Ikeda, Osaka

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Ikeda (池田市, Ikeda-shi^?) is a city located in Osaka, Japan. As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 100,986 and a density of 4,567.44 persons per km². The total area is 22.11 km².

In the Edo period, Ikeda had a castle occupied by a daimyo, the seat of a 50 000 goku domain. It was famous for Ikeda-zumi (Ikeda charcoal) traded by Ikeda merchants. In Cha no yu Ikeda-zumi is loved because of its high quality even today.

The city was founded formally on April 29, 1939. It was developed as an urban town by a local railway company, Hankyu Dentetsu. Its founder Kobayashi Ichizo (Itsuo) lived there also.

Ikeda boasts two cultural attractions: the Itsuo Museum and Ikeda Bunko (Ikeda Archive). Itsuo Museum holds the Itsuo Collection which is mainly Japanese art for cha no yu; Ikeda Bunko holds collections on Takarazuka and other materials related to Hankyu Dentetsu. There is also a municipal Zoo named Satsukiyama Zoo.

It is also home to the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum.

On June 8, 2001, the Osaka school massacre occurred in this city. A man entered an elementary school and fatally stabbed eight children in the school.　Many pupils have suffered PTSD. To avoid flashback memory of the massacre and improve school security, the school buildings were reformed and April 2004 the newly reformed building has been utilized. On September 14, 2004, Mamoru Takuma was executed for the murders.