Munakata, Fukuoka
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Template:Nihongo is a city in Japan, located in Fukuoka Prefecture. Template:As of, the city had an estimated population of 96,786 in 44884 households, and a population density of 810 persons per km².<ref name="Munakata-hp">Template:Cite web</ref> The total area of the city is Template:Cvt.
History
The origin of the name Munakata is said to be from "Minokatachi" or "Minokata" from the enshrinement of three Munakata goddesses, descended from sword of Susanoo-no-Mikoto and mentioned in the Kojiki.Template:Citation needed It is believed to have been the site of the kingdom of Matsurokoku, one of the countries described in Wajinden, Liangshu and History of the Northern Dynasties, and is the first place where emissaries from China landed on the mainland of Wa.Template:Citation needed The area was part of ancient Chikugo Province, and prospered from trade with China and Korea from ancient times.Template:Citation needed From the Asuka period through the Sengoku period, Munakata Taisha controlled most of northern Kyūshū, with the Munakata clan ruling as temporal daimyō over what is now Onga in the east, south to Wakamiya and Miyata, and Shingū in the west.Template:Citation needed Munakata Ujisada of Munakata Shrine established Tsutagadake castle (Mount Jo) as a defense from invasion by other warlords such as Tachibana Dōsetsu and the Ōtomo clan.Template:Citation needed There are also ghost stories connected with the area since the Yamada incident arose.Template:Citation needed During the Edo Period much of the area was under the control of Fukuoka Domain.Template:Citation needed
After the Meiji restoration, the villages of Akama and Tōgō were established on May 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system.Template:Citation needed Akama was raised to town status on June 25, 1898 and Tōgō on October 1, 1925.Template:Citation needed Both towns merged with the villages of Yoshitake, Nango, and Kawato in Munakata District to form the town of Munakata on April 1, 1954.Template:Citation needed Munakata was raised to city status on April 1, 1981. On April 1, 2003, Munakata annexed the town of Gekai, followed by the village of Ōshima on March 28, 2005.Template:Citation needed
In the earthquake on March 20, 2005, damage was done in various parts of the city.Template:Citation needed The quake registered just under five on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale.Template:Citation needed
Geography
Munakata is located in northern Fukuoka Prefecture, approximately halfway between Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu City. It faces the Gulf of Hibiki and the Genkai Sea, and also includes inhabited islands of Oshima and Jijima, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Okinoshima offshore.
Mountains
- Mount Hakuzan
- Mount Joyama (Mount Tsurugatake)
- Mount Kanayama
- Mount Kodaishiyama
- Mount Konomiyama
- Mount Shintateyama
- Mount Yugawayama
Rivers
- Tsuri river
Neighboring municipalities
Fukuoka Prefecture
Climate
Munakata has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa). The average annual temperature in Munakata is Template:Convert. The average annual rainfall is Template:Cvt with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around Template:Convert, and lowest in January, at around Template:Convert.<ref name=normals/> The highest temperature ever recorded in Munakata was Template:Cvt on 21 August 2010; the coldest temperature ever recorded was Template:Cvt on 19 February 1977.<ref name=extremes/>
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Munakata in 2020 is 97,095 people.<ref name=zensus/> Munakata has been conducting censuses since 1950.
Template:Historical populations
Government
Munakata has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 20 members. Munakata contributes two members to the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Fukuoka 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy
Agriculture, commercial fishing and commerce are the mainstays of the local economy. Munakata belongs to both the Fukuoka metropolitan area and the Kitakyushu metropolitan area, and the commuter percentage is within 10% of both metropolitan areas. It continues to develop as a commuter town, and the population is increasing because it is located halfway between the two cities and has good transportation links. The city is rich in tourist resources, and is also home to Munakata Taisha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is said to be the guardian deity of maritime and traffic safety.
Education
Colleges and universities
- The Japanese Red Cross Kyushu International College of Nursing
- Tokai University Fukuoka Junior College
- University of Teacher Education Fukuoka
Primary and secondary education
Munakata has 14 public elementary schools and six public junior high schools operated by the city government and one public combined middle/high schools operated by the Fukuoka Prefectural Board of Education. There is also one private high school.
Transportation
Railways
Template:Ric - Kagoshima Main Line
Highways
Sister cities
- Template:Flagicon Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, sister city since 1992. At the time of conclusion, former Munakata City.
- Template:Flagicon Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo, Jeju-do, South Korea, friendship and exchange city since 1991. At the time of conclusion, former Genkai Town and former Seongsan-eup, Namjeju County.
- Template:Flagicon Kazanlak, Stara Zagora Province, Bulgaria, friendship and exchange city since 2010
Local attractions
- Akama, historical district and city center of Munakata. It contains rows of old houses belonging, along two now-ruined castles: Hakusan Castle and Tsutagadake Castle.
- Munakata Taisha
- Sakurakyō Kofun, National Historic Site
- Taguma Ishihatake Site, National Historic Site
Sports facilities
- Genkai Ground, which hosts the Munakata Sanix Blues rugby team
- Global Arena, which has hosted the Sanix World Rugby Youth Invitational Tournament since 2000
Notable people from Munakata
- Toru Abe, actor
- Sazō Idemitsu, entrepreneur
- Takuji Nakamura, painter
- Eri Nobuchika, singer-songwriter