Tomioka, Fukushima

Tomioka (富岡町; -machi) is a town located in Futaba District, Fukushima, Japan.

As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 16,078 and a density of 234.82 persons per km². The total area is 68.47 km². The town is famous for having one of the longest Sakura (Cherry blossom) tunnel in Japan. It has a friendship agreement with Auckland, New Zealand, and a New Zealand teacher is sent to Tomioka every year to teach at the Junior and Elementary schools. Tomioka counts a nuclear power station owned by The Tokyo Electric Power Company which provides a certain wealth to the town.

The town of Tomioka is divided into two main districts, each with their own train station. To the south is Tomioka, which is the main area. To the north, on top of the hill, is Yonomori, a smaller and much newer neighborhood. Though the two areas operate under one government, physical distance makes them feel like two separate towns.

Landmarks

Tom-とむ

This is a popular meeting spot for people in town, and is arguably described as the "heart of the town." Inside are a supermarket, a bakery, a clothing and household items store, a pharmacy, a CD/DVD store, a small video game counter (console games only), a small arcade, a KFC, and a McDonald's. A smaller branch of Tom-とむ exists in Yonomori (a subsection of Tomioka). This contains a supermarket and a small bakery. Both branches are owned and run by York-Benimaru after being purchased from a local owner several years ago. Locals distinguish between the two by calling them "Tomitomu" and "Yonotomu", short for "Tomioka Tom-とむ" and "Yonomori Tom-とむ", respectively.

Super-Center

An alternative to Tom-とむ is Super-Center. This other shopping center is also popular for people who can't make it as far as Tom-とむ. It contains a small 100円 shop called the "Daiso", a supermarket, and a small section for items such as pharmaceuticals, household supplies, and hardware.

Shrines

The shrines are a major feature in Japanese landscape, and Tomioka makes no exception. The main shrine in Tomioka is probably the Hayama shrine where a fire festival is held to pray for a good harvest.

You can also admire the shrine known as “Number 33”, which is the thirty-third shrine in a pilgrimage path which goes across the country.

Tomioka Government Offices Complex

This complex consists of three buildings connected by walkways and a mini park. The center building is home to the city government offices. All foreigners residing in Tomioka should register here for their Certificate of Alien Registration. On the left side of the complex is a building that houses a large auditorium and the city's public library. A small selection of English books is available upon request at the library, and they keep regular subscriptions to TIME Magazine and a weekly English-language newspaper. The right side of the complex features a small health center. The whole complex is located just north of where the Joban train line crosses Route 6 and is across the highway from the Tomioka Sports Center.

Yonomori Park

This park is very popular in Spring when the cherry blossoms are blooming. Many locals come to view the blossoms in the park and enjoy the festival atmosphere. During the Cherry Blossom Festival, there are many food, trinket, and game stalls.

Tomioka Sports Center

Located between Route 6 and the ocean, this sports center boasts multiple tennis courts and a baseball field, among other attractions. The facilities can be rented by the hour for a very reasonable price. Some local sports clubs meet here.

Refre

Located at the intersection of the two roads with cherry blossom tunnels, Refre (リフレ) is a popular meeting place. Its facilities include a conference room with seating and catering for hundreds of people, a hotel, a fitness center, a hot spring, one indoor heated pool for lap swimming, and one indoor/outdoor pool for general use, though the second pool is closed during the winter months.

Tomioka Beach

During the summer months leading up to Obon, there is a beach open for public swimming. After Obon, however, the beach is closed due to the large population of jellyfish. The beach is a short distance from Tomioka station.

Activities

Hot Springs

Tomioka also offers a choice of hot springs. You can choose between two hot springs:

Refre is the most popular hot spring of the area. It is located in Yonomori (north of tomioka) some 300 meters from the Yonomori train station. The brand new building offers you all the comfort you can imagine as far as hot springs are concerned. Families around the area often come there to meet with people and catch up with the local news. Some events are also often held in this same building.

Iwaidonoyu is the other option. It is located in the mountains west of Tomioka and offers a more intimate setting. It is harder to reach this hot spring without a transport. The spring will often not be as crowded as in Yonomori and offer you a quieter atmosphere.

Restaurants

Tomioka has many restaurants, just like any other towns. These include Kappa Sushi (a kaiten sushi restaurant), Dohtonbori (an okonomiyaki restaurant), McDonald's, KFC, and many small family-run shops.The Rokumeikan (鹿鳴館), located kiddy-corner to Super-Center, offers a good option, the food is good value for your money, and the drink bar is a hit by itself.Fuji Ramen, located on the south side of Tomioka on Route 6, is famous for its "Negi Ramen," and is quite popular.Hama Yu (浜遊), located in the Yonomori Tom-とむ complex, is an udon restaurant that also offers tempura and rice bowls at a decent price.

Yonomori Sakura Festival

In early April, there is a Sakura Festival in Yonomori, which the town is famous for. Cars will line up as far back as 3km in order to drive under one of the three sakura (cherry blossom) canopies in town. During the day there are festivities such as traditional music and dancing, and at night, the sakura canopies are illuminated by hundreds of ground-mounted lights, giving an almost surrealistic effect. Because of this festival and the illumination, Tomioka is considered one of the top places in all of Japan for viewing cherry blossoms.

Mysteries

Hairdressers

Tomioka is amongst the cities in the world with the most hairdressers per inhabitant. No one knows exactly how many hairdressers there are in this town, but the businesses are flourishing.

chools

Elementary School

There are two elementary schools in Tomioka - Tomioka 1st Elementary School and Tomioka 2nd Elementary School.

Junior High

There are two junior high schools in Tomioka - Tomioka 1st Junior High School and Tomioka 2nd Junior High School. Students who go to Tomioka 1st Elementary school generally go to Tomioka 1st Junior High and the same with the 2nd Elementary school.

High School

There is one High School in Tomioka : [http://www.tomioka-h.fks.ed.jp/tomioka_hs.html Tomioka High School] .

External links

* [http://www.tomioka-town.org/ Tomioka official website] in Japanese (some English content)
* [http://www.tomioka-h.fks.ed.jp/tomioka_hs.html Tomioka High School] in English