is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

located on

Okinoerabujima , also known as Okinoerabu, is one of the Satsunan Islands, classed with the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa. The island, 93.63 km² in area, has a population of approximately 14,000 persons. Administratively it is divided into th ...

, in Ōshima District,

Kagoshima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,599,779 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 9,187 km2 (3,547 sq mi). Kagoshima Prefecture borders Kumamoto P ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. As of June 2013, the town 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 6,929 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 172 persons per km². The total area is 40.37 km².

Geography

Wadomari is located on the northern end of Okinoerabujima.

Climate

The climate is classified as

humid subtropical 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'') with very warm summers and mild winters. Precipitation is high throughout the year, but is highest in the months of May, June and September. The area is subject to frequent typhoons.

Surrounding municipalities

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

History

Wadamori Village was founded on 1 April 1908. It was upgraded to town status on 1 May 1941. As with all of Okinoerabujima, the town came under the administration of the United States from 1 July 1946 to 25 December 1953.

Economy

Sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks t ...

, sweet potato, and peanut farming are popular.

Floriculture Floriculture, or flower farming, is a branch of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry. The development of new varieties by plant breeding is ...

is also practiced. However, due to the lack of local jobs, there has been an outflow of residents.

Transportation

Wadomari Port is the main ferry port on the island, with connections to the prefectural capital

Kagoshima , abbreviated to , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu, Kagoshima is the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples of the Eastern wor ...

. It takes between 17 and 18 hours.

Okinoerabu Airport is located on the island of Okinoerabujima in the town of Wadomari, Kagoshima, Wadomari, Ōshima District, Kagoshima, Ōshima District, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. History Okinoerabu Airport was opened on 1 May 1969 with a 1200-meter runway, a ...

, is located in Wadomari. Wadomari is located on Kagoshima Prefectural Route 84.

Education

Junior high schools: * Shirogaoka Junior High School ( JA) * Wadomari Junior High School ( JA) Elementary schools include: * Kunigami Elementary School (国頭小学校) * Naishi Elementary School (内城小学校) * Oshiro Elementary School (大城小学校) * Wadomari Elementary School (和泊小学校) , located in

, is operated by the Kagoshima Prefectural government. It was formed in 1949 through the merger of China High School and Wadomari High School. It initially had separate campuses in China and Wadomari.

Notes

External links

*
Official website
in Japanese {{Authority control Towns in Kagoshima Prefecture Populated coastal places in Japan