Sasebo, Nagasaki
Encyclopedia
is a city
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...

 located in Nagasaki Prefecture
Nagasaki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.- History :Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 of 259,800 and the density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...

 beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park
Saikai National Park
is a marine national park located in Nagasaki prefecture of northwest Kyūshū, Japan. It consists of the coastal regions of Matsuura Peninsula, extending northward from the port city of Sasebo and encompasses the Kujukushima, with over 200 islands to the west, Hirado Peninsula further west, and...

. Located in the southern part of the city is the Dutch-styled theme park Huis ten Bosch
Huis Ten Bosch (theme park)
is a theme park in Nagasaki Prefecture that recreates the Netherlands by displaying real size copies of old Dutch buildings. The name Huis Ten Bosch literally translates into English as "House in the Forest"...

.

History

The area of present-day Sasebo was a rather insignificant fishing village under the control of nearby Hirado Domain
Hirado Domain
was a tozama han of Edo period Japan, with its territory extending from northern Hizen Province to the offshore Iki Province...

 until shortly after the start of the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...

. Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...

 Admiral Togo Heihachiro
Togo Heihachiro
Fleet Admiral Marquis was a Fleet Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. He was termed by Western journalists as "the Nelson of the East".-Early life:...

, when surveying the coasts of northwestern Kyūshū for the site of a navy base, selected his location based on its protected, deep-water harbor, geographic proximity to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

, and the presence of nearby coal fields
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...

. Sasebo Naval District
Sasebo Naval District
was the third of five main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the western and southern coastline of Kyūshū, the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan and Korea, as well as patrols in the East China Sea and the Pacific...

, founded in 1886, became the major port for the Japanese navy in its operations in the First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...

 and Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...

, and remained a major naval base to the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Along with the base facilities, the navy also constructed the Sasebo Naval Arsenal
Sasebo Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Sasebo Naval District was established at Sasebo, Nagasaki in 1886, as the third of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands. After the establishment of the...

, which included major shipyards and repair facilities.

Sasebo City was founded on April 1, 1902. The city suffered severe damage by bombing
Strategic bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability and public will to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces...

 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. After the end of the war, part the base facilities were taken over by the United States Navy, forming U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo. Some parts of the base are shared with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...

.

The city was the site of the Sasebo slashing, the murder of a young girl in 2004, which received considerable media coverage.

Mergers

  • On April 1, 2005 the towns of Sechibaru
    Sechibaru, Nagasaki
    was a town located in Kitamatsuura District, Nagasaki, Japan.On April 1, 2005 Sechibaru, along with the town of Yoshii, also from Kitamatsuura District, was merged into the expanded city of Sasebo....

     and Yoshii
    Yoshii, Nagasaki
    Yoshii was a town located in Kitamatsuura District, Nagasaki, Japan.On April 1, 2005 Yoshii, along with the town of Sechibaru, also from Kitamatsuura District, was merged into the expanded city of Sasebo....

    , both from Kitamatsuura District
    Kitamatsuura District, Nagasaki
    is a district located in Nagasaki, Japan.As of August 1, 2011, the district has an estimated population of 16,270 and a density of 282 persons per km²...

    , were merged into Sasebo.
  • On March 31, 2006 the towns of Kosaza
    Kosaza, Nagasaki
    was a town located in Kitamatsuura District, Nagasaki, Japan.On March 1, 2006 Kosaza, along with the town of Uku, also from Kitamatsuura District, was merged into the expanded city of Sasebo....

     and Uku
    Uku, Nagasaki
    was a town located in Kitamatsuura District, Nagasaki, Japan.On March 1, 2006 Uku, along with the town of Kosaza, also from Kitamatsuura District, was merged into the expanded city of Sasebo....

    , both also from Kitamatsuura District
    Kitamatsuura District, Nagasaki
    is a district located in Nagasaki, Japan.As of August 1, 2011, the district has an estimated population of 16,270 and a density of 282 persons per km²...

    , were merged into Sasebo.
  • On March 31, 2010 the towns of Emukae
    Emukae, Nagasaki
    was a town located in Kitamatsuura District, Nagasaki, Japan.On March 31, 2010 Emukae, along with the town of Shikamachi, also from Kitamatsuura District, was merged into the expanded city of Sasebo....

     and Shikamachi
    Shikamachi, Nagasaki
    was a town located in Kitamatsuura District, Nagasaki, Japan.On March 31, 2010 Shikamachi, along with the town of Emukae, also from Kitamatsuura District, was merged into the expanded city of Sasebo....

    , both also from Kitamatsuura District
    Kitamatsuura District, Nagasaki
    is a district located in Nagasaki, Japan.As of August 1, 2011, the district has an estimated population of 16,270 and a density of 282 persons per km²...

    , were merged into Sasebo.

Economy

Shipbuilding and associated heavy industries continue to dominate the economy of Sasebo. Adjacent to the naval base is the Sasebo Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...

. Sasebo Station
Sasebo Station
is the major railway station in the city of Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, in Japan. The Sasebo Line of the Kyushu Railway Company and the Nishi-Kyūshū Line of the Matsuura Railway provide local and regional service and connections to the extensive JR network...

 is the westernmost station in the JR passenger train system. The US Navy Seabees have had a positive impact on the civil engineering of this city.

Sister city relations

Sasebo has sister-city relations with three places outside Japan and one within the country. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Coffs Harbour, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 Xiamen
Xiamen
Xiamen , also known as Amoy , is a major city on the southeast coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of and population of 3.53 million...

, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

 Kokonoe
Kokonoe, Oita
is a small town located in Kusu District, Ōita, Japan. It promotes its nine onsen, which are occasionally closed due to flooding; it is also the summer headquarters of Labo Camp Kujū, part of the LABO language program....

, Ōita Prefecture
Oita Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan on Kyūshū Island. The prefectural capital is the city of Ōita.- History :Around the 6th century Kyushu consisted of four regions: Tsukushi-no-kuni 筑紫国, Hi-no-kuni 肥国, and Toyo no kuni...



Points of interest

  • Huis Ten Bosch (theme park)
    Huis Ten Bosch (theme park)
    is a theme park in Nagasaki Prefecture that recreates the Netherlands by displaying real size copies of old Dutch buildings. The name Huis Ten Bosch literally translates into English as "House in the Forest"...

  • Sasebo Zoological Park and Botanical Garden
    Sasebo Zoological Park and Botanical Garden
    The is a zoo and botanical garden located at 217, Funakoshi-cho, Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan. It is open daily; an admission fee is charged.The zoo opened in 1961, and now contains about 330 animals and 21,000 plants. Its rainforest greenhouse contains tropical plants such as the royal water...

  • Kujū-ku Islands
    Kujū-ku Islands
    is a group of islands ranging in the west coast of Kitamatsuura Peninsula, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.The Islands belong to the city of Sasebo, and the city of Hirado....

  • Kōzakihana
    Kozakihana
    is a cape located in Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan. It is the western-most point of the island Kyūshū as well as the western-most point of Japan's four main islands.-See also:* Extreme points of Japan...

    , westernmost point on the island of Kyūshū
  • ShinSaikai Bridge is a place where one can see many exciting whirlpools.
  • Tenkaihō
  • Saikai Pearl Sea Resort
    Saikai Pearl Sea Resort
    is an amusement park consisting of an aquarium, shopping mall, hotel and marina. It is located in the city of Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It opened for business on July 20, 1994.-Facilities:*Marine facilities...


External links

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