Makinohara

Coordinates: 34°44′N 138°13′E / 34.733°N 138.217°E / 34.733; 138.217
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Makinohara
牧之原市
Tea plantations in Makinohara
Tea plantations in Makinohara
Flag of Makinohara
Official seal of Makinohara
Location of Makinohara in Shizuoka Prefecture
Location of Makinohara in Shizuoka Prefecture
Makinohara is located in Japan
Makinohara
Makinohara
 
Coordinates: 34°44′N 138°13′E / 34.733°N 138.217°E / 34.733; 138.217
CountryJapan
RegionChūbu (Tōkai)
PrefectureShizuoka
First official recorded6 BC
Sagara Town settledApril 1, 1889
Haibara Town settledApril 1, 1955
Both town merged and city settledOctober 11, 2005
Government
 • MayorKikuo Sugimoto (from October 2017)
Area
 • Total111.69 km2 (43.12 sq mi)
Population
 (July 31, 2019)
 • Total45,813
 • Density410/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number548-23-0001
Address447 Shizunami, Makinohara-shi, Shizuoka-ken 421-0495
ClimateCfa
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
Flowerhydrangea
Treecamellia sinensis
Makinohara City Hall

Makinohara (牧之原市, Makinohara-shi) is a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 July 2019, the city had an estimated population of 45,813 in 16980 households [1] and a population density of 410 persons per km². The total area of the city was 111.69 square kilometres (43.12 sq mi).

Geography[edit]

Makinohara is located in south-central Shizuoka Prefecture. It is bordered by Suruga Bay on the Pacific Ocean to the east, and rises gradually to the Makinohara Plateau in the west. The area has a temperate maritime climate, characterized by hot, humid summers and mild winters, with the warm Kuroshio Current off shore providing a moderating effect.

Surrounding municipalities[edit]

Shizuoka Prefecture

Demographics[edit]

Per Japanese census data,[2] the population of Makinohara has been relatively steady over the past 50 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1940 44,565—    
1950 55,066+23.6%
1960 50,993−7.4%
1970 47,953−6.0%
1980 48,835+1.8%
1990 51,308+5.1%
2000 51,672+0.7%
2010 49,022−5.1%

Climate[edit]

The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Makinohara is 16.0 °C (60.8 °F). The average annual rainfall is 2,269.4 mm (89.35 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.6 °C (79.9 °F), and lowest in January, at around 5.6 °C (42.1 °F).[3]

Climate data for Shizuoka Airport, Makinohara (2009−2020 normals, extremes 2009−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 18.8
(65.8)
20.6
(69.1)
25.4
(77.7)
25.6
(78.1)
30.6
(87.1)
33.9
(93.0)
35.9
(96.6)
36.8
(98.2)
36.0
(96.8)
31.5
(88.7)
24.7
(76.5)
22.0
(71.6)
36.8
(98.2)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 10.5
(50.9)
11.5
(52.7)
14.8
(58.6)
18.6
(65.5)
23.1
(73.6)
25.4
(77.7)
29.0
(84.2)
30.8
(87.4)
27.3
(81.1)
22.6
(72.7)
17.8
(64.0)
12.6
(54.7)
20.3
(68.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 5.6
(42.1)
6.7
(44.1)
9.9
(49.8)
13.9
(57.0)
18.5
(65.3)
21.5
(70.7)
25.2
(77.4)
26.6
(79.9)
23.4
(74.1)
18.6
(65.5)
13.4
(56.1)
8.1
(46.6)
16.0
(60.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.7
(35.1)
2.6
(36.7)
5.5
(41.9)
9.7
(49.5)
14.5
(58.1)
18.4
(65.1)
22.4
(72.3)
23.7
(74.7)
20.3
(68.5)
15.4
(59.7)
9.8
(49.6)
4.3
(39.7)
12.4
(54.2)
Record low °C (°F) −4.5
(23.9)
−5.0
(23.0)
−1.8
(28.8)
1.1
(34.0)
6.2
(43.2)
11.6
(52.9)
17.4
(63.3)
18.2
(64.8)
14.5
(58.1)
8.1
(46.6)
1.3
(34.3)
−3.0
(26.6)
−5.0
(23.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 56.4
(2.22)
126.6
(4.98)
181.5
(7.15)
240.3
(9.46)
210.5
(8.29)
262.8
(10.35)
292.0
(11.50)
156.3
(6.15)
261.0
(10.28)
264.6
(10.42)
121.1
(4.77)
83.3
(3.28)
2,269.4
(89.35)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 4.1 6.7 9.4 10.1 8.7 12.3 12.3 9.3 11.4 9.6 7.1 5.9 106.9
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[4][3]

History[edit]

The area of present-day Makinohara was part of former Tōtōmi Province. During the Edo period, the town of Sagara was the castle town of Sagara Domain. With the establishment of the modern municipalities system in the early Meiji period on April 1, 1889, Sagara was incorporated as a town within Haibara District.

The city of Makinohara was established on October 11, 2005, from the merger of the towns of Haibara and Sagara (both from Haibara District).

Government[edit]

Makinohara has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 16 members. The city contributes one member to the Shizuoka Prefectural Assembly.

Economy[edit]

The local economy of Makinohara is dominated by the production of green tea, and to a lesser extent by commercial fishing, and manufacturing of automobile components for Suzuki Motors (Sagara Plant).[5]

Fuji Dream Airlines has its headquarters in Makinohara.[6]

Education[edit]

Makinohara has seven public elementary schools operated by the city government and one shared between Makinohara and Kikugawa, and three shared between Makinohara and Omaezaki. The city likewise operates two public junior high schools and shares operated with one junior high school with Kikugawa and one with Omaezaki. The city has two public high schools operated by the Shizuoka Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation[edit]

Railway[edit]

Although both the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Tokaido Main Line pass through Makinohara, the city has no passenger railway services. The nearest train station is Kikugawa Station in neighboring Kikugawa or Kanaya Station in neighboring Shimada.

Highway[edit]

Airport[edit]

Shizuoka Airport, which opened in 2009, straddles the border between Makinohara and Shimada.

Local attractions[edit]

  • Sagara Oil field, Japan's only oil field on the Pacific coast. Hand-pumping began in 1873, and the following year, Nippon Oil opened the first mechanical pumping operation in the country at Sagara. Operations ceased in 1955, and in 1980 the field was made into the "Yuden no Sato" Park, operated by the Shizuoka Prefectural government.[7][8]
  • Sagara Castle ruins

Sister city relations[edit]

Notable people from Makinohara[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Makinohara City official statistics (in Japanese)
  2. ^ Makinohara population statistics
  3. ^ a b 気象庁 / 平年値(年・月ごとの値). JMA. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  4. ^ 観測史上1~10位の値(年間を通じての値). JMA. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  5. ^ "Head Offices & Plants :Sagara Plant | Global Suzuki".
  6. ^ "会社概要." Fuji Dream Airlines. Retrieved on February 21, 2010.
  7. ^ [1] Archived April 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ [2] Archived October 5, 2006, at the Wayback Machine

External links[edit]

Media related to Makinohara, Shizuoka at Wikimedia Commons