History
With the establishment of the modern municipalities system of the early Meiji period on April 1, 1889, the area around modern Kikugawa was consolidated into eleven villages within Kitō District, Shizuoka Prefecture from 38 hamlets within former Tōtōmi Province. Kikugawa Station on the Tōkaidō Main Line train between Shizuoka and Hamamatsu opened on April 16, 1889 leading to an influx of population and development. Kitō District merged with neighboring Sano District to form Ogasa District, Shizuoka in 1896. Through the Taishō and Shōwa periods, Kikugawa developed as a center of green tea production and the tea trade. Kikugawa Town was created on January 1, 1954 through the merger of former Horinouchi Town with four surrounding villages.
The modern city of Kikugawa was established on January 17, 2005, from the merger of the former town of Kikugawa, absorbing the town of Ogasa (both from Ogasa District).
Government
Kikugawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 17 members. The city contributes one member to the Shizuoka Prefectural Assembly.
Economy
The economy of Kikugawa is primarily agricultural, with major crops including green tea, lettuce, blueberries, cantelope and aloe. Light industries include agricultural equipment manufacturing and automobile components manufacturing.
Education
Kikugawa has nine public elementary schools and three public junior high schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Shizuoka Prefectural Board of Education. The city also have one private junior high school and two private high schools. The prefecture also operates a vocational school, the Shizuoka Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry College.
Kikugawa has three international schools:
- Centro Educacional Sorriso de Criança - Brazilian primary school
- Escola Brasileira Sol Nascente - Brazilian primary school