Kudamatsu

Kudamatsu, city, southeastern Yamaguchi ken (prefecture), western Honshu, Japan. It is located on a deep cove of the Inland Sea and adjoins Shūnan (formerly Tokuyama) on the west, north, and northeast.

The original fishing village at the site first started to grow through salt manufacturing and trade. When Kudamatsu was bypassed by the main rail line along the Inland Sea, its commercial activity declined. Kudamatsu revived during World War I as an industrial city, assisted by its natural port and by factories built on reclaimed land previously used for salt manufacturing. Kudamatsu was designated a city in 1939. Its industrial complex includes heavy machinery and petrochemical factories, with power plants and shipyards. Pop. (2005) 53,513; (2010) 55,012.