Tomioka, Fukushima
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Tomioka (富岡町; -machi) is a town located in Futaba District, Fukushima, Japan.
As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 16,078 and a density of 234.82 persons per km². The total area is 68.47 km². The town is famous for having one of the longest Sakura (Cherry blossom) tunnel in Japan. The town has a friendship agreement with Auckland, New Zealand. A New Zealand teacher is sent to Tomioka every year to teach at the Junior and Elementary schools. Previous ALT's include Anna, Jessica, Jessie and Tara. Tomioka counts a nuclear power station owned by The Tokyo Electric Power Company which provides a certain wealth to the town.
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[edit] Landmark
Tom-とむ
People living in the town all meet in this shopping center. This place offers you a decent amount of shops for the area as well as a choice of fast-food restaurants. People from all around Tomioka come to this place, which one could arguably describe as the heart of the town.
Super-Center
Another alternative to Tom-とむ is super-center. This other shopping center is also popular for people who can't make it as far as Tom-とむ. The "Daiso" is a considered by many as the trendiest shop in the town, especially amongst the numerous Gaijin.
The shrines are a major feature in Japanese landscape, and Tomioka makes no exception. The main shrine in Tomioka is probably the Hayama shrine were is held a fire festival to pray for a good harvest.
You can also admire the shrine known as “Number 33”, which is the thirty-third shrine in a pilgrimage path which goes across the country.
Yo-no-mori Park
This park is very popular in Spring when the cherry blossoms are blooming. Many locals come to view the blossoms in the park and enjoy the festival atmosphere. There are usually many stalls selling food and trinkets and game stalls.
[edit] Activities
Tomioka also offers a choice of hot springs. You can choose between two hot springs:
Refre is the most popular hot spring of the area. It is located in Yonomori (north of tomioka) some 300 meters from the Yonomori train station. The brand new building offers you all the comfort you can imagine as far as hot springs are concerned. Families around the area often come there to meet with people and catch up with the local news. Some events are also often held in this same building.
Iwaidonoyu is the other option. It is located in the mountains west of Tomioka and offers a more intimate setting. It is harder to reach this hot spring without a transport. The spring will often not be as crowded as in Yonomori and offer you a quieter atmosphere.
Tomioka has many restaurants just like any other towns. The Rokumeikan (鹿鳴館) offers a good option, the food is value for money, and the drink bar is a hit by itself.
[edit] Mysteries
Tomioka is amongst the cities in the world with the most hairdressers per inhabitant. No one knows exactly how many hairdressers there are in this town, but the businesses are flourishing.
[edit] Schools
There are two elementary schools in Tomioka - Tomioka 1st Elementary School and Tomioka 2nd Elementary School.
There are two junior high schools in Tomioka - Tomioka 1st Junior High School and Tomioka 2nd Junior High School. Students who go to Tomioka 1st Elementary school generally go to Tomioka 1st Junior High and the same with the 2nd Elementary school.
There is one High School in Tomioka : Tomioka High School.
[edit] External links
- Tomioka official website in Japanese (some English content)
- Tomioka High School in English
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