Tidal flat - Higata (English spelling)

Japanese: 干潟 - ひがた（英語表記）tidal flat

A low, flat piece of land made of clay or mud that is submerged at high tide and above sea level at low tide. It is formed when sand and mud from rivers are deposited in estuaries and at the back of bays, and its size depends on the tidal range and coastal topography. It is rich in organic matter and nutrients carried by the rivers, and is a treasure trove of living creatures, including shellfish such as clams, lugworms, and fish such as Japanese goby. Many birds, including snipes, also migrate to the area in search of these creatures. It plays an extremely important role in terms of the fishing industry and environmental conservation. In Japan, there were vast tidal flats on the Chiba Prefecture coast of Tokyo Bay and in the Ariake Sea, but the former has been filled in and the latter has been reclaimed, causing their area to shrink rapidly. (→ Ramsar Convention, Ecology)

Hikata tidal flats

This is the former town area in the northwest of Asahi City, in the northeastern part of Chiba Prefecture. It is located in the northern part of the Kujukuri Plain. In 1955, the three villages of Furushiro, Nakawa, and Banzai merged to form Asahi City. In 2005, it merged with Asahi City, Kaijo Town, and Iioka Town to form Asahi City. It developed from Shinden Kaihatsu Mura, which was established in the early Edo period by reclaiming the Tsubakiumi lagoon. This rice-producing area, known as the 80,000 koku tidal flats, is known for its early-season rice. It had depended on paddy farming, but with the opening of the Otone Irrigation Canal in 1951, greenhouse vegetable cultivation developed. The Nagabe area is home to the home and graveyard of Ohara Yugaku, who led rural reforms during the Edo period.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

満潮時には海面下に沈み，干潮時には海面上に現れる低平な粘土や泥からなる土地。川から流れた砂泥が河口域や湾の奥などに堆積することで形成され，広さは干満の差および海岸地形に左右される。川から運ばれてきた有機物や栄養塩類が豊富で，アサリなどの貝類やゴカイ，マハゼなどの魚類が生息する生物の宝庫である。またそれらを求めて，シギなどの鳥類も多く渡来する。水産業や環境保全の点からきわめて重要な役割を果たす。日本では東京湾内の千葉県側海岸，有明海には広大な干潟がみられたが，前者では埋め立てが，後者では干拓が進み，急速にその面積が縮小した。（→ラムサール条約，生態学）

干潟
ひかた

千葉県北東部，旭市北西部の旧町域。九十九里平野の北部にある。 1955年古城村，中和村，萬歳村の3村が合体して町制。 2005年旭市，海上町，飯岡町と合体して旭市となった。椿海という潟湖を，江戸時代初期に干拓して成立した新田開発村から発達。干潟八万石と呼ばれる米作地で，早場米で知られる。水田農業に依存してきたが，1951年大利根用水の開通により，野菜の施設栽培が発達。長部地区には江戸時代に農村改革を指導した大原幽学の居宅，墓地がある。

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