Sotogahama, Aomori
Encyclopedia
is a town
located in the Higashitsugaru District
of northeastern Aomori Prefecture
in the Tōhoku region
of Japan
. As of 2009, the town had an estimated population
of 2,492 and a density
of 18.5 persons per km². Its total area was 135.03 km².
, facing the Tsugaru Strait
and the inlet to Mutsu Bay
. The town has a cold maritime climate characterized by cool short summers and long cold winters with heavy snowfall. Much of the village is within the limits of the Tsugaru Quasi-National Park
.
during the Edo period
. During the cadastral reform of 1889, Minmaya
, Kanita
and Tairadate
villages were separated from Imabetsu
. On March 28, 2005, these three municipalities merged
to form the new town of Sotogahama. Minmaya is a geographically discontinuous enclave
from the town's center in Kanita.
. Some of the locally caught seafood include sea urchin roe, sea pineapple
, sea cucumber
, scallop
s, abalone
and squid
.
}
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 in the Higashitsugaru District
Higashitsugaru District, Aomori
is a district located in Aomori, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 29,235 and a density of 44.79 persons per km². The total area is 652.72 km².-Towns and villages:*Hiranai*Imabetsu*Sotogahama*Yomogita-Merger:...
of northeastern Aomori Prefecture
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
in the Tōhoku region
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....
of 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 2009, the town had 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 2,492 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 18.5 persons per km². Its total area was 135.03 km².
Geography
Sotogahama occupies the eastern coastline of Tsugaru PeninsulaTsugaru Peninsula
The is a peninsula in Aomori Prefecture, at the northern end of Honshū island, Japan. The peninsula projects north into the Tsugaru Strait separating Honshū from Hokkaidō. The western coast is on the Sea of Japan, while on its eastern coast are Aomori Bay and Mutsu Bay...
, facing the Tsugaru Strait
Tsugaru Strait
is a channel between Honshu and Hokkaido in northern Japan connecting the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean. It was named after the western part of Aomori Prefecture...
and the inlet to Mutsu Bay
Mutsu Bay
is a bay inside Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It includes three bays; Aomori Bay, Noheji Bay and Ōminato Bay. Mutsu Bay covers about 1660 km². The culture of scallops is prosperous in the bay....
. The town has a cold maritime climate characterized by cool short summers and long cold winters with heavy snowfall. Much of the village is within the limits of the Tsugaru Quasi-National Park
Tsugaru quasi-national park
is a quasi-national park in Aomori Prefecture in the far northern Tohoku region of Honshū in Japan. It is rated a protected landscape according to the IUCN...
.
Neighbouring municipalities
- GoshogawaraGoshogawara, Aomoriis a city located in northeastern Aomori in Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 59,395 and a density of 147persons per km². Its total area was 404.56 km².-Geography:...
- ImabetsuImabetsu, Aomoriis a town located in the Higashitsugaru District of northeastern Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the town had an estimated population of 3,328 and a density of 26.6 persons per km². Its total area was 125.28 km².-Geography:...
- NakadomariNakadomari, Aomoriis a town located in the Kitatsugaru District of northeastern Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the town had an estimated population of 12,890 and a density of 59.6 persons per km²...
- YomoitaYomogita, Aomoriis a village located in the Higashitsugaru District of northeastern Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the village had an estimated population of 3,251 and a density of 40.3 persons per km². Its total area was 80.60 km².-Geography:...
History
The area around Sotogahama was controlled by the Nambu clan of Morioka DomainMorioka Domain
The was a han or feudal domain that encompasses present-day the middle-northern part of Iwate Prefecture and eastern part of Aomori Prefecture. It is sometimes colloquially called . The domain was tozama daimyo and was governed by the Satake clan. Its income was 100,000...
during the Edo period
Edo 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....
. During the cadastral reform of 1889, Minmaya
Minmaya, Aomori
was a village located in Higashitsugaru District in northern Aomori Prefecture, Japan.Minmaya Village was located on the north coast of Tsugaru Peninsula bordering on Tsugaru Strait. The area was part of Hirosaki Domain during the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, Minmaya Village was created...
, Kanita
Kanita, Aomori
was a town located in Higashitsugaru District in northern Aomori Prefecture, Japan.Kanita Town was located on the east coast of Tsugaru Peninsula bordering on Mutsu Bay. The area was part of Hirosaki Domain during the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, Kanita Village was created on April 1,...
and Tairadate
Tairadate, Aomori
was a village located in Higashitsugaru District in northern Aomori Prefecture, Japan.Tairadate Village was located on the northeast coast of Tsugaru Peninsula bordering on Tsugaru Strait and the entrance to Mutsu Bay. The area was part of Hirosaki Domain during the Edo period. After the Meiji...
villages were separated from Imabetsu
Imabetsu, Aomori
is a town located in the Higashitsugaru District of northeastern Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the town had an estimated population of 3,328 and a density of 26.6 persons per km². Its total area was 125.28 km².-Geography:...
. On March 28, 2005, these three municipalities merged
Merger and dissolution of municipalities of Japan
Municipal mergers and dissolutions carried out in Japan can take place within one municipality or between multiple municipalities and are required to be based upon consensus.- Merger policy:...
to form the new town of Sotogahama. Minmaya is a geographically discontinuous enclave
Enclave and exclave
In political geography, an enclave is a territory whose geographical boundaries lie entirely within the boundaries of another territory.An exclave, on the other hand, is a territory legally or politically attached to another territory with which it is not physically contiguous.These are two...
from the town's center in Kanita.
Economy
The economy of Sotogahama is heavily dependent on commercial fishingCommercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
. Some of the locally caught seafood include sea urchin roe, sea pineapple
Sea pineapple
The sea pineapple is an edible ascidian consumed primarily in Korea, where it is known as meongge , and to a lesser extent in Japan, where it is known as or ....
, sea cucumber
Sea cucumber (food)
Sea cucumbers are marine animals of the class Holothuroidea used in fresh or dried form in various cuisines.The creature and the food product is commonly known as bêche-de-mer in French, trepang in Indonesian, namako in Japanese and in the Philippines it is called balatan...
, scallop
Scallop
A scallop is a marine bivalve mollusk of the family Pectinidae. Scallops are a cosmopolitan family, found in all of the world's oceans. Many scallops are highly prized as a food source...
s, abalone
Abalone
Abalone , from aulón, are small to very large-sized edible sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Haliotidae and the genus Haliotis...
and squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
.
Railway
- JR East
- Tsugaru Line
- , ,
- Tsugaru Line
- Hokkaidō Railway CompanyHokkaido Railway CompanyThe is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group , and thus often known as . It operates intercity rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a smart card ticketing system, from autumn 2008....
- Kaikyō LineKaikyo Lineis an 87.8-kilometre railway line operated mainly by the Hokkaido Railway Company. The line runs from Naka-Oguni Station in Sotogahama, Aomori, through the Seikan Tunnel between Honshū and Hokkaidō, and on to Kikonai Station in Kikonai, Hokkaidō...
- Kaikyō Line
}
Noted people from Hiranei
- Takahashi ChikuzanTakahashi ChikuzanTakahashi Chikuzan was a renowned Japanese Tsugaru-jamisen performer and composer.He was born in Kominato, a village that is part of the Hiranai township in Aomori Prefecture. He lost his sight at around age two from measles before becoming a live-in apprentice of the Tsugaru-jamisen performer...
- noted tsugaru-jamisenTsugaru-jamisenTsugaru-Shamisen is a genre of shamisen music originating in Aomori prefecture in the northernmost area of the Japanese island of Honshū. It is today performed throughout Japan, though associations with the Tsugaru area of Aomori remain strong....
artist - Toru HosokawaToru Hosokawais a Japanese professional Nippon Professional Baseball player. He is currently with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Pacific League.-External links:...
– professional baseball player - Shinkishi Hatai - Biologist