Ikata

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Ikata 伊方町
Town
The Minatoura neighborhood
Flag Logo[1]
Location of Ikata in Ehime Prefecture
Ikata Location in Japan
Coordinates: 33°29′N 132°21′E / 33.483°N 132.350°E / 33.483; 132.350
Country	Japan
Region	Shikoku
Prefecture	Ehime
District	Nishiuwa
Government
• Mayor	Kiyohiko Takakado
Area
• Total	93.98 km2 (36.29 sq mi)
Population  (August 31, 2022)
• Total	8,497
• Density	90/km2 (230/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	1993-1 Minatoura, Ikata-chō, Nishiuwa-gun, Ehime-ken 796-0301
Website	Official website
Symbols
Flower	Farfugium japonicum (石蕗, Tsuwabuki)
Tree	Quercus phillyraeoides (姥目樫, Ubamegashi)

Ikata (伊方町, Ikata-chō) is a small peninsula town located in Nishiuwa District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 August 2022^[update], the town had an estimated population of 8,497 in 15638 households and a population density of 90 persons per km².^[2] The total area of the town is 93.98 square kilometres (36.29 sq mi)

Following a recent merger with the neighboring towns of Misaki and Seto, the town now spans the mountainous Sadamisaki Peninsula, the narrowest peninsula in Japan and the westernmost point on the island of Shikoku.

This unique geography has greatly influenced Ikata's growth. On the one hand, it has presented significant challenges to urban development that were not overcome until recently in the town's long history. On the other, the peninsula is what gives the town its beautiful mountain and ocean scenery which, bolstered by significant investments in infrastructure and tourist facilities, has formed the basis for a burgeoning tourism industry.

In addition to the beauty of its rugged, natural landscape, Ikata has long been known for fishing and mikan orange farming. In recent years Ikata has also become a hotspot of modern energy production—the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant produced much of Shikoku's electricity until it was shut down in 2012 following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami (before being reactivated in 2018^[3]), and the town's windy mountains are dotted by dozens of windmills.