thumb|Shikokuchūō City Hall
thumb|Panoramic view of downtown Kawanoe area, from Kawanoe Castle
is a city located in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 83,635 in 28876 households and a population density of 200 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Shikokuchūō is the leading producer of paper and paper products in Japan.
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Shikokuchūō has decreased slightly since the 1960s.
History
The area of Shikokuchūō was part of ancient Iyo Province. Ruins found within the city limits suggest that the area was first inhabited more than 12,000 years ago. People first lived in the hilly areas along the Kinugawa River, and then spread to the coastal plains from the Jomon period to the Yayoi period. In the middle of the Kofun period, Toguyama Kofun, which is said to be the tomb of Prince Kinashi Karu, was constructed. In the late Kofun period, in the 6th century, burial mounds began to be built in hilly areas. In the first half of the 7th century, the Umamukaiyama Kofun, which has one of the largest stone burial chambers in Shikoku, was built. After the Nara period Taika Reforms, this area came to be called Uma District. The city limits of Uma District and modern Shikokuchūō are almost the same. As Uma is centrally located in Shikoku, it was historically a transportation hub between Shikoku's major cities. Due to its strategic importance, during the Sengoku period Uma was repeatedly invaded by the neighboring warlords. During the Edo Period, the area as divided between the holdings of Imabari Domain, Saijō Domain and tenryō territory administered on behalf of the Tokugawa shogunate by Iyo-Matsuyama Domain. Industry began to flourish in Uma during the Edo period, and the city grew as a port town. The Tosa kaidō offered access to Tosa Province in the south, so Uma was also a stopping spot, or ‘post station,’ for the Tosa daimyō and travelers to and from Tosa. Paper making began in Uma around 1750,
Economy
Shikokuchūō is one of the major industrial cities in the Ehime and Shikoku regions, and is one of Japan's leading paper manufacturing areas.
Paper industry
The history of the paper industry in Shikokuchūō extends back to around 1750, when washi was first produced in the Uma area. The modern paper industry began to flourish when mechanized manufacturing techniques were developed in the Meiji era. After World War II, the paper industry contributed to the city's rapid economic growth.
The city paper museum, Kami no Machi Shiryokan, has exhibits and information on traditional paper making and the modern paper industry.
Education
Shikokuchūō has 18 public elementary schools and six public middle schools and one combined public elementary/middle school operated by the city government. The city has three public high schools operated by the Ehime Prefectural Board of Education.
Transportation
Railways
22 px Shikoku Railway Company - Yosan Line
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Highways
- 25px|link=|alt= Matsuyama Expressway
- 25px|link=|alt= Kōchi Expressway
- 25px|link=|alt= Takamatsu Expressway
- 25px|link=|alt= Tokushima Expressway
Ports
- Port of Mishima-Kawanoe
Local attractions
Junshin-do
The Buddhist monk Junshin dwelt here after he was expelled from Tosa province (modern day Kochi). As is described in the lyrics of the Yosakoi naruko dancing song, Junshin had an illicit affair with a comb-maker's daughter, and the two of them attempted to elope. After they were caught leaving Tosa without permission, Junshin was permanently expelled from Tosa, and the two of them were separated. Junshin lived in this building for the remainder of his life.
Kawanoe Castle
thumb|right|Kawanoe Castle
Kawanoe Castle was built in 1337 at the beginning of the Nanboku-cho period. For the next several hundred years, it was attacked repeatedly by armies from Sanuki, Awa, and Tosa. It fell to the armies of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1585, when he conquered Shikoku. The castle was torn down in 1611, and some of it was used for Matsuyama Castle. In 1984, Kawanoe City began a project to rebuild Kawanoe Castle. Construction was completed in 1988.
Kofun
Many burial mounds, or kofun, were built in the area during the mid to late Kofun period. These include the Toguzan burial mounds, the Kyogaoka burial mounds (circa sixth century AD), and the Umamukaiyama Kofun (early seventh century). The road later fell out of use by the government, but continued to be used by travelers and people in Shikoku for the next nine hundred years. From 1718, the Edo shogunate began to use the road for sankinkotai, the policy of forcing the daimyō of every han to move periodically between Edo and his han.