Minamiizu

Minamiizu 南伊豆町
Town
Cape Irōzaki in Minamiizu
Flag Seal
Location of Minamiizu in Shizuoka Prefecture
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu Tōkai
Prefecture	Shizuoka Prefecture
District	Kamo
Area
• Total	110.58 km2 (42.70 sq mi)
Population  (September 2014)
• Total	8,849
• Density	80.0/km2 (207/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number	0558-62-1111
Address	328-2 Shimokamo, Minamiizu-chō, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka-ken 415-0303
Website	Town of Minamiizu HP

Minamiizu Town Hall

Minamiizu (南伊豆町, Minamiizu-chō) is a town located at the southern tip of Izu Peninsula in Kamo District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.

As of September 2014, the town had an estimated population of 8,849 and a population density of 80.0 persons per km². The total area was 110.58 km².

Geography

Minamiizu occupies the southern tip of Izu Peninsula, a hilly region with an indented ria coastline facing the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean. The area has numerous hot springs. Warmed by the warm Kuroshio Current, the area enjoys a warm maritime climate with hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters. Parts of the town are within the borders of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, and the historic Irōzaki Lighthouse is located at the tip of Cape Irōzaki, to the south of town.

Neighboring municipalities

• Shimoda
• Matsuzaki

History

During the Edo period, all of Izu Province was tenryō territory under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate, and the area now comprising Minamiizu Town consisted of 25 villages. During the cadastral reform of the early Meiji period in 1889, the area was reorganized into six villages (Minamizaka, Minaminaka, Minamikami, Mizaka, Mihama and Chikuma) within Kamo District. The town of Minamiizu was formed in July 1955 through the merger of these six villages.

Around March 31, 2010, the city of Shimoda and three municipalities in Kamo District (Kawazu, Matsuzaki, and Minamiizu) were scheduled to merge. However, the merger backed out.

Economy

Tourism based on water sports and the hot spring industry, commercial fishing and farming are mainstays of the local economy.

Transportation

Minamiizu is served by Japan National Route 136. The town does not have any rail connections.

External links

• Minamiizu official website (Japanese)