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Ainan, Ehime

Coordinates: 32°58′N 132°35′E / 32.967°N 132.583°E / 32.967; 132.583
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Ainan
愛南町
Ainan Town Hall
Ainan Town Hall
Flag of Ainan
Official seal of Ainan
Map
Location of Ainan in Ehime Prefecture
Location of Ainan
Ainan is located in Japan
Ainan
Ainan
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 32°58′N 132°35′E / 32.967°N 132.583°E / 32.967; 132.583
CountryJapan
RegionShikoku
PrefectureEhime
DistrictMinamiuwa
Government
 • MayorMasafumi Shimizu (清水雅文)[1]
Area
 • Total238.99 km2 (92.27 sq mi)
Population
 (September 1, 2022)
 • Total19,733
 • Density83/km2 (210/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address2420 Kō, Jōhen, Ainan-chō, Minamiuwa-gun, Ehime-ken 798-4196
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
BirdJapanese white-eye (目白, Mejiro)
FlowerAkebono azalea (曙躑躅, Akebono tsusuji)
TreeQuercus phillyraeoides (姥目樫, Ubamegashi)
Stone walls of Sotodomari hamlet
A view of the Sozu River in Ainan
Nishiumi neighborhood in Ainan

Ainan (愛南町, Ainan-chō) is a town in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 September 2022, the town had an estimated population of 19,733 in 10054 households, and a population density of 83 persons per km2.[2] The total area of the town is 238.99 square kilometres (92.27 sq mi).

Geography

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Ainan is located in far southwestern Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It faces Utsumi Bay to the west and Sukumo Bay to the south. The mountainous area that occupies most of the town area plunges directly into the sea, creating a complex ria coastline. At the mouth of the Sozu River, which flows in a large arc in the center, there is a small open flatland, where the government office is located. Parts of the town are within the borders of the Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park. Sasayama Mountain is the highest mountain in Ainan (1,064.4 m) which has a rare variety of azaleas blooming on its peak, best seen in late April, early May.

Neighbouring municipalities

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Ehime Prefecture

Kōchi Prefecture

Climate

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Ainan has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Ainan is 16.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1910 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around 25.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 6.7 °C.[3] The rainy season runs from June to July. The summer is hot and humid, with infrequent rain showers.

Climate data for Mishō, Ehime (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 21.5
(70.7)
22.6
(72.7)
25.0
(77.0)
28.7
(83.7)
32.7
(90.9)
33.3
(91.9)
37.3
(99.1)
39.0
(102.2)
35.8
(96.4)
32.9
(91.2)
27.0
(80.6)
23.7
(74.7)
39.0
(102.2)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 11.6
(52.9)
12.6
(54.7)
15.8
(60.4)
20.5
(68.9)
24.4
(75.9)
26.6
(79.9)
30.8
(87.4)
32.0
(89.6)
29.1
(84.4)
24.4
(75.9)
19.2
(66.6)
13.9
(57.0)
21.7
(71.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 7.3
(45.1)
8.0
(46.4)
10.9
(51.6)
15.4
(59.7)
19.5
(67.1)
22.6
(72.7)
26.5
(79.7)
27.5
(81.5)
24.4
(75.9)
19.3
(66.7)
14.3
(57.7)
9.4
(48.9)
17.1
(62.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 3.1
(37.6)
3.3
(37.9)
5.9
(42.6)
10.2
(50.4)
14.6
(58.3)
19.0
(66.2)
23.1
(73.6)
23.9
(75.0)
20.5
(68.9)
14.8
(58.6)
9.5
(49.1)
4.9
(40.8)
12.7
(54.9)
Record low °C (°F) −3.4
(25.9)
−4.5
(23.9)
−3.1
(26.4)
−0.2
(31.6)
3.5
(38.3)
10.0
(50.0)
14.8
(58.6)
16.3
(61.3)
10.1
(50.2)
2.6
(36.7)
−1.2
(29.8)
−3.8
(25.2)
−4.5
(23.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 69.3
(2.73)
90.8
(3.57)
139.0
(5.47)
151.5
(5.96)
199.1
(7.84)
318.2
(12.53)
247.6
(9.75)
186.9
(7.36)
228.2
(8.98)
148.2
(5.83)
104.4
(4.11)
80.8
(3.18)
1,963.7
(77.31)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 8.6 8.9 11.2 9.4 9.4 14.0 10.9 9.7 11.1 8.0 7.9 8.3 117.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours 142.9 150.7 181.0 195.5 195.0 126.7 193.9 217.3 173.9 178.9 158.1 143.5 2,067.5
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[4][5]

Demographics

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Per Japanese census data,[6] the population of Ainan has decreased steadily since the 1950s.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 32,670—    
1930 34,921+6.9%
1940 36,472+4.4%
1950 49,359+35.3%
1960 44,496−9.9%
1970 34,672−22.1%
1980 33,800−2.5%
1990 32,297−4.4%
2000 29,311−9.2%
2010 24,061−17.9%
2020 19,601−18.5%

History

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The area of Ainan was part of ancient Iyo Province. During the Edo period, the area was part of the holdings of Uwajima Domain ruled by the Date clan from their seat at Uwajima Castle. Seven villages within Minamiuwa were established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on October 1, 1889. These were gradually consolidated into the four towns of Jōhen, Mishō, Nishiumi, and Ipponmatsu, and the village of Uchiumi, which merged on October 1, 2004 to form the town of Ainan.

Government

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Ainan has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 14 members. Ainan contributes one member to the Ehime Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Ehime 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

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Ainan's economy is centered on commercial fishing, with agriculture and horticulture player smaller roles. The area was traditionally known for cultured pearls, and oyster farming and fish farming remain important. Ainan is known to produce a variety of products, including bonito, red snapper, yellowtail, oysters, noble scallops, and citrus fruits mikan. The main citrus fruit is Ainan Gold Grapefruit. Industry is less developed due to lack of suitable land and poor transportation infrastructure.

Education

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Ainan has 11 public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the town government and one combined elementary/middle school operated jointly with the city of Sukumo. The town has one public high school operated by the Ehime Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

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Railway

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Ainan does not have any passenger railway service. The nearest station in the prefecture is the JR Shikoku Uwajima Station. Another near station is the Sukumo Station of the Tosa Kuroshio Railway in Kōchi Prefecture.

Highways

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Sister cities

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Local attractions

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  • Kanjizai-ji - the 40th temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage.
  • Southern Recreation Facilities Shirobe Park, including Shogenyama Park, Misho Park (Sunpearl, Hotel), Maze Park (Shiden Kai Exhibition Hall, Uwakai Observation Tower)

Festivals

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Men carry a mikoshi during the fall festival

A variety of festivals are celebrated in Ainan, including Ainan Tairyo Matsuri in May, Natsu Matsuri (Summer festival), Obon, and Aki Matsuri.

During the Obon festival, Japan's equivalent of All Souls' Day, family members from all over Japan return to their family homes in Ainan to remember the souls of the dead. The festival is celebrated all over town, from the larger parts of Misho to the smallest hamlets in Nishiumi. In the evening, torches and lanterns can be seen along the seashore where the towns are gathering.

Aki Matsuri (fall festival) is a major event for the local people. People gather in many places to watch children perform the Five Deer Dance, or the Karashishi dance. Adults also carry mikoshi and Ushi Oni (a large cow demon float) around town.

References

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  1. ^ "Ainan-chō Kōshiki Home Page/Goaisatsu" 愛南町公式ホームページ/ごあいさつ [Official Homepage of Ainan Town/Greetings] (in Japanese). Ainan Town. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Ainan town official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  3. ^ Ainan climate data
  4. ^ 観測史上1~10位の値(年間を通じての値). JMA. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  5. ^ 気象庁 / 平年値(年・月ごとの値). JMA. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  6. ^ Ainan population statistics
  7. ^ Carro, María (1 August 2011). "Molinaseca se hermana con una villa nipona" [Molinaseca becomes twinned with a Japanese village] (in Spanish). El Norte de Castilla. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
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