Fukushima, Hokkaidō

Infobox City Japan
Name= Fukushima-chō
JapaneseName= 福島町
Map

Region= Hokkaidō
Prefecture= Hokkaidō
District= Matsumae-gun
Area_km2= 187.23
PopDate= 2008
Population= 5,549
Density_km2= 30.28
Coords= coord|41|28|N|140|15|E|region:JP_type:city
Tree= Sugi (Japanese Cedar)
Flower= Yamayuri (Golden-Rayed Lily)
Bird=
Symbol

SymbolDescription=
Mayor=
CityHallPostalCode= 049-1331
CityHallAddress= 820 Fukushima, Fukushima-chō, Matsumae-gun, Hokkaidō
CityHallPhone= 0139-47-3001
CityHallLink= [http://www.town.fukushima.hokkaido.jp/ Town of Fukushima]

nihongo|Fukushima|福島町|Fukushima-chō is a town located in Matsumae District, Oshima, Hokkaidō, Japan.

As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 5,549 and a density of 30.28 persons per km². The total area is 187.23 km².Industries in the town include squid fishing and tourism. The main tourist attractions are the Seikan Tunnel Museum and the sumo museum (Yokozuna Chiyonoyama Chiyonofuji Kinenkan).

Two former Sumo Grand Champions (Yokozuna) were born and lived in Fukushima and their careers are celebrated in the sumo museum. The first is Chiyonoyama (千代の山 雅信) and was followed by Chiyonofuji (千代の富士貢). The latter is often considered to be the most successful sumo wrestler of all time and won no fewer than 31 top division titles in his career before retiring in 1991.

Yoshioka, a part of the town, has access tunnels to the Seikan Tunnel and Yoshioka-Kaitei Station. This station, along with Tappi-Kaitei Station on the Aomori side of the tunnel, were the world's first undersea stations. They are presently closed to tourists while construction of the Shinkansen line to Hakodate is completed. The Seikan Tunnel travels beneath the Tsugaru Strait — connecting the island of Hokkaidō and Aomori Prefecture on the Japanese island of Honshū — as part of the Japan Railways Kaikyo Line. The access tunnles from Yoshioka serve as emergency access and escape points and were important during the tunnel's construction phase.

External links

* [http://www.town.fukushima.hokkaido.jp/ Official website] in Japanese