Shimonoseki [1] ( Jap. 市 関 市 Shimonoseki -si ) is the central city of Japan at the southwestern tip of Honshu Island, the largest city in the prefecture of Yamaguchi . The area of the city is 716.17 km² [2] , the population is 271,072 people (August 1, 2014) [3] , the population density is 378.50 people / km².
Central city | |||||
Shimonoseki | |||||
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Jap. 下 関 市 | |||||
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A country | Japan | ||||
Prefecture | Yamaguchi | ||||
History and geography | |||||
Based | 1889 | ||||
Central city with | 2005 | ||||
Square | 716.17 km² | ||||
Timezone | UTC + 9 | ||||
Population | |||||
Population | 271,072 people ( 2014 ) | ||||
Density | 378.50 people / km² | ||||
Digital identifiers | |||||
Code | 35201-2 | ||||
Other | |||||
Region | Chugoku | ||||
Symbolism | Flower : Crinum Asiatic ( Crinum asiaticum ) Tree : Camphor tree | ||||
city.shimonoseki.lg.jp (jap.) | |||||
Content
History
Until the middle of the XIX century Shimonoseki served as the center of Nagato province . The city has long had close ties with the north of the neighboring island of Kyushu . The port area of Shimonoseki was called Akamagaseki ( Jap. 赤 間 関 ) or Bakan ( Jap. 馬 関 ) . In 1889, this port was transformed into the city of Akamagaseki, which in 1902 was renamed Shimonoseki. In February 2005, this city expanded by absorbing the neighboring towns of Toyoura.
Shimonoseki is famous throughout Japan for its history. In 1185, in his suburban waters, a major battle took place near Dannoura . She ended a long war between the Japanese samurai clans Taira and Minamoto and consolidated the domination of the Kamakur shogunate in Japan for the next 150 years. The battle of Dannoura is sung in The Tale of the House of Taira , a masterpiece of Japanese classical literature , and one of its participants, Minamoto-no Yoshitsune , is considered a Japanese national hero.
A legendary duel is also associated with Shimonoseki, which occurred in 1612 on the uninhabited island Ganryujima between Japanese fencers Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro . This island, which today is part of the city, attracts martial arts fans from both Japan and the world. The theme of this fight remains one of the most popular in Japanese literature, cinema, manga and anime.
In the Edo period (1603–1867), the territory of Shimonoseki belonged to the samurai clan Mori , one of the leading participants in the Meiji restoration in the 19th century. This restoration marked the beginning of Japanese modernization and the transformation of Japan into one of the leading countries of the 20th century.
In 1895, the Shimonoseki became the place of signing a peace treaty between the Japanese Empire and the Chinese Qing Empire . He completed the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 and, by strengthening the position of the Japanese state in the international arena, prevented the colonization of Japan by the countries of Europe and the USA.
Many famous Japanese were born in Shimonoseki - actor Matsuda Yusaku , writer Hayashi Fumiko and others.
Twin Cities
Outside Japan
- Santos , Brazil , since 1971
- Istanbul , Turkey , since 1972
- Busan , South Korea , since 1976
- Qingdao , PRC , since 1979
- Pittsburgh in Contra Costa , California , USA , since 1998
Inside Japan
- Kikugawa ( Shizuoka Prefecture )
Notes
- This is a common version of the spelling of the name of the city, used in the vast majority of authoritative sources (both Russian and Chinese ). However, according to Polivanov’s system , as well as a number of Japanese sources (in particular, the encyclopedia “Japan from A to Z” and the website of the Embassy of Japan) The archive copy dated April 21, 2010 on the Wayback Machine ) is written in “e” - “Shimonoseki”.
- ↑ The area is indicated according to data from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (Japan) , taking into account the changes published on October 1, 2011.
- ↑ 人口 移動 統計 調査 (平 成 26 年 8 月 1 日 現在) (Jap.) . Administration of Yamaguchi Prefecture (August 25, 2014). - The population of Yamaguchi Prefecture. The appeal date is September 3, 2014.
Links
- Wikimedia Commons has media on Shimonoseki
- Official site (jap.)
- Shimonoseki (a city in Japan) - an article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia .
- Shimonoseki // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : 86 t. (82 t. And 4 extra.). - SPb. , 1890-1907.