Hamada, Shimane

Hamada (Japanese浜 田 市, -shi ) is a Japanese town and port on the Sea of ​​Japan in the Shimane Prefecture on Honshu.

Through the incorporation of three municipalities and a village in October 2005, the population of the area Hamada grew by about a quarter to well fourfold.

Even in historical times Hamada was a major port city west of Japan and flourished during the last 250 years of the Edo period ( 1601-1868 ). With the end of the Edo period and the castle was destroyed and Hamada lost gradually in importance. Only with the beginning of the expansion and renovation of the port facilities following the end of World War II, the city enjoyed another boom. Especially worth mentioning are the again increased volume of trade as well as the strongly forced commercial fishing.

Today Hamada has the only deepwater port the west coast Chugoku. Reger trade takes place mainly doing with the nearby South Korea, China and above all Russia (Vladivostok ). International passenger traffic is only carried out by Hamada. The closest Personenfährverbindung with the Asian mainland operates from some 200 kilometers south Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Hamada is on the economic shadow side of the main Japanese island of Honshu, but it is so only major city of Shimane Prefecture connected to the toll motorway network of the island. The journey to Hiroshima - and thus to the economically important eastern coast of the island - is thereby reduced by half to just over one hour.

Attractions

Especially during the cherry blossom season worth seeing are the ruins of the castle Hamada. The castle was completed in 1620 and destroyed during the violent end of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1868. Also very impressive for cherry blossom season presents itself Nagahama Shrine.

In the vicinity of Hamada are some Onsen, eg Asahi Onsen, Onsen - Mimata or Yunotsu - Onsen. The latter due to the high temperature of the thermal water ( Yunotsu means " hot, hot water") and had granted him healing effect is known. The water of the Mimata - Onsen in turn should have a particular effect on the skin.

4 km north of Hamada is also the beach of Kokufu with its known in Chugoku, white sand. In the summer it is a magnet for bathers frolic in the winter there the surfers. It is located very close to the beach Iwami tatami -ga -ura, a rock formation that has been raised by an earthquake in 1837 and the consequent geological fault from the sea. The so- upscale rocks are crossed by a tunnel system that is accessible to tourists. Can be seen a large number of fossils and even trapped in sediment whale bones.

15 km north of Hamada is the Aquas, the largest salt water aquarium West Japan. His attraction are held there Beluga whales.

Traffic

  • Train: JR Sanin Main Line
  • Sanin Expressway
  • Hamada highway
  • National Road 9
  • National Road 186

Twinning

  • China People's Republic of Shizuishan, since 1994

Sons and daughters of the town

  • Shimamura Hogetsu (1871-1919), writer, literary critic and scientist
  • Masao Takemoto (1919-2007), Art Turner

Adjacent Cities and Towns

  • Masuda
  • Gotsu
Tree Azalea Cities of Japan Sea of Japan List of villages in Japan Masuda, Shimane Izumo (Shimane) Matsue, Shimane Unnan, Shimane Yasugi, Shimane Okinoshima (Shimane)
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