Nantan, Kyoto

Nantan (南丹市) is a city located in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 30,744 in 14406 households and a population density of 50 persons per km2 (130 per sq. mi.). The total area of the city is 616.40 sqkm.

Geography
Nantan is located in the southern part of the Tamba region in central Kyoto Prefecture.

Neighbouring municipalities
Kyoto Prefecture Fukui Prefecture Shiga Prefecture Osaka Prefecture Hyōgo Prefecture
 * Kyoto
 * Ayabe
 * Kameoka
 * Kyōtamba
 * Ōi
 * Takashima
 * Nose
 * Tamba-Sasayama

Climate
Nantan has a humid climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm, wet summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nantan is 13.0 C. The average annual rainfall is 1808.3 mm with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.2 C, and lowest in January, at around 1.7 C. Its record high is 36.7 C, reached on 27 July 2023, and its record low is -11.8 C, reached on 28 February 1981.

Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Nantan has declined slightly in recent decades.

History
The area of the modern town of Nantan was within ancient Tanba Province, and may have been the site of the provincial capital in the Nara period. During the Edo Period, Sonobe Domain was located within its borders. The town of Sonobe was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Sonobe merged with the neighboring towns of Hiyoshi, and Yagi (all from Funai District), and the town of Miyama (from Kitakuwada District) to form the city of Nantan on January 1, 2006.

Government
Nantan has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 22 members. Nantan, together with the town of Kyōtamba contributes one member to the Kyoto Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Kyoto 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy
Nantan has an economy based on regional commerce, agriculture and forestry. The main products include mizuna and other "Kyoto vegetables".

Colleges and universities

 * Bukkyo University, Sonobe campus
 * College of Medical Technology Meiji University of Oriental Medicine
 * Kyoto College of Medical Technology
 * Kyoto University of Arts and Crafts
 * Meiji University of Integrative Medicine

Primary and secondary schools
Nantan has seven public elementary schools and five public middle schools operated by the city government and three public high schools operated by the Kyoto Prefectural Department of Education. There is also one private middle school and one private high school. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

Railway
JR West – San'in Main Line / Sagano Line
 * Yagi - Yoshitomi - Sonobe - Funaoka - Hiyoshi - Shinkyū-Daigaku-mae - Goma

Highway

 * JP Expressway E9.svg Kyoto Jūkan Expressway

Sister city relations

 * Manila, Philippines
 * 🇳🇿 Clutha District, New Zealand

Local attractions
Sights include the Rurikei Prefectural Natural Park and Miyama Kayabuki-no-Sato. Miyama Kayabuki-no-Sato is a small village that consists of cottages made with thatched (kayabuki) roofs and showcase the classic and traditional scenery of Japan. Within this town is a museum that exhibits the history and agriculture used to make these famous thatched houses, located in what is known as the Miyama Archive of Local History and Folklore. Upon visitation, it is also possible to go in and walk around a few of these houses to experience the history first hand.

Noted people from Nantan

 * Shigeru Miyamoto – video game designer and creator of Mario and The Legend of Zelda
 * Bonnie Pink – singer-songwriter
 * Makoto Fujita – actor
 * Hiromu Nonaka – politician
 * Yoshimi Tanaka – politician
 * Yasuhiro Nakagawa – politician