Approx. 600 year old cherry tree in Misumi. An area of western Hamada.

Hamada (浜田市, Hamada-shi^?) 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 2007, the city has an estimated population of 62,184. 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 50 000 DWT.¹

Sights

• Aquas is on the outskirts of the city. It is the largest aquarium in western Honshū.²
  
• 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

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• Hamada International Association homepage in English (slightly out of date)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.

Coordinates: 34°54′N, 132°05′E

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