Ikata

Ikata (伊方町, Ikata-chō) is a small peninsula town located in Nishiuwa District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 August 2022, the town had an estimated population of 8,497 in 15638 households and a population density of 90 persons per km2. 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 geography has influenced Ikata's growth. On the one hand, it has presented 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 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), and the town's windy mountains are dotted by dozens of windmills.