Toki, Gifu
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Toki (土岐市; -shi) is a city in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The city is located on the Honshu island, to the southeast of Gifu City, the prefectural capital. The Toki River runs through the downtown area. Toki is known as one of the largest producers of Japanese pottery. The products made in the region are generally referred as the Mino-yaki. Toki has a sister city arrangement with Faenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
In Spring 2005 Toki was in the national news in Japan when an outlet mall was opened on the outskirts of the city. Malls are a relatively rare thing outside the major cities of Japan, and the city was brought to a standstill after a nationwide advertising campaign attracted people from all over Japan.
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History
The history of pottery making in Toki area appears to have started more than 1,300 years ago. Some kiln traces and earthenware pieces, which are in the 7th century style, have been recovered within the territory of the city. The technical merit and artistic impression reached an acme in the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568 - 1614) when crockery for tea ceremony had been produced there. Daimyo feudal lords highly admired such tea vessels, bowls, pots and utensils with unique styles as the Oribe. More emphasis has been put on daily necessities since the early Edo period (1603- 1867). By virtue of mass production successfully introduced in and after the Meiji Era (1868–1912), the porcelain and pottery from Toki are now found widely in Japan.
The city was incorporated on February 1, 1955, with the area formerly divided among 5 towns (Tokitsu, Oroshi, Tsumagi, Dachi and Izumi) and 3 villages (Tsurusato, Sogi and Hida).
Geography and demographics
Toki is located at 35°21′ North, 137°10′ East. It has a total area of 116.16 km². As of June 30, 2005, there are 64,090 people and 22,001 households living within the boundaries of the city. The population density is 551.7/km².
Government
Mayor
The current Mayor of Toki is TSUKAMOTO Yasuo. Previous Mayors include:
Representative body
Toki has a twenty-two-member city council, which serves as the legislative body of the city.
External links
- Toki official website in Japanese