Aso, Kumamoto
Aso (阿蘇市, Aso-shi) is a city located in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.
Aso
阿蘇市 | |
|---|---|
 Aso City with Mount Aso | |
 Flag  Emblem | |
 Location of Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture | |
  Aso Location in Japan  Aso Aso (Kyushu)  Aso Aso (Japan) | |
| Coordinates: 32°56′54″N 131°07′26″E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kyushu |
| Prefecture | Kumamoto Prefecture |
| First official recorded | 280 BC |
| City settled | February 11, 2005 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Yoshioki Sato (since March 2005) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 376.25 km2 (145.27 sq mi) |
| Population (March 31, 2017) | |
| • Total | 27,039 |
| • Density | 72/km2 (190/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| City hall address | Ichinomiya Miyaji 504-1, Aso City Kumamoto Prefecture (熊本県阿蘇市一の宮町宮地504番地１) 869-2695 |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Website | Aso City official website (in Japanese) |
| Symbols | |
| Bird | Green pheasant |
| Flower | Gentiana scabra |
| Tree | Azalea |
The modern city of Aso was established on February 11, 2005, from the merger of the former town of Aso, absorbing the town of Ichinomiya, and the village of Namino (all from Aso District).
As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 27,039, with 11,355 households[1] and a population density of 72 persons per km2. The total area is 376.25 km2.
The city is situated within Aso Caldera. The source of the Kikuchi River is located in the city.[2]
Geography
Climate
Aso has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot, humid summers and cool winters. There is significant precipitation throughout the year, especially during June and July. The average annual temperature in Aso is 13.2 °C (55.8 °F). The average annual rainfall is 3,009.6 mm (118.49 in) with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.2 °C (75.6 °F), and lowest in January, at around 2.0 °C (35.6 °F).[3] The highest temperature ever recorded in Aso was 34.9 °C (94.8 °F) on 11 August 2016; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −14.8 °C (5.4 °F) on 25 January 1998.[4]
| Climate data for Aso (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17.4 (63.3) |
21.5 (70.7) |
24.0 (75.2) |
27.3 (81.1) |
30.6 (87.1) |
32.1 (89.8) |
34.0 (93.2) |
34.9 (94.8) |
33.2 (91.8) |
31.1 (88.0) |
24.0 (75.2) |
20.2 (68.4) |
34.9 (94.8) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 7.1 (44.8) |
8.9 (48.0) |
12.7 (54.9) |
18.0 (64.4) |
22.5 (72.5) |
24.6 (76.3) |
28.2 (82.8) |
29.3 (84.7) |
26.1 (79.0) |
21.0 (69.8) |
15.4 (59.7) |
9.5 (49.1) |
18.6 (65.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.0 (35.6) |
3.4 (38.1) |
6.9 (44.4) |
11.9 (53.4) |
16.7 (62.1) |
20.2 (68.4) |
23.8 (74.8) |
24.2 (75.6) |
20.8 (69.4) |
15.1 (59.2) |
9.2 (48.6) |
3.8 (38.8) |
13.2 (55.7) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −2.7 (27.1) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
1.2 (34.2) |
5.7 (42.3) |
11.0 (51.8) |
16.3 (61.3) |
20.5 (68.9) |
20.5 (68.9) |
16.5 (61.7) |
9.7 (49.5) |
3.6 (38.5) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
8.3 (46.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −14.8 (5.4) |
−12.5 (9.5) |
−8.5 (16.7) |
−5.2 (22.6) |
0.6 (33.1) |
6.0 (42.8) |
10.7 (51.3) |
12.5 (54.5) |
4.8 (40.6) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
−10.2 (13.6) |
−14.8 (5.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 92.7 (3.65) |
134.8 (5.31) |
197.2 (7.76) |
219.2 (8.63) |
261.3 (10.29) |
667.9 (26.30) |
582.6 (22.94) |
291.0 (11.46) |
247.8 (9.76) |
118.7 (4.67) |
109.7 (4.32) |
86.9 (3.42) |
3,009.6 (118.49) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 8.3 | 9.5 | 12.3 | 11.4 | 11.3 | 16.4 | 16.4 | 13.2 | 11.6 | 8.2 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 135.3 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 106.6 | 119.7 | 152.2 | 172.4 | 178.4 | 115.7 | 139.6 | 160.4 | 136.2 | 158.8 | 132.7 | 117.8 | 1,697.1 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[4][3] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Aso in 2020 is 24,930 people.[5] Aso has been conducting censuses since 1920.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 27,085 | — |
| 1925 | 28,407 | +4.9% |
| 1930 | 30,029 | +5.7% |
| 1935 | 31,029 | +3.3% |
| 1940 | 30,451 | −1.9% |
| 1945 | 39,645 | +30.2% |
| 1950 | 40,001 | +0.9% |
| 1955 | 41,617 | +4.0% |
| 1960 | 40,385 | −3.0% |
| 1965 | 38,055 | −5.8% |
| 1970 | 35,878 | −5.7% |
| 1975 | 34,607 | −3.5% |
| 1980 | 34,004 | −1.7% |
| 1985 | 33,504 | −1.5% |
| 1990 | 33,018 | −1.5% |
| 1995 | 31,364 | −5.0% |
| 2000 | 30,457 | −2.9% |
| 2005 | 29,636 | −2.7% |
| 2010 | 28,452 | −4.0% |
| 2015 | 27,018 | −5.0% |
| 2020 | 24,930 | −7.7% |
| Aso population statistics[5] | ||
Tourism
Places of interest
- Aso Geopark
- Aso Kujū National Park
- Aso Uchinomaki Spa
- Aso Akamizu Spa
- Sensuikyo
- Sensuikyo Ropeway (cable car)
- Aso Shrine
Notable people
Fictional characters born in Aso
Misae Nohara (born in Aso, Kumamoto, née Koyama).
Tomohiko Amada (from Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami)
References
- "Official website of Aso City" (in Japanese). Japan: Aso City. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
- Okamura, Maya; Minagawa, Tomoko (2016). "Historical and Physical Evaluation of Floodplain Habitats in The River Channel of the Kikuchi River Archived 2017-12-01 at the Wayback Machine" (PDF). 11th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics (ISE 2016). Engineers Australia: 91–98. ISBN 9780734053398.
- 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- Aso population statistics
External links
Media related to Aso, Kumamoto at Wikimedia Commons- Aso City official website (in Japanese)
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