Kikuchi (菊池市, Kikuchi-shi) is a city located in Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan.[1] As of 30 June 2024[update], the city had an estimated population of 46,684 in 20392 households, and a population density of 170 persons per km2.[2] The total area of the city is 276.85 km2 (106.89 sq mi).
Kikuchi
菊池市 | |
|---|---|
 Kikuchi City Hall | |
 Flag  Emblem | |
 Location of Kikuchi in Kumamoto Prefecture | |
 | |
  Kikuchi Location in Japan | |
| Coordinates: 32°58′46″N 130°48′48″E / 32.97944°N 130.81333°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kyushu |
| Prefecture | Kumamoto |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Minoru Egashira (since April 2013) |
| Area | |
• Total | 276.85 km2 (106.89 sq mi) |
| Population (June 30, 2024) | |
• Total | 46,684 |
| • Density | 170/km2 (440/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Website | Official website |
| Symbols | |
| Bird | Japanese bush warbler |
| Flower | Chrysanthemum morifolium |
| Tree | Cherry blossom |
Geography
editKikuchi is located about 25 kilometers northeast of Kumamoto City, upstream of the Kikuchi River that flows through the northern part of Kumamoto Prefecture, and the urban center in the southwest is at the northeastern edge of the Kumamoto Plain. The city is centered around Kumafu, the home base of the Kikuchi clan, which descended from the Dazaifu government officials. The eastern part is covered with natural broadleaf trees from the outer rim of Mount Aso.
Neighboring municipalities
editKumamoto Prefecture
Oita Prefecture
Climate
editKikuchi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot, humid summers and cool winters. There is significant precipitation throughout the year, especially during June and July. The average annual temperature in Kikuchi is 15.9 °C (60.6 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,915.1 mm (75.40 in) with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.4 °C (81.3 °F), and lowest in January, at around 4.4 °C (39.9 °F).[3] The highest temperature ever recorded in Kikuchi was 38.8 °C (101.8 °F) on 19 July 2018; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −9.9 °C (14.2 °F) on 27 February 1981.[4]
| Climate data for Kikuchi (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 20.8 (69.4) |
23.8 (74.8) |
26.1 (79.0) |
31.3 (88.3) |
35.3 (95.5) |
35.7 (96.3) |
38.8 (101.8) |
38.8 (101.8) |
37.0 (98.6) |
34.2 (93.6) |
26.7 (80.1) |
23.7 (74.7) |
38.8 (101.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 10.2 (50.4) |
12.0 (53.6) |
15.7 (60.3) |
21.0 (69.8) |
25.8 (78.4) |
28.0 (82.4) |
31.4 (88.5) |
32.9 (91.2) |
29.7 (85.5) |
24.6 (76.3) |
18.4 (65.1) |
12.4 (54.3) |
21.8 (71.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) |
6.0 (42.8) |
9.5 (49.1) |
14.6 (58.3) |
19.5 (67.1) |
23.0 (73.4) |
26.6 (79.9) |
27.4 (81.3) |
23.9 (75.0) |
18.0 (64.4) |
11.9 (53.4) |
6.4 (43.5) |
15.9 (60.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1.0 (30.2) |
0.1 (32.2) |
3.4 (38.1) |
8.2 (46.8) |
13.5 (56.3) |
18.7 (65.7) |
22.9 (73.2) |
23.2 (73.8) |
19.2 (66.6) |
12.2 (54.0) |
6.1 (43.0) |
0.7 (33.3) |
10.6 (51.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −9.0 (15.8) |
−9.9 (14.2) |
−6.9 (19.6) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
1.8 (35.2) |
7.0 (44.6) |
14.3 (57.7) |
15.1 (59.2) |
5.1 (41.2) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−9.9 (14.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 55.0 (2.17) |
79.6 (3.13) |
122.9 (4.84) |
139.6 (5.50) |
157.7 (6.21) |
400.9 (15.78) |
381.4 (15.02) |
181.8 (7.16) |
168.9 (6.65) |
82.3 (3.24) |
83.9 (3.30) |
61.3 (2.41) |
1,915.1 (75.40) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 7.1 | 8.5 | 10.8 | 10.1 | 9.6 | 14.0 | 13.0 | 10.5 | 9.2 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 114.8 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 133.3 | 139.9 | 163.8 | 178.9 | 182.9 | 111.9 | 162.2 | 197.4 | 170.1 | 181.2 | 150.4 | 138.2 | 1,918.8 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[4][3] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
editPer Japanese census data, the population of Kikuchi in 2020 is 46,416 people.[5]
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| Kikuchi population statistics[5] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History
editThe area of Kikuchi was part of ancient Higo Province, and the location of Kikuchi Castle, an Asuka period mountain fortification. The local Kikuchi clan was a major supporter of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-cho period. During the Edo Period it was part of the holdings of Kumamoto Domain. After the Meiji restoration, the town of Kumafu and village of Kikuchi were established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On September 1, 1956, the town of Kumafu and the villages of Kikuchi, Kawahara, Suigen, Ryumon, Hasama, Hanabusa, and Tozaki merged to form the town of Kikuchi. Kikuchi was raised to city status on August 1, 1958. On March 22, 2005, Kikuchi absorbed the towns of Shichijo and Shisui, and the village of Kyokushi (all from Kikuchi District).
Government
editKikuchi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 20 members. Kikuchi contributes one member to the Kumamoto Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Kumamoto 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy
editKikuchi has been a rice-producing area since the Edo period, and its brand rice has one first place in numerous national contests. In addition, melons, burdock, shiitake mushrooms, and other crops are cultivated, and livestock farming are also thriving and the city is the largest dairy farming area in western Japan. In terms of industry, the city has many automobile and electronics-related factories. Tourism, centered around its hot spring resorts has flourished since in the 1950s.
Education
editKikuchi has ten public elementary schools and 5 public junior high schools operated by the city government and two public high schools operated by the Kumamoto Prefectural Board of Education. There is also one private high school.
Transportation
editRailways
editKikuchi has not had any passenger railway service since the reduction in services of the Kumamoto Electric Railway Kikuchi Line in 1986. The nearest train stations are Miyoshi Station or Higo-Ōzu Station
Highways
edit
Sister cities
editKikuchi is twinned with:
Nishimera, Miyazaki, Japan
Gimje, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea, since 1985
Sishui County, Shandong, China, since 1994- Tōno, Iwate, Japan, since 1998
- Cheongwon County, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea, since 2005
Notable people from Kikuchi
edit- Shigeru Chiba, actor
Local attractions
editReferences
edit- ^ Deal, William E. (2005). Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan, p. 74.
- ^ "Kikuchi City official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
- ^ a b 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ a b 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ a b Kikuchi population statistics
External links
edit
Media related to Kikuchi, Kumamoto at Wikimedia Commons- Kikuchi City official website Archived 2011-09-19 at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese)
