Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto

Hitoyoshi is located about 70 kilometers due south of the prefectural capital of Kumamoto City in a straight line and is the southernmost part of Kumamoto Prefecture. The northern and southern parts of the city are mountainous, forming part of the Kyushu Mountains. The southern part of the city is also mountainous, with an elevation of about 1,000 meters, and borders Miyazaki Prefecture and Kagoshima Prefecture. The city center is at the western edge of the Hitoyoshi Basin, with the Kuma River running through it from east to west

Neighboring municipalities

Kagoshima Prefecture

• Isa

Kumamoto Prefecture

• Nishiki
• Kuma
• Sagara
• Yamae

Miyazaki Prefecture

• Ebino

Hitoyoshi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, and is heavier in the summer months, especially June and July. The average annual temperature in Hitoyoshi is 14.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2283 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 3.7 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Hitoyoshi is as shown below

The area of Hitoyoshi was part of ancient Higo Province. From the Kamakura period it was under the control of the Sagara clan, which continued to rule as daimyō of Hitoyoshi Domain through the end of the Edo Period. Hitoyoshi Castle and much of the castle town were destroyed in a fire in 1862. The town of Hitoyoshi was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On February 11, 1942, Hitoyoshi merged with the villages of Nishise, Nakahara, and Aida to form the city of Hitoyoshi.

Hitoyoshi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members. Hitoyoshi contributes one member to the Kumamoto Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Kumamoto 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Hitoyoshi is a regional commercial center and transportation hub. Important sectors of the local economy include tourism, agriculture, and sake brewing.

Hitoyoshi's main product is rice shōchū (an indigenous spirit distilled from rice), or kuma-shōchū, which is the official name of rice shōchū produced in Kumamoto's Hitoyoshi and Kuma District. This shōchū must be produced in these areas from Japanese rice and with water from the Kuma River, which runs through the town. The World Trade Organization granted kuma-shōchū geographical indication status in 1994. The most popular brand is Hakutake Shiro, which currently holds 50% market share on all rice shōchū sold in Japan. However, Takahashi Distillery, the producer of Hakutake Shiro, is just one of 28 distilleries in Hitoyoshi in the surrounding region that produce kuma-shōchū.

Hitoyoshi has six public elementary schools and three public junior high schools operated by the city government and two public high schools operated by the Kumamoto Prefectural Board of Education.

Railways

JR Kyushu - Hisatsu Line

■ Nishi-Hitoyoshi - Hitoyoshi - Okoba - Yatake <currently suspended>

Kumagawa Railroad - Yunomae Line

■ Hitoyoshi-Onsen - Sagarahan-Ganjōji

Highways

• Kyushu Expressway: Hitoyoshi IC - Hitoyoshi-Kuma IC
• National Route 219
• National Route 221
• National Route 267
• National Route 445

• - Abrantes, Portugal, since September 2009

• Aoi Aso Shrine
• Eikoku-ji
• Hitoyoshi Castle
• Hitoyoshi Station
• Kuma River
• Kuma River rafting
• Sekaiichi Chiisana Bijutsukan Chobit
• SL Hitoyoshi

Hitoyoshi is the inspiration for and setting of "Ohitoyo" in the anime Rail Romanesque and the visual novel game that the anime is derived from. The setting for Natsume's Book of Friends is also based on Hitoyoshi.

• Tetsuharu Kawakami, baseball player and manager
• Miki Tori, manga artist
• Teruyoshi Uchimura, comedian