Gōtsu
江津市
City
Gōtsu City Hall
Gōtsu City Hall
Flag of Gōtsu
Flag
Official seal of Gōtsu
Emblem
Location of Gōtsu in Shimane Prefecture
Location of Gōtsu
Gōtsu is located in Japan
Gōtsu
Gōtsu
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 35°0′42″N 132°13′04″E / 35.01167°N 132.21778°E / 35.01167; 132.21778
CountryJapan
RegionChūgoku (San'in)
PrefectureShimane
Government
 • MayorNakamura Ataru
Area
 • Total268.24 km2 (103.57 sq mi)
Population
 (June 30, 2023)
 • Total21,913
 • Density82/km2 (210/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address1016-4 Gōtsu-chō, Gōtsu-shi, Shimane-ken 695-8501
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
FlowerAzalea
TreeBlack Pine
Gōnokawa River
Aerial Photograph of Gōtsu City
Hoshitaka Mountain

Gōtsu (江津市, Gōtsu-shi) is a city located in Shimane Prefecture, Japan.[1]As of 30 June 2023, the city had an estimated population of 21,913 in 11196 households and a population density of 82 persons per km2.[2] The total area of the city is 268.24 square kilometres (103.57 sq mi). It is the smallest and least populous city in Shimane Prefecture.

Geography

Gōtsu is located in the western part of Shimane Prefecture. It consists of coastal terraces in the north that extend from east to west, and hilly areas in the south.The Gōnokawa River, one of the few rivers that runs through the Chugoku Mountains and the largest river in the Chugoku region, flows into the Sea of Japan in this city. Approximately 79% of Gōtsu's land are is forested.[3] It is said to be the city with the longest travel time from Tokyo, and is advertised as "the furthest city from Tokyo", a point which has been featured in high school "Geography A" textbooks.[4]

Overlooking Gōtsu City is Hoshitaka Mountain, or "Star Mountain", so named for the star pattern carved into the face of the mountain. According to Gōtsu legend, the star was formed by a meteor that had fallen many years ago. A piece of this meteor was saved, and a shrine was built at the foot of the mountain to honor the event. In the winter, snowfall on the mountain creates a beautiful star-shaped pattern, visible from anywhere in the city. In the spring, white azaleas bloom to form a white star, while the area bordering the star remains green. In the summer, in celebration of the Japanese Obon Festival, the star is lit up at night.

Neighboring municipalities

Shimane Prefecture

Climate

Gōtsu has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Gōtsu is 15.4 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1681 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around 5.2 °C.[5]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[6] the population of Gōtsu has been decreasing.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1970 36,811—    
1980 32,931−10.5%
1990 32,937+0.0%
2000 30,740−6.7%
2010 27,774−9.6%
2020 24,468−11.9%

History

The area of Gōtsu was part of ancient Iwami Province, and prospered as an important point for shipping and shipping on the Sea of Japan since ancient times. Burial mounds from the middle third of the Middle Yayoi period were discovered in Gōtsu in 1973.[7] The area was mostly controlled as tenryō under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate in the Edo period.[8] After the Meiji restoration, the village of Gōtsu was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system.

On May 27, 1905, the Russian transport vessel Irtysh of the Russian Baltic Fleet sustained damaged from Japanese warships in the waters off Tsushima Island. After drifting to within 2 km of the coast Gōtsu's Waki district the ship began to sink.[9] Gōtsu residents rescued over 200 Russian soldiers. The event has been memorialized since the following year and is now known as the Russia festival.[10] In 1959, the former chairman of the Japan Shipbuilding Industry Foundation Ryoichi Sasakawa erected a 2.9 meter tall cenotaph.[9]

Gōtsu was elevated to town status on July 1, 1914.On April 1, 1954, modern day Gōtsu City was formed through the merging of numerous villages.[11] On October 1, 2004, the town of Sakurae (from Ōchi District) was merged into Gōtsu.

Government

Gōtsu has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 16 members. Gōtsu conributes one member to the Shimane Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Shimane 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Mayor of Gōtsu City

On May 29, 2022, Ataru Nakamura won the mayoral election in Gōtsu City. At 43 years old, Nakamura became the youngest mayor out of eight cities in Shimane Prefecture. Before becoming mayor, Nakamura worked at a welfare facility for the elderly and served as secretary to Japanese house of representative member Wataru Takeshita.[12]

Mayors of Gōtsu City, Shimane Prefecture
Name

(Rōmaji)[13]

 Name

(Kanji)

 Time of Assumption[13] Notes[13]
Yutaka Iida 飯田豊 May 1, 1954 First mayor of Gōtsu City.
Sadayoshi Chiyonobe 千代延定良 April, 1958
Gōtsu City Hall
A new city hall and civic center were completed during his time in office. He passed away suddenly in June, 1962.
Tatsuo Fujita 藤田龍夫 July, 1962 Gōnokawa River is designated as a first class river.
Nobumasa Okada 岡田信正 July, 1967 In July, 1972, there was a torrential rain whose damages exceeded 3.2 billion yen. In November, 1973, the Gōtsu Citizen Charter, city tree, and city flower were established. In April, 1974, the Gōtsu City Library was opened.
Takao Sasaki 佐々木隆夫 July, 1974 In April, 1980, the Gōtsu Municipal Baseball Stadium was completed. In December, 1981, the Gōtsu Civic Gymnasium was completed.
Tomohiro Fukuhara 福原友宏 July, 1982 In July, 1983, there was a torrential rain with total damages exceeding 8.4 billion yen. In August, 1984, the first Gōnokawa Festival was held.
Kazuhiro Ushio 牛尾一弘 July, 1990 In April, 1993, the Shimane Vocational Ability Development Junior College opened. In April, 1995, the Gōtsu City General Civic Center was completed.
Masuji Tanaka 田中増次 July, 1998 In March, 2002, the Merger Promotion Council with Sakurae Town was established. On October 1, 2004, Sakurae City, Ochi-Gun was incorporated into Gōtsu City. A new city emblem and citizen charter are created. In August, 2013, there is a heavy rain disaster with the largest amount of rainfall in recorded history.
Osamu Yamashita 山下修 July, 2014 In May, 2021, there was a government building relocation.
Ataru Nakamura
Ataru Nakamura
 中村中 July 16, 2022 With his election he became the youngest mayor in Shimane Prefecture.[12]

Economy

The main industries in Gōtsu are agriculture and commercial fishing, As a local industry, the city has long been known as the center of the production of Sekishu roof tiles, ceramics (Iwami ware) and clay and stone products, which account for the largest shipment value of manufactured goods. Due to good transportation connections and low land prices, companies such as biomass power plants and resin processing manufacturers have also entered the market.

Education

Gōtsu has seven public elementary school and four public junior high schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Shimane Prefectural Board of Education. There are also two private high schools.[14]

At Shimane Vocational Ability Development Junior College (島根職業能力開発短期大学校), engineering and technician training is offered.[14]

Transportation

Railway

JR West (JR West) – San'in Main Line

JR West (JR West) – Sankō Line Closed on April 1, 2018[15]

Highways

Sister cities / Friendship cities

Local attractions

Ceramic and Clay Goods

Iwami Ware (石見焼 (いわみやき)) is a type of Japanese pottery that is made in the Iwami region and is centered in Gōtsu City.[16] Iwami Ware was introduced to Gōtsu City in 1763.[17] Ceramic and clay goods are considered to be local specialties. Ceramic practices have developed throughout Gōtsu City's history.[18]

Arifuku Onsen

Arifuku Onsen (有福温泉 (ありふくおんせん)) is a hot spring in Gōtsu City said to have been founded more than 1,350 years ago by a monk named Hōdō (法道 (ほうどう)).[19]

Other

Sekishuken Laboratory in Gōtsu researches the history of the Sekishuken breed of dogs. The ancestor of all living Shiba Inu, Ishi, was from the Sekishuken breed, indigenous to western Shimane.[20]

Notable people from Gōtsu

References

  1. ↑ "江の川祭花火大会、22日開催 江津市 | 中国新聞デジタル" (in Japanese). 江の川祭花火大会、22日開催 江津市 | 中国新聞デジタル. October 21, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Gōtsu City official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ "GO GOTSU!｜山陰の「創造力特区」へ" (in Japanese). GO GOTSU!｜山陰の「創造力特区」へ. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  5. ↑ Gōtsu climate: Average Temperature, weather by month
  6. ↑ "Shimane (Japan): Prefecture, Cities, Towns and Villages - Population Statistics, Charts and Map". citypopulation.de.
  7. ↑ Knopf, Thomas; Steinhaus, Werner; FUKUNAGA, Shin’ya (September 30, 2018). Burial Mounds in Europe and Japan: Comparative and Contextual Perspectives. Archaeopress Publishing Ltd. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-78969-008-8.
  8. ↑ ザック. "地域の歴史秘話を求めて～日本全国探訪記～". miyaketomoya.blog.fc2.com. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Cenotaph for Russian sailors rescued by Japanese in 1905 war relocated in Shimane Pref". Mainichi Daily News. March 10, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Japanese city passes down tale of rescue of enemy Russian sailors". Kyodo News+. May 15, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  11. ↑ "江津市の歴史・沿革 - 江津市ホームページ". city.gotsu.lg.jp. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  12. 1 2 "江津市長に中村氏 １１１８票差 新人一騎打ち制す | 山陰中央新報デジタル" (in Japanese). 江津市長に中村氏 １１１８票差 新人一騎打ち制す | 山陰中央新報デジタル. May 30, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  13. 1 2 3 "江津市の歴史・沿革 - 江津市ホームページ". city.gotsu.lg.jp. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  14. 1 2 "江津市はこんなまち - 江津市ホームページ". city.gotsu.lg.jp. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Railway fans bid JR Sanko Line in western Japan farewell as red ink forces closure". Mainichi Daily News. March 31, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  16. ↑ "島根県：石見焼（トップ / しごと・産業 / 商工業 / 産業振興 / しまねの伝統工芸 / 工芸品一覧）". pref.shimane.lg.jp. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  17. ↑ "石見焼（いわみやき）" (in Japanese). 江津市観光協会. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  18. ↑ "江津市" (in Japanese). しまねまちなび. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  19. ↑ "有福温泉" (in Japanese). 江津市観光協会. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Meet Ishi, the dog responsible for all Shiba Inu in the world today". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  21. ↑ "江津市内の指定文化財 - 江津市ホームページ". city.gotsu.lg.jp. Retrieved April 22, 2023.


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