Kōsa 甲佐町 | |
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 Kōsa Town Hall | |
 Flag  Emblem | |
 Location of Kōsa in Kumamoto Prefecture | |
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  Kōsa Location in Japan | |
| Coordinates:32°39′01″N130°48′41″E / 32.65028°N 130.81139°E /32.65028; 130.81139 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kyushu |
| Prefecture | Kumamoto |
| District | Kamimashiki |
| Area | |
• Total | 57.93 km2 (22.37 sq mi) |
| Population (July 31, 2024) | |
• Total | 10,004 |
| • Density | 172.7/km2 (447.3/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| City hall address | 719-4 Toyonai, Kosa-cho, Kamimashiki-gun, Kumamoto-ken 861-4696 |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Website | Official website |
| Symbols | |
| Flower | Chrysanthemum |
| Tree | Osmanthus fragrans |
Kōsa (甲佐町,Kōsa-machi) is atown located inKamimashiki District,Kumamoto Prefecture,Japan. As of 31 July 2024[update], the town had an estimatedpopulation of 10,004 in 4,441 households, and apopulation density of 24 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the town is 57.93 km2 (22.37 sq mi).
Kōsa is located in the central inland region of Kumamoto Prefecture, about 20 kilometers southeast of Kumamoto City. The northwestern part is at the southeastern edge of the Kumamoto Plain, but most of the town area is included in theKyushu Mountains and is at a high altitude. The Midorigawa River, a first-class river, flows through the center of the town.
Kumamoto Prefecture
Kōsa has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa) with hot, humid summers and cool winters. There is significant precipitation throughout the year, especially during June and July. The average annual temperature in Kōsa is 16.3 °C (61.3 °F). The average annual rainfall is 2,145.6 mm (84.47 in) with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.1 °C (80.8 °F), and lowest in January, at around 5.4 °C (41.7 °F).[2] The highest temperature ever recorded in Kōsa was 37.9 °C (100.2 °F) on 14 August 2018; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −8.8 °C (16.2 °F) on 25 January 2016.[3]
| Climate data for Kōsa (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 22.0 (71.6) | 25.1 (77.2) | 28.8 (83.8) | 30.0 (86.0) | 34.0 (93.2) | 35.7 (96.3) | 37.9 (100.2) | 37.9 (100.2) | 36.2 (97.2) | 32.9 (91.2) | 27.9 (82.2) | 24.6 (76.3) | 37.9 (100.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 10.6 (51.1) | 12.3 (54.1) | 15.9 (60.6) | 21.3 (70.3) | 26.0 (78.8) | 28.0 (82.4) | 31.6 (88.9) | 33.0 (91.4) | 29.7 (85.5) | 24.7 (76.5) | 18.6 (65.5) | 12.8 (55.0) | 22.0 (71.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.4 (41.7) | 6.7 (44.1) | 10.1 (50.2) | 15.0 (59.0) | 19.5 (67.1) | 23.0 (73.4) | 26.5 (79.7) | 27.1 (80.8) | 23.8 (74.8) | 18.5 (65.3) | 12.8 (55.0) | 7.4 (45.3) | 16.3 (61.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.9 (33.6) | 1.7 (35.1) | 4.7 (40.5) | 9.2 (48.6) | 14.1 (57.4) | 18.9 (66.0) | 22.6 (72.7) | 22.9 (73.2) | 19.5 (67.1) | 13.5 (56.3) | 8.0 (46.4) | 2.8 (37.0) | 11.6 (52.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −8.8 (16.2) | −7.2 (19.0) | −3.5 (25.7) | −0.8 (30.6) | 5.7 (42.3) | 9.6 (49.3) | 16.5 (61.7) | 15.1 (59.2) | 8.0 (46.4) | 2.4 (36.3) | −2.7 (27.1) | −4.8 (23.4) | −8.8 (16.2) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 71.5 (2.81) | 97.3 (3.83) | 133.9 (5.27) | 141.1 (5.56) | 169.1 (6.66) | 473.7 (18.65) | 395.2 (15.56) | 190.0 (7.48) | 201.7 (7.94) | 103.0 (4.06) | 94.7 (3.73) | 74.6 (2.94) | 2,145.6 (84.47) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 8.2 | 9.2 | 11.6 | 10.5 | 10.1 | 15.5 | 13.5 | 11.4 | 10.3 | 7.7 | 8.3 | 8.6 | 124.9 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 118.5 | 130.5 | 155.8 | 174.6 | 182.4 | 119.9 | 169.3 | 195.8 | 161.5 | 167.4 | 138.4 | 124.4 | 1,844.7 |
| Source:Japan Meteorological Agency[3][2] | |||||||||||||
Per Japanese census data, the population of Kōsa in 2020 is 10,132 people.[4] Kōsa has been conducting censuses since 1920.
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| Kōsa population statistics[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The area of Kōsa was part of ancientHigo Province, During theEdo Period it was part of the holdings ofKumamoto Domain. After theMeiji restoration, the town of Kōsa and villages of Miyauchi, Tatsuno, Shirahata, and Otome were established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On January 1, 1955 Miyauchi, Tatsuno, Shirahata, and Otome merged with Kōsa.
Kōsa has amayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameral town council of 11 members. Kōsa, collectively with the other municipalities of Kamimashiki District contributes two members to the Kumamoto Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of theKumamoto 3rd district of thelower house of theDiet of Japan.
The local economy relies on agriculture, and Kōsa's geographic position as a logistics hub.
Kōsa has four public elementary schools and one public junior high school operated by the town government, and one public high schools operated by the Kumamoto Prefectural Board of Education.
Kōsa does not have any passenger railway service. The nearest station isMatsubase Station on theJR Kyushu station isMatsubase Station on theKagoshima Main Line in neighboringUki.
Since its inception in 1983, theKumamoto Kōsa 10-Miler road race has seen several top rated achievements being set during the event, which is run in December. The most recent new world record for the 10 miles was set in December 2022 byBernard Koech.
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