Shimonoseki
Shimonoseki (Japanese: 下関市, Hepburn: Shimonoseki-shi) is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.
Shimonoseki 下関市 | |
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Central Shimonoseki and Kanmon Strait | |
![]() Flag | |
![]() Location of Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture | |
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![]() ![]() Shimonoseki Location in Japan ![]() ![]() Shimonoseki Shimonoseki (Japan) | |
Coordinates: 33°57′N 130°56′E | |
Country | Japan |
Region | Chūgoku (San'yō) |
Prefecture | Yamaguchi Prefecture |
Government | |
• Mayor | Shintaro Maeda (since 2017) |
Area | |
• Total | 716.14 km2 (276.50 sq mi) |
Population (October 1, 2016) | |
• Total | 265,684 |
• Density | 370/km2 (960/sq mi) |
Symbols | |
• Tree | Camphor Laurel |
• Flower | Crinum asiaticum |
Time zone | UTC+9 (JST) |
City hall address | 1-1 Nanbu, Shimonoseki-shi, Yamaguchi-ken 750-8521 |
Website | www |
As of October 1, 2016, Shimonoseki has a population of 265,684, making it the largest city in Yamaguchi Prefecture and the fifth-largest city in the Chūgoku region. It is located at the southwestern tip of Honshu facing the Tsushima Strait at the entrance to the Kanmon Straits (also known as the Straits of Shimonoseki) across from the city of Kitakyushu and the island of Kyushu. It is nicknamed the "Fugu Capital" for the locally caught pufferfish, and is the largest harvester of the pufferfish in Japan.
History
The Heike and Genji fought at Dan-no-ura near the present Kanmonkyo Bridge.
The city prior to 1902 was commonly known as Bakan (馬關) and formally Akamagaseki (赤間關).
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On February 13, 2005, Shimonoseki absorbed the towns of Hōhoku, Kikugawa, Toyota and Toyoura (all from Toyoura District) to create the new and expanded city of Shimonseki. Since October 1, 2005, the city has been designated as a core city by the Japanese Government.
The geographical position of Shimonoseki has given it historical importance, especially with the Bombardment of Shimonoseki in 1864 and the Treaty of Shimonoseki, where a defeated China handed over Taiwan, Penghu, and Port Arthur to the victorious Japanese in 1895.
An Imperial decree in July 1899 established Shimonoseki as an open port for trading with the United States and the United Kingdom.[1]
On January 7, 2006, the wooden station building at Shimonoseki station, which had dated back to 1942, was destroyed in a fire, the cause of which is suspected to be arson.
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Climate
Shimonoseki has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heavier in summer.
Climate data for Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average high °C (°F) | 8.5 (47.3) |
9.0 (48.2) |
12.3 (54.1) |
17.4 (63.3) |
21.5 (70.7) |
24.7 (76.5) |
28.8 (83.8) |
30.3 (86.5) |
26.8 (80.2) |
21.8 (71.2) |
16.6 (61.9) |
11.4 (52.5) |
19.1 (66.4) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.8 (42.4) |
6.0 (42.8) |
8.9 (48.0) |
13.7 (56.7) |
17.8 (64.0) |
21.3 (70.3) |
25.6 (78.1) |
27.0 (80.6) |
23.5 (74.3) |
18.3 (64.9) |
13.3 (55.9) |
8.5 (47.3) |
15.8 (60.4) |
Average low °C (°F) | 3.4 (38.1) |
3.5 (38.3) |
5.9 (42.6) |
10.6 (51.1) |
14.8 (58.6) |
18.7 (65.7) |
23.3 (73.9) |
24.6 (76.3) |
20.8 (69.4) |
15.4 (59.7) |
10.5 (50.9) |
5.9 (42.6) |
13.1 (55.6) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 73.5 (2.89) |
76.8 (3.02) |
108.5 (4.27) |
158.4 (6.24) |
161.3 (6.35) |
278.5 (10.96) |
264.2 (10.40) |
126.8 (4.99) |
179.7 (7.07) |
95.1 (3.74) |
78.7 (3.10) |
58.2 (2.29) |
1,659.7 (65.32) |
Average snowfall cm (inches) | 5 (2.0) |
5 (2.0) |
1 (0.4) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (0.4) |
12 (4.8) |
Average relative humidity (%) | 65 | 66 | 68 | 73 | 75 | 80 | 82 | 78 | 76 | 70 | 69 | 66 | 72 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 89.7 | 106.1 | 165.9 | 176.0 | 200.7 | 159.0 | 183.0 | 213.2 | 164.4 | 177.6 | 132.2 | 100.0 | 1,867.8 |
Source: NOAA (1961-1990)[2] |
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Transportation
Ferries from Shimonoseki Port International Terminal
Trains
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- The main Shinkansen station
- Sanyō Shinkansen
- The main JR West stations
- Sanyō Main Line
- Shimonoseki Station
- Hatabu Station - Hatabu Station is a railway station on the Sanyō Main Line and the San'in Main Line.
- Shin-Shimonoseki Station - Shin-Shimonoseki Station is a railway station on the Sanyō Shinkansen Line and the Sanyō Main Line.
- Chōfu Station
- Ozuki Station
- San'in Main Line
- Sanyō Main Line
Buses
Regular bus services are provided by Sanden Kohtsu, as well as by group companies of Sanden Kohtsu.
- Bus companies (A loop-line bus in the city.)
- Sanden Kohtsu Co.,Ltd.
- Blue Line Kohtsu Co.,Ltd.
- Intercity bus services (arrival and departure in Shimonoseki city) go to the following destinations: Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Airport, etc.
Roads
Bypasses
- Ozuki Bypass
- Shimonoseki-Kita Bypass
National Highways
Airports
Shimonoseki is served by four airports outside the city.
- Kitakyūshū Airport
- Saga Airport
- Yamaguchi Ube Airport (only for domestic flights)
- Fukuoka Airport
Education
Universities and colleges
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- National Fisheries University (水産大学校, Suisan daigakkō) (Yoshimi)
- Shimonoseki City University (Daigaku-cho)
- University of East Asia (Shin-Shimonoseki Station)
- Baiko Gakuin University (Higashieki)
- Shimonoseki Junior College (Sakurayama-cho)
Primary and secondary schools
The city has a North Korean school, Yamaguchi Korean Elementary and Junior High School (山口朝鮮初中級学校).[4] It formerly housed two other North Korean schools, Yamaguchi Korean High School and Shimonoseki Korean Elementary and Junior High School (下関朝鮮初中級学校).[5]
As a city of a quarter million people, it has some public schools too.[6][7]
Culture
Festivals
Shimonoseki is home to many festivals that are held throughout the year. Of these, the most famous are Shimonoseki Kaikyo Festival and Shimonoseki Bakan Festival.
- Shimonoseki Fugu (Blowfish) Festival (February) : Haedomari Market
- Kawatana Onsen(hot spring) Festival (April)
- Shimonoseki Kaikyo Festival (May) : Karato, Ganryujima Island
- Suhouteisai Festival (August) : Castle town Chofu
- Kanmon Kaikyo Fireworks Festival (August) : Karato(Aruka Port area)
- Shimonoseki Bakan Festival (August) : Along the street from Karato-cho to Shimonoseki Station
- TOUR de Shimonoseki (October/November)
- Shimonoseki Kaikyo Marathon (November)
- Shimonoseki Fish Festival (November) : Shimonoseki Fishing Port
- Little Busan Fest (November) : Green Mall
Architecture
- Kōzan-ji - The butsuden completed in 1320 is a National Treasure of Japan.
- Akama Shrine
- Kaikyō Yume Tower
Museums
- Shimonoseki City Art Museum
- Shimonoseki Chofu Museum
- Shimonoseki City Archaeological Museum
- Shimonoseki Marine Science Museum (Shimonoseki City Aquarium) (Kaikyo Kan)
- Doigahama Site Anthropological Museum
- The firefly museum of toyota town
- The Yamagin Archive (やまぎん史料館) of the Yamaguchi Bank
Monuments
- The Mimosusogawa Park (みもすそ川公園) in Shimonoseki commemorates the final stage of the Genpei war between the feudal Taira clan and Minamoto clan (1180–1185). There is a historical monument with cannons.
Sports
Professional Teams
- FC Baleine Shimonoseki (Football)
Sporting venues
- Shimonoseki Baseball Stadium
- Shimonoseki Boat Race Stadium (Shimonoseki Kyōtei)
- Shimonoseki City Gymnasium
- Shimonoseki Track and field stadium
- Shimonoseki city swimming pool
- Nogihama General Park (Football stadium)
Crime and safety
The Goda-ikka yakuza syndicate is headquartered in Shimonoseki. A designated yakuza group, the Goda-ikka is the largest yakuza syndicate in Yamaguchi Prefecture.[8]
Twin towns – sister cities
Notable people
- Shinzō Abe (90th Prime Minister of Japan)
- Takasugi Shinsaku
- Duncan Gordon Boyes
- Richard Henry Brunton
- Kinuyo Tanaka
- Yūsaku Matsuda
- Atsushi Tamura (Comedian, actor and singer)
References
- US Department of State. (1906). A digest of international law as embodied in diplomatic discussions, treaties and other international agreements (John Bassett Moore, ed.), Vol. 5, p. 759.
- "Shimonoseki Climate Normals 1961-1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
- オリエントフェリー運航一時休止について(お知らせ) (PDF). Archived from the original on 2016-02-07.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
- ウリハッキョ一覧. Chongryon. Retrieved October 14, 2015. (Archive).
- ウリハッキョ一覧. Chongryon. November 6, 2005. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
- 下関市内小中学校 - 山口県下関市(教育委員会) (in Japanese). City of Shimonoseki Education Committee. Retrieved 2020-01-08.
- http://www.shimosho.ed.jp/wordpress/ Shimonoseki Commercial High School
- "The 7th President announces the succession, The Goda-ikka, The Prefectural Police on red alert", 21 October 2009, Yamaguchi Shimbun (in Japanese)
- "姉妹友好都市". city.shimonoseki.lg.jp (in Japanese). Shimonoseki. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi. |
- Shimonoseki City official website (in Japanese)
- Shimonoseki City official website in other languages
Shimonoseki travel guide from Wikivoyage Geographic data related to Shimonoseki at OpenStreetMap . The American Cyclopædia. 1879.- Shimonoseki City Tourism Promotion Film Shimonoseki City Official Channel