Nishiki, Kumamoto Explained

Nishiki
Native Name Lang:ja
Settlement Type:Town
Seal Type:Chapter
Image Map1:Nishiki in Kumamoto Prefecture Ja.svg
Pushpin Map:Japan
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Japan
Coordinates:32.2011°N 130.8411°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Japan
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Kyushu
Subdivision Type2:Prefecture
Subdivision Name2:Kumamoto
Subdivision Type3:District
Subdivision Name3:Kuma
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Title1:Vice Mayor
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Total Km2:85.04
Population Total:10,046
Population As Of:August 31, 2024
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:JST
Utc Offset1:+09:00
Blank Name Sec1:City hall address
Blank Info Sec1:1587 Ichibu, Nishiki-cho, Kuma-gun, Kumamoto-ken 868-0392
Module:
Embedded:yes

right|thumb|290px|Nishiki Town Hall

is a town located in Kuma District, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan., the town had an estimated population of 10,046 in 3975 households, and a population density of 49 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the town is . The town's name is the Japanese word for "brocade", and is used as a name for more than one town in Japan.

Geography

Nishiki is located in the southern part of Kumamoto prefecture, approximately 70 kilometers south-southeast of the prefectural capital at Kumamoto, Kumamoto. The northern portion of the town lies in flat terrain that forms part of the Hitoyoshi Basin; the Kuma River borders the town to the east and west. The southern reaches of the Kyushu Mountains adjoins one corner of the town limits. The southernmost corner of the townsland meets the prefectural border with Miyazaki Prefecture.

Neighboring municipalities

Kumamoto Prefecture

Miyazaki Prefecture

Climate

Nishiki has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nishiki is 14.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2328 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.7 °C.[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Nishiki is as shown below

History

The area of Nishiki was part of ancient Higo Province, During the Edo Period it was part of the holdings of Hitoyoshi Domain. After the Meiji restoration, the villages of Ichibu, Nishi and Kinoue were established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. The three villages were merged on July 1, 1955 to form the village of Nishiki, which was elevated to town status on April 1, 1965.

World War II

During the closing years of the Second World War, a major base of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Hitoyoshi Naval Air Group was located near the town. Relatively little is currently known about the base and its operations due to a loss of records and institutional memory both during and after the war. The remains of the base extend over 36000sqm of land, and houses underground facilities in more than 10 locations, including an operations room and a large torpedo preparation area. In 2015, a full archeological survey of the site was initiated by the municipal government via the Nishiki board of education to discover more about the base and its past, with a view to eventually opening it up to tourism. This followed the discovery by the local government of a copy of a floor plan for the base.

Government

Nishiki has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 11 members. Nishiki, collectively with the other municipalities of Kuma District, contributes two members to the Kumamoto Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Kumamoto 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Flag

The current town flag was adopted in 1956, however there is no formal flag law codifying this.[3] The flag is green with a town emblem in the center. The emblem is a stylized katakana ニNi of Nishiki. The circle "symbolizes a reconciliation and the mountain, the river and the sun do the town located in the center of Kuma Basin which is expanding to the future".

Economy

The town's economy is primarily based around agriculture (primarily pear, peach and rice cultivation) and leisure tourism activities such as golf holidays, though the Nishiki plant of Renesas Semiconductor (formerly NEC Kumamoto) is also a major contributor. The Nishiki plant specializes in LSI manufacturing. The total economic output of Nishiki for fiscal year 2004 was ¥40.7 billion yen.

Education

Nishiki has three public elementary schools and one public junior high schools operated by the town government, and two public high schools operated by the Kumamoto Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

Kumagawa Railroad - Yunomae Line

Highway

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nishiki Town official statistics. Japan. ja.
  2. https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/kumamoto/nishiki-50787/ Nishiki climate: Average Temperature, weather by month
  3. http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/jp-43-ni.html Nishiki Town (Kumamoto prefecture, Japan) 錦町 – Flags of the World