Sasebo

 

(säsā'bō) , city (1990 pop. 244,677), Nagasaki prefecture, W Kyushu, Japan. It is a commercial and fishing port and naval base on the East China Sea.

Sasebo
佐世保市

Sasebo's location in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Kyūshū
Prefecture	Nagasaki Prefecture
Physical characteristics
Area	km² ( sq mi)
Population (as of 2006)
Total
Density	/km² (/sq mi)
Symbols
Sasebo Government Office
Official website: Sasebo City

Sasebo (佐世保市, Sasebo-shi^?) is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2006, the city has an estimated population of 258,324 and the density of 709.91 persons per km². The total area is 363.88 km². The city was founded on April 1, 1902.

The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park Located in the southern part of the city, is the Dutch theme park Huis ten Bosch.

A base of US Navy, U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo, is located in Sasebo. Some parts of the base are shared with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Adjacent to the naval base there is Sasebo Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. shipyard. Sasebo Station is the westernmost station in the JR system. The order to attack Pearl Harbor was broadcast from the Hario radio facility in Sasebo.

Scenery

The city is blessed with natural beauty. The harbor is enclosed from the ocean by a tall mountain to the west called Mount Yumihari. Yet a tunnel through the mountain leads to some spectacular beaches and lookouts over Kujuku Shima (literally: "99 islands" (in Japanese) or more islands than you can count). It's a wonderful place to be at sunset time.

Points of interest

• Huis ten Bosch (theme park)
• Sasebo Zoological Park and Botanical Garden
• ShinSakai Bridge is a place where one can see many exciting whirlpools.

Gallery

Sunset at the Ninety-nine islands in Sasebo	Sasebo Harbor from Mt. Yumihari	Radio tower from which the "Climb Mt. Niitaka" message was broadcast	Tops like this one are popular souvenirs of Sasebo.
Illuminated by the Albuquerque Bridge, Japanese volunteers place candle lit lanterns into the Sasebo River during the Obon festival.

Mitarai Incident

The city was also the site of the murder of 12-year-old Satomi Mitarai on June 1, 2004. Mitarai was killed by a classmate with a box cutter at Okubo Elementary School. The incident was rapidly publicized by the creation of the Internet meme character Nevada-tan, a caricature based on Mitarai's killer (whose real name has been withheld in accordance with Japanese law).

External links

• Sasebo official website in Japanese
• Sasebo Tourist Information site in English
• Modern Pictures of Sasebo in English

Coordinates: 33°11′N, 129°45′E

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