is a Japanese city located in Nanyo, the region occupying the southern half of Ehime Prefecture. , the city had an estimated population of 40,723 in 19688 households and a population density of 94 persons per km<sup>2</sup>. The total area of the city is .
à Âzu is located of the middle and lower reaches of the Hiji River, and in particular the basin at the confluence the Hiji River and the Yaochi River in the island Shikoku. It extends from a coastline on the Gulf of Iyo in the Seto Inland Sea to some points over 1000 meters above sea level at the headwaters of the Kawabe River, a tributary of the Hiji River.
Ehime Prefecture
à Âzu has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in à Âzu is 15.2 ðC. The average annual rainfall is 1644 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.1 ðC, and lowest in January, at around 4.6 ðC.
Per Japanese census data, the population of à Âzu has decreased steadily since the 1960s.
The area of à Âzu was part of ancient Iyo Province. During the Sengoku period, it was part of the holdings of Tà Âdà  Takatora, who constructed à Âzu Castle on top of a previous fortification dating to the Kamakura period. In 1608, he was transferred and replaced by the Wakizaka clan, followed in 1617 by the Katà  clan, who ruled the 66,000 koku à Âzu Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. à Âzu developed in the Edo period as a castle town. The town of à Âzu was established within Kita District, Ehime with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on December 15, 1889. During the Meiji and Taishà  periods (late 19th century, early 20th century), à Âzu saw great economic expansion due to thriving silk and Japanese wax candle (Ã¥ÂÂè ÂçÂÂ, warà Âsoku) industries. A robust timber trade also occurred during this time, with Hiji River serving as a transportation artery. However, transformations brought by the arrival of railways and motorways disrupted the balance of the local economic cycle.
On September 1, 1954, town of à Âzu merged with the villages of Hirano (å¹³éÂÂæÂÂ), Awazu (ç²Âæ´¥æÂÂ), Miyoshi (ä¸ÂÃ¥ÂÂæÂÂ), Kamisukai (ä¸Âé ÂæÂÂæÂÂ), Minamikume (Ã¥ÂÂä¹ ç±³æÂÂ), Sugeta (è ç°æÂÂ), Niiya (æ°谷æÂÂ), Yanagisawa (æ³沢æÂÂ) and à Âkawa (大å·ÂæÂÂ) to form the city of à Âzu . On January 11, 2005 à Âzu annexed neighboring Nagahama, Hijikawa, and Kawabe municipalities.
à Âzu has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 21 members. à Âzu, together with the town of Uchiko contributes two members to the Ehime Prefectural Assembly.
In terms of national politics, Ã Âzu is part of Ehime 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Prior to 2022, the city was part of Ehime 4th district.
à Âzu was once noted for its production of electronics; however, its factory by Matsushita Kotobuki Electronics closed in 2010 due to rapid deterioration in business performance. The economy is now centered on Agriculture (vegetables, livestock, citrus fruits) and forestry, with manufacturing of toothbrushes an important local product.
à Âzu has 20 public elementary schools and nine public middle schools operated by the city government, and four public high schools operated by the Ehime Prefectural Board of Education. The city also has one private middle school and two private high schools.
Shikoku Railway Company â Yosan Line
Shikoku Railway Company â Uchiko Line
à Âzu's flourishing silk and wax industries brought great wealth and prosperity, particularly at the turn of 20th century. Refinement and cultural discernment followed suit. This resulted in a thriving urban environment of various historical layers, remnants of which are still standing:
-Garyà « Sansà  (èÂ¥é¾Âå±±èÂÂ) Set of three tea pavilions within a lavish roji (è·¯å°) -tea ceremony garden- overhanging the Hiji River. Built by silk and tea trade champion Torajiro (æ²³å 寠次éÂÂ, Kà Âuchi Torajiro) as a personal retreat. It doubled as a Noh Theatre stage and was berth of the local ' (æ¸ãÂÂé ãÂÂ) architecture style. Completed between 1901 and 1907. (Important Cultural Property from 2016)
-Nagahama Great Bridge (é·æµÂ大æ©Â, Nagahama à Âhashi) completed in 1935, Inscribed as Important Cultural Property by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2014, it is the oldest bascule-bridge in Japan still in operation. Traces of US forces' gunfire still punctuate parts of the structure.
-Nyohà  Temple (å¦Âæ³Â寺, Nyohà Â-ji) Buddhist temple of the Rinzai sect founded in 1669 by monk Bankei (ç¤çª永ç¢ Bankei Yà Âtaku) together with Katà  Yasuoki, second daimyo of the Katà  clan. (Important Cultural Property since 1992). Its Zen meditation hall displays a Siddhattha Gotama (éÂÂ迦å¦ÂæÂ¥åÂÂ, Shakanyorai-zà Â) sculpture, flanked by elevated tatami, a rather unusual setting in zazen (座禠) dedicated spaces .
-à Âzu Akarenga-kan (ãÂÂãÂÂãÂÂ赤ç Âç¦館) or Red Brick Wall. Main branch of former à Âzu Commercial Bank (大洲ç£æ¥ÂéÂÂè¡Â, à Âzu Sangyà  Ginkà Â) built in 1901, evoking Western architecture. Municipal Important Asset.
-à Âzu Castle (大洲åÂÂ, à Âzu-jà Â) (four of its turrets were declared Important Cultural Property in 1957)