Tsuwano is remotely located and surrounded by hills. Though geographically closer to Yamaguchi, the capital of Yamaguchi Prefecture, it is in Shimane Prefecture. A train trip to Matsue, Shimane’s capital, takes as long as four hours. As it is close to Yamaguchi Prefecture, many tourists who come to Tsuwano also visit Hagi on the Sea of Japan and Yamaguchi at the same time, and Tsuwano is often mistaken as being in Yamaguchi prefecture.
Popularly called the "Little Kyoto of San-In," Tsuwano is known for its picturesque main street, "Tono-machi," which is lined with Edo-era buildings and Koi ponds. It also boasts one of the oldest still-used "Yabusame" (horse back archery) ranges in all of Japan, and its annual Yabusame festival on the second Sunday of April is a large tourist draw for the San-In region.
On September 25, 2005 the town of Nichihara was merged into Tsuwano.
A street lined with historical buildings in Tsuwano
Tsuwano Catholic Church
Santa Maria Chapel at Otome Pass
Unusually, Tsuwano is somewhat home to two Catholic churches. The Catholic church in Tsuwano itself is dedicated to Saint Francis Xavier, who visited Japan as a missionary in 1549–50, and is located on its main street. The Santa Maria Church at Otome Pass was dedicated in 1951 and is part of a memorial for 37 Japanese Christians persecuted and tortured in Tsuwano by the government during the Edo and Meiji periods.[1]
Other notable locations and tourist attractions within Tsuwano include the ruins of Tsuwano Castle, where the Kamei clan ruled the Tsuwano fiefdom from the 17th through mid 19th-centuries, and the mountainside Taikodani Inari shrine with its "1000 vermilion torii." In 1773 Tsuwano's seventh-generation feudal lord Kamei Norisada had Taikodani Inari built to enshrine a share of the spirit worshipped at the Fushimi Inari in Kyoto. This shrine was built to pray for the safety of Kamei's castle and peace among his people. As one of five major Inari shrines in Japan, it attracts people from throughout western Japan to pray for prosperity and good fortune in the coming year.
Scenery of Tsuwano Town
Geography
Climate
Tsuwano has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa) with very warm summers and cool winters. Precipitation is abundant throughout the year. The average annual temperature in Tsuwano is 14.3 °C (57.7 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,908.3 mm (75.13 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.3 °C (79.3 °F), and lowest in January, at around 3.0 °C (37.4 °F).[2] The highest temperature ever recorded in Tsuwano was 38.2 °C (100.8 °F) on 14 August 2018; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −13.1 °C (8.4 °F) on 28 February 1981.[3]
Climate data for Tsuwano (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present)
Novelist Mori Ōgai was born in Tsuwano into a family of doctors, and the house of his birth is preserved. Mori studied medicine in Germany and led the adoption of German medical practices into the Japanese military. In commemoration, Tsuwano became a sister city of Berlin-Mitte under an agreement signed August 25, 1995. Mori's tomb is in Yomei-ji Temple in Tsuwano, built in 1420 and known as one of two great Sōtō sect temples (the other being Daijo-ji Temple in Kanazawa).
Philosopher Nishi Amane, another leader of Japan’s modernization in the Meiji period, was also born in Tsuwano. His ancestors were physicians for the daimyō of the fief.
Tsuwano has two new art galleries to celebrate artistic sons. One, the Anno Art Museum (opened in 2001), is dedicated to Mitsumasa Anno, born and raised in Tsuwano. The other is the Shisei Kuwabara Photographics Museum, the name since April 1, 2004 of what was previously the Tsuwano Documentary Photograph Gallery; this shows photographs by and is named after Shisei Kuwabara, known for his work in Minamata and Korea.
Rie Fujii (b. 1971) is also from Tsuwano. In 2001, Fujii abandoned her two infant children in their apartment in Calgary, Alberta. She returned to the apartment after ten days, when she found both infants had died of starvation and/or dehydration. Fujii was convicted of manslaughter in a Canadian court, and served five years of an eight-year sentence, after which she was deported to Japan.
Yamaguchi-gō steam locomotive
The Yamaguchi-gō steam engine
A popular tourist destination, Tsuwano is served by the steam locomotiveYamaguchi-gō, which runs once daily on weekends, national holidays, and certain other days between March and November (daily in August) on the Yamaguchi Line between Shin-Yamaguchi Station to Tsuwano.[5] It stops for about three hours in Tsuwano before returning to Shin-Yamaguchi station. The train is usually pulled by a C57 locomotive, but a C56 does the job on several weekdays between July and September, and both engines are linked in a double-header configuration on weekends in August. Carriages are decorated in the styles of three Japanese eras—Meiji, Taisho, and Showa—as well as in European style, and the rearmost carriage has an outdoor observation deck.
^. Archived from the original on 2008-02-29. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
External links
Media related to Tsuwano, Shimane at Wikimedia Commons
Tsuwano travel guide from Wikivoyage
Tsuwano Tourism Association
Official website (in Japanese)
February 28, 2023
tsuwano, shimane, tsuwano, 津和野町, tsuwano, chō, town, located, kanoashi, district, shimane, prefecture, japan, march, 2017, town, estimated, population, density, persons, total, area, tsuwano, 津和野町townflaglocation, tsuwano, shimane, prefecturetsuwanolocation, j. Tsuwano 津和野町 Tsuwano chō is a town located in Kanoashi District Shimane Prefecture Japan As of March 2017 the town has an estimated population of 7 478 and a density of 25 0 persons per km The total area is 307 09 km Tsuwano 津和野町TownFlagLocation of Tsuwano in Shimane PrefectureTsuwanoLocation in JapanCoordinates 34 28 N 131 46 E 34 467 N 131 767 E 34 467 131 767 Coordinates 34 28 N 131 46 E 34 467 N 131 767 E 34 467 131 767CountryJapanRegionChugokuSan inPrefectureShimane PrefectureDistrictKanoashiGovernment MayorHiroyuki ShitamoriArea Total307 09 km2 118 57 sq mi Population March 1 2017 Total7 478 Density24 km2 63 sq mi Time zoneUTC 09 00 JST City hall address54 25 Nichihara Tsuwano chō Kanoashi gun Shimane ken699 5292ClimateCfaWebsitewww wbr town wbr tsuwano wbr lg wbr jpSymbolsBirdUral owlFlowerFarfugium japonicumTreeCamphor Laurel Contents 1 Description 2 Geography 2 1 Climate 2 2 Demographics 3 Notable people 4 Yamaguchi gō steam locomotive 5 References 6 External linksDescription EditTsuwano is remotely located and surrounded by hills Though geographically closer to Yamaguchi the capital of Yamaguchi Prefecture it is in Shimane Prefecture A train trip to Matsue Shimane s capital takes as long as four hours As it is close to Yamaguchi Prefecture many tourists who come to Tsuwano also visit Hagi on the Sea of Japan and Yamaguchi at the same time and Tsuwano is often mistaken as being in Yamaguchi prefecture Popularly called the Little Kyoto of San In Tsuwano is known for its picturesque main street Tono machi which is lined with Edo era buildings and Koi ponds It also boasts one of the oldest still used Yabusame horse back archery ranges in all of Japan and its annual Yabusame festival on the second Sunday of April is a large tourist draw for the San In region On September 25 2005 the town of Nichihara was merged into Tsuwano A street lined with historical buildings in Tsuwano Tsuwano Catholic Church Santa Maria Chapel at Otome Pass Unusually Tsuwano is somewhat home to two Catholic churches The Catholic church in Tsuwano itself is dedicated to Saint Francis Xavier who visited Japan as a missionary in 1549 50 and is located on its main street The Santa Maria Church at Otome Pass was dedicated in 1951 and is part of a memorial for 37 Japanese Christians persecuted and tortured in Tsuwano by the government during the Edo and Meiji periods 1 Other notable locations and tourist attractions within Tsuwano include the ruins of Tsuwano Castle where the Kamei clan ruled the Tsuwano fiefdom from the 17th through mid 19th centuries and the mountainside Taikodani Inari shrine with its 1000 vermilion torii In 1773 Tsuwano s seventh generation feudal lord Kamei Norisada had Taikodani Inari built to enshrine a share of the spirit worshipped at the Fushimi Inari in Kyoto This shrine was built to pray for the safety of Kamei s castle and peace among his people As one of five major Inari shrines in Japan it attracts people from throughout western Japan to pray for prosperity and good fortune in the coming year Scenery of Tsuwano TownGeography EditClimate Edit Tsuwano has a humid subtropical climate Koppen climate classification Cfa with very warm summers and cool winters Precipitation is abundant throughout the year The average annual temperature in Tsuwano is 14 3 C 57 7 F The average annual rainfall is 1 908 3 mm 75 13 in with July as the wettest month The temperatures are highest on average in August at around 26 3 C 79 3 F and lowest in January at around 3 0 C 37 4 F 2 The highest temperature ever recorded in Tsuwano was 38 2 C 100 8 F on 14 August 2018 the coldest temperature ever recorded was 13 1 C 8 4 F on 28 February 1981 3 Climate data for Tsuwano 1991 2020 normals extremes 1978 present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 18 6 65 5 21 8 71 2 24 6 76 3 30 5 86 9 35 1 95 2 35 2 95 4 37 9 100 2 38 2 100 8 37 4 99 3 32 6 90 7 27 3 81 1 23 4 74 1 38 2 100 8 Average high C F 7 8 46 0 9 4 48 9 13 7 56 7 19 7 67 5 24 7 76 5 27 4 81 3 30 8 87 4 32 2 90 0 27 8 82 0 22 4 72 3 16 6 61 9 10 4 50 7 20 2 68 4 Daily mean C F 3 0 37 4 3 9 39 0 7 4 45 3 12 8 55 0 17 8 64 0 21 5 70 7 25 5 77 9 26 3 79 3 21 9 71 4 15 8 60 4 10 2 50 4 5 1 41 2 14 3 57 7 Average low C F 0 6 30 9 0 5 31 1 2 0 35 6 6 6 43 9 11 8 53 2 17 0 62 6 21 5 70 7 22 1 71 8 17 7 63 9 10 9 51 6 5 3 41 5 1 0 33 8 9 6 49 2 Record low C F 7 9 17 8 13 1 8 4 4 6 23 7 2 7 27 1 1 5 34 7 6 2 43 2 13 0 55 4 14 7 58 5 4 1 39 4 0 2 32 4 2 3 27 9 4 9 23 2 13 1 8 4 Average precipitation mm inches 127 4 5 02 103 7 4 08 148 3 5 84 127 7 5 03 141 0 5 55 211 2 8 31 309 8 12 20 188 9 7 44 209 4 8 24 120 0 4 72 102 2 4 02 120 5 4 74 1 908 3 75 13 Average precipitation days 1 0 mm 15 8 13 3 13 8 11 3 9 8 12 6 12 8 10 7 11 4 9 2 10 7 14 5 145 9Mean monthly sunshine hours 70 2 87 5 138 3 178 6 200 4 136 0 150 7 180 4 137 4 148 4 114 1 76 8 1 619 2Source Japan Meteorological Agency 3 2 Demographics Edit Per Japanese census data the population of Tsuwano in 2020 is 6 875 people 4 Tsuwano has been conducting censuses since 1920 Historical populationYearPop 192020 285 192519 205 5 3 193020 171 5 0 193519 189 4 9 194018 872 1 7 194522 570 19 6 195022 499 0 3 YearPop 195523 224 3 2 196021 157 8 9 196518 037 14 7 197015 412 14 6 197513 957 9 4 198013 423 3 8 198513 002 3 1 YearPop 199012 131 6 7 199511 389 6 1 200010 628 6 7 20059 515 10 5 20108 434 11 4 20157 653 9 3 20206 875 10 2 Tsuwano population statistics 4 Notable people EditNovelist Mori Ōgai was born in Tsuwano into a family of doctors and the house of his birth is preserved Mori studied medicine in Germany and led the adoption of German medical practices into the Japanese military In commemoration Tsuwano became a sister city of Berlin Mitte under an agreement signed August 25 1995 Mori s tomb is in Yomei ji Temple in Tsuwano built in 1420 and known as one of two great Sōtō sect temples the other being Daijo ji Temple in Kanazawa Philosopher Nishi Amane another leader of Japan s modernization in the Meiji period was also born in Tsuwano His ancestors were physicians for the daimyō of the fief Tsuwano has two new art galleries to celebrate artistic sons One the Anno Art Museum opened in 2001 is dedicated to Mitsumasa Anno born and raised in Tsuwano The other is the Shisei Kuwabara Photographics Museum the name since April 1 2004 of what was previously the Tsuwano Documentary Photograph Gallery this shows photographs by and is named after Shisei Kuwabara known for his work in Minamata and Korea Rie Fujii b 1971 is also from Tsuwano In 2001 Fujii abandoned her two infant children in their apartment in Calgary Alberta She returned to the apartment after ten days when she found both infants had died of starvation and or dehydration Fujii was convicted of manslaughter in a Canadian court and served five years of an eight year sentence after which she was deported to Japan Yamaguchi gō steam locomotive Edit The Yamaguchi gō steam engine A popular tourist destination Tsuwano is served by the steam locomotive Yamaguchi gō which runs once daily on weekends national holidays and certain other days between March and November daily in August on the Yamaguchi Line between Shin Yamaguchi Station to Tsuwano 5 It stops for about three hours in Tsuwano before returning to Shin Yamaguchi station The train is usually pulled by a C57 locomotive but a C56 does the job on several weekdays between July and September and both engines are linked in a double header configuration on weekends in August Carriages are decorated in the styles of three Japanese eras Meiji Taisho and Showa as well as in European style and the rearmost carriage has an outdoor observation deck A scene in director Masahiro Shinoda s Spy Sorge a 2003 movie about Soviet spy Richard Sorge was shot on the train for period effect References Edit 37 Martyrs of Tsuwano 1868 1872 at Hagiography Circle a b 気象庁 平年値 年 月ごとの値 JMA Retrieved April 26 2022 a b 観測史上1 10位の値 年間を通じての値 JMA Retrieved April 26 2022 a b Tsuwano population statistics Slやまぐち号 Sl運行カレンダー Archived from the original on 2008 02 29 Retrieved 2008 06 08 External links Edit Media related to Tsuwano Shimane at Wikimedia Commons Tsuwano travel guide from Wikivoyage Tsuwano Tourism Association Official website in Japanese Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tsuwano Shimane amp oldid 1117021607, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
