Makurazaki, Kagoshima

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Makurazaki in 2020 is 20,033 people.

History

The area of Makurazaki is part of ancient Satsuma Province and was part of the holdings of Satsuma Domain in the Edo period. The village of Tonangata in Kawabe District was established on April 1, 1889, with the creation of the modern municipalities system. Tonangata was raised to town status on July 1, 1923, and renamed Makurazaki. On September 17, 1945, the Makurazaki Typhoon made landfall at Makurazaki and killed 12 people, destroying 2,339 houses. (Nationwide, 2,473 people were killed, 1,283 were missing, 89,839 houses were damaged, and 273,888 houses were flooded.) Makurazaki was raised to city status on September 1, 1949. Plans to merge Makurazaki and neighboring Chiran, Kagoshima were defeated in 2004, with Chiran subsequently becoming part of Minamikyushu.

Government

Makurazaki has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 14 members. Makurazaki contributes one member to the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Kagoshima 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Minamisatsuma has a rural economy based on commercial fishing and food processing. It is famous for its katsuobushi processing plants, which produce the chief flavoring ingredient—dried fish flakes—found in Japanese miso soup. About 70 small family businesses year-round boil, cut, dry and smoke the pungent fish, often sending a unique odor of steam, smoke and fish scent across the downtown area and out to sea.

Education

Makurazaki has four public elementary schools and four public junior high schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Kagoshima Prefectural Board of Education.

Makurazaki, Kagoshima

Demographics

History

Government

Economy

Education

Transportation

Railways

Highways

References

External links