Niihama, Ehime
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in the eastern part of Ehime
, Japan
. It has the third largest population in Ehime, behind the prefectural capital of Matsuyama
and the recently expanded city of Imabari
.
Niihama was founded on November 3, 1937. It is famous for its Besshi copper mine
as well as the annual Niihama Taiko
Festival (also known as "The Man Festival", otokomatsuri 男祭り) that is the center of annual drunken and boisterous activity, drawing tourists from around the country to watch this festival.
Niihama is known for its local dialect, Niihama-ben.
Niihama is positioned in the north-center area of Shikoku, in the eastern part of Ehime prefecture. Niihama is enveloped by mountains to the south and east, hills to the west, and the Seto Inland Sea to the north. The Kokuryo River flows from the mountains to the Seto Inland Sea and divides the city into an areas east of the river (kawahigashi) and west of the river (kawanishi). Being surrounded by mountains, Niihama feels geographically isolated from its closest neighbors, Saijō
to the west and Shikokuchūō
to the east. The border with Kōchi Prefecture
lies in the mountains far south of the center of town.
The island of Ōshima
, northeast of the main part of the city, also is part of Niihama.
The largely mountainous village of Besshi joined the city of Niihama in 2003 greatly increasing the size of the city, if not its population.
corporation. Even though the mine has since closed (its legacy is now preserved in a small museum and onsen
attraction, Minetopia Besshi), Sumitomo remains a large presence in town. The economy of Niihama is supported largely by factories as well as activities at its ports.
During World War II prisoners of war (PoWs) were used as slave labour in the copper mines. These PoWs included Australian servicemen captured during the South East Asia campaign
s and the fall of Singapore. They also witnessed the Atomic Bomb attack on Hiroshima
.
of Shikoku Railway Company
(JR Shikoku) runs through Niihama. Highways and local roads connect Niihama to the rest of the island. On the highway, Matsuyama is under an hour away, and the other main cities of Shikoku (Takamatsu
, Kōchi
, and Tokushima
) are all just over an hour's drive away.
The Niihama Taiko Festival is a harvest festival
held over 16–18 October each year. Each of 50 neighborhoods in Niihama has its own Taiko float, which consists of an ornately decorated wooden center frame, covered in panels made of gold thread (three to a side). The column is covered with a fabric top (usually red and white), which symbolically represents the sun; it is surrounded by long black cushions folded into a figure of 8 with hanging tassels, representing the clouds and rain. The design is intended to show gratitude for a good harvest. Gold dragons adorn the top panels of the float while the lower panels show traditional buildings, animals or legends. Inside the float, a drummer beats a deep booming taiko drum, providing the rhythm that guides 150 men below, who carry the float by four long wooden beams at the float's base. Four crew members stand on the beams and control the rest of the crew with flags, whistles and chants while four more are perched precariously on the top some 5.4 m above ground.
The floats weigh over two and a half tons and can cost over $100,000US to build (collected by donations within the local area). Men and boys as young as 16 begin the festival before sunrise on its first day by carrying the floats to their local shrine (jinja) for a blessing by shinto priests. The most spectacular of these happens at Utsunomiya Jinja near Yamane Ground where several floats are carried up many steps at about 4am to a small shrine on the top of a hill. For three days straight (October 16–18), 12 to 14 hours per day, they carry the floats in parades all over the city and park them for display, drinking copious amounts of sake. Sake bottlers even release commemorative bottles with labels featuring pictures of various float-carrying teams.
The main events include a display of the Taiko floats in Yamane Park, Takihama Station, Kasenjiki Park, Shinto shrines across the city and at several Supermarket and shopping complexes (Jusco, Fuji Grand, M2, Co-op). On alternate years there is the spectacle of eight taikodai (floats) being loaded onto barges to travel to another location by sea. The Taiko-carrying teams are known to start fights, in which two teams ram their floats into each other until one or both floats are destroyed.
, the pufferfish that is an expensive delicacy in Japan. After a blessing from a Buddhist monk, each member of the association throws a live fugu into the harbor at Niihama Port. Afterward, they enjoy a lunch of fugu-zosuii, a soup of pufferfish and green onion that is considered a local dish.
is a Sōtō
Zen temple at the edge of the mountains in south Niihama. It welcomes foreign visitors to participate in a Sunday morning Zazen
meditation session, or even to stay overnight. It is the largest Buddhist temple in Niihama. The current Abbot is Narasaki Tsugen Roshi.
no Kai (お手玉の会, Traditional Japanese Juggling Association).
. It is housed at the Ehime Prefectural Science Museum.
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
located in the eastern part of Ehime
Ehime Prefecture
is a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...
, 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...
. It has the third largest population in Ehime, behind the prefectural capital of Matsuyama
Matsuyama, Ehime
is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture on the Shikoku island of Japan. It is located on the northeastern portion of the Dōgo Plain. Its name means "pine mountain." The city was founded on December 15, 1889....
and the recently expanded city of Imabari
Imabari, Ehime
is a city located in Ehime, Japan. It is the second largest city in Ehime prefecture.Following a recent merger, the city has an estimated population of 172,384 and density of 410.87 persons per km². The total area is .-Transportation:...
.
Niihama was founded on November 3, 1937. It is famous for its Besshi copper mine
Besshi copper mine
The was a rich source of copper in Niihama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. The deposits were discovered in 1690, and mining began in the following year. From then until the closing of the mine in 1973, Besshi produced about 700,000 tons of copper, and contributed to Japan's trade and modernization...
as well as the annual Niihama Taiko
Taiko
means "drum" in Japanese . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming...
Festival (also known as "The Man Festival", otokomatsuri 男祭り) that is the center of annual drunken and boisterous activity, drawing tourists from around the country to watch this festival.
Niihama is known for its local dialect, Niihama-ben.
Geography
Saijo, Ehime
is a city located in Ehime, Japan.On November 1, 2004 the old city of Tōyo, and the towns of Komatsu and Tanbara, both from Shūsō District, were merged with Saijō.The city was founded on April 29, 1941.The main city of Saijō is known for natural spring water...
to the west and Shikokuchūō
Shikokuchuo, Ehime
is a city located in Ehime, Japan.Shikokuchūō is the leading producer of paper and paper products in Japan. It is also a port city and one of Ehime’s major centers of industry....
to the east. The border with Kōchi Prefecture
Kochi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...
lies in the mountains far south of the center of town.
The island of Ōshima
Nii Oshima
, or sometimes just , is an island located roughly 1.5 kilometers northeast of the city of Niihama in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. It has a circumference of approximately 8 kilometers and an estimated population of 400...
, northeast of the main part of the city, also is part of Niihama.
The largely mountainous village of Besshi joined the city of Niihama in 2003 greatly increasing the size of the city, if not its population.
Economy
The Besshi copper mine (once considered to be one of the most productive in the world) jump-started the SumitomoSumitomo Group
is one of the largest keiretsu, founded by Masatomo Sumitomo.-History:The Sumitomo group traces its roots to a bookshop in Kyoto founded circa 1615 by a former buddhist priest,...
corporation. Even though the mine has since closed (its legacy is now preserved in a small museum and onsen
Onsen
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...
attraction, Minetopia Besshi), Sumitomo remains a large presence in town. The economy of Niihama is supported largely by factories as well as activities at its ports.
During World War II prisoners of war (PoWs) were used as slave labour in the copper mines. These PoWs included Australian servicemen captured during the South East Asia campaign
South-East Asian theatre of World War II
The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was the name given to the campaigns of the Pacific War in Burma , Ceylon, India, Thailand, Indochina, Malaya and Singapore. Conflict in the theatre began when the Empire of Japan invaded Thailand and Malaya from bases located in Indochina on December 8,...
s and the fall of Singapore. They also witnessed the Atomic Bomb attack on Hiroshima
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
.
Transportation
The Yosan LineYosan Line
The is a railway line on the island of Shikoku in Japan, operated by the Shikoku Railway Company . It runs along the Inland Sea coast, connecting the prefectural capitals of Takamatsu and Matsuyama , continuing on to Uwajima...
of Shikoku Railway Company
Shikoku Railway Company
, commonly known as , is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group . It operates intercity rail services in the four prefectures on the island of Shikoku in Japan. The company is headquartered in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture.- Lines :...
(JR Shikoku) runs through Niihama. Highways and local roads connect Niihama to the rest of the island. On the highway, Matsuyama is under an hour away, and the other main cities of Shikoku (Takamatsu
Takamatsu, Kagawa
is a city located in central Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan, and is the seat of the prefectural government. It is designated a core city by the Japanese Government. It is a port city located on the Seto Inland Sea, and is the closest port to Honshu from Shikoku island...
, Kōchi
Kochi, Kochi
is the capital city of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku island of Japan.Kōchi is the main city of the prefecture with over 40% of its population. As of May 31, 2008, the city had an estimated population of 340,515 and a density of...
, and Tokushima
Tokushima, Tokushima
is the capital city of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku island in Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city had an estimated population of 263,372, with 114,325 households, and a population density of 1,377.25 persons per km². Its total area is 191.23 km²....
) are all just over an hour's drive away.
Taiko Festival
Harvest festival
A Harvest Festival is an annual celebration which occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region. Given the differences in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times throughout the world...
held over 16–18 October each year. Each of 50 neighborhoods in Niihama has its own Taiko float, which consists of an ornately decorated wooden center frame, covered in panels made of gold thread (three to a side). The column is covered with a fabric top (usually red and white), which symbolically represents the sun; it is surrounded by long black cushions folded into a figure of 8 with hanging tassels, representing the clouds and rain. The design is intended to show gratitude for a good harvest. Gold dragons adorn the top panels of the float while the lower panels show traditional buildings, animals or legends. Inside the float, a drummer beats a deep booming taiko drum, providing the rhythm that guides 150 men below, who carry the float by four long wooden beams at the float's base. Four crew members stand on the beams and control the rest of the crew with flags, whistles and chants while four more are perched precariously on the top some 5.4 m above ground.
The floats weigh over two and a half tons and can cost over $100,000US to build (collected by donations within the local area). Men and boys as young as 16 begin the festival before sunrise on its first day by carrying the floats to their local shrine (jinja) for a blessing by shinto priests. The most spectacular of these happens at Utsunomiya Jinja near Yamane Ground where several floats are carried up many steps at about 4am to a small shrine on the top of a hill. For three days straight (October 16–18), 12 to 14 hours per day, they carry the floats in parades all over the city and park them for display, drinking copious amounts of sake. Sake bottlers even release commemorative bottles with labels featuring pictures of various float-carrying teams.
The main events include a display of the Taiko floats in Yamane Park, Takihama Station, Kasenjiki Park, Shinto shrines across the city and at several Supermarket and shopping complexes (Jusco, Fuji Grand, M2, Co-op). On alternate years there is the spectacle of eight taikodai (floats) being loaded onto barges to travel to another location by sea. The Taiko-carrying teams are known to start fights, in which two teams ram their floats into each other until one or both floats are destroyed.
Pufferfish Memorial Day
A ceremony and luncheon is hosted each February by the Niihama Hotel and Restaurant Owners Association to honor the fuguFugu
is the Japanese word for pufferfish and the dish prepared from it, normally species of genus Takifugu, Lagocephalus, or Sphoeroides, or porcupinefish of the genus Diodon. Fugu can be lethally poisonous due to its tetrodotoxin; therefore, it must be carefully prepared to remove toxic parts and to...
, the pufferfish that is an expensive delicacy in Japan. After a blessing from a Buddhist monk, each member of the association throws a live fugu into the harbor at Niihama Port. Afterward, they enjoy a lunch of fugu-zosuii, a soup of pufferfish and green onion that is considered a local dish.
Zuiō-ji Temple
Zuiō-jiZuio-ji
is a Sōtō Zen monastery in Niihama, Ehime Prefecture in Japan.-See also:*Buddhism in Japan* For an explanation of terms concerning Japanese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhist art, and Japanese Buddhist temple architecture, see the Glossary of Japanese Buddhism....
is a Sōtō
Soto
Sōtō Zen , or is, with Rinzai and Ōbaku, one of the three most populous sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism.The Sōtō sect was first established as the Caodong sect during the Tang Dynasty in China by Dongshan Liangjie in the 9th century, which Dōgen Zenji then brought to Japan in the 13th century...
Zen temple at the edge of the mountains in south Niihama. It welcomes foreign visitors to participate in a Sunday morning Zazen
Zazen
In Zen Buddhism, zazen is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind, and be able to concentrate enough to experience insight into the nature of existence and thereby gain enlightenment .- Significance :Zazen is considered the heart of Zen Buddhist practice...
meditation session, or even to stay overnight. It is the largest Buddhist temple in Niihama. The current Abbot is Narasaki Tsugen Roshi.
Waterfalls
The mountainous area between Niihama and the village of Besshi includes two major waterfalls: Chōshi no Taki and Mato no Taki (Waterfall at the Demon's Door).Otedama
Niihama is home to the national headquarters of the OtedamaOtedama
is a traditional Japanese children's game. Small bean bags are tossed and juggled in a game similar to jacks. Although it is generally a social game, Otedama can also be played alone. It is rarely competitive and often accompanied by singing...
no Kai (お手玉の会, Traditional Japanese Juggling Association).
Planetarium
Niihama is home to the world's largest planetariumPlanetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
. It is housed at the Ehime Prefectural Science Museum.
External links
- Niihama official website in Japanese
- Niihama concierge (tourism) in Japanese