Makinohara facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Makinohara 牧之原市
City
Tea plantations in Makinohara
Flag Seal
Location of Makinohara in Shizuoka Prefecture
Makinohara Location in Japan
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Tōkai)
Prefecture	Shizuoka
First official recorded	6 BC
Sagara Town settled	April 1, 1889
Haibara Town settled	April 1, 1955
Both town merged and city settled	October 11, 2005
Area
• Total	111.69 km2 (43.12 sq mi)
Population  (July 31, 2019)
• Total	45,813
• Density	410.180/km2 (1,062.36/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number	548-23-0001
Address	447 Shizunami, Makinohara-shi, Shizuoka-ken 421-0495
Climate	Cfa
Symbols Flower hydrangea Tree camellia sinensis

Makinohara City Hall

Makinohara (牧之原市 (Makinohara-shi)) is a city in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is located in the western part of the prefecture. As of July 31, 2019, about 45,813 people lived in Makinohara. They lived in 16,980 households. The city has a population density of about 410 people per square kilometer. The total area of Makinohara is 111.69 square kilometers (43.12 square miles).

Geography of Makinohara

Makinohara is in the south-central part of Shizuoka Prefecture. It has a coastline along Suruga Bay, which is part of the Pacific Ocean. The land gradually rises to the Makinohara Plateau in the west. The city has a mild climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and gentle winters. The warm Kuroshio Current offshore helps keep the weather moderate.

Neighboring Towns and Cities

Makinohara shares its borders with several other places in Shizuoka Prefecture:

• Kikugawa
• Omaezaki
• Shimada
• Yoshida, which is in Haibara District

Makinohara's Population Over Time

The number of people living in Makinohara has stayed quite steady over the last 50 years. Here's how the population has changed:

Makinohara's Climate

Makinohara has a climate with hot and humid summers, and winters that are not too cold. This type of climate is called a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). The average temperature in Makinohara each year is about 16.0 degrees Celsius (60.8 degrees Fahrenheit). The city gets a lot of rain, about 2269.4 millimeters (89.35 inches) per year. July is usually the wettest month. August is the warmest month, with an average temperature of about 26.6 degrees Celsius (79.9 degrees Fahrenheit). January is the coldest, with an average of about 5.6 degrees Celsius (42.1 degrees Fahrenheit).

History of Makinohara

The area where Makinohara is today was once part of an old province called Tōtōmi Province. During the Edo period (a time in Japanese history from 1603 to 1868), the town of Sagara was a castle town. This means it grew up around a castle, which was the center of a local government area called Sagara Domain.

On April 1, 1889, a modern system for towns and cities began in Japan. Sagara became an official town within Haibara District. Later, on October 11, 2005, the city of Makinohara was created. It was formed by joining two towns together: Haibara and Sagara. Both of these towns were part of Haibara District.

Makinohara's Economy

The economy of Makinohara is mostly focused on growing green tea. This is a very important product for the city. Besides tea, people also work in commercial fishing. There is also some manufacturing, like making parts for cars for Suzuki Motors at their Sagara Plant. Fuji Dream Airlines also has its main office in Makinohara.

Education in Makinohara

Makinohara has several schools for young people. The city government runs seven public elementary schools. One elementary school is shared with the nearby city of Kikugawa. Three other elementary schools are shared with Omaezaki. For older students, the city operates two public junior high schools. One junior high school is shared with Kikugawa, and another with Omaezaki. The Shizuoka Prefectural Board of Education runs two public high schools in Makinohara.

Transportation in Makinohara

Getting around Makinohara and to other places is important.

Railway Travel

Even though the Tokaido Shinkansen (Japan's bullet train) and the Tokaido Main Line (a regular train line) pass through Makinohara, the city does not have its own train stations for passengers. If you want to catch a train, the closest stations are Kikugawa Station in Kikugawa or Kanaya Station in Shimada.

Roads and Highways

Major roads help people travel by car:

• Tōmei Expressway - This is a major highway with an exit at Makinohara Interchange.
• National Route 150
• National Route 473

Air Travel

Shizuoka Airport opened in 2009. This airport is located right on the border between Makinohara and Shimada, making air travel convenient for residents.

Fun Places to Visit in Makinohara

Makinohara has some interesting spots to explore:

• Sagara Oil field: This is Japan's only oil field located on the Pacific coast. People started getting oil here by hand in 1873. The next year, a company called Nippon Oil opened the first mechanical pumping operation in Japan right here. Oil operations stopped in 1955. In 1980, the area was turned into a park called "Yuden no Sato" Park, which is managed by the Shizuoka Prefectural government.
• Sagara Castle ruins: These are the remains of the old Sagara Castle, which was once the center of the Sagara Domain.

Sister Cities

Makinohara has "sister city" relationships with other cities. This means they have special friendships and often exchange culture and ideas.

• Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto, Japan
• Kelso, Washington, United States
• Matsukawa, Nagano (Shimoina), Japan
• Sannohe, Aomori, Japan

Notable People from Makinohara

Some famous people come from Makinohara:

• Takuma Edamura, a professional soccer player
• Hideji Katō, a professional baseball player
• Umetaro Suzuki, a scientist who was a pioneer in vitamin research
• Kazuo Ueda, an economist and the 32nd Governor of the Bank of Japan

See also

In Spanish: Makinohara para niños