Asagiri, Kumamoto

Asagiri あさぎり町
Town
Location of Asagiri in Kumamoto Prefecture
Asagiri Location in Japan
Coordinates: 32°14′N 130°54′E / 32.233°N 130.900°E / 32.233; 130.900Coordinates: 32°14′N 130°54′E / 32.233°N 130.900°E / 32.233; 130.900
Country	Japan
Region	Kyushu
Prefecture	Kumamoto Prefecture
District	Kuma
Area
• Total	159.56 km2 (61.61 sq mi)
Population (February 2016)
• Total	15,388
• Density	96/km2 (250/sq mi)
Symbols
• Tree	Buna (Japanese beech)
• Flower	Ryoukinka (Marsh marigold)
• Bird	Eurasian skylark
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City hall address	熊本県球磨郡あさぎり町免田東1199番地 868-0408
Website	www.asagiri-town.net

Asagiri (あさぎり町, Asagiri-chō) is a town located in Kuma District, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.

As of February 2016, the town has an estimated population of 15,388. The total area is 159.49 km².

Asagiri was created by the merger of 5 smaller towns and villages on April 1, 2003. Those included the town of Menda, and the villages of Ōkaharu, Ue, Sue and Fukada, all from Kuma District.

There is an abundance of rice growing in Asagiri which is in a rural area. Soybeans, strawberries, melons and tobacco are also produced here.

Asagiri is in the Kuma District region where shōchū, a popular rice alcohol is produced and consumed.

The village of Sue (now part of Asagiri) was the topic of a 1939 text, Suye Mura, a Japanese Village by John Embree.

The word "asagiri" translates as "morning mist".

Geography

Mt. Shiragatake is a designated nature reserve.

• Mountains: Shiragatake
• Rivers: Kuma river

Adjacent municipalities

• Kumamoto prefecture:
  • Nishiki town
  • Taragi town
  • Sagara village
• Miyazaki prefecture
  • Ebino city

Area names

Names inside the parenthesis () are the old village names before the merger in 2003.

• East Ue – Uehigashi (Uemura, Ueko)
• North Ue – Uekita (Uemura, Ueotsu)
• South Ue – Ueminami (Uemura, Uehei)
• West Ue – Uenishi (Uemura, Uetei)
• Minagoe (Ue village, Minagoe)
• North Okaharu – Okaharukita (Okaharumura, Miyahara)
• South Okaharu – Okaharuminami (Okaharumura, Okamoto)
• Sue (Sue village)
• North Fukada – Fukadakita (Fukadamura)
• West Fukada (Fukadamura)
• East Fukada (Fukadamura)
• South Fukada (Fukadamura)
• East Menda (Mendamachi-ko)
• West Menda (Mendamachi-otsu)

History

Development

• April 1, 1889: The towns and villages became designated areas.
  • Within Kuma district: Ue village, Minagoe village, Menda village, Okaharu village, Sue village, and Fukada village
• December 7, 1895: Minagoe village was incorporated into Ue village
• April 1, 1937: Menda village became Menda town (Menda machi)
• April 1, 2003: The Kuma district villages of Ue, Okaharu, Sue, Fukada and town of Menda merged to create Asagiri-town. The name was chosen because for the fog that blankets the valley from fall through spring.(Asa – morning, kiri/giri – fog)

Government

Mayor

• First mayor: Indou Takuichiro: April 27, 2003 – April 26, 2007
• Second mayor: Aikou Kazunori: April 27, 2007 – incumbent, second term

Economy

As of 2004, the total town production was 430 billion yen.

External links

• Media related to Asagiri, Kumamoto at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website (Japanese)