Ibusuki (指宿市, Ibusuki-shi) is a city located in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, founded on April 1, 1954. In March 1, 2012, the city had an estimated population of 43,931, with 19,119 households and a population density of 294.82 persons per km2. However the census of 2020 confirmed a population decline to 39,011 [1][2] and by October 2022 there were only 17,537 households . The total area is 148.81 km2 (57.46 sq mi) and shares a border with Ei, a town to its north.
Ibusuki
指宿市 | |
---|---|
Ibusuki Location in Japan | |
Coordinates: 31°15′10″N 130°37′59″E / 31.25278°N 130.63306°E | |
Country | Japan |
Region | Kyushu |
Prefecture | Kagoshima Prefecture |
First official recorded | 702 AD |
City settled | April 1, 1954 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Akashi Uchikoshi (from February 2022) [3] |
Area | |
• Total | 148.81 km2 (57.46 sq mi) |
as of July 1, 2021[1] | |
Population (2020 census) | |
• Total | 39,011 [1][2] |
• Estimate (October 1, 2022 [3]) | 37,760 [3] |
• Density | 294.82/km2 (763.6/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
City hall address | 2424 Jutchō, Ibusuki-shi, Kagoshima-ken 891-0497 |
Climate | Cfa |
Website | www |
Symbols | |
Bird | Japanese white-eye |
Butterfly | Great orange tip |
Fish | Skipjack tuna |
Flower | Hibiscus and rapeseed |
Tree | Japanese box and sacred garlic pear |
On January 1, 2006, the towns of Kaimon and Yamagawa (both from Ibusuki District) were merged into Ibusuki.
Ibusuki can be accessed by Routes 226 and 269 and the Ibusuki Skyline drive. The city's main railroad station is Ibusuki Station.
Ibusuki is famous for black-sand spas known as sunamushi onsen and the fine noodle sōmen nagashi.[1]
Ibusuki has a sister city relationship with Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia.
Points of interest include:[3]
The city includes the following districts from the west:
Yunohama
The city has many volcanoes and hot springs of the Ibusuki Volcanic Field. The Yamagawa Binary Power Station uses local geothermal power to contribute a maximum of 4990 kilowatts as a "green energy" source.[4]
Ibusuki has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and mild winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, and is heavier in summer, especially the months of June and July. The average annual temperature in Ibusuki is 18.3 °C (64.9 °F). The average annual rainfall is 2,602.1 mm (102.44 in) with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 28.1 °C (82.6 °F), and lowest in January, at around 8.7 °C (47.7 °F).[5] Its record high is 36.8 °C (98.2 °F), reached on 18 August 2020, and its record low is −3.4 °C (25.9 °F), reached on 25 January 2016.[6] Due to its marine subtropical climate, the city is the northern limit in Japan where cycads grow naturally.[1]
Climate data for Ibusuki (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 23.5 (74.3) |
24.0 (75.2) |
26.4 (79.5) |
28.7 (83.7) |
32.4 (90.3) |
33.2 (91.8) |
35.5 (95.9) |
36.8 (98.2) |
35.3 (95.5) |
33.5 (92.3) |
29.0 (84.2) |
24.3 (75.7) |
36.8 (98.2) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 13.2 (55.8) |
14.5 (58.1) |
17.5 (63.5) |
21.9 (71.4) |
25.6 (78.1) |
27.6 (81.7) |
31.7 (89.1) |
32.6 (90.7) |
30.1 (86.2) |
25.6 (78.1) |
20.4 (68.7) |
15.3 (59.5) |
23.0 (73.4) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 8.7 (47.7) |
9.8 (49.6) |
12.6 (54.7) |
16.5 (61.7) |
20.4 (68.7) |
23.6 (74.5) |
27.5 (81.5) |
28.1 (82.6) |
25.5 (77.9) |
20.8 (69.4) |
15.7 (60.3) |
10.8 (51.4) |
18.3 (65.0) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4.5 (40.1) |
5.2 (41.4) |
7.8 (46.0) |
11.5 (52.7) |
15.7 (60.3) |
20.3 (68.5) |
24.2 (75.6) |
24.7 (76.5) |
21.8 (71.2) |
16.7 (62.1) |
11.4 (52.5) |
6.6 (43.9) |
14.2 (57.6) |
Record low °C (°F) | −3.4 (25.9) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
0.9 (33.6) |
6.9 (44.4) |
11.8 (53.2) |
17.0 (62.6) |
17.6 (63.7) |
12.6 (54.7) |
6.5 (43.7) |
2.7 (36.9) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 93.0 (3.66) |
133.4 (5.25) |
192.2 (7.57) |
232.3 (9.15) |
237.9 (9.37) |
592.0 (23.31) |
352.8 (13.89) |
204.1 (8.04) |
239.2 (9.42) |
107.4 (4.23) |
120.3 (4.74) |
97.5 (3.84) |
2,602.1 (102.44) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 9.3 | 9.9 | 12.6 | 10.7 | 10.3 | 16.1 | 11.0 | 10.5 | 11.0 | 7.7 | 8.4 | 8.6 | 126.1 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 123.0 | 134.1 | 158.5 | 175.8 | 176.3 | 105.7 | 196.6 | 221.2 | 177.3 | 182.0 | 153.0 | 136.1 | 1,938.3 |
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[6][5] |
Per Japanese census data, the population of Ibusuki in 2020 is 39,011 people.[2] Since the census began in Ibusuki in 1950, the town's population has been slowly declining, with no signs of picking up until 2020 but the latest data suggests further decline.[3]
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1950 | 67,977 | — |
1955 | 66,420 | −2.3% |
1960 | 63,118 | −5.0% |
1965 | 59,615 | −5.5% |
1970 | 55,832 | −6.3% |
1975 | 55,282 | −1.0% |
1980 | 55,140 | −0.3% |
1985 | 54,781 | −0.7% |
1990 | 52,292 | −4.5% |
1995 | 50,529 | −3.4% |
2000 | 48,750 | −3.5% |
2005 | 46,822 | −4.0% |
2010 | 44,401 | −5.2% |
2015 | 41,831 | −5.8% |
2020 | 39,011 | −6.7% |
Ibusuki population statistics[2] |
(in Japanese)