Muroran, Industrial port city in Iburi Subprefecture, Japan
Muroran is a city in Iburi Subprefecture on Hokkaidō that stretches along Volcano Bay. A natural harbor sits between mountains, surrounded by steel mills, cement factories, and refineries lined along the waterfront.
The area began as a trading post between the Ainu people and the Matsumae clan before Japanese settlers arrived in the late 1800s. Heavy industry grew rapidly after the railway connection opened, turning the bay into a production hub.
The name comes from the Ainu language and means "small slope," recalling the area near the former Senkai Temple in Sakimori district. Today, you can still find street and place names that trace back to these early inhabitants.
Five JR Hokkaidō train stations offer connections to Hakodate, Sapporo, and other cities in the region. Most visitors arrive by train and explore the harbor area on foot or by local bus.
The Japan Steel Works facility here is the only plant worldwide that can cast nuclear reactor vessels as single pieces. This capability makes the site a technical outlier in the global nuclear industry.
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