Ōtake, Hiroshima

Ōtake
大竹市
Ōtake City Hall
Ōtake City Hall
Flag of Ōtake
Official seal of Ōtake
Map
Location of Ōtake in Hiroshima Prefecture
Location of Ōtake
Ōtake is located in Japan
Ōtake
Ōtake
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 34°14′16″N 132°13′20″E / 34.23778°N 132.22222°E / 34.23778; 132.22222
CountryJapan
RegionChūgoku (San'yō)
PrefectureHiroshima
Government
 • MayorYoshiro Iriyama (since June 2006)
Area
 • Total78.66 km2 (30.37 sq mi)
Population
 (June 1, 2023)
 • Total25,955
 • Density330/km2 (850/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall addressOgata 1-11-1, Ōtake-shi, Hiroshima-ken 739-0692
ClimateCfa
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
FlowerRhododendron
TreeRound Leaf Holly
Yasaka Dam
Aerial photo of Ōtake city center
ruins of Kamei Castle
Kinryu Falls

Ōtake (大竹市, ōtake-shi) is a city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 June 2023, the city had an estimated population of 25,955 in 12884 households and a population density of 330 persons per km².[1] The total area of the city is 78.66 square kilometres (30.37 sq mi).

Geography

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Ōtake is located on the border with Yamaguchi Prefecture in far southwestern Hiroshima Prefecture, and forms an integrated urban area with strong connections to Iwakuni, Yamaguchi. The city area has a gentle slope from the southwest to the northeast, and the geology is paleozoic strata and granite in the western mountains, and the urban area is sand and gravel. The urban area is surrounded by the Chugoku Mountains in the northwest, the Oze River in the south, and the Seto Inland Sea in the east, and develops into flat land along the coastline. With the exception of coastal urban areas, there are few flatlands and most of the city area is mountainous, with steep slopes approaching the coastline.

Adjoining municipalities

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Hiroshima Prefecture

Yamaguchi Prefecture

Demographics

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Per Japanese census data, the population of Ōtake in 2020 is 26,319 people.[2] Ōtake has been conducting censuses since 1950.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1950 29,073—    
1955 32,782+12.8%
1960 34,546+5.4%
1965 38,145+10.4%
1970 37,637−1.3%
1975 38,457+2.2%
1980 36,075−6.2%
1985 34,760−3.6%
1990 33,236−4.4%
1995 32,850−1.2%
2000 31,405−4.4%
2005 30,279−3.6%
2010 28,848−4.7%
2015 27,865−3.4%
2020 26,319−5.5%
Ōtake population statistics[2]

Climate

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Ōtake has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) characterized by cool to mild winters and hot, humid summers. The average annual temperature in Ōtake is 16.3 °C (61.3 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,694.6 mm (66.72 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 28.1 °C (82.6 °F), and lowest in January, at around 5.3 °C (41.5 °F).[3] The highest temperature ever recorded in Ōtake was 38.0 °C (100.4 °F) on 17 July 1994; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −7.5 °C (18.5 °F) on 26 February 1981.[4]

Climate data for Ōtake (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1979−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17.4
(63.3)
22.0
(71.6)
23.6
(74.5)
31.0
(87.8)
32.0
(89.6)
35.1
(95.2)
38.0
(100.4)
38.0
(100.4)
36.4
(97.5)
32.2
(90.0)
26.8
(80.2)
21.4
(70.5)
38.0
(100.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 9.7
(49.5)
10.5
(50.9)
14.1
(57.4)
19.5
(67.1)
24.2
(75.6)
27.1
(80.8)
31.1
(88.0)
32.6
(90.7)
28.9
(84.0)
23.5
(74.3)
17.5
(63.5)
12.0
(53.6)
20.9
(69.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 5.3
(41.5)
6.0
(42.8)
9.2
(48.6)
14.4
(57.9)
19.2
(66.6)
22.8
(73.0)
26.8
(80.2)
28.1
(82.6)
24.4
(75.9)
18.7
(65.7)
12.8
(55.0)
7.5
(45.5)
16.3
(61.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.5
(34.7)
1.9
(35.4)
4.6
(40.3)
9.6
(49.3)
14.6
(58.3)
19.2
(66.6)
23.5
(74.3)
24.6
(76.3)
20.7
(69.3)
14.4
(57.9)
8.6
(47.5)
3.6
(38.5)
12.2
(54.0)
Record low °C (°F) −5.3
(22.5)
−7.5
(18.5)
−3.4
(25.9)
−0.4
(31.3)
4.6
(40.3)
10.5
(50.9)
15.7
(60.3)
17.3
(63.1)
8.6
(47.5)
2.9
(37.2)
0.1
(32.2)
−4.3
(24.3)
−7.5
(18.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 50.7
(2.00)
73.4
(2.89)
130.9
(5.15)
156.8
(6.17)
181.1
(7.13)
257.9
(10.15)
288.4
(11.35)
148.0
(5.83)
168.8
(6.65)
109.4
(4.31)
71.6
(2.82)
57.6
(2.27)
1,694.6
(66.72)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 6.3 7.7 9.7 9.3 9.0 11.6 10.9 8.1 9.0 6.6 6.3 6.7 101.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours 153.5 151.7 183.9 196.3 215.6 156.7 177.0 213.0 165.8 177.6 160.2 155.2 2,104.3
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[3][4]

History

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The area of Ōtake was part of ancient Aki Province, and was on the route of the ancient San'yōdō highway. During the Muromachi period, it was largely the property of Itsukushima Shrine, coming under the control of the Mōri clan in the Sengoku period. After the start of the Edo Period, Fukushima Masanori built a Kamei Castle to defend against the Mōri, but was forced to dismantle it in 1611 by the Tokugawa shogunate. During the Bakumatsu period, the area became a battleground during the Chōshū expedition. Following the Meiji restoration, the village of Ōtake was established within Saeki District, Hiroshima on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to town status on January 1, 1911. In 1923, Shinkin Rayon, the predecessor of Mitsubishi Rayon (currently Mitsubishi Chemical) established a major factory in the town, and the Imperial Japanese Navy Naval Infantry established a diving school. In 1945, Ōtake was a major port of entry for Japanese who had been deported from the Empire of Japan's former overseas territories. On September 1, 1954 Otake Town merged with the towns of Ogata and Kuba Town, the village of Kuriya and a part of the village of Tomokazu to form the city of Ōtake.

Government

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Ōtake has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 16 members. Ōtake contributes one member to the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Hiroshima 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

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Otake is the part of Seto Inland Sea industrial area, formed the first petrochemical industrial complex (kombinat) in Japan, The city is orientated towards heavy industry, with companies producing petroleum, pulp and paper, and chemical fibers. The city has little flat land suitable for agriculture.

Education

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Ōtake has two public elementary schools, two public junior high schools and one public combined elementary/middle schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

Transportation

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Railway

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JR West (JR West) - San'yō Main Line

Highways

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Sister cities

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Otake has Sister City relationships with:

Local attractions

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References

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  1. ^ "Ōtake city official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. ^ a b Ōtake population statistics
  3. ^ a b 気象庁 / 平年値(年・月ごとの値). JMA. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  4. ^ a b 観測史上1~10位の値(年間を通じての値). JMA. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
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