Utazu

Utazu is a town in Ayauta District, Kagawa Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku in Japan. In December 2023 it had an estimated population of 18,755 living in 9,131 households, and its area of 8.1 square kilometres is the smallest of any municipality in the prefecture. The town lies in north-central Kagawa on the Seto Inland Sea, with Sakaide to the east and Marugame to the west, and includes the reclaimed Yoshida area of the Bannoshu Rinkai Industrial Park, an enclave reached by land only through Sakaide. It has a humid subtropical climate with warm summers and cool winters. Historically Utazu was the main port connecting Shikoku with the Kinai region, and from the Kamakura period Utazu Castle was the stronghold of the Hosokawa clan; the village was established in 1890 and raised to town status in 1898. The area was long known for its salt fields, which were reclaimed from the 1980s for industrial parks and condominiums. Local attractions include Goshoji, temple 78 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, and the Shikoku Aquarium, the largest in Shikoku.