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
Tōhaku District,
Tottori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Tottori Prefecture is the least populous prefecture of Japan at 570,569 (2016) and has a geographic area of . Tottori Prefecture borders Shimane Prefecture to the west, Hiro ...
,
Japan. It is also home to the official treasure of
Sanbutsu-ji
is a Buddhist temple in the town of Misasa, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. The of Sanbutsu-ji, built in the Heian period is designated a National Treasure of Japan.
By tradition Sanbutsu-ji was founded by the Buddhist ascetic and mystic of t ...
, the
Misasa Onsen
is a List of towns in Japan, town located in Tōhaku District, Tottori, Tōhaku District, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. It is also home to the official treasure of Sanbutsu-ji, the Misasa Onsen, and Okayama Hospital.
The name "Misasa" (literally "t ...
, and Okayama Hospital.
The name "Misasa" (literally "three mornings") originates from the belief that one who stays to enjoy three mornings in the town's famous hot springs will find all of his ailments cured.
As of June 1, 2016, the town has an estimated
population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
of 6,407 and a
density
Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the substance's mass per unit of volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' can also be used. Mathematical ...
of 27.4 persons per km
2. The total area is 233.46 km
2.
Misasa is for the most part a
spa resort, boasting springs of
radium
Radium is a chemical element with the symbol Ra and atomic number 88. It is the sixth element in group 2 of the periodic table, also known as the alkaline earth metals. Pure radium is silvery-white, but it readily reacts with nitrogen (rathe ...
-rich water, exhausting
radon
Radon is a chemical element with the symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colourless, odourless, tasteless noble gas. It occurs naturally in minute quantities as an intermediate step in the normal radioactive decay chains through ...
, a
radioactive
Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is consi ...
gas. Locals believe that bathing one in such waters can be good for one's health, although there is no scientific consensus on whether doing so is detrimental or helpful to one's health (see
Radiation hormesis
Radiation hormesis is the hypothesis that low doses of ionizing radiation (within the region of and just above natural background levels) are beneficial, stimulating the activation of repair mechanisms that protect against disease, that are not ...
). For this reason, the town of Misasa organizes a yearly
Marie Curie
Marie Salomea Skłodowska–Curie ( , , ; born Maria Salomea Skłodowska, ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934) was a Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first ...
festival – Marie Curie discovered radium.
The film ''
Koitanibashi
is a 2011 Japanese film directed by Kōichi Gotō.
Cast
* Takako Uehara
* Kensei Mikami
is a Japanese actor. After being active as a fashion model in Japan, he went to New York at the age of 18. After returning home, he started work as an ...
'' was shot in Misasa.
Education
Primary schools
* Nishi Elementary School
* Higashi Elementary School
* Minami Elementary School
Junior high schools
* Misasa Junior High School
Universities
*
Institute for Planetary Materials,
Okayama University
is a national university in Japan. The main campus is located in Tsushima-Naka, Okayama, Okayama Prefecture.
The school was founded in 1870 and it was established as a university in 1949.
History
Okayama University was originally founded as t ...
Neighboring municipalities
*
Tottori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Tottori Prefecture is the least populous prefecture of Japan at 570,569 (2016) and has a geographic area of . Tottori Prefecture borders Shimane Prefecture to the west, Hiro ...
**
Tottori
**
Kurayoshi
is a city located in the central part of Tottori Prefecture, Japan. As of October 1, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 48,558 and a population density of 180 persons per km², making it the third largest city in Tottori. The total a ...
**
Yurihama
is a town located in Tōhaku District, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. As of October 31, 2019, the town had an estimated population of 16,837 and a density of 216 persons per km2. The total area is 77.95 km2.
Yurihama was created on October 1, ...
*
Okayama Prefecture
**
Kagamino
**
Maniwa
Places of note
*
Misasa Onsen
is a List of towns in Japan, town located in Tōhaku District, Tottori, Tōhaku District, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. It is also home to the official treasure of Sanbutsu-ji, the Misasa Onsen, and Okayama Hospital.
The name "Misasa" (literally "t ...
: A radium-rich hot spring.
* Oshika Valley
: It is named a special location, or "meishou" (名所) by the government, and is about 4 km long.
*
Sanbutsu-ji
is a Buddhist temple in the town of Misasa, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. The of Sanbutsu-ji, built in the Heian period is designated a National Treasure of Japan.
By tradition Sanbutsu-ji was founded by the Buddhist ascetic and mystic of t ...
: A temple located on a cliff on the north face of
Mount Mitoku
, is a mountain located in Misasa, Tottori, Misasa, Tottori Prefecture. Mount Mitoku has an Topographical summit, elevation of . Mount Mitoku was known from ancient times as a place of both religious significance and scenic beauty. The mountain is ...
, it is designated as one of the
National Treasures of Japan.
Twin towns
Misasa is
twinned with:
*
Lamalou-les-Bains
Lamalou-les-Bains (; Languedocien: ''L’Amalon'') is a commune in the Hérault département in the Occitanie region in southern France.
Geography
Lamalou-les-Bains is located 53½ miles west of Montpellier in the Orb valley of the southern ...
, France, since 1990
*
Jōyō, Kyoto
is a city located in Kyoto Prefecture, Kansai, Japan. It is halfway between Kyoto and Nara. It contains historical sites including the Shibagahara Tomb and Mito shrine. The city was founded on May 3, 1972. As of October 2020, the city has an est ...
, Japan, since 2012
References
External links
Official town website
Official town website
{{Authority control
Towns in Tottori Prefecture
Tōhaku District, Tottori