館山市役所ホームページ: ガイド記事

Tateyama City is Located on the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula at the entrance to Tokyo Bay. Tateyama supports a population of approximately 50,527 (Oct 05 national census) residents and a large number of commuting workers and consumers from the Awa region. Tateyama is relatively warm year-round, making possible the production of a number of renowned agricultural and botanical products such as beautiful flowers and delicious strawberries. In the summer, many tourists visit Tateyama to enjoy the warm sun, cool ocean, and trademark cultural events such as the fireworks and flamenco festival. Tateyama is also very active with international relations, and maintains productive cultural and educational exchange with several cities both at home and abroad.

国際交流 International Relations

ベリンハム市 Bellingham City

Bellingham City and Tateyama City became Sister Cities in 1958. This was the 9th Sister City agreement made nationally in Japan, between Japan and the United States. Thus this relationship has a long past, and furthermore this Sister City agreement was the 11th made between Japan and a foreign country nationally. This was also the first Sister City agreement made within Chiba Prefecture. In May 1958, the president of Bellingham's "Port of Bellingham" came to Japan fully invested with the powers from the Mayor of Bellingham to make a Sister City Affiliation with a Japanese City. Through "International Friendship" groups, he made a proposal to Tateyama City to make a Sister City Affiliation. In June the same year a council was held by all of the members of Tateyama City's Assembly, and approval for the affiliation was made. The approval was communicated to Bellingham through the "International Friendship" group. In July the same year (1958), the "Bellingham and Tateyama City Affiliation Association" was formed. On July the 11th at the "Tokyo Industrial Club", the Sister City Affiliation Ceremony was held and the relationship between the two cities was made official and the links were tied. Since then, local Tateyama school and volunteer groups have been continuing visits and exchanges with Bellingham City, including middle and high school student exchanges, and have been further deepening the friendship between the cities through sports, music and traditional culture exchanges.
Bellingham has a population of 72,320 (April 05 estimate)

ポートスティーブンス市　Port Stephens

Port Stephens is in the state of New South Wales, on the east coast of Australia. Port Stephens is roughly 200 kilometers north from Sydney, and is a very port focused area, facing the Tasman sea. The area is roughly 979 kilometers square, and has a population of 63,579 (June 05 estimate). The major industry here is tourism, they also have oyster cultivation, fishing, aluminium refinement, and light industries amongst others. From Sydney one can travel to Port Stephens by car in around two and a half hours, and is only 20 minutes from Newcastle.
The relationship between Tateyama and Port Stephens was something that began through the ties Tateyama has with Bellingham. Bellingham City introduced our two cities, and in the 1990 "Pacific Rim Yacht challenge", held in Bellingham, yacht teams from Tateyama and Port Stephens were invited to participate. Furthermore, on November 2nd 2009 a sister city agreement was signed in Tateyama after a successful 10 year relationship as friendship cities. An affirmation signing of said agreement was made during a visit to Port Stephens the following year in February.

文化財 Cultural Assets
崖観音 Gakekannon

This hillside cliff-temple is located 70 meters up a volcanic tuff cliff, and was established in 723. Inside the temple is a carved ‘relief’ sculpture, a protective goddess statue dedicated to the safety of fishers and farmers. The panoramic view of Tateyama from Gake Kannon is fantastic.

This large recreation facility was built in 1990 and is very popular among people in the Tateyama area. The beautiful grounds include nine tennis courts, a baseball field, and walking courses. Inside the main building there is a weight training room, gymnasium, and other facilities available to cater to many different sports.

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These underground air-raid shelter tunnels have a total length of 1.6km, and are among the largest surviving air-raid shelters in Japan. Around the end of the Pacific War, when the American air raids were becoming intense, there is evidence that Tateyama`s Naval air force used these tunnels as air raid shelters. This includes the remains found inside the tunnels of a power generator, accounts from people who actually worked in the tunnels before the war ended, and from verbal statements that there was a hospital facility inside. These tunnels constitute one of the most historically significant remnants of the Pacific War in the Tateyama area, and they have been officially open to the public since in 2004. Although there is some evidence of construction of the tunnels starting around the late 1930s, the exact date of construction remains unknown due to lack of records.

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It is said that Nago Temple was constructed in the year 717. Inside the temple is a bronze statue of the Kannon goddess of mercy, designated as a national cultural asset. The temple also has a two-story wooden pagoda that is a designated prefectural cultural asset.

According to some, this Shrine was moved in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) from where the current Minamiboso City administration is located (previously known as Miyoshi village) to its current location. The building that stands today was rebuilt in the beginning of the 18th Century. Inside is the “100 Dragons” display, a designated cultural asset made of the statues of 54 dragons that was completed in 1866. The main shrine is also a municipal cultural asset.

This is one of the oldest shrines in Chiba Prefecture, and is recorded in the “Engi-shiki” (a compilation of laws detailing imperial court ceremonies and etiquette, penal measures, and local administration. The Engi era was 901-923) In the first week of January, a large number of area residents visit the shrine to pray for blessings of health and good fortune in the coming year.

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(5)The original castle was made by the 9th generation Lord of the Satomi clan, ‘Yoshiyasu’ in 1590 so that he could continue with his fathers’ legacy. However, in the time of the 10th generation Lord of the Satomi Clan (1614), the Lord was accused of being involved in the downfall of his wife’s grandfather, as well as for doing selfish repairs to the castle, and for feeding Ronin (masterless samurai). The punishment was for the Satomi family to be banished from Tateyama. They were banished to Kurayoshi in Tottori Prefecture, and Tateyama Castle was subsequently destroyed. In 1982, the city rebuilt the castle at Castle Park (Shiroyama Koen), complete with a museum, and a peacock aviary. The castle was remodeled after a castle from the Tensho period (1573-1592). Tateyama Castle, the symbol of Castle Park, is also a museum. Inside the castle are a number of displays related to Bakin Takizawa’s ‘Nanso Satomi Hakkenden’ (Legend of the Eight Dog Warriors) story, such as dolls once used in a TV broadcast of the story, videos, books and comics. There is also a miniature kabuki stage with a movable roof on display, as well as photos of similar castles from other parts of Japan. The balcony at the top of the castle offers a spectacular view of the city and bay.

In the 19th Century, Bakin Takizawa spent 28 years writing this fictional story modeled on the actual local history of the Satomi family. Nanso Satomi Hakkenden is the story of the eight dog warriors who were born from the spirit of Satomi Princess Fuse and her loyal dog, Yatsufusa. The story describes the Satomi warriors’ fight to restore their family name in a period of chaos and civil war, and is related to many events and facilities in Tateyama and the surrounding area. This story is also well known amongst Japanese literature, and has been reproduced in the form of movies, television dramas, plays, and comics.

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Along with Marugame in Shikoku and Kyoto, the Boshu (southern Chiba) area is one of the top 3 circular bamboo fan producing centers in Japan. Local bamboo is used and the fans are fully hand-made. In 2003 the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry designated the Boshu Uchiwa as a ‘Traditional Japanese Craft Product’.

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Touzan Ori weaving was brought to Japan from India. Designs are usually somber red or pale yellow vertical stripes over dark or pale blue backgrounds. The dyes for the fabrics are made in a unique way, testing the tone of the colors in the mouth by flavor alone. The Saito family, who live in Tateyama’s Nagasuka district, continue this traditional weaving technique.

Mr. Yutaka Ishii developed this distinctive pottery style in Tateyama in 1966. Satomi Yaki vases and tea ware are characterized by dark brown colors and other dignified, quiet colors, as well as by their elegant and simple shapes.