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Sukumo, Kōchi

Coordinates: 32°56′N 132°43′E / 32.933°N 132.717°E / 32.933; 132.717
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Sukumo
宿毛市
Sukumo City Hall
Sukumo City Hall
Flag of Sukumo
Official seal of Sukumo
Map
Location of Sukumo in Kōchi Prefecture
Location of Sukumo
Sukumo is located in Japan
Sukumo
Sukumo
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 32°56′N 132°43′E / 32.933°N 132.717°E / 32.933; 132.717
CountryJapan
RegionShikoku
PrefectureKōchi
Government
 • MayorToshio Okimoto
Area
 • Total286.20 km2 (110.50 sq mi)
Population
 (1 August 2022)
 • Total19,292
 • Density67/km2 (170/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address2-1 Sakura, Sukumo-shi, Kochi-ken 788-8686
ClimateCfa
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
BirdZosterops japonicus
FlowerOrchidaceae
TreeCinnamomum camphora
Aerial view of Sukumo Bay

Sukumo (宿毛市, Sukumo-shi) is a city located in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 July 2022, the city had an estimated population of 19,292 in 9966 households, and a population density of 67 persons per km².[1] The total area of the city is 286.20 square kilometres (110.50 sq mi).

Geography

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Sukumo is located in far western Kochi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. The islands of Okinoshima and Urugushima are within Sukomo city limits despite being geographically closer to neighboring Ōtsuki; these are the only inhabited islands located fully within the prefecture. Parts of the city are within the borders of the Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park.

Neighbouring municipalities

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Ehime Prefecture

Kōchi Prefecture

Climate

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Sukumo has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot, humid summers and cool winters. There is significant precipitation throughout the year, especially during June and July. The average annual temperature in Sukumo is 17.2 °C (63.0 °F). The average annual rainfall is 2,093.1 mm (82.41 in) with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.4 °C (81.3 °F), and lowest in January, at around 7.4 °C (45.3 °F).[2] The highest temperature ever recorded in Sukumo was 39.5 °C (103.1 °F) on 15 August 2020; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −5.3 °C (22.5 °F) on 27 February 1981.[3]

Climate data for Sukumo (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1943−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 22.4
(72.3)
22.9
(73.2)
25.9
(78.6)
27.8
(82.0)
32.7
(90.9)
33.1
(91.6)
37.3
(99.1)
39.5
(103.1)
35.9
(96.6)
31.7
(89.1)
27.2
(81.0)
24.3
(75.7)
39.5
(103.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 11.6
(52.9)
12.7
(54.9)
15.8
(60.4)
20.1
(68.2)
23.8
(74.8)
25.8
(78.4)
29.7
(85.5)
31.1
(88.0)
28.5
(83.3)
24.2
(75.6)
19.1
(66.4)
14.0
(57.2)
21.4
(70.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 7.4
(45.3)
8.2
(46.8)
11.2
(52.2)
15.6
(60.1)
19.5
(67.1)
22.6
(72.7)
26.4
(79.5)
27.4
(81.3)
24.6
(76.3)
19.6
(67.3)
14.5
(58.1)
9.4
(48.9)
17.2
(63.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 3.3
(37.9)
3.8
(38.8)
6.6
(43.9)
11.0
(51.8)
15.4
(59.7)
19.6
(67.3)
23.7
(74.7)
24.4
(75.9)
21.3
(70.3)
15.7
(60.3)
10.3
(50.5)
5.3
(41.5)
13.4
(56.0)
Record low °C (°F) −5.0
(23.0)
−5.3
(22.5)
−3.7
(25.3)
−0.2
(31.6)
5.0
(41.0)
11.3
(52.3)
15.7
(60.3)
16.3
(61.3)
10.0
(50.0)
4.5
(40.1)
−0.1
(31.8)
−3.3
(26.1)
−5.3
(22.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 65.1
(2.56)
90.4
(3.56)
135.9
(5.35)
157.0
(6.18)
194.6
(7.66)
328.6
(12.94)
275.1
(10.83)
245.3
(9.66)
254.3
(10.01)
168.3
(6.63)
102.2
(4.02)
76.3
(3.00)
2,093.1
(82.41)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 2
(0.8)
2
(0.8)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
trace 4
(1.6)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 7.2 8.2 10.7 9.4 9.2 13.7 10.8 9.6 11.3 7.8 7.2 6.8 111.9
Average snowy days (≥ 1 cm) 0.5 0.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 1.1
Average relative humidity (%) 63 63 65 67 72 80 80 78 77 73 70 66 71
Mean monthly sunshine hours 155.8 159.8 184.5 194.4 194.8 134.4 196.6 221.0 173.3 182.2 163.1 153.5 2,115.5
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[3][2]

Demographics

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Per Japanese census data, the population of Sukumo in 2020 is 19,033 people.[4] Sukumo has been conducting censuses since 1920.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 21,484—    
1925 21,895+1.9%
1930 22,396+2.3%
1935 22,995+2.7%
1940 23,811+3.5%
1945 30,454+27.9%
1950 31,606+3.8%
1955 31,773+0.5%
1960 30,016−5.5%
1965 26,992−10.1%
1970 25,028−7.3%
1975 25,340+1.2%
1980 26,080+2.9%
1985 26,255+0.7%
1990 25,828−1.6%
1995 25,919+0.4%
2000 25,970+0.2%
2005 24,397−6.1%
2010 22,610−7.3%
2015 20,907−7.5%
2020 19,033−9.0%
Sukumo population statistics[4]

History

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As with all of Kōchi Prefecture, the area of Sukumo 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, and Sukumo itself was a castle town centered on an outlying fortification of the domain. Following the Meiji restoration, the village of Sukumo within Hata District, Kōchi with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was elevated to town status on December 20, 1899. On March 31, 1954, Tsukumo merged with the neighboring town of Kozukuchi and the villages of Hashigama, Hirata, Yamana, and Okinoshima to form the city of Sukumo.

Government

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Sukumo has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 14 members. Sukumo, together with Ōtsuki and Mihara contributes two members to the Kōchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Kōchi 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

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Sukumo is a regional commercial center, with a local economy is dominated by agriculture, forestry and commercial fishing.

Education

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Sukumo City has eight public elementary schools and six public middle schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Kōchi Prefectural Board of Education. Kōchi Prefecture and Ehime Prefecture also jointly one middle and one high school.

Transportation

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Railway

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Tosa Kuroshio Railway Sukumo Line

Highway

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Local attractions

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Noted people from Sukumo

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  • Azusa Ono, intellectual, jurist and politician during the Meiji era.
  • Hayashi Yūzō, politician and cabinet minister in the pre-war Empire of Japan.
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References

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  1. ^ "Sukumo city official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. ^ a b 気象庁 / 平年値(年・月ごとの値). JMA. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  3. ^ a b 観測史上1~10位の値(年間を通じての値). JMA. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Sukumo population statistics
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