Usuki, Oita
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 on the east coast of 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...

, 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...

. It is famous for its Usuki Stone Buddhas
Usuki Stone Buddhas
The are a collection of stone sculptures of Buddhas, in Usuki, Ōita Prefecture, Japan.-History:The Usuki Stone Buddhas were estimated to be carved during the 12th century, and consist of four groups of stone Buddhas...

, a national treasure, and its soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...

 production. Recently it has become known for having the look and feel of a Japanese castle town
Castle town
A castle town is a settlement built adjacent to or surrounding a castle. Castle towns are common in Medieval Europe. Good example include small towns like Alnwick and Arundel, which are still dominated by their castles...

. It is part of Ōita City's metropolitan area through economics and thus has strong ties to Ōita City.

Demographics and geography

As of 2003, 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 35,106 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 231.22 persons per km². The total area is 151.83 km².

The city is bordered by Ōita City, Saiki
Saiki, Oita
is a city located in Ōita Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the former city had an estimated population of 49,183 and the density of 249.19 persons per km²...

, Tsukumi
Tsukumi, Oita
is a city located in Ōita Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 22,336 and the density of 281.38 persons per km². The total area is 79.38 km².The city was founded on April 1, 1951.-External links:*...

, and Bungo-ōno
Bungo-ono, Oita
is a city located in Ōita Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on March 31, 2005 as a result of the merger between the municipalities of Asaji, Chitose, Inukai, Kiyokawa, Mie, Ogata and Ōno ....

. The city looks upon the Bungo Channel
Bungo Channel
The is a strait separating the Japanese islands of Kyūshū and Shikoku. It connects the Pacific Ocean and Seto Inland Sea. The narrowest part of this channel is the Hōyo Strait....

 in the east. The city surrounds the Bay of Usuki with the Saganoseki Peninsula in the north and the Nagame Peninsula in the south. Within the bay are Kuroshima Island and Tsukumi Island. Water from the bay flows into Usuki River, around whose flat lands town areas have been built. The northern part of the city has gently-sloping hills while the southern part has mountain ranges that are 500m to 600m above sea level.

History

The city was founded on April 1, 1950. On March 31, 1954, multiple towns were merged into it. On January 1, 2005, the town of Notsu
Notsu, Oita
was a town located in Ōno District, Ōita, Japan.On January 1, 2005 Notsu was merged into the expanded city of Usuki.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 9,309 and the density of 66.88 persons per km². The total area was 139.19 km²....

 was amalgamated with Usuki to form the current Usuki City.

William Adams
William Adams (sailor)
William Adams , also known in Japanese as Anjin-sama and Miura Anjin , was an English navigator who travelled to Japan and is believed to be the first Englishman ever to reach that country...

 reached Bungo, now Usuki city, in April 1600.

Economy

Agriculture and fishing are the primary industries, however the production of soy sauce and miso paste are also popular. Many people come from abroad to work at Usuki shipyards. The city is well-known for its kabosu
Kabosu
is a juicy green citrus fruit closely related to the yuzu with the sharpness of lemon, used instead of vinegar in some Japanese dishes. It grows on a flowering plant with sharp thorns, and the fruit is harvested when still green but ripens to yellow...

 fruits.

Historical and Sightseeing Sites

  • Usuki Stone Buddhas
    Usuki Stone Buddhas
    The are a collection of stone sculptures of Buddhas, in Usuki, Ōita Prefecture, Japan.-History:The Usuki Stone Buddhas were estimated to be carved during the 12th century, and consist of four groups of stone Buddhas...

    , a national treasure and special historical landmark
  • Usuki Castle
    Usuki Castle
    is a Japanese castle in Usuki, Ōita Prefecture, Japan. Another name of this castle is Niyuujima Castle .-History:This castle was constructed by Ōtomo Sōrin in 1562 on the island Niyuujima, in Usuki Bay as his head castle. During the 1560s, Sōrin had the largest territory in Kyūshū...

  • Nioza Historical Road
  • Inaba-Family Villa, a former samurai residence
  • Hakubakei
  • Furen Limestone Caves, a national monument
  • Meiji Era Bridge
  • Nogami Yaeko Memorial Museum
  • Fugen Temple, burial site of Kicchomu

Festivals

Major festivals in Usuki include the Gion Festival (mid July), Stone Buddhas
Usuki Stone Buddhas
The are a collection of stone sculptures of Buddhas, in Usuki, Ōita Prefecture, Japan.-History:The Usuki Stone Buddhas were estimated to be carved during the 12th century, and consist of four groups of stone Buddhas...

 Fire Festival (late August), and Bamboo Lantern Festival (early November). There are also festivities and celebrations during the cherry blossom blooming period in April, for example at Usuki Castle
Usuki Castle
is a Japanese castle in Usuki, Ōita Prefecture, Japan. Another name of this castle is Niyuujima Castle .-History:This castle was constructed by Ōtomo Sōrin in 1562 on the island Niyuujima, in Usuki Bay as his head castle. During the 1560s, Sōrin had the largest territory in Kyūshū...

.

Transportation

The city is on the Nippō Main Railway Line
Nippo Main Line
frame|Nippō Main LineThe is a railway line in Kyūshū, in southern Japan. Part of the Kyushu Railway Company system, it follows the east coast of the island. The line originates at Kokura Station in Kokura, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka...

 and it can be reached by local and limited express trains.

The city is accessible by car from the Higashi Kyushu Expressway with an exit at Usuki Interchange. The national highways
National highways of Japan
Japan has a nationwide system of distinct from the expressways. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and other government agencies administer the national highways. Beginning in 1952, Japan classified these as Class 1 or Class 2. Class 1 highways had one- or two-digit numbers, while...

 number 10, 217, and 502
Japan National Route 502
is a national highway between Usuki, Ōita and Taketa, Oita in Japan. It has a total length of 53.3 km ....

 and the Oita Prefecture roads number 21, 25, 33, and 53 also run through the city.

The Ōita Bus Company offers inter-city buses to Usuki as well as buses within the city.

Ferries travel between Usuki and Yawatahama City
Yawatahama, Ehime
is a city located in the southwestern part of Ehime, Japan and has the largest fish market on Shikoku. The Mikan is the featured agricultural product....

 in Ehime Prefecture
Ehime Prefecture
is a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...

, Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...

 through the two ferry companies Kyūshi Orange Ferry and Uwajima Unyu Ferry.

Education

Excluding closed schools, Usuki City has 15 elementary schools and 6 junior high schools, all of which are city-run. There is also a prefectural school specifically for handicapped children.

Prefectural High Schools
  • Usuki High School
  • Usuki Shougyou High School (for Commerce)
  • Usuki Kaiyou Kagaku High School (for Marine Science)
  • Notsu High School

Famous People from Usuki

Politics
  • Tatsuo Yamamoto
    Tatsuo Yamamoto
    was a Japanese politician and Governor of the Bank of Japan from 1898 to 1903. He was also a member of the House of Peers and served as a cabinet minister in the pre-war government of the Empire of Japan.- Early life :...

    , politician
  • Shigeru Yoshida, politician (different from the former prime minister of the same name)
  • Tadatomo Yoshida, politician


Industry
  • Heigorou Shouda, businessman


Culture
  • Nobuo Naora, archeologist and paleontologist
  • Jitsuzou Hinago, sculpter
  • Yaeko Nogami
    Nogami Yaeko
    was the pen-name of a novelist in Shōwa period Japan. Her maiden name was Kotegawa Yae.-Early life:Nogami was born in Usuki, Ōita, Oita prefecture as the daughter of a wealthy sake brewer. She was taught at home by private tutors, including Kubo Kaizo, who introduced her to classic Chinese...

    , novelist
  • Kazumasa Yoshimaru, teacher and writer of school songs
  • Tatsuo Kugimiya, minister


Sports
  • Shigeru Sou, marathon runner and qigong therapist
  • Takeshi Sou, marathon runner
  • Toshinori Kira, baseball player
  • Yuusuke Torigoe, baseball player
  • Jun Hirose, baseball player
  • Hiromi Wada, baseball player and commentator


Entertainment
  • Toshi Shiya, actor
  • Masako Miura
    Masako Miura
    is a Japanese voice actress employed by the talent management firm Arts Vision.-TV:*Chibi Maruko-chan *Crayon Shin-chan *Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger *Goldfish Warning...

    , voice actress
  • Maiko Itai
    Maiko Itai
    is a Japanese beauty pageant contestant who won Miss Universe Japan 2010 on 9 March 2010. Itai, the 13th Miss Universe Japan, accepted the crown from Emiri Miyasaka, Miss Universe Japan 2009.She competed in Miss Universe 2010 in the USA.-History:...

    , model and Miss Universe 2010
  • Keiko Komuro, singer
  • Tom Tamada, drummer of 100s
  • Naoya Mori, singer-songwriter


Mass Communication
  • Tokuji Matsui, television announcer
  • Toshihiro Yoshida, journalist

Movies set in Usuki

  • なごり雪 (The Last Snow) (2002)
  • 22才の別れ Lycoris 葉見ず花見ず物語 (Exchange Students - Goodbye to You) (2007)

Sister Cities

Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...

, Sri Lanka (February 27, 1967): sister city Dunhuang
Dunhuang
Dunhuang is a city in northwestern Gansu province, Western China. It was a major stop on the ancient Silk Road. It was also known at times as Shāzhōu , or 'City of Sands', a name still used today...

, China (September 27, 1994): friendship city

Source

This article incorporates information translated from the article 臼杵市 (Usuki-shi) in the Japanese Wikipedia, retrieved before September 28, 2011.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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