Kahoku, Ishikawa

Kahoku かほく市
City
Kahoku City Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Kahoku in Ishikawa Prefecture
Kahoku
Coordinates: 36°43′11.3″N 136°42′24.1″E / 36.719806°N 136.706694°E / 36.719806; 136.706694Coordinates: 36°43′11.3″N 136°42′24.1″E / 36.719806°N 136.706694°E / 36.719806; 136.706694
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Hokuriku)
Prefecture	Ishikawa Prefecture
Government
• - Mayor	Waichiro Aburano
Area
• Total	64.44 km2 (24.88 sq mi)
Population (January 31, 2018)
• Total	35,188
• Density	550/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
City symbols
-Tree	Sakura
-Flower	Rosa rugosa
-Bird	Kentish plover
Phone number	076-283-1111
Address	81 Unoke, Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken 929-1195
Website	Official website

Kahoku (かほく市, Kahoku-shi) is a city located in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 January 2018, the city had an estimated population of 35,188 in 12787 households, and a population density of 550 persons per km².^[1] The total area of the city was 64.44 square kilometres (24.88 sq mi).

Geography

Kahoku is located in central Ishikawa Prefecture. It is approximately 20 km north of the capital of, Kanazawa, or thirty minutes by train. Kahoku lies between the Sea of Japan to the west, the town of Hōdatsushimizu to the north, the town of Tsubata to the east and the town of Uchinada to the south. Geographically from the east to west, Kahoku is composed of a mountainous region, a hilly region, a terrace region, a lowland region and then a coastal region. In the northern part of town the Ōmi River flows into the Sea of Japan and in the southern area, the Unoke River flows into the Kahoku Lagoon which marks the southernmost part of Kahoku.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[2] the population of Kahoku has remained steady over the past 40 years.

Climate

Kahoku has a humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kahoku is 14.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2500 mm with September as the wettest month.The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.9 °C.^[3]

History

The area around Kahoku was mostly part of ancient Kaga Province, with a small portion of its northern area in Noto Province. The area became part Kaga Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. Following the Meiji restoration, the area was organised into Kahoku District, Ishikawa. The villages of Takamatsu, Nanatsuka and Unoke were established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Takamatsu was raised to town status on August 1, 1922, Nanatsuka on February 11, 1940 and Unoke on February 11, 1948. The three towns merged on March 1, 2004 to form the city of Kahoku.

Government

Kahoku has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members.

Economy

The local economy of Kahoku is dominated by agriculture.

Education

Kahoku has six public elementary schools and three middle schools operated by the city government; however, the city down not have a high school. The Ishikawa Prefectural Nursing University is also located in Kahoku.

Transportation

Sister city relations

• Messkirch, Germany (since May 3, 1985)

Local attractions

• Kamiyamada Shell Mound, a National Historic Site^[4]

Notable people from Kahoku

• Kitaro Nishida, philosopher

References

External links

• Media related to Kahoku, Ishikawa at Wikimedia Commons
• Kahoku City official website (in Japanese)
• Kahoku City official website (in English)