Hamada, Shimane

The title of this article is ambiguous. For other meanings, see Hamada (disambiguation).

Hamada (Japanese 浜田市, -shi) is a Japanese city and port on the Sea of Japan in Shimane Prefecture, Honshū.

The incorporation of three municipalities and one village in October 2005 increased Hamada's population by about a quarter and its area by a good four times.

Already in historical times, Hamada was an important port city of western Japan and flourished during the last 250 years of the Edo period (1601-1868). With the end of the Edo period, the castle was also destroyed and Hamada gradually lost its importance. It was only with the beginning of the expansion and reconstruction of the port facilities after the end of the Second World War that the city experienced a revival. Particularly worth mentioning is the increased trade volume as well as the strongly enforced commercial fishing.

Today Hamada has the only deep sea port on the west coast of Chūgoku. There is lively trade mainly with nearby South Korea, China and especially Russia (Vladivostok). However, international passenger traffic does not take place from Hamada. The nearest passenger ferry connection to the Asian mainland is from Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture, about 200 kilometres to the south.

Hamada is located on the economic downside of Japan's main island of Honshu, but is the only major city in Shimane Prefecture connected to the island's toll motorway network. This reduces the travel time to Hiroshima - and thus to the economically important east coast of the island - from two and a half hours to just over one hour.

Worth seeing

Especially worth seeing during the cherry blossom season are the ruins of Hamada Castle. The castle was completed in 1620 and destroyed during the violent end of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1868. Also very impressive during the cherry blossom season is the Nagahama Shrine.

There are several onsen in the vicinity of Hamada, such as Asahi Onsen, Mimata Onsen or Yunotsu Onsen. The latter is known for the high temperature of its thermal water (Yunotsu means "hot, hot water") and the healing effects it is said to have. The water of the Mimata Onsen, on the other hand, is said to have a special effect on the skin.

4 kilometers north of Hamada is also the beach of Kokufu with its white sand, known in Chūgoku. In summer it attracts bathers, in winter surfers flock there. Near the beach is Iwami Tatami-ga-ura, a rock formation uplifted from the sea by an earthquake in 1837 and the resulting geological fault. The rocks thus uplifted are traversed by a tunnel system that is open to tourists. You can see a variety of fossils and even whale bones encased in sediment.

15 kilometers north of Hamada is Aquas, the largest saltwater aquarium in western Japan. Its attraction is the beluga whales kept there.

Castle gate of Hamada Castle

Traffic

• Train:
• JR Sanin main line
• Street:
• Sanin Highway
• Hamada Highway
• National road 9
• National road 186