Setouchi (瀬戸内市, Setouchi-shi) is a city located in southern Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
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Setouchi
瀬戸内市 | |
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City | |
![]() Ushimado Port and resort area | |
![]() Flag ![]() Seal | |
![]() Location of Setouchi in Okayama Prefecture | |
![]() ![]() Setouchi Location in Japan | |
Coordinates: 34°40′N 134°6′E | |
Country | Japan |
Region | Chūgoku (San'yō) |
Prefecture | Okayama Prefecture |
Government | |
• Mayor | Akinari Takehisa (since July 2009) |
Area | |
• Total | 125.51 km2 (48.46 sq mi) |
Population (March 1, 2017) | |
• Total | 37,934 |
• Density | 300/km2 (780/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
City hall address | 300-1 Oku-cho Owari, Setouchi-shi, Okayama-ken 701-4292 |
Climate | Cfa |
Website | www |
Symbols | |
Bird | Japanese white-eye |
Flower | Chrysanthemum |
Tree | Olive |
As of March 1, 2017, the city had an estimated population of 37,934, with 15,396 households and a population density of 300 persons per km².[1] The total area is 125.51 km2 (48.46 sq mi).
The modern city of Setouchi was founded on November 1, 2004, by the merger of the former towns of Oku, Osafune and Ushimado (all from Oku District). Its city hall is the former town hall of Oku.
The name Setouchi is derived from Seto Inland Sea (in Japanese: Setonaikai). The city faces the Inland Sea on its eastern and southern parts. The climate is moderate. Its main industries are fishery, agriculture, pottery, and sightseeing.
Port Ushimado was a famous port till the early modern era. It served messengers from Korea to the Tokugawa Shogunate. The port is today a good spot for sightseeing and sailing. Osafune was famous for the production of katana in the 12th century under the name of Bizen Osafune (Osafune, Bizen Province). Fukuoka District, which flourished as a trade center and later a political center along the Seto Inland Sea until the beginning of the Edo period, served by the Yoshii River and the Seto Inland Sea, is also included as a part of the city. The Fukuoka Market (Fukuoka no Ichi) was recorded in the scroll Ippen Shonin Emaki, drawn in the 13th century. At the end of the Kamakura period a castle was built in Fukuoka. In the middle Muromachi period, the daimyō who governed Bizen province took this castle as their site, rebuilt and fortified it more than before. Because the Yoshii river changed its course and most of Fukuoka including the castle sank under the river, the castle was abandoned.
Setouchi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Setouchi is 15.1 °C (59.2 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,150.6 mm (45.30 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.3 °C (81.1 °F), and lowest in January, at around 4.2 °C (39.6 °F).[2] The highest temperature ever recorded in Setouchi was 37.4 °C (99.3 °F) on 30 July 2004; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −7.6 °C (18.3 °F) on 27 February 1981.[3]
Climate data for Mushiage, Setouchi (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1979−present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 17.4 (63.3) |
22.0 (71.6) |
22.9 (73.2) |
27.8 (82.0) |
30.8 (87.4) |
34.7 (94.5) |
37.4 (99.3) |
37.3 (99.1) |
36.1 (97.0) |
32.1 (89.8) |
24.5 (76.1) |
20.9 (69.6) |
37.4 (99.3) |
Average high °C (°F) | 9.4 (48.9) |
9.9 (49.8) |
13.2 (55.8) |
18.5 (65.3) |
23.2 (73.8) |
26.3 (79.3) |
30.2 (86.4) |
32.0 (89.6) |
28.3 (82.9) |
22.8 (73.0) |
17.2 (63.0) |
11.8 (53.2) |
20.2 (68.4) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.2 (39.6) |
4.5 (40.1) |
7.7 (45.9) |
12.8 (55.0) |
17.8 (64.0) |
21.9 (71.4) |
25.9 (78.6) |
27.3 (81.1) |
23.5 (74.3) |
17.6 (63.7) |
11.7 (53.1) |
6.5 (43.7) |
15.1 (59.2) |
Average low °C (°F) | −0.7 (30.7) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
2.0 (35.6) |
7.0 (44.6) |
12.4 (54.3) |
17.8 (64.0) |
22.5 (72.5) |
23.7 (74.7) |
19.4 (66.9) |
12.8 (55.0) |
6.7 (44.1) |
1.6 (34.9) |
10.4 (50.7) |
Record low °C (°F) | −6.9 (19.6) |
−7.6 (18.3) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
2.3 (36.1) |
8.8 (47.8) |
14.9 (58.8) |
15.8 (60.4) |
7.7 (45.9) |
2.9 (37.2) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
−7.6 (18.3) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 36.1 (1.42) |
43.8 (1.72) |
83.8 (3.30) |
88.3 (3.48) |
116.2 (4.57) |
154.2 (6.07) |
172.8 (6.80) |
98.8 (3.89) |
162.6 (6.40) |
98.0 (3.86) |
53.6 (2.11) |
43.1 (1.70) |
1,150.6 (45.30) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 5.0 | 6.4 | 8.8 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 11.0 | 10.2 | 6.6 | 8.6 | 7.4 | 5.8 | 5.3 | 93.2 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 149.6 | 143.3 | 177.4 | 197.5 | 207.9 | 159.0 | 186.4 | 228.0 | 159.3 | 149.9 | 146.6 | 158.6 | 2,059.8 |
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[2][3] |
Per Japanese census data, the population of Setouchi in 2020 is 36,048 people.[4] Setouchi has been conducting censuses since 1950.
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1950 | 41,449 | — |
1955 | 40,619 | −2.0% |
1960 | 38,789 | −4.5% |
1965 | 35,814 | −7.7% |
1970 | 33,769 | −5.7% |
1975 | 35,866 | +6.2% |
1980 | 37,939 | +5.8% |
1985 | 38,838 | +2.4% |
1990 | 38,928 | +0.2% |
1995 | 39,228 | +0.8% |
2000 | 39,403 | +0.4% |
2005 | 39,081 | −0.8% |
2010 | 37,858 | −3.1% |
2015 | 36,975 | −2.3% |
2020 | 36,048 | −2.5% |
Setouchi population statistics[4] |
Setouchi is twinned with:[citation needed]
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Okayama (capital) | ||||
Okayama |
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Core city | ||||
Cities | ||||
Districts | ||||
List of mergers in Okayama Prefecture |