Miyakonojō, Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyūshū Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Miyakonojō is a city in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. The total area is 653.36 km² making it the largest city in the prefecture in terms of area.

Geography Miyakonojō is located at the south-western tip of Miyazaki Prefecture in the Miyakonojō basin, approximately 50 km west-southwest of Miyazaki City and approximately 90 km east-northeast of Kagoshima City. The northern, western, and southern parts of the city border Kagoshima Prefecture.The Ōyodo River flows roughly from north to south through the centre of the city, and the city is surrounded by the Kirishima Mountains to the west and the Wanizuka Mountains to the east.

Neighboring municipalities Miyazaki Prefecture • Miyazaki • Nichinan • Kobayashi • Kushima • Mimata • Takaharu; Kagoshima Prefecture • Soo • Kirishima • Shibushi.

Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Miyakonojō in 2020 is 160,640 people.

History The area of Miyakonojō was part of ancient Hyūga Province. In 1026, near the end of the Heian period, it was site of the Shimazu Estate, the largest shōen (landed estate or manor) of medieval Japan. Expanded substantially in the first half of the 12th century, it eventually covered large portions of Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga Provinces. In 1185, Koremune no Tadahisa was appointed as jitō of the estate, and adopted the name of the manor, thus founding the Shimazu clan. The area was ruled by the Hongō clan, a cadet branch of the Shimazu, in the Muromachi period, and with a kokudaka of 40,000 koku, was the largest of the autonomous territories within Satsuma Domain in the Edo period. Following the Meiji restoration, the town of Miyakonojō was established on May 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was elevated to city status on April 1, 1924.

On January 1, 2006, the towns of Takajō, Takazaki, Yamada and Yamanokuchi (all from Kitamorokata District) were merged into Miyakonojō.

Government Miyakonojō has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 29 members. Miyakonojō contributes six members to the Miyazaki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Miyazaki 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy Many of Miyakonojō's citizens work as farmers. They produce gobō, meat, and bell peppers. Miyakonojō is also home to some agriculture-related manufacturing.

Miyakonojō is also famous for producing traditional Japanese archery bows from the abundant bamboo in the area.

Education Miyakonojō has 35 public elementary schools and 19 public junior high schools operated by the city government. The city has six public high schools operated by the Miyazaki Prefectural Board of Education. There are also two private high schools. The prefecture operates two special education schools for the handicapped.

Transport: Rail JR Kyushu - Nippō Main Line • Aoidake - Yamanokuchi - < Mochibaru - Mimata > - Miyakonojō - Nishi-Miyakonojō - Isoichi; JR Kyushu - Kitto Line • Hyūga Maeda - Takasaki Shinden - Higashi Takasaki - Mangatsuka - Tanigashira - Hyūga Shōnai - Miyakonojō.

Transport: Road • Miyazaki Expressway • National Route 10 • National Route 221 • National Route 222 • National Route 223 • National Route 269.

Local attractions • Imamachi ichirizuka, National Historic Site • Ōshima Hatakeda Site, National Historic Site.