was a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

located in Maniwa District,

Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,826,059 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefecture ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. As of 2003, the village had an estimated

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 2,372 and a

density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the ratio of a substance's mass to its volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' (or ''d'') can also be u ...

of 30.43 persons per km². The total area was 77.94 km². On March 31, 2005, Kawakami, along with the town of Hokubō (from Jōbō District), and towns of Katsuyama, Kuse, Ochiai and Yubara, and the villages of

Chūka Japanese Chinese cuisine, also known as ''chūka'', represents a unique fusion of Japanese and Chinese culinary traditions that have evolved over the late 19th century and more recent times. This style, served predominantly by Chinese rest ...

, Mikamo and Yatsuka (all from Maniwa District) were merged to create the city of Maniwa.

Geography

Mountains A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher ...

: *

River A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

s: Asahi River (The big-3 river through Okayama Prefecture)

Adjoining municipalities

** Yubara ** Yatsuka ** Shinjō *

Tottori Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Tottori Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, least populous prefecture of Japan at 538,525 (2023) and has a geographic area of . ...

Kōfu is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 187,985 in 90,924 households, and a population density of 880 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Overview Toponymy Kōfu ...

** Kurayoshi (Former Sekigane town)

Education

*Kawakami Elementary School *Hiruzen Junior High School (Yatsuka)

Transportation

* Expressways: ** Yonago Expressway ***Hiruzen Kōgen Service Area - Hiruzen Interchange *

National highways National Highways (NH), formerly Highways England and before that the Highways Agency, is a State-owned enterprise, government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving Roads in England, motorways and major A roads in Eng ...

: ** Route 482 * Prefectural roads: **Okayama Prefectural Route 58 ( Hokubō - Kawakami) **Okayama Prefectural Route 113 (Kamitokuyama-Matano-

) **Okayama Prefectural Route 114 (Daisen-Kamifukuda) **Okayama Prefectural Route 322 (Nakafukuda- Yubara) **Okayama Prefectural Route 324 (Higashikayabe-Shimofukuda) **Okayama Prefectural Route 422 (Hiruzen Kōgen) **Okayama Prefectural Route 702 (Yatsuka-Kawakami cycling road) * Roadside Station **

Notable places and events

*Mount Hiruzen * *Hiruzen Kōgen Center / Joyful Park (

Amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

) *Hiruzen Bear Valley

Ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area–a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North Am ...

File:Hiruzen 02.jpg, Hiruzen mountains and Hiruzen plateau File:Hiruzen Kogen Center.jpg, Hiruzen Kōgen Center

External links

Official website of Maniwa
in Japanese Dissolved municipalities of Okayama Prefecture Maniwa {{Okayama-geo-stub