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Saga City is located in the central part of the Saga Plain. Saga City has rapidly continued advancing as the capital of Saga prefecture, however, just two thousand years ago, most of this area was located at the bottom of the Ariake sea. Today, inside of Saga City there are many place names such as Oshima, Hirashima, and Aikejima (shima and jima mean island in Japanese) which remind us of this connection to the sea. Since that time, through natural geologic changes and land reclamation, the many creeks, including the Tafuse river, that run through Saga like the lines of a fishing net, and the fertile plains have created the Saga city we know today.
According to the "Hizen Fudoki (The Local History and Culture of Hizen)" when the god Yamato Tekeru visited Kyushu and saw the large prospering forests of camphor trees he called this area "Sakae no Kuni (prosperous land)" and later Saganokori. Over time this became the name of this area. In the Tensho period, after the fall of the Ryuzoji family the Nabeshima family gained power and in the 13 year of Keicho (1608) and began construction and continued to maintain Saga castle, as well as many roads, and residences for their nearly 300 year rein. This castle served as the center and foundation of prosperity throughout the many generations of Nabeshima Clan rule.
In the fourth year of Meiji (1871) the Han Reformation Act was passed (a law which reformed han, or feudal territories, into prefectures). At this time the Imari prefectural office became the Matsuura Imari prefectural office, and the following year, in the fifth year of Meiji, Matsuura Imari was included in Saga prefecture. However in the ninth year of Meiji it was again transferred, first to Mizuma prefecture and then to Nagasaki prefecture. In the 16th year of Meiji (1883) Saga became a separately established prefecture, and since that time, Saga City has been the location of the prefectural offices. On April 1st of the 22nd year of Meiji (1889) Saga became a municipality, and later, in the 11th year of Taisho (1922) the village of Kono, in Saga county was consolidated into Saga City as Saga continued to develop in to a center of commerce and industry. In addition, in March of the 29th year of Showa (1954) under the Town and Village Consolidation Promotion Law the villages of Nishi-yoka, Kase, Hyogo,
Kosei, Takagise, Kitakawasoe, Honjyo, Nabeshima, Kinryu, and Kuboizumi, and the following year, a part of Kanzaki gun were consolidated into Saga City created the present day size of 103.76 square kilometers, and a population of 171, 231 people. (1995 survey).
In the 51st year of Showa (1976) Saga hosted the Wakakusu National assembly, as well as in 1978 saw the opening of Saga Medical School. The first year of Heisei (1989) saw the commemoration of the 100 anniversary of the founding of the municipality of Saga, as well as the opening of the Saga City Cultural hall, and the first ever Hot Air Balloon World Championships in Asia. Following this the Kuboizumi Industrial area was completed, as well as business promotion committees, including the Hyogyo area management enterprise, all to create a new Saga. In addition Saga created a system in which garbage is separated into six different categories creating a steady decrease in the amount of garbage. More recently Saga has seen the opening of a library with the highest rate of usage for any city library in Japan, as well as hosting a second Hot Air Balloon World Championship. Including the new Saga Airport, and maintaining other roads of access, Saga has created a "Kusu no Sakaebashi" (Camphor tree bridge of succ
ess). Above and beyond this Saga is working to create and improve itself through uniting areas of nursing and care insurance (Kaigohoken), and increasing the number of areas which have a professional fire fighting force.
Saga is working hard to continue its leading role as the prefectural center in all facets, including government, economics, culture and education. With participation of the citizens, Saga is looking towards the 21st century with new prospects to continue the improvement and growth of this city. |
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