Ryūyō (竜洋町, Ryūyō-chō) was a town located in Iwata District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It existed as an independent municipality until April 1, 2005, when it was merged into the expanded city of Iwata.
Geography and Administration
Ryūyō was situated in the central part of the Enshū (遠州) region of Shizuoka Prefecture, in the former Iwata District. The town covered a total area of approximately 23.62 square kilometers (9.12 square miles). It was located in a coastal area along the Pacific Ocean, near the mouth of the Tenryū River, and bordered the Enshū-nada (遠州灘) sea.
Population
As of March 1, 2005, the town had an estimated population of 19,756, with a population density of approximately 836 persons per square kilometer.
History
Ryūyō was established as a town within Iwata District. On April 1, 2005, Ryūyō, along with the towns of Fukude (福田町) and Toyoda (豊田町), and the village of Toyooka (豊岡村)—all from Iwata District—was merged into the expanded city of Iwata. Following this merger, Ryūyō ceased to exist as an independent municipality, and the area is now administered as part of Iwata City.
Name and Etymology
The name "Ryūyō" (竜洋) combines the characters for "dragon" (竜) and "ocean" (洋), reflecting the town's coastal character along the Pacific Ocean.
Legacy
The former Ryūyō area is now a district within Iwata City. The Ryūyō Local History Museum (竜洋郷土資料館) preserves and displays historical and folk materials related to the area, including artifacts concerning the Kakezuka port (掛塚湊), which was historically known for its prosperity in shipping timber and other goods, earning the area the nickname "Little Edo of Enshū." The museum also documents the daily lives of residents who benefited from the Tenryū River and the Enshū-nada coast.
Symbols
The town's designated flower was the scarlet sage, and its designated tree was the pine.
