Kasaoka
Kasaoka
笠岡市 | |
|---|---|
_2014-01-14_13-25.JPG) View of Kasaoka City | |
 Flag  Emblem | |
 Location of Kasaoka in Okayama Prefecture | |
 | |
  Kasaoka Location in Japan | |
| Coordinates: 34°30′14″N 133°30′36″E / 34.50389°N 133.51000°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Chūgoku (San'yō) |
| Prefecture | Okayama |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Norimoto Mishima (current) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 136.24 km2 (52.60 sq mi) |
| Population (March 1, 2023) | |
| • Total | 45,404 |
| • Density | 330/km2 (860/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| City hall address | 1-1 Chūō, Kasaoka-shi, Okayama-ken 714-8601 |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Symbols | |
| Flower | Chrysanthemum |
| Tree | Ginkgo biloba |
Kasaoka (笠岡市, Kasaoka-shi) is a city located in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 March 2023[update], the city had an estimated population of 45,404 in 21,987 households and a population density of 330 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 136.24 square kilometres (52.60 sq mi). The municipal district also includes 31 outlying islands including seven inhabited islands in the Kasaoka Islands archipelago in the Seto Inland Sea.
Geography
Kasaoka is in the far southwestern corner of Okayama Prefecture, bordered by the Seto Inland Sea to the south and Hiroshima Prefecture to the west. It is mostly hilly and mountainous in the north, and consists of flat
Adjoining municipalities
- Ibara
- Asakuchi
- Satoshō
- Yakage
Climate
Kasaoka has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Kasaoka is 15.7 °C (60.3 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,055.1 mm (41.54 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 28.0 °C (82.4 °F), and lowest in January, at around 4.5 °C (40.1 °F).[2] The highest temperature ever recorded in Kasaoka was 38.0 °C (100.4 °F) on 5 August 2021; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −7.3 °C (18.9 °F) on 27 February 1981.[3]
| Climate data for Kasaoka (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1979−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.5 (61.7) |
21.7 (71.1) |
23.2 (73.8) |
28.5 (83.3) |
32.2 (90.0) |
34.7 (94.5) |
37.4 (99.3) |
38.0 (100.4) |
37.6 (99.7) |
31.9 (89.4) |
24.8 (76.6) |
20.0 (68.0) |
38.0 (100.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.4 (48.9) |
10.2 (50.4) |
13.5 (56.3) |
19.0 (66.2) |
23.9 (75.0) |
27.1 (80.8) |
31.1 (88.0) |
32.8 (91.0) |
28.7 (83.7) |
23.1 (73.6) |
17.2 (63.0) |
11.8 (53.2) |
20.7 (69.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.5 (40.1) |
5.1 (41.2) |
8.3 (46.9) |
13.6 (56.5) |
18.6 (65.5) |
22.6 (72.7) |
26.7 (80.1) |
28.0 (82.4) |
24.1 (75.4) |
18.0 (64.4) |
12.0 (53.6) |
6.7 (44.1) |
15.7 (60.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.0 (32.0) |
0.3 (32.5) |
3.1 (37.6) |
8.2 (46.8) |
13.5 (56.3) |
18.7 (65.7) |
23.2 (73.8) |
24.2 (75.6) |
20.1 (68.2) |
13.5 (56.3) |
7.3 (45.1) |
2.2 (36.0) |
11.2 (52.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −6.7 (19.9) |
−7.3 (18.9) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
3.6 (38.5) |
10.4 (50.7) |
15.8 (60.4) |
16.7 (62.1) |
9.1 (48.4) |
2.5 (36.5) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
−7.3 (18.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 33.0 (1.30) |
41.6 (1.64) |
76.6 (3.02) |
81.2 (3.20) |
102.7 (4.04) |
160.7 (6.33) |
172.9 (6.81) |
80.0 (3.15) |
129.2 (5.09) |
87.5 (3.44) |
50.2 (1.98) |
39.6 (1.56) |
1,055.1 (41.54) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 4.7 | 6.5 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 10.5 | 9.4 | 6.9 | 8.3 | 6.9 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 90.5 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 150.1 | 146.3 | 181.8 | 196.9 | 212.0 | 162.3 | 194.1 | 224.5 | 167.8 | 172.1 | 152.5 | 150.1 | 2,110.5 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[3][2] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Kasaoka in 2020 is 46,088 people.[4] Kasaoka has been conducting censuses since 1950.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 75,372 | — |
| 1955 | 73,552 | −2.4% |
| 1960 | 68,987 | −6.2% |
| 1965 | 63,778 | −7.6% |
| 1970 | 62,405 | −2.2% |
| 1975 | 63,413 | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 61,917 | −2.4% |
| 1985 | 60,598 | −2.1% |
| 1990 | 59,619 | −1.6% |
| 1995 | 60,478 | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 59,300 | −1.9% |
| 2005 | 57,272 | −3.4% |
| 2010 | 54,256 | −5.3% |
| 2015 | 50,568 | −6.8% |
| 2020 | 46,088 | −8.9% |
| Kasaoka population statistics[4] | ||
History
The Kasaoka area is part of ancient
Following the
Government
Kasaoka has a
Economy
Kasaoka is located in the Seto Inland Sea Industrial Belt and together with neighboring Fukuyama was designated in 1964 as the "Bingo District Special Industrial Development Area". The city has a high concentration of heavy industry, notably related to JFE Steel, a major producer of crude steel in Japan. Agriculture, food processing are also major contributors to the local economy, although the traditional industries stone quarrying and production of pyrethrum are in decline due to competition from foreign sources. The city is also increasing a commuter town for neighboring Fukuyama and Kurashiki.
Education
Kasaoka has 18 public elementary schools and nine public junior high schools operated by the city government and one private junior high school. The city has four public high schools operated by the Okayama prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the disabled.
Transportation
Railway
.svg){kind=logo}
JR West (JR West) - San'yō Main Line
Highways
Sister city relations
Kasaoka is
Ōda, Shimane, Japan
Astoria, Oregon, United States
Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
Mörbylånga, Sweden
Goseong County, South Korea
Landmarks and local cultural facilities
- Kasaoka is the location of a protected horseshoe crab breeding habitat and the city features a Horseshoe Crab Museum.[6]
- Chikkyo Art Museum
- Tsukumo Shell Mound, National Historic Site
- In culinary terms, Kasaoka city is known for its abundance of sea food and a local specialty of chicken based ramen.
Crime and safety
The Asano-gumi yakuza syndicate is based in Kasaoka. The Asano-gumi is the only designated yakuza group based in Okayama Prefecture.[7]
References
- ^ "Kasaoka city official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
- ^ a b 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- ^ a b 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- ^ a b Kasaoka population statistics
- ^ "友好握手都市＜コタバル市（マレーシア）／モービィロンガコミューン（スウェーデン）＞". Kasaoka City Official Website. Archived from the original on 21 December 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
- ^ "Kasaoka Municipal Horseshoe Crab Museum". Kasaoka Tourism Foundation. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
- ^ "2010 Police White Paper Chapter 2 : Furtherance of Organized Crime Countermeasures", 2010, National Police Agency (in Japanese)
External links
Media related to Kasaoka, Okayama at Wikimedia Commons- Kasaoka City official website (in Japanese)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
 | This Okayama Prefecture location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |