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18-499: Hitoyoshi is located about 70 kilometers due south of the prefectural capital of Kumamoto City in a straight line and is the southernmost part of Kumamoto Prefecture. The northern and southern parts of the city are mountainous, forming part of the Kyushu Mountains . The southern part of the city is also mountainous, with an elevation of about 1,000 meters, and borders Miyazaki Prefecture and Kagoshima Prefecture. The city center

36-571: Is 14.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2283 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25,0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.7 °C. Per Japanese census data, the population of Hitoyoshi is as shown below The area of Hitoyoshi was part of ancient Higo Province . From the Kamakura period it was under the control of

54-516: Is Hakutake Shiro, which currently holds 50% market share on all rice shōchū sold in Japan. However, Takahashi Distillery, the producer of Hakutake Shiro, is just one of 28 distilleries in Hitoyoshi in the surrounding region that produce kuma-shōchū . Hitoyoshi has six public elementary schools and three public junior high schools operated by the city government and two public high schools operated by

72-590: Is a mountain range that runs from northeast to southwest in central Kyushu . The highest peak of the mountain range is Mount Sobo . This Japanese location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Mount Sobo Mount Sobo ( 祖母山 , Sobo-san ) is one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains . The 1,756-metre-high (5,761 ft) mountain lies on the border of Taketa and Bungo-ōno in Ōita Prefecture and Takachiho , Nishiusuki District in Miyazaki Prefecture . It

90-573: Is at the western edge of the Hitoyoshi Basin, with the Kuma River running through it from east to west Kagoshima Prefecture Kumamoto Prefecture Miyazaki Prefecture Hitoyoshi has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa ) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, and is heavier in the summer months, especially June and July. The average annual temperature in Hitoyoshi

108-513: Is ubiquitous. In the valleys at the bottom of the mountain and at medium and high altitude rock-climbing fans are fascinated by the cliffs which can be found everywhere. Miyama Kirishima ( Rhododendron kiusianum ), Japanese gentian and the Japanese maple grow in great numbers and are visited by mountain climbers in all seasons. The mountain is covered by old-growth forest . Typical species include Japanese beech and Tsuga . Going up from

126-526: Is within the Sobo, Katamuki and Okue Biosphere Reserve . Mount Sobo is the highest peak in Miyazaki Prefecture and in Ōita Prefecture only the 1,791 m (5,876 ft) middle peak of Mount Kujū is higher. The Sobo Mountain range extends into three prefectures: Ōita, Miyazaki and Kumamoto . Because of the volcanic activity which formed the mountain, huge rocks can be found everywhere around

144-599: The Edo period to the mid- Shōwa period . It is believed that the foundation of the Sobo mountain range occurred in two periods of volcanic activity. In the first period, around 13 million years ago, two cauldrons, the Sobo caldera and the Katamuki caldera ( 傾カルデラ ) , were formed in an eruption accompanied by pyroclastic flow . The two cauldrons formed at this time, were buried in the second period of volcanic activity leaving

162-514: The Sagara clan , which continued to rule as daimyō of Hitoyoshi Domain through the end of the Edo Period . Hitoyoshi Castle and much of the castle town were destroyed in a fire in 1862. The town of Hitoyoshi was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On February 11, 1942 Hitoyoshi merged with the villages of Nishise, Nakahara, and Aida to form

180-504: The Kumamoto Prefectural Board of Education. [REDACTED] JR Kyushu - Hisatsu Line Kumagawa Railroad - Yunomae Line Hitoyoshi is the inspiration for and setting of "Ohitoyo" in the anime Rail Romanesque and the visual novel game that the anime is derived from. The setting for Natsume's Book of Friends is also based on Hitoyoshi. Kyushu Mountains Kyushu Mountains ( Japanese : 九州山地 )

198-423: The caldera which can be seen today. About 12.5 million years ago, a cauldron opened up once more. During this time ore was formed. Around 10 million years ago the volcanic activity ceased. Erosion levelled off the mountain until 3 million years ago when the large scale activity of the rising Mount Aso system caused a pyroclastic flow which gave Mount Sobo its present shape. Thanks to volcanic activity, granite

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216-626: The city of Hitoyoshi. Hitoyoshi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members. Hitoyoshi contributes one member to the Kumamoto Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Kumamoto 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan . Hitoyoshi is a regional commercial center and transportation hub. Important sectors of

234-636: The foot of Mount Sobo lie the remains of the Obira mine . From its opening in 1617 until its closing in 1954, it had been flourishing as the leading Japanese mine. Apart from Obira, there are the Kyūsetsu mine ( 九折鉱山 , kyūsetsu-kōzan ) and the Kiura mine ( 木浦鉱山 , kiura-kōzan ) on the side of Ōita Prefecture as well as the Mitate mine ( 見立鉱山 , mitate-kōzan ) and Toroku mine ( 土呂久鉱山 , toroku-kōzan ) on

252-571: The local economy include tourism, agriculture, and sake brewing. Hitoyoshi's main product is rice shōchū (an indigenous spirit distilled from rice), or kuma-shōchū , which is the official name of rice shōchū produced in Kumamoto's Hitoyoshi and Kuma District. This shōchū must be produced in these areas from Japanese rice and with water from the Kuma River , which runs through the town. The World Trade Organization granted kuma-shōchū geographical indication status in 1994. The most popular brand

270-472: The lowland, the vegetation changes from evergreen (glossy-leaved) forest over conifer forest halfway up the mountain, to Suzu-take and beech close to the summit. Angelica ubatakensis is only found on parts of Shikoku and in the Sobo mountain range is a precious plant. The pseudonym of Mount Sobo, Mount Uba ( 姥岳 , Uba-take ) ( uba meaning "elderly woman" in Japanese), goes back to the discoverer of

288-404: The mountain. There is a great variety of mountain climbing routes, ranging from animal trails to well maintained paths. Courses ae available from relaxed hiking for enjoyment to cliff climbing routes aimed at advanced climbers. Steep rock climbing routes can be seen from all trails in the neighbourhood of the summit. The surroundings of Mount Sobo abound in mineral resources which were mined from

306-523: The plant, Tomitaro Makino , who called it that. It is thought that the southern range limit of the Special Natural monument ( 特別天然記念物 , tokubetsu tennen kinen-butsu ) , the Japanese serow lies in the mountain range. Even though sightings have been rare in recent years, the Asian black bear is believed to be living here as well. In addition Japanese dormice and sika deer can be seen. At

324-483: The side of Miyazaki Prefecture. The mines produce scarce minerals like copper , tin , lead , manganese and quartz . On August 30, 1945, a B-29 Superfortress of the United States Air Force on a supply flight crashed in bad weather in the neighbourhood of Mount Oyaji ( 親父岳 , Oyaji-take ) located south of Mount Sobo. All twelve crew members died in the incident. Part of the fuselage and

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