Takahashi City

A bengara merchant's shop front, kept

Old Katayama House, bengara shop

Photo by FUKIYA TouristAssociation (CC BY-SA 4.0)

01 ／ Hokoku Station (方谷駅)

A station said to be the firstto be named after a person.

The station is named for Yamada Hokoku, the scholar who put the finances of the Bitchu-Matsuyama domain back in order, and is said to be the first station name to use a person's name. The building, put up in 1928 when the Hakubi Line opened through, keeps its original look well.

Named for Yamada Hokoku
Built in 1928 with the Hakubi Line
Registered Tangible Cultural Property (2011)

02 ／ Kasagami no Mojiiwa (笠神の文字岩)

A stone carved in 1307 to mark a finished waterwayusually lies under the surface of a dam lake.

The Kasagami no Mojiiwa is a Kamakura-period river-transport site at the Kasagami rapids of the Nariwa River. Its inscription records that a boat route was completed in 1307 (Tokuji 2). The dam lake now covers it, and a replica stands at a park along the prefectural road.

Nationally designated Historic Site (designated 1941)
Inscription of the route's completion, Tokuji 2 (1307)
Replica at Kasagami Mojiiwa observation park

03 ／ The place name "Takahashi" (高梁)

In 1869 the Matsuyama domain became the Takahashi domain,and the place name "Matsuyama" became "Takahashi" too.

The Itakura clan of the Matsuyama domain had sided with the shogunate, and in 1869 (Meiji 2) its holding was cut to 20,000 koku and the domain renamed Takahashi. The castle town's name "Matsuyama" was also changed to "Takahashi," the start of today's name. There are several theories of its origin.

Renamed the Takahashi domain in 1869 (Meiji 2)
Itakura clan cut to 20,000 koku
Several theories on the origin of "Takahashi"

Living here

The Takahashi River runs north to south, with the Kibi Highlands spread on both sides.

about 30,000 people

Takahashi lies in the center-west of Okayama, where the Takahashi River, one of the prefecture's three great rivers, runs north to south through the middle. Fog is frequent throughout the year. The area is 546.99 km² and the population is 24,804 (end of August 2026).

People living here: 29,072people
Area: 546.99km²
Households: 12,886households
Rent (average for rentals): 32,432yen
Healthcare: 4 hospitals ／ 30 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Population from 2005 onward (municipal boundary changed).2004-10-01 に合併。2005年調査から市域が変わっている。

Children waiting for childcare: —8 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

Shape

Borders 7 municipalities across 1 prefectures.

Takahashi City in Japan34.791°N 133.617°E

Territory of Takahashi City

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (N03)

North to south

30.7km

Okayama Prefecture: 新見市, 井原市, 吉備中央町, 真庭市, 総社市
Hiroshima Prefecture: 神石高原町, 庄原市

Travel times per leg are not published by the municipality, so they are not shown.

Takahashi City isthis kind of town.

01The Old Katayama House (旧片山家住宅) is a merchant house in Fukiya that dealt in the red pigment bengara (弁柄). Its main house keeps the shop front of a bengara dealer, with outbuildings for making bengara beside it. Praised as "a typical early-modern bengara merchant house," it was made a nationally designated Important Cultural Property in December 2006.
02Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle stands on Mt. Gagyu at the north edge of the town; among the 12 castles with surviving keeps, it is the only one built as a mountain castle (the city's explanation). The Gagyuzan Monkey Habitat is a national Natural Monument, and the garden of Raikyuji Temple is said to be by Kobori Enshu.
03In Nariwa is the Bitchu Kagura Nariwa Preservation Society, the protecting body of Bitchu Kagura, a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The stonecutter of the Hosoji stone pillar and stupa in Ukan (a national Important Cultural Property) is said to be the same person as at the Kasagami no Mojiiwa.

See the town as it is now.

Instagram@takahashi.city ↗

Source: Wikidata (P2002, P2003, P2013, P2397)

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Takahashi City official site ↗Wikipedia ↗