GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF JAPAN 21 



of Kyushu and along the strait of Shimonoseki, has had a rapid 

 development during the past decades, as an export harbour for coal. 



Other harbours such as Wakamatsu, Karatsu, Nagasaki, etc., are 

 also well known for their coal trade. Manuftictural industries natur- 

 ally flourish in this region. There are raany towns, large and small. 

 First of all, Yawata on the north coast near Wakamatsu is noted for 

 its sudden development and for the Imjjerial Steel Works located 

 there. 



An extreme development of the coastal line forms the peninsulas 

 of Sonoki and Shimabara, which are connected with the mainland by 

 the narrow isthmus of Isahaya. Omura Bay and Ariake Bay are sepa- 

 rated by these peninsulas from the sea. There are many excellent har- 

 bours on this coast. Nagasaki, a beautiful inlet of Has type, was first 

 opened for Dutch and Chinese merchants, and centuries ago it was 

 known as the only port for foreign trade. Now it has a large dockyard 

 and a library with books and documents concerning foreign intercourse 

 in the Takugawa period. Sasebo is a good naval port. Many other 

 good anchorages are found on the northern coast. Fukuoka, with Hakata 

 harbour in its neighborhood, is one of the large commercial towns of 

 Kyushu, situated on the beautiful bay of Hakata. There is an 

 Imperial University v/ith large faculties. 



Between the two ranges of Tsukushi and Kyushu lies a great 

 volcanic mass, whose ejecta cover an extensive area in the central 

 part of Kyushu. Aso-san in this group is one of the most remarkable 

 active volcanoes of Japan. The diameter of its outermost craterwall 

 is perhaps one of the greatest in the world, 16 km. by 24 km. 

 Surrounded by this wall is a large crater plain, and in its centre stand 

 five volcanic cones, among which Taka-dake is the highest, 1592 m. 

 To the northeast of the Aso volcano proper stretches the Aso volcanic 

 chain. In this chain there are the volcanic groups of Kuju-san, 

 1764 m., next to that of Aso, Yubu-dake and Tsurumi-dake near 

 the shore of Beppu Bay, and the circular peninsula of Kunisaki v^ith 

 the volcano Futago. Beppu, one of the most celebrated spas in Japan, 

 is located in the skirt of Yubu-dake. The further extension of this 

 chain may be traced to Chugoku and some small islands in the Inland 

 Sea. Another continuation of this chain in the opposite direction is 

 indicated by Kibo-zan in Kumamoto Plain and Unzen-ga-dake, 

 1360 m., on Shimabara Peninsula. To the north of the latter there is 

 another volcano, Tara-dake, 983 m. 



