Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto

Hitoyoshi

人吉市
Hitoyoshi 人吉市
City
	Kuma River running through the city
	Flag Emblem
	Location of Hitoyoshi in Kumamoto Prefecture
	Hitoyoshi Location in Japan
	Coordinates: 32°13′N 130°45′E / 32.217°N 130.750°E
Country	Japan
Region	Kyushu
Prefecture	Kumamoto Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Hayato Matsuoka
Area
• Total	210.55 km2 (81.29 sq mi)
Population (April 31, 2024)
• Total	29,879
• Density	141/km2 (370/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	1578-1, Shimo-shiromoto-machi, Hitoyoshi-shi, Kumamoto-ken; 868-8601
Climate	Cfa
Website	www.city.hitoyoshi.lg.jp
Symbols
Bird	Japanese bush-warbler
Flower	Ume
Tree	Oak

Hitoyoshi (人吉市, Hitoyoshi-shi) is a city in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on February 11, 1942.^[1] As of April 2024,^[update] the city has an estimated population of 29,879 and a population density of 141 per km². The total area is 210.55 km².^[2]

It is famous for boat trips on the river and hot springs. Aoi Aso Shrine, one of the National Treasures of Japan, is located in Hitoyoshi.

It is bounded to the north, east, and west by towns of Kuma District, and to the south by Kagoshima Prefecture.

Commerce

Hitoyoshi's main product is rice shochu (an indigenous spirit distilled from rice), or kuma-shochu, which is the official name of rice shochu produced in Kumamoto's Hitoyoshi and Kuma District. This shochu must be produced in these areas from Japanese rice and with water from the Kuma River, which runs through the town. The World Trade Organization granted kuma-shochu geographical indication status in 1994.^[3] The most popular brand is Hakutake Shiro, which currently holds 50% market share on all rice shochu sold in Japan. However, Takahashi Distillery, the producer of Hakutake Shiro, is just one of 28 distilleries in Hitoyoshi in the surrounding region that produce kuma-shochu.

Climate

Hitoyoshi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, and is heavier in the summer months, especially June and July.

Climate data for Hitoyoshi (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1943−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	22.3 (72.1)	24.0 (75.2)	26.9 (80.4)	30.4 (86.7)	34.0 (93.2)	34.9 (94.8)	37.0 (98.6)	37.8 (100.0)	36.4 (97.5)	33.2 (91.8)	27.6 (81.7)	22.7 (72.9)	37.8 (100.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	10.3 (50.5)	12.4 (54.3)	16.1 (61.0)	21.3 (70.3)	25.5 (77.9)	27.3 (81.1)	31.2 (88.2)	32.3 (90.1)	29.4 (84.9)	24.4 (75.9)	18.1 (64.6)	12.2 (54.0)	21.7 (71.1)
Daily mean °C (°F)	4.7 (40.5)	6.2 (43.2)	9.8 (49.6)	14.6 (58.3)	19.1 (66.4)	22.4 (72.3)	26.1 (79.0)	26.6 (79.9)	23.6 (74.5)	18.0 (64.4)	11.9 (53.4)	6.3 (43.3)	15.8 (60.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	0.2 (32.4)	1.0 (33.8)	4.5 (40.1)	8.9 (48.0)	13.7 (56.7)	18.7 (65.7)	22.4 (72.3)	22.8 (73.0)	19.5 (67.1)	13.3 (55.9)	7.3 (45.1)	1.9 (35.4)	11.2 (52.1)
Record low °C (°F)	−9.8 (14.4)	−9.1 (15.6)	−6.1 (21.0)	−3.5 (25.7)	3.0 (37.4)	7.8 (46.0)	15.0 (59.0)	15.3 (59.5)	7.4 (45.3)	−0.4 (31.3)	−4.2 (24.4)	−7.8 (18.0)	−9.8 (14.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	75.4 (2.97)	109.0 (4.29)	160.7 (6.33)	177.8 (7.00)	215.6 (8.49)	560.9 (22.08)	491.0 (19.33)	226.3 (8.91)	229.3 (9.03)	108.8 (4.28)	96.9 (3.81)	83.3 (3.28)	2,535 (99.8)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	2 (0.8)	2 (0.8)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	1 (0.4)	5 (2)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm)	8.0	9.0	11.5	10.5	9.7	15.9	14.0	12.2	10.6	7.2	8.5	8.2	125.3
Average snowy days (≥ 1 cm)	0.6	0.5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.1	1.2
Average relative humidity (%)	76	74	73	72	73	81	81	79	80	79	82	80	78
Mean monthly sunshine hours	123.0	133.9	161.6	175.8	182.1	117.1	167.2	183.5	156.5	163.6	125.6	118.6	1,808.5
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency^[4]^[5]