Kikugawa

Kikugawa

菊川市
Kikugawa 菊川市
City
	Kikugawa City Hall
	Flag Emblem
	Location of Kikugawa in Shizuoka Prefecture
	Kikugawa
	Coordinates: 34°45′N 138°5′E / 34.750°N 138.083°E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Tōkai)
Prefecture	Shizuoka
Government
• Mayor	Junichi Ota (since January 2005, and former Kikugawa leader since January 1997)
Area
• Total	94.19 km2 (36.37 sq mi)
Population (July 2019)
• Total	48,484
• Density	510/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols
• Tree	Camellia sinensis
• Flower	Chrysanthemum
• Bird	Grey wagtail
Phone number	0537-35-2111
Address	Horinouchi-61, Kikugawa-shi, Shizuoka-ken; 439-8650
Website	Official website

Kikugawa (菊川市, Kikugawa-shi) is a city located in the western portion of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 July 2019^[update], the city had an estimated population of 48,484 in 17,916 households,^[1] and a population density of 510 persons per km². The total area of the city is 94.19 square kilometres (36.37 sq mi). The city is known for production of green tea. The city's slogan is "Green for the Next Generation".

Geography

Kikugawa is situated on the Makinohara Plateau of east-central Shizuoka. The Kikugawa River flows through the city. The area enjoys a warm maritime climate with hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters, and is subject to frequent fogs.

Surrounding Municipalities

Shizuoka Prefecture

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[2] the population of Kikugawa has been relatively steady over the past 30 years.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1940	29,899	—
1950	37,537	+25.5%
1960	36,941	−1.6%
1970	35,365	−4.3%
1980	38,081	+7.7%
1990	43,762	+14.9%
2000	47,036	+7.5%
2010	47,035	−0.0%

Climate

The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Kikugawa is 16.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2112 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.1 °C, and lowest in January, at around 6.2 °C.^[3]

History

With the establishment of the modern municipalities system of the early Meiji period on April 1, 1889, the area around modern Kikugawa was consolidated into eleven villages within Kitō District, Shizuoka Prefecture from 38 hamlets within former Tōtōmi Province. Kikugawa Station on the Tōkaidō Main Line train between Shizuoka and Hamamatsu opened on April 16, 1889 leaving to an influx of population and development. Kitō District merged with neighboring Sano District to form Ogasa District, Shizuoka in 1896. Through the Taishō and Shōwa periods, Kikugawa developed as a center of green tea production and the tea trade. Kikugawa Town was created on January 1, 1954 through the merger of former Horinouchi Town with four surrounding villages.

The modern city of Kikugawa was established on January 17, 2005, from the merger of the former town of Kikugawa, absorbing the town of Ogasa (both from Ogasa District).

Government

Kikugawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 17 members. The city contributes one member to the Shizuoka Prefectural Assembly.

Economy

The economy of Kikugawa is primarily agricultural, with major crops including green tea, lettuce, blueberries, cantelope and aloe. Light industries include agricultural equipment manufacturing and automobile components manufacturing.

Education

Kikugawa has nine public elementary schools and three public junior high schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Shizuoka Prefectural Board of Education. The city also have one private junior high school and two private high schools. The prefecture also operates a vocational school, the Shizuoka Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry College.

Kikugawa has three international schools: