Minamitane, Kagoshima
Minamitane
南種子町 | |
|---|---|
 Tanegashima Space Center | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture | |
 | |
  Minamitane | |
| Coordinates: 30°34′49″N 130°54′03″E / 30.58028°N 130.90083°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kyushu (Ōsumi Islands) |
| Prefecture | Kagoshima |
| District | Kumage |
| Government | |
| • -Mayor | Hironori Kajiwara (since May 2011) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 109.94 km2 (42.45 sq mi) |
| Population (April 30, 2024) | |
| • Total | 5,249 |
| • Density | 48/km2 (120/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| Phone number | 0997-26-1111 |
| Address | 2793-1 Nakanoue, Minamitane-chō, Kumage-gun, Kagoshima-ken 891-3792 |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Website | Official website |
| Symbols | |
| Flower | Hibiscus |
| Tree | Myrica rubra |
Minamitane (南種子町, Minamitane-chō) is a town located on the island of Tanegashima, in Kumage District, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. As of 30 April 2024[update], the town had an estimated population of 5,249 in 2893 households, and a population density of 48 persons per km2. [1] The total area of the town is 109.94 km2 (42.45 sq mi). The headquarters of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency are located at the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane.
Geography[edit]
Minamitane is located on the southern end of the island of Tanegashima, bordered by the East China Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east, and the town of Nakatane to the north.
Climate[edit]
The climate is classified as humid subtropical (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with very warm summers and mild winters. Precipitation is high throughout the year, but is highest in the months of May, June and September. The area is subject to frequent typhoons.
| Climate data for Minamitane (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 23.3 (73.9) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.7 (78.3) |
27.8 (82.0) |
31.1 (88.0) |
33.1 (91.6) |
34.4 (93.9) |
35.0 (95.0) |
34.3 (93.7) |
30.7 (87.3) |
27.6 (81.7) |
25.0 (77.0) |
35.0 (95.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 13.6 (56.5) |
14.5 (58.1) |
17.1 (62.8) |
20.7 (69.3) |
23.9 (75.0) |
26.1 (79.0) |
30.0 (86.0) |
30.7 (87.3) |
28.5 (83.3) |
24.6 (76.3) |
20.4 (68.7) |
15.9 (60.6) |
22.2 (71.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 10.7 (51.3) |
11.3 (52.3) |
13.6 (56.5) |
17.0 (62.6) |
20.3 (68.5) |
23.1 (73.6) |
26.5 (79.7) |
26.9 (80.4) |
24.9 (76.8) |
21.3 (70.3) |
17.2 (63.0) |
12.8 (55.0) |
18.8 (65.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 8.2 (46.8) |
8.6 (47.5) |
10.8 (51.4) |
14.2 (57.6) |
17.5 (63.5) |
20.8 (69.4) |
24.2 (75.6) |
24.7 (76.5) |
22.7 (72.9) |
19.0 (66.2) |
14.7 (58.5) |
10.2 (50.4) |
16.3 (61.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −0.3 (31.5) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
0.4 (32.7) |
5.9 (42.6) |
10.9 (51.6) |
13.2 (55.8) |
17.1 (62.8) |
20.2 (68.4) |
15.7 (60.3) |
10.6 (51.1) |
3.9 (39.0) |
0.9 (33.6) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 159.2 (6.27) |
164.4 (6.47) |
224.5 (8.84) |
264.5 (10.41) |
318.5 (12.54) |
653.6 (25.73) |
300.1 (11.81) |
184.5 (7.26) |
298.2 (11.74) |
218.4 (8.60) |
178.7 (7.04) |
145.5 (5.73) |
3,137.9 (123.54) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 13.7 | 12.5 | 14.3 | 12.1 | 13.0 | 18.3 | 10.5 | 11.6 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 10.5 | 12.4 | 152.1 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 94.2 | 99.9 | 131.3 | 152.2 | 150.6 | 97.5 | 192.7 | 205.9 | 146.9 | 147.3 | 121.3 | 101.3 | 1,644 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[2][3] | |||||||||||||
Demographics[edit]
Per Japanese census data, the population of Minamitane is as shown below:[4]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 7,757 | — |
| 1930 | 7,989 | +3.0% |
| 1940 | 7,946 | −0.5% |
| 1950 | 11,856 | +49.2% |
| 1960 | 12,566 | +6.0% |
| 1970 | 9,923 | −21.0% |
| 1980 | 8,320 | −16.2% |
| 1990 | 7,672 | −7.8% |
| 2000 | 7,154 | −6.8% |
| 2010 | 6,218 | −13.1% |
| 2020 | 5,445 | −12.4% |
History[edit]
The area of Minamitane was part of ancient Ōsumi Province. During the Edo Period, the area was part of the holdings of Satsuma Domain. Minamitane Village was established on April 1, 1889. In 1879, a government office (役場) was established in the village of Shimama (島間村), also overseeing the villages of Nishino (西之村) and Sakai (坂井村), while another government office was established in Kukinaga (茎永村), also covering the villages of Hirayama (平山村) and Nakano (中之村). These former villages were then merged to form Minamitane Village.[5][6] Minamitane was upgraded to town status on October 15, 1956.
Government[edit]
Minamitane has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 10 members. Minamitane, collectively with the other municipalities of Kumage District and the city of Nishinoomote, contributes two members to the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Kagoshima 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy[edit]
The economy of Minamitane is based largely on agriculture and commercial fishing.
Education[edit]
Minamitane has eight public elementary high schools and one public junior high school operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school.
Transportation[edit]
Highways[edit]
Notable people[edit]
The Mangjeol family of South Korea trace their ancestry to a man from Shimama Village surnamed Amikiri (網切) who went to Korea during the colonial period and settled there. His son married a Korean woman, and his grandson Amikiri Ichirō (網切一郎) chose to remain in South Korea after its independence and naturalised as a South Korean citizen, and changed his name to the Korean reading of its characters, Mangjeol Ilrang.[7][8]
References[edit]
- ^ "Minamitane Town official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
- ^ 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- ^ 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- ^ Kagoshima Prefecture population by municipality
- ^ "南種子町について".
- ^ "鹿児島県 > 熊毛郡南種子町の郵便番号一覧 - 日本郵便株式会社".
- ^ Choe, Sang-hun (March 23, 2010), "In One Surname, the Turmoil of Two Nations", The New York Times
- ^ 金學贊 (Kim Hak-chan) (2003-02-02), "귀화한 일본인 농부 網切一郞씨" [Naturalized Japanese Farmer Mangeol Ilrang], Chosun Ilbo, retrieved 2010-03-28
External links[edit]
Media related to Minamitane, Kagoshima at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
(in Japanese) 
Geographic data related to Minamitane, Kagoshima at OpenStreetMap
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