Miyoshi

Miyoshi is a city in the western part of Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, and the largest municipality on the island of Shikoku, accounting for one sixth of the prefecture area. It is very mountainous, with only 13 percent considered habitable, and the Shikoku Mountains have many steep slopes subject to landslides and rockfalls, so traditional steep slope farming methods are used to prevent soil erosion. The Hashikura Prefectural Natural Park spans the border between Miyoshi and Higashimiyoshi. The area was part of ancient Awa Province and from the Muromachi period was the seat of the Miyoshi clan, a powerful warlord clan that ruled most of Shikoku and parts of Honshu. The city of Miyoshi was established on 1 March 2006 from the merger of the towns of Ikeda, Ikawa, Mino and Yamashiro and the villages of Higashiiyayama and Nishiiyayama. Its economy depends strongly on agriculture, forestry and small-scale food processing. The estimated population was 20,518 and the area is 721.42 square kilometres.