Seika, Kyōto Prefecture, Kansai Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Seika (精華町, Seika-chō) is a town located in Sōraku District, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The total area is 25.68 km² (9.92 sq mi).

Seika, although largely agriculturally based, has in recent years become the centre of a national project, the Kansai Science City, and has been referred to as the "New Culture Capital" of Japan. Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), Matsushita Electric, Kyocera and many other companies have facilities in the town.

History Archaeological records indicate that people have inhabited modern-day Seika since at least the Yayoi period. Seika is home to Inayazuma Castle, where part of the Yamashiro Riots of 1485 took place. The area around Seika has historically been considered a cultural corridor between the two ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara.

The area that is now Seika was previously occupied by several agricultural villages. In 1931, the villages of Hōsono, Komada, and Inada merged to form the village of Kawanishi, which in turn merged with the village of Yamadashō in 1951 to form the village of Seika. In 1955, the village of Seika was incorporated as the town of Seika.

Beginning in the 1960s, Seika has experienced rapid growth as commuters to Kyoto, Osaka and Nara move into the town. The town's population tripled in the span of 35 years, growing from 10,929 people in 1970 to 34,236 people in 2005. According to the 2005 census, Seika is the fastest-growing municipality in Japan.

Geography Seika is located at the southern tip of Kyoto Prefecture, bordered by the Kizu River to the east and the Keihanna Hills to the west. Due to its position adjacent to the Kizu River, the eastern part of Seika has rich, fertile land ideal for agricultural production. The hilly western and southern parts of Seika, by contrast, are largely residential.

Nature Seika's largest peak is Dakeyama (嶽山), at 259.5 meters. It is located on the west side of Seika near the border of Kyotanabe city.

Neighborhoods • Inuidani (乾谷) • Ueda (植田) • Kita-inayazuma (北稲八妻) • Sakuragaoka (桜が丘) • Zakuro (柘榴) • Shimokoma (下狛) • Sugai (菅井) • Seikadai (精華台) • Hikaridai (光台) • Higashibata (東畑) • Hishida (菱田) • Housono (祝園) • Housono-nishi (祝園西) • Minami-inayazuma (南稲八妻) • Yamada (山田)