Ōtsu

Ōtsu faces the Sea of Japan along the northern coast of Nagato. Whales migrating past this shore could be driven into bays such as those around Ōmijima, and whaling became a major local occupation. From the early Edo period, organised whaling crews operated from Senzaki, Kayoi and neighbouring inlets under the Chōshū domain. Nets helped the crews surround the animals before they were taken, making the sheltered bays valuable to the industry.