Yasugi 安来市
City
Yasugi City Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Yasugi in Shimane Prefecture
Yasugi Location in Japan
Coordinates: 35°25′53″N 133°15′03″E / 35.43139°N 133.25083°E / 35.43139; 133.25083
Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku (San'in)
Prefecture	Shimane
Government
• Mayor	Takeo Tanaka (since October 2020)
Area
• Total	420.93 km2 (162.52 sq mi)
Population  (August 30, 2023)
• Total	35,965
• Density	85/km2 (220/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	Yasugi-cho 878-2, Yasugi-shi, Shimane-ken 692-8686
Symbols
Bird	Swan
Fish	Pond loach
Flower	Bamboo
Tree	Cherry blossom

Adachi Museum gardens

ruins of Gassan-Toda Castle

Yasugi city center

Yasugi (安来市, Yasugi-shi) is a city located in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 May 2023, the city had an estimated population of 35,965 in 14257 households and a population density of 85 persons per km².^[1] The total area of the city is 420.93 square kilometres (162.52 sq mi).

Geography

Yasugi is located in far eastern Shimane, bordered by the Nakaumi to the north, the Chugoku Mountains to the south and Tottori Prefecture to the east.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[3] the population of Yasugi has been declining over the past 40 years.

History

The area of Yasugi was the center of ancient Izumo, which was a powerful kingdom during the Yayoi and Kofun period. According to legend, the goddess Izanami was buried here. The port at Yasugi on the Nakaumi was a center for trade with the Korean Peninsula from ancient times. Due to plentiful supplies of iron sand and timber, ancient tatara steelmaking flourished and was a source of economic strength.^[4] The Yasugi Steel brand name bears the name of the city, and was established by Hitachi Metals, Ltd. During the Sengoku Period, Gassantoda Castle was the stronghold of the Amago clan, and under the Edo Period Tokugawa shogunate, the area was ruled by Matsue Domain. After the Meiji restoration, the town of Yasugi was established on April 1, 1889, with the creation of the modern municipalities system. The city was founded on April 1, 1954, by the merger of Yasugi with the villages of Iinashi, Arashima, Akae, Shimada, and Otsuka. On October 1, 2004, the towns of Hakuta and Hirose (both from Nogi District) were merged into Yasugi.

Government

Yasugi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members. Yasugi contributes two members to the Shimane Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Shimane 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The local economy is strongly orientated to agriculture.

Education

Yasugi has 17 public elementary school and five public junior high schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Shimane Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Sister city relations

• Miryang, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea

Local attractions

• The Adachi Museum of Art has a widely known Japanese garden and a collection of contemporary Japanese paintings, comprising approximately 1,300 of the country's most highly regarded paintings produced after the Meiji period and centering on the works of Yokoyama Taikan. In 2021, the gardens of the Adachi Museum were ranked as the best in Japan for the 19th year in a row.^[5] There is a free shuttle between JR Yasugi Station and the museum (20 minutes).
• Gassantoda Castle ruins, National Historic Site

Culture

The city is known for Yasugibushi, a well-known folk song (Minyo) in Japan.

Notable people from Yasugi

• Yukio Sakurauchi, politician
• Yoshio Sakurauchi, politician

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yasugi, Shimane.

• Yasugi City official website (in Japanese)
• Adachi Museum of Art