Isumi

Isumi

いすみ市
Isumi いすみ市
Isumi Railway ; Ohara Fishing Port • Tsutsugaura Meoto Iwa; Daishō-ji • Popo Hill ; Cape Taitō
	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Address	7400 Ōhara, Isumi-shi, Chiba-ken 298-8501
Website	Official website

Isumi (いすみ市, Isumi-shi) is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 November 2020^[update], the city had an estimated population of 37,206 in 17,004 households and a population density of 240 persons per km².^[2] The total area of the city is 157.44 square kilometres (60.79 sq mi).

Geography

Isumi is located on the east coast of southern Chiba Prefecture, on the

Chiba

and 70 to 80 kilometers from central Tokyo.

Surrounding municipalities

Chiba Prefecture

Ichinomiya
Katsuura
Mutsuzawa
Ōtaki
Onjuku

Climate

Isumi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Isumi is 15.4 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1834 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 6.0 °C.^[3]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[4] the population of Isumi has declined in recent decades

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1950	54,556	—
1960	48,395	−11.3%
1970	43,112	−10.9%
1980	42,816	−0.7%
1990	43,431	+1.4%
2000	42,835	−1.4%
2010	40,962	−4.4%
2020	35,544	−13.2%

History

Isumi is part of ancient

Isumi District, Chiba

with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was raised to town status on September 22, 1894. The town of Isumi was established on April 29, 1955 from the merger of Kuniyoshi Town with the neighboring villages of Nakagawa and Chimachi.

The city of Isumi was created on December 5, 2005 when the former town of Isumi absorbed the neighboring towns of Misaki and Ōhara (all from Isumi District).

Government

Isumi has a

Diet of Japan

.

Economy

The local economy is dominated by commercial fishing. Ise-ebi, a species of spiny lobster, is a notable product of Isumi, as are sardines and Japanese amberjack. The middle reaches of the Isumi River provide irrigation for extensive paddy fields for rice production in Isumi. The area also produces tomatoes and cucumbers.^[5]^[6] The economy is supplemented by the summer tourist traffic to the local beach resorts. The border between Ichinomiya and Isumi City starts at the southern end of the 60-km Kujūkuri Beach adjacent to Taito port. Taito beach and areas to the north are noted surfing areas. The surfing competition at the 2020 Olympic Games will be held at Shidashita Beach just north of Isumi.

Education

Isumi has ten public elementary schools and three public middle schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Chiba Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

Transportation

Isumi is approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes from Tokyo Station by limited express train via Ōhara Station on the JR East Sotobō Line. Ōhara Station is also the connecting point for the JR East Sotobō Line and the Isumi Railway Company Isumi Line, which connects the Pacific Coast of east Chiba Prefecture to the interior areas of the Bōsō Peninsula.^[6]