Hamada

Hamada, city (1990 pop. 49,135), Shimane prefecture, SW Honshu, Japan, on the Japan Sea. It is a fishing and commercial port.

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Hamada, Shimane

is a city located in Shimane, Japan. It is the third largest city in the prefecture and is located at the south-western end of the prefecture. It is a coastal city on the Sea of Japan, and possesses the same beautiful white-sand beaches as the rest of the Shimane coastline.

As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 61,325. The city was founded on November 3, 1940. In October 2005, it merged with the surrounding towns of Asahi, Kanagi and Misumi, and the village of Yasaka.

The prefectural university (The University of Shimane) is located in Hamada, as is the Institute for Northeast Asian Research.

Hamada is one of the few cities in the region to possess a heavy tonnage shipping port. The Hamada Commercial Port can accept vessles up to a maximum of .¹

Sights

Aquas is on the outskirts of the city. It is the largest aquarium in western Honshū.²
The Hamada Museum of Children's Art is located about one mile from the city center. It's exhbits include artwork by children from around the world and artwork of interest to children. Their programs include technical art classes and art history workshops for children of all ages.
The ruins of Hamada castle are situated on the top of a hill near the centre of town. Hamada Castle was built in 1620, and destroyed towards the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate.³ From the top of the ruins, visitors can see extensive views of Hamada city and the coast.
Iwami Seaside Park is a large beach located near Aquas with cabins, barbecue areas, and rental facilities.

Yearly Festivals

Month	Festival Description
January	No events.
February	Izumo Taisha Iwami-bunshi Setsubun Festival.
March	Tadaji Hatsuuma Festival (One of the biggest festivals in the Iwami area).
April	Hamakko Spring Festival. Daimyo Parade (and many other kinds of parades).
May	No events.
June	No events.
July	Kokubu Kinsai Festival.
August	Hamakko Summer Festival. Fireworks in the cool of the evening. Nagahama Hassakuhana Festival (Fire Protection Festival).
September	No events.
October	Nagahama Tenjinreitai Festival (Festival of the God of the Sea).
November	Hamada BB Onabe Festival. Iwami Kagura Festival.
December	No events.

External links

Hamada City's official website in Japanese. (There is an English page link from the Japanese page, but it has less information.)
University of Shimane Currently, there isn't an English version of this website. However, one is in the making.
Hamada International Association homepage in English (slightly out of date)
Hamada Port Authority in Japanese.
Aquas Aquarium in Japanese, but has an English version.
Iwami Seaside Park A page in English about the park and its facilities.