Awa City

Earth pillars stand as if in a forest.

Awa Earth Pillars

Photo by Saigen Jiro (CC0)

01 ／ Kirihata-ji Daitō Pagoda

The west pagoda of the Sumiyoshi Taisha temple in Osakawas moved here in the early Meiji era.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a two-storied pagoda, five bays square on the first story and three on the second, with a plan and form so unusual that it calls it the only one in the country. The tourist association says the pagoda, donated by Toyotomi Hideyori to the Sumiyoshi Taisha temple, was moved here over ten years from 1873.

Important Cultural Property (designated June 23, 1975)
First story five bays square, second three (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
Moved over ten years from 1873 (tourist association)

02 ／ Yanekojiki

It is said to have begun when people decorated handmade dollsto welcome the lord, a custom of Ichiba.

A custom of the main street of Ichiba (市場) town, said to have begun with the welcome given to the Hachisuka lord. The Yanekojiki de Machiokoshi no Kai (やねこじき・de・町おこしの会), a citizens' group, has carried it on as the Yanekojiki Festival; the sixth was held in November 2024. About 200 past photographs and a few dolls are shown on the second floor of Ichiba Library.

Held only in Ichiba town (tourist association)
Sixth festival in November 2024 (the group)
Exhibition on the second floor of Ichiba Library (the group)

03 ／ Nogami's Great Chinaberry

Standing among the fields, the chinaberry splits intothree main branches and spreads like an umbrella.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a chinaberry (センダン) standing alone among fields, 9.2 m around the trunk at 1.5 m above ground, dividing into three main branches from 3 m up and forming an umbrella-shaped crown, a rare sight for its kind. The tourist association says it was on Edo-period maps as a landmark for ascetics going to Mount Tsurugi.

Natural Monument (designated June 19, 1957)
Trunk 9.2 m around at 1.5 m above ground (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
Age estimated at 400 years (tourist association)

Living here

Four towns north of the Yoshino River became one city.

about 30,000 people

The city was formed in April 2005 from four towns (Yoshino, Donari, Ichiba and Awa) and covers 191.11 km². There is no railway station in the city; the city's guide gives 17 minutes (about 9 km) by car from Kamojima Station on the JR Tokushima Line and 13 minutes (about 7 km) from Gaku Station, both in Yoshinogawa. The tourist association says many farm products rank first in the prefecture by output, and roadside stalls with grapes and strawberries line Route 318.

People living here: 34,713people
Area: 191.11km²
Households: 13,029households
Rent (average for rentals): 28,370yen
Healthcare: 3 hospitals ／ 27 clinics

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

Children waiting for childcare: —9 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 4 municipalities across 1 prefectures.

Awa City in Japan34.102°N 134.297°E

Territory of Awa City

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (N03)

North to south

13.5km

Tokushima Prefecture: 吉野川市, 美馬市, 上板町
Kagawa Prefecture: 東かがわ市

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

Awa City isthis kind of town.

01The Awa Earth Pillars in Awa Town, Awa City, are a National Natural Monument; the Agency for Cultural Affairs says that seen from the front, many pillars stand side by side as if in a forest, resembling the famous earth pillars of the Tyrol in Switzerland.
02Kirihata-ji's Daitō Pagoda in Ichiba Town is an Important Cultural Property moved from the Sumiyoshi Taisha temple, the main street of Ichiba has the Yanekojiki custom, and Nogami's Great Chinaberry in Awa Town is a National Natural Monument.
03The tourist association says the Taikozaka slope in Donari Town gives a drumlike sound when stepped on; the name Inubaka in Ichiba is said to come from the dog's grave that Kōbō Daishi set up; Iwazu has a monument by Iwakumo Hanaka, and Gosho-yashiki in Yoshida is said to be where Retired Emperor Tsuchimikado had his temporary palace.

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Awa City official site ↗Wikipedia ↗