In March 2014, a piece of sandstone was found in Mifune that was revealed to contain a tooth dated to the Late Cretaceous, 90 million years ago. The tooth is the oldest thus found in Japan and is assumed to be a back tooth from the left, upper jaw of a carnivore similar to a Deltatheridium, an ancient marsupial relative that lived in what is now Mongolia between 145 and 66 million years ago.[3] The find was announced by the Mifune Dinosaur Museum in August 2017. The museum and town also partner with Montana State University's Museum of the Rockies.[4]
Mifune has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Mifune is 14.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1965 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.23 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.7 °C.[5]
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Mifune is as shown below
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±%
1940
18,119
—
1950
23,383
+29.1%
1960
21,543
−7.9%
1970
17,716
−17.8%
1980
17,536
−1.0%
1990
17,952
+2.4%
2000
18,532
+3.2%
2010
17,888
−3.5%
2020
16,303
−8.9%
History
The area of Mifune was part of ancient Higo Province, and was the site of several battles in the Nanboku-chō period, Sengoku period and in the Satsuma rebellion. Its name comes from a legend that this is where Kofun periodEmperor Keiko's ship was docked during his residence in Kyushu. During the Edo Period it was part of the holdings of Kumamoto Domain, under which it flourished as a mercantile town. After the Meiji restoration, the town of Mifune was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889.
Government
Mifune has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 14 members. Mifune, collectively with the other municipalities of Kamimashiki District contributes two members to the Kumamoto Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Kumamoto 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy
The local economy is based on light manufacturing, commerce and agriculture.
Education
Mifune has six public elementary schools and one public junior high school operated by the town government, and one public high schools operated by the Kumamoto Prefectural Board of Education. The Heisei College of Music is located in Mifune.
