Tsushima 対馬市
—  City  —
Flag
Location of Tsushima in Nagasaki
Tsushima
Coordinates: 34°12′N 129°17′E / 34.2°N 129.283°E / 34.2; 129.283Coordinates: 34°12′N 129°17′E / 34.2°N 129.283°E / 34.2; 129.283
Country	Japan
Region	Kyūshū
Prefecture	Nagasaki
Government
• Mayor	Takarabe Yasunari
Area
• Total	708.61 km2 (273.60 sq mi)
Population (2005)
• Total	39,983
• Density	56.42/km2 (146.1/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Chionanthus retusus
- Flower	Azalea
- Bird	Ring-necked Pheasant
Website	City of Tsushima

Tsushima (対馬市, Tsushima-shi^?) is a city governed by Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is the only city of Tsushima Subprefecture and it encompasses all of Tsushima Island Archipelago, which lies in the Tsushima Strait north of Nagasaki on the western side of Kyūshū, the southernmost mainland island of Japan.

As of 2005^[update] the city has an estimated population of 39,983 and a density of 56.42 persons per km². Its total area is 708.61 km², 17.3% of the area of Nagasaki Prefecture.

  Geography

The city of Tsushima is located on Tsushima Island and other small neighbouring islands, lying slightly to the west side of Tsushima Strait, south of the Sea of Japan and north-east of the East China Sea. The island also lies between South Korea and the Japanese mainland. Its coastline has a total length of 915 km. Aso Bay, a prominent bay with a rias coastline, is located between the islands. Tsushima lies about 60 km from Iki, 138 km from the city of Fukuoka, and 49.5 km from Busan, South Korea.

  Islands

Several other islands encompass Tsushima city, in addition to Kamino-shima and Shimono-shima, both of which makes up the Tsushima Island(s):

• Santsu-jima (三ッ島)
• Shimasan-jima (島山島)

  Flora and fauna

  Tsushima Cat

Peculiar to the island is the Tsushima Cat. Present on the islands since ancient times, its numbers have decreased sharply, and it is now listed as an endangered species. As of 2009^[update], it was estimated that only 80 to 100 animals remain.

  History

On April 1, 1975, Toyotama village was promoted to the status of a town. Mine village was also elevated to the status of a town in the following year.

The city was established on March 1, 2004 by merging six towns on Tsushima Island:

• Shimoagata District - now defunct
  • Izuhara
  • Mitsushima
  • Toyotama
• Kamiagata District - now defunct
  • Mine
  • Kamiagata
  • Kamitsushima

  Demographics and culture

The population of Tsushima Island has been decreasing significantly, as evidenced by the 5.2% decrease between the years of 1995 and 2000.^[1] Nuclear families are replacing the traditional extended families, therefore, maintaining the number of households at a smaller population.^[1] The elderly population makes up for nearly a quarter of the population, much higher than 20.8% of the Nagasaki Prefecture and the national average of 17.3%.^[1] Religious traditions on Tsushima Island mirror those of the rest of Japan, with a majority of the population adhering to Buddhism or Shinto.

^[1]

  Economy

Tsushima is ideally located for fishing, and many Tsushima residents exploit this as fishermen. It is also famous for its pearl culture. The natural beauty of the Tsushima Islands ensures there is much to see and the tourism industry is quite substantial. Beaches are crowded with tourists in the summer.

  Harbor in Tsushima (1990)

  Tourism

Tsushima Island is known for its wildlife. Tsushima offers adventure packages catering primarily to South Koreans. These are generally guided adventure tours consisting of hiking and fishing. Vacation packages are generally booked through South Korean tour agencies. Local English speakers are extremely rare in Tsushima. However, some hotels offer a telephone English translating service. The port town of Izuhara (port of debarkation if arriving from Busan, South Korea) consists of a handful of modern hotels and restaurants. Seafood prices are relatively low, as the islands' primary industry is fishing. Most restaurants hold their seafood in the ocean contained within netted cages, supposedly aiding freshness.^{[citation needed]}

  Transportation

  Airport

• Tsushima Airport (TSJ)

  Seaport

Tsushima has two sea ports, Izuhara and Hitakatsu. Ferries cross to the port of Hakata on Kyūshū a few times per day. Ferries also travel a few times a week to Busan in South Korea.

  Sister cities

• Guam (United States of America)
• Busan (South Korea)

  See also

• History of Japan
  • Oei Invasion (応永の外寇)
  • Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598)
  • Battle of Tsushima
• So clan
• Tsushima Fuchu domain

  Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Info on Tsushima Shi

  External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tsushima

• Tsushima City English Webpage
• A Profile of Tsushima city

  Japanese

• Map of Tsushima, general overview [1]
• Tsushima's Statistics
• Tsushima Airport
• Old pictures of Tsushima
• Tsushima Tourist and Product Society

  Korean

• Tsushima Tourist and Product Society

Nagasaki Prefecture Cities Gotō Hirado Iki Isahaya Matsuura Minamishimabara Nagasaki (capital) Ōmura Saikai Sasebo Shimabara Tsushima Unzen Higashisonogi District Hasami Higashisonogi Kawatana Kitamatsuura District Ojika Saza Minamimatsuura District Shinkamigotō Nishisonogi District Nagayo Togitsu Subprefecture Tsushima