Overview of the region
Tanabe-city is located in middle of Wakayama prefecture, and North and Eastside are surrounded by Kii-mountain, Southwest side is facing to Kii Channel which is boundary of Shikoku, and Southside is next to Shirahama which is famous with onsen. In addition, Aizu River and Haya River run through the city and there is a downtown on the level ground of the estuary.The climate is warm; the annual average temperature is about 16.5 degree and the annual average precipitation is from 650 to 1,700 mm.
Kamiakizu where 11 hamlets gathers is located in Eastside of Tanabe-city, and is an agricultural community. Aizu River runs in the middle of the area, and there is Mt. Takao (altitude 606m) in Westside of the area. Population has been increasing in recent years because of improvement of traffic convenience and expansion of downtown. The total number of households is 990 and 30% of them are farming households. Full-time farmers are 125 households, Class 1 part-time farmers are 93 households and Class 2 part-time famers are 85 households.
Kamiakizu total area is 1,297ha, and 28% of it is cultivated land, and agricultural area is 364ha, so average cultivation area per famer is 1.2ha, and 97% of cultivated acreage is orchard.
Agricultural form here is most likely fruit production, and many different kinds of citrus fruits are cultivated on the slope of the mountain, and on the level ground which used to be rice field, there are deciduous fruit trees such as Ume, peach, and plum. The area has been getting high reputation as mikan producing area from old days and even though conversion of mikan field has been progressed all over Japan, Kamiakizu is the area where farmers actively expand the citrus cultivation by finding new breed.
After receiving the Emperor’s Award in 1996, Kamiakizu became a pioneer of developing community and getting attention from all over the country, and it was ensured independent revenue sources without getting support from the administration since Aigo-kai general incorporated association was established for investment and management of former village’s common property for developing community.
After 1999, it aims to expand social business with residents’ investments and participation, so a farmer’s market Kitera, a juice factory Oren-chi Juice, a green tourism facility Akizuno Garten were established. And that brought back confidence and pride to the region.
Community Development = Akizuno
When it comes to a community development, people recently imagine Akizuno, and vice versa. There are inspection tours from all over Japan, however, developing a community isn’t completed overnight, and its history is old.Kamiakizu used to be a village. At the time of the consolidation of villages in 1956, residents in former Kamiakizu village had made a discussion and decided to use village property for children who would support the region in the future, and by the consent of all residents in former Kamiakizu, Kamiakizu Aigo-kai general incorporated association was established in 1957 for the purpose of using former village property to investment and effectively utilized for the public. Business outlines of Kamiakizu Aigo-kai general incorporated association are to help the promotion of education, residents’ welfare, and environmental protection in the region, and it made financial support to activities for developing region, had respect for each village’s autonomy, and built a basic of developing community by residents all in one.
Since 1960, the demand of Unsyu-mikan had risen, and by the enactment of the Agricultural Basic Law in 1961, Unsyu-mikan was increased production as a select expansion item, and fruit tree management which Unsyu-mikan was centered progressed steadily. However, in 1970’s, mikan price crashed, production adjustment was done, and the area dependent on agriculture of existing mikan kinds as core was at a crossroads of survival. So young famers stood up and the attack of introducing better varieties expanded, and then agriculture in the region had developed more than before.
Since municipal merger, there were difficulties such as crashes of mikan price, but that built a sense of regional unity and increased momentum of regional vitalization. In those atmosphere, Aigo-kai Hall used as a meeting place for residents in Kamiakizu at the time had become old and recognition of needing a new multi-purpose meeting place increased, so Construction Promotion Committee consisted of town chairman, Aigo-kai chairman, and community director was established in 1973. At last, multi-purpose meeting place was built in 1993, but discussions repeated during the time made bonds between residents strong and built the sense of solidarity in the region
In 1988, a symbol of residents in Kamiakizu; Mt. Takao Sutra Mound Monumental Tower was crashed because it was too old. Through trying to rebuild it, 35 young residents gathered to revitalize the region, and they established Thinking about Kamiakizu Association in 1989 and started regional vitalization. Their actions became a turning point, momentum of developing community increased and it led to construct a multi-purpose meeting place, and in 1993, Kamiakizu Agricultural Environmental Center was built.
With the completion of Agricultural Environmental Center, construction promotion committee had dissolved, however, the committee got a result of building a regional consensus and residents notice the necessity of an organization that covers the entire region for developing community, so members of Thinking about Kamiakizu Association and Aigo-kai members became the center and made every effort to make the organization, and finally in September, 1994, Akizuno-juku composed of the entire organization in Kamiakizu was established.
From 2000 to 2002, on the basis of Akizuno Master Plan; Akizuno challenging to the Future which was completed in collaboration of Akizuno-Juku and Wakayama University, people actively approached to practice for Master Plan practice. Especially the impact from reduction of regional agriculture began to affect the local economy and efforts to agricultural activation is urgent issue, so it is necessary to make economic activity (direct shop business, green tourism business, and agricultural products processing business) using agricultural and local sources.
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Around Kamiakizu, it used to be called Akizuno (before the war).
amiakizu is used to be called Akizuno. The area is from the beauty spot, Kizekkyo on the north of Mt. Takao, the symbol of Tanabe, to Aizu-gawa river basin and the foot of the mountain, and the country has an old history. On the western of Mt.Takao, there are Mt. Ryuden-san and Mt. Mitsuboshi-yama with deeply green appearances across Aizu-gawa river. Kamiakizu is colored by some old traditions and stories, and people still live with nature in the country. In Heiancyo era, Mr. Fujiwara was the lord of a manor in this area, and Senko-ji temple was built in the middle of Mt. Takao. It is said that the temple was burned down, but at the ruins, three valuable sutra mounds were excavated. Evacuated artifacts such as bronze mirrors and sutra cases are kept and exhibited in history museum in Tanabe and in Tokyo National Museum.
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Why is it called ‘Akizuno’?