Kushimoto, Wakayama

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Kushimoto Town (串本町)

Location of Kushimoto
within Wakayama Prefecture

Coordinates: 33°47′N 135°78′E

Town

Kushimoto

Government

- Mayor

Shigeki Matsubara

Area

- City

135.78 km² (52.4 sq mi)

- Land

108.6 km² (41.9 sq mi)

- Water

27.2 km² (10.5 sq mi)

Population (2006)

- City

20,618

Time zone

JST (UTC+9)

Town Symbols
Town Flower:	Mochinoki (Birdlime Holly)
Town Tree:	Tsubaki (Japanese Camellia)
Town Fish:	Tobiuo (Flying Fish)

Website: http://www.town.kushimoto.wakayama.jp/

Kushimoto (串本町; -cho) is a coastal town located in the Higashimuro District of Wakayama Prefecture in western Japan. The town has the distinction of being the southernmost point of the Japan's main island, Honshū. The central area of town is located on a narrow isthmus, surrounded on both sides by the Pacific Ocean. Kushimoto is bordered by the towns of Susami on the west, Kozagawa on the north, and Nachi-Katsuura on the east.

1 History
- 1.1 Name Origin
2 Demographics
- 2.1 Communities and Neighborhoods
3 Education
4 Culture
5 Transportation
6 Sister cities
7 External links

[edit] History

Though people were known to have inhabited the area since the Yamato Period, the first known documented settlements were established during the Edo Period. During that time, most of the area that encompasses Wakayama Prefecture today was known as Kii-no-Kuni (Kii Province) or Kishu. The area was owned by the Kii branch of the Tokugawa clan, headquartered at Wakayama Castle.

Kushimoto did not experience significant growth until the 20th century. It was officially incorporated into a town in 1907. Over the next decades, the town grew as a result of numerous mergers with the surrounding neighborhoods:

1924: Incorporation of Fuji-Bashi
1955: Incorporation of Arita, Shiono-Misaki, Tanami, and Wabuka
1958: Incorporation of Oshima
2005: Incorporation of Koza

Being in a very strategic location, Kushimoto was home to many military installations during World War II, including the Kushimoto Seaplane Base and Shiono-Misaki Airfield. Both bases were attacked by the United States Navy and Air Force in 1945. Shiono-Misaki Airfield now serves as a small base for the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force.

Kushimoto (or specifically, Shiono-Misaki) was the epicenter of the Great Nankai Earthquake, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake that struck the area on December 21, 1946 at 4:19am. This triggered a tsunami that enveloped the central part of town. Most of the Fuji-Bashi neighborhood was destroyed, but has since been rebuilt. There are memorials around town marking the event, including signposts indicating how far the tsunami had penetrated inland. Of the 269 casualties in Wakayama Prefecture, the majority were in Kushimoto and in the city of Kainan.

[edit] Name Origin

There are two widely accepted views of where the name "Kushimoto" comes from. The first is explained by a strange tree growing in a shrine in Shiono-Misaki, whose seedling is thought to have floated from a far off island to its current resting place. An archaic compound form of the Chinese character for "kushi" (串) is said to have meant "strange tree"; in combination with the second character "moto" (本), the name is supposed to represent "strange tree's origin." Another explanation dictates that the "kushi" character is a visual abstraction of the town's layout; Shiono-Misaki and Oshima act as the smaller upper "kuchi" (口) radical, while the mainland acts as the larger lower one. The "bo" (｜) radical that strikes through both of the others is said to represent the isthmus that runs through the town.

[edit] Demographics

The population of Kushimoto is 20,618, consisting of 9,561 men and 11,057 women. There are a total of 9,397 families.

[edit] Communities and Neighborhoods

Central

Fuji-Bashi
Kushimoto

Western

Arita
Tanami
Wabuka

Eastern

Koza
Nishi-Mukai
Tahara

Southern

Oshima
Shiono-Misaki

[edit] Education

High Schools

Koza High School
Kushimoto High School

Junior High Schools

Kushimoto Junior High School
Kushimoto-Nishi Junior High School
Nishi-Mukai Junior High School
Oshima Junior High School
Shiono-Misaki Junior High School
Tahara Junior High School

Elementary Schools

Arita Elementary School
Hashigui Elementary School
Kinpu Elementary School
Kushimoto Elementary School
Koza Elementary School
Izumo Elementary School
Nishi-Mukai Elementary School
Oshima Elementary School
Shiono-Misaki Elementary School
Tahara Elementary School
Tanami Elementary School
Yoshun Elementary School
Wabuka Elementary School

Kindergartens

Izumo Kindergarten
Kushimoto Kindergarten
Nishi-Mukai Kindergarten
Shiono-Misaki Kindergarten

[edit] Culture

[edit] Tourism

Sites of Interest

Kashino Lighthouse
Hashigui Beach
Hashigui-Iwa Coastal Scenic Area
Koza Coastal Scenic Area
Kozagawa River
Kushimoto Marine Park
Okyoro Art Museum
Shiono-Misaki Southernmost Point Park
Shiono-Misaki Lighthouse
Turkish Memorial and Museum
Umikongo Coastal Scenic Area
United States Friendship Museum

Kushimoto is famous for its many coastal rock formations, including Hashigui-Iwa and Umikongo. The cape of Shiono-Misaki, located in the southern tip of the town, has a park and tower marking the southernmost point of Honshū.

The island of Oshima, connected to the main town via the Kushimoto Big Bridge, is home to two museums of foreign origin. The Turkish Memorial and Museum, located on the southeastern end of the island, commemorates the crash of the Turkish ship Ertugrul on Oshima's shores. As of 2005, there was discussion of salvaging the wreckage with a Turkish team to exhibit it in the local museum. The United States Friendship Museum commemorates the visit of the USS Lady Washington, which took place years before Commodore Matthew Perry's infamous landing in Japan. The museum also hosts a collection of Native American artifacts and items of nostalgia from its sister city, Hemet, in the United States.

[edit] Water Sports

The surrounding wetlands and coastal areas in Kushimoto are designated areas of conservation through the Ramsar Convention of 1971. They have since become popular spots for scuba diving, with numerous diving establishments located right along National Highway 42.

A merger in 2004 incorporated the former town of Koza into Kushimoto. Located in the east of Kushimoto, Koza is home to the Kozagawa River. The river, regulated by the Shichikawa Dam, is one of three rivers in southern Wakayama Prefecture known for kayaking.

Though waves are relatively tame compared with worldwide standards, Kushimoto is a popular spot for surfing with locals and people from the bigger cities in the Kansai area.

[edit] Annual Events and Festivals

In late January or early February is the Shiono-Misaki Fire Festival. During this event the large grassy field which designates Honshū's southernmost tip is ritually burned. Spectators may walk through the fire as it progresses through the field.

In February is the Oshima Boat Race. Festivals grounds are set up at Oshima Port, and two boats ritually race to and from the port on the mainland Kushimoto.

In August, the Summer Fireworks Festival takes place at Kushimoto Port.

In October is the Sunset Marathon. The marathon's route winds through Oshima and Shiono-Misaki.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Mass Public Transportation

Rail service is provided by the West Japan Railway Company, or JR West, on the Kinokuni Line. There are direct services to other big cities in the Kansai area, with many limited express trains bound for Shin-Osaka Station and Kyoto Station. There are 8 train stations in town (from west to east): Wabuka, Tako, Tanami, Kii-Arita, Kushimoto, Kii-Hime, Koza, and Kii-Tahara.

Local bus service is provided by the Kumano Bus Company. The nearest long distance bus services are located in Tanabe (for Osaka) and Nachi-Katsuura (for Tokyo).

[edit] Private Motoring

National Highways 42 and 371 run through Kushimoto. The Hanwa Expressway, still under construction, is set to pass to the north of the town.

[edit] Air and Sea

The nearest international airport is Kansai Airport. Nanki-Shirahama Airport, located in nearby Shirahama, is a smaller airport offering daily flights to Tokyo. The nearest available domestic ferry services are in Nachi-Katsuura.