Isahaya Bay

Isahaya Bay
諫早湾 (Japanese)
Satellite image of Isahaya Bay in 2001
Isahaya Bay
Location	Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan
Coordinates	32°54′11.5″N 130°12′51.72″E
Type	Bay
Part of	Ariake Sea East China Sea
Basin countries	Japan
Surface area	65 km2 (25 sq mi)
Average depth	10 m (33 ft)
Max. depth	10 m (33 ft)
Settlements	Isahaya Shimabara

Location map (Highlighted in blue)

Isahaya Bay in 2012 with the section of the bay closed off.

Isahaya Bay (諫早湾, Isahaya-wan) is a bay within the Ariake Sea, located northwest of the Shimabara Peninsula in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. Its surface area is about 65 square kilometres (25 sq mi), with a maximum depth of 10 metres (33 ft).

In 1986, the governor of Isahaya began a 235 billion-yen reclamation project of a tidal flat by closing off part of the bay for agricultural purposes with it being completed in 2008. However, the reclamation project was met with a series of protests from local fishermen, who said that the closing of the bay had caused changes in currents along with mass pollution within the bay, which had affected their catches.

Geography

Isahaya Bay is located within the Ariake Sea on the island of Kyushu, Japan. It covers an area of 65 square kilometres (25 sq mi). and has a mean depth of 10 metres (33 ft).

Legacy

Reportedly, this event was the inspiration behind the antagonists Team Aqua and Team Magma in the Pokémon franchise.