Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2014) |
Hitoyoshi
人吉市 | |
|---|---|
 Kuma River running through the city | |
 Flag  Emblem | |
 Location of Hitoyoshi in Kumamoto Prefecture | |
 | |
  Hitoyoshi Location in Japan | |
| Coordinates: 32°13′N 130°45′E / 32.217°N 130.750°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kyushu |
| Prefecture | Kumamoto Prefecture |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Hayato Matsuoka |
| Area | |
• Total | 210.55 km2 (81.29 sq mi) |
| Population (October 1, 2016) | |
• Total | 33,461 |
| • Density | 160/km2 (410/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| City hall address | 1578-1, Shimo-shiromoto-machi, Hitoyoshi-shi, Kumamoto-ken 868-8601 |
| Website | www |
| Symbols | |
| Bird | Japanese bush-warbler |
| Flower | Ume |
| Tree | Oak |
Hitoyoshi (人吉市, Hitoyoshi-shi) is a city in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on February 11, 1942.[citation needed]
As of October 2016, the city has an estimated population of 33,461 and a population density of 160 persons per km2. The total area is 210.55 km2.[citation needed]
It is famous for boat trips on the river and hot springs. Aoi Aso Shrine, one of the National Treasures of Japan, is located in Hitoyoshi.
It is bounded to the north, east, and west by towns of Kuma District, and to the south by Kagoshima Prefecture.
Commerce
Hitoyoshi's main product is rice shochu (an indigenous spirit distilled from rice), or kuma-shochu, which is the official name of rice shochu produced in Kumamoto's Hitoyoshi and Kuma District. This shochu must be produced in these areas from Japanese rice and with water from the Kuma River, which runs through the town. The World Trade Organization granted kuma-shochu geographical indication status in 1994.[1] The most popular brand is Hakutake Shiro, which currently holds 50% market share on all rice shochu sold in Japan. However, Takahashi Distillery, the producer of Hakutake Shiro, is just one of 28 distilleries in Hitoyoshi in the surrounding region that produce kuma-shochu.
Climate
Hitoyoshi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, and is heavier in the summer months, especially June and July.
| Climate data for Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.3 (48.7) |
10.9 (51.6) |
14.8 (58.6) |
20.6 (69.1) |
24.3 (75.7) |
26.9 (80.4) |
30.5 (86.9) |
31.4 (88.5) |
28.3 (82.9) |
23.3 (73.9) |
17.4 (63.3) |
11.6 (52.9) |
20.8 (69.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.8 (38.8) |
5.3 (41.5) |
8.8 (47.8) |
14.5 (58.1) |
18.3 (64.9) |
21.8 (71.2) |
25.5 (77.9) |
25.9 (78.6) |
22.7 (72.9) |
16.7 (62.1) |
10.9 (51.6) |
5.5 (41.9) |
15.0 (58.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.8 (30.6) |
0.5 (32.9) |
3.4 (38.1) |
8.9 (48.0) |
13.0 (55.4) |
17.6 (63.7) |
21.8 (71.2) |
22.0 (71.6) |
18.6 (65.5) |
11.7 (53.1) |
6.0 (42.8) |
0.7 (33.3) |
10.3 (50.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 78.9 (3.11) |
95.7 (3.77) |
149.4 (5.88) |
207.9 (8.19) |
244.0 (9.61) |
453.1 (17.84) |
424.8 (16.72) |
216.4 (8.52) |
186.7 (7.35) |
98.2 (3.87) |
84.6 (3.33) |
64.2 (2.53) |
2,303.9 (90.72) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 6 (2.4) |
6 (2.4) |
1 (0.4) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (0.4) |
14 (5.6) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 77 | 75 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 81 | 83 | 81 | 83 | 82 | 82 | 80 | 79 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 122.2 | 124.6 | 152.1 | 156.9 | 167.8 | 133.1 | 173.6 | 193.3 | 150.1 | 158.2 | 124.3 | 118.8 | 1,775 |
| Source: NOAA (1961-1990) [2] | |||||||||||||
Tourism
- Hitoyoshi Station
- Aoi Aso Shrine
- SL Hitoyoshi
- Hitoyoshi Castle
- Kuma River (Japan)
Aoi Aso Shrine in Hitoyoshi - kuma River Rafting
- KAJIYA-MACHI STREET
- KOYA-MACHI
- Sekaiichi Chiisana Bijutsukan Chobit
- Eikokuji
- MOZOKA station 868
Notable people from Hitoyoshi
|
- Tetsuharu Kawakami, baseball player and manager
- Miki Tori, manga artist
- Teruyoshi Uchimura, comedian
See also
References
- ^ "Branding crops and Geographical indication | The Canon Institute for Global Studies". www.canon-igs.org. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
- ^ "Hitoyoshi Climate Normals 1961-1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
External links
- Official website
(in Japanese) 
Hitoyoshi travel guide from Wikivoyage
Geographic data related to Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto at OpenStreetMap
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