Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture, Chūbu Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Komatsu (小松市) is a city located in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.

History The area around Komatsu was part of ancient Kaga Province. The area became part Kaga Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. Komatsu housed the retirement castle of Maeda Toshitsune. While nearly all of the castle was demolished, its garden still remains as Rojou Park (芦城公園). In the spring, this is one of the prefecture's best spots for cherry blossom viewing. Following the Meiji restoration, the area was organised into Nomi District, Ishikawa. The town of Komatsu was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Komatsu merged with surrounding municipalities to become a city on December 1, 1940.

Government Komatsu has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 22 members.

Geography Komatsu is located in south-western Ishikawa Prefecture in the Hokuriku region of Japan and is bordered by the Sea of Japan to the east and Fukui Prefecture to the south. It is located about an hour driving distance south-west from Kanazawa (the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture).

Neighbouring municipalities Ishikawa Prefecture ◦ Kaga ◦ Hakusan ◦ Nomi

• Fukui Prefecture ◦ Katsuyama.

Economy Komatsu was traditionally known for the production of Kutani ware ceramics and for silk. Komatsu Limited, the Japanese multinational construction and mining equipment corporation, was founded in Komatsu in 1921.

Education Komatsu has 26 public elementary schools and ten middle schools operated by the city government, and five public high schools operated by the Ishikawa Prefectural Board of Education and one by the city government. There is also one private high school. Komatsu College, a private junior college is also located in Komatsu.

Transport: Rail West Japan Railway Company - Hokuriku Main Line • Awazu - Komatsu - Meihō

Transport: Road • Hokuriku Expressway

National Route 8

National Route 305

National Route 360

National Route 416

Transport: Air • Komatsu Airport.

Local attractions • Site of the Komatsu Castle (小松城) • Nata-dera Buddhist temple complex • Yunokuni-no-mori traditional handicrafts village • Hoshi Ryokan (claimed to be world's second oldest hotel) • Motorcar Museum of Japan, the largest museum dedicated to motor vehicles in Japan with a 12,000 square metre display area • Awazu Onsen, a hot spring resort