Takasago

Takasago is a port city in Hyōgo Prefecture that stretches along the Harima Bay of the Seto Inland Sea, combining flat coastal plains with forested hills further inland. The urban area is shaped by residential neighborhoods that sit between the factory sites along the waterfront and the agricultural land to the east.

People settled here as early as the Jōmon period, as shell waste along the bay shore shows. During the Edo period, the area grew into a trading hub for rice and other goods transported by sea.

Local festivals at Takasago Kashima Shrine maintain Japanese traditions while sister city connections with Latrobe, Australia promote international cultural exchanges.

Trains and buses connect the city to other places across the prefecture, making it fairly easy to reach from larger cities nearby. Most public facilities and shops are located near the train stations, where visitors can easily walk around.

Some parts of the coastal zone serve as the site for large steel mills and power plant facilities that have shaped the cityscape and economy for decades. The plants are usually not open to the public, but their towers and chimneys are visible from many spots around the area.

Location: Hyōgo Prefecture

Inception: July 1, 1954

Shares border with: Himeji, Kakogawa

Website: https://city.takasago.lg.jp

GPS coordinates: 34.76594,134.79064

Latest update: December 5, 2025 16:35