Kakogawa, city, southern Hyōgo ken (prefecture), west-central Honshu, Japan. The city lies largely in the lower valley of the Kako River (Kako-gawa), just inland from Harima Bay on the Inland Sea and between Akashi (southeast) and Himeji (northwest).
Kakogawa was a prosperous river port during the Edo (Tokugawa) period (1603–1867). Industrialization began after the opening of the first rail line to the region in 1888. The production of fertilizer and woolen textiles was supplemented after World War II with the establishment of iron, steel, machinery, spinning, and chemical plants. A large residential district has developed in the hilly area to the north. Kakogawa is part of the Harima Industrial Zone and is served by the outport of Befu, along the bay in the city’s southern sector. Pop. (2005) 267,100; (2010) 266,937.