Waki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Chūgoku Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Waki (和木町, Waki-chō) is a town in Kuga District, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The total area of the town is 10.58 square km (4.08 sq mi).

Geography Waki is located at the mouth of the right bank of the Oze River, which is also the prefectural border between Yamaguchi Prefecture and Hiroshima Prefecture. It is surrounded by Iwakuni city on the south side, and borders Ōtake city in Hiroshima Prefecture on the north side across the Oze River. In the eastern part of the town (Waki neighborhood), there are major public facilities, including the town hall, and lowlands that include reclaimed land, where most of the transportation and industrial facilities are located. Other areas (Seta neighborhood and Sekigahama neighborhood) are mostly mountainous areas, and old hamlets exist along the tributaries of the Oze River.

Neighbouring municipalities Yamaguchi Prefecture • Iwakuni

Hiroshima Prefecture • Ōtake

History The area of Waki was part of an ancient Suō Province. During the Edo Period, the area was part of the holdings of Iwakuni Domain. Following the Meiji restoration, the area was organized into villages of Oze, Waki, Sekigahama, and Seta within Kuga District, Yamaguchi with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Waki as elevated to town status on April 1, 1973.

Government Waki has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of ten members. Waki, together with the city of Iwakuni contributes five members to the Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Yamaguchi 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy Heavy industry, oil refineries and the chemical industry dominate the economy of the town, which occupies a corner of the Setouchi Industrial Area.

Education Waki has one public elementary school and one public junior high school operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school.

Transport: Rail JR West (JR West) - San'yō Main Line • Waki

Transport: Road • National Route 2