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Coordinates: 33°28′N 135°47′E / 33.467°N 135.783°E / 33.467; 135.783
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{{Infobox settlement
{{Infobox settlement
| name = {{raise|0.2em|Kushimoto}}
| name = Kushimoto
| official_name =
| official_name =
| native_name = {{lower|0.1em|{{nobold|串本町}}}}
| native_name = {{nobold|串本町}}
| native_name_lang = ja
| native_name_lang = ja
| settlement_type = Town
| settlement_type = Town
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| image_skyline = Kushimototyouyakuba.jpg
| image_skyline = Kushimototyouyakuba.jpg
| image_caption = Kushimoto Town Hall
| image_caption = Kushimoto Town Hall
| image_flag = Flag of Kushimoto Wakayama.JPG
| image_flag = Flag of Kushimoto, Wakayama.svg
| image_seal =
| image_seal = Emblem of Kushimoto, Wakayama.svg
| seal_type = Emblem
| seal_type = Emblem
<!-- maps and coordinates -->
<!-- maps and coordinates -->
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-width=260|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=8}}
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-width=260|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=8}}
| map_alt =
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Kushimoto in [[Wakayama Prefecture]]
| map_caption = Location of Kushimoto in Wakayama Prefecture
|image_map1 = Kushimoto in Wakayama Prefecture Ja.svg
|image_map1 = Kushimoto in Wakayama Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_caption1 =
| map_caption1 =
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| subdivision_name1 = [[Kansai region|Kansai]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kansai region|Kansai]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Wakayama Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Wakayama Prefecture|Wakayama]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Districts of Japan|District]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Districts of Japan|District]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Higashimuro District, Wakayama|Higashimuro]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Higashimuro District, Wakayama|Higashimuro]]
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| area_magnitude = <!-- use only to set a special wikilink -->
| area_magnitude = <!-- use only to set a special wikilink -->
| area_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| area_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| area_total_km2 = 135.78
| area_total_km2 = 135.67
| area_land_km2 =
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
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<!-- population -->
<!-- population -->
| population_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| population_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| population_total = 16,243
| population_total = 15,192
| population_as_of = October 1, 2016
| population_as_of = November 30, 2021
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_est =
| population_est =
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| blank_name_sec1 = City hall address
| blank_name_sec1 = City hall address
| blank_info_sec1 =
| blank_info_sec1 =
<!-- blank fields (section 2) -->
| blank_name_sec2 = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info_sec2 = [[Humid subtropical climate|Cfa]]
<!-- website, footnotes -->
<!-- website, footnotes -->
| website = {{URL|http://www.town.kushimoto.wakayama.jp/}}
| website = {{Official|1=http://www.town.kushimoto.wakayama.jp/}}
| footnotes =
| footnotes =
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
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}}
}}
}}
}}
[[file:ShionoMisakiMonument2.JPG|thumb|right|270px|Shionomisaki Southernmost Point Park]]
{{Infobox Chinese
{{nihongo|'''Kushimoto'''|串本町|Kushimoto-chō}} is a coastal [[List of towns in Japan|town]] located in [[Higashimuro District, Wakayama|Higashimuro District]], [[Wakayama Prefecture]], [[Japan]]. {{As of|2021|11|30}}, the town had an estimated [[population]] of 15,192 in 8354 households and a [[population density]] of 110 persons per km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name="Kushimoto-hp">{{cite web |url=https://www.town.kushimoto.wakayama.jp|title= Kushimoto town official statistics|location= Japan|language= ja}}</ref> The total area of the town is {{convert|135.67|sqkm|sqmi}}.
|title=Kushimoto

|kanji=串本町
==Geography==
|hiragana=くしもとちょう
Kushimoto has the distinction of being the southernmost point of Japan's main island, [[Honshū]]. It is located at the southernmost tip of [[Kii Peninsula]], with the urban area on the isthmus connecting [[Cape Shionomisaki]] with the mainland. The island of [[Kii Oshima]] is located on the east side of the city, and is connected by the Kushimoto Ohashi Bridge, which was completed in September 1999. Parts of the coastal area of the town are within the limits of the [[Yoshino-Kumano National Park]] and include the Hashiguiiwa Rocks, which are a [[Monuments of Japan|National Natural Monument]].
|katakana=クシモトチョウ

|romaji=Kushimoto-chō
===Neighboring municipalities===
Wakayama Prefecture
*[[Susami, Wakayama|Susami]], to the west
*[[Kozagawa, Wakayama|Kozagawa]], to the north
*[[Nachikatsuura, Wakayama|Nachikatsuura]], to the east

===Climate===
Kushimoto has a [[humid subtropical climate]] (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kushimoto is 17.5&nbsp;°C. The average annual rainfall is 2515&nbsp;mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.9&nbsp;°C, and lowest in January, at around 8.1&nbsp;°C.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/wakayama-prefecture/kushimoto-49306/|title=Kushimoto climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Kushimoto water temperature - Climate-Data.org|website=en.climate-data.org}}</ref> Kushimoto has a very wet climate. The area is subject to [[typhoon]]s and the moist winds of the [[Kuroshio Current]] in summer. Kushimoto is famous as the Typhoon Ginza (after [[Ginza]] in [[Tokyo]]). The wettest month was September 1929 with {{convert|846.5|mm|in|1}} whilst in January 2010 the town received no rain for the second time since records began in 1913 and had the lowest monthly humidity on record at 47 percent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/monthly_s3_en.php?block_no=47778&view=7|title=Japan Meteorological Agency &#124; Tables of Monthly Climate Statistics|website=www.data.jma.go.jp}}</ref> The heaviest daily rainfall was {{convert|420.7|mm|in|1}} on 17 October 1939.

{{Weather box
|width=auto
|collapsed = yes
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|location =[[Cape Shionomisaki]], Kushimoto (elevation {{cvt|68|m}}, 1991−2020 normals, extremes 1913−present)
|Jan record high C = 23.6
|Feb record high C = 23.4
|Mar record high C = 23.9
|Apr record high C = 26.2
|May record high C = 29.4
|Jun record high C = 30.8
|Jul record high C = 35.6
|Aug record high C = 36.1
|Sep record high C = 33.8
|Oct record high C = 29.7
|Nov record high C = 27.2
|Dec record high C = 23.3
|year record high C = 36.1
|Jan high C = 11.4
|Feb high C = 12.4
|Mar high C = 15.2
|Apr high C = 18.8
|May high C = 22.5
|Jun high C = 24.7
|Jul high C = 28.2
|Aug high C = 29.8
|Sep high C = 27.6
|Oct high C = 23.2
|Nov high C = 18.7
|Dec high C = 13.8
|year high C = 20.5
|Jan mean C = 8.3
|Feb mean C = 8.8
|Mar mean C = 11.6
|Apr mean C = 15.6
|May mean C = 19.3
|Jun mean C = 22.1
|Jul mean C = 25.7
|Aug mean C = 26.9
|Sep mean C = 24.6
|Oct mean C = 20.3
|Nov mean C = 15.5
|Dec mean C = 10.6
|year mean C = 17.5
|Jan low C = 5.2
|Feb low C = 5.3
|Mar low C = 8.2
|Apr low C = 12.3
|May low C = 16.6
|Jun low C = 19.9
|Jul low C = 23.8
|Aug low C = 24.8
|Sep low C = 22.1
|Oct low C = 17.7
|Nov low C = 12.4
|Dec low C = 7.5
|year low C = 14.6
|Jan record low C = -3.6
|Feb record low C = -5.0
|Mar record low C = -2.2
|Apr record low C = 1.5
|May record low C = 7.3
|Jun record low C = 12.5
|Jul record low C = 15.3
|Aug record low C = 18.1
|Sep record low C = 14.2
|Oct record low C = 7.7
|Nov record low C = 2.5
|Dec record low C = -2.0
|year record low C = -5.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 97.7
|Feb precipitation mm = 118.1
|Mar precipitation mm = 185.5
|Apr precipitation mm = 212.3
|May precipitation mm = 236.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 364.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 298.4
|Aug precipitation mm = 260.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 339.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 286.6
|Nov precipitation mm = 152.0
|Dec precipitation mm = 102.9
|year precipitation mm = 2654.3
|humidity colour= green
|Jan humidity = 58
|Feb humidity = 58
|Mar humidity = 62
|Apr humidity = 68
|May humidity = 75
|Jun humidity = 84
|Jul humidity = 86
|Aug humidity = 84
|Sep humidity = 78
|Oct humidity = 72
|Nov humidity = 64
|Dec humidity = 60
|year humidity = 71
|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 7.1
|Feb precipitation days = 8.3
|Mar precipitation days = 11.8
|Apr precipitation days = 11.4
|May precipitation days = 11.9
|Jun precipitation days = 15.8
|Jul precipitation days = 12.9
|Aug precipitation days = 12.4
|Sep precipitation days = 13.2
|Oct precipitation days = 12.0
|Nov precipitation days = 9.3
|Dec precipitation days = 7.0
|year precipitation days = 133.1
|Jan sun = 192.5
|Feb sun = 187.9
|Mar sun = 198.6
|Apr sun = 201.9
|May sun = 193.2
|Jun sun = 132.4
|Jul sun = 193.2
|Aug sun = 234.8
|Sep sun = 176.8
|Oct sun = 169.8
|Nov sun = 177.5
|Dec sun = 194.0
|year sun = 2255.9
|source = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]<ref>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_sfc_ym.php?prec_no=65&block_no=47778&year=&month=&day=&view=
| title = 平年値ダウンロード
| accessdate = June 1, 2021
| publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_s.php?prec_no=65&block_no=47778&year=&month=&day=&view=
| title = 観測史上1〜10位の値（年間を通じての値）
| accessdate = June 1, 2021
| publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency}}
</ref>
}}
}}


==Demographics==
{{nihongo|'''Kushimoto'''|串本町|Kushimoto-chō}} is a coastal [[List of towns in Japan|town]] located in [[Higashimuro District, Wakayama|Higashimuro District]], [[Wakayama Prefecture]] in western [[Japan]]. The town has the distinction of being the southernmost point of Japan's main island, [[Honshū]]. The central area of town is on a narrow [[isthmus]], surrounded on both sides by the [[Pacific Ocean]]. Kushimoto is bordered by the towns of [[Susami, Wakayama|Susami]] on the west, [[Kozagawa, Wakayama|Kozagawa]] on the north, and [[Nachikatsuura, Wakayama|Nachi-Katsuura]] on the east. As of October 1, 2016, the town has an estimated population of 16,243.
Per Japanese census data,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/japan/wakayama/|title=Wakayama (Japan): Prefecture, Cities, Towns and Villages - Population Statistics, Charts and Map|website=www.citypopulation.de}}</ref> the population of Kushimoto has decreased steadily over the past 60 years.


{{Historical populations
On April 1, 2005 Kushimoto absorbed the town of [[Koza, Wakayama|Koza]], from [[Higashimuro District, Wakayama|Higashimuro District]], to become the new town of Kushimoto.
| 1920 | 26785
| 1930 | 28441
| 1940 | 27880
| 1950 | 34979
| 1960 | 31652
| 1970 | 27141
| 1980 | 26256
| 1990 | 23937
| 2000 | 21429
| 2010 | 18257
|align = none
| footnote =
}}


The former town of Kushimoto was part of Nishimuro District, but the town has strong ties with the city of [[Shingū, Wakayama|Shingū]] and Higashimuro District, both for political and economic reasons. The town became part of Higashimuro District upon this merger.
On April 1, 2005, Kushimoto absorbed the town of [[Koza, Wakayama|Koza]], from [[Higashimuro District, Wakayama|Higashimuro District]], to become the new town of Kushimoto.


==History==
==History==
Though people were known to have inhabited the area since the [[Asuka period]], the earliest known documented settlements were established during the [[Edo period]]. During that time, most of the area that encompasses [[Wakayama Prefecture]] today was known as Kii-no-Kuni ([[Kii Province]]) or Kishū. The area was owned by the Kii branch of the [[Tokugawa clan]], headquartered at [[Wakayama Castle]].
The area of the modern city of Shingū was within ancient [[Kii Province]]. During the [[Edo period]] it was part of the holdings of [[Kishū Domain]], under a cadet branch of the [[Tokugawa clan]], headquartered at [[Wakayama Castle]].


In 1791 the US captains [[John Kendrick (American sea captain)|John Kendrick]] of the ''[[Lady Washington]]'' and [[William Douglas (sea captain)|William Douglas]] of the ''Grace'' visited Kushimoto, hoping to open a trading relationship with Japan. News was sent to Wakayama Castle, which sent troops. However, Kendrick and Douglas departed two days before the troops arrived. The result of this first visit of Americans to Japan was largely symbolic for the United States. For Japan it resulted in a new system of alarms and coastal patrols, increasing Japan's isolation under ''[[sakoku]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ridley|first=Scott|title=Morning of Fire: John Kendrick's Daring American Odyssey in the Pacific|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s-IKDw_xNO4C&pg=PA225|year=2010|publisher=Harper Collins|isbn=978-0-06-202019-2|page=225}}</ref><ref name="JohnsonBest1995">{{cite book|last1=Johnson|first1=Donald Dalton|last2=Best|first2=Gary Dean|title=The United States in the Pacific: Private Interests and Public Policies, 1784-1899|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ia_BsTz4PU4C&pg=PA23|access-date=22 July 2012|year=1995|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-95055-2|page=23}}</ref><ref name="White2009">{{cite book|last=White|first=Michael|title=A short course in international marketing blunders [electronic resource]: mistakes made by companies that should have known better|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zz1L3nnNmMcC&pg=PA111|access-date=22 July 2012|year=2009|publisher=World Trade Press|isbn=978-1-60780-008-8|pages=111–112}}</ref>
In 1791 the US captains [[John Kendrick (American sea captain)|John Kendrick]] of the ''[[Lady Washington]]'' and [[William Douglas (sea captain)|William Douglas]] of the ''Grace'' visited Kushimoto, hoping to open a trading relationship with Japan. However, they did not receive a warm reception. News was sent to Wakayama Castle, which sent troops. However, Kendrick and Douglas had departed two days before the troops arrived. The result of this first visit of Americans to Japan was largely symbolic for the United States. For Japan it resulted in a new system of alarms and coastal patrols, increasing Japan's isolation under ''[[sakoku]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ridley|first=Scott|title=Morning of Fire: John Kendrick's Daring American Odyssey in the Pacific|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s-IKDw_xNO4C&pg=PA225|year=2010|publisher=Harper Collins|isbn=978-0-06-202019-2|page=225}}</ref><ref name="JohnsonBest1995">{{cite book|last1=Johnson|first1=Donald Dalton|last2=Best|first2=Gary Dean|title=The United States in the Pacific: Private Interests and Public Policies, 1784-1899|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ia_BsTz4PU4C&pg=PA23|access-date=22 July 2012|year=1995|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-95055-2|page=23}}</ref><ref name="White2009">{{cite book|last=White|first=Michael|title=A short course in international marketing blunders [electronic resource]: mistakes made by companies that should have known better|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zz1L3nnNmMcC&pg=PA111|access-date=22 July 2012|year=2009|publisher=World Trade Press|isbn=978-1-60780-008-8|pages=111–112}}</ref>


Kushimoto village was established on April 1, 1889, within [[Nishimuro District, Wakayama]] with the creation of the modern municipalities system. On September 16, 1890, the [[Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul|Ertuğrul incident]] occurred, in which an Imperial [[Ottoman Navy]] frigate on a goodwill visit to Japan floundered in a typhoon off of Kushimoto with great loss of life.
Kushimoto did not experience significant growth until the 20th century. It was officially incorporated into a town in Nishimuro District in 1907. Over the next decades, the town grew as a result of numerous mergers with the surrounding neighborhoods:
*'''1924''': Incorporation of Fuji-Bashi
*'''1955''': Incorporation of Arita, Shiono-Misaki, Tanami, and Wabuka
*'''1958''': Incorporation of Oshima
*'''On April 1, 2005''': Kushimoto, formerly from [[Nishimuro District, Wakayama|Nishimuro District]], absorbed the town of [[Koza, Wakayama|Koza]], from [[Higashimuro District, Wakayama|Higashimuro District]], to become the new town of Kushimoto, now in Higashimuro District.


Kushimoto was elevated to town status on November 12, 1907. Over the next decades, the town grew as a result of numerous mergers with the surrounding village, annexing Fujihashi in 1924, Arita, Shiono-Misaki, Tanami, and Wabuka in 1955 and Oshima in 1958. On April 1, 2005, Kushimoto merged with the town of [[Koza, Wakayama|Koza]], from [[Higashimuro District, Wakayama|Higashimuro District]]. Due to its strong ties with the city of [[Shingū, Wakayama|Shingū]] both for political and economic reasons, Kushimoto became part of Higashimuro District upon this merger.
Being in a very strategic location, Kushimoto was home to many military installations during [[World War II]], including the Kushimoto Seaplane Base and Shiono-Misaki Airfield. Both bases were attacked by the United States Navy and Air Force in 1945, including a [[Allied naval bombardments of Japan during World War II|naval bombardment]] on the night of 24/25 July. Shiono-Misaki Airfield now serves as a small base for the [[Japanese Air Self-Defense Force]].


Being in a strategic location, Kushimoto was home to many military installations during [[World War II]], including the Kushimoto Seaplane Base and Shionomisaki Airfield. Both bases were attacked by the United States Navy and Air Force in 1945, including a [[Allied naval bombardments of Japan during World War II|naval bombardment]] on the night of 24/25 July. Shionomisaki Airfield now serves as a small base for the [[Japanese Air Self-Defense Force]].
Kushimoto (or specifically, Shiono-Misaki) was the epicenter of the [[1946 Nankai earthquake|Great Nankai earthquake]], a [[Richter magnitude scale|magnitude 8.0]] earthquake that struck the area on December 21, 1946, at 4:19am. This triggered a [[tsunami]] that enveloped the central part of town. Most of the Fuji-Bashi neighborhood was destroyed but has since been rebuilt. There are memorials around town marking the event, including signposts indicating how far the tsunami had penetrated inland. Of the 269 casualties in [[Wakayama Prefecture]], the majority were in Kushimoto and in the city of [[Kainan, Wakayama|Kainan]].


Kushimoto (or specifically, Cape Shionomisaki) was the epicenter of the [[1946 Nankai earthquake|Great Nankai earthquake]], a [[Richter magnitude scale|magnitude 8.0]] earthquake that struck the area on December 21, 1946, at 4:19am. This triggered a [[tsunami]] that enveloped the central part of town. Most of the Fujihashi neighborhood was destroyed but has since been rebuilt. There are memorials around town marking the event, including signposts indicating how far the tsunami had penetrated inland. Of the 269 casualties in Wakayama Prefecture, the majority were in Kushimoto and in the city of [[Kainan, Wakayama|Kainan]].
===Name origin===
There are two widely accepted views of where the name "Kushimoto" comes from. The first is explained by a strange tree growing in a shrine in Shiono-Misaki, whose seedling is thought to have floated from a far off island to its current resting place. An archaic compound form of the [[Chinese character]] for "kushi" (串) is said to have meant "strange tree"; in combination with the second character "moto" (本), the name is supposed to represent "strange tree's origin." Another explanation dictates that the "kushi" character is a visual abstraction of the town's layout; Shiono-Misaki and Oshima act as the smaller upper "kuchi" (口) radical, while the mainland acts as the larger lower one. The "bo" (｜) radical that strikes through both of the others is said to represent the isthmus that runs through the town.


On September 26, 1959, a typhoon hit Kushimoto directly, causing a large scale [[storm]] and [[storm surge]] damage mainly in the [[Tokai region]] (especially [[Nagoya]]). This typhoon, called the [[Isewan Typhoon]], killed 5,000 people and was the deadliest typhoon in modern Japan.
==Climate==
Owing to its location on the [[Kii Peninsula]] in the path of typhoons and the moist winds of the [[Kuroshio Current]], Kushimoto has a very wet climate, receiving an average of {{convert|2600|mm|in|0}} of rainfall per year, though it is not quite as wet as [[Owase, Mie|Owase]] further east. The wettest month was September 1929 with {{convert|846.5|mm|in|1}} whilst in January 2010 the town received no rain for the second time since records began in 1913 and had the lowest monthly humidity on record at 47 percent.<ref>[http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/monthly_s3_en.php?block_no=47778&view=7 Monthly Mean Relative Humidity]</ref> The heaviest daily rainfall was {{convert|420.7|mm|in|1}} on 17 October 1939. The data below are for [[Shionomisaki Lighthouse]] near the town.
{{Weather box|width=auto
| location = Shionomisaki Lighthouse
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| Jan record high C = 23.6
| Feb record high C = 23.4
| Mar record high C = 23.0
| Apr record high C = 26.2
| May record high C = 29.4
| Jun record high C = 30.8
| Jul record high C = 35.6
| Aug record high C = 34.5
| Sep record high C = 33.8
| Oct record high C = 29.7
| Nov record high C = 27.2
| Dec record high C = 22.4
| year record high C = 35.6
| Jan high C = 11.1
| Feb high C = 11.7
| Mar high C = 14.4
| Apr high C = 18.6
| May high C = 22.0
| Jun high C = 24.5
| Jul high C = 28.1
| Aug high C = 29.3
| Sep high C = 27.0
| Oct high C = 22.7
| Nov high C = 18.4
| Dec high C = 13.7
| year high C = 20.1
| Jan mean C = 7.5
| Feb mean C = 8.0
| Mar mean C = 10.6
| Apr mean C = 15.2
| May mean C = 18.7
| Jun mean C = 21.7
| Jul mean C = 25.3
| Aug mean C = 26.4
| Sep mean C = 24.0
| Oct mean C = 19.3
| Nov mean C = 14.9
| Dec mean C = 10.2
| year mean C = 16.8
| Jan low C = 4.3
| Feb low C = 4.6
| Mar low C = 7.1
| Apr low C = 11.9
| May low C = 15.8
| Jun low C = 19.3
| Jul low C = 23.2
| Aug low C = 24.2
| Sep low C = 21.6
| Oct low C = 16.6
| Nov low C = 11.8
| Dec low C = 7.0
| year low C = 14.0
| Jan record low C = &minus;3.6
| Feb record low C = &minus;5.0
| Mar record low C = &minus;2.2
| Apr record low C = 1.5
| May record low C = 7.3
| Jun record low C = 12.5
| Jul record low C = 15.3
| Aug record low C = 18.1
| Sep record low C = 14.2
| Oct record low C = 7.7
| Nov record low C = 2.5
| Dec record low C = &minus;2.0
| year record low C = &minus;5.0
| rain colour = green
| Jan rain mm = 94.4
| Feb rain mm = 109.2
| Mar rain mm = 174.6
| Apr rain mm = 226.7
| May rain mm = 250.0
| Jun rain mm = 347.5
| Jul rain mm = 270.3
| Aug rain mm = 271.6
| Sep rain mm = 313.9
| Oct rain mm = 268.9
| Nov rain mm = 171.9
| Dec rain mm = 97.2
| Jan humidity = 59
| Feb humidity = 61
| Mar humidity = 64
| Apr humidity = 72
| May humidity = 77
| Jun humidity = 85
| Jul humidity = 87
| Aug humidity = 84
| Sep humidity = 81
| Oct humidity = 73
| Nov humidity = 67
| Dec humidity = 62
| Jan rain days = 7.6
| Feb rain days = 8.7
| Mar rain days = 12.1
| Apr rain days = 11.5
| May rain days = 11.9
| Jun rain days = 14.5
| Jul rain days = 12.6
| Aug rain days = 12.2
| Sep rain days = 12.6
| Oct rain days = 11.4
| Nov rain days = 9.4
| Dec rain days = 6.6
| unit rain days = 0.5 mm
| Jan sun = 199.0
| Feb sun = 184.2
| Mar sun = 205.1
| Apr sun = 196.7
| May sun = 205.8
| Jun sun = 161.8
| Jul sun = 216.0
| Aug sun = 247.4
| Sep sun = 187.9
| Oct sun = 176.9
| Nov sun = 176.7
| Dec sun = 194.2
| source 1 = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/monthly_s3_en.php?block_no=47778&view=2
| title = Monthly Mean and Monthly Total Tables | access-date = 2011-11-25 | publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency
}}</ref>
| source 2 = [[Japan Meteorological Agency]] (records)<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_s.php?prec_no=19&prec_ch=%8B%FA%98H%8Ex%92%A1&block_no=47778&block_ch=%8B%FA%98H&year=&month=&day=&elm=rank&view=
| title = 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）| access-date = 2011-11-25 | publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency
}}</ref>
| date = August 2010
}}


==Demographics==
===Name origin===
There are two widely accepted views of the origin of the name "Kushimoto" frm. The first is explained by a strange tree growing in a shrine in Cape Shionomisaki, whose seedling is thought to have floated from a far off island to its current resting place. An archaic compound form of the [[kanji|Chinese character]] for "kushi" (串) is said to have meant "strange tree"; in combination with the second character "moto" (本), the name is supposed to represent "strange tree's origin." Another explanation dictates that the "kushi" character is a visual abstraction of the town's layout; Cape Shionomisaki and Oshima act as the smaller upper "kuchi" (口) radical, while the mainland acts as the larger lower one. The "bo" (｜) radical that strikes through both of the others is said to represent the isthmus that runs through the town.
The [[population]] of Kushimoto is 16,243.


===Communities and neighborhoods===
===Communities and neighborhoods===
====Central====
====Central====
*Fujihashi
*Fuji-Bashi
*Kushimoto
*Kushimoto


Line 279: Line 309:
*Oshima
*Oshima
*Shiono-Misaki
*Shiono-Misaki

==Government==
Kushimoto has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] town council of 13 members. Kushimoto, collectively with the other municipalities in Higashimuro District, contributes two members to the Wakayama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of [[Wakayama 3rd district]] of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].

==Economy==
Primary industries include horticulture and [[commercial fishing]].


==Education==
==Education==
Kushimoto has nine public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the town government and one public high school operated by the Wakayama Prefectural Department of Education.


===High schools===
===High schools===
*Koza High School
*Kushimoto Koza High School
*Kushimoto High School


===Junior high schools===
===Junior high schools===
Line 290: Line 326:
*Kushimoto-Nishi Junior High School
*Kushimoto-Nishi Junior High School
*Nishi-Mukai Junior High School
*Nishi-Mukai Junior High School
*Oshima Junior High School
*Shionomisaki Junior High School
*Shiono-Misaki Junior High School


===Elementary schools===
===Elementary schools===
*Hashigui Elementary School
*Hashigui Elementary School
*Kinpu Elementary School
*Kushimoto Elementary School
*Kushimoto Elementary School
*Koza Elementary School
*Koza Elementary School
Line 301: Line 335:
*Nishi-Mukai Elementary School
*Nishi-Mukai Elementary School
*Oshima Elementary School
*Oshima Elementary School
*Shiono-Misaki Elementary School
*Shionomisaki Elementary School
*Tahara Elementary School
*Tahara Elementary School
*Kushimoto Nishi Elementary School
*Kushimoto Nishi Elementary School


===Kindergartens===
==Transportation==
===Railway===
*Izumo Kindergarten
[[File:JR logo (west).svg|20px]] [[West Japan Railway Company|JR West]] – [[Kisei Main Line]]
*Kushimoto Kindergarten
*{{STN|Wabuka}} - {{STN|Tako}} - {{STN|Tanami}} - {{STN|Kii-Arita}} - {{STN|Kushimoto}} - {{STN|Kii-Hime}} - {{STN|Koza}} - {{STN|Kii-Tahara}}
*Nishi-Mukai Kindergarten
*Oshima Kindergarten
*Shiono-Misaki Kindergarten

==Culture==


===Tourism===
===Highway===
* [[File:JP Expressway E42.svg|30px|link=|alt=]] [[Kisei Expressway]]
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|42}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|371}}


== Local attractions ==
====Sites of interest====
[[file:Hashiguiiwa Stones.jpg|thumb|right|270px|Hashigui-iwa]]
[[file:Kushimoto-toruko-ireihi.jpg|thumb|right|270px| Ertuğrul Memorial]]
*Hashigui Beach
*Hashigui Beach
*Hashigui-Iwa Coastal Scenic Area
*Hashigui-Iwa Coastal Scenic Area
*Kashino Lighthouse
*[[Kashinozaki Lighthouse]]
*Koza Coastal Scenic Area
*Koza Coastal Scenic Area
*[[Koza River]]
*Koza River
*[[Kuroshima and Taijima]]
*[[Kuroshima and Taijima]]
*Kushimoto Marine Park
*Kushimoto Marine Park
*Okyoro Art Museum
*Okyoro Art Museum
*Shiono-Misaki Lighthouse
*[[Shionomisaki Lighthouse]]
*Shiono-Misaki Southernmost Point Park
*Shionomisaki Southernmost Point Park
*Shiono-Misaki Youth Hostel
*Shionomisaki Youth Hostel
*[[Kushimoto Turkish Memorial and Museum|Turkish Memorial and Museum]]
*[[Kushimoto Turkish Memorial and Museum|Turkish Memorial and Museum]]
*Umikongo Coastal Scenic Area
*Umikongo Coastal Scenic Area
*United States Friendship Museum
*United States Friendship Museum
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[File:kushimoto-umikongo.jpg|thumb|left|Umikongo]] -->
Kushimoto is famous for its many coastal rock formations, including Hashigui-Iwa and Umikongo. The cape of Shiono-Misaki, located in the southern tip of the town, has a park and tower marking the southernmost point of [[Honshū]].


Kushimoto is famous for its many coastal rock formations, including Hashigui-Iwa and Umikongo. Cape Shionomisaki, located in the southern tip of the town, has a park and tower marking the southernmost point of [[Honshū]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4957.html|title=Kushimoto-Southernmost Point on Honshu Island|publisher=Japan Guide|accessdate= 6 Mar 2022}}</ref> The island of Kii-Oshima, connected to the main town via a bridge, is home to two museums:
The island of Oshima, connected to the main town via the [[Kushimoto Big Bridge]], is home to two museums of foreign origin.
* The Turkish Memorial and Museum, located on the southeastern end of the island, commemorates the crash of the Turkish ship ''[[Ertogrul|Ertugrul]]'' on Oshima's shores. As of 2005, there was discussion of salvaging the wreckage with a Turkish team to exhibit it in the local museum.
* The Turkish Memorial and Museum, located on the southeastern end of the island, commemorates the foundering and sinking of the Turkish ship ''[[Ertogrul|Ertugrul]]'' on the rocky Oshima shore. As of 2005, there was discussion of salvaging the wreckage with a Turkish team to exhibit it in the local museum.
*The United States Friendship Museum commemorates the visit of the ''[[USS Lady Washington]]'', which took place years before [[Commodore Matthew Perry]]'s infamous landing in Japan. The museum also hosts a collection of Native American artifacts and items of nostalgia from its sister city, [[Hemet, California|Hemet]], in the [[United States]].
*The United States Friendship Museum commemorates the visit of the [[brig]] ''[[Lady Washington]]'' and the brig ''Grace,''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://duxburyhistory.org/collection-highlights/logbook-for-brig-grace-1791/|title=Logbook for Brig "Grace" (1791)|publisher=The Duxbury Rural and Historical Society|accessdate=6 Mar 2022}}</ref> which in 1791 took place decades before [[Commodore Matthew Perry]]'s famed landing in Japan and opening of diplomatic relations with the United States. The museum also hosts a collection of American artifacts and items of nostalgia from its sister city, [[Hemet, California|Hemet]], in the [[United States]].


Kushimoto had been the northernmost point where coral was found in Japan, beyond the [[Darwin Point]] of 29N latitude. Nevertheless, the meandering [[Kuroshio]] warm current that normally protects the coral, led to influx of cold water in 2018 that killed off most of the coral.<ref>https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/04/20/national/meandering-kuroshio-current-behind-coral-bleaching-off-western-japan-ministry</ref> Both water too hot or too cold can bleach coral.
Kushimoto had been the northernmost point where coral was found in Japan, beyond the [[Darwin Point]] of 29N latitude. Nevertheless, the meandering [[Kuroshio]] warm current that normally protects the coral, led to influx of cold water in 2018 that killed off most of the coral.<ref>[https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/04/20/national/meandering-kuroshio-current-behind-coral-bleaching-off-western-japan-ministry Meandering Kuroshio current behind coral bleaching off western Japan: ministry]</ref> Both water too hot or too cold can bleach coral.


===Water sports===
===Water sports===
The surrounding wetlands and coastal areas in Kushimoto are designated areas of conservation through the [[Ramsar Convention]] of 1971. They have since become popular spots for [[scuba diving]], with numerous diving establishments along National Highway 42.
The surrounding wetlands and coastal areas in Kushimoto are designated areas of conservation through the [[Ramsar Convention]] of 1971. They have since become popular spots for [[scuba diving]], with numerous diving establishments along National Highway 42.


A merger in 2004 incorporated the former town of [[Koza, Okinawa|Koza]] into Kushimoto. Located in the east of Kushimoto, Koza is home to the Kozagawa River. The river, regulated by the Shichikawa Dam, is one of three rivers in southern [[Wakayama Prefecture]] known for kayaking.
The Kozagawa River, regulated by the Shichikawa Dam, is one of three rivers in southern Wakayama Prefecture known for kayaking.


Though waves are relatively tame compared with worldwide standards, Kushimoto is a popular [[surfing]] spot for locals and people from the bigger cities in the [[Kansai]] area.
Though waves are relatively tame compared with worldwide standards, Kushimoto is a popular [[surfing]] spot for locals and people from the bigger cities in the Kansai area.


===Annual events and festivals===
===Annual events and festivals===
Line 355: Line 388:


In October is the Sunset Marathon. The marathon's route winds through Oshima and Shiono-Misaki.
In October is the Sunset Marathon. The marathon's route winds through Oshima and Shiono-Misaki.

==Transportation==

=== Mass public transportation ===

Rail service is provided by the [[West Japan Railway Company]], or JR West, on the [[Kisei Line]]. There are direct services to other big cities in the [[Kansai]] area, with many limited express trains bound for [[Shin-Ōsaka Station]] and [[Kyōto Station]]. There are eight train stations in town (from west to east): Wabuka, Tako, Tanami, Kii-Arita, Kushimoto, Kii-Hime, Koza, and Kii-Tahara.

Local bus service is provided by the Kumano Bus Company. The nearest long distance bus services are located in [[Tanabe, Wakayama|Tanabe]] (for [[Osaka]]) and [[Nachikatsuura, Wakayama|Nachi-Katsuura]] (for [[Tokyo]]).

=== Private motoring ===
National Highways 42 and 371 run through Kushimoto. The [[Hanwa Expressway]], still under construction, is set to pass to the north of the town.

=== Air and sea ===
The nearest international airport is [[Kansai Airport]]. [[Nanki–Shirahama Airport]], located in nearby [[Shirahama, Wakayama|Shirahama]], is a smaller airport offering daily flights to [[Tokyo]].

The nearest domestic ferry services are in [[Nachi-Katsuura]].


== Notable people from Kushimoto ==
== Notable people from Kushimoto ==
*[[Sanma Akashiya]], TV comedian and actor
*[[Sanma Akashiya]], TV comedian and actor


== Friend cities ==
== Sister city relations ==
Kushimoto has three [[town twinning|sister cities]]:
Kushimoto has three [[town twinning|sister cities]]:
*{{flagicon|TUR}} [[Yakakent]] ([[Turkey]])
*{{flagicon|TUR}} [[Yakakent]] ([[Turkey]])
*{{flagicon|TUR}} [[Mersin]] ([[Turkey]])
*{{flagicon|TUR}} [[Mersin]] ([[Turkey]])
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Hemet, California]] ([[United States]])
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Hemet, California]] ([[United States]])

Kushimoto has one friendship city relationship:
*{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Torres Shire Council]] ([[Australia]])<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.town.kushimoto.wakayama.jp/gyosei/kokusai-koryu/torres.html | title=本州最南端の町 串本町 }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[125 Years Memory|''125 Years Memory'': Drama film commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Ertuğrul incident]]


==References==
==References==
Line 390: Line 413:
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100109194000/http://www.town.kushimoto.wakayama.jp/ Official website] {{in lang|ja}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100109194000/http://www.town.kushimoto.wakayama.jp/ Official website] {{in lang|ja}}


{{Authority control}}{{Wakayama}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Wakayama}}

[[Category:Towns in Wakayama Prefecture]]
[[Category:Towns in Wakayama Prefecture]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Japan]]
[[Category:Kushimoto, Wakayama]]

Revision as of 07:14, 21 June 2024

Kushimoto
串本町
Town
Kushimoto Town Hall
Kushimoto Town Hall
Flag of Kushimoto
Flag
Official seal of Kushimoto
Emblem
Map
Location of Kushimoto in Wakayama Prefecture
Kushimoto is located in Japan
Kushimoto
Kushimoto
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 33°28′N 135°47′E / 33.467°N 135.783°E / 33.467; 135.783
CountryJapan
RegionKansai
PrefectureWakayama
DistrictHigashimuro
Government
 • MayorKatsumasa Tashima
Area
 • Total135.67 km2 (52.38 sq mi)
Population
 (November 30, 2021)
 • Total15,192
 • Density110/km2 (290/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
ClimateCfa
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
FlowerMochinoki (Birdlime Holly)
TreeTsubaki (Japanese Camellia)
Shionomisaki Southernmost Point Park

Kushimoto (串本町, Kushimoto-chō) is a coastal town located in Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. As of 30 November 2021, the town had an estimated population of 15,192 in 8354 households and a population density of 110 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the town is 135.67 square kilometres (52.38 sq mi).

Geography

Kushimoto has the distinction of being the southernmost point of Japan's main island, Honshū. It is located at the southernmost tip of Kii Peninsula, with the urban area on the isthmus connecting Cape Shionomisaki with the mainland. The island of Kii Oshima is located on the east side of the city, and is connected by the Kushimoto Ohashi Bridge, which was completed in September 1999. Parts of the coastal area of the town are within the limits of the Yoshino-Kumano National Park and include the Hashiguiiwa Rocks, which are a National Natural Monument.

Neighboring municipalities

Wakayama Prefecture

Climate

Kushimoto has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kushimoto is 17.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2515 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around 8.1 °C.[2] Kushimoto has a very wet climate. The area is subject to typhoons and the moist winds of the Kuroshio Current in summer. Kushimoto is famous as the Typhoon Ginza (after Ginza in Tokyo). The wettest month was September 1929 with 846.5 millimetres (33.3 in) whilst in January 2010 the town received no rain for the second time since records began in 1913 and had the lowest monthly humidity on record at 47 percent.[3] The heaviest daily rainfall was 420.7 millimetres (16.6 in) on 17 October 1939.

Climate data for Cape Shionomisaki, Kushimoto (elevation 68 m (223 ft), 1991−2020 normals, extremes 1913−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 23.6
(74.5) 		23.4
(74.1) 		23.9
(75.0) 		26.2
(79.2) 		29.4
(84.9) 		30.8
(87.4) 		35.6
(96.1) 		36.1
(97.0) 		33.8
(92.8) 		29.7
(85.5) 		27.2
(81.0) 		23.3
(73.9) 		36.1
(97.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 11.4
(52.5) 		12.4
(54.3) 		15.2
(59.4) 		18.8
(65.8) 		22.5
(72.5) 		24.7
(76.5) 		28.2
(82.8) 		29.8
(85.6) 		27.6
(81.7) 		23.2
(73.8) 		18.7
(65.7) 		13.8
(56.8) 		20.5
(68.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) 8.3
(46.9) 		8.8
(47.8) 		11.6
(52.9) 		15.6
(60.1) 		19.3
(66.7) 		22.1
(71.8) 		25.7
(78.3) 		26.9
(80.4) 		24.6
(76.3) 		20.3
(68.5) 		15.5
(59.9) 		10.6
(51.1) 		17.5
(63.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 5.2
(41.4) 		5.3
(41.5) 		8.2
(46.8) 		12.3
(54.1) 		16.6
(61.9) 		19.9
(67.8) 		23.8
(74.8) 		24.8
(76.6) 		22.1
(71.8) 		17.7
(63.9) 		12.4
(54.3) 		7.5
(45.5) 		14.6
(58.3)
Record low °C (°F) −3.6
(25.5) 		−5.0
(23.0) 		−2.2
(28.0) 		1.5
(34.7) 		7.3
(45.1) 		12.5
(54.5) 		15.3
(59.5) 		18.1
(64.6) 		14.2
(57.6) 		7.7
(45.9) 		2.5
(36.5) 		−2.0
(28.4) 		−5.0
(23.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 97.7
(3.85) 		118.1
(4.65) 		185.5
(7.30) 		212.3
(8.36) 		236.7
(9.32) 		364.7
(14.36) 		298.4
(11.75) 		260.3
(10.25) 		339.2
(13.35) 		286.6
(11.28) 		152.0
(5.98) 		102.9
(4.05) 		2,654.3
(104.50)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.5 mm) 7.1 8.3 11.8 11.4 11.9 15.8 12.9 12.4 13.2 12.0 9.3 7.0 133.1
Average relative humidity (%) 58 58 62 68 75 84 86 84 78 72 64 60 71
Mean monthly sunshine hours 192.5 187.9 198.6 201.9 193.2 132.4 193.2 234.8 176.8 169.8 177.5 194.0 2,255.9
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[4][5]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[6] the population of Kushimoto has decreased steadily over the past 60 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 26,785—    
1930 28,441+6.2%
1940 27,880−2.0%
1950 34,979+25.5%
1960 31,652−9.5%
1970 27,141−14.3%
1980 26,256−3.3%
1990 23,937−8.8%
2000 21,429−10.5%
2010 18,257−14.8%

On April 1, 2005, Kushimoto absorbed the town of Koza, from Higashimuro District, to become the new town of Kushimoto.

History

The area of the modern city of Shingū was within ancient Kii Province. During the Edo period it was part of the holdings of Kishū Domain, under a cadet branch of the Tokugawa clan, headquartered at Wakayama Castle.

In 1791 the US captains John Kendrick of the Lady Washington and William Douglas of the Grace visited Kushimoto, hoping to open a trading relationship with Japan. However, they did not receive a warm reception. News was sent to Wakayama Castle, which sent troops. However, Kendrick and Douglas had departed two days before the troops arrived. The result of this first visit of Americans to Japan was largely symbolic for the United States. For Japan it resulted in a new system of alarms and coastal patrols, increasing Japan's isolation under sakoku.[7][8][9]

Kushimoto village was established on April 1, 1889, within Nishimuro District, Wakayama with the creation of the modern municipalities system. On September 16, 1890, the Ertuğrul incident occurred, in which an Imperial Ottoman Navy frigate on a goodwill visit to Japan floundered in a typhoon off of Kushimoto with great loss of life.

Kushimoto was elevated to town status on November 12, 1907. Over the next decades, the town grew as a result of numerous mergers with the surrounding village, annexing Fujihashi in 1924, Arita, Shiono-Misaki, Tanami, and Wabuka in 1955 and Oshima in 1958. On April 1, 2005, Kushimoto merged with the town of Koza, from Higashimuro District. Due to its strong ties with the city of Shingū both for political and economic reasons, Kushimoto became part of Higashimuro District upon this merger.

Being in a strategic location, Kushimoto was home to many military installations during World War II, including the Kushimoto Seaplane Base and Shionomisaki Airfield. Both bases were attacked by the United States Navy and Air Force in 1945, including a naval bombardment on the night of 24/25 July. Shionomisaki Airfield now serves as a small base for the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force.

Kushimoto (or specifically, Cape Shionomisaki) was the epicenter of the Great Nankai earthquake, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake that struck the area on December 21, 1946, at 4:19am. This triggered a tsunami that enveloped the central part of town. Most of the Fujihashi neighborhood was destroyed but has since been rebuilt. There are memorials around town marking the event, including signposts indicating how far the tsunami had penetrated inland. Of the 269 casualties in Wakayama Prefecture, the majority were in Kushimoto and in the city of Kainan.

On September 26, 1959, a typhoon hit Kushimoto directly, causing a large scale storm and storm surge damage mainly in the Tokai region (especially Nagoya). This typhoon, called the Isewan Typhoon, killed 5,000 people and was the deadliest typhoon in modern Japan.

Name origin

There are two widely accepted views of the origin of the name "Kushimoto" frm. The first is explained by a strange tree growing in a shrine in Cape Shionomisaki, whose seedling is thought to have floated from a far off island to its current resting place. An archaic compound form of the Chinese character for "kushi" (串) is said to have meant "strange tree"; in combination with the second character "moto" (本), the name is supposed to represent "strange tree's origin." Another explanation dictates that the "kushi" character is a visual abstraction of the town's layout; Cape Shionomisaki and Oshima act as the smaller upper "kuchi" (口) radical, while the mainland acts as the larger lower one. The "bo" (｜) radical that strikes through both of the others is said to represent the isthmus that runs through the town.

Communities and neighborhoods

Central

  • Fujihashi
  • Kushimoto

Western

  • Arita
  • Tanami
  • Wabuka

Eastern

  • Koza
  • Nishi-Mukai
  • Tahara

Southern

  • Oshima
  • Shiono-Misaki

Government

Kushimoto has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 13 members. Kushimoto, collectively with the other municipalities in Higashimuro District, contributes two members to the Wakayama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Wakayama 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Primary industries include horticulture and commercial fishing.

Education

Kushimoto has nine public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the town government and one public high school operated by the Wakayama Prefectural Department of Education.

High schools

  • Kushimoto Koza High School

Junior high schools

  • Kushimoto Junior High School
  • Kushimoto-Nishi Junior High School
  • Nishi-Mukai Junior High School
  • Shionomisaki Junior High School

Elementary schools

  • Hashigui Elementary School
  • Kushimoto Elementary School
  • Koza Elementary School
  • Izumo Elementary School
  • Nishi-Mukai Elementary School
  • Oshima Elementary School
  • Shionomisaki Elementary School
  • Tahara Elementary School
  • Kushimoto Nishi Elementary School

Transportation

Railway

JR West – Kisei Main Line

Highway

Local attractions

Hashigui-iwa
Ertuğrul Memorial

Kushimoto is famous for its many coastal rock formations, including Hashigui-Iwa and Umikongo. Cape Shionomisaki, located in the southern tip of the town, has a park and tower marking the southernmost point of Honshū.[10] The island of Kii-Oshima, connected to the main town via a bridge, is home to two museums:

  • The Turkish Memorial and Museum, located on the southeastern end of the island, commemorates the foundering and sinking of the Turkish ship Ertugrul on the rocky Oshima shore. As of 2005, there was discussion of salvaging the wreckage with a Turkish team to exhibit it in the local museum.
  • The United States Friendship Museum commemorates the visit of the brig Lady Washington and the brig Grace,[11] which in 1791 took place decades before Commodore Matthew Perry's famed landing in Japan and opening of diplomatic relations with the United States. The museum also hosts a collection of American artifacts and items of nostalgia from its sister city, Hemet, in the United States.

Kushimoto had been the northernmost point where coral was found in Japan, beyond the Darwin Point of 29N latitude. Nevertheless, the meandering Kuroshio warm current that normally protects the coral, led to influx of cold water in 2018 that killed off most of the coral.[12] Both water too hot or too cold can bleach coral.

Water sports

The surrounding wetlands and coastal areas in Kushimoto are designated areas of conservation through the Ramsar Convention of 1971. They have since become popular spots for scuba diving, with numerous diving establishments along National Highway 42.

The Kozagawa River, regulated by the Shichikawa Dam, is one of three rivers in southern Wakayama Prefecture known for kayaking.

Though waves are relatively tame compared with worldwide standards, Kushimoto is a popular surfing spot for locals and people from the bigger cities in the Kansai area.

Annual events and festivals

In late January or early February is the Shiono-Misaki Fire Festival. During this event, the large grassy field that designates Honshū's southernmost tip is ritually burned. Spectators may walk through the fire as it progresses through the field.

In February is the Oshima Boat Race. Festivals grounds are set up at Oshima Port, and two boats ritually race to and from the port on the mainland Kushimoto.

In August, the Summer Fireworks Festival takes place at Kushimoto Port.

In October is the Sunset Marathon. The marathon's route winds through Oshima and Shiono-Misaki.

Notable people from Kushimoto

Sister city relations

Kushimoto has three sister cities:

Kushimoto has one friendship city relationship:

See also

References

  1. ^ "Kushimoto town official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. ^ "Kushimoto climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Kushimoto water temperature - Climate-Data.org". en.climate-data.org.
  3. ^ "Japan Meteorological Agency | Tables of Monthly Climate Statistics". www.data.jma.go.jp.
  4. ^ "平年値ダウンロード". Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  5. ^ "観測史上1〜10位の値（年間を通じての値）". Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  6. ^ "Wakayama (Japan): Prefecture, Cities, Towns and Villages - Population Statistics, Charts and Map". www.citypopulation.de.
  7. ^ Ridley, Scott (2010). Morning of Fire: John Kendrick's Daring American Odyssey in the Pacific. Harper Collins. p. 225. ISBN 978-0-06-202019-2.
  8. ^ Johnson, Donald Dalton; Best, Gary Dean (1995). The United States in the Pacific: Private Interests and Public Policies, 1784-1899. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-275-95055-2. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  9. ^ White, Michael (2009). A short course in international marketing blunders [electronic resource]: mistakes made by companies that should have known better. World Trade Press. pp. 111–112. ISBN 978-1-60780-008-8. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  10. ^ "Kushimoto-Southernmost Point on Honshu Island". Japan Guide. Retrieved 6 Mar 2022.
  11. ^ "Logbook for Brig "Grace" (1791)". The Duxbury Rural and Historical Society. Retrieved 6 Mar 2022.
  12. ^ Meandering Kuroshio current behind coral bleaching off western Japan: ministry
  13. ^ "本州最南端の町 串本町".
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