Kōnan, Kōchi



Kōnan (香南市) is a city located in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 33,076 in 15350 households and a population density of 49 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 126.46 sqkm.

Geography
Kōnan is located in southeastern Kōchi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It faces Tosa Bay on the Pacific Ocean to the south.

Neighbouring municipalities
Kōchi Prefecture
 * Aki
 * Nankoku
 * Kami
 * Geisei

Climate
Kōnan has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kōnan is 15.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2190 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in Kitagawa, at around 25.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.9 °C.

Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Kōnan declined by roughly 25 percent from 1950 to 1970 but subsequently rebounded, peaking again around 2010.

History
As with all of Kōchi Prefecture, the area of Kōnan was part of ancient Tosa Province. During the Edo period, the area was part of the holdings of Tosa Domain ruled by the Yamauchi clan from their seat at Kōchi Castle. The area was organized into villages within Kami District with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Akaoka was raised to town status on February 15, 1899, followed by Noichi on February 1, 1926, Yasu on January 1, 1943, and Kagami on April 1, 1955. The city of Kōnan was created by the merger of these four towns and the village of Yoshikawa on March 1, 2006. On the same day, the remaining municipalities of Kami District merged to form the city of Kami, and the district was abolished as a result.

Government
Kōnan has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 22 members. Kōnan contributes two members to the Kōchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the village is part of Kōchi 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy
Kōnan economy is centered on agriculture.

Education
Kōnan has seven public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Kōchi Prefectural Board of Education.

Railway
Tosa Kuroshio Railway - Asa Line
 * Noichi - Yoshikawa - Akaoka - Kagami - Yasu

Highways

 * JP Expressway E55.svg Kōchi-Tōbu Expressway

Notable Temples

 * Dainichi-ji (Temple No. 28 in the Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage)
 * Enichi-ji (houses three Buddhist statues that are important cultural properties)

Notable Shrines

 * Suruda Hachimangu Shrine

Natural Properties

 * Tenshin Great Cedar (National Natural Monument])

Cultural Buildings

 * Ekingura Art Museum
 * Noichi Zoological Park of Kochi Prefecture
 * Shikoku Automobile Museum
 * Ryoma History Museum

Other Sites

 * YaSea Park
 * Teikokado Drawbridge

Festivals and Events

 * Suruda Hachimangu Festival
 * Ekin Festival - Held annually on the third weekend of July
 * Dorome Festival - Held annually in April

Notable people from Kōnan

 * Mika Iwakawa- Boxing champion
 * Mikei Hagiwara - Personal physician to the Imperial Family
 * Shoma Morita- psychiatrist and founder of Morita therapy
 * Chohei Nomura - Shipwreck survivor on uninhabited Tori-shima (Izu Islands)
 * Taro Kaiyama - Sumo wrestler
 * Masataka Murata- Physician who specialized in syphilis and leprosy
 * Michinari Suenobe - Former Chairman of Tokio Marine and Fire Insurance
 * Yu Kuroiwa - Horse racing jockey
 * Yusuke Aoyagi - Manga artist