Kumano, Hiroshima

Kumano (熊野町) is a town located in Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 23,479 in 10728 households and a population density of 700 pd/sqkm. The total area of the town is 33.76 sqkm. Kumano-cho is famous for the manufacture of brushes called "Kumano-fude" (Kumano-brush).

Geography
Kumano is located in south-central Hiroshima, along the Kumano River, which flows through the Kumano Basin, which is surrounded by mountains on all sides.

Adjoining municipalities
Hiroshima Prefecture
 * Aki-ku, Hiroshima
 * Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima
 * Kure, Hiroshima

Climate
Kumano has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with very warm summers and cool winters. The average annual temperature in Kumano is 15.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1543 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around 25.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.6 °C.

Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Kumano has been steady for the past 40 years.

History
The area of Kumano was the part of ancient Aki Province. In the Edo Period, it was part of the holdings of Hiroshima Domain. Following the Meiji restoration, the village of Kumano was established within Aki District, Hiroshima with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Kumano was raised to town status on October 1, 1918.

Government
Kumano has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 16 members. Kumano, collectively with the other municipalities of Aki District contributes three members to the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Hiroshima 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy
Kumano-cho is traditionally known for production of Japanese brush pens. The town commemorated its 90th anniversary since its establishment in 2008, and announced “The Brush Pen Day” on Spring Equinox for the purpose of reviving brush pen culture and the further development of brush pen industries. The town is increasingly a commuter town for neighboring Hiroshima and Kure.

Education
Kumano has four public elementary schools and two public junior high schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education.

Railway
The San'yō Shinkansen passes through Kumano via a tunnel, but the town itself has no passenger railway service. The nearest train station is Yano on the JR West Kure Line.

Highways
Kumano is not on any national highway or expressway.