Tara 太良町 | |
|---|---|
 Tara Town Hall | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Tara in Saga Prefecture | |
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  Tara Location in Japan | |
| Coordinates:33°1′10″N130°10′45″E / 33.01944°N 130.17917°E /33.01944; 130.17917 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kyushu |
| Prefecture | Saga |
| District | Fujitsu |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Masaaki Iwashima |
| Area | |
• Total | 74.30 km2 (28.69 sq mi) |
| Population (May 31, 2024) | |
• Total | 7,973 |
| • Density | 107.3/km2 (277.9/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| City hall address | 1-6 Ōaza Tara, Tara-chō, Fujitsu-gun, Saga-ken 849-1698 |
| Website | Official website |
| Symbols | |
| Bird | Uguisu (Japanese bush warbler) |
| Flower | Mikan flower |
| Tree | Hinoki |
Tara (太良町,Tara-chō) is atown and peninsula located inFujitsu District,Saga Prefecture,Japan.[1][2] As of 31 March 2024[update], the town had an estimatedpopulation of 7973 in 3215 households, and apopulation density of 750 persons per km².[3] The total area of the town is 74.30 km2 (28.69 sq mi)
Tara is located at the southern tip of Saga Prefecture; it borders Nagasaki Prefecture to the west and south, and faces theAriake Sea to the east. Tara is composed of two traditional sections, which were once independent towns: Tara (多良) and Ōura (大浦). Tara is located near theKashima Gatalympics, which takes place nearHizen-Iida Station.
Nagasaki Prefecture
Saga Prefecture
Tara has ahumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Tara is 15.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2254 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around 5.7 °C.[4]
Per Japanese census data, the population of Tara is as shown below.[5]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 15,926 | — |
| 1960 | 15,574 | −2.2% |
| 1970 | 13,668 | −12.2% |
| 1980 | 12,911 | −5.5% |
| 1990 | 12,212 | −5.4% |
| 2000 | 11,140 | −8.8% |
| 2010 | 9,842 | −11.7% |
| 2020 | 8,121 | −17.5% |
The area of Tara is part of ancientHizen Province. In theSengoku period, due to influence from Nagasaki, Christianity existed in the area, but after the results of theShimabara Rebellion, most of the Christians were killed or went underground and becameKakure Kirishitans. There are grave stones that are scattered throughout Tara. During theEdo period, the area was part of the holdings ofSaga Domain. Following theMeiji restoration, the villages of Tara, Ōura, and Nanaura was established on May 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. Tara merged with Ōura and attained town status on February 11, 1955. Later in March 1 of the same year, a section of Nanaura was absorbed into Tara.
Tara has amayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameral town council of 11 members. Tara, together with the city of Kashima contributes two members to the Saga Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of theSaga 2nd district of thelower house of theDiet of Japan.
The economy is overwhelming centered on agriculture, forestry and commercial fishing. In agriculture,mandarin orange production and livestock farming are thriving. In areas near the Ariake Sea, seaweed farming is the main industry. Marine products are also caught in abundance, and blue crabs and oysters are local specialties.
Tara has two public elementary schools and two public junior high schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Saga Prefectural Board of Education.
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