Maritime city "Imabari"

 What is "Imabari"?

Imabari City is located in the northeastern part of Ehime Prefecture, Shikoku, almost in the center of the Seto Inland Sea. It
consists of a plain area with a central city, a lush mountainous area, and islands scattered across the Seto Inland Sea, and is home to a population of approximately 140,000 people.

Known as one of Japan's leading towel production areas, Imabari towels are highly acclaimed for their high quality both domestically and internationally. The
city is also known as a mecca for cyclists, attracting many visitors from both within Japan and overseas, as it is possible to cycle along the Seto Inland Sea islands, a national park, and the Shimanami Kaido, a chain of majestic bridges connecting the islands.
However, Imabari also has another, lesser-known side to it: it is Japan's largest maritime city.

 What is a "maritime city"?

A maritime city is a port city that is a center of economy and culture, with a high concentration of maritime industries such as shipping, shipbuilding, and marine manufacturing (manufacturing of ship parts and machinery).
In Japan, Imabari City is an example of this.
In 2005, Imabari merged municipalities, consolidating the maritime industries that were scattered throughout Imabari City and Ochi County into a single administrative district.
As a result, Imabari became the number one city in Japan in terms of industrial concentration and production volume, and became "Japan's largest maritime city" as an unparalleled maritime industry cluster in the world. It
also boasts the largest concentration of shipyards in the country, and in particular, Hashihama Bay, along the coast of Imabari City, is lined with shipyards known as the world-famous "shipbuilding tenements."

Japan is an island nation surrounded by the sea.
As a result, the food, energy, and many of the things we need for our daily lives are transported by ship.
In fact, more than 99% of trade between Japan and other countries is conducted by ship.
Large ships can transport large quantities of goods from distant countries at low cost at once, supporting our lives.

 Japan's largest pirate group, the Murakami Pirates

Imabari is a city that has developed since ancient times, deeply connected to the sea.
In the Seto Inland Sea, there was once Japan's largest group of pirates.
However, these pirates were not simply plunderers. They were familiar with the strong currents of the Kurushima Strait and acted as pilots, guiding sailors safely, and were responsible for maintaining order in trade and distribution in the Seto Inland Sea.
While collecting tolls as payment for safe voyages, they also engaged in a variety of businesses, such as dealing in fresh seafood caught in the Seto Inland Sea.
This history of piracy has changed over the course of its long history, eventually being passed down to Imabari's diverse maritime industries.

 Salt production and Hashihama Bay

Long ago, salt production flourished on the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, and Imabari was one of them.
During the Edo period, beach-style salt fields were constructed in Hashihama Bay in Imabari, making the area renowned as one of the nation's leading salt-producing regions.
Furthermore, in the Kurushima Strait, where strong winds and strong currents occur, many ships used Hashihama Bay as a port to wait for favorable tides and winds, making it an important port.
While anchored, ships were repaired, and eventually new ships could be built, leading to the development of the shipbuilding industry.
Capitalizing on its strategic location as a key hub for maritime traffic, the bay flourished as a salt field and port town, becoming so prosperous that it was nicknamed "Iyo's Little Nagasaki."
The abundance of salt fields and the favorable location of the Kurushima Strait helped establish the shipping and shipbuilding industries in the area, and Imabari, Japan's leading maritime city, was born here.
Hakogata Bay is approximately 1 km long and 300 m wide. This Hashihama Bay is the birthplace of Imabari's shipbuilding industry.