Taketa, Ōita



Taketa (竹田市) is a city located in Ōita Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 19,456 in 9838 households, and a population density of 41 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 477.53 km2.

Geography
Taketa is located in the southwestern part of Ōita Prefecture. The city center is approximately 55 km southwest of the prefectural capital at Ōita City and approximately 73 km east-northeast of Kumamoto City. The city is surrounded by mountains reaching heights of approximately 1 km, such as the Kujū Mountain Range, Mount Aso, Mount Sobo, and Mt. Takayama, and natural beauty spots include Takeda Springs and Kujū Plateau. Together with Bungo-Ōno City, which adjoins it to the east, it is known as the "Hōhi district" (or "Oku-Bungo"). Although Taketa borders Miyazaki Prefecture to the south, there is no direct road connection to Miyazaki from Taketa.

Neighboring municipalities
Ōita Prefecture Kumamoto Prefecture Miyazaki Prefecture
 * Ōita
 * Bungo-Ōno
 * Yufu
 * Kokonoe
 * Aso
 * Minamioguni
 * Takamori
 * Ubuyama
 * Takachiho

Climate
Taketa has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is somewhat lower in winter. The average annual temperature in Taketa is 14.7 C. The average annual rainfall is 1885.3 mm and June is the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.7 C, and lowest in January, at around 3.9 C. The highest temperature ever recorded in Taketa was 37.7 C on 15 August 2020; the coldest temperature ever recorded was -8.6 C on 10 February 1984.

Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Taketa in 2020 is 20,332 people. Taketa has been conducting censuses since 1920.

History
The area of Taketa was part of ancient Bungo Province and roughly corresponds to Naoiri District, one of the eight counties of Bungo mentioned in the Nara period Bungo no Kuni Fudoki. During the Edo period it developed as the castle town of Oka Domain and was ruled by the Nakagawa clan until the Meiji restoration. Following the Meiji restoration, the town of Saeki within Naoiri District, Ōita was established on May 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. The city was founded on 31 March 1954. On 1 April 2005, the towns of Kujū, Naoiri and Ogi (all from Naoiri District) were also merged into Taketa.

Government
Taketa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 15 members. Taketa contributes one member to the Ōita Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Ōita 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy
The economy of Taketa is centered around agriculture and forestry. The main crops are kabosu, shiitake, tomatoes and sweet corn.

Education
Takata has 11 public elementary schools and four public junior high schools operated by the city government. The city has two public high schools operated by the Ōita Prefectural Board of Education and one private high school. The prefecture operates one special education school for students with disabilities.

Railways
JR Kyushu - Hōhi Main Line
 * Bungo-Ogi - Tamarai - Bungo-Taketa

Sister city relations

 * 🇵🇾 - San Lorenzo, Paraguay, sister city since October 1073
 * 🇩🇪 - Bad Krozingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, sister city since October 2004
 * - Tianliao District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, sister city since January 2017

Local attractions

 * Oka Castle ruins is a famous local National Historic Site.
 * former home of Tanomura Chikuden, National Historic Site.
 * Nanatsumori Kofun Cluster, National Historic Site.

Traditional crafts
Princess Daruma dolls (姫だるま, Hime Daruma) were first created and remain a popular local craft in Taketa.

Notable people from Taketa

 * Iwao Akiyama, former woodblock printmaker
 * Korechika Anami, former general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II
 * Kenji Anan, stage and film actor
 * Takeo Hirose, former career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy
 * Otoya Kawano, Japanese voice actor