Shiogama

Shiogama is in north-central Miyagi Prefecture, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east.

• Miyagi Prefecture
• Rifu
• Shichigahama
• Tagajō

Shiogama has a humid climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Shiogama is {{cvt|11.8|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|1175.0|mm}} with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around {{cvt|23.5|C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{cvt|0.9|C}}.

{{Weather box

|width=auto

|collapsed =

|single line = Y

|metric first = Y

|location = Shiogama (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present)

|Jan record high C = 14.4

|Feb record high C = 20.7

|Mar record high C = 21.3

|Apr record high C = 30.0

|May record high C = 30.9

|Jun record high C = 34.2

|Jul record high C = 35.5

|Aug record high C = 35.8

|Sep record high C = 35.7

|Oct record high C = 30.0

|Nov record high C = 23.5

|Dec record high C = 20.7

|Jan record low C = -9.6

|Feb record low C = -9.5

|Mar record low C = -6.2

|Apr record low C = -2.8

|May record low C = 0.5

|Jun record low C = 7.9

|Jul record low C = 11.1

|Aug record low C = 12.9

|Sep record low C = 6.9

|Oct record low C = 2.2

|Nov record low C = -3.1

|Dec record low C = -7.8

|Jan high C = 4.4

|Feb high C = 5.2

|Mar high C = 8.9

|Apr high C = 14.5

|May high C = 19.3

|Jun high C = 22.3

|Jul high C = 25.7

|Aug high C = 27.4

|Sep high C = 24.1

|Oct high C = 18.8

|Nov high C = 13.0

|Dec high C = 7.1

|Jan mean C = 0.9

|Feb mean C = 1.3

|Mar mean C = 4.4

|Apr mean C = 9.6

|May mean C = 14.6

|Jun mean C = 18.3

|Jul mean C = 22.0

|Aug mean C = 23.5

|Sep mean C = 20.3

|Oct mean C = 14.8

|Nov mean C = 8.8

|Dec mean C = 3.4

|Jan low C = -2.1

|Feb low C = -2.0

|Mar low C = 0.5

|Apr low C = 5.4

|May low C = 10.8

|Jun low C = 15.2

|Jul low C = 19.3

|Aug low C = 20.7

|Sep low C = 17.2

|Oct low C = 11.2

|Nov low C = 5.0

|Dec low C = 0.2

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 38.3

|Feb precipitation mm = 31.8

|Mar precipitation mm = 71.2

|Apr precipitation mm = 87.9

|May precipitation mm = 101.8

|Jun precipitation mm = 130.0

|Jul precipitation mm = 170.2

|Aug precipitation mm = 130.5

|Sep precipitation mm = 172.1

|Oct precipitation mm = 140.2

|Nov precipitation mm = 60.3

|Dec precipitation mm = 40.6

|year precipitation mm = 1175.0

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 6.0

|Feb precipitation days = 5.8

|Mar precipitation days = 7.5

|Apr precipitation days = 8.4

|May precipitation days = 9.4

|Jun precipitation days = 11.0

|Jul precipitation days = 13.8

|Aug precipitation days = 11.1

|Sep precipitation days = 11.2

|Oct precipitation days = 8.5

|Nov precipitation days = 6.5

|Dec precipitation days = 6.5

|Jan sun = 153.5

|Feb sun = 161.1

|Mar sun = 182.4

|Apr sun = 193.1

|May sun = 190.1

|Jun sun = 145.3

|Jul sun = 134.9

|Aug sun = 149.8

|Sep sun = 135.0

|Oct sun = 144.8

|Nov sun = 143.3

|Dec sun = 133.2

|year sun = 1871.3

|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=34&block_no=1030&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = March 22, 2022}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=34&block_no=1030&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = March 22, 2022}}}}

Per Japanese census data,[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-miyagi.php Shiogama population statistics] the population of Shiogama peaked around 1990 and has declined since.

{{Historical populations

| 1970 | 59,772

| 1980 | 61,040

| 1990 | 62,025

| 2000 | 61,547

| 2010 | 56,490

| 2020 | 52,203

|align = none

| footnote =

}}

"Shiogama" means "salt furnace" and refers to a local Shinto ritual involving the making of salt from sea water, still performed every July. The name is sometimes written using the kanji 塩釜 rather than 塩竈 and both spellings are officially permitted. Both 釜 and 竈 are pronounced gama in compounds, but as lone words they are pronounced kama and kamado, respectively. A kamado (竈, "furnace") is what a kama (釜, "kettle") is placed upon, and so the two are not completely interchangeable. 塩竈 is the form officially used by the city, but for ease of writing, the 10-stroke 釜 is often used in place of the 21-stroke 竈, such as in Shiogama Station.{{cite web |url=http://www.city.shiogama.miyagi.jp/seisaku/shise/gaiyo/kamado.html |title=塩竈市／「竈」の字について |website=www.city.shiogama.miyagi.jp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019183917/http://www.city.shiogama.miyagi.jp/seisaku/shise/gaiyo/kamado.html |archive-date=2012-10-19}}

Shiogama Jinja uses the rendering 鹽竈, with an archaic character for salt. This third form is rarely seen outside of this context.

The area of present-day Shiogama was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and has been settled since at least the Jōmon period by the Emishi people. During the Nara period, the area came under the control of colonists from the imperial dynasty based at nearby Tagajō and was the most important seaport in Mutsu. The ruins of the provincial capital of Mutsu Province have been found within the city borders. During later portion of the Heian period, the area was ruled by the Northern Fujiwara. During the Sengoku period, the area was contested by various samurai clans before the area came under the control of the Date clan of Sendai Domain during the Edo period, under the Tokugawa shogunate.

The town of Shiogama was established with the post-Meiji restoration creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Parts of Tagajō and Shichigahama were incorporated into Shiogama of September 1, 1938. Shiogama was raised to city status on November 23, 1941 (187th, nationally; 3rd in Miyagi). The city annexed the Gyūchi area of neighboring Tagajō on December 1, 1949 and the village of Urato on April 1, 1950.

The city was affected by the tsunami caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake,http://themes.thestar.com/photo/0eira3V9EGfFA a tsunami wave engulfing vehicles and houses in Shiogama although damage to its fishing industry turned out to be light.Aoki, Mizuho, "[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110409f1.html Fish processors rise to challenge]", Japan Times, 9 April 2011, p. 3.

Shiogama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members.

The economy of Shiogama is largely based on commercial fishing, especially of tuna, and fish processing. The city also boasts one of the highest density of sushi restaurants in Japan.

Shiogama has six public elementary schools and four middle schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Miyagi Prefectural Board of Education.

• East Japan Railway Company (JR East) – Senseki Line
• {{STN|Nishi-Shiogama|x}}, {{STN|Hon-Shiogama|x}}, {{STN|Higashi-Shiogama|x}}
• East Japan Railway Company (JR East) – Tōhoku Main Line
• {{STN|Shiogama|x}}

• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|45}}

• Miyagi Prefectural Route 3 (Shiogama—Yoshioka)
• Miyagi Prefectural Route 10 (Shiogama—Watari)
• Miyagi Prefectural Route 11 (Shiogama—Shiogama-kō)
• Miyagi Prefectural Route 23 (Sendai—Shiogama)
• Miyagi Prefectural Route 35 (Izumi—Shiogama)
• Miyagi Prefectural Route 58 (Shiogama—Shichigahama—Tagajō)

• Shiogama 'Hote' festival (10 March)
• Shiogama Flower festival and Shiogama Citizens Festival (late April)
• Shiogama Harbor festival (Eve: before Marine Day/festival: Marine Day July)

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• raw tuna (Maguro) catches in Japan
• Sushi restaurant density in Japan
• Sasa Kamaboko (fish paste and roasted into the shape of sasa (bamboo leaf)) processed fishery production in Japan

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• Sweets (Shihogama, Namadora, etc.)
• Japanese sake (Shiogama brands: Uragasumi Zen, Omotaka Otokoyama, Shiki no Matsushima, Date no Iki, etc.)

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File:Port of Shiogama from the sea.jpg

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• Shiogama Jinja
• Shiwahiko Jinja
• Okama Jinja
• Magaki Jinja
• Shiogama Port
• Shiogama Fish Market

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• Urato Islands
• Nagai Shiyouiti Manga Museum

: Shiogama-city Community Center (Fureai ESP Shiogama)

• Shiogama Kyokusui
• Noda no Tamagawa (One of Japan's six Tamagawa)
• Mother and child stone
• Marine Gate Shiogama

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• Masao Maruyama (anime producer) [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0555470/ Entry at imdb.com]
• Masashi Nakano (politician)[http://www.nakano-masashi.gr.jp/index.php#profile Official profile]
• Nobunaga Shimazaki (voice actor)
• Koichi Yamadera (voice actor)

{{reflist}}

{{commons category }}

• [http://www.city.shiogama.miyagi.jp/ Official Website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Miyagi}}

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Category:Cities in Miyagi Prefecture

Category:Populated coastal places in Japan

Category:Shiogama, Miyagi