About Ikoma

Message from the Mayor / Biography of the Mayor

Location

Population Statistics

History and Transitions

City Flower / Tree / Charter,imager Character

Guide to municipal offices / Citizens’ service sections

Guide to Various Facilities

Links

Our city of Ikoma, with a perimeter of 60km and an area of 53.18km2, is situated in the northwest corner of Nara Prefecture, adjacent to Osaka Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture. To the west are the Ikoma mountains, with the 642m Mt. Ikomayama as the main peak, and to the east are the Yata hills and the Nishinokyo hills, with this city of Ikoma spread out between in a long narrow north-south stretch of 7.8km east to west and 14.9km north to south.

With a beautiful natural environment as well as transportation convenience, our population has continued to grow, exceeding 100,000 people in 1990, becoming the third city in the prefecture with a population of 100,000.

Kintetsu Ikoma Station, a gateway to Ikoma, is a terminal for the Kintetsu Nara Line connecting Namba in Osaka with Nara, the Keihanna Line which is a direct line from Ikoma to Osaka Nanko Cosmo Square on the Osaka Municipal Subway, and the Kintetsu Ikoma Line connecting Ikoma to Oji. In addition, the first cable car made in Japan connects Torii Mae Station in front of Ikoma Station to Hozanji Temple (also called Shoden-san) and Ikoma Peak.


For roadways, running east and west are the Hanna road, National Route 163, National Route 308, and the Narazaka-Minami tawara Prefectural Route, and running north and south are National Route 168 and the Hirakata Yamatokoriyama Prefectural Route, and with the completion of the Daini Hannan Toll Road in 1997, access to the centers of Osaka and Nara became even more convenient.

One famous product of Ikoma is "Takayama chasen" (Takayama bamboo tea whisks). Tea whisks are made using the same techniques passed down from the Muramachi Period (1333 - 1573), depending on the skill and long experience of the tea whisk master, and have been designated as traditional craftwork. There is also active production of other bamboo crafts, such as tea ceremony utensils, knitting needles, etc.

Near this home of tea whisks is the Kansai Science City, Takayama Science Town. This region is the Science Takayama Area (1st district), and already has a variety of cultural science research and exchange facilities with the Nara Institute of Science and Technology as its core at the beginning of the creation of a new village.

On Mt. Ikomayama, the symbol of our city, is a group of television antenna transmitting electromagnetic waves in a complete circle to Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe, as well as an amusement park that people enjoy throughout the year. In addition, the view from the peak looking down over the Osaka plain and Yamato Basin is magnificent, and the night scenery is also beautiful.

To the south of Mt. Ikomayama is the path of Kuragarigoe (Kuragari Pass), the dark mountain pass which is famous for having been traveled by the poet Basho. Some of the cobblestones from that time remain, so that you can experience the feel of that period. Plus, to the north of the city is Kurondo Pond, where you can enjoy barbecues, boating, etc., and during the tourist season it is lively with families, hikers, etc.

As you can see, our city is blessed with the attraction of abundant nature, long history, and traditional industries as well as being a residential city with high convenience and the latest facilities. We will continue to promote and advance our city, with our aim of "Ikoma, answering everyone's dreams of challenge and creativity".