Sakaiminato, Tottori

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Sakaiminato 境港市
City
Sakaiminato city
Flag Seal
Location of Sakaiminato in Tottori Prefecture
Sakaiminato Location in Japan
Coordinates: 35°32′N 133°14′E / 35.533°N 133.233°E / 35.533; 133.233Coordinates: 35°32′N 133°14′E / 35.533°N 133.233°E / 35.533; 133.233
Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku (San'in)
Prefecture	Tottori Prefecture
Government
• Mayor
Area
• Total	29.02 km2 (11.20 sq mi)
Population  (1 June 2016)
• Total	33,888
• Density	1,200/km2 (3,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	3000, Agarimichichō, Sakaiminato-shi, Tottori-ken 684-8501
Website	www.city.sakaiminato.lg.jp
Symbols
Flower	Chrysanthemum
Tree	Japanese Black Pine

Sakaiminato (境港市, Sakaiminato-shi) is a city in Tottori Prefecture, Japan.^[1]

History[]

An Imperial decree in July 1899 established Sakai as an open port for trading with the United States and the United Kingdom.^[2]

Sakaiminato was founded on April 1, 1956. A merger with Yonago and other neighboring municipalities was proposed, but the majority of the citizenry voted against this, and Sakaiminato remained an autonomous municipality.^{[citation needed]}

Geography[]

At the northern end of Yumigahama Peninsula, it is surrounded by the Miho Bay on the Sea of Japan to the east, Lake Nakaumi to the west and the in the north, which also makes up the border with Shimane Prefecture and its capital Matsue.^{[citation needed]}

In 2008, Sakaiminato had an estimated population of 35,710 and a population density of 1,240 persons per km². The total area is 28.79 km² (11.12 sq mi).^{[citation needed]}

Economy[]

The seaport of Sakaiminato has a long history as a seaport for the San'in Region. Following World War II the city has served as the base of the fishing industry for all of Western Japan. Consequently, marine product processing is also a major industry in the city.^[3]

Transportation[]

Yonago Airport is in Sakaiminato and is the busiest airport in Tottori Prefecture.^[3] Nearby , next to the airport, is run by the Ministry of Defence. Asiana Airlines operates a sales office in Sakaiminato.^[4]

Sakaiminato is linked to the Japanese railway network by the Sakai Line branch, which runs between Sakaiminato Station and Yonago Station on the San'in Main Line.^[5]

The port at Sakaiminato serves the DBS Cruise ferry Eastern Dream, which connects Japan to Donghae, South Korea, and Vladivostok, Russia.^[6]

Twin towns – sister cities[]

Sakaiminato is twinned with:^[7]

• Hunchun, China

Notable residents[]

Sakaiminato is the home of Shigeru Mizuki, the creator of GeGeGe no Kitaro, a character seen in many forms throughout Japan. The spirit of Kitaro can be found in Sakaiminato, on Kitaro Road, a street dedicated to all the characters that appear in Mizuki's stories. One hundred bronze statues of the story's characters line both sides of the road.^{[citation needed]}

Sakaiminato was also where the photographer Shōji Ueda was born and ran a studio.^{[citation needed]}

Gallery[]

• 

  Aerial view of part of Sakaiminato.

• 

  Eshima Ohashi Bridge links Sakaiminato and Matsue across a narrow channel.

References[]

External links[]

• Media related to Sakaiminato, Tottori at Wikimedia Commons
• Sakaiminato City official web site (in Japanese)
• Sakaiminato City official web site (in English)