Kōnan, Kōchi

City in Shikoku, Japan

Kōnan Flag Chapter
Location of Kōnan in Kōchi Prefecture

33°34′N 133°42′E / 33.567°N 133.700°E / 33.567; 133.700
Country	Japan
Region	Shikoku
Prefecture	Kōchi
Area
• Total	126.46 km² (48.83 sq mi)
Population (30 June 2022)
• Total	33,076
• Density	260/km² (680/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	2706 Nishino, Noichichō, Kōnan-shi, Kōchi-ken 781-5232
Website	www.city.kochi-konan.lg.jp

Kōnan (香南市, Kōnan-shi) is a city located in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. As of 30 June 2022^[update], the city had an estimated population of 33,076 in 15350 households and a population density of 49 persons per km².^[1] The total area of the city is 126.46 square kilometres (48.83 sq mi).

Geography

Kōnan is located in southeastern Kōchi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It faces Tosa Bay on the Pacific Ocean to the south.

Neighbouring municipalities

Kōchi Prefecture

Climate

Kōnan has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kōnan is 15.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2190 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in Kitagawa, at around 25.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.9 °C.^[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[3] the population of Kōnan declined by roughly 25 percent from 1950 to 1970 but subsequently rebounded, peaking again around 2010.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1950	35,987	—
1960	30,429	−15.4%
1970	26,570	−12.7%
1980	28,493	+7.2%
1990	30,664	+7.6%
2000	32,639	+6.4%
2010	33,830	+3.6%
2020	32,207	−4.8%

History

As with all of Kōchi Prefecture, the area of Kōnan was part of ancient Tosa Province. During the Edo period, the area was part of the holdings of Tosa Domain ruled by the Yamauchi clan from their seat at Kōchi Castle. The area was organized into villages within Kami District with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Akaoka was raised to town status on February 15, 1899, followed by Noichi on February 1, 1926, Yasu on January 1, 1943 and Kagami on April 1, 1955. The city of Kōnan was created by the merger of these four towns and the village of Yoshikawa on March 1, 2006. On the same day, the remaining municipalities of Kami District merged to form the city of Kami, and the district was abolished as a result.

Government

Kōnan has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 22 members. Kōnan contributes two members to the Kōchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the village is part of Kōchi 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Kōnan economy is centered on agriculture.

Education

Kōnan has seven public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Kōchi Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

Tosa Kuroshio Railway - Asa Line

Noichi - Yoshikawa - Akaoka - Kagami - Yasu

Highways

Local attractions

Heritage Sites

Notable Temples

Dainichi-ji (Temple No. 28 in the Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage)
Enichi-ji (houses three Buddhist statues that are important cultural properties)

Notable Shrines

Suruda Hachimangu Shrine

Tourist Sites

Natural Properties

Tenshin Great Cedar (National Natural Monument])

Cultural Buildings

Ekingura Art Museum
Noichi Zoological Park of Kochi Prefecture
Shikoku Automobile Museum
Ryoma History Museum

Other Sites

YaSea Park
Teikokado Drawbridge

Festivals and Events

Suruda Hachimangu Festival
Ekin Festival - Held annually on the third weekend of July
Dorome Festival - Held annually in April

Notable people from Kōnan

Mika Iwakawa- Boxing champion
Mikei Hagiwara [jp] - Personal physician to the Imperial Family
Shoma Morita- psychiatrist and founder of Morita therapy
Chohei Nomura [jp] - Shipwreck survivor on uninhabited Tori-shima (Izu Islands)
Taro Kaiyama [jp] - Sumo wrestler
Masataka Murata- Physician who specialized in syphilis and leprosy
Michinari Suenobe [jp] - Former Chairman of Tokio Marine and Fire Insurance
Yu Kuroiwa [jp] - Horse racing jockey
Yusuke Aoyagi [jp] - Manga artist

References

^ "Kōnan city official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
^ https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/kochi-prefecture/konan-714866/ Kōnan climate data]
^ Kōnan population statistics