:Takachiho, Miyazaki

Takachiho is in the northernmost part of Miyazaki Prefecture, in the Kyushu Mountains, bordering Kumamoto Prefecture on its north and northwest sides and Ōita Prefecture on its north and northeast sides. The 106-kilometer Gokase River flows from the west to the southeast part of town. Takachiho Gorge located slightly south of the town center, is a famous tourist destination. The urban center is around the now-defunct Takachiho Station and the business office of Takachiho Kotsu, the town's public transportation company, and is approximately 120 km northwest of Miyazaki, the prefectural capital, and approximately 80 km southeast of Kumamoto.

Kumamoto Prefecture

• Aso District: Takamori
• Kamimashiki District: Yamato

Miyazaki Prefecture

• Higashiusuki District: Morotsuka
• Nishiusuki District: Gokase, Hinokage

Ōita Prefecture

• Bungo-ōno
• Taketa

Takachiho has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot, humid summers and cool winters. The average annual temperature in Takachiho is {{convert|14.4|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|2361.8|mm}} with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around {{convert|25.0|C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{convert|3.7|C}}. The highest temperature ever recorded in Takachiho was {{cvt|37.3|C}} on 16 July 2006; the coldest temperature ever recorded was {{cvt|-11.1|C}} on 19 February 1977.

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|collapsed = Y

|single line = Y

|metric first = Y

|location = Takachiho (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present)

|Jan record high C = 20.4

|Feb record high C = 22.7

|Mar record high C = 27.8

|Apr record high C = 29.5

|May record high C = 33.0

|Jun record high C = 34.1

|Jul record high C = 37.3

|Aug record high C = 36.9

|Sep record high C = 35.1

|Oct record high C = 30.6

|Nov record high C = 28.0

|Dec record high C = 22.8

|Jan record low C = -9.7

|Feb record low C = -11.1

|Mar record low C = -6.6

|Apr record low C = -3.5

|May record low C = 0.5

|Jun record low C = 7.3

|Jul record low C = 11.1

|Aug record low C = 13.0

|Sep record low C = 5.5

|Oct record low C = -0.4

|Nov record low C = -3.7

|Dec record low C = -8.2

|Jan high C = 9.3

|Feb high C = 11.1

|Mar high C = 14.9

|Apr high C = 20.0

|May high C = 24.1

|Jun high C = 26.0

|Jul high C = 29.8

|Aug high C = 30.6

|Sep high C = 27.5

|Oct high C = 22.8

|Nov high C = 17.2

|Dec high C = 11.5

|Jan mean C = 3.7

|Feb mean C = 5.0

|Mar mean C = 8.4

|Apr mean C = 13.2

|May mean C = 17.6

|Jun mean C = 20.9

|Jul mean C = 24.7

|Aug mean C = 25.0

|Sep mean C = 21.8

|Oct mean C = 16.2

|Nov mean C = 10.6

|Dec mean C = 5.4

|Jan low C = -1.0

|Feb low C = -0.3

|Mar low C = 2.7

|Apr low C = 7.1

|May low C = 12.0

|Jun low C = 17.0

|Jul low C = 21.1

|Aug low C = 21.4

|Sep low C = 17.6

|Oct low C = 11.2

|Nov low C = 5.3

|Dec low C = 0.3

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 59.7

|Feb precipitation mm = 80.4

|Mar precipitation mm = 121.9

|Apr precipitation mm = 126.6

|May precipitation mm = 164.2

|Jun precipitation mm = 419.5

|Jul precipitation mm = 403.1

|Aug precipitation mm = 324.5

|Sep precipitation mm = 380.7

|Oct precipitation mm = 145.1

|Nov precipitation mm = 78.2

|Dec precipitation mm = 57.9

|year precipitation mm = 2361.8

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 7.0

|Feb precipitation days = 8.7

|Mar precipitation days = 11.7

|Apr precipitation days = 10.8

|May precipitation days = 10.5

|Jun precipitation days = 16.0

|Jul precipitation days = 14.1

|Aug precipitation days = 13.6

|Sep precipitation days = 12.1

|Oct precipitation days = 8.0

|Nov precipitation days = 7.5

|Dec precipitation days = 7.1

|Jan sun = 131.3

|Feb sun = 135.8

|Mar sun = 161.3

|Apr sun = 180.3

|May sun = 177.8

|Jun sun = 116.7

|Jul sun = 154.3

|Aug sun = 170.8

|Sep sun = 143.8

|Oct sun = 160.6

|Nov sun = 138.7

|Dec sun = 137.7

|year sun = 1809.2

|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=87&block_no=0852&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = April 21, 2022}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=87&block_no=0852&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = April 21, 2022}}}}

Per Japanese census data, the population of Takachiho in 2020 is 11,642 people. Takachiho has been conducting censuses since 1960.

{{Historical populations

| 1960 | 27052

| 1965 | 24757

| 1970 | 22131

| 1975 | 20523

| 1980 | 19957

| 1985 | 19170

| 1990 | 18093

| 1995 | 16780

| 2000 | 15843

| 2005 | 14778

| 2010 | 13723

| 2015 | 12755

| 2020 | 11642

|align = none

|footnote = Takachiho population statistics[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/japan/miyazaki/ Takachiho population statistics]

}}

The area of Takachiho was part of ancient Hyūga Province. It features prominently in Japanese mythology as the land where Ninigi descended from the heavens, sent by Amaterasu, the sun goddess. It contains the Ama-no-Iwato shrine which is, according to myth, the location of the cave where Amaterasu hid until Ame-no-Uzume lured her out. From the late Heian period into the Sengoku period, the area was controlled by the Kikuchi clan, which was associated with Aso Shrine in Higo Province. The area later was contested between the Shimazu clan of Satsuma Province and the Otomo clan of Bungo Province. After the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, it was part of the holdings of Nobeoka Domain. The village of Takachiho within Nishiusuki District, Miyazaki was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. Takachiho was raised to town status on April 1, 1920. Around 1920, arsenopyrite was mined in the northern part of the town, and the production of arsenite supported the town's economy until the mine was closed in 1962. On September 30, 1956 Takachiho annexed the neighboring towns of Iwato and Tahara, followed by the town of Ueno April 1, 1969.

During World War Two, the 2nd Raiding Brigade trained in the town and were sometimes known as the Takachiho paratroopers.{{Cite book|last=Prefer|first=Nathan N.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hZDUAgAAQBAJ&dq=Takachiho+Paratroopers&pg=PT244|title=Leyte, 1944: The Soldiers' Battle|date=2012-12-07|publisher=Casemate|isbn=978-1-61200-155-5|language=en}}

File:Takachiho town panorama.jpg

The main industry of Takachiho are agriculture, forestry and tourism. The town is noted for its rice terraces.

Takachiho has five public elementary schools and two public junior high schools operated by the town government and one public high school operated by the Miyazaki Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

Takachiho has no passenger rail service. The nearest train station is {{STN|Takamori|x}} on the Minamiaso Railway Takamori Line or {{STN|Tateno|x|Kumamoto}} on the JR Kyushu Hōhi Main Line. The town was formerly served by the 50.0 Takachiho Railway, which ran from Nobeoka to Takachiho Station, with one intermediate stations within Takachiho. Services were discontinued on September 6, 2005, after flooding triggered by Typhoon Nabi washed away two bridges on the line, halting all operations. Efforts to obtain funding for rebuilding were unsuccessful, and the company was liquidated in 2009.[http://www.yukan-daily.co.jp/news.php?id=5186 高千穂鉄道、清算終了] (Yukan Daily, March 29, 2008). Retrieved on July 19, 2009.

• File:JP Expressway E77.svg Kyushu Chūō Expressway
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|218}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|325}}

File:Takachihokyou55.jpg

File:Amanoiwato-west-shrine (28795304727).jpg]]

Takachiho is the heart of the Himuka Myth Road, which extends throughout Miyazaki.

• Amanoiwato-jinja
• Kunimigaoka
• Shonen-ji
• Takachiho Gorge
• Manai Waterfall
• Takachiho Onsen
• Takachiho Shrine

Takachiho is featured in the manga and anime series Oshi no Ko, as the location of the hospital where Ai Hoshino gave birth to her twins and main characters of the series, Aquamarine and Ruby Hoshino.{{cite web|script-title=ja:【推しの子】 1|url=https://www.s-manga.net/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-891650-7|publisher=Shueisha|access-date=December 21, 2020|language=ja|archive-date=November 10, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110181304/https://www.s-manga.net/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-891650-7|url-status=live}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Takachiho, Miyazaki}}

• [http://www.town-takachiho.jp/ Official website] {{in lang|ja}}
• [http://takachiho-kanko.info/en/ Takachiho-cho Tourism Association] {{in lang|en}}
• {{Wikivoyage inline|Takachiho}}
• {{osmrelation-inline|3990262}}

{{Authority control}}{{Miyazaki}}

Category:Towns in Miyazaki Prefecture