Nishinoomote, Kagoshima
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Through Japan, Population density and World War II
Geography
Nishinoomote, located on the northern portion of Tanegashima, is bordered by the East China Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east, and by the Ōsumi Strait separating Tanegashima from the Kyushu mainland. The city also includes the offshore island of Mageshima within its borders.
Surrounding municipalities
Climate
Nishinoomote has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nishinoomote is 20.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2174 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around 12.0 °C. The area is subject to frequent typhoons.
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Nishinoomote is as shown below:
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History
The area of Nishinoomote was part of ancient Tane Province, which was abolished in 824 and incorporated into Ōsumi Province. Tanegashima became a part of Shimazu shōen in 1140. During the Edo Period, the area was part of the holdings of Satsuma Domain. Sugarcane was first cultivated in 1824. Kitatane Village was established on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalites system. It was elevated to town status on April 1, 1926 and renamed Nishinoomote. Towards the end of World War II, the town was garrisoned by a 12,000-man force from the Imperial Japanese Army and was thus subjected to bombing by the United States Navy in 1945. It was elevated to city status on October 1, 1958.
Government
Nishinoomote has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 14 members. Nishinoomote, collectively with the other municipalities of Kumage District, contributes two members to the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Kagoshima 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy
The economy of Nishinoomote is based largely on agriculture (sugar cane, sweet potatoes), livestock (cattle, pigs, etc.), and fisheries.
Education
Nishinoomote has ten public elementary high schools and one public junior high school operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Kagoshima Prefectural Board of Education.
Transportation
Seaport
Nishinoomote Port is a regional transportation hub, with frequent ferry service to Kagoshima, Tokyo, Kobe, and Osaka, as well as Okinawa and the other Osumi islands.
Highway
- National Route 58
Sister cities
- Isa, Kagoshima, since November 10, 1962
- Sakai, Osaka, since October 18, 1986
- Nagahama, Shiga, since October 8, 1987
- Vila do Bispo, Portugal, since October 1, 1993 (in recognition of the fact that it was Fernão Mendes Pinto, a Portuguese explorer, who claimed to be the first European to set foot on Japan, and did so on Tanegashima in 1543.)