Shonan

Also called the Shonan region. This coastal area stretches from the central west coast of the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture to the foot of the Hakone volcano, and includes the area around the inner Sagami Bay. It includes the areas of Hayama, Zushi, Kamakura, Fujisawa, Chigasaki, Hiratsuka, Oiso, Ninomiya, and Odawara. As this is the southern coast of the former Sagami Province (Kanagawa Prefecture), it should be written as "Shangnan," but the character "Xiang" is used in honor of the scenic Xiang River in Hunan Province, China. As the Sagami Bay Stream, a tributary of the Kuroshio Current, washes over the coast, it is warm in the winter (6-7°C) and cool in the summer, with a clear alternation of sea and land breezes. In addition, Fuji, Hakone, the Izu mountains, and Oshima Island can be seen from any coast. After the Tokaido Line was extended to Kozu in 1887 (Meiji 20), and the Yokosuka Line was opened in 1889, Shonan became famous as a place for people from the Keihin area to use as a vacation home, a resort, a beach, and a residential area. Shonan is also known as a suburban agricultural area, being a pioneer in agricultural diversification, with early vegetable harvesting for the Keihin area taking advantage of the warm climate, and dairy farming centered around Oiso and Ninomiya. During World War II, factories were evacuated from the Keihin area, and many large modern industrial factories moved here after the war, with the Ofuna area of ​​Kamakura, Fujisawa, Chigasaki, Hiratsuka, and Odawara becoming particularly industrialized. In addition, many housing complexes were developed for commuters from the Keihin area after the war, and Shonan became an industrial and residential satellite city area for the Keihin area, with its population rapidly increasing. In response to this, railway transport capacity has been increased, and National Route 134, the Odawara-Atsugi Road (National Route 271), and the Seisho Bypass have been constructed.

The west coast of Enoshima and the Miura Peninsula, including Chojagasaki (Hayama Town), Osaki (Zushi City), and Inamuragasaki (Kamakura City), have been eroded by the ocean waves, creating beautiful views of steep cliffs. From Katase on the opposite shore of Enoshima to Oiso and the waterfront area of ​​Odawara City, there is a continuous sandy beach that is bustling with beachgoers, and there are also many bases for yachting and fishing, such as Shonan Port in Enoshima, Koshigoe Port in Kamakura, and Abuzuru Port in Hayama.

[Yukio Asaka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

湘南地方ともいう。神奈川県三浦半島の中央西部海岸から、箱根火山の山脚部にわたる相模(さがみ)湾奥の沿岸地域。葉山、逗子(ずし)、鎌倉(かまくら)、藤沢、茅ヶ崎(ちがさき)、平塚、大磯(おおいそ)、二宮(にのみや)、小田原にかけた一帯が含まれる。旧相模国（神奈川県）の南海岸なので「相南」と書くべきであるが、中国の景勝地の湖南省の湘江(しょうこう)にちなんで「湘」の字があてられている。黒潮の分流の相模湾流が沿岸を洗うため、冬は暖かく（気温6～7℃）、夏は海・陸風がはっきり交代して一日中風があって涼しい。また、どこの海岸からも富士、箱根、伊豆の山々や大島などが展望できる。1887年（明治20）に東海道線が国府津(こうづ)まで、また1889年に横須賀(よこすか)線が開通してからは京浜人の別荘地、療養地、海水浴場、また住宅地としても利用されるようになって有名になった。湘南はまた温暖な気候を利用した京浜向けの野菜の早出し、大磯・二宮を中心とした酪農など、農業多角化の先駆地域であり、近郊農業地域としても知られる。第二次世界大戦中にここへも京浜から工場疎開が行われたが、戦後にも近代工業の大工場が多く進出し、鎌倉の大船(おおふな)地区や藤沢、茅ヶ崎、平塚、小田原の工業化がとくに著しい。これに戦後は京浜通勤者向けの住宅団地の開発も多く、湘南は京浜の工業、住宅衛星都市地域となり、人口も急増している。これに対して鉄道の輸送力が増強され、国道134号、小田原厚木道路（国道271号）、西湘バイパスが増設されている。

　長者ヶ崎（葉山町）、大崎（逗子市）、稲村ヶ崎（鎌倉市）など三浦半島や江の島の西岸は海波の侵食を受けて、切り立った海食崖(がい)の好風景がみられる。江の島対岸の片瀬から大磯、小田原市の臨海地域へかけては一続きの砂浜海岸で、海水浴客でにぎわい、また江の島の湘南港や鎌倉の腰越(こしごえ)港、葉山の鐙摺(あぶずる)港などヨットや釣魚の基地も少なくない。

［浅香幸雄］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例