is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

located in

Chiba Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. , the city had an estimated

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 37,143 in 17,175 households and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

of 160 persons per km². The total area of the city is , making it the fifth largest city in Chiba Prefecture in terms of area. Minamibōsō is an area of historical relics and shrines. The city's slogan is 「ひと・ゆめ・みらい　地域で創る魅力の郷　南房総」, which translates to "People, Dreams, Future. A Village With Locally Grown Appeal, Minamibōsō." Minamibōsō is known for flowers, uchiwa fans ( 房州うちわ),

loquat The loquat (''Eriobotrya japonica'', Chinese: 枇杷; Pinyin: pípá) is a large evergreen shrub or tree grown commercially for its orange fruit. It is also cultivated as an ornamental plant. The loquat is in the family Rosaceae, subfamily Spi ...

fruit,

whaling Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...

( 捕鯨), and surfing. It is currently tied in first place for the city with the most roadside stations selling locally produced goods in Japan.http://www.city.minamiboso.chiba.jp/

Geography

Minamibōsō is in the southern portion of Chiba Prefecture, near the southern tip of the

Bōsō Peninsula The is a peninsula that encompasses the entirety of Chiba Prefecture on Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It is part of the Greater Tokyo Area. It forms the eastern edge of Tokyo Bay, separating it from the Pacific Ocean. The peninsula covers ...

. It is surrounded by water on three sides facing the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

to the east and south, and the entrance to

Tokyo Bay is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan spanning the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture, on the southern coast of the island of Honshu. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. Th ...

on the west. Minamibōsō city has several mountain ranges over 300 meters high such as

Mount Atago is a 924m mountain in the northwestern part of Ukyo-ku, in the city of Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is borde ...

and Mount Tomi. Minamibōsō City surrounds Tateyama on the north, east, and south. The land in Minamibōsō is broken up as follows: 30.43% mountains/forest land, 13.23% rice paddies, 8.81% crop land, 6.25% open fields, 4.61% residential land.

Neighboring municipalities

Chiba Prefecture * Kamogawa *

Kyonan file:鋸山から保田方面 Hota view from Mt. Nokogiri 20130105 - panoramio.jpg, 250px, View of Hota from Mount Nokogiri is a List of towns in Japan, town located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 7,409 in ...

* Tateyama

Climate

The Minamibōsō area has a warm,

maritime climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring ...

with hot summers and mild winters due to the

Kuroshio Current The , also known as the Black Current or is a north-flowing, warm ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean basin. It was named for the deep blue appearance of its waters. Similar to the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic, the Ku ...

. The average temperature is 16.22 degrees Celsius, with the average high and low temperatures at 34.34 degrees Celsius and -4.16 degrees Celsius respectively. The hottest months are from June to September, and the coldest months are from January to March. Minamibōsō City receives an average of 1767.15 mm of rainfall annually.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Minamibōsō has been decreasing over the past 70 years. Minamibōsō's cityscape is characterized by low-rise residential buildings dispersed throughout the various flat areas in town; the Chikura area, in east, is the town's most populous locality. As of 2007, 10.3% of the population was 0–14 years old, 56.1% of the population was between 15–64 years old, and 33.6% of the population was 65 and older.

History

The area of present-day Minamibōsō was part of ancient Awa Province, dominated by the Satomi clan during the

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

, and mostly ''

tenryō The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil war ...

'' territory controlled directly by the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

, with portions under the control of various minor feudal domains. The area was divided into numerous towns and villages in the

Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

, all within Awa District of Chiba Prefecture. The modern city of Minamibōsō was formed from the merger on March 20, 2006 of the towns of Chikura, Maruyama, Shirahama, Tomiura, Tomiyama and Wada, and the village of Miyoshi (all from Awa District).

Government

Minamibōsō has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

city council of 18 members. Minamibōsō contributes one member to the Chiba Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Chiba 12th district of the

lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

of the

Diet of Japan , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...

Economy

Minamibōsō serves as a commercial center for the surrounding region of southern Chiba Prefecture. The primary industry is

commercial fishing Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for Commerce, commercial Profit (economics), profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice ...

and agriculture (horticulture and flowers). The tourist industry is a growing component of the local economy, with attractions being the areas beaches and hot spring resorts. In 2008, about 4.5 million tourists visited Minamibōsō City. Due to its close proximity to Tokyo and Chiba City, many people visit Minamibōsō on day trips. Of those 4.5 million tourists in 2008, almost 3.9 million of them were visiting on a day trip. Of the working population, about 60% own various private businesses such as small shops restaurants or medical practices, 25% work in Farming Fishing and Forestry, and 17% work in Manufacturing and Construction.

Education

Minamibōsō has eight public elementary schools and six public middle schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Chiba Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in ...

– Uchibō Line * – – () – () – () – – – – The stations in parentheses are located in the neighboring Tateyama city.

Highway

* * *

Bus

There are city buses that travel through three areas: *Uchibo area (Tokyo Bay side of the Boso Peninsula) * Shirahama/ Chikura * Maruyama/ Wada

Access

Car

From Tokyo: Minamibōsō City is located within 100 km of Tokyo, and can be reached in 95 minutes by car through use of the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line. From Chiba: It takes about 70 minutes from Chiba City to Minamibōsō by the Tateyama Expressway. From

Haneda Airport , also known as and sometimes abbreviated to ''Tokyo-Haneda'', is the busier of the two international airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the other one being Narita International Airport (NRT). It serves as the primary domestic base of J ...

: Minamibōsō City is about 80 minutes by car or highway bus from

Highway bus

Highway Buses run by Keisei( 京成), Nitto Transportation (日東交通), and Tateyama Nitto Bus ( 館山日東バス) companies are available to and from

Chiba Station is a major interchange railway station in Chiba, Chiba, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and Chiba Urban Monorail. Lines Chiba Station is served by the following lines. JR East *Sobu Main Line ** Chūō-Sōbu Line ** S ...

JR Bus JR Bus collectively refers to the bus operations of Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies in Japan. JR Bus is operated by six regional companies, with JR East and JR West operating two each while the others operate one each. JR Bus compani ...

es　( ジェイアールバス関東) are available to and from

Tokyo Station Tōkyō Station (, ) is a major railway station in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The original station is located in Chiyoda's Marunouchi business district near the Tokyo Imperial Palace, Imperial Palace grounds. The newer Eastern extension is not far ...

. From

: *

　- Highway Oasis Furari *

– Tomiura Biwa Club – Nagotaketo Building – Tateyama Station – Nanso Cultural Hall – Kokonoe Station *

– Chikura Station – Asai Commercial and Industrial Association – Shiokaze Oukoku ( 道の駅ちくら・潮風王国) – Shirahama Post Office – Shirahama Nojimazaki Station From

: There are bus stops at: *Tomiura Biwa Club in Tomiura * Highway Oasis Furari in Tomiyama * Chikura Station *Asai Commercial and Industrial Center and Shiokaze Oukoku in Chikura * Shirahama Post Office * Awa Shirahama ( 安房白浜駅)

Ferry

The Tokyo-Wan Ferry is available to cross the

from the Port of Kanaya in

Futtsu, Chiba 260px, Futtsu City Hall is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 42,476 in 18,115 households and a population density of 210 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Futtsu is lo ...

to the Port of Yokosuka.

Sightseeing

Museums

*Shirahama Kaiyo Museum has exhibitions of maiwai fishing jackets and maritime artifacts. *The Chikura Kaigan Museum has photography and glassware exhibitions by Shinpei Asai.

Shrines and temples

*Ishido-ji Temple: originated 1300 years ago, and houses the Eleven Faced

Goddess of Mercy Guanyin () is a common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with Karuṇā, compassion known as Avalokiteśvara (). Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as m ...

Statue. *Jorakuzan Mantoku-ji Temple: famous for its "Reclining Buddha" statue. *Joju-in Temple: the family temple of the Satomi clan, the basis for the book, Nansō Satomi Hakkenden. *Komatsu-ji Temple: a famous place to visit to see the leaves change color in autumn. There are legends surrounding it involving the Satomi clan. *Takabe Shrine: the only temple in Japan that worships the god of cooking. The Knife Ceremony, which dates back to the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

is held here three times a year.

Other famous areas

* Cape Nojimazaki is famous for Nojimazaki Lighthouse, the second western-style lighthouse to be built in Japan. * Cape Taibusa is located on Tokyo Bay, and is one of "Chiba's Top 100 Sceneries." It also has a nature park with hiking trails. *The Cave of Princess Fuse: Princess Fuse lived here with her dog Yatsufusa in the novel Nansō Satomi Hakkenden. *

Megane Bridge or Spectacles Bridge, over the :ja:中島川, Nakashima River (中島川) was built in Nagasaki in 1634 by the Chinese people, Chinese monk Mokusunyoujo who was in the second generation of Chinese monks living at Kōfuku-ji (Nagasaki), Kofukuj ...

is one of "Japan's Famous Bridges." It is lit up every year in December and January. *

is home to a JASDF

radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...

station * Mount Iyogatake * Mount Karasuba is another of "Chiba's Top 100 Sceneries". You can see Mt. Fuji from its observation decks. * Mount Takazuka * Mount Tomi is another of "Chiba's Top 100 Sceneries" and Mt. Fuji can be seen from the observation deck. It is surrounded by Mount Tomi Prefectural Park. *Takida Castle: ancient residence of the Isshiki clan, it is also the setting for the beginning of Nansō Satomi Hakkenden. *Yatsufusa Park: located below Kasuga shrine, it has a statue of Yatsufusa.

Festivals and ceremonies

*Chikura BON Festa (August) *Iwai Beach Nouryou Fireworks Festival (August) *Knife Ceremony (May, October, November) *Omatoshinji (March) *Sangyo Matsuri (August) *Shirahama Ama Festival (July)

Famous foods

The area of Wadaura in Wada is famous for whaling, and is one of two areas in Japan where whaling is permitted. As of November 7, 2012, a roadside station opened up in Wadaura in order to promote whale and other local cuisine such as namero and sanga ( なめろう), and Boshu Lobster, and there are 21 restaurants in Wada that serve whale. Tomiura is famous for

fruits and also has a roadside station promoting the sales of products containing loquat. The area of Iwai in Tomiura is famous for

abalone Abalone ( or ; via Spanish , from Rumsen language, Rumsen ''aulón'') is a common name for any small to very large marine life, marine gastropod mollusc in the family (biology), family Haliotidae, which once contained six genera but now cont ...

. Being surrounded by water on three sides, the entirety of Minamibōsō is famous for the aforementioned seafood as well as

sushi is a traditional Japanese dish made with , typically seasoned with sugar and salt, and combined with a variety of , such as seafood, vegetables, or meat: raw seafood is the most common, although some may be cooked. While sushi comes in n ...

and

sashimi is a Japanese cuisine, Japanese delicacy consisting of fresh raw fish or Raw meat, meat sliced into thin pieces and often eaten with soy sauce. Origin The word ''sashimi'' means 'pierced body', i.e., "wikt:刺身, 刺身" = ''sashimi'', whe ...

. Another famous thing in the area being flowers, edible flower dishes are well known in Minamibōsō city.http://www.mboso-etoko.jp/top_shoku.asp , Official Website: Tourist Information

Roadside stations

As of November 7, 2012, Minamibōsō City has eight roadside stations promoting local produce and goods. It is currently tied with

Takayama, Gifu Takayama City Hall is a city located in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 88,473 in 35,644 households, and a population density of 41 persons per km2. The total area of the city was making it the largest cit ...

for having the most roadside stations in the country.　The roadside stations include: *Tomiura Biwa Club: Located in Tomiura, it promotes products containing loquat, and has a local art gallery. *Ootsu no Sato Flower Club: Located in Tomiura, it promotes seasonal flowers. *Tomiraku Sato Tomiyama: Located in Tomiyama, it promotes fresh mountain and ocean produce. *Hina no Sato: Located in Miyoshi, it promotes fresh vegetables and fruits. *Rosemary Park: Located in Maruyama, it features a garden and buildings styled after Shakespeare's country home, and promotes seasonal flowers and herbs. *Shirahama Nojimazaki: The southernmost roadside station, it is located in Shirahama, and it is a tourist break spot that offers information about the various localities in Minamibōsō. *Chikura Shiokaze Oukoku: Located in Chikura, it promotes local seafood sales, and contains a small art gallery. *Wadaura Wa・O!: Located in Wadaura, it is the newest roadside station in Japan, having opened on November 7, 2012. It promotes whale and other local marine cuisine, and has the Mini Whale Museum inside.

Other attractions

*Boshu Uchiwa fans ( 房州うちわ) are a traditional style of uchiwa that came to Minamibōsō and Tateyama in the 1870s. *Being a peninsula, fishing is very popular. *Flowers are grown all over Minamibōsō, and there are flower parks where the flowers are in bloom year-round. *There are many hiking paths available in the mountains around Minamibōsō. *The Knife Ceremony held three times a year at Takabe Shrine is a historic event that has taken place since the Heian period. *Minamibōsō has a golf course called Cosmo Classic Golf Club. *Campers can pitch a tent on the beach at Nemoto Marine Campground. *There are many hot spring resorts in Minamibōsō in addition to several public foot baths which are located at the Tomiura Genki Club, Shirahama Flower Park, and Miyoshi's Hina no Sato. *The beaches in Chikura are famous for having good waves for surfing

Sister cities

Ferndale, Washington Ferndale is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. The population was 15,048 at the 2020 census. and according to 2023 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 15,992. Ferndale is the third largest city in ...

, United States *

Blankenberge Blankenberge (; ; ) is a seaside Municipalities of Belgium, municipality and City status in Belgium, city in the Belgium, Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Blankenberge proper and the settlement of Uitke ...

, Belgium

Notable people from Minamibōsō

* Ai Aoki, politician, former singer *

Sessue Hayakawa , known professionally as , was a Japanese actor and a matinée idol. He was a popular star in Hollywood during the silent film era of the 1910s and early 1920s. Hayakawa was the first actor of Asian descent to achieve stardom as a leading man ...

, actor * Takayuki Kato, baseball player,

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters The are a Japanese professional Baseball in Japan, baseball team based in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido, Kitahiroshima, Hokkaidō, in the Sapporo metropolitan area. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the major ...

* Osamu Suzuki, screenwriter * Chonosuke Takagi,

judoka is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...

* Kazumi Takayama, former

Nogizaka46 is a Japanese female idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto, created as the "official rival" of the group AKB48. They are the first group from the Sakamichi Series, which also includes sister groups Sakurazaka46 (formerly Keyakizaka46), Yoshim ...

idol singer * Mikogami Tenzen,

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

samurai, founder of Ono-ha Ittō-ryū *

Sora Tokui is a Japanese voice actress and manga artist who made her debut as a voice actress in 2009 as Himemiya in '' Weiß Survive R''. She is a member of the singer group Milky Holmes, formed by the four main voice actresses in the media franchise ''T ...

, voice actress

Gallery

File:Whalerifle20101017.JPG, Whale rifle at Minamibōsō City Hall File:The south end of Boso peninsula.jpg, Southernmost point of Boso Peninsula File:Wadaurassuyo.jpg, Wadaura Harbor File:Karasubayama.jpg, Mount Karasuba, Wadaura District File:Minamibōsō surfer.jpg, Surfer at Minamibōsō coast File:Mt.Atago from Mt.Iyogatake 01.jpg, View of Mount Atago from Mount Iyogatake File:Flower farm at Shiramazu, Chikura, Minami-bousou, Chiba.JPG, Flower farm at Shiramazu

References

External links

Official Website

Official Tourism Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Minamiboso, Chiba Cities in Chiba Prefecture Populated coastal places in Japan