Yawatahama
Yawatahama
八幡浜市 | |
|---|---|
 Panoramic view of Yawatahama from Kotohira shrine | |
|
Mikan (温州蜜柑, Unshū mikan) |
Yawatahama (八幡浜市, Yawatahama-shi) is a city located in of Ehime Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 August 2022[update], the city had an estimated population of 31,385 in 15,638 households and a population density of 240 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 132.68 square kilometres (51.23 sq mi).
Geography
Yawatahama is located in the western part of Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, at the base of the Sadamisaki Peninsula. It faces the Seto Inland Sea to the north, and faces Kyushu to the west across the Bungo Channel. The coastline is a ria coastline, with steep slopes, creating a scenic landscape where capes and coves intersect. For a long time, the city's naturally good harbor has served as an important one for Ehime Prefecture and Shikoku. Flat land is exceedingly sparse and the hilly terrain has been used for citrus production.
Neighbouring municipalities
Ehime Prefecture
Climate
Yawatahama has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Yawatahama is 15.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1644 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around 26.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around 5.1 °C.[2]
Demographics
Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Yawatahama has been decreasing steadily since the 1950s.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 72,412 | — |
| 1960 | 67,173 | −7.2% |
| 1970 | 58,545 | −12.8% |
| 1980 | 55,757 | −4.8% |
| 1990 | 50,217 | −9.9% |
| 2000 | 44,206 | −12.0% |
| 2010 | 38,287 | −13.4% |
History
The area of Yawatahama was part of ancient Iyo Province, and its name appears in early Nara period documents. According to legend, the name "Yawatahama" (八幡浜) comes from long ago when debris from a festival at the Usa Hachiman shrine (八幡) in Usa, Ōita, floated up on the beach (浜) in what is now Yawatahama.[4]
In the
Town mergers
- February 11, 1935 - Yawatahama combined with Senjo, Hitada, and Kamiyama and was elevated to city status.
- February 1, 1955 - A locality of Futaiwa, as well as Hizuchi, Maana, and Kawakami were added.[5]
- March 31, 1955 - Nishiuwa District's Isotsu, Miyauchi, Kawanoishi, and Kisuki towns merge under the name Honai.[5]
- March 28, 2005 - Yawatahama absorbed the town of Honai (from Nishiuwa District)[6]
Government
Yawatahama has a
Economy
Major industries include citrus farming, fisheries, fisheries-related food processing, and shipbuilding.
Education
Yawatahama has 14 public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government. The city has three public high schools operated by the Ehime Prefectural Board of Education.
High schools
- Yawatahama High School
- Yawatahama Technical High School
- Kawanoishi High School
Junior high schools
- Atago Junior High School
- Yashiro Junior High School
- Matsukaya Junior High School
- Honai Junior High School
Transportation
Railways
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Shikoku Railway Company - Yosan Line
- Senjō - Yawatahama - Futaiwa
Highways
Ports
- Kyūshū.
Noted people from Yawatahama
- Moriyuki Kato, the governor of Ehime Prefecture
- Chūhachi Ninomiya, a Japanese aviation pioneer
- Yokozuna
- Enshin Karate
References
- ^ "Yawatahama city official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
- ^ Yawatahama climate data
- ^ Yawatahama population statistics
- ^ a b c (in Japanese) Yawatahama City History before 1950
- ^ a b (in Japanese) 1950s Yawatahama City History
- ^ (in Japanese)2000s Yawatahama City History
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links
- Yawatahama City official website (in Japanese)
- Yawatahama Sea Road (in Japanese)
- Yawatahama Mountain Biking (in Japanese and English)
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