Shimanto, Kōchi Prefecture, Shikoku Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Shimanto is a city in south-western Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. The modern city of Shimanto was established in 2005, from the merger of the city of Nakamura, and the village of Nishitosa. It is located on the Shimanto River.

Geography Shimanto is located in south-western Kōchi Prefecture. Both the Shimanto River and the Ushirogawa River run through the city. River levels often rise in summer and autumn due to the rainy season and seasonal typhoons. Shimanto's population is spread across a large area, broken up by rivers, mountains and uninhabited or sparsely inhabited areas.

Neighbouring municipalities • Kōchi Prefecture ◦ Sukumo; ◦ Tosashimizu; ◦ Shimanto; ◦ Mihara; ◦ Kuroshio; • Ehime Prefecture ◦ Uwajima; ◦ Matsuno.

History As with all of Kōchi Prefecture, the area of Shimanto City was part of ancient Tosa Province. During the Kofun period and Nara period, the area of western Tosa was called "Hata" and was ruled by the Hata Kuni no miyatsuko. The Hata clan dominated the area well into the Heian period. During the Kamakura period much of the area became part of a vast shōen landed estate controlled by the Kujō family of aristocrats from Kyoto. Kujō Michiie left the estate to his third son, Ichijō Sanetsune, who was the founding father of Ichijō family. During the Onin War, the kanpaku Ichijō Norifusa fled Kyoto in 1468 and settled in Nakamura, in what is now Shimanto. He remodeled the village on Kyoto, giving rise to the nickname of "the little Kyoto of Tosa", During the Sengoku period, the Ichijō were defeated by the Chōsokabe clan at the 1575 Battle of Shimantogawa. Following the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, the area was part of the holdings of Tosa Domain ruled by the Yamauchi clan from their seat at Kōchi Castle, with Nakamura becoming the seat of a 30,000 koku subsidiary domain until 1689. In this year, the head of the Nakamura fief was punished for the offence of turning down a post on the Tokugawa Junior Council. The local castle was destroyed, the fief's finances were confiscated, retainers were stripped of their incomes, and the samurai dwellings were destroyed, forcing them to scatter and become farmers or merchants. The Nakamura area lost a great deal of wealth and independence, and became a minor rural region.

Following the Meiji restoration, the village of Nakamura was established within Hata District, Kōchi with the creation of the modern municipalities system on October 1, 1889 and was raised to town status on November 10, 1898. The area was almost entirely destroyed by the 1946 Nankai earthquake, as a result of which very few historical buildings remain. Photographs of the area after the earthquake can be seen in the city museum. On March 31, 1954, Nakamura merged with ten neighboring villages and was raised to city status. The city of Shimanto was established on April 10, 2005, from the merger of the city of Nakamura, and the village of Nishitosa (from Hata District).

Government Shimanto has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 20 members. Shimanto contributes two members to the Kōchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Kōchi 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Districts Shimanto city is divided into thirteen districts. • Ekawasaki (江川崎地区) • Gudō (具同地区) • Higashi-nakasuji (東中筋地区) • Higashiyama (東山地区) • Nakamura (中村地区) • Nakasuji (中筋地区) • Okawasuji (大川筋地区) • Shimoda (下田地区) • Toyama (富山地区) • Tsuō (津大地区) • Ushirogawa (後ろ川地区) • Warabioka (蕨岡地区) • Yatsuka (八束地区).

The largest district is Nakamura, the smallest is Toyama.

Economy The local economy is dominated by agriculture, forestry and commercial fishing, and tourism.

Education Shimanto City has 13 public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the town government, and one public middle school and three public high schools operated by the Kōchi Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

Transport: Rail Shikoku Railway Company - Yodo Line • Hage - Ekawasaki - Nishigahō

Tosa Kuroshio Railway Nakamura Line • Nakamura

Tosa Kuroshio Railway Sukumo Line • Gudō - Kunimi - Arioka

Transport: Road • National Route 56 • National Route 439 • National Route 441.