| Arao | |||
| Native Name Lang: | ja | ||
| Settlement Type: | City | ||
| Seal Type: | Emblem | ||
| Image Map1: | Arao in Kumamoto Prefecture Ja.svg | ||
| Pushpin Map: | Japan | ||
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Japan | ||
| Coordinates: | 32.9867°N 130.4331°W | ||
| Subdivision Type: | Country | ||
| Subdivision Name: | Japan | ||
| Subdivision Type1: | Region | ||
| Subdivision Name1: | Kyushu | ||
| Subdivision Type2: | Prefecture | ||
| Subdivision Name2: | Kumamoto | ||
| Subdivision Type3: | District | ||
| Extinct Title: | Now part of | ||
| Leader Title: | Mayor | ||
| Leader Name: | Asada Toshihiko | ||
| Leader Title1: | Vice Mayor | ||
| Unit Pref: | Metric | ||
| Area Total Km2: | 57.37 | ||
| Population Total: | 49,334 | ||
| Population As Of: | July 31, 2024 | ||
| Population Density Km2: | auto | ||
| Timezone1: | JST | ||
| Utc Offset1: | +09:00 | ||
| Blank Name Sec1: | City hall address | ||
| Blank Info Sec1: | 390 Kunai-Deme, Arao-shi, Kumamoto-ken 864-8686 | ||
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right|thumb|290px|Arao City Hallright|thumb|290px| of the Miike coal mine is a city in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan., the city had an estimated population of 49,334 in 24092 households, and a population density of 860 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is .
Arao is located in northwest Kumamoto Prefecture, about 40 kilometers northwest of Kumamoto City. It is bordered by Fukuoka Prefecture to the north and the Ariake Sea to the west.
Fukuoka Prefecture
Kumamoto Prefecture
Arao has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Arao is 16.4 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1932 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around 6.3 °C.[2]
Per Japanese census data, the population of Arao is as shown below
The area of Arao was part of ancient Higo Province, During the Edo Period it was part of the holdings of Kumamoto Domain. After the Meiji restoration, the village of Arao was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was raised to town status on April 1, 1919. On April 1, 1942 Arao merged with the villages of Ariake, Hirai, Yahata, and Fumoto to form the city of Arao.
Arao has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members. Arao contributes one member to the Kumamoto Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Kumamoto 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Arao was once a large coal mining town, but it has since lost a great deal of its population, due to the closing of the mine in 1997. Until the Pacific War, the city was home to the Tokyo Second Army Arsenal Arao Factory (a vast gunpowder and explosives factory covering an area of approximately 33 million square meters and stretching 2.5 miles. Arao's political concentration is on tourism, to try to lure people back to this once heavily populated land. As for agricultural products, the Arao nashi pear is a fruit product grown widely in this town. The pear is round, brown and about the size of a bowling ball. Mandarin oranges are also widely cultivated. Due to the aging of producers, in recent years, efforts have been made to produce olives and olive oil.
One notable local product of this city is Shōdai ware, an art form almost completely exclusive to Arao, involving slow kilning and under glazing.
Arao has ten public elementary schools and three public junior high schools operated by the city government and one public high school operated by the Kumamoto Prefectural Board of Education. There is also one private high school. The prefecture also operates two schools for the handicapped.
JR Kyushu - Kagoshima Main Line
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