In this town’s city area is an island, counted among the world’s heritage, where vermilion-lacquered shrine pavilions stand upon the sea. The same town is known for the woodcraft of carving wood, and one wooden toy born from that craft has now spread across the world. Further, this town has one of western Japan’s foremost timber ports, where wood carried from across the sea is landed. This town, which holds together a shrine island floating on the sea, the craft of wood, and a timber port, greatly widened its city area through two mergers. Hatsukaichi’s numbers are the record of a town etched by the history of Miyajima and wood.
A city that opens onto the Seto Inland Sea and the mountains in the western part of Hiroshima Prefecture. To read its population, one must account for two mergers. In 2003 it annexed two towns and villages, and in 2005 a further two towns, greatly widening its city area. The population before annexation, in 2000, was 73,587; after the first annexation it was 87,144 in 2005, and after the second 114,038 in 2010. From there it moved to 114,173 in 2020. What I (Atlas) want to read here is not the sign "the town of Miyajima," but the causal thread: how the history — a shrine island floating on the sea and the craft of wood — is translated into today’s population and finances.
01 · Seeing the present Hatsukaichi in its numbers
In the 2020 Population Census it is 114,173, passing 110,000. To read this city’s population, one must account for two mergers. In 2003 it annexed two towns and villages, and in 2005 a further two towns, greatly widening its city area. The population before annexation, in 2000, was 73,587; after the first annexation it was 87,144 in 2005, and after the second 114,038 in 2010. From there it has been roughly held — 114,906 in 2015, 114,173 in 2020 — once the two annexations were finished. The two-step in population between 2000 and 2010 in this article mirrors the widening of the city area by these two annexations.
Looking inside, a figure befitting a city holding the Seto Inland Sea and mountains appears. The share aged 65 and over rose from 14.8% in 2000 to 30.6% in 2020, passing three in ten. The household-with-children share was 21.3% in 2020, and the Childcare Waitlist was zero in both 2024 and 2025. The Fiscal Capacity Index was 0.58 in fiscal 2023 — a middling level, able to cover about six-tenths of expenditure with its own tax revenue. The figure of a town of a shrine island floating on the sea and of woodcraft, roughly holding its population while advancing in aging on the post-two-annexation city area, appears in the numbers. Why it takes this shape cannot be read without going back over the history of Miyajima and wood.
Source: Population Census (Statistics Bureau, MIC) / Local Government Finance Survey, Fiscal Capacity Index (MIC) / Childcare Facility Status Report (Children and Families Agency) / Real Estate Information Library (MLIT)
02 · A shrine island floating on the sea, the craft of woodcraft and a toy, a timber port, and two annexations — the history behind the numbers
What set this town is a history bound to the sea and to wood: an island where shrine pavilions stand upon the sea, the woodcraft of carving wood, and a timber port. The central layer is the shrine island. Off this town is an island, long gathering faith, where vermilion-lacquered shrine pavilions stand upon the sea. The pavilions on the sea, changing their figure with the ebb and flow of the tide, were counted among the world’s heritage at the end of the modern era, and draw many people from within and beyond the country. This island was added to this town’s city area by the second annexation.
Alongside this shrine island, a history bound to wood has set this town. One is the craft of woodcraft. This town is known for the craft of carving wood on a lathe, and from that craft, in the Taisho era, a wooden toy was created. The toy, with its attached dishes, came in time to be widely cherished, and at its peak this town is said to have held much of the domestic production; it has now spread across the world. The other is the timber port. This town has one of western Japan’s foremost timber ports, where wood carried from across the sea is landed, supporting industries connected to housing and furniture. The road by which it became a city mirrors this town, too. In 2003 it annexed mountain towns and villages, and in 2005 a coastal town and the shrine island, greatly widening its city area. A shrine island floating on the sea, the craft of woodcraft and a toy, a timber port, and two annexations. Upon two axes — the faith of the sea and the handwork of wood — several histories are tied. That is the assembly of the city area of Hatsukaichi.
Source: Hatsukaichi City, "the World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine" (the Itsukushima Shrine of Miyajima, whose pavilions stand upon the sea; registered as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1996 — overview) / Hiroshima Prefecture / Hatsukaichi City, "the birthplace of the kendama" (a producing region of wood-turned and wooden toys; the "Nichigetsu Ball" completed in 1921 was the prototype of the kendama; about a 40% domestic share at its peak — overview) / Hatsukaichi City, "the path of Hatsukaichi City" (one of western Japan’s foremost timber ports; in 2003 it annexed Saeki Town and Yoshiwa Village, and in 2005 Ono Town and Miyajima Town — overview)
03 · In a town of a shrine island and of wood, roughly holding population through two annexations while advancing in aging
What characterizes Hatsukaichi is that, while bearing the history of a shrine island floating on the sea and of the craft of wood, it roughly holds the population of the city area after two annexations, while advancing in aging. From 114,038 in the post-second-annexation 2010 to 114,173 in 2020, the city area as a whole has roughly held level. One can read that, while residential land spread on coastal land near the Hiroshima urban sphere and households commuting nearby stay to a degree, in the mountain lands added to the city area by annexation the decline of population and aging advance, and across the whole city area the two balance out, holding the population roughly level. That the share aged 65 and over passed three in ten at 30.6% in 2020 is also an expression of including the mountain lands in the city area.
Meanwhile the Childcare Waitlist was zero in both 2024 and 2025. The Fiscal Capacity Index of 0.58 is a level able to cover about six-tenths of expenditure with its own tax revenue, in the middle range. One can read that the income of households living in the coastal residential land, and the industries connected to timber and tourism, support the tax source at a middling level. The population is roughly level after two annexations, the aging passes three in ten, and the fiscal strength is middling — holding within one city area a bustling coast and depopulating mountains, the two balance out so that it appears level. Just because the average of the whole city area does not move does not mean that the inside is quiet too.
Source: Population Census (Statistics Bureau, MIC) / Local Government Finance Survey, Fiscal Capacity Index (MIC) / Childcare Facility Status Report (Children and Families Agency)
04 · Two axes — the faith of the sea, and the handwork of wood
Hatsukaichi stands upon two axes, the sea and wood. The island of the world’s heritage, where vermilion-lacquered shrine pavilions stand upon the sea, draws people from within and beyond the country. The woodcraft of carving wood, the wooden toy born from that craft and spread across the world, and one of western Japan’s foremost timber ports bind the history connected to wood. The landform of sea and mountains gave both the shrine island and the woodcraft and timber port to this land.
Opening onto the Seto Inland Sea and the mountains — that geography called forth the shrine island floating on the sea, and called forth the woodcraft and the timber port. From the shrine island on the sea, to the woodcraft and the toy, the timber port, and the two annexations, the history surrounding the sea and wood has been layered into one city area. In the western part of Hiroshima Prefecture, this city binds into one city area two axes — the faith of a shrine that stands upon the sea, and the craft of hands that carve and carry wood. Hatsukaichi is also the name of that crossing of sea and wood.
Source: Hatsukaichi City, "the World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine" (the Itsukushima Shrine of Miyajima, whose pavilions stand upon the sea; registered as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1996 — overview) / Hiroshima Prefecture / Hatsukaichi City, "the birthplace of the kendama" (a producing region of wood-turned and wooden toys; the "Nichigetsu Ball" completed in 1921 was the prototype of the kendama; about a 40% domestic share at its peak — overview) / Hatsukaichi City, "the path of Hatsukaichi City" (one of western Japan’s foremost timber ports; in 2003 it annexed Saeki Town and Yoshiwa Village, and in 2005 Ono Town and Miyajima Town — overview)
05 · Atlas’s note — reading Hatsukaichi’s numbers together with its history
Lay out Hatsukaichi’s numbers and the indicators of a city holding the Seto Inland Sea and mountains line up: a population roughly level after two annexations, an aging rate of 30.6%, a household-with-children share of 21.3%, and a fiscal capacity of 0.58. But when I (Atlas), with the eye of a certified public accountant reading ledgers, look at them, what I want to note first is that this city’s step in population owes to two annexations. The population before annexation, in 2000, was 73,587, and the figures of 87,144 in 2005 and 114,038 in 2010 are the result of annexing mountain towns and villages, a coastal town, and the shrine island. When reading the population figures in time series, overlook the two-step between 2000 and 2010 and one misreads the town’s figure. That is precisely why it must be read after noting the before-and-after of annexation.
On top of that, what I want to read is that this town layers several histories upon two axes, "the sea" and "wood." The island of the world’s heritage, where shrine pavilions stand upon the sea, is the height of the faith of the sea; and the toy born from the woodcraft of carving wood and spread across the world, and the timber port that brings wood in from across the sea, are the height of the history surrounding wood. The layering, in which the shrine island of the sea’s faith, the handwork of wood, and the timber port — the histories of sea and wood — dwell together in one city area, is peculiar to this town. Further, that city area, through two annexations, holds both a bustling coast and depopulating mountains. To read, together with the step of annexation, the structure in which, even when the population of the whole city area appears roughly level, within it the coast and the mountains proceed in different flows, is the key to seeing this town’s numbers rightly. Here lies the pitfall in reading this town’s image. The population of the whole city area is roughly level after two annexations. But that level is no more than an appearance produced by the balance of two oppositely facing movements — a bustling coast and depopulating mountains. Within an unmoving average, the coast and the mountains change their figure at separate speeds. The shrine island of the sea’s faith and the handwork of wood were both two axes this single city area held. The level of the population, too, is the sum of two axes — the increasing side and the decreasing side bound into one line.
Source: Population Census (Statistics Bureau, MIC) / Hatsukaichi City, "the World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine" (the Itsukushima Shrine of Miyajima, whose pavilions stand upon the sea; registered as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1996 — overview) / Hiroshima Prefecture / Hatsukaichi City, "the birthplace of the kendama" (a producing region of wood-turned and wooden toys; the "Nichigetsu Ball" completed in 1921 was the prototype of the kendama; about a 40% domestic share at its peak — overview) / Hatsukaichi City, "the path of Hatsukaichi City" (one of western Japan’s foremost timber ports; in 2003 it annexed Saeki Town and Yoshiwa Village, and in 2005 Ono Town and Miyajima Town — overview)
Editor’s note: all figures and sources are drawn from official statistics. The prose follows Atlas’s voice, and AI (atlas-handcrafted-reverse-v1 (Daiki 2026-06-02)) handled the shaping of the text. Evaluative or predictive language (such as “a good buy” or “attractive”) is intentionally left out. Revision id: wave18_2