Shimabara, Nagasaki
Shimabara
島原市 | |
---|---|
camphor tree |
Shimabara (島原市, Shimabara-shi) is a
Economy
Shimabara is 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". The city has so much natural spring water, both hot and cold, that it runs through the streets.[citation needed] On Carp Street, koi swim in the canals.[citation needed]
Principal agricultural products include mandarin oranges, tea, and tobacco.
History
Shimabara is a
Modern Shimabara City was founded on April 1, 1940 by the merger of former town of Shimabara with several surrounding villages.
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
Geography
Climate
Shimabara has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen:Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. The average annual temperature in Shimabara is 17.4 °C (63.3 °F). The average annual rainfall is 2,210.8 mm (87.04 in) with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 28.3 °C (82.9 °F), and lowest in January, at around 7.0 °C (44.6 °F).[1] Its record high is 37.8 °C (100.0 °F), reached on 11 August 2016, and its record low is −6.2 °C (20.8 °F), reached on 25 January 2016.[2]
Climate data for Shimabara (2006−2020 normals, extremes 2006−present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 20.1 (68.2) |
23.5 (74.3) |
25.1 (77.2) |
27.8 (82.0) |
32.1 (89.8) |
34.4 (93.9) |
37.0 (98.6) |
37.8 (100.0) |
35.9 (96.6) |
31.7 (89.1) |
26.3 (79.3) |
24.4 (75.9) |
37.8 (100.0) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 10.3 (50.5) |
11.8 (53.2) |
15.3 (59.5) |
20.1 (68.2) |
24.8 (76.6) |
27.0 (80.6) |
31.2 (88.2) |
32.7 (90.9) |
29.0 (84.2) |
24.0 (75.2) |
18.1 (64.6) |
12.4 (54.3) |
21.4 (70.5) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 7.0 (44.6) |
8.1 (46.6) |
11.1 (52.0) |
15.4 (59.7) |
20.0 (68.0) |
23.1 (73.6) |
27.0 (80.6) |
28.3 (82.9) |
25.0 (77.0) |
20.3 (68.5) |
14.6 (58.3) |
9.0 (48.2) |
17.4 (63.3) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.4 (38.1) |
4.5 (40.1) |
7.1 (44.8) |
11.1 (52.0) |
15.7 (60.3) |
20.0 (68.0) |
24.0 (75.2) |
25.1 (77.2) |
22.0 (71.6) |
17.0 (62.6) |
11.0 (51.8) |
5.4 (41.7) |
13.9 (57.0) |
Record low °C (°F) | −6.2 (20.8) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
0.5 (32.9) |
2.6 (36.7) |
8.1 (46.6) |
13.8 (56.8) |
18.0 (64.4) |
18.8 (65.8) |
15.1 (59.2) |
8.1 (46.6) |
1.4 (34.5) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
−6.2 (20.8) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 64.2 (2.53) |
117.5 (4.63) |
144.9 (5.70) |
183.0 (7.20) |
185.7 (7.31) |
475.8 (18.73) |
414.9 (16.33) |
207.4 (8.17) |
173.9 (6.85) |
118.4 (4.66) |
84.1 (3.31) |
79.2 (3.12) |
2,210.8 (87.04) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 5.8 | 8.5 | 9.1 | 9.3 | 8.8 | 15.0 | 12.7 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 6.5 | 7.3 | 7.9 | 110 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 140.2 | 143.2 | 184.9 | 198.4 | 215.3 | 128.9 | 194.8 | 235.7 | 180.3 | 192.0 | 149.7 | 135.6 | 2,094.5 |
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[2][1] |
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Shimabara in 2020 is 43,338 people.[3] Shimabara has been conducting censuses since 1920. The city's population peaked in the 1950s with more than 60,000 people. In 2020, Shimabara's population is only about 75% of what it was in the 1950s.
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1920 | 41,482 | — |
1925 | 43,338 | +4.5% |
1930 | 46,254 | +6.7% |
1935 | 46,703 | +1.0% |
1940 | 46,748 | +0.1% |
1945 | 62,501 | +33.7% |
1950 | 62,028 | −0.8% |
1955 | 60,370 | −2.7% |
1960 | 58,693 | −2.8% |
1965 | 56,724 | −3.4% |
1970 | 56,692 | −0.1% |
1975 | 57,289 | +1.1% |
1980 | 58,890 | +2.8% |
1985 | 58,457 | −0.7% |
1990 | 56,903 | −2.7% |
1995 | 52,853 | −7.1% |
2000 | 51,563 | −2.4% |
2005 | 50,045 | −2.9% |
2010 | 47,471 | −5.1% |
2015 | 45,436 | −4.3% |
2020 | 43,338 | −4.6% |
Shimabara population statistics[3] |
Culture
Festivals
Shimabara is host of the Shimbara 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.
Notable people
References
- ^ a b 気象庁 / 平年値(年・月ごとの値). JMA. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ a b 観測史上1~10位の値(年間を通じての値). JMA. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ a b Shimabara population statistics
- ^ "「人間ひな行列」城下町彩る 島原城下ひなめぐり". 長崎新聞.
External links
- Media related to Shimabara, Nagasaki at Wikimedia Commons
- Shimabara City official website (in Japanese)
- Shimabara City official website (in English)
- Shimabara Peninsula—Visit Nagasaki website (in English)