is a former town

Towns of Japan

A town is a local administrative unit in Japan. It is a local public body along with prefecture , city , and village...

 located in Awa District

Awa District, Chiba

is a district located in Chiba, Japan.As of August 2010, the district had an estimated population of 8,992 and a density of 198 persons per km². Its total area was 45.16 km².-History:...

, Chiba

Chiba Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. As of October 1, 2004, the town had an estimated population

Population

A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 of 12,527 and a density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 342 persons per km². The total area was 36.64 km².

Geography

Tomiyama was located at southern end of Chiba Prefecture, at the southeast extremity of Bōsō Peninsula

Boso Peninsula

thumb|Locationthumb|Landsat image with high-resolution data from Space Shuttle is a peninsula in Chiba prefecture on Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It forms the eastern edge of Tokyo Bay, separating it from the Pacific Ocean....

, facing the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

. The town had a temperate maritime climate with hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters.

Chikura is the cable landing point

Cable landing point

A cable landing point is the location where a submarine or other underwater cable makes landfall. The term is most often used for the landfall points of submarine telecommunications cables and submarine power cables. The landing will either be direct or via a branch from a main cable using a...

 for several submarine communications cable

Submarine communications cable

A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean....

s. The Chikura cable station is next to Setohama beach and lands:

• APCN 2
  APCN 2 (cable system)
  APCN 2 or Asia-Pacific Cable Network 2 is a submarine telecommunications cable linking several countries in the Asia-Pacific region.It has landing points in:*Chongming, Shanghai, China*Shantou, Guangdong Province, China...
  
  
• C2C
• CUCN
  CUCN (cable system)
  CUCN or China-US Cable Network is a submarine telecommunications cable linking several countries in the Asia-Pacific region.It has landing points in:#Shantou, Guangdong Province, China#Fangshan, Pingtung County, Taiwan Province, Taiwan...
  
  
• Unity
  Unity (submarine cable)
  Unity is a Trans-Pacific submarine communications cable between Japan and the United States which is currently under construction. Google is investing with other partners...
  
  

History

Asai Village was created on April 1, 1889 within Asai District, which became part of Awa District from April 1, 1897. It became a town on June 25, 1900, and was renamed Chikura on October 1, 1920.

The town expanded through merger with Nanaura, Takeda, and Chitose villages in 1954. On March 20, 2006 Chikura was merged with the neighboring towns of Tomiyama

Tomiyama, Chiba

is a former town located in Awa District, Chiba, Japan. As of March 20, 2006, the town had an estimated population of 5,841 and a density of 145 persons per km². The total area was 40.34 km².-Geography:...

, Wada

Wada, Chiba

is a former town located in Awa District, Chiba, Japan. As of March 20, 2006, the town had an estimated population of 5,717 and a density of 176 persons per km². The total area was 32.45 km².-Geography:...

, Shirahama

Shirahama, Chiba

is a former town located in Awa District, Chiba, Japan. As of October 1, 2004, the town had an estimated population of 6,027 and a density of 353 persons per km². The total area was 17.07 km².-Geography:...

, Maruyama

Maruyama, Chiba

is a former town located in Awa District, Chiba, Japan. As of August 1, 2004, the town had an estimated population of 5,780 and a density of 131 persons per km². The total area was 44.11 km².-Geography:...

 and Tomiura

Tomiura, Chiba

is a former town located in Awa District, Chiba, Japan. As of March 20, 2006, the town had an estimated population of 5,698 and a density of 221 persons per km². The total area was 25.69 km².-Geography:...

, and the village of Miyoshi

Miyoshi, Chiba

is a former village located in Awa District, Chiba, Japan. As of March 20, 2006, the village had an estimated population of 4,560 and a density of 135 persons per km². The total area was 33.92 km².-Geography:...

, all within Awa District

Awa District, Chiba

is a district located in Chiba, Japan.As of August 2010, the district had an estimated population of 8,992 and a density of 198 persons per km². Its total area was 45.16 km².-History:...

, to form the new city of Minamibōsō

Minamiboso, Chiba

is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010 data, the city had an estimated population of 42,035 and a population density of 183 persons per km²...

.

Economy

The economy of Chikura was largely based on commercial fishing

Commercial fishing

Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...

, horticulture

Horticulture

Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...

 (primarily herbs and flowers), and summer tourism.

Local events

The area has an annual summer festival, Chikura Matsuri. The only Shinto shrine in town is Takabe-jinja Shrine, which is devoted to the God of Cooking. Twice a year, a special ceremony is held where a fish is cleaned and prepared without being touched by the priests' hands.

The Minamibōsō Two Day Flower Walk is held every first weekend of March. In this framework, there is a close relationship and exchange program with the city of Blankenberge

Blankenberge

Blankenberge is a town and a municipality in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Blankenberge proper and the settlement of Uitkerke.On 1 January 2010 Blankenberge had a total population of 18,907...

, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

, and the link Two Day March of Flanders.
In the summer the area is a very popular place as beach resort and surfing.

External links

• Chikura official website (part of Minami Boso site) in Japanese
• Unity Trans-Pacific cable press release