Genkai, Saga

Genkai (玄海町) is a town located in Higashimatsuura District, Saga Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 4,910 in 1918 households, and a population density of 240 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 35.92 km2. There was a town with the same name in Fukuoka Prefecture, but it now no longer exists.

Geography
Genkai is located on the northwestern edge of the prefecture on the Higashimatsuura Peninsula and faces the Genkai Sea on its west side. It is located about 50 km (31 mi) northwest of the city of Saga and about 60 km west of Fukuoka. Genkai is home to one of sixteen nuclear power plants in Japan, with the only other nuclear power plant in the Kyūshū area being located in Kagoshima Prefecture. It is the only town in the Higashimatsuura District of Saga that has not merged with Karatsu.

Adjoining municipalities
Saga Prefecture
 * Karatsu

Climate
Genkai has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Genkai is 16.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1764 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.1 °C, and lowest in January, at around 7.2 °C.

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

History
The area of Genkai was part of ancient Hizen Province. During the Edo period, the area was part of Karatsu Domain. Following the Meiji restoration, the villages of Chika and Ariura, were established with the creation of the modern municipalities system. The two villages merged on September 30, 1956 to form the town of Genkai. On December 31, 1957 the neighborhoods of Sosorogawachi, Yunoo, Fujihira, Tashiro from the village of Kirigo were incorporated into Genkai. Kirigo's remaining neighborhoods are incorporated into Karatsu.

The great Heisei merger
All other towns and villages from Higashimatsuura District were incorporated into Karatsu between 2005 and 2006. Genkai originally planned to merge into Karatsu with the rest of the district, but was concerned about the slow administrative response of the surrounding areas. Eventually they withdrew their decision to merge and decided to continue as an autonomous municipality.

Government
Genkai has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of ten members. Genzai, collectively with the city of Karatsu, contributes six members to the Saga Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Saga 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy
Genkai is now enjoying a relatively high amount of revenue from the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant, built in 1975, but there is a question as to its administration in the future. There is also some agriculture, notably the cultivation of strawberries, and commercial fishing.

Education
Genkai has one public combined elementary/junior high school operated by the city government. Opened on April 1, 2015, the school had 498 students from grades 1 - 9 across 19 classes and 6 special needs classes. There is also one public high school operated by the Saga Prefectural Board of Education.

Railway
Genkai does not have any passenger railway service. The nearest train station is Nishikaratsu Station on the JR Kyushu Karatsu Line. A bus route runs from the station to Genkai.

Sister city relations

 * 🇫🇷 - Gravelines, France.

Local attractions

 * Kaijō Onsen Parea (海上温泉パレア)
 * Hamanoura Rice Terraces (浜野浦の棚田)
 * Genkai Energy Park (玄海エネルギーパーク)