英訳（summary）

Nature

Chapter 1: Geographical and geological features

The lay of the land of Omura City is characterized by an alluvial fan, delta, flood plain and river terrace as well as the mountain range of Mt.　Tara. Among them, Omura alluvial fan, which has developed in the left band of the Korigawa River, is the widest fan in Nagasaki prefecture. The Bay of Omura originally used to be a basin, but the seawater started to invade about 9,000 years ago and it grew into what it is today about 7,000 years ago. Several active faults exist in Omura City. Small swarm earthquakes occurred in 2012 by activating a portion of the active fault.

Chapter 2: Weather

Records regarding Japanese weather are old. In case of Omura City, the books remained by Omura Domain tells us the history of weather disasters. The knowledge gained through the damage situation of Isahaya flood disaster in 1957 can be effectively used to prevent future disasters. While the global cooling undergoes for another tens of thousands years slowly, the global warming trend continues due to increasing of human activities at the same time. The earth is facing a delicate time now.

Chapter 3: Plants and Animals

Various botanies can be seen around Omura Bay from rice paddy areas, farmland fields to valleys and the Mt. Tara chain. Above all, over 1,000 types of plants exist in Mt． Tara chain and these figures are more than Mt. Unzen. Most of the animals such as the mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians distributed in Nagasaki prefecture inhabit in Omura. Fish and water creatures are affected by the specific features of the almost closed Omura Bay. In recent years, the outbreak of red tide and the invasion of naturalized plants and non-native species in Omura Bay have been observed. Therefore, we need to be cautious about them in order to protect natural environments of Omura.

Prehistory

Chapter 1:  The Old Stone Age

In Omura city and the surrounding areas of Omura bay, many historic ruins of the Old Stone Age were excavated.　　The features of the stone artifacts discovered tell us that these ruins belong to the period after the falling of Airatanzawa volcanic ash (AT).

The Nodake ruins represent Japanese microlithic culture of the end of the Old Stone Age. 　It has been generally known that the study of the Old Stone Age in Japan has started since the Iwajyuku ruins were discovered, but the Nodake ruins had been found earlier than that by Jyuken Ide, in fact.　

Chapter 2:  The Jomon Period

Omura Bay was formed by the effect of global warming during this period.　　People lived by fishing on dugout canoes and also by collecting and carrying stone materials to make clay vessels.  On shore, numerous storage pits for gathered-nuts were found at the Kuromaru ruins.  Once the temperature changed to cooling trend, bean farming started along with hunting, fishing and food-gathering.

In cultural terms, clay vessels and tools for spells whose designs were influenced by Eastern Japan were excavated from the Kuromaru site and　the Fukandake dolmen burials which have burial methods derived from the Korean Peninsula were also discovered. Cultures of distant places were imported in this way.

Chapter 3:  The Yayoi Period

In the Omura Bay area, many remains of the Yayoi Period such as the Tominohara site exist.  The stone implements were excavated in the Kuromaru ruins providing evidence that rice-paddy cultivation had been introduced from very early times. Also, huge amounts of pre-Yayoi stone implements to dig the ground and sleigh like vehicles used in marshy ground were discovered.  Therefore, it is believed that this site was often used before starting rice-paddy cultivation.  

The earth vessels and tombs found at the Tominohara ruins and the Kuromaru ruins were influenced by the culture of two districts, Northern Kyushu and the Ariake Sea.  The marine traffic of Omura Bay played a significant role at that time.

Chapter 4:  The Kofun Period

There are large keyhole-shaped ancient burial mounds such as Ishibashiri and Oninoana in Omura city.  However, there are no huge burials mounds and they do not form a group as well as the other sites.  

The remains of dwelling houses and tombs in the early Kofun Period were discovered at the site of Reisen and box-shaped stone coffin graves were found at the Kushimazaki burial mounds.  Although the Koganeyama ruin disappeared by the fore passed construction, restoration studies have been conducted based on the old and new survey results.

Ancient Times

Chapter 1:  The Asuka and Nara Period

The origin of the names of Hizen province and Sonogi district can be traced according to Hizen Fudoki (description of the culture, climate etc. of Hizen province) compiled by the central authority.  Making the emperor a present of pearls from this region indicates that the area was in subordination to the central authority.

Once the country was unified, the infrastructure such as administrative institutions, harbors, temples, communication establishments (by fire and smoke), roads and rice paddies was improved in the local regions and these traces can still be viewed in this area, too.

Chapter　2:  The Heian Period

Although the local regions were unified as one country, this region has maintained independent networks with the Korean Peninsula.  A person from Sonogi district planned an attack against Tsushima Island with a merchant of Silla Kingdom but their attempt failed.  Conflicts were aroused across the country and the country was attacked by foreign countries, but the weakened country could not deal with them, so problem solving samurais increased their presence. One of those samurais in this area was Sonogi who started relationships with Sonogi district and Satsuma.