is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

located in

Oshima Subprefecture is a Subprefectures of Hokkaido, subprefecture of Hokkaido, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. As of 2004 it had a population of 456,621 and an area of 3,715.38 km2. Hakodate Airport is located in the City of Hakodate, Hokkaido, Hakodate. Ge ...

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. The former home of the Matsumae

Han Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...

, it has an

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

Matsumae Castle is a castle located in Matsumae in Hokkaidō, Japan, and is the northernmost castle in Japan. The only traditional style Edo period castle in Hokkaidō, it was the chief residence of the '' han'' (estate) of the Matsumae clan. History First buil ...

, the only one in Hokkaido, and Ryūun-in. The total area of the town is .

History

*1900: Fukuyama town was founded. *1940: Fukuyama changed its name to Matsumae. *1953: Matsumae Line opened. *1954: Matsumae town, Oshima village, Osawa village, and Kojima village were merged to form Matsumae town. *1988: Matsumae Line was abolished.

Geography

The town is located on the southern end of the

Matsumae Peninsula The Oshima Peninsula (渡島半島 ''Oshima-hantō'') is the southernmost part of Hokkaidō, the northernmost of the Japanese islands. Where the peninsula starts is open to interpretation. A more generous interpretation is to draw a line southea ...

. In addition the town governs the two islands in the

Tsugaru Strait The is a strait between Honshu and Hokkaido in northern Japan connecting the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean. It was named after the western part of Aomori Prefecture. The Seikan Tunnel passes under it at its narrowest point 12.1 miles (1 ...

, Oshima and

Kojima Kojima may refer to: Surname * Kojima (surname) Places * Kōjima, an island known for wild monkeys in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan * Kojima, an uninhabited island belonging to the Tokara Islands, in the southern part of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japa ...

. Along with

Kaminokuni, Hokkaido is a town located in Hiyama Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of September 2016, the town had an estimated population of 5,161, and a density of 9.4 per km2. The total area is 547.58 km2. Geography Kaminokuni is located on the southwest ...

, and

Fukushima, Hokkaido is a town located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of September 2016, the town has an estimated population of 4,390, and a density of 23 persons per km2. The total area is 187.23 km2. Economics Industries in the town include s ...

, Matsumae shares a border with Mount Daisengen, and contains the newest and shortest climbing route to the summit of the mountain.

Climate

Demographics

As of September 2016, the town has an estimated population of 7,843 and a density of 26.7 persons per km².

Culture and lifestyle

Surrounding

is Matsumae Park, which features over 10,000 cherry trees of over 250 varieties, and is ranked among the top cherry blossom viewing spots in the country.

Education

High school

* Hokkaido Matsumae High School (the southernmost high school in Hokkaido)

Sister cities

* Omihachiman, Shiga (since 1984) *

Masaki, Ehime 270px, Hyokotan Park is a town located in Iyo District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 30,411 in 13768 households and a population density of 1500 persons per km².The total area of the town is . It is the sma ...

(since 1990) *

Date, Fukushima is a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 59,625 in 22,843 households and a population density of 220 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Geography Date occupies the eastern half of the F ...

(since 2011) Sister cities of Date
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References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matsumae, Hokkaido Towns in Hokkaido