Fukushima, Hokkaido

Fukushima
福島町
Town

Fukushima Town hall

Location of Fukushima in Hokkaido (Oshima Subprefecture)
Fukushima

Location in Japan

Coordinates: 41°28′N 140°15′E / 41.467°N 140.250°ECoordinates: 41°28′N 140°15′E / 41.467°N 140.250°E
Country Japan
Region Hokkaido
Prefecture Hokkaido (Oshima Subprefecture)
District Matsumae
Area
 • Total 187.23 km2 (72.29 sq mi)
Population (2012)
 • Total 4,970
 • Density 27/km2 (69/sq mi)
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
Symbols
- Tree Sugi (Japanese Cedar)
- Flower Yamayuri (Golden-Rayed Lily)
Address 820 Fukushima, Fukushima-chō, Matsumae-gun, Hokkaidō
049-1331
Phone number 0139-47-3001
Website Town of Fukushima

Fukushima (福島町 Fukushima-chō) is a town located in Matsumae District, Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.

As of March 2014, the town has an estimated population of 4,749 and a density of 25.36 persons per km². The total area is 187.23 km².[1]

Fukushima Town port area in 2005

Industries in the town include squid fishing and tourism. The main tourist attractions are the Seikan Tunnel Museum and the sumo museum (Yokozuna Chiyonoyama Chiyonofuji Kinenkan).

Two former Sumo Grand Champions (Yokozuna) were born and lived in Fukushima and their careers are celebrated in the sumo museum. The first is Chiyonoyama (千代の山 雅信) followed by Chiyonofuji (千代の富士貢). The latter is often considered to be the most successful sumo wrestler of all time and won 31 top division titles in his career before retiring in 1991.[2][3][4]

A new tourist attraction opened in July, 2011. The Kaikyo Yokozuna Beach opened after several years of planning and building and has been named after the two famous Yokozuna from the town.[5]

Yoshioka, a part of the town, has access tunnels to the Seikan Tunnel and Yoshioka-Kaitei Station. This station, along with Tappi-Kaitei Station on the Aomori side of the tunnel, were the world's first undersea stations. They are presently closed to tourists while construction of the Shinkansen line to Hakodate is completed. The Seikan Tunnel travels beneath the Tsugaru Strait — connecting the island of Hokkaido and Aomori Prefecture on the Japanese island of Honshū — as part of the Japan Railways Kaikyo Line. The access tunnels from Yoshioka serve as emergency access and escape points and were important during the tunnel's construction phase.


References

External links

Media related to Fukushima, Hokkaidō at Wikimedia Commons