Amakusa, Kumamoto

Amakusa
天草市
City
Panorama view of Amakusa, from Jyunkyō Park
Panorama view of Amakusa, from Jyunkyō Park
Flag of Amakusa
Flag
Official seal of Amakusa
Emblem
Map
Location of Amakusa in Kumamoto Prefecture
Amakusa is located in Japan
Amakusa
Amakusa
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 32°27′31″N 130°11′35″E / 32.45861°N 130.19306°E / 32.45861; 130.19306
CountryJapan
RegionKyushu
PrefectureKumamoto
Government
 • MayorShoji Baba
Area
 • Total683.82 km2 (264.02 sq mi)
Population
 (August 31, 2024)
 • Total72,243
 • Density110/km2 (270/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address8-1 Higashihamamachi, Amakusa-shi, Kumamoto-ken 863-0014
ClimateCfa
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
BirdLarus canus
FlowerHibiscus hamabo
TreeFicus superba
Amakusa City-hall
A night view of Ushibuka Haiya Bridge
Sakitsu Catholic Church

Amakusa (天草市, Amakusa-shi) is a city located in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 August 2024, the city had an estimated population of 72,243 in 36029 households, and a population density of 110 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 683.82 km2 (264.02 sq mi).

Geography

Amakusa covers the majority of two main islands, Kamishima (上島, "Upper Island") and Shimoshima (下島, "Lower Island") (天草諸島), and six smaller inhabited islands and numerous uninhabited islets located the central-west Kumamoto Prefecture, in between the Yatsushiro Sea and the East China Sea. Large parts of the city are within the borders of the Unzen-Amakusa National Park.

Neighboring municipalities

Kumamoto Prefecture

Climate

Amakusa has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, and is heaviest from May to August. The average annual temperature in Amakusa is 18.2 °C (64.8 °F). The average annual rainfall is 2,109.8 mm (83.06 in) with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 28.3 °C (82.9 °F), and lowest in January, at around 8.6 °C (47.5 °F).[2] The highest temperature ever recorded in Amakusa was 39.6 °C (103.3 °F) on 20 August 2013; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −7.0 °C (19.4 °F) on 25 January 2016.[3]

Climate data for Ushibuka, Amakusa (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1949−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 21.8
(71.2) 		23.6
(74.5) 		24.5
(76.1) 		29.2
(84.6) 		31.2
(88.2) 		33.9
(93.0) 		37.5
(99.5) 		39.6
(103.3) 		37.1
(98.8) 		34.0
(93.2) 		27.8
(82.0) 		24.0
(75.2) 		39.6
(103.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 11.8
(53.2) 		13.0
(55.4) 		16.1
(61.0) 		20.3
(68.5) 		24.2
(75.6) 		26.5
(79.7) 		30.4
(86.7) 		32.2
(90.0) 		29.6
(85.3) 		25.0
(77.0) 		19.6
(67.3) 		14.2
(57.6) 		21.9
(71.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 8.6
(47.5) 		9.4
(48.9) 		12.2
(54.0) 		16.3
(61.3) 		20.1
(68.2) 		23.1
(73.6) 		27.0
(80.6) 		28.3
(82.9) 		25.6
(78.1) 		21.1
(70.0) 		16.0
(60.8) 		10.8
(51.4) 		18.2
(64.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 5.5
(41.9) 		6.0
(42.8) 		8.6
(47.5) 		12.6
(54.7) 		16.6
(61.9) 		20.5
(68.9) 		24.3
(75.7) 		25.4
(77.7) 		22.7
(72.9) 		17.8
(64.0) 		12.8
(55.0) 		7.6
(45.7) 		15.0
(59.1)
Record low °C (°F) −3.0
(26.6) 		−3.4
(25.9) 		−1.6
(29.1) 		2.0
(35.6) 		9.4
(48.9) 		12.6
(54.7) 		18.0
(64.4) 		18.8
(65.8) 		14.1
(57.4) 		7.4
(45.3) 		2.8
(37.0) 		−1.5
(29.3) 		−3.4
(25.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 79.7
(3.14) 		95.4
(3.76) 		124.7
(4.91) 		158.1
(6.22) 		178.7
(7.04) 		409.6
(16.13) 		348.9
(13.74) 		200.7
(7.90) 		204.0
(8.03) 		96.5
(3.80) 		106.5
(4.19) 		96.4
(3.80) 		2,109.8
(83.06)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 1
(0.4) 		1
(0.4) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		1
(0.4)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 10.6 9.6 11.1 10.0 9.5 14.3 10.4 9.5 9.5 6.5 8.6 10.0 119.6
Average snowy days (≥ 1 cm) 0.3 0.4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.7
Average relative humidity (%) 65 64 66 69 73 82 82 77 73 66 67 65 71
Mean monthly sunshine hours 105.4 121.7 160.9 180.9 189.7 124.1 193.1 227.9 192.0 191.0 147.2 118.4 1,954.5
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[3][2]
Climate data for Hondo, Amakusa (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 22.0
(71.6) 		23.2
(73.8) 		25.1
(77.2) 		29.5
(85.1) 		32.6
(90.7) 		35.2
(95.4) 		37.3
(99.1) 		37.6
(99.7) 		35.5
(95.9) 		33.3
(91.9) 		27.0
(80.6) 		25.1
(77.2) 		37.6
(99.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 10.7
(51.3) 		12.2
(54.0) 		15.5
(59.9) 		20.7
(69.3) 		25.2
(77.4) 		27.3
(81.1) 		31.3
(88.3) 		32.5
(90.5) 		29.1
(84.4) 		24.0
(75.2) 		18.4
(65.1) 		12.9
(55.2) 		21.7
(71.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 6.2
(43.2) 		7.2
(45.0) 		10.3
(50.5) 		14.9
(58.8) 		19.2
(66.6) 		22.6
(72.7) 		26.5
(79.7) 		27.3
(81.1) 		24.0
(75.2) 		18.9
(66.0) 		13.4
(56.1) 		8.3
(46.9) 		16.6
(61.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 2.1
(35.8) 		2.6
(36.7) 		5.3
(41.5) 		9.5
(49.1) 		14.0
(57.2) 		18.8
(65.8) 		22.9
(73.2) 		23.4
(74.1) 		20.2
(68.4) 		14.6
(58.3) 		9.1
(48.4) 		4.1
(39.4) 		12.2
(54.0)
Record low °C (°F) −7.0
(19.4) 		−5.6
(21.9) 		−3.1
(26.4) 		0.4
(32.7) 		6.4
(43.5) 		10.9
(51.6) 		16.6
(61.9) 		17.5
(63.5) 		11.7
(53.1) 		3.4
(38.1) 		−0.2
(31.6) 		−3.2
(26.2) 		−7.0
(19.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 83.1
(3.27) 		96.1
(3.78) 		132.6
(5.22) 		157.2
(6.19) 		169.9
(6.69) 		405.3
(15.96) 		340.5
(13.41) 		215.0
(8.46) 		195.4
(7.69) 		111.9
(4.41) 		108.4
(4.27) 		91.6
(3.61) 		2,106.3
(82.93)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 9.9 9.8 10.8 10.2 9.5 15.1 12.3 10.5 10.1 7.1 9.1 9.9 124.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours 108.8 126.6 163.1 183.7 190.7 119.2 178.2 216.0 179.8 184.3 142.4 120.9 1,915.7
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[4][5]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Amakusa in 2020 is 75,783 people.[6] Amakusa has been conducting censuses since 1920. Amakusa has the distinction of being the fastest depopulating city in Japan since the last census (2005).[citation needed]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 122,297—    
1925 121,482−0.7%
1930 125,165+3.0%
1935 123,495−1.3%
1940 123,580+0.1%
1945 167,936+35.9%
1950 169,508+0.9%
1955 169,880+0.2%
1960 158,882−6.5%
1965 142,346−10.4%
1970 127,636−10.3%
YearPop.±%
1975 122,513−4.0%
1980 121,574−0.8%
1985 118,765−2.3%
1990 112,068−5.6%
1995 107,823−3.8%
2000 102,907−4.6%
2005 96,473−6.3%
2010 89,091−7.7%
2015 82,739−7.1%
2020 75,783−8.4%
Amakusa population statistics[6]

History

The area of Amakusa was part of ancient Higo Province, During the Edo Period it was tenryō territory under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate and administered from the office of the Nagasaki bugyō. After the Meiji restoration, the villages of Takahama, Fukurengi, Shimoda and Oe were established in Amakusa District, Kumamoto with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On September 21, 1956, these villages merged to form the town of Amakusa. The city of Amakusa was established on March 27, 2006, from a merger between the former cities of Hondo and Ushibuka, and the towns of Amakusa, Ariake, Goshoura, Itsuwa, Kawaura, Kuratake, Shinwa and Sumoto from Amakusa District.[citation needed]

Government

Amakusa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 26 members. Amakusa, together with the town of Reihoku contributes three members to the Kumamoto Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Kumamoto 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Amakusa has a rural economy dominated by agriculture and commercial fishing. Tourism also plays a major role.

Amakusa Airlines is headquartered in Amakusa.[7]

Education

Amakusa has 17 public elementary schools and 13 public junior high schools operated by the city government and four public high school operated by the Kumamoto Prefectural Board of Education. There is also one private high school. The prefecture also operates one school for the handicapped.

Transportation

Airports

Railways

Amakusa has no passenger railway service. The nearest train station is Misumi Station on the JR Kyushu Misumi Line in Uki City.

Highways

Sister city relations

Local attractions

Sightseeing

  • Amakusa Christian Museum
    Amakusa Christian Museum
  • Ōe Catholic Church
    Ōe Catholic Church
  • Sakitsu Catholic Church
    Sakitsu Catholic Church
  • Shimoda Onsen hot springs
    Shimoda Onsen hot springs

Notable people from Amakusa

References

  1. ^ "Amakusa City official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. ^ a b 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  3. ^ a b 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  4. ^ 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  5. ^ 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Amakusa population statistics
  7. ^ "AMX会社概要 Archived 2009-08-04 at the Wayback Machine." Amakusa Airlines. Retrieved on May 20, 2009.
  8. ^ "City of Encinitas : Sister City Program". Archived from the original on 2012-07-14. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Amakusa.