Zentsūji, Kagawa

Zentsūji (善通寺市, Zentsūji-shi) is a city located in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on March 31, 1954.

Zentsūji 善通寺市
City
Zentsuji Temple
Flag Emblem
Location of Zentsūji in Kagawa Prefecture
Zentsūji Location in Japan
Coordinates: 34°13′N 133°47′E
Country	Japan
Region	Shikoku
Prefecture	Kagawa Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Masanori Hiraoka (since May 2010)
Area
• Total	39.88 km^2 (15.40 sq mi)
Population  (June 1, 2011)
• Total	34,114
• Density	855.42/km^2 (2,215.5/sq mi)
Symbols
• Tree	Cinnamomum camphora
• Flower	Chrysanthemum
Time zone	UTC+9 (JST)
City hall address	2-1-1 Bunkyo, Zentsuji-shi, Kagawa-ken 765-8503

As of June 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 34,114, with 13,079 households and a population density of 855.42 persons per km². The total area is 39.88 km².

Zentsūji city hall

The city is the place where Kūkai (also known as Kōbō Daishi) was born. The origin of the city name is Zentsū-ji Buddhist temple. The Zentsūji Temple, from which the town gets its name, is the 75th temple on the 88-temple Shikoku Pilgrimage. It is also one of the three temples on the tour, that Kūkai visited, the others being Tairyūji and Muroto Misaki, as Kūkai mentioned them by name in his writings.

Zentsūji is also home to Shikoku Gakuin University.

Farmers of the Zentsūji region found a way to grow cubic watermelons, by growing the fruits in glass boxes and letting them naturally assume the shape of the receptacle. The square shape is designed to make the melons easier to stack and store, but the square watermelons are often more than double the price of normal ones. Pyramid shaped watermelons have also been developed.

Famous places

• Shikoku Pilgrimage
  • Mandaraji
  • Shusshakaji
  • Kōyamaji
  • Zentsū-ji
  • Konzōji
  • Amagiri Castle

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Japan

Twin towns/Sister cities

Zentsūji is twinned with:

• Hirado, Nagasaki, Japan[1]
• Kōya, Wakayama, Japan[2]
• El Dorado, Arkansas, USA[3]

References

1. "Exchange programmes between Hirado and China, Hirado and Holland and other exchange programmes in Hirado City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan". City of Hirado, Nagasaki Official Website. Archived from the original on 2012-02-12. Retrieved 2013-12-17.
2. https://www.city.zentsuji.kagawa.jp/soshiki/1/rekishiyoukou.html
3. https://www.city.zentsuji.kagawa.jp/soshiki/1/rekishiyoukou.html

External links

• Media related to Zentsuji, Kagawa at Wikimedia Commons
• Zentsūji City official website (in Japanese)