Shiogama, Miyagi
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in Miyagi Prefecture
, Japan.
As of 2005, the city has an estimated population
of 59,429 and a population density
of 3,329 persons per km², making it the most densely populated conurbation
in Tōhoku
(northern Japan). The total area of the city is 17.85 km².
Shiogama's name means "salt cauldron", and this refers to an ancient Shinto
ritual involving the making of salt from sea water that is still performed every July at the Okama Jinja Shrine.
The city is located about 15 km away from Sendai
, and about 10 km away from Matsushima
, regarded as one of the three finest coastal views in Japan. Its main industry is still fishing, and the city unloads more fresh tuna than anywhere else in Japan. Accordingly, Shiogama is also famous for its seafood, especially its sushi
- the city boasts the most sushi restaurants per square kilometer of any city in the country.
The city is also home to one of the most important Shinto shrines in Tohoku, Shiogama Jinja, which is accessible up a rather tiring flight of 201 steps and has an interesting museum on the feudal and economic history of the city, including some fascinating exhibits relating to whaling.
Visitors to the city might also like to take the chance to see some of the festivals that take place each year. As befits one of the oldest shrines in Tohoku, there are a variety of different rituals carried out throughout the year. Primary among these are the Hote Matsuri (10 March) for protection against fire, the Salt-Making ritual (6 July) and the main event, Shiogama's Port Festival, held on the 3rd Sunday in July. The latter is particularly worth seeing as the portable shrines containing the Jinja's tutelary deity are paraded through the city streets and around the harbour.
The city was affected by the tsunami
caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake
, although damage to its fishing industry turned out to be light.
.
Although "塩竈" is the correct way of writing "Shiogama", both ways are accepted.
Although much more rarely used, there is also a third form of 'Shiogama', taking as its first kanji the old character for salt "鹽". The only incidence of this form in contemporary use is at Shiogama Jinja "鹽竈神社".
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 Miyagi Prefecture
Miyagi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...
, Japan.
As of 2005, the city 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 59,429 and a population 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 3,329 persons per km², making it the most densely populated conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
in Tōhoku
Tohoku region
The is a geographical area of Japan. The region occupies the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region consists of six prefectures : Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata....
(northern Japan). The total area of the city is 17.85 km².
Shiogama's name means "salt cauldron", and this refers to an ancient Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
ritual involving the making of salt from sea water that is still performed every July at the Okama Jinja Shrine.
The city is located about 15 km away from Sendai
Sendai, Miyagi
is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and the largest city in the Tōhoku Region. In 2005, the city had a population of one million, and was one of Japan's 19 designated cities...
, and about 10 km away from Matsushima
Matsushima, Miyagi
is a town located in Miyagi District, Miyagi, Japan. It is most famous as the location of Matsushima Bay, one of the Three Views of Japan, and is also the site of the Zuigan-ji, one of the most famous Zen temples in Tōhoku, Entsū-in and Kanrantei....
, regarded as one of the three finest coastal views in Japan. Its main industry is still fishing, and the city unloads more fresh tuna than anywhere else in Japan. Accordingly, Shiogama is also famous for its seafood, especially its sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
- the city boasts the most sushi restaurants per square kilometer of any city in the country.
The city is also home to one of the most important Shinto shrines in Tohoku, Shiogama Jinja, which is accessible up a rather tiring flight of 201 steps and has an interesting museum on the feudal and economic history of the city, including some fascinating exhibits relating to whaling.
Visitors to the city might also like to take the chance to see some of the festivals that take place each year. As befits one of the oldest shrines in Tohoku, there are a variety of different rituals carried out throughout the year. Primary among these are the Hote Matsuri (10 March) for protection against fire, the Salt-Making ritual (6 July) and the main event, Shiogama's Port Festival, held on the 3rd Sunday in July. The latter is particularly worth seeing as the portable shrines containing the Jinja's tutelary deity are paraded through the city streets and around the harbour.
The city was affected by the tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
, although damage to its fishing industry turned out to be light.
History
- April 1, 1889: Shiogama Town is founded
- September 1, 1938: Parts of Tagajō and Shichigahama are incorporated into Shiogama
- November 23, 1941: Shiogama Town becomes a city (187th, nationally; 3rd in Miyagi)
- December 1, 1949: Tagajō Village Gyūchi-ku is merged
- April 1, 1950: Urato Village is merged
"塩竈", "塩釜" or "鹽竈"
Some people write "Shiogama" as "塩釜" rather than "塩竈". As 竈 is a furnace that a kettle (釜) is placed upon, the two kanji, although similar, are not interchangeable in regular usage. However, while "塩竈" is used in place names under the jurisdiction of the city, other places typically use "塩釜", such as JR Shiogama StationShiogama Station
Shiogama Station is a railway station located on the JR Tōhoku Main Line in Matsushima, Miyagi.-Surrounding area:*Shiogama City Tamagawa Elementary School*East Shiogama Tamagawa Post Office*Shiogama City Hospital*Shiogama Shrine...
.
Although "塩竈" is the correct way of writing "Shiogama", both ways are accepted.
Although much more rarely used, there is also a third form of 'Shiogama', taking as its first kanji the old character for salt "鹽". The only incidence of this form in contemporary use is at Shiogama Jinja "鹽竈神社".
Train stations
- Tōhoku Main Line: ShiogamaShiogama StationShiogama Station is a railway station located on the JR Tōhoku Main Line in Matsushima, Miyagi.-Surrounding area:*Shiogama City Tamagawa Elementary School*East Shiogama Tamagawa Post Office*Shiogama City Hospital*Shiogama Shrine...
- Senseki LineSenseki LineThe is a rail line in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company system, it runs from Aoba-dōri Station in Sendai to Ishinomaki Station in Ishinomaki, and provides access to the central coast areas of Miyagi Prefecture, significantly the Matsushima area...
: Nishi-ShiogamaNishi-Shiogama Stationis a JR East railway station located in Shiogama, Miyagi.-Surrounding area:*Shiogama Municipal Hospital*Shiogama Temple*Shiogama Station on the Tōhoku Main Line is within walking distance.-History:...
, Hon-ShiogamaHon-Shiogama Stationis a JR East railway station located in Shiogama, Miyagi.-Surrounding area:*Shiogama City Hall*Royal Home Center*Highway 45*Mae-Hon-Shiogama Post Office*Shiogama Shrine*Shiogama Port-History:...
, Higashi-ShiogamaHigashi-Shiogama Stationis a JR East railway station located in Shiogama, Miyagi.-History:*April 18, 1927: Station begins operation as Higashi-Shiogama Station....
Major roads
- National Highways
- Route 45
- Miyagi Prefectural Highways
- 3 Shiogama—Yoshioka
- 10 Shiogama—Watari
- 11 Shiogama-kō (Shiogama—Shiogama-kō)
- 23 Sendai—Shiogama
- 35 Izumi—Shigoama
- 58 Shiogama—Shichigahama—Tagajō
Festivals
- Shiogama 'Hote' festival (10 March)
- Shiogama Flower festival and Shiogama Citizens Festival (late April)
- Shiogama Harbor festival (Eve: before Marine DayMarine Day, known as 'Ocean Day' or 'Sea Day' is a Japanese national holiday celebrated on the third Monday in July. Many people take advantage of the holiday and summer weather to take a beach trip.-History:...
/festival: Marine DayMarine Day, known as 'Ocean Day' or 'Sea Day' is a Japanese national holiday celebrated on the third Monday in July. Many people take advantage of the holiday and summer weather to take a beach trip.-History:...
July)
Specialties and crafts
- raw tuna (Maguro) catches in Japan
- SushiSushiis a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
restaurant density in Japan - Sasa Kamaboko (fish paste and roasted into the shape of sasa (bambooBambooBamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
leaf)) processed fishery production in Japan
- Sweets (Shihogama, Namadora, etc.)
- Japanese sake (Shiogama brand: Uragasumi Zen, Omotaka Otokoyama, Shiki no Matsushima, Date no Iki, etc.)
Visitor attractions
- Shiogama Jinja
- Shiwahiko Jinja
- Shiogama Jinja Museum
- Okama Jinja
- Magaki Jinja
- Shiogama Port
- Shiogama Fish Market
- Urato Islands
- Nagai Shiyouiti MangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
Museum
- Shiogama-city Community Center (Fureai ESP Shiogama)
- Shiogama Kyokusui
- Noda no Tamagawa(One of Japan's six Tamagawa)
- Mother and child stone
- Marine Gate Shiogama
Notable people from Shiogama
- Kōnosuke Fuji (LyricistLyricistA lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
) - Miyuki Hatanaka (Mogul skiierMogul skiingMogul skiing is a type of freestyle skiing where skiers ski terrain characterized by a large number of different bumps, or moguls.-Moguls:...
) - Itaru Hirama (Photographer)
- Tomokazu Hirama (Association football player)
- Masao MaruyamaMasao Maruyama (film producer)is a Japanese film producer, animation developer, the co-founder, board of directors member, and producer of Studio Madhouse, one of the leading animation production companies in the world...
(AnimeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
producerFilm producerA film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
) - Takemasa Moriya (Defense vice president)
- Katsuichi Nagai (First editor-in-chief of GaroGaro (magazine)was a monthly manga anthology magazine in Japan, founded in 1964 by Katsuichi Nagai. It specialized in alternative and avant-garde manga.-History:...
) - Makoto Nakahara (Japanese chess player)
- Masashi NakanoMasashi Nakanois a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Shiogama, Miyagi and graduate of Tohoku Gakuin University he was elected to the Diet for the first time in 1996 after serving in the assembly of Miyagi Prefecture.-...
(PoliticianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
) - Hisao Nishiwaka (Member of vocal group "BONNY JACKS")
- Kōhei Ōtomo (MusicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
for "HOUND DOG") - Tadashi SatōTadashi Satōwas Mayor of Hiroshima from January 10 to April 20, 1896.-References:* based on a printed information sheet issued by the Hiroshima municipality, titled "Chronological List of the Mayors of Hiroshima City" and the Japanese page of this same entry....
(Manga artistMangakais the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
) - Hitomi TakahashiHitomi Takahashi (singer)is a rock/pop singer from Miyagi Prefecture in Japan. After being selected as finalist in the Sony Music SD audition, which contained about 20,000 applicants, Hitomi entered the music scene in 2005 with her single "Bokutachi no Yukue"...
(Singer) - Sū Wakai (AuthorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
) - Kōichi YamaderaKoichi Yamaderais a Japanese voice actor, actor, tarento, narrator, master of ceremonies and impressionist from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school, and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's...
(Voice actor, actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, tarentoTarentois a Japanese rendering of the English word "talent" and is used as a catch-all term for mass media personalities who regularly appear on television. Detractors of the phenomenon have referred to it in an English sense as "famous just for being famous" because many that fall into this career line...
) - Koichi Saura (President of The Sake Samurai Association)