Yūsui (湧水町, Yūsui-chō) is a town located in Aira District, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.[1][2]As of 31 March 2024[update], the town had an estimated population of 8,361 in 4600 households, and a population density of 58 persons per km2. [3] The total area of the town is 144.29 km2 (55.71 sq mi). "Yūsui" literally means "spring water", referring to springs in the town.
Geography
Yūsui is located in the inland region of north-central Kagoshima Prefecture, approximately 70 kilometers northeast of Kagoshima City, and is a basin surrounded by the Kyushu Mountains and the Kirishima Mountain Range. Parts of the town are within the borders of the Kirishima-Yaku National Park.
Yūsui has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Yūsui is 14.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2260 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.2 °C.[4]
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Yūsui is as shown below:[5]
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±%
1920
14,875
—
1930
16,436
+10.5%
1940
18,106
+10.2%
1950
23,204
+28.2%
1960
21,496
−7.4%
1970
16,082
−25.2%
1980
13,982
−13.1%
1990
13,851
−0.9%
2000
13,237
−4.4%
2010
11,595
−12.4%
2020
9,119
−21.4%
History
The area of Yūsui was part of ancient Ōsumi Province. During the Edo Period, the area was part of the holdings of Satsuma Domain. The villages of Kurino and Yoshimatsu were established on May 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. Kurino was raised to town status on April 1, 1932, followed by Yoshimatsu on February 11, 1953. The town of Yūsui was founded on March 22, 2005 from the merger of the towns of Kurino and Yoshimatsu, both from Aira District.
Government
Yūsui has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 12 members. Yūsui, collectively with the city of Kirishima, contributes four members to the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Kagoshima 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy
The economy of Yūsui is based largely on agriculture.
Education
Yūsui has five public elementary high schools and two public junior high schools operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school.
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