Miyakonojō

Miyakonojō 都城市
City
View of downtown Miyakonojo, from Miyakonojo Castle Ruin Park
Flag Emblem
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap Location of Miyakonojō in Miyazaki Prefecture
Miyakonojō Location in Japan
Coordinates: 31°43′N 131°4′E / 31.717°N 131.067°E / 31.717; 131.067Coordinates: 31°43′N 131°4′E / 31.717°N 131.067°E / 31.717; 131.067
Country	Japan
Region	Kyushu
Prefecture	Miyazaki Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Makoto Nagamine
Area
• Total	653.36 km2 (252.26 sq mi)
Population  (June 1, 2019)
• Total	161,137
• Density	250/km2 (640/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	6-21 Himegichō, Miyakonojō-shi, Miyazaki-ken 885-8555
Website	www.city.miyakonojo.miyazaki.jp
Symbols
Flower	Iris
Tree	Japanese zelkova

Miyakonojō (都城市, Miyakonojō-shi) is a city in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1924. As of June 1, 2019, the city has an estimated population of 161,137, with 70,549 households and a population density of 247 per km². The total area is 653.36 km² making it the largest city in the prefecture in terms of area.

Neighboring municipalities[]

Miyazaki Prefecture

• Miyazaki
• Nichinan
• Kobayashi
• Kushima
• Mimata
• Takaharu

Kagoshima Prefecture

• Soo
• Kirishima
• Shibushi

History[]

Miyakonojō is known as the birthplace of the Shimazu Estate, the largest shōen (estate or manor) of medieval Japan. In the 1020s, a powerful official named developed a small manor named Shimazu-in. Expanded substantially in the first half of the 12th century, it eventually covered large portions of Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga Provinces. In 1185, Koremune no Tadahisa was appointed as jitō of the Shimazu Estate and thereafter claimed the clan name of Shimazu. It is said that one of Tadahisa's residences, called , was located at Miyakonojō. Between the Muromachi period and Edo period, the , which was a branch family of the Shimazus, controlled the area. After the Boshin War, it became one of the cities to abolish the han system. In 1871, it became a prefecture for a year. On January 1, 2006, the towns of Takajō, Takazaki, Yamada and Yamanokuchi (all from Kitamorokata District) were merged into Miyakonojō.

Industry[]

Many of Miyakonojō's citizens work as farmers. They produce gobō, meat, and bell peppers. Miyakonojō is also home to some agriculture-related manufacturing.

Miyakonojō is also famous for producing traditional Japanese archery bows from the abundant bamboo in the area.^[1]

Miyakonojō City Office

Schools[]

Miyakonojō has 35 elementary schools and 19 junior high schools.

Notable residents[]

• Tomoji Tanabe, the world's oldest man 1895–2009, was born and lived in Miyakonojō.^[2]
• Kōsei Inoue, Olympic Gold Medalist in Judo.
• Gōgen Yamaguchi, known as "The Cat", was a renowned martial arts master of the Gōjū-ryū style of Karate.
• Jūzō Yamasaki, the manga artist was born in Miyakonojō.
• Hideo Higashikokubaru, a famous comedian and the former Governor of Miyazaki.
• Yuya Yanagi, a professional baseball player for the Chunichi Dragons.
• Masatoshi Nagase, actor.

Climate[]

Miyakonojō has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), but is cooler than other cities in Miyazaki. The average temperature is about 16 °C, and it rains less than in Miyazaki City. The area's climate is influenced by its proximity to mountains.

Current issues[]

Miyakonojō is experiencing a declining population. Several other cities in Miyazaki Prefecture are also facing this problem. Many schools are scheduled to close due to the declining population, which has resulted in fewer children.

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Miyakonojo, Miyazaki.

• Miyakonojō City official website (in Japanese)
• Miyakonojo travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Geographic data related to Miyakonojō at OpenStreetMap