Chikugo, Fukuoka

Chikugo (筑後市) is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 49,259 in 20980 households, and a population density of 1200 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 41.78 km2.

Geography
Chikugo is located in the center of the Chikugo Plain in southern Fukuoka Prefecture. It is approximately 45 minutes by train from Fukuoka City.

Neighboring municipalities
Fukuoka Prefecture
 * Kurume
 * Yanagawa
 * Yame
 * Miyama
 * Ōki
 * Hirokawa

Climate
Chikugo has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Chikugo is 15.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1946 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around 5.3 °C.

Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Chikugo is as shown below

History
The area of Chikugo was part of ancient Chikugo Province. During the Edo Period the area was mostly under the control of Fukuoka Domain with smaller portions under Yanagawa Domain. After the Meiji restoration, the villages of Hainuzuka, Mizuta, Shimotsuma, Futagawa, and Furukawa were established on May 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. Mizuta annexed Shimotsuma and Futagawa in 1908. On January 1, 1915, Hainuzuka was raised to town status. On April 1, 1954, Hainuzuka merged with Mizuta and Furukawa to form the city of Chikugo

Government
Chikugo has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 17 members. Chikugo contributes one member to the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Fukuoka 7th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy
The economy of Chikugo is overwhelmingly agricultural.

Education
Chikugo has 11 public elementary schools and three public junior high schools operated by the city government and two public high schools operated by the Fukuoka Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped. The Kyushu Otani Junior College is located in Chikugo.

Railways
JR Kyushu - Kyushu Shinkansen
 * [[file:Shinkansen jrk.svg|22px]] Chikugo-Funagoya

JR Kyushu - Kagoshima Main Line
 * Nishimuta - Hainuzuka - Chikugo-Funagoya

Highways

 * JP Expressway E3.svg Kyushu Expressway

Local attractions

 * Mizuta Tenmangū
 * Sekijinsan Kofun, National Historic Site

Notable people from Chikugo

 * Ken Tanaka, actor