Nakatane, Kagoshima

Nakatane

中種子町
Nakatane 中種子町
Town
	Nakatane Town Hall
	Flag Official seal of Nakatane Seal
	Location of Nakatane in Kagoshima Prefecture
Country	Japan
Region	Kyushu (Ōsumi Islands)
Prefecture	Kagoshima Prefecture
District	Kumage
Area
• Total	137.78 km2 (53.20 sq mi)
Population (June 1, 2013)
• Total	8,439
• Density	61.2/km2 (159/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Oak
- Flower	Hibiscus mutabilis; Alpinia zerumbet
-Insect	Hebomoia glaucippe
Phone number	099-222-3141
Address	5186, Nonaka, Nakanotane-cho, Kumage-gun, Kagoshima-ken 891-3692
Website	town.nakatane.kagoshima.jp

Nakatane (中種子町, Nakatane-chō) is a town located in central Tanegashima, in Kumage District, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.

As of June 2013, the town has an estimated population of 8,439 and a population density of 61.2 persons per km². The total area is 137.78 km².

Geography

Nakatane occupies the center of the island of Tanegashima, with the East China Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. The climate is classified as humid subtropical (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with very warm summers and mild winters. Precipitation is high throughout the year, but is highest in the months of May, June and September.

Surrounding municipalities

History

Nakatane Village was established on April 1, 1889. A power station was built in 1925, and the first telephone was installed in 1938. On November 10, 1940, Nakatane was upgraded to town status. Tanegashima Airport opened in Nakatane in 1958.

Nakatane is featured in the Japanese animated feature film, 5 Centimeters Per Second, directed by Makoto Shinkai. It was released on March 3, 2007 in Japan.