Located roughly in the central part of Hyōgo Prefecture, this town is a naturally rich area in which forests account for most of its land area.[1][4] It developed along the basin of the Class 2 riverIchikawa River, which flows through the town, and has a history as an important industrial hub, once connected by the Silver Cart Road (Gin-no-Bashamichi).[5][6]
Today, transport infrastructure such as the Bantan Renraku Road and the JR Bantan Line is well developed, making it a highly convenient area for commuting and schooling to Himeji and the wider Keihanshin region.[4]
From an industrial perspective, it is known as the birthplace in Japan of domestically produced golf iron heads, and manufacturing centred on forging technology has been passed down.[7][4] In recent years, against the backdrop of strong transport convenience, e-commerce-related businesses and logistics hubs have increasingly located in the area, and, alongside traditional manufacturing, new employment opportunities have emerged.[4]
Furthermore, the area is also engaged in tourism initiatives, including the development of natural hot spring facilities such as Kasagata Onsen Seseragi-no-Yu, and the promotion of tourism that makes use of natural assets such as Mount Kasagata, thereby also serving as a place of recreation and exchange for visitors from urban areas.[6]
In the field of education, school consolidation within the town has been advanced in response to declining birth rates, leading to the reorganisation of the educational environment.[8] While placing importance on local community ties, efforts are being made to form a sustainable local society by harmonising traditional industries with new industries.[6][9]
Geography
Located slightly to the south-west of the central part of Hyōgo Prefecture, the town lies in the central area of Kanzaki District. It extends approximately 13km (8.1mi) from east to west and about 10km (6.2mi) from north to south, and its municipal boundary is said to have a heart-like shape. It is situated within a mountainous and hilly region, with terrain surrounded by mountains.[4] Of the total area of 82.67km2 (31.92sqmi), only 19.97km2 (7.71sqmi) (24.2%) is habitable land, and flat terrain is largely limited to the basin of the Ichikawa River, which flows roughly north–south through the centre of the town.[4]
At the foot of Mount Kasagata are Kasagata Shrine and Kasagata Temple, which are traditionally said to have been founded by the Buddhist ascetic Hōdō Sennin. The mountain area is known as the northernmost habitat of the Koyasu tree and as a growing site for rare plants such as Seppiko-tennanshō, and it also preserves caves and unusual rock formations believed to be remains of Shugendō practice.[10]
Near the border with Fukusaki to the south lies Mount Kanzaki (333m (1,093ft)), which spans Fukusaki and Ichikawa. The Harima Province Fudoki records that Takeihashiki-no-Mikoto resided on Mount Kanzaki, and that the district was named Kanzaki because a deity was believed to dwell there.[11] This Mount Kanzaki mentioned in the Fudoki is identified with the mountain area of present-day Yamazaki in Fukusaki.[12]
Rivers
The main river flowing through the town is the Ichikawa (Ichikawa River system), a Class 2 river and one of the Harima Five Rivers. The Ichikawa flows from north to south, and is joined by tributaries such as the Kōra River, Furiko River, Oichi River, Obata River, and Okabe River. All of these are designated Class 2 rivers under the management of the Governor of Hyōgo Prefecture.[5] Downstream, the river flows through Himeji and eventually into the Harima Sea.
Agricultural land
Agricultural land, which forms the basis of the primary sector, is distributed in a belt-like pattern along the Ichikawa River and its tributaries, forming a rural landscape. Rice cultivation is the main agricultural activity, supported by fertile soil and abundant water resources. In the eastern area at the foot of Mount Kasagata, organic farming is also widely practised.[4] The average cultivated land area per farming household is small at 54.2a (0.542ha), and alongside designated agricultural zones, the conservation of rural environments such as satoyama and irrigation ponds remains an ongoing issue.[4]
The 26 oaza within the town are divided into four districts under the Regional Agricultural Management Base Strengthening Promotion Plan, based on the Act on the Promotion of Strengthening of Agricultural Management Bases.[13] The town centre is located in the Kawanabe district along the Ichikawa River. The Bantan Renraku Road passes via the Ichikawa South Interchange and Ichikawa North Interchange (both in the Kawanabe district), and JR West's Bantan Line includes Amaji Station (Amaji district) and Tsurui Station (Tsurui district) within the town. The distribution of each oaza is as follows:
The list below shows the town's official named localities (oaza), in ascending order of postal code.[14] In Japan, an oaza is a named locality used in official addresses; it is larger than a chōme or aza (smaller address subdivisions) and corresponds to the traditional large village sections used in rural municipalities.
Kawanabe district
This district corresponds to the area of the former Kawanabe Village. Many of the town hall, cultural, and sports facilities are concentrated here, and the district forms flat land along the Ichikawa River.
Postal code
Locality (oaza)
679-2311
Uedanaka
679-2312
Hoki
679-2313
Nishitanaka
679-2314
Kitatanaka
679-2315
Nishikawanabe
679-2316
Higashikawanabe
679-2317
Asano
679-2318
Obata
Seka district
This district corresponds to the area of the former Seka Village. At the foot of Mount Kasagata, facilities include Kasagata Onsen Seseragi-no-Yu (Kamiushio), and settlements are scattered through mountainous and valley terrain.
Postal code
Locality (oaza)
679-2301
Kamiushio
679-2302
Shimoushio
679-2303
Kamiseka
679-2304
Shimoseka
Amaji district
This district corresponds to the area of the former Amaji Village. It includes Amaji Station on the Bantan Line, and lies on the western side of the town. In the temple-front area of Sekishoji in Amaji, there is a spring known as “Amaji no Shimizu”.[15]
Postal code
Locality (oaza)
679-2321
Chihara
679-2322
Kodani
679-2323
Amaji
679-2324
Sakado
679-2325
Oku
679-2326
Tani
679-2327
Chikara
Tsurui district
In addition to the area of the former Tsurui Village, this district includes Yakata (former Yakata Village). It extends across the northern part of the town and includes Tsurui Station on the Bantan Line.
Postal code
Locality (oaza)
679-2331
Komuro
679-2332
Tanaka
679-2333
Kanzaki
679-2334
Tsurui
679-2335
Misa
679-2336
Sawa
679-2337
Yakata
Population
At the time of the Reiwa 2 (2020) population census, the nighttime population (residents) was 11,231; however, outflow due to commuting and schooling to areas outside the town, including Himeji, is substantial, and the daytime population was 9,850, with the daytime population equal to 0.877 times the nighttime population (day–night population ratio of 87.7 per cent).[16] When the population change from the previous survey is examined in the Reiwa 7 (2025) population census (compared with Reiwa 2), the population was 9,916, a decrease of 11.71 per cent; the rate of change ranked 40th among the 41 municipalities in the prefecture and 48th among the 49 administrative areas.[17][18] In the census of the same year, there were 4,324 households, with 2.60 persons per household. The population structure comprised 10.0 per cent young population, 52.6 per cent working-age population, and 37.4 per cent elderly population, indicating advancing population ageing. The population of children under the age of 18 was 1,432; among households with children under the age of six, three-generation and similar households accounted for 28.3 per cent, a proportion higher than the averages for Hyōgo Prefecture and the national average.[19]
Left: age distribution of Ichikawa and Japan (2005). Right: age distribution of Ichikawa by sex (2005).
Whilst influenced by a Seto Inland Sea climate, Ichikawa also has inland characteristics owing to the surrounding mountains.[20] The Japan Meteorological Agency operates no surface meteorological observation stations or AMeDAS sites within Ichikawa; within Kanzaki District, the only reference observation point is the Fukusaki AMeDAS station in Fukusaki, the municipality immediately to the south, at an elevation of 72m (236ft). The figures below are taken from that station and are cited as climatic indicators for Ichikawa.
The mean annual temperature is 15.1°C (59.2°F), annual precipitation is 1,445.0mm (56.89in), and annual sunshine duration is 1,929.9 hours (all 1991–2020 climatological normals).[21] Precipitation is heavy during the rainy season (June–July); it decreases somewhat from August onwards, but September remains high at around 190mm (7.5in). In winter, daily minimum temperatures often fall below 0°C (32°F).
Notable historical extremes at Fukusaki AMeDAS[22]
Element
Value
Date
Daily maximum temperature
39.1°C (102.4°F)
30 July 2025
Daily minimum temperature
−7.8°C (18.0°F)
3 February 1996
Climate data for Fukusaki AMeDAS (Fukusaki-shin, Fukusaki, at 72m (236ft)) The only meteorological observation site in Kanzaki District; cited here for Ichikawa because no observation station is located within the town
Much of the town's area is designated as flood inundation hazard zones and landslide disaster warning zones. The main risks are regarded as shaking from the Yamazaki Fault Zone and the Goshodani Fault Zone in the event of an Earthquake, together with flood and wind disasters and landslides caused by heavy rainfall and typhoons.[23][2] In March 2021 (Reiwa 3), the town revised the Ichikawa Town Regional Disaster Prevention Plan, setting out measures from disaster prevention through to recovery.[24] In April 2026 (Reiwa 8), it also formulated the Ichikawa Town Resilience Plan as a regional plan under the National Land Resilience programme.[23]
For disaster information dissemination, in November 2021 (Reiwa 3) the town concluded an agreement with Yahoo on the provision of information during disasters.[25] This includes directing users via Yahoo! JAPAN to cache sites and distributing emergency information from the municipality through the Yahoo! Bosai Sokuhō app.[26] Household receivers for the disaster prevention administrative radio system are lent free of charge, one per household.[27] Public wireless LAN has also been installed at municipal facilities and other sites; when evacuation centres are opened, operation switches to an unauthenticated disaster mode.[28]
The town provides guidance on establishing voluntary disaster prevention organisations, and operates a system under which residents who have difficulty evacuating, such as elderly and disabled people, are registered as “people requiring assistance during evacuation”, with individual evacuation plans drawn up where necessary.[29][30]
Administration
Town emblem
The town emblem, which stylises the characters for “ichi” (市) and “kawa” (川), was adopted on 2 July1964.[1][31] The “ichi” represents soaring progress with an arrow, while the “kawa”, rendered as a circle, symbolises harmony.
Mayor
Mayor: Yoshikazu Tsuda (津田義和 (つだ よしかず)) (in office since 9 August 2023 (Reiwa 5); first term)
Deputy mayor: Tetsuya Obana (尾花哲也 (おばな てつや)) (in office since 1 January 2024 (Reiwa 6))
Harima regional collaborative core city area – On 5 April 2015 (Heisei 27), Ichikawa Town signed a cooperation agreement designating Himeji as the collaborative core city. Ichikawa is one of the participating municipalities (eight cities and eight towns).[34]
Cooperation within Kanzaki District
Comprehensive partnership agreement on regional revitalisation – On 17 December 2018 (Heisei 30), a signing ceremony for the “Comprehensive Partnership Agreement on Regional Revitalisation” was held at the Kamikawa Town Hall, involving the municipalities and chambers of commerce of Ichikawa Town, Fukusaki, and Kamikawa, together with Tanyo Shinkin Bank.[35]
Legislature
Town council
The town’s deliberative body. Regular sessions are held four times a year (March, June, September and December), with extraordinary sessions convened as required. Proceedings can also be viewed via internet broadcast of council sessions.[36][37]
More than half of employed persons work in the tertiary sector, but the secondary sector also accounts for a high share (39.4%).[44] Manufacturing is distinguished by metalworking related to golf,[7][4] while primary industries show a declining trend in both employed persons and farm household numbers.[44]
Employment structure by sector
Of 5,546 employed persons, 194 (3.5%) work in the primary sector, 2,179 (39.4%) in the secondary sector and 3,154 (57.1%) in the tertiary sector (2020 Population Census, Reiwa 2 (2020))[44]
Primary sector
Unless otherwise noted, figures in this subsection are from the 2025 (Reiwa 7) Agriculture and Forestry Census[45](Hyōgo Prefecture statistical tables).
Farm household numbers have continued to fall, from 2,316 households in 1975 (Shōwa 50) to 733 in 2020 (Reiwa 2)[44] (both figures use the former census category “farm households”). Farmland is distributed in belts along the main stream of the Ichikawa River and its tributaries, with rice cultivation as the mainstay.[4] Organic farming is also active in the eastern foothills of Mount Kasagata.[4]
Agriculture and forestry management entities
208 (179 individuals; 29 collective entities, including 16 corporations)[45]
Unless otherwise noted, figures in this subsection are from the Reiwa 5 (2023) Economic Structure Actual Survey (Manufacturing Establishments Survey)[46](municipal tables and land/water-use tables).
Secondary-sector employed persons
2,179 (manufacturing 1,737; construction 441; mining 1)[44] (2020 Population Census, Reiwa 2 (2020))
Industry
Ichikawa is known as the birthplace of Japan’s first domestically made golf club iron heads in Shōwa 5 (1930), and manufacturing of sporting goods and metal goods using swordsmithing and forging techniques has become a core local industry.[7][4] As of July 2025, the town had about 20 golf-related businesses.[7]
Manufacturing establishments and employees
48 establishments; 1,552 employees[46] (Municipal Table No. 2; establishments with four or more employees)
Value of manufactured goods shipments: ¥36.164 billion
Unless otherwise noted, figures in this subsection are from the Reiwa 3 (2021) Economic Census Activity Survey (wholesale and retail trade)[47](Tables 6 and 7).
Tertiary-sector employed persons
3,154 (services 1,856; wholesale, retail and restaurants 706; transport and communications 325; public service 137; finance and insurance 61; real estate 37; electricity, gas, heat supply and water supply 32)[44] (2020 Population Census, Reiwa 2 (2020))
Ichikawa Seka Post Office (1714-4 Kamiseka); ATM available[49]
Yakata Post Office (521-4 Yakata); ATM available[50]
Obata Post Agency (224-7 Higashikawanabe); no ATM[51]
Ichikawa Misa Post Agency (382-1 Misa); no ATM[52]
Cultural facilities
Ichikawa Town Culture Centre (715 Nishikawanabe)
Shinobu Hashimoto Memorial Museum (715 Nishikawanabe; within the Culture Centre)
Ichikawa Library (715 Nishikawanabe)
Okabe Community Centre Hall (1736-2 Kamiseka)
Kasagata Community Centre Hall (94-1 Kamiushio)
Sports facilities
Ichikawa Town Sports Centre (498 Kitatanaka)
Ichikawa Town General Ground (129 Komuro)
Ichikawa Town Health Plaza Park (1010 Misa)
Healthcare
There are no hospitals (medical institutions with general inpatient beds) within the town.[53] Routine outpatient care is provided by clinics and dental surgeries in the town, whilst inpatient treatment and specialist care are received at hospitals and other medical institutions in neighbouring areas. If you are unsure where to go for a sudden illness or injury, you can telephone for advice from doctors, nurses and other staff on the short code #7119, available across Hyōgo Prefecture 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.[54] The town provides free medical care for children from birth until the end of the school year in which they turn 18 (upper secondary school year 3).[19]
Maternal and child health
As part of programmes under the Maternal and Child Health Act, maternal and child health services, health counselling and vaccinations are provided by the Ichikawa Town Health and Welfare Centre (323-1 Amaji).[55] (→Public institutions) From April 2025 (Reiwa 7), the town established the Parent and Child Sukuoyaka Centre (Ichikawa Town Kodomo Katei Centre) within the same centre as a comprehensive consultation service for expectant and nursing mothers, child-rearing families and children under 18.[56]
Pregnancy and childbirth
Public health nurses conduct pregnancy interviews (a mid-term interview at around six months of pregnancy and a late-term interview at around eight months).[57] Free dental check-ups for pregnant women and postnatal care (mainly for those within one year of childbirth; those who have experienced miscarriage or stillbirth may also consult) are also provided.[58][59]
Infants and home visits
Public health nurses conduct newborn visits and postnatal visits (home visits to all households with infants) for infants up to four months of age and their mothers or other carers.[60]
Financial support
For pregnant women in households exempt from resident tax or receiving public assistance, the town subsidises the first obstetric consultation fee up to ¥10,000.[61] The town also runs a programme to subsidise part of the costs of infertility examination and treatment not covered by health insurance.[62] For single-mother and single-father families, medical certificates for mother–child and father–child medical care subsidise the patient’s share of insured medical costs.[63]
Classes and gatherings
Classes and gatherings such as parent classes (for pregnant women and partners), Mama Café (for pregnant women and parent–child pairs within seven months of birth) and the parent–child cookery class “Sweet Shop Play” (for pre-school children and guardians) are held at the Health and Welfare Centre and other venues.[64]
Hospitals
Main hospitals in neighbouring areas
Kanzaki Public General Hospital (Kamikawa) — internal medicine, surgery, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, ophthalmology, dentistry and other departments[53]
Himeji Kita Hospital (Fukusaki) — psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine[53]
Clinics
Clinics and dental surgeries in the town are as follows.[53]
Osaka (Osaka Station) — local train (Amaji Station – Himeji Station) to Himeji, then transfer to the Sanyō Main Line Special Rapid: about 1 hour 40 minutes
※ The above wider-area times are approximate and include transfer waiting time at Himeji Station. Excluding waiting time, the journey takes about 1 hour 10 minutes to Sannomiya and about 1 hour 30 minutes to Osaka.
Bus
The town’s community buses are the main form of public transport. The fare is ¥100 per ride (one way) on all routes. Services operate in principle from Monday to Friday (no service on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays).[71]
Connects Asano and Kanzaki Public General Hospital. Operates Monday to Friday.[71]
Ichikawa Town shopping bus
Operates for shopping, medical appointments and similar purposes. On Mondays and Fridays, it serves the Seka and Kawanabe areas; on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Amaji and Tsurui areas.[71]
Fukusaki–Ichikawa partnership community bus
Reservation-based service Monday to Friday. Connects with the Seka and Asano community bus routes above; passengers transfer at the Ichikawa Town Hall bus stop to reach commercial facilities and other destinations in Fukusaki.[71]
Taxi
Kanzaki Kotsu Taxi (Kanzaki Transport Co., Ltd.) — available at Amaji Station, Fukusaki Station and other locations[72]
The Ichikawa South and Ichikawa North interchanges opened on 1 November 1975 (Shōwa 50) when the section between Fukusaki North Interchange and Ichikawa North Interchange came into service.[73] On 28 September 1982 (Shōwa 57), the section between Ichikawa North Interchange and Kanzaki North Interchange opened, extending the main route towards Kamikawa.[73]
Vehicles are assigned registration plates under the jurisdiction of the Himeji Motor Vehicle Inspection and Registration Office (Kobe Transport Branch).[74]
Education
According to the Reiwa 5 (2023) School Basic Survey (as of 1 May), municipal elementary schools had 455 pupils and the municipal junior high school had 260 students.[19] As of 1 April Reiwa 6 (2024), there were 185 children with Category 2 and 3 certification at certified kodomo-en, a decrease of 32.5 per cent from 274 in Reiwa 2 (2020).[19] School lunch fees are free at Ichikawa Junior High School, whilst elementary schools charge a reduced fee of ¥300 per month.[19] From fiscal year 2024 (Reiwa 6), the town has introduced the community school system.[19]
For children aged from six months to under three who are not enrolled at a kodomo-en or similar facility, the town runs the infant attendance support programme (the “Free Early Childhood Education and Care for All Children” scheme). Use is limited to ten hours per month, with Ichikawa East and West Kodomo-en serving as accepting facilities.[76] Nursery fees are also reduced for households with multiple children (half price for the second child; free from the third child onwards).[77]
Public integrated kodomo-en (certified nursery and kindergarten)
“Fermata” community space project — a free meeting place for children, young people and their families who find it difficult to go out or attend school owing to non-attendance, social withdrawal or similar circumstances. Held at the workshop of the Ichikawa Town Culture Centre.[80]
On 1 March 2021 (Reiwa 3), the three municipalities of Kanzaki District (Ichikawa, Fukusaki and Kamikawa) jointly opened the Kanzaki District Sick-child and Convalescent Childcare Service (Kanzaki District Sick-child and Convalescent Childcare Facility) on the second floor of Care Station Kanzaki, on the grounds of Kanzaki Public General Hospital in Kamikawa.[81][82] The service temporarily cares for children who are ill or recovering and cannot participate in group life at nurseries, elementary schools or similar settings.[81]
Eligible children (general conditions)
Generally from six months of age through elementary school year 6
Children resident in Kanzaki District, or children resident outside the district whose guardians work at workplaces within the district
Children for whom home care is temporarily difficult owing to guardians’ employment, illness or injury, childbirth, nursing care, ceremonial occasions or other circumstances generally regarded as unavoidable
Children who have received a medical diagnosis and for whom a physician has completed a “use contact form”[81]
Same-day admission has been available since 1 April 2024 (Reiwa 6). Reservations may be made from 8:30 a.m. on the day before use; for same-day admission, telephone applications are accepted from 7:30 a.m. on the day of use[81][19]
Mount Kasagata (elevation 939m (3,081ft); the “Harima Fuji”) — from the summit, views extend over the mountain ranges of Tajima and Tanba and the Seto Inland Sea. At the foot of the mountain are Kasagata temple, Kasagata Shrine, Sennin Falls (35m (115ft) drop) and other sites.[83][1]
Kasagata Temple — traditionally said to have been founded in the Hakuchi era (650–654); one of the oldest temples in the town. It houses a wooden statue of Fudō Myōō (a town cultural property), among other items.[83]
Kasagata Shrine — said to have been founded about 1,300 years ago. A monument commemorates the sacred tree that was donated for the central pillar of the keep of Himeji Castle, a National Treasure.[83]
Amaji no Shimizu — spring water in front of the gate of Sekisei-ji in Amaji
Refresh Park Ichikawa — a community facility with accommodation, camping, hot springs, restaurants and other amenities[85]
Omoide Museum — a private museum in Kamiushio. Exhibits include Shōwa-period folk tools, cameras and butterfly specimens (free admission).[86]
Culture and history
Shinobu Hashimoto Memorial Museum — within the Ichikawa Town Culture Centre. Permanent displays of screenplays, award trophies and other items relating to screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto (free admission).[87][1]
Silver Cart Road (Gin-no-Bashamichi) — a Meiji-period carriage-road heritage site. A carriage monument, “Hayabu”, stands along National Route 312 in Asano.[88]
Sunflower Fields — to promote the town flower, the sunflower, agricultural cooperatives and others cultivate fields in various parts of the town. Blooming status is updated on the town’s official website.[89]
Festivals and events
Annual events
Hyōgo Ichikawa Marathon National Tournament (third Sunday in February) — more than 2,000 runners take part from across Japan. The race starts from the Ichikawa Town Sports Centre.[90]
Ichikawa Festival (late July) — night stalls, stage events and a group performance of the Ichikawa Ondo on the lawn of the Ichikawa Town Culture Centre.[90]
Amaji Lion Dance dedication (early September and early October) — dedication performances of “Amaji Lion Dance”, a prefecturally designated cultural property of Hyogo Prefecture. Held at Amaji Hachiman Shrine (early September) and Oku Ōtoshi Shrine (early October).[90]
Other events
Himarin Morning Market (on the second Saturday of each month, among other dates) — Ichikawa Terrace[91]
Amaji Station-front Yukata Festival (July) — Amaji Station forecourt car park[91]
Cool Evening Festival and Scorching Heat Festival (August and September) — lawn of the Ichikawa Town Culture Centre[91]
Masato Fujisawa (藤澤正人 (ふじさわ まさと)) (15th president of Kobe University; a leading figure in the development of Japan’s first domestically produced surgical support robot, “hinotori”)[96][97]
Onna to Otoko (comedy duo: Yoshikazu Ichikawa and Wada-chan). Furusato Ichikawa PR ambassadors since July 2017 (Heisei 29). The “Ichikawa” in the duo’s name comes from a surname and does not indicate that they are from the town. Onna to Otoko Channel (official YouTube), Ichikawa House (town PR project)[106][107]
Mascot
Himarin — Ichikawa Town’s image character, modelled on the town flower, the sunflower. The name was chosen in 2010, and the character made its debut at the Hyōgo Ichikawa Marathon National Tournament in February of the same year. Himarin appears at town events and in tourism promotion.[108][109]
References
12345まちの概要 (in Japanese). Ichikawa Town. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
123市川町地域防災計画 総則編(PDF) (in Japanese). Ichikawa Town. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
↑県民局・県民センター情報 (in Japanese). Hyōgo Prefecture. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
12345678910111213産業 (in Japanese). Ichikawa Town. Retrieved 2026-06-19. (Population Census figures below are also from this source; based on the Statistics Bureau of Japan, Population Census Report)
Japan
United States
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West Japan Railway Company (JR West)
Geographic data related to Ichikawa, Hyōgo at OpenStreetMap
