right|thumb|270px|Shimabara City Hall

right|thumb|270px|View from Shimabara Castle

right|thumb|270px|View of Mount Unzen from Shimabara port

right|thumb|270px|The old samurai residence town Shimabara

is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 42,181 in 19917 households, and a population density of 510 people per km<sup>2</sup>. The total area of the city is .

Geography

Shimabara is located at the north-eastern end of the Shimabara Peninsula, facing the Ariake Sea in the east and Mount Unzen (including Fugendake) in the west.

Climate

Shimabara has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen:Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. The average annual temperature in Shimabara is . The average annual rainfall is with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around .

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Shimabara in 2020 is 43,338 people.

History

Shimabara is within ancient Hizen Province. It developed as a castle town around Shimabara Castle which was the capital of Shimabara Domain during the Edo period. It was the site of considerable foreign trade and missionary activity during the late Muromachi period, and in the early Edo period, a large percentage of the population were Kirishitan. Due to misgovernment, high taxes and persecution of Christianity, the population rose up during the Shimabara Rebellion of 1637, which was suppressed with extreme severity by the Tokugawa shogunate. Shimabara was subsequently ruled by a branch of the Matsudaira clan from 1668 to 1774 and from 1774 to 1871.

After the Meiji restoration, the town of Shimabara was created with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Shimabara town annexed neighboring Shimabara village and Minato town on April 1, 1924. On April 1, 1940, it annexed Annaka and Sugitani villages and was raised to city status. Shimabara annexed neighboring Mikae village on April 1, 1955. On January 1, 2006, the town of Ariake (from Minamitakaki District) was merged into Shimabara.

Throughout its history, Shimabara has been dominated by the seismic activity of Mount Unzen. A major volcanic eruption in 1792 resulted in a tsunami that destroyed most of the town and killed over 15,000 people, in one of Japan's worst volcanic disasters. In more recent history, major eruptions in 1990–1991 resulted in pyroclastic flows, which killed 43 people and forced the temporary evacuation of hundreds of others. The 5th International Conference of Cities on Volcanoes was held in Shimabara on November 19–23, 2007.

Government

Shimabara has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 19 members. Shimabara contributes two members to the Nagasaki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Nagasaki 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Shimabara is heavily dependent on agriculture and commercial fishing. Main crops include rice, radishes, carrots, potatoes, Chinese cabbage, small watermelons, mangoes, strawberries, pomelos, tobacco as well as chicken and cattle. Shimabara is also a popular tourist destination, due to its historical associations, location in Unzen-Amakusa National Park, and numerous onsen. The most popular tourist destination within the urban area is Shimabara Castle and the nearby "Samurai Street".

Education

Shimabara has nine public elementary schools and five public junior high schools by the city government, and four public high schools operated by the Nagasaki Prefectural Board of Education. There is also one private high school. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

Transportation

Railways

frameless|20x20px Shimabara Railway - Shimabara Railway Line

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Highways

Local attractions

  • Mount Unzen and Mt. Unzen Disaster Memorial Hall (Madamas Dome)
  • Shimabara Castle
  • Shimabara Onsen
  • Shimabara Peninsula Geopark
  • Shimabara Samurai Residences

Festivals

Shimabara is host of the Shimabara Water Festival on the first weekend of August. There are also festivals in Minamishimabara, like the Marine Festival in Kuchinotsu and the Minamishimabara Sakura Festivals.

Food

It is known for a local treat called kanzarashi, dumplings served in a syrup.

Notable people

  • Koumei Nakamura, celebrity chef

References

  • Shimabara City official website
  • Shimabara City official website
  • Shimabara Peninsula—Visit Nagasaki website