Kashima Sand Dunes

Coastal sand dunes developed on the coast of Kashima Nada in southeastern Ibaraki Prefecture. They can be seen between Oarai Town and Kamisu City, and the northern half from Oarai Town to Kashima City is long and narrow as the Kashima Plateau approaches the coast, and some parts even cover the plateau. The coast stretches for about 28 kilometers from the southern part of Kashima City to Hasaki, forming a vast sand dune area that is about 3 kilometers wide at its widest point, and is generally called the Kashima Sand Dunes. They are divided into new sand dunes along the coast with an elevation of 5 to 8 meters, and old sand dunes inland with an elevation of 10 to 39 meters. The large old sand dunes include Shittedai ​​(39 meters) in Kamisu City, Nagamine Wakamatsudai (31 meters), and Hakkodai (27 meters). Pine forests for sand and windbreaks have been created since the Edo period, and half-farming, half-fishing villages are scattered along the coast. The sand dunes were dug down to create rice paddies, and peanuts, sweet potatoes, wheat and other crops were grown in the sandy soil, with Kashima watermelon also a local specialty. Beach seine fishing was also practiced. Some areas were used as airfields during World War II, and after the war as a sand ski resort and glider practice field. With the development of the Kashima coastal industrial area, factories and ports were built, and the high sand dunes were turned into housing estates and parks, and the Kashima Sand Dunes have undergone major transformation.

[Akitoshi Sakurai]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

茨城県南東部、鹿島灘(なだ)の海岸に発達する海岸砂丘。大洗(おおあらい)町から神栖(かみす)市間にみられ、大洗町から鹿嶋市に至る北半部は鹿島台地が海岸に迫るので細長く、一部は台地上まで覆っている。鹿嶋市南部から波崎までの約28キロメートルの海岸は、最大幅約3キロメートルに及ぶ広大な砂丘地帯を形成し、一般にはこれを鹿島砂丘という。海岸沿いの標高5～8メートルの新期砂丘と、内陸部の10～39メートルの旧期砂丘に分けられ、旧期砂丘では神栖市の知手(しって)台（39メートル）、長峰若松台（31メートル）、八光台（27メートル）などが大きい。江戸時代から松の防砂林と防風林がつくられ、海岸沿いに半農半漁の村が点在している。砂丘を掘り下げて水田を造成、砂地ではラッカセイ、サツマイモ、麦などをつくり、鹿島スイカの特産もあった。また、地引網漁業も行われた。第二次世界大戦中は飛行場、戦後はサンドスキー場、グライダー練習場となった所もある。鹿島臨海工業地域の造成によって工場、港湾となり、高い砂丘は住宅団地や公園とされ、鹿島砂丘は大きく変容している。

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