Ōda, Shimane

"Ooda" redirects here. For the strategic process, see OODA loop.

Ōda 大田市
City
Location of Ōda in Shimane Prefecture Location of Ōda in Shimane Prefecture
Ōda Location in Japan
Coordinates:
Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku (San'in)
Prefecture	Shimane Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Soichi Takegoshi (since 2005)
Area
• Total	436.11 km2 (168.38 sq mi)
Population (January 1, 2012)
• Total	38,837
• Density	89/km2 (230/sq mi)
Symbols
• Tree	Prunus mume
• Flower	Phododendron molle
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City Hall Address	1111 Ōdaguchi, Ōda-machi, Ōda-shi, Shimane-ken 694-0064
Website	www.city.ohda.lg.jp

Ōda (大田市, Ōda-shi) is a city located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Shimane Prefecture, Japan.

As of January 1, 2012, the city has an estimated population of 38,837, with 16,264 households and a population density of 89.05 persons per km². The total area is 436.11 km². The city was founded on January 1, 1954. Ōda is home to the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, a World Heritage Site.

Geography

Located in the central coastal portion of Shimane Prefecture, Ōda borders the Sea of Japan to the north and the Chūgoku Mountains to the south. Mount Sanbe (1,126 metres (3,694 ft)), part of Daisen-Oki National Park, is a double volcano of the Hakusan Volcanic Zone, and is situated to the southeast of the city.

Neighboring municipalities

• Shimane Prefecture
  • Izumo
  • Misato
  • Kawamoto
  • Iinan
  • Gōtsu

Economy

Ōda remains a center of agricultural production. The city is a center for dairy farms. Additionally, the city is known for its roof tile industry, produced since early times as Iwami gawara, or kawara Japanese roof tiles of Iwami.

Transportation

Ōda is serviced by two transportation networks. The first is JR West Sanin Main Line, connecting Ōdashi Station to Tottori through Yonago and Matsue to the east, and connecting along the coast to Hamada and Masuda to the west.

The secondary transportation network is the Intercity bus.The Ōdashi Station is the terminal, and the line runs from Hiroshima Station and Hiroshima Bus Center.

History

The area of present-day Ōda located in Izumo Province. The area was a strategic meeting point of three ancient transportation routes: the San'in, Izumo, and the Bingo. As a result, numerous market towns were developed in the area.

On October 1, 2005, the towns of Nima and Yunotsu (both from Nima District) were merged into Ōda. Therefore, Nima District was dissolved as a result of this merger.

Local attractions

Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine

Ōda is home to the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, a World Heritage Site. Iwami Ginzan was the largest silver mine in Japanese history. Active for almost four hundred years, it operated from the discovery of silver in the area in 1526 until 1923. Iwami Ginzan was the most important source of silver to the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Edo period (1603 – 1868), and was directly controlled by the Tokugawa government. The mine is a popular tourist destination in Shimane, and can be reached by bus from Ōda Station on the JR West Sanin Main Line.

Nima Sand Museum

The Nima Sand Museum features a large hourglass mechanism that automatically rotates from December 31 to January 1. It is designated the largest hourglass in the world, but is not officially registered in Guinness World Records. This museum officially opened in March 1991.

Sand_p1 This museum features sand comprising six large and small pyramids made of crystal glass. The world’s largest hourglass Sunagoyomi measures the duration of a year and is displayed in the center of the building.

• Address 975, Amagouchi, Nima-cho, Oda-City, Shimane-Prefecture
• Access 10 minutes walk from JR Nima Station
• Opening hours 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (entry by 4:30 p.m.)
• Closed:The 1st Wednesday of every month, year-end and new year holidays
• URL http://www.sandmuseum.jp/

Sister cities

• Daejeon (since November 14, 1987)
• Kasaoka, Okayama (since April 14, 1990)

External links

• Ōda City official website (Japanese)