royal Docks, approximately 16 miles (25 km) of foul and surface water drains were built, plus pumping stations at Tidal Basin (designed by Richard Rogers Partnership) and North Woolwich (architect: Nicholas Grimshaw). The Isle of Dogs drainage network is served by a stormwater pumping station situated in Stewart Street, designed by John Outram Associates.

Thames Tideway Scheme

Increasing the carrying capacity of London's sewerage system has been debated for some years. The new 'Thames Tideway' scheme includes a wide diameter storage-and-transfer tunnel (internal diameters of 7.2 m and 9 m have been suggested), 22 miles (35 km) long, underneath the riverbed of the Thames between Hammersmith in the west and Beckton/Crossness in the east. The cost of this megaproject is £4.9 billion, and it is due to be completed in 2024.

Literary or media references

 * The system plays a part in English writer Neil Gaiman's 1996 novel Neverwhere.
 * The system plays a part in Australian writer Michael Robotham's 2005 novel Lost (a.k.a. The Drowning Man).
 * It featured as one of the Seven Wonders of the Industrial World in the BBC television series of the same name.
 * Eleanor Updale's Montmorency (beginning with Montmorency: Liar Thief Gentleman?) novels are set against the backdrop of construction of the London sewerage system.
 * The construction of the London sewer system is central to the plot of Anne Perry's 2006 novel Dark Assassin, in which the Great Stink is also mentioned.
 * The title character from Terry Pratchett's Dodger, based on the Artful Dodger from Oliver Twist, spends much of his time in London's sewers alongside notable historical figures including Bazalgette.
 * A BBC documentary entitled The Five Billion Pound Super Sewer focuses on the Thames Tideway Scheme.
 * Charles Palliser's novel The Quincunx features the old, pre-Bazalgette London sewers of the early nineteenth century in an extensive sub-plot.
 * The sewer system served as the hideout of Professor Ratigan in Disney's 1986 film The Great Mouse Detective.

title: London sewer system


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Nishiuwa District, Ehime

Nishiuwa (西宇和郡) is a district located in Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2007, the district has an estimated population of 12,304 with a total area of 94.34 km2.

The district consists of one town.
 * Ikata

History

 * In accordance with 1878 Land Reforms, the district was founded after breaking off from the Uwa District. (1 town, 22 villages)
 * February 1898 — The village of Hirano was reassigned to the Kita District (now the city of Ōzu). (1 town, 21 villages)
 * August 1, 1914 — The village of Kawanoishi gained town status. (2 towns, 20 villages)
 * September 3, 1921 — The village of Mikame gained town status. (3 towns, 19 villages)
 * July 1, 1928 — The village of Kamiyama gained town status. (4 towns, 18 villages)
 * January 1, 1930 — The village of Yanozaki merged into the town of Yawatahama. (4 towns, 17 villages)
 * February 11, 1935 — The villages of Senjō, Shitada, and the town of Kamiyama merged into city of Yawatahama. (2 towns, 15 villages)
 * January 1, 1955 — The villages of Nikifu, Mishima, Izumi and parts of Fukigawa in the village of Futaiwa merged into the town of Mikame. (2 towns, 13 villages)
 * February 1, 1955 — The villages of Futaiwa (excluding parts), Hizuchi, Maana and Kawakami merged into the city of Yawatahama. (2 towns, 9 villages)
 * March 31, 1955
 * The villages of Isotsu, Miyauchi, Kawanoishi, and Kisuki merged to become the town of Honai. (2 towns, 6 villages)
 * The villages of Ikata and Machimi merged to become the town of Ikata. (3 towns, 4 villages)
 * The villages of Kanmatsu and Misaki merged to become the town of Misaki. (4 towns, 2 villages)
 * June 1, 1956 — The villages of Mitsukue and Yotsuhama merged to become the town of Seto. (5 towns)
 * April 1, 2004 — The town of Mikame merged with the towns of Uwa, Nomura, Akehama, and Shirokawa from Higashiuwa District to form the city of Seiyo. (4 towns)
 * March 28, 2005 — The town of Honai merged into the city of Yawatahama. (3 towns)
 * April 1, 2005 — The towns of Seto, and Misaki merged into the town of Ikata. (1 town)

title: Nishiuwa District, Ehime


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Public holidays in Ecuador

The national public holidays in Ecuador include:

The anniversary of the annexation of the Galapagos Islands and Charles Darwin's birthday are also celebrated on February 12 as Galapagos Day (dia de la Provincia or dia de la Provincia de Galápagos). This is sometimes described on the mainland as Amazon and Galapagos Day or Orient Day (dia del Oriente), as the discovery of the headwaters of the Amazon River by Francisco de Orellana in 1542 is also recorded occurring on the same day.

title: Public holidays in Ecuador


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Akehama, Ehime

Akehama (明浜町) was a town located in Higashiuwa District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 4,458 and a density of 171.59 persons per km2. The total area was 25.98 km2.

On April 1, 2004, Akehama, along with the towns of Nomura, Shirokawa and Uwa (all from Higashiuwa District), and the town of Mikame (from Nishiuwa District), was merged to create the city of Seiyo.

title: Akehama, Ehime


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Uwa, Ehime

Uwa (宇和町) was a town located in Higashiuwa District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 17,692 and a density of 133.49 persons per km2. The total area was 132.53 km2.

On April 1, 2004, Uwa was merged with the towns of Akehama, Nomura and Shirokawa (all from Higashiuwa District), and the town of Mikame (from Nishiuwa District), to create the city of Seiyo.

title: Uwa, Ehime