Hatsukaichi is a city of some 120,000 people located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The name derives from a market traditionally held on the 20th of each month with hatsuka (廿日) meaning "20th day" and ichi (市) translating to "market". The market continues to this day on a small scale featuring fresh, locally grown vegetables and foodstuffs.Following the absorption of the nearby towns of Ōno and Miyajima on November 3, 2005 (as of September 1, 2016), Hatsukaichi has a population density of 239.36 persons per km². The total land area stands at 489.36 km².History The name "Hatsuka-ichi" was from the ichi on the 20th of every month from Kamakura Period. "Hatsukaichi-machi", Saeki District, Hiroshima was founded on April 1, 1889. The city "Hatsukaichi" was founded on April 1, 1988. On March 1, 2003, the town of Saeki and the village of Yoshiwa, both from Saeki District, merged into the expanded city of Hatsukaichi. On November 3, 2005, the towns of Miyajima and Ōno (both from Saeki District) were merged into Hatsukaichi. Therefore, Saeki District was dissolved as a result of this merger.