Megami

Megami [冢; めがみ / Sunpaku: つしい] is a city located in western Uchi Prefecture. As of 2022, it has a population of around 130,000, making it the second-most populous in the prefecture.
Megami lies in a flat valley region divided in half by the west-running foothills of the Niryō Mountains. This fairly wide strip of uneven and mountainous terrain, known as the Meibetsu Hills, has historically been used by goat and sheep farmers, along with local rice farmers who built paddies on its slopes. The Hananake River, the longest in the prefecture, also runs through Megami's lower reaches, offering plenty of irrigation for crops. Due to such easy access to water, rice and wheat farming became popular in Megami early in its history. The city is also bordered by the Yamadaru National Park on its southern side.
The city is known as being the birthplace of the unique horse racing style yamari-zenpo which originated in the 1900s. Horse farmers of the region had tug-of-war contests between their work horses to judge their strength and value; this gradually became a formalised event and eventually morphed into a distinctive form of racing now known across the prefecture.
== Economy ==
Tourism plays a considerable role in Megami's economy, along with agriculture (particularly rice and wheat farming), horticulture and the production of wool. Alpacas were introduced in the 1940s and have become a distinctive symbol of Megami ever since; there are around twenty alpaca farms scattered throughout the city's outskirts. 
== Local attractions ==
* Meishū Nature Reserve
* Megami Snow & Ice Festival (Megami no Koriyukizai) - celebrated in the last week of December
* Gomichitai - a long alleyway lined with unique foodstands and street vendors, open all year round
* Meishū Bridge
* Kimegami Temple - the first Kiren temple built in Uchi Prefecture
* Nozoki Station
* Megami Public Gardens
* Ukimizu Brewery