Minami, Tokushima
Encyclopedia
is a town
located in Kaifu District
, Tokushima
, Japan
.
It was founded on March 31, 2006 from the merger of the towns of Hiwasa
and Yuki
, both from Kaifu District
.
Located 50km south of prefecture's capital, Tokushima city, Minami is over 33km from east to west, and covers an area of approximately 140.8km². It is bordered on the southwest by the Kaifu mountains and on the east by the Pacific Ocean, making Minami a scenic town surrounded by mountains and sea. As of 2006 the town has an estimated population
of 8,540 and a density
of 60.63 persons per km². The total area is 140.85 km².
In 2009/2010 Minami Town was one of the locations for NHK's TV drama 'Welkame' (ウェルかめ), which featured some of the towns beaches, it's Autumn festival, and Minami's sea turtle museum. As a result the town experienced an increase in domestic tourism.
A two day harvest festival held one weekend early October every year. On the first day of the festival, the eight neighborhoods in Hiwasa parade their portable shrine on wheels through the streets of the town while praying for the safety of the townspeople and success in fishing. On the second day about 50 men from each neighborhood carry the portable shrine onto the beach and finally into the ocean, quite literally, proceeding through the waves to the far end of the beach. Each neighborhood vies with the others to put on the most spectacular display and also to prove their strength and bravery by taking their shrine furthest through the ocean waves. The heavy wooden portable shrines, known as chosa, each weigh about a tonne and four children ride atop the shrine drumming taiko drums.
On the first evening of the festival there is a night bazaar with various refreshments and traditional dancing and taiko drumming, culminating in a spectacular fireworks display.
Records of this festival go back to 1795, but the festival in its current form was started in 1957.
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 Kaifu District
Kaifu District, Tokushima
is a district located in Tokushima, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 26,399 and a density of 50.28 persons per km². The total area is 525.00 km².-Towns and villages:*Mugi*Kaiyō*Minami-Municipal timeline:...
, Tokushima
Tokushima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is the city of Tokushima.- Tokushima Prefecture and Myodo Prefecture :Long ago, Tokushima City belonged to a region known as Myōdō-gun...
, 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...
.
It was founded on March 31, 2006 from the merger of the towns of Hiwasa
Hiwasa, Tokushima
was a town located in Kaifu District, Tokushima, Japan.On March 31, 2006 Hiwasa was merged with the town of Yuki, all from Kaifu District, to form the new town of Minami....
and Yuki
Yuki, Tokushima
was a town located in Kaifu District, Tokushima, Japan.On March 31, 2006 Yuki was merged with the town of Hiwasa, also from Kaifu District, to form the new town of Minami....
, both from Kaifu District
Kaifu District, Tokushima
is a district located in Tokushima, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 26,399 and a density of 50.28 persons per km². The total area is 525.00 km².-Towns and villages:*Mugi*Kaiyō*Minami-Municipal timeline:...
.
Located 50km south of prefecture's capital, Tokushima city, Minami is over 33km from east to west, and covers an area of approximately 140.8km². It is bordered on the southwest by the Kaifu mountains and on the east by the Pacific Ocean, making Minami a scenic town surrounded by mountains and sea. As of 2006 the town has 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 8,540 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 60.63 persons per km². The total area is 140.85 km².
In 2009/2010 Minami Town was one of the locations for NHK's TV drama 'Welkame' (ウェルかめ), which featured some of the towns beaches, it's Autumn festival, and Minami's sea turtle museum. As a result the town experienced an increase in domestic tourism.
Access
Minami is a little over one hour from Tokushima City by car, but can also be reached in one hour by express train from Tokushima JR Station on the JR Mugi Line. It is a one and a half hour drive from Tokushima airport.Festivals
Hiwasa Hachiman Jinja Autumn FestivalA two day harvest festival held one weekend early October every year. On the first day of the festival, the eight neighborhoods in Hiwasa parade their portable shrine on wheels through the streets of the town while praying for the safety of the townspeople and success in fishing. On the second day about 50 men from each neighborhood carry the portable shrine onto the beach and finally into the ocean, quite literally, proceeding through the waves to the far end of the beach. Each neighborhood vies with the others to put on the most spectacular display and also to prove their strength and bravery by taking their shrine furthest through the ocean waves. The heavy wooden portable shrines, known as chosa, each weigh about a tonne and four children ride atop the shrine drumming taiko drums.
On the first evening of the festival there is a night bazaar with various refreshments and traditional dancing and taiko drumming, culminating in a spectacular fireworks display.
Records of this festival go back to 1795, but the festival in its current form was started in 1957.