Bungotakada, Ōita

Bungotakada is located in the western part of the Kunisaki Peninsula in northern Ōita Prefecture, facing the Gulf of Suō at the edge of the Seto Inland Sea. The city center is located in the Takada area, which stretches across the plains along the Katsura River (桂川, Katsura-gawa) and was once a prosperous shipping and commercial town.

It is located approximately 30 minutes by car from Nakatsu City and approximately one hour by car from the prefectural capital, Ōita City.

In the Tamatsu district in the north of the city center, there is a hilly area which is the site of the former Takada Castle. Its jōkamachi castle town was developed from the Edo period onwards.

Moving in the direction of the central Kunisaki Peninsula from the city center, many mountain valleys can be seen. These numerous valley radiate from Mount Futago (両子山, Futago-san), an inactive volcano located at the center of the peninsula. Among these valleys is Ebisu Valley (夷谷, Ebisudani). The valley contains the rocky trekking course Nakayama Senkyo (中山仙境) which was designated as a "Place of Scenic Beauty" by the Japanese government in 2018.{{cite web |title=中山仙境（夷谷）は国の名勝に指定されています |url=https://www.city.bungotakada.oita.jp/site/showanomachi/1433.html |website=Bungotakada Official Website |access-date=19 June 2024}}

File:Nakayamasenkyo (Ebisudani).png

Ōita Prefecture

• Kitsuki
• Kunisaki
• Usa

Bungotakada has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is somewhat lower in winter. The average annual temperature in Bungotakada is {{convert|15.9|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|1992.2|mm}} with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around {{convert|24.5|C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{convert|2.3|C}}. The highest temperature ever recorded in Bungotakada was {{cvt|37.4|C}} on 17 July 1994; the coldest temperature ever recorded was {{cvt|-6.9|C}} on 3 February 2012.

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|single line = Y

|metric first = Y

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

|Jan record high C = 18.9

|Feb record high C = 24.5

|Mar record high C = 27.2

|Apr record high C = 29.7

|May record high C = 32.2

|Jun record high C = 34.5

|Jul record high C = 37.4

|Aug record high C = 37.7

|Sep record high C = 35.9

|Oct record high C = 32.4

|Nov record high C = 27.9

|Dec record high C = 26.3

|Jan record low C = -5.5

|Feb record low C = -6.9

|Mar record low C = -4.6

|Apr record low C = -0.5

|May record low C = 4.4

|Jun record low C = 10.0

|Jul record low C = 15.2

|Aug record low C = 17.1

|Sep record low C = 8.2

|Oct record low C = 3.1

|Nov record low C = -0.7

|Dec record low C = -4.2

|Jan high C = 9.3

|Feb high C = 10.3

|Mar high C = 13.8

|Apr high C = 19.1

|May high C = 23.8

|Jun high C = 26.8

|Jul high C = 30.8

|Aug high C = 32.0

|Sep high C = 28.0

|Oct high C = 22.9

|Nov high C = 17.4

|Dec high C = 11.8

|Jan mean C = 5.3

|Feb mean C = 6.0

|Mar mean C = 9.1

|Apr mean C = 13.9

|May mean C = 18.6

|Jun mean C = 22.3

|Jul mean C = 26.3

|Aug mean C = 27.3

|Sep mean C = 23.6

|Oct mean C = 18.2

|Nov mean C = 12.8

|Dec mean C = 7.6

|Jan low C = 1.1

|Feb low C = 1.6

|Mar low C = 4.2

|Apr low C = 8.7

|May low C = 13.7

|Jun low C = 18.7

|Jul low C = 22.9

|Aug low C = 23.6

|Sep low C = 19.9

|Oct low C = 13.8

|Nov low C = 8.2

|Dec low C = 3.2

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 47.8

|Feb precipitation mm = 61.9

|Mar precipitation mm = 93.3

|Apr precipitation mm = 103.8

|May precipitation mm = 119.2

|Jun precipitation mm = 260.8

|Jul precipitation mm = 251.4

|Aug precipitation mm = 132.7

|Sep precipitation mm = 169.3

|Oct precipitation mm = 94.6

|Nov precipitation mm = 63.8

|Dec precipitation mm = 49.3

|year precipitation mm = 1457.4

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 6.6

|Feb precipitation days = 8.0

|Mar precipitation days = 9.9

|Apr precipitation days = 9.8

|May precipitation days = 8.9

|Jun precipitation days = 13.0

|Jul precipitation days = 11.2

|Aug precipitation days = 8.9

|Sep precipitation days = 9.8

|Oct precipitation days = 6.4

|Nov precipitation days = 7.7

|Dec precipitation days = 6.8

|Jan sun = 138.7

|Feb sun = 143.8

|Mar sun = 177.9

|Apr sun = 201.2

|May sun = 212.9

|Jun sun = 149.4

|Jul sun = 194.9

|Aug sun = 225.0

|Sep sun = 166.9

|Oct sun = 175.0

|Nov sun = 147.1

|Dec sun = 132.8

|year sun = 2059.6

|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=83&block_no=0795&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 28, 2022}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=83&block_no=0795&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 28, 2022}}}}

Per Japanese census data, the population of Bungotakada in 2020 is 22,112 people. Bungotakada has been conducting censuses since 1950.

{{Historical populations

| 1950 | 49214

| 1955 | 47324

| 1960 | 43381

| 1965 | 37811

| 1970 | 33561

| 1975 | 31527

| 1980 | 30705

| 1985 | 29812

| 1990 | 28798

| 1995 | 27337

| 2000 | 26206

| 2005 | 25114

| 2010 | 23918

| 2015 | 22853

| 2020 | 22112

|align = none

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

}}

The area of Bungotakada was part of ancient Bungo Province, although some portions were part of ancient Buzen Province. From the Nara period and Heian period, numerous Buddhist temples were constructed in the mountains of the Kunisaki Peninsula which became known as Rokugō Manzan (六郷満山). Many of these Rokugō Manzan temples, which are said to be the origin of the syncretism of Buddhism and Shinto in Japan, are located within the borders of Bungotakada.

During the Edo period it was mostly under control of Shimabara Domain and was ruled by a cadet branch of the Matsudaira clan, with smaller areas under control of Nobeoka Domain. After the Meiji restoration, the town of Takada within Nishikunisaki District, Ōita was established on May 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It changed its name to Bungotakada on May 10, 1954 and on May 31 of the same year was raised to city status.

On March 31, 2005, the towns of Kakaji and Matama (both from Nishikunisaki District) were merged into Bungotakada.

Bungotakada has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 16 members. Bungotakada contributes one member to the Ōita Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Ōita 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

The economy of Bungotakada is based primarily on agriculture, with the area being a top producer of negi, buckwheat, peanuts, and Alkekengi in Western Japan.

Bungotakada has ten public elementary schools, five public junior high schools and one combined elementary/junior high school operated by the city government. There is one public high school operated by the Ōita Prefectural Board of Education (大分県教育委員会).

Bungotakada has no passenger railway service. The nearest station is Usa Station on the JR Kyushu Nippō Main Line, which is approximately four kilometers away from the Bungotakada urban center.

The former Usa Sangū Line (大分交通宇佐参宮線) once connected Bungotakada to a former railway station at Usa Jingū. The line was closed in 1965.[https://www.city.usa.oita.jp/sougo/soshiki/14/toshikeikaku/keikan/matidukuri/shinbutsushugosyncreticworship/ShrinesTemplesandHistoricalFigure/People/15452.html "Usa Hachiman Railway Station"] Retrieved 6 June 2024

• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|213}}

The nearest airport is Oita Airport located in Kunisaki.

• Horan-enya [jp], a January naked festival in which men in funodshi throw mochi to spectators from a fishing boat and occasionally dive into the cold Katsura River.
• Shujo Onie Festival [jp] (Tennenji Temple [jp]), a fire festival involving oni held during the Lunar New Year.
• Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine Fall Festival [jp], a naked festival in November. A large torch is lit with fire arrows before men donning fundoshi carry a mikoshi across the Katsura River [jp].

File: Wakamiya Hachiman Naked Festival.jpg| Men carrying mikoshi across the Katsura River while the large torch burns

File:Shujo Onie (Bungotakada).jpg|Shujo Onie Festival

File:Horan-enya boat.jpg|Boat carrying men in fundoshi during Horan-enya

• Fuki-ji, Buddhist temple established in 718 AD with National Treasure Main Hall
• Kumano Magaibutsu, National Historic Site
• Maki Ōdō, historic temple containing Heian-period statues
• Matama Coast [jp], famous for its beautiful sunsets and tidal flats
• Nagasakibana [jp], a cape with a campground and flower park with seasonal flowers such as nanohana, sunflowers, cherry blossoms, and cosmos. There are also sea caves, a beach for sea bathing, and an art museum called "Art Museum of Nature and Human Non-Homogeneity" (不均質な自然と人の美術館). Nagasakibana is sometimes called the "cape of flowers and art."{{Cite web |title=Nagasakibana - Cape of Flower and Art {{!}} Search for Arts and Cultural facilities |url=https://www.o-bje.net/en/discover/216/ |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=Oita Art and Culture Tour {{!}} OITA Art&Culture |language=en}}
• Showa no Machi, town popular for its nostalgic streets reminiscent of the Shōwa Period

File:富貴寺 大堂.JPG|Main hall of Fuki-ji

File:Kumano-magaibutsu.jpg| Fudō-Myoō (不動明王) Statue in Kumano Magaibutsu (熊野磨崖仏)

File:Showa no Machi 04.jpg|Shōwa-Style visitor attraction in Shōwa-no-Machi

File:Dusk at the Matama Coast tidal flats.png|Dusk at the Matama Coast tidal flats

File:Showa no Machi 09.jpg| Sign marking the entrance to the Shōwa-no-Machi shopping street

File:Nakasakibana Gyōja Cave.jpg|Gyōja Cave, a sea cave at Nagasakibana

{{Commons category|Bungotakada, Oita|Bungotakada, Ōita}}

• {{url|http://www.city.bungotakada.oita.jp|Bungotakada City official website}} {{in lang|ja}}

{{Oita}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bungotakada, Oita}}

Category:Cities in Ōita Prefecture

Category:Populated coastal places in Japan

Category:Bungotakada, Ōita