Makinohara

Makinohara 牧之原市
City
Tea plantations in Makinohara
Flag Seal
Location of Makinohara in Shizuoka Prefecture
Makinohara
Coordinates: 34°44′N 138°13′E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Tōkai)
Prefecture	Shizuoka
Government
• Mayor	Shigeki Nishihara
Area
• Total	111.69 km2 (43.12 sq mi)
Population  (July 31, 2019)
• Total	45,813
• Density	410/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	camellia sinensis
- Flower	hydrangea
Phone number	548-23-0001
Address	447 Shizunami, Makinohara-shi, Shizuoka-ken 421-0495
Website	Official website

Makinohara City Hall

Makinohara (牧之原市, Makinohara-shi) is a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 July 2019, the city had an estimated population of 45,813 in 16980 households and a population density of 410 persons per km². The total area of the city was 111.69 square kilometres (43.12 sq mi).

Geography

Makinohara is located in south-central Shizuoka Prefecture. It is bordered by Suruga Bay on the Pacific Ocean to the east, and rises gradually to the Makinohara Plateau in the west. The area has a temperate maritime climate, characterized by hot, humid summers and mild winters, with the warm Kuroshio Current off shore providing a moderating effect.

Surrounding municipalities

Shizuoka Prefecture

• Omaezaki
• Kikugawa
• Shimada
• Yoshida, Haibara District

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Makinohara has been relatively steady over the past 50 years.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1940	44,565	—
1950	55,066	+23.6%
1960	50,993	−7.4%
1970	47,953	−6.0%
1980	48,835	+1.8%
1990	51,308	+5.1%
2000	51,672	+0.7%
2010	49,022	−5.1%

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 Makinohara is 15.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2083 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 6.0 °C.

History

The area of present-day Makinohara was part of former Tōtōmi Province. During the Edo period, the town of Sagara was the castle town of Sagara Domain. With the establishment of the modern municipalities system in the early Meiji period on April 1, 1889, Sagara was incorporated as a town within Haibara District.

The city of Makinohara was established on October 11, 2005, from the merger of the towns of Haibara and Sagara (both from Haibara District).

Government

Makinohara has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 16 members. The city contributes one member to the Shizuoka Prefectural Assembly.

Economy

The local economy of Makinohara is dominated by the production of green tea, and to a lesser extent by commercial fishing, and manufacturing of automobile components for Suzuki Motors (Sagara Plant).

Fuji Dream Airlines has its headquarters in Makinohara.

Education

Makinohara has seven public elementary schools operated by the city government and one shared between Makinohara and Kikugawa, and three shared between Makinohara and Omaezaki. The city likewise operates two public junior high schools and shares operated with one junior high school with Kikugawa and one with Omaezaki. The city has two public high schools operated by the Shizuoka Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

Although both the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Tokaido Main Line pass through Makinohara, the city has no passenger railway services. The nearest train station is Kikugawa Station in neighboring Kikugawa or Kanaya Station in neighboring Shimada.

Highway

• Tōmei Expressway - Makinohara Interchange
• National Route 150
• National Route 473

Airport

Shizuoka Airport, which opened in 2009, straddles the border between Makinohara and Shimada.

Local attractions

• Sagara Oil field, Japan's only oil field on the Pacific coast. Hand-pumping began in 1873, and the following year, Nippon Oil opened the first mechanical pumping operation in the country at Sagara. Operations ceased in 1955, and in 1980 the field was made into the "Yuden no Sato" Park, operated by the Shizuoka Prefectural government.
• Sagara Castle ruins

Sister city relations

• - Kelso, Washington, USA
• - Matsukawa, Nagano (Shimoina), Japan
• - Sannohe, Aomori, Japan
• - Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto, Japan

Notable people from Makinohara

• Umetaro Suzuki, scientist, pioneer in vitamin research
• Takuma Edamura, professional soccer player

External links

Media related to Makinohara, Shizuoka at Wikimedia Commons

• Makinohara City official website (in Japanese)