Kiritappu - Kiritappu

This is the central town of Hamanaka-cho, located in the Kushiro Regional Development Bureau in eastern Hokkaido, and is the location of the town hall. It replaced Sakaki-cho in the same town to the north, where mooring was inconvenient, and a small town in a checkerboard pattern was formed at the sandbar-like junction between the mainland and Kiritappu Island around 1886 (Meiji 19). Kiritappu Port is a base for coastal and offshore fishing, including salmon, kelp, and sea urchins. The tsunamis caused by the Tokachi earthquake in 1952 (Showa 27) and the Chilean earthquake in 1960 caused damage to the town, cutting the sandbar at the junction, and the Kiritappu Bridge is now built there. There was also damage caused by the Kushiro earthquake in 1993 (Heisei 5) and the Hokkaido East Coast earthquake in 1994. The eastern end of Kiritappu Island is Cape Tofutsumisaki (Kiritappu Cape), which offers a great view. The 3,200 hectare Kiritappu Marshland spreads across the western part of the city, with the Biwase River meandering through it. Part of the marshland forms the Kiritappu Peat-Forming Plant Community, a nationally designated natural monument. In 1993, Kiritappu Marshland was registered as a Ramsar Convention wetland. The entire area is part of Akkeshi Prefectural Natural Park.

[Furukawa Shiro]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

北海道東部、釧路(くしろ)総合振興局管内の浜中町(はまなかちょう)の中心市街地、町役場所在地。係船に不便な北方の同町榊町(さかきまち)にかわり、1886年（明治19）ごろから本土と霧多布島との砂州(さす)状の接合部に碁盤目状の小市街地を形成。霧多布港はサケ、コンブ、ウニなど沿岸・沖合漁業の基地。1952年（昭和27）の十勝(とかち)沖地震、1960年のチリ地震の際の津波は市街地に被害を発生させ、接合部の砂州が切られ、現在は霧多布大橋が架けられている。1993年（平成5）の釧路(くしろ)沖地震、1994年の北海道東方沖地震でも被害があった。霧多布島の東端は湯沸岬(とうふつみさき)（霧多布岬）となっていて展望がよい。市街地の西部一帯は3200ヘクタールに及ぶ霧多布湿原が広がり、琵琶瀬(びわせ)川が蛇行する。湿原の一部は国指定天然記念物の「霧多布泥炭形成植物群落」をなしている。霧多布湿原は1993年（平成5）、ラムサール条約登録湿地となった。一帯は厚岸(あっけし)道立自然公園域。

［古川史郎］

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