Miyakonojo, Miyazaki
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in Miyazaki Prefecture
, Japan.
The city was founded on April 1, 1924. On January 1, 2006 the towns of Takajō
, Takazaki
, Yamada
and Yamanokuchi
merged into the city. As of 2008, the city has an estimated population
of 169,384 and a population density
of 259 per km². It covers an area of 653.31 km² making it the largest city in the prefecture.
, Osaka
and other major cities. Several other cities in Miyazaki
are also facing this problem. On January 1, 2006, the towns of Takajō
, Takazaki
, Yamada
and Yamanokuchi
, all from Kitamorokata District
, were merged into Miyakonojō to form a larger urban area.
Many schools are scheduled to close due to the declining population, which has resulted in fewer children.
City. The area's climate is influenced by its proximity to mountains.
, Miyakonojō became a Manorialism
and it prospered. In 1185, Shimazu Tadahisa
became the jito of Miyakonojō and Miyakonojō was conquered by the Shimazu family
. In the Edo period
and Muromachi period
, the Hōryō family controlled the area. After the Boshin War
, it became one of the cities to abolish the han system
. In 1871, it became a prefecture for a year.
, meat, and bell pepper
s. Miyakonojō is also home to some agriculture-related manufacturing
.
Miyakonojō is also famous for producing traditional Japanese archery bows
from the abundant bamboo
in the area.
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 Miyazaki Prefecture
Miyazaki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Miyazaki.- History :Historically, after the Meiji Restoration, Hyūga Province was renamed Miyazaki Prefecture....
, Japan.
The city was founded on April 1, 1924. On January 1, 2006 the towns of Takajō
Takajo, Miyazaki
was a town located in Kitamorokata District, Miyazaki, Japan.On January 1, 2006 Takajō, along with the towns of Takazaki, Yamada and Yamanokuchi, all from Kitamorokata District, was merged into the expanded city of Miyakonojō and no longer exists as an independent municipality.As of 2003, the town...
, Takazaki
Takazaki, Miyazaki
was a town located in Kitamorokata District, Miyazaki, Japan.On January 1, 2006 Takazaki, along with the towns of Takajō, Yamada and Yamanokuchi, all from Kitamorokata District, was merged into the expanded city of Miyakonojō and no longer exists as an independent municipality.As of 2003, the town...
, Yamada
Yamada, Miyazaki
was a town located in Kitamorokata District, Miyazaki, Japan.On January 1, 2006 Yamada, along with the towns of Takajō, Takazaki and Yamanokuchi, all from Kitamorokata District, was merged into the expanded city of Miyakonojō and no longer exists as an independent municipality.As of 2003, the town...
and Yamanokuchi
Yamanokuchi, Miyazaki
was a town located in Kitamorokata District, Miyazaki, Japan.On January 1, 2006 Yamanokuchi, along with the towns of Takajō, Takazaki and Yamada, all from Kitamorokata District, was merged into the expanded city of Miyakonojō and no longer exists as an independent municipality.As of 2003, the town...
merged into the city. As of 2008, 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 169,384 and a population 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 259 per km². It covers an area of 653.31 km² making it the largest city in the prefecture.
Current issues
Miyakonojō is experiencing a declining population, which may be due to migration to TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
and other major cities. Several other cities in Miyazaki
Miyazaki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Miyazaki.- History :Historically, after the Meiji Restoration, Hyūga Province was renamed Miyazaki Prefecture....
are also facing this problem. On January 1, 2006, the towns of Takajō
Takajo, Miyazaki
was a town located in Kitamorokata District, Miyazaki, Japan.On January 1, 2006 Takajō, along with the towns of Takazaki, Yamada and Yamanokuchi, all from Kitamorokata District, was merged into the expanded city of Miyakonojō and no longer exists as an independent municipality.As of 2003, the town...
, Takazaki
Takazaki, Miyazaki
was a town located in Kitamorokata District, Miyazaki, Japan.On January 1, 2006 Takazaki, along with the towns of Takajō, Yamada and Yamanokuchi, all from Kitamorokata District, was merged into the expanded city of Miyakonojō and no longer exists as an independent municipality.As of 2003, the town...
, Yamada
Yamada, Miyazaki
was a town located in Kitamorokata District, Miyazaki, Japan.On January 1, 2006 Yamada, along with the towns of Takajō, Takazaki and Yamanokuchi, all from Kitamorokata District, was merged into the expanded city of Miyakonojō and no longer exists as an independent municipality.As of 2003, the town...
and Yamanokuchi
Yamanokuchi, Miyazaki
was a town located in Kitamorokata District, Miyazaki, Japan.On January 1, 2006 Yamanokuchi, along with the towns of Takajō, Takazaki and Yamada, all from Kitamorokata District, was merged into the expanded city of Miyakonojō and no longer exists as an independent municipality.As of 2003, the town...
, all from Kitamorokata District
Kitamorokata District, Miyazaki
Kitamorokata is a district located in Miyazaki, Japan.As of the Miyakonojō merger but with 2003 population statistics, the district has an estimated population of 26,752 and a density of 243 persons per km²...
, were merged into Miyakonojō to form a larger urban area.
Many schools are scheduled to close due to the declining population, which has resulted in fewer children.
Climate
Miyakonojō is cooler than other cities in Miyazaki. The average temperature is about 16°C, and it rains less than in MiyazakiMiyazaki, Miyazaki
is the capital city of Miyazaki Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. Located on the coast and perforated by several rivers, Miyazaki City enjoys scenic views of both ocean and nearby, verdant mountains...
City. The area's climate is influenced by its proximity to mountains.
History
In the Heian periodHeian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
, Miyakonojō became a Manorialism
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
and it prospered. In 1185, Shimazu Tadahisa
Shimazu Tadahisa
was the founder of the Shimazu samurai clan.According to a record of his life, he was reportedly born in Sumiyoshi Taisha in Osaka. He was initially Koremune Tadayoshi but after being given the territory of Shimazu, Hyūga Province to rule from by Minamoto no Yoritomo, he took the name of...
became the jito of Miyakonojō and Miyakonojō was conquered by the Shimazu family
Shimazu family
The were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
. In the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
and Muromachi period
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
, the Hōryō family controlled the area. After the Boshin War
Boshin War
The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....
, it became one of the cities to abolish the han system
Abolition of the han system
The was an act, in 1871, of the new Meiji government of the Empire of Japan to replace the traditional feudal domain system and to introduce centralized government authority . This process marked the culmination of the Meiji Restoration in that all daimyo were required to return their authority...
. In 1871, it became a prefecture for a year.
Industry
Many of Miyakonojō's citizens work as farmers. They produce greater burdockGreater burdock
Greater burdock, Edible burdock, or Lappa Burdock is a biennial plant of the Arctium genus in the Asteraceae family, cultivated in gardens for its root used as a vegetable.-Description:...
, meat, and bell pepper
Bell pepper
Bell pepper, also known as sweet pepper or a pepper and capsicum , is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum . Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange and green. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent pepper varieties as...
s. Miyakonojō is also home to some agriculture-related manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
.
Miyakonojō is also famous for producing traditional Japanese archery bows
Bow (weapon)
The bow and arrow is a projectile weapon system that predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.-Description:A bow is a flexible arc that shoots aerodynamic projectiles by means of elastic energy. Essentially, the bow is a form of spring powered by a string or cord...
from the abundant bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
in the area.
Famous residents
- Tomoji Tanabe (田鍋友時), the world's oldest manOldest peopleThis is a list of tables of the verified oldest people in the world in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. In these tables, a supercentenarian is considered 'verified' if his or her claim has been validated by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such...
1895-2009, was born and lived in Miyakonojō. - Gōgen YamaguchiGogen YamaguchiJitsumi Gōgen Yamaguchi Jitsumi Gōgen Yamaguchi Jitsumi Gōgen Yamaguchi (山口剛玄, Yamaguchi Gōgen; b.20 January 1909 d.20 May 1989. was a world renown Grandmaster of Japanese Karate-dō and founder of the International Karate-dō Gōjū-kai Association; he was one of the most well known of all...
, known as "The Cat", was a renowned martial artsMartial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
master of the Gōjū-ryū style of KarateKarateis a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
. - Jūzō YamasakiJuzo Yamasakiis a Japanese manga artist.His best known work is Tsuribaka Nisshi with art by Kenichi Kitami. Yamasaki originally wrote screenplays for Toei, but was laid off and decided to pursue a career in manga instead...
(やまさき十三), the manga artistMangakais the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
was born in Miyakonojō. - Hideo Higashikokubaru (東国原英夫) a famous comedian and the former Governor of Miyazaki.
Nearby cities
- MiyazakiMiyazaki, Miyazakiis the capital city of Miyazaki Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. Located on the coast and perforated by several rivers, Miyazaki City enjoys scenic views of both ocean and nearby, verdant mountains...
- NichinanNichinan, Miyazakiis a city in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on January 1, 1950. As of November 1, 2009, the city has an estimated population of 57,866 and a population density of 108 persons per km². The city's total area is 536.12 km²....
- KobayashiKobayashi, Miyazakiis a city located in Miyazaki, Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 47,328, with a household number of 19,924 and a density of 80.45 persons per km²...
- KushimaKushima, Miyazakiis a city located in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 22,727 and the density of 77.06 persons per km²...
- MimataMimata, Miyazakiis a town located in Kitamorokata District, Miyazaki, Japan.-Transportation:The primary form of transportation in Mimata is the car. There is one train station in Mimata and it is on the Nippō Main Line of Kyushu Railway Company ....
- TakaharuTakaharu, Miyazakiis a town located in Nishimorokata District, Miyazaki, Japan.As of September 1, 2011, the town has an estimated population of 9,887 and the density of 116 persons per km². The total area is 85.38 km².-External links:*...
- SooSoo, Kagoshimais a city located in North East part of Kagoshima, Japan. It is near Miyakonojo, Miyazaki.As of 2011 the city has an estimated population of 38,647, with a population density of 99 persons per km². This is down from the 2006 population data, which was an estimated population of 43,752 and a...
- Kirishima
- ShibushiShibushi, Kagoshimais a city located in Kagoshima, Japan.The city was founded on January 1, 2006 from the merger of the former town of Shibushi with the towns of Ariake and Matsuyama, all from Soo District....