Kudamatsu

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Kudamatsu 下松市
City
Kudamatsu City Hall
Flag Emblem
Location of Kudamatsu in Yamaguchi Prefecture
Kudamatsu Location in Japan
Coordinates: 34°00′54″N 131°52′13″E / 34.01500°N 131.87028°E / 34.01500; 131.87028
Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku (Sanyo)
Prefecture	Yamaguchi
Government
• Mayor	Masuo Kunii
Area
• Total	89.35 km2 (34.50 sq mi)
Population  (May 31, 2014)
• Total	56,892
• Density	640/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	3-3-3 Ōtemachi, Kudamatsu-shi, Yamaguchi-ken 744-8585
Climate	Cfa
Website	Official website
Symbols
Flower	Salvia splendens
Tree	Myrica rubra

Kudamatsu (下松市, Kudamatsu-shi) is a city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 May 2023^[update], the city had an estimated population of 56,892 in 26829 households and a population density of 640 persons per km².^[1] The total area of the city is 89.35 square kilometres (34.50 sq mi).

Kudamatsu is sandwiched between the cities of Shunan and Hikari, with which it has strong ties in terms of industry, economy, and population exchange; the three cities are informally called the "Shunan District". The city includes the islands of Kasado and Furushima offshore. In the south, facing the Seto Inland Sea, is the main industrial area and port.The northern area is increasingly a suburban residential area.

Yamaguchi Prefecture

• Hikari
• Shūnan

Kudamatsu has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is much higher in summer than in winter. The average annual temperature in Kudamatsu is 15.6 °C (60.1 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,850.1 mm (72.84 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.0 °C (80.6 °F), and lowest in January, at around 4.9 °C (40.8 °F).^[2] The highest temperature ever recorded in Kudamatsu was 37.2 °C (99.0 °F) on 6 August 2023; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −8.6 °C (16.5 °F) on 27 February 1981.^[3]

Per Japanese census data, the population of Kudamatsu in 2020 is 55,887 people.^[4] Kudamatsu has been conducting censuses since 1920.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1920 23,344 —     1925 24,195 +3.6% 1930 26,581 +9.9% 1935 30,341 +14.1% 1940 35,247 +16.2% 1945 40,810 +15.8% 1950 42,228 +3.5%	Year Pop. ±% 1955 43,397 +2.8% 1960 44,711 +3.0% 1965 47,401 +6.0% 1970 49,627 +4.7% 1975 55,825 +12.5% 1980 54,803 −1.8% 1985 54,445 −0.7%	Year Pop. ±% 1990 53,030 −2.6% 1995 53,471 +0.8% 2000 53,101 −0.7% 2005 53,509 +0.8% 2010 55,020 +2.8% 2015 55,812 +1.4% 2020 55,887 +0.1%
Kudamatsu population statistics[4]

The area of Kudamatsu was part of an ancient Suō Province.

The fallen star legend^[5] associated with the arrival of Prince Imseong from Baekje, the reputed ancestor of the Ōuchi clan, is central to the history of Kudamatsu (下松). The city's name is associated with the legendary pine tree where the star is said to have fallen and the legend is featured prominently in the city's tourism material. The legend is also commemorated in the city's Star Tower (Hoshi no Tō) in Kudamatsu Park.^[6] The legend of Prince Imseong's arrival is retold during local festivals and events, reinforcing the city's heritage.

Myōkengu Juto-ji Temple (妙見宮鷲頭寺),^[7] located in Kudamatsu, is said to have been established by Prince Imseong in the 7th century after his arrival and became the birthplace of the worship of the deity Myōken Daibosatsu (妙見大菩薩). Under the patronage of the Ōuchi clan, it flourished as the home of the clan's guardian deity.

During the Edo Period, the area was part of the holdings of Chōshū Domain and Tokuyama Domain. Following the Meiji restoration, the village of Toyoi (豊井村) within Tsuno District, Yamaguchi was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Toyoi as elevated to town status on March 1, 1901 and renamed Kudamatsu. On November 3, 1939 Kudamatsu annexed the villages of Hanaoka, Kubo and Suetake-minami and was elevated to city status.

Kudamatsu has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 20 members. Kudamatsu contributes two members to the Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Yamaguchi 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Kudamatsu is part of the Shunan industrial complex (a part of the Setouchi industrial area) that spreads across the Tokuyama-Kudamatsu Port area. It has multiple large-scale factories, notably the Hitachi, Ltd. Kasado Works which produces domestic and overseas railway vehicles and Toyo Kohan, which produces materials for beverage cans and hard disk substrates.

Kudamatsu has seven public elementary school and three public junior high schools operated by the city government, and three public high schools operated by the Yamaguchi Prefectural Board of Education.

JR West (JR West) - San'yō Main Line

• Kudamatsu

JR West (JR West) - Gantoku Line

• Suō-Kubo - Ikunoya - Suō-Hanaoka

• San'yō Expressway
• National Route 2
• National Route 188

• Official website (in Japanese)