Profile of Shariki Village

Population-6,107 Number of Households-1,590 The village of Shariki is situated in the northwestern part of the Tsugaru Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture, on the Japan Sea coast. It measures roughly 7km from east to west and 12 km from north to south, covering a total area of 62.17 square kilometers. The Byobuzan Sand Dunes, extend for 4km along the Japan Sea coast, while most of the rest of the village is dedicated to rice cultivation. In a corner of the Byobuzan region lies the nationally famous Takayama Inari Shrine. In an effort to allow our visitors to gain a deeper understanding of our culture and lifestyle than would be possible through simple sightseeing, we invite visitors to share in the Byobuzan Melon Harvest and to participate in the Cheseborough Cup Swim Race. Shariki is also well known for its international exchange programs. Our junior high school exchange with Bath, Maine, USA is primarily educational and cultural, intended to promote international friendship and understanding at the local and person-to-person level. In contrast, our exchange with Mongolia, through which young Mongolians come to Shariki to study agricultural techniques and Japanese experts are dispatched to Mongolia, is a cooperative effort between the two countries aimed at the development of agriculture.

The Origin and History of Shariki Village Archaeological evidence suggests that the first residents of what is now Shariki lived here during the Jomon era, 6000-8000 years ago. The origin of the name "Shariki" is uncertain. Various theories speculate that it might be a modification of an earlier name "Sariki" meaning "sand power", or alternatively, that it might have evolved from an Ainu word "Sareki" meaning "grassland" or "marshland". At the time of the Meiji Restoration (1868), the area that is now Shariki was part of the Kizukuri farming collective. With the abolition of the feudal system and the establishment of present-day prefectures in April 1873, the area was integrated into a province comprised of 31 hamlets surrounding Kizukuri. In 1878, this province became known by its present name of West Tsugaru, and the hamlets within it began to be known by their individual names. In April 1889, a number of these hamlets united to form larger villages, and the six hamlets of Shariki, Shita-Shariki, Ushigata, Shimo-Ushigata, Toyotomi, and Tomiyachi joined together to form the present village of Shariki.

Aomori Prefecture Nishi-Tsugaru-gun Shariki Village Shariki Hanabayashi 65 Shariki Village Office TEL:0173-56-2111 FAX:0173-56-3777 e-mail:shariki01@net.pref.aomori.jp