View source for Ariake, Saga

{{Infobox settlement
| name = Ariake Town
| official_name =
| native_name = {{nobold|有明町}}
| native_name_lang = ja
| settlement_type = Former municipality
| other_name =
<!-- images, nickname, motto -->
| image_skyline =
| imagesize =
| image_caption =
| image_flag =
| image_seal =
| seal_type = Emblem
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| image_map =
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Ariake Town in [[Saga Prefecture]]
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_relief =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Japan
| coordinates = {{coord|33.1516|N|130.1239|E|region:JP|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
<!-- location -->
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Japan
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kyushu]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Saga Prefecture]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Districts of Japan|District]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Kishima District, Saga|Kishima]]
<!-- established -->
| established_title = <!-- Settled -->
| established_date =
| extinct_title = Merged
| extinct_date = January 1, 2005<br />(now part of [[Shiroishi, Saga|Shiroishi]])
| founder =
| named_for =
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| seat_type = <!-- defaults to: Seat -->
| seat =
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| government_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name =
| leader_title1 = Vice Mayor
| leader_name1 =
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| total_type = <!-- to set a non-standard label for total area and population rows -->
| unit_pref = Metric
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| area_magnitude = <!-- use only to set a special wikilink -->
| area_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| area_total_km2 = 32.76
| area_land_km2 =
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| area_water_percent =
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| elevation_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_m =
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| population_footnotes =  <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| population_total = 8,944
| population_as_of = March 31, 2004
| population_density_km2 = 273.02
| population_est =
| pop_est_as_of =
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| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time|JST]]
| utc_offset1 = +09:00
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| postal_code_type =
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| area_code_type = <!-- defaults to: Area code(s) -->
| area_code =
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| blank_name_sec1 = City hall address
| blank_info_sec1 =
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| website = {{URL|http://www.town.shiroishi.lg.jp/}}
| footnotes =
| module =
}}
{{nihongo|'''Ariake'''|有明町|Ariake-chō}} was a [[List of towns in Japan|town]] located in [[Kishima District, Saga|Kishima District]], [[Saga Prefecture]], [[Japan]].
On January 1, 2005, Ariake, along with the town of [[Fukudomi, Saga|Fukudomi]] (also from [[Kishima District, Saga|Kishima District]]), was merged into the expanded town of [[Shiroishi, Saga|Shiroishi]].
The former Ariake Town Hall is now actually the site of the main Shiroishi Town Hall. Ariake borders the [[Ariake Sea]], and from the [[Edo period]] through the [[Shōwa period]] land was [[reclaimed land|reclaimed]] from this sea.
==Geography==
Ariake is long east to west. In the west it borders [[Shiota, Saga|Shiota]] at Kishima Mountain, and in the east it borders the [[Ariake Sea]] and is an area of lowland rice paddies. To the north it becomes [[Shiroishi, Saga|Shiroishi]], and to the south it borders [[Kashima, Saga|Kashima]] along the Shiota River. The eastern third of the town is [[reclaimed land]]. The town proper is northeast of the train station, [[Hizen-Ryūō Station|Hizen-Ryūō]], and near Megurie River.
* Mountains: Shiraiwa Mountain (340.3m, 1116.5&nbsp;ft), Īmori Mountain (317.8m, 1042.7&nbsp;ft)
* Rivers: Shiota River, Megurie River, Tadae River
===Adjoining Municipalities===
* [[Kashima, Saga|Kashima]]
* [[Shiroishi, Saga|Shiroishi]]
* [[Ureshino, Saga|Ureshino]]
==History==
* April 1, 1889 -
** Fukaura (深浦村) and Sakata (坂田村) were merged to become Ryūō (竜王村).
** Heta (辺田村), Tanoue (田野上村) and Togari (戸ケ里村) were merged to become Kinkō (錦江村).
** Ushiya (牛屋村) and Yokote (横手村) were merged to create Minami-Ariake (南有明村).
* April 1, 1955 - Kinkō (錦江村) and Ryūō (竜王村) were merged to create Ariake Village (有明村).
* September 30, 1955 - Minami-Ariake (南有明村) was incorporated into Ariake Village (有明村).
* October 1, 1962 - Ariake Village (有明村) became Ariake Town (有明町).
* January 1, 2005 - Ariake Town was incorporated into [[Shiroishi, Saga|Shiroishi]].
==Transportation==
===Air===
The closest airport is [[Saga Airport]].
===Rail===
* [[JR Kyushu]]
** [[Nagasaki Main Line]]
*** [[Hizen-Ryūō Station|Hizen-Ryūō]]
===Road===
* [[National highways of Japan|National Highways]]: [[Japan National Route 207|Route 207]], [[Japan National Route 34|Route 34]]
{{Saga Prefecture}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Dissolved municipalities of Saga Prefecture]]
[[Category:Shiroishi, Saga]]