Hagi, Yamaguchi

Hagi (萩市, Hagi-shi) is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, which was incorporated on July 1, 1932. As of May 31, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 50,179 and a population density of 71.80 persons per square kilometre (186.0 per square mile). The total area is 698.86 km2 (269.83 sq mi).

Hagi
萩市
City
Hagi castle town
Hagi castle town
Flag of Hagi
Flag
Official seal of Hagi
Emblem
Location of Hagi in Yamaguchi Prefecture
Hagi is located in Japan
Hagi
Hagi
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 34°24′N 131°24′E
CountryJapan
RegionChūgoku (San'yō)
PrefectureYamaguchi Prefecture
Hagi Town SettledApril 1, 1889
Hagi City SettledJuly 1, 1932
Government
 • MayorFumihito Tanaka (from May 2021)
Area
 • Total698.86 km2 (269.83 sq mi)
Population
 (May 31, 2016)
 • Total50,179
 • Density71.80/km2 (186.0/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
ClimateCfa
Websitewww.city.hagi.lg.jp

History
Main keep (tenshu) of Hagi Castle, before 1880

In the medieval period, Hagi was dominated by the Yoshimi clan, who built Hagi Castle, the ruins of which can be visited today. The Mōri clan became daimyōs of Chōshū Domain at the beginning of the Edo period and built Hagi Castle at the foot of Mt. Shizuki in 1608. They transferred the capital of the domain from Hiroshima to Hagi at the same time. Hagi then developed as the political center of Chōshū for over 250 years.

When the Meiji Restoration came about in the 1860s, as the result of efforts by samurai from Chōshū and a number of other domains, this small city gained great historical significance. Many Japanese statesmen and Prime Ministers were born and brought up in this city.

On March 6, 2005, Hagi absorbed the towns of Susa and Tamagawa, and the villages of Asahi, Fukue, Kawakami and Mutsumi (all from Abu District) to create the new, expanded city of Hagi.

Population

One of the factors underlying the continual decrease of population is said to be its poor public transport. Industry did not grow at all and the rapid economic growth of Japan only caused the town to decline. But it also kept the traditions alive and the traditional look of the town preserved.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
195597,744—    
196093,245−0.94%
197077,962−1.77%
198074,846−0.41%
199068,999−0.81%
YearPop.±% p.a.
199565,293−1.10%
200061,745−1.11%
200557,989−1.25%
201053,606−1.56%
Source: [1]

Climate

Hagi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) with hot, humid and wet summers combined with cool to mild winters, with a relatively high precipitation amount compared to mainland Asian locations on similar latitudes.

Climate data for Hagi (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1948−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 18.8
(65.8)		 23.6
(74.5)		 25.9
(78.6)		 30.7
(87.3)		 32.1
(89.8)		 34.6
(94.3)		 36.6
(97.9)		 38.3
(100.9)		 37.4
(99.3)		 32.2
(90.0)		 26.5
(79.7)		 24.2
(75.6)		 38.3
(100.9)
Average high °C (°F) 9.4
(48.9)		 10.4
(50.7)		 13.7
(56.7)		 18.4
(65.1)		 22.9
(73.2)		 25.7
(78.3)		 30.1
(86.2)		 31.1
(88.0)		 27.2
(81.0)		 22.4
(72.3)		 17.3
(63.1)		 11.8
(53.2)		 20.0
(68.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 5.7
(42.3)		 6.4
(43.5)		 9.1
(48.4)		 13.6
(56.5)		 18.3
(64.9)		 21.9
(71.4)		 26.2
(79.2)		 27.0
(80.6)		 23.1
(73.6)		 17.7
(63.9)		 12.8
(55.0)		 8.0
(46.4)		 15.8
(60.5)
Average low °C (°F) 2.4
(36.3)		 2.5
(36.5)		 4.6
(40.3)		 8.8
(47.8)		 13.9
(57.0)		 18.6
(65.5)		 23.0
(73.4)		 23.8
(74.8)		 19.8
(67.6)		 13.7
(56.7)		 8.6
(47.5)		 4.3
(39.7)		 12.0
(53.6)
Record low °C (°F) −5.8
(21.6)		 −6.8
(19.8)		 −3.9
(25.0)		 −0.3
(31.5)		 3.0
(37.4)		 8.6
(47.5)		 12.2
(54.0)		 15.2
(59.4)		 8.1
(46.6)		 3.9
(39.0)		 0.6
(33.1)		 −3.8
(25.2)		 −6.8
(19.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 94.5
(3.72)		 76.3
(3.00)		 124.5
(4.90)		 120.4
(4.74)		 134.7
(5.30)		 206.5
(8.13)		 273.5
(10.77)		 178.0
(7.01)		 201.4
(7.93)		 107.5
(4.23)		 88.8
(3.50)		 86.9
(3.42)		 1,692.9
(66.65)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 3
(1.2)		 2
(0.8)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 trace 5
(2.0)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 10.8 10.2 11.5 10.1 8.7 11.4 10.7 9.0 10.2 8.1 8.9 10.6 120.2
Average snowy days (≥ 1 cm) 0.9 0.6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 1.7
Average relative humidity (%) 70 69 69 70 71 80 78 78 79 76 73 71 74
Mean monthly sunshine hours 76.6 94.4 147.3 177.4 204.6 139.1 171.8 206.3 152.4 160.8 119.2 83.3 1,733.2
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[2][3][4]
Climate data for Susa, Hagi (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 19.5
(67.1)		 22.9
(73.2)		 25.0
(77.0)		 30.0
(86.0)		 30.9
(87.6)		 33.7
(92.7)		 36.2
(97.2)		 37.2
(99.0)		 35.5
(95.9)		 32.0
(89.6)		 26.1
(79.0)		 24.4
(75.9)		 37.2
(99.0)
Average high °C (°F) 8.9
(48.0)		 9.8
(49.6)		 12.9
(55.2)		 17.8
(64.0)		 22.4
(72.3)		 25.3
(77.5)		 29.2
(84.6)		 30.6
(87.1)		 26.5
(79.7)		 21.7
(71.1)		 16.7
(62.1)		 11.4
(52.5)		 19.4
(67.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 5.1
(41.2)		 5.4
(41.7)		 8.0
(46.4)		 12.6
(54.7)		 17.2
(63.0)		 21.0
(69.8)		 25.2
(77.4)		 26.0
(78.8)		 21.9
(71.4)		 16.4
(61.5)		 11.6
(52.9)		 7.1
(44.8)		 14.8
(58.6)
Average low °C (°F) 0.9
(33.6)		 0.6
(33.1)		 2.4
(36.3)		 6.6
(43.9)		 11.6
(52.9)		 16.9
(62.4)		 21.6
(70.9)		 22.1
(71.8)		 17.7
(63.9)		 11.3
(52.3)		 6.4
(43.5)		 2.6
(36.7)		 10.1
(50.1)
Record low °C (°F) −6.2
(20.8)		 −7.1
(19.2)		 −4.8
(23.4)		 −2.9
(26.8)		 1.1
(34.0)		 6.5
(43.7)		 12.6
(54.7)		 14.9
(58.8)		 7.1
(44.8)		 2.2
(36.0)		 −2.3
(27.9)		 −3.7
(25.3)		 −7.1
(19.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 102.8
(4.05)		 85.8
(3.38)		 137.1
(5.40)		 124.7
(4.91)		 142.2
(5.60)		 209.1
(8.23)		 274.2
(10.80)		 164.8
(6.49)		 208.0
(8.19)		 117.3
(4.62)		 102.7
(4.04)		 107.9
(4.25)		 1,776.6
(69.94)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 12.8 11.5 12.5 10.7 9.7 11.7 11.3 9.0 10.7 9.4 10.9 12.7 132.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours 66.8 88.5 146.7 183.6 206.9 144.7 173.7 203.8 148.9 157.4 111.3 72.2 1,704.6
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[5][6]

Economy

Iwami Airport in nearby Masuda, Shimane Prefecture serves Hagi.

Tourism is a strong factor of the town.

Military

Hagi is home to the Ground Self-Defense Force's Mutsumi Training Area, and is a proposed installation site for the Aegis Ashore missile defense system.[7]

Hagi Pottery (Hagiyaki)
Hagi ware tea bowl (chawan), Edo period, 18th-19th century

The city was the capital of the Chōshū Domain during the Edo period (ca. 1603–1868). Hagi is renowned for Hagi ware, a form of Japanese pottery dating from 1604 when two Korean potters were brought to Hagi by Lord Mōri Terumoto.

Hagi was also the location for an International Sculpture Symposium in 1981. Twenty-six international sculptors worked together to create a seaside park. They created many functional sculptures, including tables and benches.

People
Tamae Kannon

Sister cities

Since 1968, Hagi has been a sister city to Ulsan, South Korea.

References
  1. National Census by Statistics Bureau Japan
  2. "平年値（年・月ごとの値）". Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  3. "観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）". Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  4. "47754: Hagi (Japan)". ogimet.com. OGIMET. 22 June 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  5. 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  6. 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  7. The Associated Press (June 23, 2018). "Japan's defence chief seeks local support to deploy a land-based missile shield". The South China Morning Post.

Further reading
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hagi, Yamaguchi.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.