was a town

Towns of Japan

A town is a local administrative unit in Japan. It is a local public body along with prefecture , city , and village...

 located in Kaizu District, Gifu

Gifu Prefecture

is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

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On March 28, 2005 Hirata was merged into the city of Kaizu

Kaizu, Gifu

is a city located in the southwest portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Most of the city is located at sea level and is well-known for levees surrounding the area. The city was formed on March 28, 2005 through a merger of the towns of Kaizu, Hirata and Nannō, all belonging to Kaizu...

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As of 2003, the town had an estimated population

Population

A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 of 8,383 and a density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

of 514.61 persons per square kilometer. The total area was 16.29 square kilometers.

Cultural Locations/Events

Hirata is home to Ochobo Inari shrine, dedicated to the Shinto god Inari (god of commerce). The shrine is somewhat famous around central Japan. Travelers visit Ochobo Inari every weekend to pray for success in business, and a street festival is held on the last night of every month. Visitors can try to get a favor from Inari by throwing "age" (fried tofu) into a special trough for him.

Hirata is also home to the Sagicho Festival held every February. For several weeks before the event, the people of the town prepare special bamboo "dashi" (floats) measuring up to several meters high. They are then arranged onto wooden frames for carrying, and within the bamboo are placed items such as New Year's poems, pictures, and Japanese flags. On the day of the festival the floats are carried to the town center by volunteers, and are then burned in front of hundreds of onlookers.
More Sagicho pictures