is a city

Cities of Japan

||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...

 located in Sorachi Subprefecture

Sorachi Subprefecture

is a subprefecture of Hokkaidō, Japan. As of 2004, its estimated population is 373,736 and its area is 6,558.26 km².-Cities:* Akabira* Ashibetsu* Bibai* Fukagawa* Iwamizawa * Mikasa* Sunagawa* Takikawa* Utashinai* Yūbari...

, Hokkaidō

Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...

, 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...

.

As of 2008, the city has 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 44,465 and the 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 384 persons per km². The total area is 115.82 km².

The city was founded on July 1, 1958.

History

• 1890 Takikawa Village opened
• 1906 Takikawa becomes a Second Class Municipality
• 1909 Takikawa becomes a First Class Municipality. Ebeotsu Village splits off
• 1910 Takikawa Village becomes Takikawa Town
• 1952 Ebeotsu Village becomes Ebeotsu Town
• July 1, 1958 Takikawa Town becomes Takikawa City
• 1971 Ebeotsu Town merged

Famous people

• Miki Fujimoto
  Miki Fujimoto
  , professionally known by her birth name , is a Japanese pop singer and television actress. After failing the audition to join girl group Morning Musume with the fourth generation members, Fujimoto debuted as solo artist within Hello! Project in 2002 with the single "Aenai Nagai Nichiyōbi"...
  
   - singer, radio show host. Hello! Project
  Hello! Project
  is the umbrella name for all female idol Japanese pop recording artists collective that are under contract with the Up-Front Group. The "mothership" group of Hello! Project is the super-group Morning Musume. Hello! Project's current leader is Risa Niigaki, the leader of Morning Musume...
  
   soloist, ex-Morning Musume
  Morning Musume
  , sometimes referred to as is a Japanese idol girl group, whose act generally revolves around singing and dancing to upbeat melodies. They are the lead group of Hello! Project, which is managed and produced by Tsunku, who composes nearly all the lyrics and melodies of their songs...
  
   member, half of the pop duo GAM
• Iwahashi Eien (1903 - 1999) - Japanese-style artist.

Sister city

  Springfield, Massachusetts

Springfield, Massachusetts

Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...

, USA - an historic, American city where basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

was invented. The gasoline-powered car, motorcycle, and radio station were invented there too. It has 160,000 residents and is renowned as "The City of Homes" for its beautiful architecture.

External links

Official website

• Art Challenge Takikawa
• (English) http://www.city.takikawa.hokkaido.jp/soumubu/kikaku/kouryu/englishindex.jsp