Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture, Chūgoku Region, Japan

Geography | Adjoining municipalities | History | Government | Economy | Education | Local attractions | Festivals | Transport : Rail : Road

🇯🇵 Tsuyama is a city in Okayama Prefecture, Japan.

Geography Tsuyama is located in north-central Okayama Prefecture, with the Chugoku Mountains separating it from Tottori Prefecture to the north. It is the largest city in the northern part of the prefecture in terms of population and economy.

Adjoining municipalities Okayama Prefecture • Maniwa • Kagamino • Shōō • Nagi • Misaki.

Tottori Prefecture • Tottori • Chizu.

History Tsuyama was the centre of ancient Mimasaka Province and the location of its kokufu and the Mimasaka Kokubun-ji. It was also on the pilgrimage route to Izumo Shrine and had a number of inn stations. In the latter half of the Sengoku period, Mori Ranmaru's younger brother, Mori Tadamasa, received received the area as his domain and constructed Tsuruyama Castle on the site of an ancient castle which had been erected by the Yamana clan and laud out a new castle town which became the nucleus of the modern city. At the same time, Tsuruyama was renamed "Tsuyama". Under the Tokugawa Shogunate, Tsuyama Castle was the headquarters of a cadet branch of the Matsudaira clan and the centre of Tsuyama Domain. Tsuyama is known for the 17th century Tsuyama Castle, whose grandeur was said to rival that of Himeji Castle in neighboring Hyōgo Prefecture. The castle was destroyed in 1874, and today only the stone foundations remain, save for a single turret that was reconstructed in 2005. The castle ruins remain Tsuyama's main tourist attraction along with Joto Street, a narrow street of old, traditional buildings that was once part of the pilgrimage route from Kyoto to Izumo, and Shūraku-en, a traditional Japanese garden constructed in 1657. Following the Meiji restoration, the town of Tsuyama was established on June 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to city status on February 11, 1929.

On February 28, 2005, the town of Kamo, the village of Aba (both from Tomata District), the town of Shōboku (from Katsuta District), and the town of Kume (from Kume District) were merged into Tsuyama.

Government Tsuyama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 28 members. Tsuyama, collectively with the towns of Kagamino, Nagi and Shōō, contributes four members to the Okayama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Okayama 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy Tsuyama has a mixed economy based on manufacturing, wholesale and retail commerce, and agriculture. The city has several industrial parks

Education Tsuyama has 27 public elementary schools and none public junior high school operated by the city government, and four public high schools operated by the Okayama prefectural Board of Education. There are also two private high schools. Mimasaka University and the Tsuyama National College of Technology are both located in the city.

Local attractions • Tsuyama Castle, National Historic Site • Shūraku-en Garden, National Place of Scenic Beauty • Joto Street, Historic architecture preservation district • Nakayama Shrine, ichinomiya of Mimasaka Province • Tsuyama Archives of Western Learning • Mitsukuri Genpo's Former Residence, National Historic Site • Tsuyama Museum of Science Education • Tsuyuma Historical Museum • Tsuyama Railroad Educational Museum • Yokono Falls • Sakura Shrine (Innoshō-no-yakata site), National Historic Site • Tsuyama Wonder Museum • Sannari Kofun, National Historic Site • Miwayama Kofun Cluster, National Historic Site • Mimasaka Kokubun-ji ruins, National Historic Site.

Festivals • Cherry Blossom Festival (early April) - This event is held in Kakuzan Park where around 5000 cherry blossom trees attract people from all over western Japan. Many picnickers arrive before dawn and set down blue tarps and then remain until dusk, grilling out and drinking sake. • Gongo Festival (First Saturday and Sunday of August) - The Gongo, or Kappa, is a fictitious animal said to live in rivers. The festival is based around the legend that the Gongo can be seen in the Yoshii River in summer. Local people congregate on the banks of the river wearing traditional Japanese clothing and eat and drink at the many temporary stalls set up there. The festival culminates in a spectacular firework display on the Sunday evening. • Tsuyama Autumn Festival (Mid to late October) - Many people parade through the town pulling danjiri. • Lion Dance Festival (October 17) - The Lion Dance Festival, held at Takata Shrine, began around 710 A.D. to thank the gods for a good harvest. A male and female lion, each controlled by twelve dancers, perform a soul-stirring dance imitating a struggle. The lions keep time with a flute and drum. The dance is believed to drive away the devil and impurity. • Old Izumo Street Festival (Beginnining of November on Sunday) - A festival on Joto Street during which they wear traditional clothes and open a theater, tea houses, and various stalls.

Transport Tsuyama's main railway station is Tsuyama Station. The station is served by the Tsuyama Line (to Okayama), the Kishin Line (to Himeji and Niimi), and the Imbi Line (to Tottori). All services are operated by JR West. Tsuyama is one of the major cities along the Chūgoku Expressway. As with many Japanese cities, cycling is a very common form of transport, particularly among school students.

Transport: Rail JR West (JR West) - Kishin Line • Mimasaka-Ōsaki - Higashi-Tsuyama - Tsuyama - Innoshō - Mimasaka-Sendai - Tsuboi

JR West (JR West) - Imbi Line • Mimasaka-Kawai - Chiwa - Mimasaka-Kamo - Miura - Mimasaka-Takio - Takano - Higashi-Tsuyama

JR West (JR West) - Tsuyama Line • Sarayama - Tsuyamaguchi - Tsuyama

Transport: Road • Chūgoku Expressway • National Route 53 • National Route 179 • National Route 181 • National Route 374 • National Route 429.

Asia/Tokyo/Okayama 
<b>Asia/Tokyo/Okayama</b>
Image: Photo by Sam Lee on Unsplash

Tsuyama has a population of over 102,294 people. Tsuyama also forms part of the wider Okayama Prefecture which has a population of over 1,906,464 people.

To set up a UBI Lab for Tsuyama see: https://www.ubilabnetwork.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/UBILabNetwork

Twin Towns, Sister Cities Tsuyama has links with:

🇯🇵 Iida, Japan 🇯🇵 Miyakojima, Japan 🇺🇸 Santa Fe, USA
Text Atribution: Wikipedia Text under CC-BY-SA license

North of: 35.062

🇰🇷 Yeongdo 35.067

🇰🇷 Sacheon 35.067

🇯🇵 Tamba-Sasayama 35.067

🇯🇵 Toyota 35.067

🇯🇵 Miyoshi 35.068

🇯🇵 Kuwana 35.069

🇨🇳 Chengguan 35.07

🇨🇳 Tengzhou 35.075

🇯🇵 Numazu 35.083

🇯🇵 Otemachi 35.083

East of: 134.007

🇯🇵 Takamatsu 134.05

🇮🇩 Manokwari 134.083

🇯🇵 Tottori 134.235

🇯🇵 Tatsuno 134.533

🇯🇵 Tokushima 134.558

🇯🇵 Naruto 134.617

🇵🇼 Ngerulmud 134.627

🇯🇵 Himeji 134.7

🇯🇵 Kakogawa 134.839

🇯🇵 Awaji 134.845

West of: 134.007

🇯🇵 Tamano 133.933

🇯🇵 Okayama 133.916

🇦🇺 Alice Springs 133.867

🇯🇵 Sakaide 133.867

🇯🇵 Marugame 133.8

🇯🇵 Kurashiki 133.77

🇯🇵 Sōja 133.733

🇯🇵 Mitoyo 133.7

🇯🇵 Kan'onji 133.65

🇯🇵 Kōchi 133.555

Antipodal to Tsuyama is: -45.993,-35.062

Locations Near: Tsuyama 134.007,35.0621

🇯🇵 Okayama 133.916,34.651 d: 46.5  

🇯🇵 Sōja 133.733,34.667 d: 50.6  

🇯🇵 Tottori 134.235,35.496 d: 52.5  

🇯🇵 Kurashiki 133.77,34.605 d: 55.3  

🇯🇵 Tatsuno 134.533,34.85 d: 53.4  

🇯🇵 Tamano 133.933,34.483 d: 64.7  

🇯🇵 Daisen 133.5,35.5 d: 67  

🇯🇵 Takamatsu 134.05,34.35 d: 79.3  

🇯🇵 Himeji 134.7,34.829 d: 68.3  

🇯🇵 Sakaide 133.867,34.317 d: 83.9  

Antipodal to: Tsuyama -45.993,-35.062

🇧🇷 Rio Grande -52.099,-32.041 d: 19357.3  

🇧🇷 Viamão -51.023,-30.088 d: 19288.7  

🇧🇷 Pelotas -52.341,-31.763 d: 19321.2  

🇧🇷 Gravataí -50.983,-29.933 d: 19277.6  

🇧🇷 Alvorada -51.079,-30.001 d: 19277.7  

🇧🇷 Cachoeirinha -51.083,-29.95 d: 19273.1  

🇧🇷 Criciúma -49.372,-28.678 d: 19237  

🇧🇷 Tubarão -49,-28.467 d: 19228.7  

🇧🇷 Porto Alegre -51.229,-30.028 d: 19270.9  

🇧🇷 Canoas -51.183,-29.915 d: 19264  

Bing Map

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