Sotogahama (外ヶ浜町, Sotogahama-machi) is a town located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan and a part of the Aomori metropolitan area.[1] As of 1 January 2023, the town had an estimated population of 4,990 in 2239 households,[2] and a population density of 22 persons per km2. The total area of the town is 230.30 square kilometres (88.92 sq mi).

Sotogahama
外ヶ浜町
Cape Tappi, northernmost point of Tsugaru Peninsula
Cape Tappi, northernmost point of Tsugaru Peninsula
Flag of Sotogahama
Official seal of Sotogahama
Map
Location of Sotagahama in Aomori Prefecture
Location of Sotogahama
Sotogahama is located in Japan
Sotogahama
Sotogahama
 
Coordinates: 41°02′35.7″N 140°37′56.4″E / 41.043250°N 140.632333°E / 41.043250; 140.632333
CountryJapan
RegionTōhoku
PrefectureAomori
DistrictHigashitsugaru
Area
 • Total230.30 km2 (88.92 sq mi)
Population
 (January 1, 2023)
 • Total4,990
 • Density22/km2 (56/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number0174-31-1111
AddressKanita, Takadoya 44-2, Sotogahama-machi, Higashitsugaru-gun, Aomori-ken 030-1393
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
BirdCommon gull
FlowerHydrangea
TreeJapanese black pine
Sotogahama town hall
Central Kanita

Geography

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Sotogahama is in Higashitsugaru District of Aomori Prefecture, and consists of two discontinuous geographic areas in northern Tsugaru Peninsula. The larger area is in the south, and consists of the former town of Kanita with a coastline on Mutsu Bay, and the former village of Tairadate in the centre of northern Tsugaru Peninsula. The smaller area is in the north, and consists of the former village of Minmaya with a coastline on the Tsugaru Strait. Much of the town is within the limits of the Tsugaru Quasi-National Park. Most of the settlements and arable land are located along the coastline, with about 89% of the total area of town as mountainous national forest.

Neighbouring municipalities

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Aomori Prefecture

Climate

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The town has a cold humid continental climate (Köppen Cfb) characterized by warm, short summers and long, cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Sotogahama is 10.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1267 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 22.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around -1.8 °C.[3]

Climate data for Kanita(1991–2020 normals, extremes 1977–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 10.9
(51.6)
14.1
(57.4)
21.1
(70.0)
28.5
(83.3)
29.9
(85.8)
30.4
(86.7)
33.5
(92.3)
34.6
(94.3)
33.6
(92.5)
27.9
(82.2)
23.1
(73.6)
17.4
(63.3)
34.6
(94.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 1.6
(34.9)
2.3
(36.1)
6.0
(42.8)
11.9
(53.4)
16.7
(62.1)
19.9
(67.8)
23.6
(74.5)
25.7
(78.3)
23.2
(73.8)
17.5
(63.5)
10.7
(51.3)
4.2
(39.6)
13.6
(56.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) −1.4
(29.5)
−1.0
(30.2)
2.0
(35.6)
7.2
(45.0)
12.1
(53.8)
16.0
(60.8)
20.3
(68.5)
22.2
(72.0)
18.7
(65.7)
12.2
(54.0)
6.2
(43.2)
0.7
(33.3)
9.6
(49.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −4.8
(23.4)
−4.7
(23.5)
−2.3
(27.9)
2.2
(36.0)
7.7
(45.9)
12.6
(54.7)
17.5
(63.5)
19.0
(66.2)
14.3
(57.7)
7.0
(44.6)
1.7
(35.1)
−2.6
(27.3)
5.6
(42.1)
Record low °C (°F) −16.2
(2.8)
−15.2
(4.6)
−13.6
(7.5)
−8.4
(16.9)
−1.3
(29.7)
4.3
(39.7)
8.8
(47.8)
9.6
(49.3)
3.4
(38.1)
−1.6
(29.1)
−6.8
(19.8)
−12.2
(10.0)
−16.2
(2.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 104.0
(4.09)
83.5
(3.29)
78.9
(3.11)
84.4
(3.32)
105.0
(4.13)
102.1
(4.02)
139.6
(5.50)
177.7
(7.00)
161.2
(6.35)
129.3
(5.09)
139.3
(5.48)
125.5
(4.94)
1,430.4
(56.31)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 21.1 17.6 15.2 12.1 10.7 8.8 10.6 10.6 11.7 13.8 17.7 21.0 170.8
Mean monthly sunshine hours 54.3 78.8 139.0 191.9 199.4 170.7 136.4 164.0 166.0 153.3 89.7 54.1 1,597.5
Source 1: Japan Meteorological Agency
Source 2: Japan Meteorological Agency[4]

Demographics

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Per Japanese census data,[5] the population of Sotogahama has decreased by more than half over the past 60 years and is now considerably less than it was a century ago.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 11,883—    
1930 13,913+17.1%
1940 15,027+8.0%
1950 18,964+26.2%
1960 18,259−3.7%
1970 16,258−11.0%
YearPop.±%
1980 14,955−8.0%
1990 10,663−28.7%
2000 9,170−14.0%
2010 7,089−22.7%
2020 5,401−23.8%

History

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The Tsugaru Peninsula has been inhabited since Japanese Paleolithic times, and some of the world's oldest pottery has been discovered at the Odai Yamamoto I site.[6][7][8] The area around Sotogahama was controlled by the Tsugaru clan of Hirosaki Domain during the Edo period. During the post-Meiji restoration establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889 Minmaya, Kanita and Tairadate villages were separated from Imabetsu. On March 28, 2005, these three municipalities merged to form the new town of Sotogahama. Minmaya is a geographically discontinuous enclave from the town's center in Kanita.

Government

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Sotogahama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town legislature of 11 members. Higashitsugaru District contributes one member to the Aomori Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Aomori 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

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The economy of Sotogahama is heavily dependent on commercial fishing. Some of the locally caught seafood include sea urchin roe, sea pineapple, sea cucumber, scallops, abalone and squid.

Education

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Sotogahama has two public elementary schools and two public junior high schools operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school.

Transportation

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Railway

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  East Japan Railway Company (JR East) - Tsugaru Line

  Hokkaidō Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) - Kaikyō Line

Highway

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Local attractions

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Noted people from Sotogahama

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  • Jackal Maruyama, boxer
  • Takuya Tazawa, nonfiction writer

References

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  1. ^ "2010 Metropolitan Employment Map". University of Tokyo. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Aoi Mori Open Data Catalog" (in Japanese). Aomori Prefecture. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  3. ^ Sotogahama climate data
  4. ^ "蟹田 過去の気象データ検索". 気象庁. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  5. ^ Sotogahama population statistics
  6. ^ Habu Junko (2004). Ancient Jomon of Japan (Case Studies in Early Societies). Cambridge University Press. pp. 34–42. ISBN 978-0-521-77213-6.
  7. ^ 大平山元I遺跡 -日本最古の土器出土- [Ōdaiyamamoto Ichi Site - Excavation of Japan's Earliest Earthenware] (in Japanese). Aomori Prefecture. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  8. ^ Kaner, S. (2003). "Jomon pottery, Japan". Current World Archaeology. Current Publishing. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  9. ^ Japan Lighthouse Association home page (in Japanese)
  10. ^ "大平山元遺跡". Cultural Heritage Online (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
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