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Makurazaki, Kagoshima

Coordinates: 31°16′23″N 130°17′49″E / 31.27306°N 130.29694°E / 31.27306; 130.29694
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Makurazaki
枕崎市
View of Makurazaki
View of Makurazaki
Flag of Makurazaki
Official seal of Makurazaki
Map
Location of Makurazaki in Kagoshima Prefecture
Makurazaki is located in Japan
Makurazaki
Makurazaki
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 31°16′23″N 130°17′49″E / 31.27306°N 130.29694°E / 31.27306; 130.29694
CountryJapan
RegionKyushu
PrefectureKagoshima
Government
 • MayorNorishige Maeda (form 2018)
Area
 • Total74.78 km2 (28.87 sq mi)
Population
 (July 1, 2024)
 • Total19,006
 • Density250/km2 (660/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address27, Chiyodachō, Makurazaki-shi, Kagoshima-ken 898-8501
ClimateCfa
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
FlowerChrysanthemum
TreeCamellia
Makurazaki City Hall
Makurazaki Osakana Center
Tategami Rock

Makurazaki (枕崎市, Makurazaki-shi) is a city located in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2024, the city had an estimated population of 19,006 in 10377 households, and a population density of 250 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 74.78 km2 (28.87 sq mi).

Geography

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Makurazaki is located at the southern tip of the Satsuma Peninsula, and faces the East China Sea to the south. The main urban area is near the mouth of the Kedagawa River. The north is forested, the west is a plateau that continues to the Noma Peninsula, and the east is also a plateau called the Minamisatsuma Plateau.

Surrounding municipalities

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Kagoshima Prefecture


Climate

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Makurazaki has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and mild winters. Precipitation is high throughout the year, and is especially high from May to July. The highest record temperature was 36.9 °C (98.4 °F) on August 18, 2020 while the lowest recorded temperature was −4.4 °C (24.1 °F) on February 19, 1977.[2] The Japanese know the city as the "Typhoon Ginza" (after Ginza in Tokyo). Each summer many typhoons strike the Japanese main islands land first in the area of Makurazaki.

Climate data for Makurazaki (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1923−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 22.8
(73.0)
22.8
(73.0)
24.5
(76.1)
28.4
(83.1)
30.2
(86.4)
32.6
(90.7)
35.3
(95.5)
36.9
(98.4)
34.8
(94.6)
32.7
(90.9)
27.5
(81.5)
24.3
(75.7)
36.9
(98.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 12.9
(55.2)
14.0
(57.2)
16.8
(62.2)
20.6
(69.1)
24.1
(75.4)
26.4
(79.5)
30.2
(86.4)
31.4
(88.5)
29.2
(84.6)
25.2
(77.4)
20.3
(68.5)
15.2
(59.4)
22.2
(72.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 8.9
(48.0)
9.9
(49.8)
12.6
(54.7)
16.5
(61.7)
20.1
(68.2)
23.2
(73.8)
27.0
(80.6)
27.8
(82.0)
25.3
(77.5)
20.8
(69.4)
15.8
(60.4)
10.9
(51.6)
18.2
(64.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 5.0
(41.0)
5.6
(42.1)
8.3
(46.9)
12.2
(54.0)
16.2
(61.2)
20.4
(68.7)
24.4
(75.9)
24.8
(76.6)
22.0
(71.6)
16.8
(62.2)
11.6
(52.9)
6.8
(44.2)
14.5
(58.1)
Record low °C (°F) −3.3
(26.1)
−4.4
(24.1)
−1.7
(28.9)
0.0
(32.0)
5.0
(41.0)
11.2
(52.2)
16.6
(61.9)
16.9
(62.4)
10.7
(51.3)
4.6
(40.3)
−0.5
(31.1)
−3.0
(26.6)
−4.4
(24.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 96.2
(3.79)
114.3
(4.50)
167.6
(6.60)
188.3
(7.41)
196.7
(7.74)
512.9
(20.19)
306.9
(12.08)
181.0
(7.13)
236.2
(9.30)
94.8
(3.73)
129.3
(5.09)
111.6
(4.39)
2,335.6
(91.95)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 1
(0.4)
trace 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) 10.5 10.0 12.6 9.9 9.9 15.1 9.9 9.8 10.0 7.1 8.9 9.8 123.5
Average snowy days (≥ 1 cm) 0.3 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.5
Average relative humidity (%) 68 68 69 71 75 83 82 79 77 72 72 70 74
Mean monthly sunshine hours 109.9 121.3 153.2 173.2 176.9 109.5 203.0 222.8 186.7 181.8 149.3 125.6 1,913.1
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (records 1872–present)[2][3][4]

Demographics

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Per Japanese census data, the population of Makurazaki in 2020 is 20,033 people.[5] Makurazaki has been conducting a census since 1920, and the city's population peaked in the 1950s at more than 35,000 people; the population has declined slowly since then. The population of Makurazaki in 2020 is only 70% of the 1955 census.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 23,577—    
1925 24,920+5.7%
1930 27,239+9.3%
1935 28,000+2.8%
1940 29,057+3.8%
1945 32,717+12.6%
1950 34,480+5.4%
1955 35,546+3.1%
1960 33,511−5.7%
1965 31,464−6.1%
1970 30,084−4.4%
YearPop.±%
1975 29,685−1.3%
1980 30,060+1.3%
1985 30,099+0.1%
1990 28,794−4.3%
1995 27,640−4.0%
2000 26,317−4.8%
2005 25,150−4.4%
2010 23,645−6.0%
2015 22,046−6.8%
2020 20,033−9.1%
Makurazaki population statistics[5]

History

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The area of Makurazaki is part of ancient Satsuma Province and was part of the holdings of Satsuma Domain in the Edo period. The village of Tonangata in Kawabe District was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. Tonangata was raised to town status on July 1, 1923 and renamed Makurazaki. On September 17, 1945 the Makurazaki Typhoon made landfall at Makurazaki and killed 12 people, destroying 2,339 houses. (Nationwide, 2,473 people were killed, 1,283 were missing, 89,839 houses were damaged, and 273,888 houses were flooded.) Makurazaki was raised to city status on September 1, 1949. Plans to merge Makurazaki and neighboring Chiran, Kagoshima were defeated in 2004, with Chiran subsequently becoming part of Minamikyushu.

Government

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Makurazaka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 14 members. Makurazaka contributes one member to the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Kagoshima 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

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Minamisatsuma has a rural economy based on commercial fishing and food processing. It is famous for its katsuobushi processing plants, which produce the chief flavoring ingredient—dried fish flakes—found in Japanese miso soup. About 70 small family businesses year-round boil, cut, dry and smoke the pungent fish, often sending a unique odor of steam, smoke and fish scent across the downtown area and out to sea.

Education

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Makurazaka has four public elementary schools and four public junior high schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Kagoshima Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

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Railways

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JR Kyushu - Ibusuki Makurazaki Line

Shirasawa - Satsuma-Itashiki - Makurazaki

Highways

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References

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  1. ^ "Makurazaki City official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. ^ a b 観測史上1~10位の値( 年間を通じての値) (in Japanese). Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  3. ^ 気象庁 / 平年値(年・月ごとの値) (in Japanese). Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  4. ^ 気象庁 / 平年値(年・月ごとの値) (in Japanese). Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Makurazaki population statistics
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