# Shimamoto, Osaka

Shimamoto (島本町, Shimamoto-chō) is a town consisting of the entirety of Mishima District, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.

## Population

As of October 2016, Shimanto has an estimated population of 29,970 and a density of 1,800 inhabitants per square kilometre (4,700/sq mi). The total area is 16.78 km$^2$ (6.48 sq mi).
It is located in Prefectural border with Kyoto Otokuni-gun Oyamazaki-cho. At the place where Katsura River, Uji River, Kizu River merge in the Yamazaki Gorge and become Yodo River.
It has prospered for a long time as a key point of transportation from Kyoto Basin to Osaka Plain. Recently, residential area development is progressing as Bedtown of Osaka City and Kyoto City.

## History

The town is named after the Shimamoto clan of the feudal era, who were famous for their skill in warfare, excellence in the arts, and intelligence. They still exist to this day.
Shimamoto Town is sandwiched between Tennozan and Otokoyama, and is the only transportation hub that does not require crossing the mountain on the road connecting Settsu and Yamashiro. Since ancient times, the Sanyo Expressway that connects the imperial court and Dazaifu has been used, and it has prospered in that environment.
The area where the Minase and Yodo rivers meet (currently the Hirose and Todaiji districts) is called Minase. Known for its scenery and fluttering haze, it has been used as a Utamakura since the time of "Manyoshu". Emperor Go-Toba loved this place and built Minamise Rikyu. After the death of the emeritus, the site of the Rikyuin became Minase Shrine (currently Minamise Jingu), which is the emeritus's Mikagedo. In addition, if you arrange 50 phrases from Ogura Hyakunin Isshu in the order of the words, the picture of Minase will be completed. It is said that this is because Fujiwara no Teika has collected songs that match the drawings. In addition, Shin Kokin Wakashū Vol.
In addition, Sakurai District is a part of Sakurai's Farewell, where Minatogawa Battle Masashige Kusunoki broke up with Takako Masayuki Kusunoki. Appears in Taiheiki as the ground. The current Shimamoto Town Akira is a transformation of the characters "Shimamoto" to resemble Kusunoki's family crest Kikusui.
In addition, it is also known as the old battlefield of Battle of Yamazaki where Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Hashiba Hideyoshi) and Akechi Mitsuhide fought.
* 1889 (Meiji 22) April 1 Machimura system With the enforcement of Shimakami-gun Sakurai Village, Takahama Village, Hirose Village, Todaiji Village, Yamazaki Village, Shakudai Village, and Osawa Village merged to form Shimamoto Village, Shimakami District.
* 1896 (Meiji 29) April 1 Mishima-gun was established.
* 1940 (Showa 15) April 1 town system was enforced and became Shimamoto-cho, Mishima-gun, and continues to the present day.

## Administration

* Mayor: Kohei Yamada (2017 April 21 Inauguration, 2nd term)

## Congress
### Town council

* Constant: 14 people
* Chair: Masaki Higashida (Community Net)
* Vice-chairman: Takayuki Okubo (Osaka Restoration Association)
* Audit Committee member: Sadaharu Shimizu (Liberal Democratic Club)
The parliamentary group composition as of May 13, 2021, with 50% female members, is as follows:
| Parliamentary group name | Number of seats | Affiliated party |
| People's new steps | 3 | Independent |
| Osaka Restoration Association | 3 | Osaka Restoration Association |
| Liberal Democratic Club | 3 | Liberal Democratic Party |
| Komeito | 2 | Komeito |
| Community Net | 2 | Constitutional Democratic Party |
| Independent | 1 | Japanese Communist Party |

### Osaka Prefectural Assembly

* Constituency: Takatsuki City / Mishima District Constituency
* Constant: 4 people
* Term: April 30, 2019 – April 29, 2023
* Voting date: April 7, 2019
* Number of voters on the day: 318,177
* Voter turnout: 52.93%
| Candidate name | Winning | Age | Affiliated party | By old and new | Number of votes |
| Kenta Matsunami | | (2016–present) | Nippon Ishin no Kai | New | 51,367 votes |
| Taku Ikeshita | | | | Current | 30,439 votes |
| Ai Nonoue | | | | New | 25,240 votes |
| Keiji Hayashi | | | | Current | 22,783 votes |
| Noriko Tamura | Ochi | 55 | Liberal Democratic Party | New | 20,502 votes |
| Takeshi Miyahara | Drop | 72 | Japanese Communist Party | Current | 15,974 votes |

### House of Representatives

* Osaka 10th District (Takatsuki City, Mishima District)
* Term: October 31, 2021 – October 30, 2025
* Voting date: October 31, 2021
* Number of voters on the day: 320,990
* Voter turnout: 63.32%
| Candidate name | Age | Affiliated party | New and old | Number of votes | Duplicate |
| Taku Ikeshita | 46 | Nippon Ishin no Kai | New | 80,932 votes | ○ |
| Kiyomi Tsujimoto | 61 | Constitutional Democratic Party | Previous | 66,943 votes | ○ |
| Kazuhide Okuma | 52 | Liberal Democratic Party | Previous | 52,843 votes | ○ |

## Economy
### Industry

* Hitachi Metal Yamazaki Manufacturing Department
* Ono Pharmaceutical Minase Research Institute
* Sekisui Chemical Development Laboratory
* Suntory Yamazaki Distillery
* Toppan Forms Osaka Sakurai Factory

### Financial institution

* Bank of Kyoto Yamazaki Branch (Minamise 1-chome)
* Kita Osaka Shinkin Bank Shimamoto Branch (Minase 2-chome)
* Resona Bank Shimamoto Branch (Egawa 2-chome)

### Japan Post Group

(As of December 2012)
* Japan Post Co., Ltd.
** Shimamoto Minase Post Office (Takahama)
** Shimamoto Todaiji Post Office (Todaiji)
Shimamoto is the location of Suntory's Yamazaki Distillery, the oldest whiskey distillery in Japan.

## Geography

It occupies most of the basin of Minase River, a tributary of the Yodo River. The town area is long from northwest to southeast, and the altitude increases as it goes northwest. Nearly 70% of the entire town is mountainous and hilly. An urban area is open in a small open lowland along the Yodo River in the southeast, but this area is the main traffic connecting First National Land Axis Tokaido Shinkansen / Tokaido Main Line. And Meishin Expressway, as well as major traffic such as Hankyu Kyoto Main Line and National Highway 171. There is a point where the Katsura, Uji, and Kizu rivers meet, and because the water temperature of each river is different, a lot of fog is generated in winter.
At sea level, Shakadake is the highest at 631.4 m, and the lowest is Takahama at 8.5 m.

## Transport

The town is served by two railway stations: Shimamoto and Minase.

## Sister cities

* Frankfort, Kentucky, United States