  is a town located in higashimatsuura district, saga prefecture, japan. it has an area of 36.00&nbsp;kmÂ² and as of february 1, 2009 has a population of 6,496. it is currently the only municipality in higashimatsuura district. there was a town with the same name in fukuoka prefecture, but it now no longer exists. ==geography==  right|thumb|250px|a fishing village at kariya port in genkai.  the town is located on the northwestern edge of the prefecture on the higashimatsuura peninsula and faces the genkai sea on its west side. it is located about 50&nbsp;km (31&nbsp;mi) northwest of the city of saga and about  west of fukuoka. genkai is home to one of sixteen nuclear power plants in japan, with the only other nuclear power plant in the kyÅ«shÅ« area being located in kagoshima prefecture. it is the only town in the higashimatsuura district of saga that has not merged with karatsu. ===adjoining municipalities=== *karatsu ==history== *september 30, 1956 - the villages of chika and ariura merge to form the town of genkai. *december 31, 1957 - the neighborhoods of sosorogawachi, yunoo, fujihira, tashiro from the village of kirigo are incorporated into genkai. kirigo's remaining neighborhoods are incorporated into karatsu. ===the great heisei merger=== all other towns and villages from higashimatsuura district were incorporated into karatsu between 2005 and 2006. genkai originally planned to merge into karatsu with the rest of the district, but was concerned about the slow administrative response of the 
Towns_in_Saga_Prefecture