Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hitoyoshi
人吉市
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Kuma River running through the city
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 Hitoyoshi
Location in Japan
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| Country | Japan | ||||||||||||
| Region | Kyushu | ||||||||||||
| Prefecture | Kumamoto Prefecture | ||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 210.55 km2 (81.29 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population
(April 31, 2024)
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| • Total | 29,879 | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 141/km2 (370/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) | ||||||||||||
| City hall address | 1578-1, Shimo-shiromoto-machi, Hitoyoshi-shi, Kumamoto-ken 868-8601 |
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| Climate | Cfa | ||||||||||||
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Hitoyoshi (人吉市, Hitoyoshi-shi) is a city in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It became a city on February 11, 1942. As of April 2024, about 29,879 people live there. The city covers an area of 210.55 square kilometers.
Hitoyoshi is famous for fun boat trips on its river and relaxing hot springs. You can also find the amazing Aoi Aso Shrine here, which is a special national treasure of Japan! The city is surrounded by towns in Kuma District and borders Kagoshima Prefecture to the south.
Contents
What Hitoyoshi Makes
Hitoyoshi is well-known for making a special drink called kuma-shochu. It's a type of Japanese alcohol made from rice. To be called kuma-shochu, it must be made in Hitoyoshi or the Kuma District. It uses Japanese rice and water from the Kuma River, which flows right through the city.
In 1994, the World Trade Organization recognized kuma-shochu as a unique product from this area. The most popular brand is Hakutake Shiro. It sells very well, making up half of all rice shochu sold in Japan. However, the company that makes Hakutake Shiro is just one of 28 distilleries in the Hitoyoshi area that produce kuma-shochu.
Weather in Hitoyoshi
Hitoyoshi has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot summers and cool winters. It rains a lot throughout the year, especially in June and July.
| Climate data for Hitoyoshi (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1943−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 22.3 (72.1) |
24.0 (75.2) |
26.9 (80.4) |
30.4 (86.7) |
34.0 (93.2) |
34.9 (94.8) |
37.0 (98.6) |
37.8 (100.0) |
36.4 (97.5) |
33.2 (91.8) |
27.6 (81.7) |
22.7 (72.9) |
37.8 (100.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 10.3 (50.5) |
12.4 (54.3) |
16.1 (61.0) |
21.3 (70.3) |
25.5 (77.9) |
27.3 (81.1) |
31.2 (88.2) |
32.3 (90.1) |
29.4 (84.9) |
24.4 (75.9) |
18.1 (64.6) |
12.2 (54.0) |
21.7 (71.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.7 (40.5) |
6.2 (43.2) |
9.8 (49.6) |
14.6 (58.3) |
19.1 (66.4) |
22.4 (72.3) |
26.1 (79.0) |
26.6 (79.9) |
23.6 (74.5) |
18.0 (64.4) |
11.9 (53.4) |
6.3 (43.3) |
15.8 (60.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.2 (32.4) |
1.0 (33.8) |
4.5 (40.1) |
8.9 (48.0) |
13.7 (56.7) |
18.7 (65.7) |
22.4 (72.3) |
22.8 (73.0) |
19.5 (67.1) |
13.3 (55.9) |
7.3 (45.1) |
1.9 (35.4) |
11.2 (52.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −9.8 (14.4) |
−9.1 (15.6) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
3.0 (37.4) |
7.8 (46.0) |
15.0 (59.0) |
15.3 (59.5) |
7.4 (45.3) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−9.8 (14.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 75.4 (2.97) |
109.0 (4.29) |
160.7 (6.33) |
177.8 (7.00) |
215.6 (8.49) |
560.9 (22.08) |
491.0 (19.33) |
226.3 (8.91) |
229.3 (9.03) |
108.8 (4.28) |
96.9 (3.81) |
83.3 (3.28) |
2,535 (99.8) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 2 (0.8) |
2 (0.8) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (0.4) |
5 (2) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 8.0 | 9.0 | 11.5 | 10.5 | 9.7 | 15.9 | 14.0 | 12.2 | 10.6 | 7.2 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 125.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 1 cm) | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 1.2 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 76 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 73 | 81 | 81 | 79 | 80 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 78 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 123.0 | 133.9 | 161.6 | 175.8 | 182.1 | 117.1 | 167.2 | 183.5 | 156.5 | 163.6 | 125.6 | 118.6 | 1,808.5 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency | |||||||||||||
Getting Around Hitoyoshi
Trains
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JR Kyushu runs the Hisatsu Line through Hitoyoshi.
- The train stops at Nishi-Hitoyoshi, Hitoyoshi, Okoba, and Yatake.
The Kumagawa Railroad also has a line called the Yunomae Line.
- You can catch this train at Hitoyoshi-Onsen and Sagarahan-Ganjōji.
Highways
You can drive to Hitoyoshi using these main roads:
Kyushu Expressway: Look for the Hitoyoshi IC and Hitoyoshi-Kuma IC exits.- Route 219
- Route 221
- Route 267
- Route 445
Fun Things to See and Do
- Hitoyoshi Station
- Aoi Aso Shrine
- SL Hitoyoshi (a special steam locomotive)
- Hitoyoshi Castle (castle ruins)
- Kuma River (Japan) (great for boat trips!)
- Kuma River Rafting (for adventure lovers)
- KAJIYA-MACHI STREET
- KOYA-MACHI
- Sekaiichi Chiisana Bijutsukan Chobit (a very small art museum)
- Eikokuji (a temple)
- MOZOKA station 868
Famous People from Hitoyoshi
- Tetsuharu Kawakami: A famous baseball player and manager.
- Miki Tori: A talented manga artist.
- Teruyoshi Uchimura: A well-known comedian.
See also
In Spanish: Hitoyoshi para niños
