| Hiji | |||
| Native Name Lang: | ja | ||
| Settlement Type: | Town | ||
| Seal Type: | Emblem | ||
| Image Map1: | Hiji in Oita Prefecture Ja.svg | ||
| Pushpin Map: | Japan | ||
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Japan | ||
| Coordinates: | 33.3694°N 131.5322°W | ||
| Subdivision Type: | Country | ||
| Subdivision Name: | Japan | ||
| Subdivision Type1: | Region | ||
| Subdivision Name1: | Kyushu | ||
| Subdivision Type2: | Prefecture | ||
| Subdivision Name2: | Ōita | ||
| Subdivision Type3: | District | ||
| Subdivision Name3: | Hayami | ||
| Extinct Title: | Now part of | ||
| Leader Title: | Mayor | ||
| Leader Title1: | Vice Mayor | ||
| Unit Pref: | Metric | ||
| Area Total Km2: | 73.32 | ||
| Population Total: | 28,025 | ||
| Population As Of: | November 30, 2023 | ||
| Population Density Km2: | auto | ||
| Timezone1: | JST | ||
| Utc Offset1: | +09:00 | ||
| Blank Name Sec1: | City hall address | ||
| Blank Info Sec1: | 2974-1 Hijichō, Hayami-gun, Ōita-ken 879-1506 | ||
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right|thumb|270px|Hiji Town Hallright|thumb|270px|Hiji Castle ruins is a town located in Hayami District, Ōita Prefecture, Japan., the town had an estimated population of 28,025 in 12811 households, and a population density of 380 persons per km2. [1] The total area of the town is .
Hiji is located in central Ōita Prefecture, at the southern tip of the Kunisaki Peninsula, about 25 kilometers north of the prefectural capital at Ōita City. It occupies the northern shore of Beppu Bay.
Ōita Prefecture
Hiji has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Hiji is 16.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1623 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 5.6 °C.[2]
Per Japanese census data, the population of Hiji is as shown below
The area of Hiji was part of ancient Bungo Province. During the Edo period it was mostly under control of Hiji Domain and was ruled by the Kinoshita clan, relatives of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The town of Hiji within Hayami District, Ōita was established on May 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. on March 31, 1954 Hiji expanded through a merger with the town of Toyookaand villages of Ogami, Kawasaki, and Fujiwara in Hayami District.
Hiji has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 16 members. Hiji contributes one member to the Ōita Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Ōita 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
The economy of Hiji has traditionally been centered on agriculture and commercial fishing, with flounder from Beppu Bay a notable local speciality. The area has been designated as a new industrial urban development area in the Ōita area and as a technopolis in the northern Kunisaki area of the prefecture, and many companies are moving into the area. The population has increased significantly as a commuter town for Ōita City and Beppu City.
Hiji has five public elementary schools and two public junior high schools operated by the city government and one public high school operated by the Ōita Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture operates one special education school for the handicapped.
The town has a trappist monastery and is also the home of Sanrio's Harmonyland theme park.