Soeda, Fukuoka

Soeda is located in the southeastern part of the Chikuhō region, in the southern part of Tagawa District, and borders Oita Prefecture in the Chikushi Mountains, which is home to a series of mountains such as Mt. Hiko. The Aburagi Dam is located in the upper reaches of the Imagawa River, and much of the town is in the mountains.

Fukuoka Prefecture

• Aka
• Kawasaki
• Kama
• Miyako
• Ōtō
• Tōhō

Ōita Prefecture

• Hiji
• Nakatsu

Soeda has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa). The average annual temperature in Soeda is {{convert|15.3|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|1970.5|mm}} with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around {{convert|26.5|C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{convert|4.7|C}}. The highest temperature ever recorded in Soeda was {{cvt|37.8|C}} on 14 August 2018; the coldest temperature ever recorded was {{cvt|-7.5|C}} on 9 January 2021.

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|collapsed = Y

|single line = Y

|metric first = Y

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

|Jan record high C = 20.4

|Feb record high C = 23.7

|Mar record high C = 25.5

|Apr record high C = 29.9

|May record high C = 32.6

|Jun record high C = 35.9

|Jul record high C = 37.2

|Aug record high C = 37.8

|Sep record high C = 35.5

|Oct record high C = 33.2

|Nov record high C = 26.5

|Dec record high C = 23.4

|Jan record low C = -7.5

|Feb record low C = -6.6

|Mar record low C = -5.8

|Apr record low C = -0.8

|May record low C = 4.1

|Jun record low C = 7.7

|Jul record low C = 12.6

|Aug record low C = 14.6

|Sep record low C = 7.2

|Oct record low C = 2.2

|Nov record low C = -0.6

|Dec record low C = -4.6

|Jan high C = 9.0

|Feb high C = 10.5

|Mar high C = 14.2

|Apr high C = 19.8

|May high C = 24.7

|Jun high C = 27.1

|Jul high C = 31.0

|Aug high C = 32.0

|Sep high C = 28.0

|Oct high C = 22.8

|Nov high C = 17.0

|Dec high C = 11.4

|Jan mean C = 4.7

|Feb mean C = 5.6

|Mar mean C = 8.8

|Apr mean C = 13.8

|May mean C = 18.5

|Jun mean C = 22.0

|Jul mean C = 25.9

|Aug mean C = 26.5

|Sep mean C = 22.6

|Oct mean C = 17.2

|Nov mean C = 11.8

|Dec mean C = 6.7

|Jan low C = 0.9

|Feb low C = 1.2

|Mar low C = 4.0

|Apr low C = 8.4

|May low C = 13.1

|Jun low C = 17.9

|Jul low C = 22.2

|Aug low C = 22.5

|Sep low C = 18.7

|Oct low C = 12.8

|Nov low C = 7.5

|Dec low C = 2.7

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 79.7

|Feb precipitation mm = 84.8

|Mar precipitation mm = 129.1

|Apr precipitation mm = 142.6

|May precipitation mm = 159.8

|Jun precipitation mm = 327.2

|Jul precipitation mm = 364.4

|Aug precipitation mm = 213.8

|Sep precipitation mm = 204.0

|Oct precipitation mm = 100.1

|Nov precipitation mm = 92.8

|Dec precipitation mm = 74.7

|year precipitation mm = 1970.5

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 11.0

|Feb precipitation days = 10.4

|Mar precipitation days = 11.3

|Apr precipitation days = 10.7

|May precipitation days = 9.8

|Jun precipitation days = 13.4

|Jul precipitation days = 13.6

|Aug precipitation days = 10.9

|Sep precipitation days = 10.7

|Oct precipitation days = 7.7

|Nov precipitation days = 9.1

|Dec precipitation days = 10.0

|Jan sun = 104.5

|Feb sun = 117.0

|Mar sun = 154.6

|Apr sun = 189.3

|May sun = 201.4

|Jun sun = 134.2

|Jul sun = 165.3

|Aug sun = 194.3

|Sep sun = 148.9

|Oct sun = 169.6

|Nov sun = 135.8

|Dec sun = 111.0

|year sun = 1825.9

|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=82&block_no=1046&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = May 23, 2022}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=82&block_no=1046&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 = May 23, 2022}}}}

Per Japanese census data, the population of Soeda in 2020 is 8,801 people. Soeda has been conducting censuses since 1920.

{{Historical populations

| 1920 | 33418

| 1925 | 19936

| 1930 | 20063

| 1935 | 20186

| 1940 | 23022

| 1945 | 25249

| 1950 | 27658

| 1955 | 27978

| 1960 | 25170

| 1965 | 20067

| 1970 | 16810

| 1975 | 16006

| 1980 | 16196

| 1985 | 15662

| 1990 | 14632

| 1995 | 13763

| 2000 | 12750

| 2005 | 11810

| 2010 | 10913

| 2015 | 9924

| 2020 | 8801

|align = none

|cols = 1

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

}}

The area of Soeda was part of ancient Buzen Province, and artifacts from as early as the late Jōmon period have bene found within town limits, including large jade stones which had been imported from distance Itoigawa, Niigata. During the Edo Period, the area was part of the holdings of Kokura Domain. The village of Soeda was established on May 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to town status on April 1, 1912. On February 11, 1942 Soeds annexed the neighboring village Hikoyama, and on January 1, 1955 the village of Tsuno. The town was severely damaged by torrential rains on On July 5, 2017.

Soeda has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 11 members. Soeda, collectively with the other municipalities of Tagawa District contributes two members to the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Fukuoka 11th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

During the Meiji period, Soeda, along with the other municipalities of the Chikuho area, developed with the Kitakyushu industrial zone through coal mining, and is still considered part of to the Greater Kitakyushu Metropolitan Area. However, as the demand for coal decreased due to the energy revolution, the coal mines that had sponsored prosperity have all closed, leading to depopulation. The main economic activity is now agriculture.

Soeda has four public elementary high schools and one public junior high school operated by the town government and one public high school operated by the Fukuoka Prefectural Board of Education.

File:JR logo (west).svg JR Kyushu - Hitahikosan Line

• {{STN|Nishi-Soeda|x}} - {{STN|Soeda|x}} - < {{STN|Kanyūsha-Hikosan|x}} - {{STN|Buzen-Masuda|x}} - {{STN|Hikosan|x}} >*

• File:JP Expressway E3.svg Kyushu Expressway
• File:JP Expressway E10.svg Higashikyushu Expressway
• File:JP Expressway E34.svg Ōita Expressway
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|500}}

• {{flagicon|Korea}} Incheon, Republic of Korea

• Hikosan Jingū
• Mount Hiko

{{Reflist}}

• {{Commons category-inline}}
• [http://www.town.soeda.fukuoka.jp/ Soeda official website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Fukuoka}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Towns in Fukuoka Prefecture

Category:Soeda, Fukuoka