Numakuma (沼隈郡; -gun) was a former district

Districts of Japan

The was most recently used as an administrative unit in Japan between 1878 and 1921 and is roughly equivalent to the county of the United States, ranking at the level below prefecture and above city, town or village. As of 2008, cities belong directly to prefectures and are independent from...

 located in Hiroshima Prefecture.

The original district areas contained some parts of the present city of Fukuyama

Fukuyama, Hiroshima

is a city located on the Ashida River in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.As of January 31, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 465,238 and a population density of 898.02 persons per km². The total area is 461.23 km². After Hiroshima City, it is the largest city in Hiroshima Prefecture...

. The district hall was placed together with Fukatsu District(later merged with Yasuna District to form Fukayasu District

Fukayasu District, Hiroshima

Fukayasu was a district located in Hiroshima Prefecture until 2006. On October 1, 1898, the district was formed by the mergers of both Fukatsu and Yasuna Districts. On March 1, 2006, the last remaining town of Kannabe merged into the city of Fukuyama and the district dissolved...

) at the town of Fukuyama in Fukatsu District, but in 1898, their own district hall was placed at the town of Tomo(now the town of Tomo in the city of Fukuyama).

In 1954 when the town of Matsunaga and 6 villages merged and gained city status to become the city of Matsunaga (later in 1966, the city merged with the city of Fukuyama and dissolved). Afterwards, the towns and villages within the district continued on to merge either into the cities of Fukuyama and Onomichi

Onomichi, Hiroshima

is a city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, facing the Inland Sea.As of January 1, 2008, the city has an estimated population of 148,085 and a population density of 520 persons per km². The total area is 284.85 km²...

, and the last remaining town of Numakuma

Numakuma, Hiroshima

Numakuma was a town located in Numakuma District, Hiroshima, Japan.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 12,511 and a density of 404.49 persons per km². The total area was 30.93 km²....

 merged into the city of Fukuyama on February 1, 2005 and Numakuma District dissolved.

The following towns and villages were part of the district (as of the 1889 municipal status enforcement)

• Tomo (鞆町)
• Akasaka (赤坂村)
• Imazu (今津村)
• Urasaki (浦崎村)
• Ka (神村)
• Kashima (神島村)
• Kanae (金江村)
• Kusado (草戸村)
• Kumano (熊野村)
• Gōbun (郷分村)
• Saba (佐波村)
• Samna (山南村)
• Sanba (山波村)
• Seto (瀬戸村)
• Takasu (高須村)
• Tashima (田島村)
• Tajiri (田尻村)
• Chitose (千年村)
• Tsunogō (津之郷村)
• Nishi (西村)
• Hashirijima (走島村)
• Higashi (東村)
• Fujie (藤江村)
• Hongō (本郷村)
• Matsunaga (松永村)
• Minomi (水呑村)
• Momoshima (百島村)
• Yanaizu (柳津村)
• Yamate (山手村)
• Yokoshima (横島村)

(1 town, 29 villages. The district hall never placed within Numakuma District (~1898), but Numakuma-Fukatsu District Hall was placed at the town of Fukuyama in Fukatsu District.)

Timeline (since 1889)

• April 1, 1889 The municipal status enforced. They were 1 town and 29 villages at that time.
• October 1, 1898 Numakuma District Hall was placed at the town of Tomo.
• March 3, 1900 The village of Matsunaga gained town status to become the town of Matsunaga (1st) (2 towns, 28 villages).
• November 1, 1926 The village of Imazu gained town status to become the town of Imazu (3 towns, 27 villages).
• January 1, 1933 The villages of Kashima, Kusado, and Saba merged into the city of Fukuyama (1st) (3 towns, 24 villages)
• July 1, 1939 The village of Samba merged into the city of Onomichi (3 towns, 23 villages).
• July 1, 1942 The villages of Gōbun and Yamate merged into the city of Fukuyama (3 towns, 21 villages)
• July 1, 1942 The town of Tomo (1st) and the villages of Tajiri and Hashirijima merged to form the town of Tomo (2nd) (3 towns, 19 villages).
• August 1, 1947 The village of Minomi gained town status to become the town of Minomi (4 towns, 18 villages).
• April 1, 1953 The towns of Imazu and Matsunaga merged to form the town of Matsunaga (2nd) (3 towns, 18 villages)
• March 31, 1954 The town of Matsunaga and the villages of Ka, Kanae, Higashi, Fujie, Hongō and Yanaizu merged and gained city status to become the city of Matsunaga (now the city of Fukuyama) (2 towns, 12 villages).
• February 1, 1955 The villages of Takasu and Nishi merged into the city of Onomichi (2 towns, 10 villages).
• March 31, 1955 The villages of Tashima and Yokoshima merged and gained town status to form the town of Utsumi (3 towns, 8 villages).
• March 31, 1955 The villages of Samba and Chitose merged and gained town status to form the town of Numakuma (4 towns, 6 villages).
• April 1, 1955 The village of Momoshima merged into the city of Onomichi (4 towns, 5 villages)
• September 30, 1956 The towns of Tomo and Minomi and the villages of Akasaka, Kumano, Seto, and Tsunogŏ merged into the city of Fukuyama (2 towns, 1 village).
• January 1, 1957 The village of Urasaki merged into the city of Onomichi (2 towns).
• February 3, 2003 The town of Utsumi merged into the city of Fukuyama (2nd) (1 town).
• February 1, 2005 The town of Numakuma
  Numakuma, Hiroshima
  Numakuma was a town located in Numakuma District, Hiroshima, Japan.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 12,511 and a density of 404.49 persons per km². The total area was 30.93 km²....
  
  merged into the city of Fukuyama. Numakuma District dissolved due to the mergers.