Kanoya, Kagoshima

Geography

Kanoya is located approximately at the heart of Ōsumi Peninsula with its city limits running approximately 20 km east and west and 41 km north and south. The Takakuma Mountains stretch out into the northwestern part of the city and the Kimotsuki Mountains in the southeast. Between both mountain ranges lie the Kasanohara and Kanoyahara plateaus. The Kimotsuki Plains spread through the alluvial plains of the Kimotsuki River that runs through central Kanoya. In the western part of the city is Kinkō Bay (part of Kagoshima Bay) which runs down the coast line.

Neighboring municipalities

Kagoshima Prefecture

• Higashikushira
• Kimotsuki
• Kinkō
• Kirishima
• Ōsaki in Soo District.
• Soo
• Tarumizu File:Kanoya City Central 2009.JPG|View of downtown Kanoya from Kanoya City Hall File:ISS034-E-027139.jpg|An image taken from the International Space Station showing Kanoya and its surroundings on January 10, 2013

Climate

Kanoya has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and mild winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, and is heavier in summer, especially the months of June and July. The average annual temperature in Kanoya is 17.3 C. The average annual rainfall is 2685.6 mm with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.5 C, and lowest in January, at around 7.5 C. Its record high is 37.6 C, reached on 18 August 2020, and its record low is -8.0 C, reached on 25 January 2016.

|Jan record high C = 22.7 |Feb record high C = 23.6 |Mar record high C = 27.4 |Apr record high C = 29.6 |May record high C = 33.0 |Jun record high C = 34.2 |Jul record high C = 36.2 |Aug record high C = 37.6 |Sep record high C = 35.8 |Oct record high C = 33.5 |Nov record high C = 29.1 |Dec record high C = 24.6 |Jan record low C = -8.0 |Feb record low C = -6.8 |Mar record low C = -4.4 |Apr record low C = -1.0 |May record low C = 3.7 |Jun record low C = 9.1 |Jul record low C = 15.5 |Aug record low C = 17.0 |Sep record low C = 9.3 |Oct record low C = 1.2 |Nov record low C = -3.5 |Dec record low C = -6.6 |script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値） | access-date = March 26, 2022}}{{cite web |script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値） | access-date = March 26, 2022}}}}

|Jan record high C = 20.7 |Feb record high C = 21.3 |Mar record high C = 24.6 |Apr record high C = 27.9 |May record high C = 31.4 |Jun record high C = 33.1 |Jul record high C = 34.7 |Aug record high C = 36.4 |Sep record high C = 33.9 |Oct record high C = 31.3 |Nov record high C = 29.4 |Dec record high C = 21.9 |Jan record low C = -8.3 |Feb record low C = -7.1 |Mar record low C = -3.1 |Apr record low C = 0.2 |May record low C = 3.3 |Jun record low C = 11.3 |Jul record low C = 14.2 |Aug record low C = 16.4 |Sep record low C = 10.1 |Oct record low C = 3.4 |Nov record low C = -2.1 |Dec record low C = -5.2 |script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値） | access-date = March 26, 2022}}{{cite web |script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値） | access-date = March 26, 2022}}}}

Demographics

Within Kagoshima Prefecture, Kanoya is the third most populous city next to Kagoshima (the prefectural capital) and Kirishima.

| 1920 | 60,487 | 1925 | 62,899 | 1930 | 69,982 | 1935 | 73,944 | 1940 | 79,716 | 1945 | 104,880 | 1950 | 107,579 | 1955 | 114,804 | 1960 | 109,662 | 1965 | 103,358 | 1970 | 95,915 | 1975 | 94,790 | 1980 | 100,005 | 1985 | 102,653 | 1990 | 103,761 | 1995 | 105,059 | 2000 | 106,462 | 2005 | 106,208 | 2010 | 105,086 | 2015 | 103,608 | 2020 | 101,096

History

The area of Kanoya was part of ancient Ōsumi Province, and was part of the Shimazu-shō, a vast shōen landed manor in Ōsumi, Satsuma that was opened at the end of the Heian period, and which evolved into Satsuma Domain in the Edo period. After the Meiji restoration, the village of Kanoya was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Kanoya was raised to town status on December 31, 1912. On May 27, 1941 Kanoya merged with the villages of Hanaoka and Oaira to form the city of Kanoya.

In 2006, the original city of Kanoya was expanded following the merger of the two towns of Aira and Kushira in Kimotsuki District, and Kihoku in Soo District. The original Kanoya City was established as a municipality on May 27, 1941 (Navy Memorial Day).

Government

Kanoya has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 26 members. Kanoya, collectively with the city of Tarumizu contributes four members to the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Kagoshima 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Kanoya is home to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Kanoya Air Field.

Economy

Kanoya has a primary economy centering on agriculture, fishing, livestock raising and food processing. Kanoya's specialties include Berkshire pig, peanuts, broilers, and sweet potatoes.

Education

Kanoya has 23 public elementary schools and 12 public junior high schools operated by the city government and five public high schools operated by the Kagoshima Prefectural Board of Education. There is also one private high school. The city also hosts the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya.

Transportation

Railway

Kanoya is the most populous city in Japan outside of Okinawa Prefecture without passenger rail services, after the closure of the in 1987.

The nearest station is Shibushi Station on the JR Kyushu Nichinan Line, but the nearest practical station is Kagoshima-Chūō Station on the Kyushu Shinkansen. In both cases, it takes more than an hour to reach the station by private car, or two hours by bus.

Highway

• [[File:JP Expressway E78.svg|30px|link=|alt=]] Higashikyushu Expressway

Local attractions

• Kanoya Air Base Museum
• Takakuma Dam

Notable people from Kanoya

• Sunshine Ikezaki (Real Name: Satoru Ikezaki, Nihongo: 池崎 慧, Ikezaki Satoru), Japanese comedian
• Sayuri Kokushō (Nihongo: 国生さゆり or 國生さゆり, Kokusho Sayuri), Japanese actress, singer, and tarento
• Yamato Maeda (Nihongo: 前田 大和, Maeda Yamato), Japanese professional baseball outfielder (Yokohama DeNA BayStars, Nippon Professional Baseball)
• Yuka Nishida (Nihongo: 西田 優香, Nishida Yuka), Japanese judoka
• Taiga Satoru (Real Name: Satoshi Kawasaki, Nihongo: 川崎悟司, Kawasaki Satoshi), Japanese sumo wrestler
• Sakura Yokomine (Nihongo: 横峯さくら, Yokomine Sakura), Japanese professional golfer (LPGA Tour and LPGA of Japan Tour)

References

References

1. "Kanoya City official statistics".
2. "鹿屋市（かのや市）|ばらのまち かのや ポータルページ". E-kanoya.net.
3. "鹿児島県 鹿屋の気温、降水量、観測所情報". Weather.time-j.net.
4. [https://www.citypopulation.de/en/japan/kagoshima/ Kanoya population statistics]
5. [http://www.e-kanoya.net/htmbox/gyoukaku/2009/gappei_kensyo2009.pdf Kanoya Merger]{{Dead link. (July 2025)
6. "鉄道のない市 人口ベスト10".