“The earth,” A geopark is “living creatures,” where we can Human activity and the “human learn everything History, culture, and industry activity” are Choshi Geopark and have fun.★ interconnected

Living creatures Plants and animals

The earth

Choshi Geoprk related "Exhibitions" Choshi city youth and cultural hall “Choshi Geopark Exhibition room” 【Entrance fee】 free 【Hours】9:00 to 17:00 We will guide you 【Closures】every Monday(except if Monday is a holiday, it will be closed Tuesday.) National holidays(except for May 5th and November 3rd) through the entire park! 1046 Maejuku-cho, Choshi City, Pref., 〒288-0031 Phone:81-(0)479-24-8911 ※All the fun of Choshi geopark in one place. Horizon Observatory 【Entrance fee】Adult ¥ 380, Elementary and Junior-high school children ¥ 200, Over 65 ¥ 330 【Hours】April to September, 9:00 to 18:30 October to March, 9:00 to 17:00 The last entry is 30 minutes before closing 【Closures】None 1421-1 Tennoudai, Choshi City, Chiba Pref., Japan 〒288-0024 Phone:81-(0)479-25-0930 ※Various fossils and ambers from Choshi can be viewed.

Tokawa Mini Furusato Museum 【Entrance fee】free 【Hours】10:30 to 15:30 【Closures】Tuesdays and Wednesdays (except for holidays) Inquiries for Tokawa Mini Furusato Museum “Choshi Tourism Association” office Phone:81-(0)479-22-1544 ※Here, you can find about the history of Tokawa town. You can also view the collection of shellfish fossil researcher, Mr. Tomio Watanabe. Cho-Pi Geo-Cho (Choshi’s publicist) (Choshi Geopark PR ambassador) Editor:The Choshi Geopark Promotion Council office I was born in a cabbage field in Choshi. My job is to showcase Choshi and the Phone:81-(0)479-24-8911 FAX:81-(0)479-21-6622 If you want to know anything about Choshi Geopark. My hat is modeled URL http://www.choshi-geopark.jp/ Choshi, leave it to me, “Cho-pi.” after geological strata and Cape Scan this QR code Inubousaki lighthouse. My blue bangs Illustration: Chiba Prefectural Choshi High School to access the Choshi represent waves of the Pacific Ocean. (Hinano Jitsukawa and Risa Ishige) Geopark website. Choshi Port Tower · Kurohai Medogahana At Kurohae Fishing Port It is a 57.7m tower. At the foot of can see “conglomerate,” the tower, you can see a stratum formed from small rocks, and called “Medogahana,” which was blackish colored “andesite”, deposited around the time the formed through solidification formed. (P7) of magma approximately 20 Yoyama million years ago. (P7) shell mound

Choshi fishing port Choshi city youth and Wholesale Market 3 Soy-sauce Factories cultural hall Sennintsuka Yoyama shell mound The “Choshi Geopark Bronzite andesite Conservation Park ● Here are traces of human Soy sauce production has been Exhibition room”is the base activities from approximately flourishing in Choshi since the Edo facility of Choshi geopark, and Choshi 3500 years ago. (P13.14.15) Periods. (P17) precious fossils of Choshi are Port Tower (Inquiry for a factories tour) exhibited here. (cover) Choshi fishing port Choshi factory of Yamasa Corporation Wholesale Market 2 Medogahana Visit desk at 81-(0)479-22-9809 Higeta Shoyu Co. Ltd. Choshi, Choshi office at 81-(0)479-22-0080 Choshi fishing port Wholesale Market 1 Kurohai

Moto-choshi Kasagami-kurohae Nakanocho station station station Higeta Shoyu Co. Ltd. Choshi station Kannon factory Yamasa soy-sause station Nishi-ashikajima factory Choshi city youth station and cultural hall Ashikajima Horizon Observatory station Cape Inubousaki · ・Mt. Atagoyama This hill is rock formed in the Lighthouse period that dinosaurs lived. Here, You can see the lighthouse From the observatory, you can and sedimentary rocks, which see the entire Choshi Peninsula. deposited in the shallow sea (P6. Cover) during the age of dinosaurs. You can also see many coastal plants in this region. (P7.11) Kimigahama station Byoubugaura Cliff It is a 10-km-long cliff eroded by waves. This cliff is made of Byoubugaura Cliff strata deposited in the ocean AEON mall approximately 3 million years Inubou Choshi Horizon Observatory ago. (P8) Mt. Atagoyama station Cape Inubousaki

Climax forest of Laurel Inuiwa Rock · forest at Tokai Shrine ● Sengaiwa Rock These rocks were formed in Tokawa townscape ● Tokawa Houman Rocks the period that dinosaurs lived. Inuiwa Rock station Inuiwa rock looks like a dog. This symbol shows you points of (P6) interests within the Choshi Geopark. Sengaiwa Rock 3 2 Interesting. A lot of cabbages are harvested in Choshi too. What is a Geopark? These are all gifts from GEOPARK the earth.

“Geo” means the planet Earth and What is a the ground, and “geopark” for of course we which Choshi was know what first certified in “Park” means. Chiba pref.?

The logo for the Japanese Geoparks Network I get it!! During the , people were able to use the waterway of the , and that is why the soy sauce industry So everything is Is a geopark a park just for flourished. The climate is also because of the perfect for growing cabbage. earth of Choshi. geology and topography?

What, really? Of course topography Tell me more! and geology are important, but that‛s The earth of not all. Choshi

Fish is also a gift At the geopark, by One of the important roles of geoparks is to from the earth, understanding “the gifts preserve precious heritage of geology and right? from the earth,” you can really feel the charm of topography, and to pass it onto the future. the earth.

That‛s right. For The gifts from They are sites example, soy sauce the earth? where you can has been made in understand “the Choshi since the gifts from the Edo periods, right? earth.” People have been living in Choshi since ancient times thanks to “the gifts from the earth.”

Geopark activities are that everyone know about Choshi through blessings Right, from the earth. Through the geopark, We hope you‛ll fall in love with Choshi. it‛s famous! 5 4 1. When Choshi had been located further south ❷ CHOSHI’S How the earth of Choshi was formed? ★Events that occurred 130 million years ago The eastern shore GEOHISTORY of Choshi consists of rocks made of sand and ts of earth of Ch mud which had accumulated ven osh Cape Inubousaki has a in the ocean during 130 to E Paleozoic i precious geological Choshi city 110 million feature; hence, it is years ago. 150 million(?) years ago The properties of the ground designated as a beneath you are called “geology.” natural monument Mesozoic Cenozoic By studying “geology,” you can (nationally designated). 130 million years ago understand the history of the Here 20 million years ago earth. Cape Inubousaki 3 million years ago Nationally designated ［ natural monument ］ 1. When Choshi had been located further south ❶

Ancient After these rocks ★Events that occurred 150 million(?) years ago continent formed, the earth of Choshi moved several When dinosaurs were alive, the part of the earth that became Direction of Choshi was formed further south than the current location. plate movement thousand kilometers toward the north. CHOSHI Plates? The oldest rock(called Deep sea “Atagoyama Group”) was formed Shallow sea when overlying materials were Choshi 130 million years ago (Modified from Asahiko Taira, 1990) pushed against the continent and stripped-off as the oceanic plate subducted under the continental 2. When the Sea of Japan and the Japanese archipelago formed plate. (Bottom figure) ★Events that had occurred during 25 to 15 million years ago The Sea of Japan hadn’t always been there. During approximately 25 to 15 million years ago, the Approximately 15 to 14 million years ago Approximately 25 million years ago edge of the continent slowly Ocean had separated, created the Japanese archipelago and Plates are sheets of Continent the Sea of Japan. Oceanic plate rocks approximately When a plate is subducted, CHOSHI？ 100 km thick that the top layer of the sediments is cover the Earth‛s stripped-off toward the continent. CHOSHI？ surface. Plates move Mantle several cm per one year. Subducting under a continent Formation of the Sea of Japan Edge of the continent Continent The position of Japanese archipelago back then Ocean Modified from Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan (2004) Hence, the rocks like Houman Rocks Medogahana Inuiwa Rock, Islet off the coast of A cliff under the Choshi Sengaiwa Rock, and Nagasaki Port Tower Mt.Atagoyama are The rocks that formed The rocks that formed formed during that approximately 20 million from mud accumulated in time. years ago when lava the ocean approximately cooled 17 million years ago. Inuiwa Rock Mt. Atagoyama

7 6 3. When the Kanto region was an ocean Isn‛t the cliff along The gifts from the earth the south coast of the Choshi Peninsula Using the rocks and minerals of Choshi ★Events that occurred so beautiful? since approximately 3 million years ago ◆Kurohae tile There are many tile shops in the Kurohae district of Choshi. In When I look Choshi city the past, they were known as “Korohae fired tiles” and were a carefully, I can see well-known local specialty of Choshi. beautiful stripes. These tiles were made from high-quality clay as a raw material mined from the Kurohae district. These clays were once the Here mudstone portion of a geological body that became attached to Japan approximately 150 million(?) years ago (see p6). Kurohae tile At present, these clays have all been mined. This cliff is called ◆Choshi stone Byoubugaura Cliff. It had formed since approximately 3 The old stone walls of Choshi often have rocks with rough million years ago, when the almost surfaces. These rocks are called “Choshi Stone,” the sandstone Whetstone Kanto region was an ocean. formed 120 million years ago(see p7). In addition to building materials, “Choshi stone” was used as a rough whetstone.

◆Iron manufacturing with iron sand What was once in the Black bands are occasionally seen on the sandy beaches of ocean is now visible on Choshi. If you place a magnet near this black band, black grains the land. The movement Many layers of of the earth is amazing, are attracted to the magnet. These grains are iron sands. At the sediments isn‛t it? accumlate in the shore of Choshi, these iron sands were mined as a source of Repetition Sand and mud forms the stripe accumulate in ocean, and these iron until a few decades ago. Iron sand of the sandy beach patterns. water. layers form stripes. These stripes are called “geological strata.”

The gifts from the earth When the environment changes, the sizes and contents of the Fossils of Choshi sediment changes. ◆Ammonite Let’s look at from a distance Byoubugaura Cliff ! Ammonite lived during the age of dinosaurs and was related to West East octopus and squids.The fossilized part is the hard outer shell. Around this area, ← → The strata of In Choshi, a large fossil with a diameter of over 50 cm has been only the ground of Byoubugaura Cliff found. Choshi has been inclines to the Many fossils from lifted up a lot. west, doesn‛t it? the strata of various ◆Amber eras have been When the resin (tar) of trees was buried underground found in Choshi. Cross section of the ground over many years, it hardens and becomes amber. Okutama 1000 Choshi is one of the three major producers of amber in Tokyo Choshi Inclined strata to the west 0 Japan. The oldest amber in Japan having been Strata of the new era discovered here. -1000 A cross section of the Kanto region shows -2000 Uplifted ground that the strata of the same era as the Shark tooth Byoubugaura Cliff are present several ◆ -3000 Many shark tooth fossils have been found in Choshi. Even a fossil of tooth of a Megalodon, Strata of the old era thousand meters under the ground of Tokyo. -4000 m a giant shark of over 10 m, has been found. Cross section of the earth(Modified from Hiroyoshi Suzuki (1988))

9 8 [Let’s go look at some coastal plants] CREATURE Flora and fauna of Choshi There are strong, salty winds along the coast. Many coastal plants that Really? have adapted to such an The Choshi geopark is environment are growing surrounded by the there. ocean in three directions; hence, the animals and plants here have special characteristics. Thunbeng Lily (summer) Bright red and orange flowers bloom during summer.

In the Choshi coast, we can see the coastal plants with flowers for each season. (Blooming period) [Let’s go find some sea creatures] Roundleaf chastetree Beach pearlwort Japanese wild radish (summer-fall) (spring-summer) (spring) Rocky shores during the low tide are full of This is a sea bat. creatures. You can often find them in the rocky shores if you go during the spring.

Wow, there are In winter, gulls such lots of gulls in as the black-tailed Choshi. gull and herring gull, as well as cormorants and ducks are often seen around fishing ports. Solidiago Virgaurea subsp. leiocarpa False bindweed Angelica japonia (fall) (summer) (spring-summer) Black-tailed gull

Ajania pacifica (fall) From spring to It is believed that these Choshi has also Related to chrysanthemums. summer, streaked flowers came from migratory tiny shearwaters are seen warmer regions in the Flowers bloom from October birds, wow. south with the Kuroshio to November. hunting sardines Current, and became over the sea, and widespread. There are many plants at migratory birds, Choshi, the northernmost such as sandpipers, location, possible for their can be seen at the shores. survival, such as “Ajania Tringa brevipes

11 pacifica.” 10 [ ] HUMAN People living in Choshi in the Ancient times Forest in Choshi· Laurel forest ACTIVITY [ What is a shell mound? ] Laurel

A “shell mound” is where ancient It stays green throughout the people threw their garbage. year, and it has characteristic Yoyama shell mound in Yoyama Wow. town, Choshi city, shows that shiny leaves. It is often found people lived here since the Jomon period, in warm areas with lots of approximately 3500 years ago. rain during summer. Laurel leaves

There are numerous Japanese Laurel valleys in Choshi. Nanatsuike Pond forests were mostly destroyed because Yoyama shell mound of development.

These are Jomon tools found at the Yoyama Jomon items found In Choshi, Laurel forests are often shell mound! found in areas with steep slopes and These are the gifts from at the Yoyama shell mound the Nature. in the forests of old shrines. —Garbage is treasure!—

Let‛s go look for This is what it it next time. looks like when you look up.

I am so Challenge!! surprised! All the leaves grow in search of sunlight; hence, the leaves don’t overlap. What nature‛s gift was That is why it looks like the sky is hidden. There are so used? And for what? many tools! Let‛s try the quiz on the next page. As you can see, Choshi is blessed with rich flora and fauna from the land to the sea.

13 12 [ The location of the Yoyama shell mound ] Connect Challenge yourself to things that are related "Jomon period tools" quiz! using a line. Q: What is it made from? What was it used for? Yoyama I hope you get it right! shell mound Why was the Materials Jomon tools How it is used Ko-Kinuwan Yoyama shell During the Jomon (Paleo-Kinu Bay) clay fishhook period, the mound so rich in temperatures were Oku-Tokyowan nature‛s gifts? higher than today (Paleo-Tokyo Bay) accessory and the sea level was higher. Hence, the ocean spread to inland. ? benkei-gai potsherd ? ? (dog cockle) catch fish

The ocean area during the Jomon period bones of dee stone shell mound implement boil food, cook, I see ! and store

The ocean and forests stone shell bracelets are close. That is why make tools the bounty of the sea and forests were and hunt

gathered close-by. animals

make tools and hunt animals hunt and tools make implements stone stones • fish catch fishhook bones deer • …… …… …… ……

accessory bracelets shell benkei-gai • store and cook, food, boil potsherd clay • …… …… …… ……

The “Yoyama shell mound” is The Yoyama shell Answers A: an important place where we mound during the Jomon can understand the lifestyle of period looked like to people duing the Jomon period. the left pictures. Currently, the “Yoyama shell People were able to mound beautification association” catch a lot of fishes Hence, tools made is working on its conservation. and animals. in Choshi and the materials were popular even outside of Choshi.

shell bracelets arrowheads Jomon tools made in Yoyama and the materials to make these tools were transported to inland areas.

15 14 [ Soy sauce of Choshi ] HUMAN Industries that make full use of ACTIVITY Choshi's regional characteristics That‛s right. Even today, companies such as Ogura Shoyu, Takara Choshi has been Shoyu, Higeta Shoyu, and Yamasa famous for its Corporation are making soy sauce. soy sauce We will show you how Higeta Shoyu and Yamasa manufacturing. the gifts from the Corporation were established earth have been during the 17th century, and have utilized in Choshi. a long history. [ Eastward Re-location of Tone River] Tone River after the eastward relocation. Tone River 1000 years ago.

Watarase River

Kinu River Yamasa Corporation Higeta Shoyu Kasumigaura Tone River Established in 1645 Established in 1616 Tone River ★ The reasons why manufacturing soy sauce flourished in Choshi Tokyo Bay Tokyo Bay ①Producers of the raw materials were nearby Soybeans Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism,Tone-river Upstream Office Soybeans and wheat were produced in Hitachi The old Tone River flowed into the Tokyo Bay. During the early stages of the Edo Period, because (Ibaraki) and Shimofusa (Chiba), and salt was of the repair work conducted by Edo Shogunate, the river started to flow into the Pacific Ocean at produced in Gyotoku (Chiba). Choshi. This large-scale construction is known as “the Eastward Relocation of Tone River”. It is said that this project was carried out to upgrade the water transport network, to protect Edo from ②The Eastward Relocation of Tone River Tone River Choshi water disasters, and to develop new rice fields. (“Edo” is now called Tokyo.) Raw materials were transported by ship and the Edo Wheat manufactured soy sauce was shipped to Edo. The Eastward Relocation of Tone River made the After "the Eastward Relocation", Tone River Salt developed as a waterway that connects Edo and How is Choshi related to the shipping conveniently to Edo. northeastern Pacific Ocean. Choshi, located at the Eastward Relocation of Tone mouth of Tone River, flourished as a relay point River ? where loads were transferred from ships on the sea to those on the river. Takase-bune The takase-bune has a flat bottom and a Manufacturing of soy sauce in Choshi structure that has little is an industry that water draft (the depth of makes good use of the boat in water) so the advantages that the land offers. that it doesn’t run aground in a river with A takase-bune carrying barrels A takase-bune loaded with barrels (Chiba Natural History Museum and Institute, Otone Branch storage) (Owner: Ms. Yumiko Akimoto, photo provided by Nagareyama City Museum) many shallow areas.

17 16 [ Agriculture of Choshi ] [ Fishery of Choshi ]

The rankings of the landing weights Land of Choshi at major fishing ports (2013) (According to Jiji Press) The plateau (slightly higher ground) of Choshi is covered by Ranking Fishing port Landing weight(t) “Kanto loam”, which is volcanic 1 CHOSHI 214,499 ash that has turned into clay. 2 YAIZU 152,158 On this plateau, since it is 3 SAKAIMINATO suitable for growing crops, 136,066 many vegetables are grown. 4 NAGASAKI 121,514 5 MATSUURA 119,176 Fish landing 6 KUSHIRO 110,668 Vegetables with the top three yields weights in Choshi Many types of vegetables are are really big! How 7 NEMURO 107,342 harvested in Choshi. in Choshi (2012) (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) come so many fish Choshi cabbage is especially are caught here? 8 HACHINOHE 97,601 famous for its “Lighthouse mark (third in Japan) MAKURAZAKI cabbage” brand. Cabbage 81,100t 9 97,073 Daikon radish 55,100t (second in Japan) 10 ISHINOMAKI 86,087 water temperature Tomatoes 2,851t (℃) The Oyashio Current front Offshore at Choshi is where "the I see. warm water vortex Oyashio Current" from north and "the Kuroshio Current" from south Oyashio Current meet. Because of this, a large cold water vortex amount of plankton are here, and small fish like sardines gather here, mixing zone mackerel and bonito also gather here to eat these fishes. Kuroshio Current

The Kuroshio The most suitable temperature temperature Current front for cabbage cultivation is from (℃) The average of the past 30 years 15 °C to 20 °C. Choshi is warm 30 even during winter, and that‛s Saitama City Water temperatures at a depth of 100m during early July, 2002 why cabbage grows well here 25 (Japan Meteorological Agency) Choshi City from fall to spring. 20 15 Choshi Tsuri-kinme 10 Alfonsin, also called “Choshi Tsuri-kinme,” 5 is caught by a fishing method called 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 (Month) “soko-Tatenawa”. It is designated Comparison of monthly-mean temperatures of as a Chiba-brand marine product. Saitama and Choshi cities (Japan Meteorological Agency)

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