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Tsuruga, Fukui

Tsuruga
敦賀市
City
Flag of Tsuruga
Flag
Location of Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture
Location of Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture
Tsuruga is located in Japan
Tsuruga
Tsuruga
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 35°39′N 136°3′E / 35.650°N 136.050°E / 35.650; 136.050Coordinates: 35°39′N 136°3′E / 35.650°N 136.050°E / 35.650; 136.050
Country Japan
Region Chūbu (Hokuriku)
Prefecture Fukui Prefecture
Government
 • Mayor Takanobu Fuchikami
Area
 • Total 250.74 km2 (96.81 sq mi)
Population (October 1, 2005)
 • Total 68,401
 • Density 272.80/km2 (706.5/sq mi)
Symbols
 • Tree Pine
 • Flower Lespedeza
 • Bird Black-headed gull
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City hall address 2-1-1 Chūō-chō, Tsuruga-shi, Fukui-ken
914-8501
Website www.ton21.ne.jp

Tsuruga (敦賀市 Tsuruga-shi?) is a city in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. It is the largest city in Japan's Wakasa region.

An Imperial decree in July 1899 established Tsuruga as an open port for trading with the United States and the United Kingdom.

Bashō (1644-1694) wrote a celebrated haiku on the moonlight over Tsuruga bay.

Tsuruga was incorporated as a city on April 1, 1937.

Tsuruga is known for its two nuclear power facilities - the Monju demonstration nuclear plant and the Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant.

Tsuruga was the only Japanese port opened to the Polish orphans in 1920, and to the Jewish refugees in 1940 thanks to Jan Zwartendijk, the Dutch Consul in Kaunas, who issued visa for Curaçao and Surinam, Mr. Chiune Sugihara, Vice-Consul for the Empire of Japan in Lithuania could issue transit visa for Japan. These historic events are detailed at the Port of Humanity Tsuruga Museum. Jan Zwartendijk is honored in Israel, Lithuania and The Netherlands. In Japan his work is rather unknown so far.

Situated on Wakasa Bay, Tsuruga lies some 50 km south of Fukui, 90 km northwest of Nagoya, 40 km northwest of Maibara, 115 km northeast of Osaka, 75 km northeast of Kyoto, and 65 km east of Maizuru.

Among cities on the Japan Sea coast, Tsuruga is the nearest city to the Pacific Ocean. The distance between Tsuruga and Nagoya is only 115 km. Tsuruga and Nagoya are historically close to Shiga Prefecture and Kyoto.


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