Minamiizu, Shizuoka
Encyclopedia
is a town
located at the southern tip of Izu Peninsula
in Kamo District
, Shizuoka
, Japan
. As of February 2009, the town has an estimated population
of 9,637 and a density
of 87.1 persons per km². The total area is 110.58 km².
, a hilly region with an indented ria
coastline facing the Philippine Sea
of the Pacific Ocean
. The area has numerous hot spring
s. Warmed by the warm Kuroshio Current
, the area enjoys a warm maritime climate with hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters. Parts of the town are within the borders of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
, and the historic Irōzaki Lighthouse
is located at the tip of Cape Irōzaki, to the south of town.
, all of Izu Province
was tenryō territory under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate
, and the area now comprising Minamiizu Town consisted of 25 villages. During the cadastral reform of the early Meiji period
in 1889, the area was reorganized into six villages (Minamizaka, Minaminaka, Minamikami, Mizaka, Mihama and Chikuma) within Kamo District. The town of Minamiizu was formed in July 1955 through the merger of these six villages.
industry, commercial fishing and farming are mainstays of the local economy.
Towns of Japan
A town is a local administrative unit in Japan. It is a local public body along with prefecture , city , and village...
located at the southern tip of Izu Peninsula
Izu Peninsula
The is a large mountainous peninsula with deeply indented coasts to the west of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of the island of Honshū, Japan. Formerly the eponymous Izu Province, Izu peninsula is now a part of Shizuoka Prefecture...
in Kamo District
Kamo District, Shizuoka
is a district located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.The district name is very ancient, and is mentioned in the Engishiki records. Kamo District was one of the original districts of Izu Province, having been separated from Suruga Province along with Tagata District in the cadastral reform of 680 AD...
, Shizuoka
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. As of February 2009, the town has an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 9,637 and a density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 87.1 persons per km². The total area is 110.58 km².
Geography
Minamiizu occupies the southern tip of Izu PeninsulaIzu Peninsula
The is a large mountainous peninsula with deeply indented coasts to the west of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of the island of Honshū, Japan. Formerly the eponymous Izu Province, Izu peninsula is now a part of Shizuoka Prefecture...
, a hilly region with an indented ria
Ria
A ria is a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley. It is a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea. Typically, rias have a dendritic, treelike outline although they can be straight and without significant branches. This pattern is inherited from the...
coastline facing the Philippine Sea
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 2 million mi² on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean...
of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The area has numerous hot spring
Hot spring
A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...
s. Warmed by the warm Kuroshio Current
Kuroshio Current
The Kuroshio is a north-flowing ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean. It is similar to the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic and is part of the North Pacific ocean gyre...
, the area enjoys a warm maritime climate with hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters. Parts of the town are within the borders of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
is a national park in Yamanashi, Shizuoka, and Kanagawa Prefectures, and western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It consists of Mount Fuji, Fuji Five Lakes, Hakone, the Izu Peninsula, and the Izu Islands....
, and the historic Irōzaki Lighthouse
Irōzaki Lighthouse
is a lighthouse located on a hill at the outermost extremity of Cape Irōzaki south of Minamiizu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan on the southernmost extremity of Izu Peninsula...
is located at the tip of Cape Irōzaki, to the south of town.
History
During the Edo periodEdo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, all of Izu Province
Izu Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Shizuoka Prefecture. Izu bordered on Sagami and Suruga Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was .The mainland portion of Izu Province, comprising the Izu Peninsula is today the eastern portion of Shizuoka Prefecture and the Izu Islands are now part of...
was tenryō territory under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
, and the area now comprising Minamiizu Town consisted of 25 villages. During the cadastral reform of the early Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
in 1889, the area was reorganized into six villages (Minamizaka, Minaminaka, Minamikami, Mizaka, Mihama and Chikuma) within Kamo District. The town of Minamiizu was formed in July 1955 through the merger of these six villages.
Economy
Tourism based on water sports and the hot springOnsen
An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...
industry, commercial fishing and farming are mainstays of the local economy.
Transportation
Minamiizu is served by Japan National Route 136. The town does not have any rail connections.External links
- Minamiizu official website (Japanese)