Isahaya 諫早市
City
Isahaya City Hall
Flag Emblem
Location of Isahaya in Nagasaki Prefecture
Isahaya Location in Japan
Coordinates: 32°51′N 130°4′E / 32.850°N 130.067°E / 32.850; 130.067
Country	Japan
Region	Kyushu
Prefecture	Nagasaki Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Yukishige Okubo
Area
• Total	341.79 km2 (131.97 sq mi)
Population  (November 1, 2022)
• Total	132,385
• Density	390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	854-8601
Website	www.city.isahaya.nagasaki.jp
Symbols
Flower	Rhododendron
Tree	Euonymus hamiltonianus

Isahaya (諫早市, Isahaya-shi) is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on September 1, 1940. As of November 1, 2022, the city has an estimated population of 132,385 and a population density of 389 persons per km². The total area is 341.79 km² (131.97 sq mi).

On March 1, 2005, the towns of Tarami, Moriyama, Iimori, Takaki and Konagai (all from Kitatakaki District) were merged to create the new and expanded city of Isahaya. The city was once part of Kitatakaki District, but due to this merger, the district has no more municipalities left and the district was officially dissolved.

History

In July 1957, a severe downpour within Nagasaki caused a large flood in Isahaya, with over 500 casualties and 3500 injuries reported in Isahaya alone.^[1]

Geography

Located in the central part of Nagasaki Prefecture. To the north of Isahaya City are mountainous lands of the Takayama mountain range. To the west is the base of the Nagasaki Peninsula and to the south is the base of Shimabara Peninsula. The northeastern part of the city area is surrounded by the three seas of Ōmura Bay in the northwest, Ariake Sea (Isahaya Bay) on the east side and Tachibana Bay on the south side.

Major land reclamation projects have occurred which added plains in the Ariake Sea. The biggest is the Isahaya Bay reclamation project (諫早湾干拓事業) by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries that started in 1989. Embankments and sluice gates were built and a total of 35 km2 has been reclaimed as of 2018.

• 
  Satellite photograph of Isahaya City (provided by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)
• 
  Isahaya Bay (2012)

Surrounding municipalities

• Nagasaki Prefecture
  • Nagasaki
  • Ōmura
  • Unzen
  • Nagayo
• Saga Prefecture
  • Tara

Education

Isahaya contains a private university, namely the Nagasaki Wesleyan University. Furthermore, Isahaya have five vocational schools, eight high schools, 16 junior high schools and 28 elementary schools in total.

Transportation

Railways

• JR Kyushu
  • Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen: Isahaya
  • Nagasaki Main Line: Konagai - Nagasato - Yue - Oe - Hizen-Nagata - Higashi-Isahaya - Isahaya - Nishi-Isahaya - Kikitsu - Ichinuno
  • Ōmura Line: Isahaya
• Shimabara Railway
  • Shimabara Railway Line: Isahaya - Hon-Isahaya - Saiwai - Onohonmachi - Kantakunosato - Moriyama - Kamanohana - Isahaya-higashi-kōkōmae

Highways

• Nagasaki Expressway
• Japan national route
  • Route 34
  • Route 57
  • Route 207
  • Route 251

Sister cities

• Zhangzhou, China
• Athens, Tennessee, United States