Muroto, Kōchi
Muroto (室戸市, Muroto-shi) is a city located in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on March 1, 1951. As of 1 February 2021, the city has an estimated population of 14,006, with 7,622 households[1] and a population density of 56 persons per km2. The total area is 248.25 km2.
Muroto
室戸市 | |
|---|---|
 View of the Pacific Ocean from Cape Muroto | |
 Flag  Emblem | |
 Location of Muroto in Kōchi Prefecture | |
 | |
  Muroto Location in Japan | |
| Coordinates: 33°17′24″N 134°09′07″E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Shikoku |
| Prefecture | Kōchi Prefecture |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Soichiro Ueta |
| Area | |
| • Total | 248.25 km2 (95.85 sq mi) |
| Population (1 February 2021) | |
| • Total | 14,006 |
| • Density | 56/km2 (150/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| City hall address | 25-1 Ukitsu, Muroto-shi, Kōchi-ken 781-7185 |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Website | www |
| Symbols | |
| Bird | Japanese white-eye |
| Flower | Hamayū |
| Tree | Ubamegashi (Quercus phillyraeoides) |
The entire territory of Muroto is "Muroto Global Geopark" which is a member of the Japanese Geoparks Network and Global Geoparks Network since 2011 on account of its outstanding geological heritage, educational programs and projects, and promotion of geotourism.[2]
In 1934, a typhoon hit the city, and caused tremendous devastation, killed 3,000 people
Geography
Climate
Muroto 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 Muroto is 16.9 °C (62.4 °F). The average annual rainfall is 2,465.0 mm (97.05 in) with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.3 °C (79.3 °F), and lowest in January, at around 7.7 °C (45.9 °F).[3] The highest temperature ever recorded in Muroto was 35.0 °C (95.0 °F) on 30 July 1942; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −6.6 °C (20.1 °F) on 26 February 1981.[4]
| Climate data for Cape Muroto, Muroto (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1920−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 20.8 (69.4) |
21.1 (70.0) |
22.9 (73.2) |
25.8 (78.4) |
28.2 (82.8) |
30.1 (86.2) |
35.0 (95.0) |
34.5 (94.1) |
32.9 (91.2) |
29.5 (85.1) |
26.4 (79.5) |
22.0 (71.6) |
35.0 (95.0) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 10.6 (51.1) |
11.4 (52.5) |
14.3 (57.7) |
18.2 (64.8) |
21.7 (71.1) |
23.9 (75.0) |
27.6 (81.7) |
29.0 (84.2) |
26.5 (79.7) |
22.2 (72.0) |
17.7 (63.9) |
13.0 (55.4) |
19.7 (67.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 7.7 (45.9) |
8.2 (46.8) |
11.0 (51.8) |
15.2 (59.4) |
18.8 (65.8) |
21.5 (70.7) |
25.0 (77.0) |
26.3 (79.3) |
24.0 (75.2) |
19.8 (67.6) |
15.1 (59.2) |
10.2 (50.4) |
16.9 (62.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 5.1 (41.2) |
5.4 (41.7) |
8.1 (46.6) |
12.5 (54.5) |
16.5 (61.7) |
19.6 (67.3) |
23.2 (73.8) |
24.4 (75.9) |
22.0 (71.6) |
17.6 (63.7) |
12.7 (54.9) |
7.7 (45.9) |
14.6 (58.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −5.4 (22.3) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
2.2 (36.0) |
7.1 (44.8) |
12.6 (54.7) |
16.5 (61.7) |
17.9 (64.2) |
14.4 (57.9) |
6.8 (44.2) |
1.8 (35.2) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 89.5 (3.52) |
113.8 (4.48) |
177.4 (6.98) |
203.2 (8.00) |
240.6 (9.47) |
330.8 (13.02) |
267.9 (10.55) |
210.2 (8.28) |
322.3 (12.69) |
251.8 (9.91) |
164.3 (6.47) |
93.3 (3.67) |
2,465 (97.05) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 6.5 | 7.6 | 10.6 | 10.1 | 10.6 | 13.9 | 11.1 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 10.0 | 8.0 | 6.1 | 117.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 1 cm) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 61 | 63 | 67 | 71 | 78 | 87 | 89 | 86 | 80 | 72 | 68 | 63 | 74 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 179.0 | 172.1 | 194.7 | 199.7 | 196.1 | 132.3 | 177.8 | 227.9 | 171.2 | 178.5 | 169.3 | 180.4 | 2,178.9 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[4][3] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Muroto in 2020 is 11,742 people.[5] Muroto has been conducting censuses since 1920.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 22,207 | — |
| 1925 | 23,851 | +7.4% |
| 1930 | 26,103 | +9.4% |
| 1935 | 25,967 | −0.5% |
| 1940 | 25,081 | −3.4% |
| 1945 | 30,227 | +20.5% |
| 1950 | 32,667 | +8.1% |
| 1955 | 32,878 | +0.6% |
| 1960 | 30,498 | −7.2% |
| 1965 | 28,746 | −5.7% |
| 1970 | 27,445 | −4.5% |
| 1975 | 26,660 | −2.9% |
| 1980 | 26,086 | −2.2% |
| 1985 | 25,309 | −3.0% |
| 1990 | 23,308 | −7.9% |
| 1995 | 21,430 | −8.1% |
| 2000 | 19,472 | −9.1% |
| 2005 | 17,490 | −10.2% |
| 2010 | 15,210 | −13.0% |
| 2015 | 13,524 | −11.1% |
| 2020 | 11,742 | −13.2% |
| Muroto population statistics[5] | ||
Population
As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 14,006, with 7,622 households[1] and a population density of 56 persons per km2. The total area is 248.25 km2.
Geology
The peninsula is made up of Oligocene to Pleistocene-aged sedimentary rocks and loose Holocene-aged alluvial deposits. The rocks belong to the Shimanto Supergroup, represented in the peninsula as mudstone, and the Tonohama Group made up of chiefly of sandstone and gravel.[6] Several active, WNW-dipping, thrust faults are exposed at the western coast and southern tip of the peninsula. Off-shore west of the Cape Muroto, tip of the peninsula, there faults dips to the west.[6]
There are uplifted marine terraces at Muroto. Dating of these terraces reveal that since their formation in an interval 123 to 96 thousand years ago (k B.P.), in an epoch corresponding to the Eemian interglacial. Since then land in the tip of the peninsula has risen 1.2–1.6 meters every thousand years (m/kyr). Closer to the mainland the uplift rate has been in the order of 0.3–0.7 m/kyr.[6] While these are long-term averages individual large non-megathrust earthquakes are known to have uplifted the coast around one meter. These earthquakes are more rare than megathrust ones occurring every 1000 to 2000 years.[6]
Uplift of the coast has left fossil tube worm colonies attached to rocks on land.[2]
References
- "Official website of Muroto City" (in Japanese). Japan: Muroto City. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- Muroto Global Geopark
- 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- Muroto population statistics
- Matsu'ura, Tabito (2015). "Late Quaternary uplift rate inferred from marine terraces, Muroto Peninsula, southwest Japan: Forearc deformation in an oblique subduction zone". Geomorphology. 234: 133–150. Bibcode:2015Geomo.234..133M. doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2015.01.012.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Muroto, Kochi. |
- Muroto City official website (in Japanese)
- Muroto Global Geopark in English
- Muroto-Anan Coast Quasi-National Park in English
Geographic data related to Muroto, Kōchi at OpenStreetMap
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