Okinoshima, Shimane

Okinoshima 隠岐の島町
Town
Rosoku (Candle) Rock, an Okinoshima landmark
Flag Seal
Location of Okinoshima in Shimane Prefecture
Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku San'in
Prefecture	Shimane Prefecture
District	Oki
Government
• - Mayor	Kazuhisa Matsuda
Area
• Total	242.97 km2 (93.81 sq mi)
Population  (June 1, 2013)
• Total	14,849
• Density	61.1/km2 (158/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
-Tree	Cryptomeria
- Flower	Oki Rhododendron
Phone number	08512-2-2111
Address	1 Jōhokumachi, Okinoshima-machi, Oki-gun, Shimane-ken 685-8585
Website	www.town.okinoshima.shimane.jp

Okinoshima Town Hall

Okinoshima (隠岐の島町, Okinoshima-chō) is a town located on Dōgo, in Oki District, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. As of June 2013, the town had an estimated population of 14,849 and a population density of 61.1 persons per km². The total area was 242.95 km².

Geography

Okinoshima occupies all of the island of Dōgojima, in the Oki Islands archipelago in the Sea of Japan, along with numerous offshore uninhabited islands and rocks. For administrative purposes, the Japanese government officially considers the disputed islet of Takeshima ( Liancourt Rocks) to be a part of the town of Okinoshima.

Climate

Okinoshima has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with very warm summers and cool winters. Precipitation is abundant throughout the year.

Climate data for Saigō, Okinoshima
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	7.0 (44.6)	7.1 (44.8)	10.5 (50.9)	16.0 (60.8)	20.6 (69.1)	23.5 (74.3)	27.6 (81.7)	29.5 (85.1)	25.3 (77.5)	20.4 (68.7)	15.3 (59.5)	10.3 (50.5)	17.8 (64.0)
Daily mean °C (°F)	3.7 (38.7)	3.7 (38.7)	6.2 (43.2)	11.5 (52.7)	15.9 (60.6)	19.7 (67.5)	24.1 (75.4)	25.7 (78.3)	21.5 (70.7)	16.0 (60.8)	11.2 (52.2)	6.6 (43.9)	13.8 (56.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	0.5 (32.9)	0.3 (32.5)	1.8 (35.2)	6.7 (44.1)	11.1 (52.0)	16.1 (61.0)	21.2 (70.2)	22.3 (72.1)	17.9 (64.2)	11.6 (52.9)	7.0 (44.6)	3.0 (37.4)	10.0 (49.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	171.9 (6.77)	119.9 (4.72)	110.0 (4.33)	115.5 (4.55)	117.1 (4.61)	167.6 (6.60)	195.4 (7.69)	130.5 (5.14)	205.9 (8.11)	118.0 (4.65)	144.3 (5.68)	155.0 (6.10)	1,751.1 (68.95)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	69 (27)	51 (20)	10 (3.9)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	1 (0.4)	27 (11)	158 (62.3)
Average relative humidity (%)	72	72	72	73	75	82	84	81	79	75	73	72	76
Mean monthly sunshine hours	79.3	92.0	156.9	197.7	231.1	181.0	186.8	224.0	163.6	169.4	116.3	88.4	1,886.5
Source: NOAA (1961-1990)

History

Okinoshima was formed from the merger of the town of Saigō, and the villages of Fuse, Goka and Tsuma on October 1, 2004, all from Oki District.

Economy

The town economy is primarily based on agriculture and commercial fishing.

Transportation

Airport

• Oki Airport (OKI), a Class III facility with a 1991 m runway, is located within the town. It provides air service to Osaka International Airport ("Itami") and Izumo Airport.

Highway

• Japan National Route 485

Sea Port

• Saigō Port is the major seaport and ferry terminal in the Oki Islands

Local attractions

• A set of two station bells designated as Important Cultural Property of Japan is located at the (Oki family treasure hall (億岐家宝物館, Oki-ke Hōmotsukan) in Okinoshima.

Noted people from Okinoshima

• Okinoumi Ayumi – sumo wrestler, the first wrestler from Shimane Prefecture to reach the top makuuchi division in 88 years.
• Kai Hirano – professional soccer player

External links

Media related to Okinoshima, Shimane at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website Template:Ja icon