is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

located in the north of

Miyazaki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Miyazaki Prefecture has a population of 1,073,054 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 7,735 km2 (2,986 sq mi). Miyazaki Prefecture borders Ōita Prefecture to the north, Kuma ...

, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, the city has an estimated

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 119,521 and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

of 138 persons per km². The total area is .

History

The city was officially founded on February 11, 1933, after it gained city status. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, it was one of the most important centers of military explosives in Japan. On the night of June 28-29th, 1945, 117

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

B-29 The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fly ...

s fire-bombed the city, destroying 1.35 square km, or 36% of the city. On July 16, 1945, 33 US

B-24 The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...

s bombed the bridges in around the city, severing the strategically important

Nippō Main Line The is a railway line in Kyushu, in southern Japan, operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). The line connects Kokura Station in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima via the east coast of Kyushu, passing through the pr ...

railway. On February 20, 2006, Nobeoka absorbed the towns of Kitakata and Kitaura (both from Higashiusuki District). On March 31, 2007, the town of Kitagawa (also from Higashiusuki District) was also merged into Nobeoka.

Geography

Climate

Nobeoka has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

''Cfa''), which is hot and humid in the summer (above ) and is somewhat cold in the winter with temperatures dropping to around freezing (). Snowfall can be seen in the winter months, but does not accumulate because of coastal warming effects.

Surrounding municipalities

Miyazaki Prefecture * Kadogawa *

Misato Misato may refer to: Places *Misato, Akita, a town in Akita Prefecture *Misato, Gunma, a town in Gunma Prefecture *Misato, Kumamoto, a town in Kumamoto Prefecture *Misato, Mie, a village in Mie Prefecture *Misato, Miyagi, a town in Miyagi Prefectur ...

* Hinokage

Ōita Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Ōita Prefecture has a population of 1,136,245 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,340 km2 (2,448 sq mi). Ōita Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northwest, Kumam ...

* Saiki

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Nobeoka in 2020 is 118,394 people. Nobeoka has been conducting censuses since 1920.

Economy

The city's economy depends strongly on the company

Asahi Kasei is a multinational Japanese chemical company. Its main products are chemicals and materials science. It was founded in May 1931, using the paid in capital of Nobeoka Ammonia Fiber Co., Ltd, a Nobeoka, Miyazaki based producer of ammonia, nitri ...

, a producer of synthetic and industrial fibers. It is known regionally for its

Ayu Ayu or AYU may refer to: * Ayu (given name) * Ayu sweetfish (''Plecoglossus altivelis''), a species of smelt * ''Ayu'', a local name for the African manatee * Ayu (singer) or Ayumi Hamasaki, Japanese singer * Ayu Islands, a small archipelago in I ...

fish.

Transportation

Nobeoka is the terminal station for trains that run the length of the prefecture (although some trains do continue up into

Ōita prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Ōita Prefecture has a population of 1,136,245 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,340 km2 (2,448 sq mi). Ōita Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northwest, Kumam ...

). It used to be the terminal station for the privately owned Takachiho line, which ran towards

Kumamoto prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of 1,748,134 () and has a geographic area of . Kumamoto Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Ōita Prefecture to ...

from the northeast to the northwest of the prefecture. This line was closed after a

typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

in 2005, and has not been reopened. Nobeoka is serviced by the

Higashikyushu Expressway The is one of the expressways of Japan from Kitakyūshū (and the bridge to Honshū) to east of Kagoshima linking with the Kyushu Expressway. It runs north to south, through the prefectures of Fukuoka, Oita, Miyazaki and the Kagoshima prefec ...

which brings transportation time to Miyazaki City down to one hour and travel time to Ōita City down to about 1 hour 30 minutes. Nobeoka has its own municipal bus service with routes to most destinations in the city.

Tourism

Notable places

* Nobeoka Castle - A castle ruin, one of the

Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles The is a list of 100 Japanese castle, castles, intended as a sequel of 100 Fine Castles of Japan. The castles were chosen for their significance in culture, history, and in their regions by the in 2017. Hokkaidō region Tōhoku region Kant ...

References

"Japs Disperse War Plants"
''The Argus'', Melbourne, June 30, 1945.

External links

Nobeoka City official website

{{Authority control Cities in Miyazaki Prefecture