Yamaguchi (city)

Geography

Yamaguchi City is located almost in the center of Yamaguchi Prefecture. The city area, which is the largest in the prefecture, is long from north to south, facing the Seto Inland Sea (Yamaguchi Bay) at the south end, and bordering Shimane Prefecture at the north end. The Fushino River runs through the center of the Yamaguchi Basin from north to south, and urban areas are formed on both sides of the river.

Neighbouring municipalities

Shimane Prefecture

• Tsuwano
• Yoshika Yamaguchi Prefecture
• Hagi
• Hōfu
• Mine
• Shūnan
• Ube

Climate

Yamaguchi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is much higher in summer than in winter.

| Jan record high C = 19.5 | Feb record high C = 22.5 | Mar record high C = 27.3 | Apr record high C = 30.1 | May record high C = 33.8 | Jun record high C = 35.6 | Jul record high C = 38.8 | Aug record high C = 38.8 | Sep record high C = 36.9 | Oct record high C = 31.9 | Nov record high C = 28.1 | Dec record high C = 23.3 | Jan record low C = -7.6 | Feb record low C = -8.9 | Mar record low C = -7.6 | Apr record low C = -1.2 | May record low C = 3.2 | Jun record low C = 8.0 | Jul record low C = 13.1 | Aug record low C = 14.9 | Sep record low C = 7.4 | Oct record low C = 1.3 | Nov record low C = -2.5 | Dec record low C = -5.5 |script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値） | access-date = May 19, 2021}} |Jan record high C = 16.8 |Feb record high C = 20.1 |Mar record high C = 23.8 |Apr record high C = 28.9 |May record high C = 32.2 |Jun record high C = 33.7 |Jul record high C = 36.1 |Aug record high C = 36.4 |Sep record high C = 35.1 |Oct record high C = 30.7 |Nov record high C = 25.5 |Dec record high C = 21.8 |Jan record low C = -12.9 |Feb record low C = -16.0 |Mar record low C = -9.5 |Apr record low C = -4.1 |May record low C = 0.7 |Jun record low C = 4.6 |Jul record low C = 12.2 |Aug record low C = 13.1 |Sep record low C = 3.9 |Oct record low C = -1.5 |Nov record low C = -4.4 |Dec record low C = -10.4 |script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値） | access-date = May 26, 2022}}{{cite web |script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値） | access-date = May 26, 2022}}}}

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Yamaguchi in 2020 is 193,966 people. Yamaguchi has been conducting censuses since 1960.

| 1960 | 172116 | 1965 | 162219 | 1970 | 160347 | 1975 | 164470 | 1980 | 173590 | 1985 | 183149 | 1990 | 187793 | 1995 | 193172 | 2000 | 197115 | 2005 | 199297 | 2010 | 196643 | 2015 | 197422 | 2020 | 193966

History

The area of Yamaguchi was part of the ancient Suō Province. During the Muromachi period it was ruled by the Ōuchi clan, who at their height ruled over six provinces in the Chugoku region of western Japan. The Ōuchi clan claimed descent from the royal house of Baekje and grew wealthy due to extensive trade with Korea and Ming Dynasty China. After the Onin War, they welcomed intellectuals who escaped from Kyoto, such that Yamaguchi prospered as a center of culture. Later in the Muromachi period, Christian missionaries from Spain and Portugal were welcomed, and the area became an early center for the Kirishitan faith. The Ōuchi were eventually overthrown by their vassals, the Mōri clan, who ruled the area as part of Chōshū Domain during the Edo Period.

Following the Meiji Restoration, the town of Yamaguchi was established within Yoshiki District, Yamaguchi with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On April 1, 1905 Yamaguchi annexed the village of Kami-unorei, followed by Shimo-unorei on July 1, 1915. On April 10, 1929: The town of Yamaguchi absorbed the village of Yoshiki to create the city of Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi annexed the village of Miyano on April 1, 1941. On April 1, 1944, Yamaguchi annexed towns of Ogōri and Ajisu, and the villages of Hirakawa, Ōtoshi, Sue, Natajima, Aiofutajima, Kagawa and Sayama (all from Yoshiki District.)

The town of Ajisu separated from Yamaguchi on November 23, 1947, followed by the town of Ogōri on November 1, 1949. Yamaguchi annexed the town of Ōuchi on May 1, 1963 and the village of Suzenji on November 3, 1963. On October 1, 2005 Yamaguchi merged with town of Tokuji (from Saba District), and the towns of Aio, Ajisu and Ogōri (all from Yoshiki District);. Yoshiki District was dissolved as a result of this merger. On January 16, 2010 Yamaguchi absorbed the town of Atō (from Abu District).

Government

Yamaguchi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 35 members. Yamaguchi contributes six members to the Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the Yamaguchi 1st district and the Yamaguchi 3rd district in lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Although Yamaguchi City is the prefectural capital, excluding public facilities and public works, the other major industries are commerce and the tourism and distribution industries. Despite having the second largest population in the prefecture after Shimonoseki, which is a constituent city of the Kanmon metropolitan area, and the third largest gross city product in the prefecture after Shūnan and Shimonoseki, the city has a very small industrial base.

Education

Colleges and universities

• Yamaguchi College of Arts
• Yamaguchi Gakugei College
• Yamaguchi Prefectural University
• Yamaguchi University

Primary and secondary education

Yamaguchi has 32 public elementary schools, 17 public junior high schools operated by the city government, and six public high schools operated by the Yamaguchi Prefectural Board of Education. There are also one elementary school and one junior high school operated by Yamaguchi University Faculty of Education, and three private high schools. The prefecture operates two special education schools for the handicapped, and there is one special education school operated by Yamaguchi University Faculty of Education.

Transportation

Railway

Highways

• [[File:JP Expressway E2.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] San'yō Expressway
• [[File:JP Expressway E2A.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] Chūgoku Expressway
• [[File:JP Expressway E2.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] Yamaguchi-Ube Road

Media

Newspaper

• Yamaguchi Shimbun

TV

• KRY TV (NNN)
• NHK TV
• TYS TV (JNN)
• YAB TV (ANN)

Twin towns – sister cities

Yamaguchi is twinned with:

• KOR Changwon, South Korea
• KOR Gongju, South Korea
• CHN Jinan, China
• ESP Pamplona, Spain

Local attractions

• Chūya Nakahara Memorial Museum
• Jōei-ji, Buddhist temple with a garden that is a National Historic Site and National Place of Scenic Beauty
• Kōnomine Castle - A castle ruin, one of the Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles.
• Ōuchi-shi Yakata - A castle ruin, one of the Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles
• Rurikō-ji, Buddhist temple with a national treasure five-story pagoda
• Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum of Art
• Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media
• Yamaguchi Xavier Memorial Church
• Yuda Onsen

Notable people from Yamaguchi City

• Yoshisuke Aikawa, founder of Nissan
• Daiki Kamikawa, Olympic gold medalist judoka
• Inoue Kaoru, politician, entrepreneur
• Terauchi Masatake, Prime Minister of Japan
• Chuya Nakahara, poet
• Kishi Nobusuke, Prime Minister of Japan
• Shohei Ono, Olympic gold medalist judoka
• Raizō Tanaka, admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy

Notes

References

References

1. NHK Publishing. (24 May 2016)
2. "Yamaguchi City official statistics".
3. [https://www.citypopulation.de/en/japan/yamaguchi/ Yamaguchi population statistics]
4. "国際交流". Yamaguchi.
5. (29 November 2017). "続日本100名城". 日本城郭協会.