is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

located in of Ehime Prefecture,

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 city had an estimated population of 31,385 in 15638 households and a population density of 240 persons per km². The total area of the city is .

Geography

Yawatahama is located in the western part of Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, at the base of the Sadamisaki Peninsula. It faces the

Seto Inland Sea The , sometimes shortened to the Inland Sea, is the body of water separating Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū, three of the four main islands of Japan. It serves as a waterway connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan. It connects to Osaka ...

to the north, and faces

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

to the west across the Bungo Channel. The coastline is a ria coastline, with steep slopes, creating a scenic landscape where capes and coves intersect. For a long time, the city's naturally good harbor has served as an important one for Ehime Prefecture and Shikoku. Flat land is exceedingly sparse and the hilly terrain has been used for citrus production.

Neighbouring municipalities

Ehime Prefecture * Ōzu *

Ikata is a small peninsula town located in Nishiuwa District, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 8,497 in 15638 households and a population density of 90 persons per km². The total area of the town is Following a rec ...

Seiyo 270px, Kaimei Gakko 270px, Aerial view of Unomachi neighborhood of Seiyo 270px, Onogahara in Seiyo is a city located in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 35,456 in 17627 households and a population density of 69 ...

Climate

Yawatahama has a

Humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Yawatahama is 15.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1644 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around 26.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around 5.1 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Yawatahama has been decreasing steadily since the 1950s.

History

The area of Yawatahama was part of ancient Iyo Province, and its name appears in early Nara period documents. According to legend, the name "Yawatahama" (八幡浜) comes from long ago when debris from a festival at the Usa Jingū, Usa Hachiman shrine (八幡) in Usa, Ōita, floated up on the beach (浜) in what is now Yawatahama.Yawatahama City History before 1950
/ref> In the Edo Period, the area was part of the holding of the Date clan of Uwajima Domain. After the Meiji restoration, the town of Yawatahama was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. However, even before that time, Yawatahama was linked to Osaka and Oita via steamships and the area was referred to as the " Manchester of Shikoku" due to rapidly increasing industrialization. The first bank in Ehime was opened in Yawatahama in 1878. In addition, in 1889, Yawatahama was the first city in Shikoku to burn an electric light.

Town mergers

*February 11, 1935 - Yawatahama combined with Senjo, Hitada, and Kamiyama and was elevated to city status. *February 1, 1955 - A locality of Futaiwa, as well as Hizuchi, Maana, and Kawakami were added.1950s Yawatahama City History
/ref> *March 31, 1955 - Nishiuwa District's Isotsu, Miyauchi, Kawanoishi, and Kisuki towns merge under the name Honai. *March 28, 2005 - Yawatahama absorbed the town of Honai (from Nishiuwa District)

Government

Yawatahama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 16 members. Yawatahama together with Ikata, contributes two members to the Ehime Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Ehime 4th district of the

lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

of the

Diet of Japan The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...

Economy

Major industries include citrus farming, fisheries, fisheries-related food processing, and shipbuilding. Mandarin orange cultivation is started in the middle of the Meiji era, and has a history of 100 years. The fishery industry is thriving with trawl fishing as the core, as well as

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...

. The fish market in Yawatahama is the largest in Shikoku.Yawatahama's marine product industry extends beyond just fresh fish. The town also specializes in fish products including fish paste and fishcakes made from pureed white fish. This is known as ''

kamaboko is a type of cured , a processed seafood product common in Japanese cuisine. is made by forming various pureed deboned white fish with either natural or man-made additives and flavorings into distinctive loaves, which are then steamed u ...

''. Yawatahama, along with Uwajima, have numerous shops selling a variety of ''kamaboko''. One local delicacy is ''jakoten'' (じゃこ天), or ''kamaboko'' fried tempura-style.Yawatahama's mikan production is governed by the Nishiuwa

Agricultural cooperative An agricultural cooperative, also known as a farmers' co-op, is a cooperative in which farmers pool their resources in certain areas of activity. A broad typology of agricultural cooperatives distinguishes between agricultural service cooperati ...

, which is responsible for the distribution and branding of Yawatahama mikans. This cooperative distributes the fruits nationwide under such brand names as "Hinomaru" (日の丸) and "Kawakami" (川上). However agricultural production is declining due to aging demographics and rural depopulation.

Education

Yawatahama has 14 public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government. The city has three public high schools operated by the Ehime Prefectural Board of Education.

High schools

*Yawatahama High School *Yawatahama Technical High School *Kawanoishi High School

Junior high schools

*Atago Junior High School *Yashiro Junior High School *Matsukaya Junior High School *Ōshima Junior High School *Honai Junior High School

Transportation

Railways

Shikoku Railway Company - Yosan Line * - -

Highways

Matsuyama Expressway * *

Ports

Port of Yawatahama A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as ...

- which provides regular ferry services to the cities of

Usuki, Ōita is a city located on the east coast of Ōita Prefecture, Japan. It is famous for its Usuki Stone Buddhas, a national treasure, and its soy sauce production. Recently it has become known for having the look and feel of a Japanese castle tow ...

and Beppu, Ōita on

Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...

Noted people from Yawatahama

* Moriyuki Kato, the governor of Ehime Prefecture * Chūhachi Ninomiya, a Japanese aviation pioneer *

Maedayama Eigorō was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Ehime Prefecture. He was the sport's 39th ''yokozuna.'' Career He was born in Nishiuwa District. On his school excursion to Ōita in the spring of 1926, he met future ''yokozuna'' Futabayama Sa ...

, a sumo wrestler who was the sport's 39th Yokozuna * Jōkō Ninomiya, founder and director of

Enshin Karate is a style of "full contact karate", or Knockdown karate, founded in 1988 with dojo and students in various countries around the world. Overview The core emphasis in Enshin is use of the Sabaki Method, a system of techniques employed with th ...

References

External links

Yawatahama City official website

Yawatahama Sea Road

Yawatahama Mountain Biking
{{Authority control Cities in Ehime Prefecture Port settlements in Japan Populated coastal places in Japan