Arao, Kumamoto
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in Kumamoto
, Japan
.
As of April 30, 2011, the city has an estimated population
of 56,144, with a household
number of 23,966 and the density
of 982.40 persons per km². The total area is 57.15 km².
The city was founded on April 1, 1942.
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 11 years ago. Some schools that once housed 1,500 children have now been looking at declining enrollments down 1,000 students or more. Currently, Arao's political concentration is on tourism
, to try and lure people back to this once heavily populated land. Recent hopes to pull in tourists are in its two big amusement park
s, Mitsui Greenland and Ultraman
Land.
One notable aspect of this city includes Shoudai pottery
, an art form almost completely exclusive to Arao, involving slow kilning and under glazing. Also, 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.
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
located in Kumamoto
Kumamoto Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyushu Island. The capital is the city of Kumamoto.- History :Historically the area was called Higo Province; and the province was renamed Kumamoto during the Meiji Restoration. The creation of prefectures was part of the abolition of the feudal system...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
As of April 30, 2011, the city has an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 56,144, with a household
Household
The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....
number of 23,966 and the density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 982.40 persons per km². The total area is 57.15 km².
The city was founded on April 1, 1942.
Arao was once a large coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
town, but it has since lost a great deal of its population, due to the closing of the mine 11 years ago. Some schools that once housed 1,500 children have now been looking at declining enrollments down 1,000 students or more. Currently, Arao's political concentration is on tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, to try and lure people back to this once heavily populated land. Recent hopes to pull in tourists are in its two big amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
s, Mitsui Greenland and Ultraman
Ultraman
is Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q...
Land.
One notable aspect of this city includes Shoudai pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
, an art form almost completely exclusive to Arao, involving slow kilning and under glazing. Also, the Arao nashi pear
Pyrus pyrifolia
Pyrus pyrifolia is a pear tree species native to China, Japan, and Korea. The tree's edible fruit is known by many names, including: Asian pear, Chinese pear, Korean pear, Japanese pear, Taiwan pear, and sand pear.....
is a fruit product grown widely in this town. The pear is round, brown and about the size of a bowling ball.