270px, Hyūga city hall is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

Miyazaki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Miyazaki Prefecture has a population of 1,028,215 as of 1 January 2025 and has a geographic area of 7,735 Square kilometre, km2 (2,986 sq mi). Miyazaki Prefectur ...

, Japan. , the city had an estimated

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 57,746, and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

of 170 persons per km²., making it the 4th largest city in Miyazaki Prefecture in terms of population. The total area of the city is .Hyūga is a port city known for the production of Go stones and for beaches, many of which are popular surfing spots.

Origin of name

Hyuga City took its name from , the historical name of what is now Miyazaki Prefecture. According to Japanese legend in the

Nihon Shoki The or , sometimes translated as ''The Chronicles of Japan'', is the second-oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the , the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeol ...

, following the conquest of the Kumaso people,

Emperor Keikō , also known as and , was the 12th legendary Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Both the ''Kojiki'', and the ''Nihon Shoki'' (collectively known as the ''Kiki'') record events that took place during Keikō's all ...

watched the sunrise over the ocean and said . From that time, the province was known as Hyuga or Hinata (the country facing the sun) until the Meiji Restoration when it was renamed Miyazaki.

Geography

Hyūga is located in central Miyazaki Prefecture. It is bordered by the Hyūga Sea to the east and the Kyushu Mountains to the west. The area along Cape Hyūga with its exposed hexagonal pillar rocks and ria (saw tooth) coastline are designated as part of the Nippō Kaigan Quasi-National Park. A bit south are beaches such as Ise-ga-hama, Okura-ga-hama, and Kane-ga-hama, known for their surfing.

Neighboring municipalities

* Kadogawa to the north * Kijō to the southwest * Misato to the west * Tsuno to the south

Climate

Hyūga is located in the

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

zone (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: ''Cfa''), exhibiting four distinct seasons. It has a mild, but humid subtropical climate with no dry season. The climate is comparable to the southern coastal areas of the United States or southern Europe. The average summer daytime temperature is about 30 °C (86 °F) with 80% humidity. The average winter daytime temperature is about 13 °C (56 °F) with 60% humidity. Early summer is marked with the rainy season in June and July. This is followed by a hot, humid summer and daily sunshine, but is often accompanied by typhoons. Winter is mild with small amounts of rain.

Demographics

, Hyūga had a total population of 63,011 people; 30,150 males and 32,861 females.

Districts

* is Hyūga's downtown area. Hyūga City has been engaged in large scale urban renewal, slowly widening roads, creating new businesses, beautifying, and modernizing the city center. As such, Shinmachi is relatively new and modern. This region is centered on Hyūgashi Station.

* The southern part of Hososhima is centered on Hyūga's commercial fishing port between Komenoyama and Makishimayama. This is an older less frequented part of Hyūga. The streets are narrow and there are numerous old Edo-period buildings. The northern part of Hososhima is far more industrial. This region has several manufacturing plants and large areas for storage of goods and raw materials. Hososhima Industrial Port currently serves as the main international port in northern Miyazaki Prefecture handling materials and goods import and export in the region. Hososhima Industrial Port is designated as a Special Major Port and was selected as a focus port by the Japanese government in 2010. There continues to be major development and expansion of the port and its available services. Hososhima Port was selected by the Japanese government as Port of the Year 2015. * Mimitsu was a port town to the south of Hyūga which merged in 1955. It is famous for ''

washi is traditional Japanese paper processed by hand using fibers from the inner bark of the gampi tree, the mitsumata shrub (''Edgeworthia chrysantha''), or the paper mulberry (''kōzo'') bush. ''Washi'' is generally tougher than ordinary ...

'' paper and fishing. It is also supposedly the port from which the first Japanese Emperor, Jimmu, launched his military expedition to conquer

Yamato was originally the area around today's Sakurai, Nara, Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a Names of Japan, name for the whole of Japan. Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial ...

and establish it as the center of power. In the 19th century, it was a prosperous commercial port that was a hub for trade with the cities of Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe, with so many houses belonging to merchants and shipping agents crowded together that people used to refer to the thousand houses of Mimitsu (Mimitsu-sengen). It fell into sharp decline with the advent of railroads. In 1986, it was designated as a national important preservation district for groups of historic buildings, and much of the 19th-century atmosphere, including traditional buildings, earthen walls, and stone pavements, remains. * Tōgō was a small mountain town which merged with Hyūga on February 25, 2006. Togo was the home town of the Japanese writer

Bokusui Wakayama was the pen-name of , a Japanese author noted for his poetry in pre-World War II Japan. Life Wakayama was born in Togo, Miyazaki, (now part of the city of Hyūga, Miyazaki, Hyūga) as the eldest son of a doctor. He became interested in poetry f ...

History

Archaeologists working in Hyūga have reported finding artifacts such as stone tools and stone piles from as much as 30,000 years ago, the

Japanese Paleolithic The is the period of human inhabitation in Japan predating the development of pottery, generally before 10,000 BC. The starting dates commonly given to this period are from around 40,000 BC, with recent authors suggesting that there is good evi ...

period. There is also evidence of inhabitation during the

Jōmon period In Japanese history, the is the time between , during which Japan was inhabited by the Jōmon people, a diverse hunter-gatherer and early agriculturalist population united by a common culture, which reached a considerable degree of sedentism an ...

. Archaeological digs uncovering pottery from this time period continue today in parts of the city. During the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

, Hyūga was divided between the holdings of Nobeoka Domain and ''

tenryō The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil war ...

'' territory administered directly by the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

. Following the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

, the town of Hososhima and villages of Iwawaki ad Tomidaka were established on May 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. Tomidaka was raised to town status on October 1, 1921. On October 1, 1937, Hososhima and Tomidaka merged to form Toshima Town. Toshima merged with Iwawaki to form the city of Hyūga on April 1, 1951.

Municipal consolidation

Modern Hyūga City is a result of the

merger Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of a company, business organization, or one of their operating units is transferred to or consolidated with another entity. They may happen through direct absorpt ...

of numerous smaller towns and villages. These mergers began at the start of the Meiji Period when the han system was abolished and the concept of towns and cities arose. This time period, between 1888 and 1889, became known as the Great Meiji Consolidation. Following this, towns continued to merge mainly due to population limitations or financial limitations. The most recent merger in 2006 with Tōgō (from Higashiusuki District) was part of the Great Heisei Consolidation. This was a government initiative to counter population declines and financial problems while promoting decentralization of the national government. This merger increased Hyuga City's population, tax money, and autonomy.

Government

Hyūga has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

city council of 20 members. Hyūga contributes two members to the Miyazaki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Miyazaki 2nd district of the

lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

of the

Diet of Japan , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...

Economy

Hyūga is a major industrial center, with many chemical plants belonging to the

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

group. Other major industries include smelting, titanium production and food processing.

Education

Hyūga has 13 elementary schools, seven junior high schools and three high schools. The Miyazaki Board of Education also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

High schools

* Hyūga High School * Tomishima High School * Hyūga Industrial High School

Junior high schools

* Iwawaki Junior High School * Zaikōji Junior High School * Daiodani Academy – Junior High School * Hyūga Junior High School * Mimitsu Junior High School * Tomishima Junior High School * Tōgō Junior High School

Elementary schools

* Shiomi Elementary School * Saiwaki Elementary School * Hososhima Elementary School * Zaikōji Elementary School * Zaikōji Minami Elementary School * Daiodani Academy - Elementary School * Hichiya Elementary School * Hichiya Higashi Elementary School * Mimitsu Elementary School * Tomitaka Elementary School * Hiraiwa Elementary School * Tōgō Elementary School * Tsuboya Elementary School

Transportation

Railways

Nippō Main Line The is a railway line in Kyushu, in southern Japan, operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). Also known as the Fukuhoku Nippo Line, The line connects Kokura Station in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima, Kagoshima, K ...

* - - -

Highways

Higashikyushu Expressway * * * *

Sister cities

Weifang Weifang ( zh, s=潍坊, t=濰坊, p=Wéifāng) is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The city borders Dongying to the northwest, Zibo to the west, Linyi to the southwest, Rizhao to the south, Qingdao ...

Shandong Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural ...

, China, friendship city since February 25, 1986

Local attractions

Annual cultural events

* takes place the first Friday and Saturday of August every year. This is the largest festival in Hyuga City attracting visitors from all over Japan. The rather peculiar dance associated with this festival is not exclusive to Hyuga City, but this is the most famous Hyottoko dance in Japan; as such it and the characters in the dance have become symbols of the city. * takes place during September or October in accordance to the harvest moon. In Hyuga City, this event features two dances, the more traditional Jugoya dance and a traditional dance specific to the Togo region. This is the second largest festival in Hyuga City.

Museums and other points of interest

* * *

Notable people from Hyūga

Norichika Aoki is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Mets, and in ...

, Major League Baseball player * Takami Eto, politician * Masatora Kawano, Japanese racewalking athlete *

, poet

References

External links

* *
Hyuga City Incorporated Tourism Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hyuga, Miyazaki Cities in Miyazaki Prefecture Port settlements in Japan Populated coastal places in Japan