Country Japan District Oki Area 33.5 km² Prefecture Shimane Prefecture | Region Chūgoku
San'in Phone number 08514-2-0111 Population 2,343 (1 Jun 2013) Local time Monday 9:49 PM | |
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Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) Address 1490 Ama, Ama-machi, Oki-gun, Shimane-ken 684-0403 Weather 2°C, Wind NE at 14 km/h, 64% Humidity | ||
Ama (海士町, Ama-chō) is a town located on Nakanoshima, in Oki District, Shimane Prefecture, Japan.
Contents
- Map of Ama Oki District Shimane Prefecture Japan
- Geography
- Climate
- History
- Economy
- Noted people from Ama
- References
Map of Ama, Oki District, Shimane Prefecture, Japan
As of June 2013, the town had an estimated population of 2,343and a population density of 69.6 persons per km². The total area was 33.50 km2 (13 sq mi).
Geography
Ama occupies all of the island of Nakanoshima, in the Oki Islands archipelago in the Sea of Japan, along with a number of offshore uninhabited islands and rocks. Much of the island is within the borders of Daisen-Oki National Park.
Climate
Ama has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with very warm summers and cool winters. Precipitation is abundant throughout the year.
History
Ama was part of the ancient Oki Province, and the island consisted of a single district, also called Ama, and three villages. Emperor Go-Toba, defeated in the Jōkyū War in 1221, was exiled to the Oki Islands, and lived in Ama for 19 years until his death in 1198. Oki Shrine was built in 1939 to commemorate the 700th year of his death.
Ama came under the control of the Matsue Domain in the Edo period, and was divided into seven villages. After the Meiji restoration, the Oki Islands became part of Tottori Prefecture in 1871, but were transferred to Shimane Prefecture in 1881. Ama Village was established in 1904. Its population peaked in 1950 with 6,986 inhabitants, and has declined ever since. It was raised to town status on January 1, 1969.
Economy
The town economy is primarily based on agriculture and commercial fishing.