Tsushima, Nagasaki
Encyclopedia
is a city governed by Nagasaki Prefecture
, Japan
. It is the only city of Tsushima Subprefecture
and it encompasses all of Tsushima Island
Archipelago, which lies in the Tsushima Strait
north of Nagasaki on the western side of Kyūshū
, the southernmost mainland island of Japan.
the city has an estimated population
of 39,983 and a density
of 56.42 persons per km². Its total area is 708.61 km², 17.3% of the area of Nagasaki Prefecture.
and other small neighbouring islands, lying slightly to the west side of Tsushima Strait
, south of the Sea of Japan
and north-east of the East China Sea
. The island also lies between South Korea
and the Japanese mainland. Its coastline has a total length of 915 km. Aso Bay
, a prominent bay with a ria
s coastline, is located between the islands. Tsushima lies about 60 km from Iki
, 138 km from the city of Fukuoka
, and 49.5 km from Busan
, South Korea
.
and Shimono-shima
, both of which makes up the Tsushima Island(s):
. Present on the islands since ancient times, its numbers have decreased sharply, and it is now listed as an endangered species
. , it was estimated that only 80 to 100 animals remain.
The city was established on March 1, 2004 by merging six towns on Tsushima Island:
or Shinto
.
culture. The natural beauty of the Tsushima Islands ensures there is much to see and the tourism industry is quite substantial. Beaches are crowded with tourists in the summer.
on Kyūshū
a few times per day. Ferries also travel a few times a week to Busan in South Korea.
Nagasaki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.- History :Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki...
, 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 is the only city of Tsushima Subprefecture
Tsushima Subprefecture
Tsushima Subprefecture is an administrative subdivision of Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. This subprefecture is the administrative body for the Tsushima Island which lie between Kyūshū and the Korean Peninsula...
and it encompasses all of Tsushima Island
Tsushima Island
Tsushima Island is an island of the Japanese Archipelago situated in the middle of the Tsushima Strait at 34°25'N and 129°20'E. The main island of Tsushima was once a single island, but the island was divided into two in 1671 by the Ōfunakosiseto canal and into three in 1900 by the Manzekiseto canal...
Archipelago, which lies in the Tsushima Strait
Tsushima Strait
is the eastern channel of the Korea Strait, which lies between Korea and Japan, connecting the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.The Tsushima Strait is the broader eastern channel to the east and southeast of Tsushima Island, with the Japanese islands of Honshū to the east and northeast, and...
north of Nagasaki on the western side of Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, the southernmost mainland island of Japan.
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 39,983 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 56.42 persons per km². Its total area is 708.61 km², 17.3% of the area of Nagasaki Prefecture.
Geography
The city of Tsushima is located on Tsushima IslandTsushima Island
Tsushima Island is an island of the Japanese Archipelago situated in the middle of the Tsushima Strait at 34°25'N and 129°20'E. The main island of Tsushima was once a single island, but the island was divided into two in 1671 by the Ōfunakosiseto canal and into three in 1900 by the Manzekiseto canal...
and other small neighbouring islands, lying slightly to the west side of Tsushima Strait
Tsushima Strait
is the eastern channel of the Korea Strait, which lies between Korea and Japan, connecting the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.The Tsushima Strait is the broader eastern channel to the east and southeast of Tsushima Island, with the Japanese islands of Honshū to the east and northeast, and...
, south of the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
and north-east of the East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...
. The island also lies between South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and the Japanese mainland. Its coastline has a total length of 915 km. Aso Bay
Asō Bay
is a deep fjord that nearly cleaves in two the Japanese island of Tsushima. The bay is also notable for having a significant rias coastline, with various small islands found in close proximity to the shore....
, a prominent bay with a 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...
s coastline, is located between the islands. Tsushima lies about 60 km from Iki
Iki, Nagasaki
is a city located at Iki Island in Nagasaki, Japan. It is located approximately 80 kilometers northeast of Fukuoka on mainland Kyūshū. The city consists of five inhabited and 17 uninhabited islands, and its entire area is within the Iki-Tsushima Quasi-National Park...
, 138 km from the city of Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
, and 49.5 km from Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
Islands
Several other islands encompass Tsushima city, in addition to Kamino-shimaKamino-shima
or is the double-mountained 'northern end of Tsushima Island, which lies in the Korea / Tsushima Straits between the East China Sea to the south and the Sea of Japan to the north, and Korea to the west and mainland Japan to the east. The famous naval Battle of Tsushima was fought east...
and Shimono-shima
Shimono-shima
or is the southern end of Tsushima Island, which lies in the Korea / Tsushima Straits between the East China Sea to the south and the Sea of Japan to the north, and Korea to the west and mainland Japan to the east....
, both of which makes up the Tsushima Island(s):
- Santsu-jima (三ッ島)
- Shimasan-jima (島山島)
Tsushima Cat
Peculiar to the island is the Tsushima CatLeopard Cat
The leopard cat is a small wild cat of South and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern by IUCN as it is widely distributed but threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range...
. Present on the islands since ancient times, its numbers have decreased sharply, and it is now listed as an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
. , it was estimated that only 80 to 100 animals remain.
History
On April 1, 1975, Toyotama village was promoted to the status of a town. Mine village was also elevated to the status of a town in the following year.The city was established on March 1, 2004 by merging six towns on Tsushima Island:
- Shimoagata District - now defunct
- Izuhara
- Mitsushima
- Toyotama
- Kamiagata District - now defunct
- Mine
- Kamiagata
- Kamitsushima
Demographics and culture
The population of Tsushima Island has been decreasing significantly, as evidenced by the 5.2% decrease between the years of 1995 and 2000. Nuclear families are replacing the traditional extended families, therefore, maintaining the number of households at a smaller population. The elderly population makes up for nearly a quarter of the population, much higher than 20.8% of the Nagasaki Prefecture and the national average of 17.3%. Religious traditions on Tsushima Island mirror those of the rest of Japan, with a majority of the population adhering to BuddhismBuddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
or 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...
.
| Years | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 52,472 | 50,810 | 48,875 | 46,064 | 43,513 | 41,230 |
| Age 0-14 | 14,449 | 12,845 | 11,615 | 10,050 | 8,352 | 6,834 |
| Age 15-64 | 33,028 | 32,528 | 31,376 | 29,264 | 27,145 | 25,001 |
| Age 65 & older | 4,995 | 5,437 | 5,884 | 6,735 | 8,016 | 9,395 |
| Households | 14,760 | 15,176 | 15,232 | 15,164 | 15,169 | 15,038 |
Economy
Tsushima is ideally located for fishing, and many Tsushima residents exploit this as fishermen. It is also famous for its pearlPearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
culture. The natural beauty of the Tsushima Islands ensures there is much to see and the tourism industry is quite substantial. Beaches are crowded with tourists in the summer.
Tourism
Seaport
Tsushima has two sea ports, Izuhara and Hitakatsu. Ferries cross to the port of HakataHakata-ku, Fukuoka
is one of the seven wards of Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is best known as the location of Fukuoka's main train station, Hakata Station.-Geography:...
on Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
a few times per day. Ferries also travel a few times a week to Busan in South Korea.
Sister cities
- GuamGuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
(United States of AmericaUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) - BusanBusanBusan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
(South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
)
See also
- History of JapanHistory of JapanThe history of Japan encompasses the history of the islands of Japan and the Japanese people, spanning the ancient history of the region to the modern history of Japan as a nation state. Following the last ice age, around 12,000 BC, the rich ecosystem of the Japanese Archipelago fostered human...
- Oei InvasionOei InvasionThe , known as the Gihae Eastern Expedition in Korea, was the 1419 military expedition from Joseon against pirate bases on Tsushima Island, which is located in the middle of the Korea Strait between the Korean Peninsula and Kyushu....
(応永の外寇) - Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598)
- Battle of TsushimaBattle of TsushimaThe Battle of Tsushima , commonly known as the “Sea of Japan Naval Battle” in Japan and the “Battle of Tsushima Strait”, was the major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War...
- Oei Invasion
- So clanSo clanThe Sō were a Japanese clan claiming descent from Taira Tomomori. The clan governed and held Tsushima Island from the 13th-century through the late 19th-century, from the Kamakura period until the end of the Edo period and the Meiji restoration....
- Tsushima Fuchu domainTsushima Fuchu domainThe Tsushima Fuchū domain , also called the Tsushima domain, was a domain of Japan during the Edo period that controlled Tsushima Province and a small portion of Hizen Province. It was ruled by the Sō clan...