Tsugaru, Aomori
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in northeastern Aomori
in Tōhoku region
of Japan
. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population
of 37,957 and a density
of 150 persons per km². Its total area was 253.85 km². The city's name is atypical for a Japanese place name in that it is written in hiragana
rather than kanji
(see hiragana cities).
, facing the Sea of Japan
. The city has a cold maritime climate characterized by cool summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall.
of Hirosaki Domain
in the Edo period
. The city was founded on February 11, 2005 from the merger of the town of Kizukuri
and the villages of Inagaki
, Kashiwa
, Morita
, and Shariki
, all from Nishitsugaru District
.
Tsugaru has, since 2005, slipped into a state of near-bankruptcy, as several villages that joined the city were carrying huge debts. The local government has tried to combat this situation using somewhat controversial tax raises, including national health insurance
for the elderly, as well as somewhat draconian punishments for those who fail to pay water bills (having their home water systems removed, etc.). This has caused significant drops in population over the years.
. The city serves as a minor regional commercial center. Agricultural produce includes rice, apples, melons, watermelons, and Brasenia
.
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 northeastern Aomori
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
in Tōhoku region
Tohoku region
The is a geographical area of Japan. The region occupies the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region consists of six prefectures : Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata....
of 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 2009, the city had 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 37,957 and a 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 150 persons per km². Its total area was 253.85 km². The city's name is atypical for a Japanese place name in that it is written in hiragana
Hiragana
is a Japanese syllabary, one basic component of the Japanese writing system, along with katakana, kanji, and the Latin alphabet . Hiragana and katakana are both kana systems, in which each character represents one mora...
rather than kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
(see hiragana cities).
Geography
Tsugaru is located on the west coast of Tsugaru PeninsulaTsugaru Peninsula
The is a peninsula in Aomori Prefecture, at the northern end of Honshū island, Japan. The peninsula projects north into the Tsugaru Strait separating Honshū from Hokkaidō. The western coast is on the Sea of Japan, while on its eastern coast are Aomori Bay and Mutsu Bay...
, facing the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
. The city has a cold maritime climate characterized by cool summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall.
Neighbouring municipalities
- HirosakiHirosaki, Aomoriis a city located in southwest Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is a castle town and was the Tsugaru clan ruled the 100,000 koku tozama han Hirosaki Domain from Hirosaki Castle during the Edo period. The city is currently a regional commercial center and the largest producer of apples in Japan...
- GoshogawaraGoshogawara, Aomoriis a city located in northeastern Aomori in Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 59,395 and a density of 147persons per km². Its total area was 404.56 km².-Geography:...
- AjigasawaAjigasawa, Aomoriis a town located in the Nishitsugaru District of Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the town had an estimated population of 11,561 and a density of 33.7 persons per km²...
- TsurutaTsuruta, Aomoriis a town located in the Kitatsugaru District of northeastern Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the town had an estimated population of 14,395 and a density of 310 persons per km²...
- NakadomariNakadomari, Aomoriis a town located in the Kitatsugaru District of northeastern Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the town had an estimated population of 12,890 and a density of 59.6 persons per km²...
History
The area of Tsugaru was part of the holdings of the Tsugaru clanTsugaru clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan originating in northern Japan, specifically Mutsu Province . A branch of the local Nanbu clan, the Tsugaru rose to power during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. It was on the winning side of the Battle of Sekigahara, and entered the Edo period as a family of lords ...
of Hirosaki Domain
Hirosaki Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in northern Mutsu Province . It was ruled by the Tsugaru clan...
in the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
. The city was founded on February 11, 2005 from the merger of the town of Kizukuri
Kizukuri, Aomori
was a town located in Nishitsugaru District in western Aomori Prefecture, Japan.Kizukuri was located in central Tsugaru Peninsula, facing the Sea of Japan. The area was part of Hirosaki Domain during the Edo period. Kizukuri was created on March 30, 1955 through the merger of Shussei, Kawayoke,...
and the villages of Inagaki
Inagaki, Aomori
was a village located in Nishitsugaru District in western Aomori Prefecture, Japan.Inagaki Village was located in central of Tsugaru Peninsula. The area was part of Hirosaki Domain during the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, Inagaki Village was created on April 1, 1889...
, Kashiwa
Kashiwa, Aomori
was a village located in Nishitsugaru District in western Aomori Prefecture, Japan.Kashiwa Village was located in the central portion of Tsugaru Peninsula. The area was part of Hirosaki Domain during the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, Kashiwa Village was created on April 1, 1889...
, Morita
Morita, Aomori
was a village located in Nishitsugaru District in western Aomori Prefecture, Japan.Morita Village was located in the central portion of Tsugaru Peninsula. The area was part of Hirosaki Domain during the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, Morita Village was created on April 1, 1889...
, and Shariki
Shariki, Aomori
was a village located in Nakatsugaru District in western Aomori Prefecture, Japan.Shariki was located on the west coast of Tsugaru Peninsula facing the Sea of Japan. The area was part of Hirosaki Domain during the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, Shariki Village was created in 1889...
, all from Nishitsugaru District
Nishitsugaru District, Aomori
is a district located in Aomori, Japan.As of 2003 , the district has an estimated population of 24,033 and a density of 28.9 persons per km²...
.
Tsugaru has, since 2005, slipped into a state of near-bankruptcy, as several villages that joined the city were carrying huge debts. The local government has tried to combat this situation using somewhat controversial tax raises, including national health insurance
National health insurance
National health insurance is health insurance that insures a national population for the costs of health care and usually is instituted as a program of healthcare reform. It is enforced by law. It may be administered by the public sector, the private sector, or a combination of both...
for the elderly, as well as somewhat draconian punishments for those who fail to pay water bills (having their home water systems removed, etc.). This has caused significant drops in population over the years.
Economy
The economy of Tsugaru is heavily dependent on agriculture and commercial fishingCommercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
. The city serves as a minor regional commercial center. Agricultural produce includes rice, apples, melons, watermelons, and Brasenia
Brasenia
Brasenia is a genus belonging to the family Cabombaceae, consisting of one extant species widely distributed in warm temperate and tropical regions of the world. Brasenia is an aquatic perennial plant with floating, peltate leaves and rhizomatous stems...
.
Railway
- East Japan Railway CompanyEast Japan Railway Companyis the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
- Gonō LineGono LineThe is a railway line in Japan linking Higashi-Noshiro Station in Akita Prefecture with Kawabe Station in Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of Honshū. The line stretches 147.2 km along the Sea of Japan coast with a total of 43 stations...
- , , ,
Noted people from Tsugaru
- Shunkichi Takeuchi – politician, former Aomori governor
- Gento Uehara - songwriter
- Kenroku Uehara – songwriter
- Leo Matsumoto – actress
- Ryuhei Aoyama– actor
- Asahifuji SeiyaAsahifuji Seiyais a former sumo wrestler from Aomori, Japan. He joined professional sumo in 1981, reaching the top makuuchi division just two years later. He reached the second highest rank of ozeki in 1987 and became the 63rd Yokozuna in the history of the sport in 1990 at the age of 30...
– sumo wrestler