From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sasebo (佐世保市,
Sasebo-shi
?) is a city located in Nagasaki
Prefecture, Japan. As of
2009, the city has an estimated population of 252,698 and the density
of 694 persons per km². The total area is 364 km². 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.
History
The area of present-day Sasebo was a rather insignificant
fishing village under the control of nearby Hirado Domain until
shortly after the start of the Meiji period. Imperial Japanese Navy Admiral
Togo Heihachiro, when surveying the coasts
of northwestern Kyūshū for the of a navy base, selected his
location based on its protected, deep-water harbor, geographic
proximity to China and Korea, and the presence of nearby
coal fields. Sasebo
Naval District, founded in 1886, became the major port for the
Japanese navy in its operations in the First Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War, and remained a
major naval base to the end of World War II. Along with the base
facilities, the navy also constructed the Sasebo
Naval Arsenal, which included major shipyards and repair
facilities.
Sasebo City was founded on April 1, 1902. The city suffered
severe damage by bombing during World War II. After
the end of the war, part the base facilities were taken over by the
United States Navy, forming U.S. Fleet
Activities Sasebo. Some parts of the base are shared with the
Japan Maritime Self-Defense
Force.
The city was the site of the Sasebo slashing, the murder of a young
girl in 2004, which received considerable media coverage.
Mergers
Economy
Shipbuilding and associated heavy industries continue to
dominate the economy of Sasebo. Adjacent to the naval base is the
Sasebo Heavy Industries Co.,
Ltd. shipyard. Sasebo Station is
the westernmost station in the JR passenger train system. The US Navy Seabees
have been a big impact on the civil engineering of this city.
Sister
city relations
Sasebo has sister-city relations with three places outside Japan
and one within the country.[2]
Points of
interest
Gallery
Sunset at the Ninety-nine islands in Sasebo
|
Sasebo Harbor from Mt. Yumihari
|
|
Tops like this one are popular souvenirs of Sasebo.
|
Illuminated by the Albuquerque Bridge, Japanese volunteers
place luminarias into the Sasebo River during the Obon festival.
|
References
External
links
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Coffs Harbour, Australia
Xiamen, China
Kokonoe, Ōita
Prefecture
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