Saito 西都市
City
Saito City Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Saito in Miyazaki Prefecture
Saito Location in Japan
Coordinates: 32°06′31″N 131°24′05″E / 32.10861°N 131.40139°E / 32.10861; 131.40139
Country	Japan
Region	Kyushu
Prefecture	Miyazaki
Government
• Mayor	Shuichirō Oshikawa (from February 2017)
Area
• Total	438.79 km2 (169.42 sq mi)
Population  (November 1, 2023)
• Total	28,538
• Density	65/km2 (170/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 ( JST)
Postal code(s)	881-0000
City hall address	2-1 Seiryo-cho, Saito-shi, Miyazaki-ken 881-8501
Climate	Cfa
Website	city.saito.miyazaki.jp
Symbols
Bird	Japanese Bush Warbler
Flower	Azalea
Tree	Japanese Bayberry

Saito (西都市, Saito-shi) is a city located in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 November 2023 ^[update], the city had an estimated population of 28,538 in 13964 households, and a population density of 65 persons per km². ^[1] The total area of the city is 438.79 km² (169.42 sq mi).

Geography

Saito is the 5th largest city in the Miyazaki prefecture. 70% of the city is mountainous, and the Hitotsuse River cuts through the city from northwest to southeast. Many other smaller streams cut through the valleys in Saito. Much of the city is covered by mountains and forest (approximately 80%).

• Mountains: Higuchi Yama (樋口山), Soubugaku (掃部岳)
• Rivers: Hitotsuse gawa (一ツ瀬川), Sakura Kawa (桜川)
• Lakes and Marshes: Komeryoujinzouko (米良人造湖), Chigokeike (稚児ケ池)
• Dams: Hitotsuse Dam (一ツ瀬ダム, Hitotsuse Damu)

Neighboring municipalities

Miyazaki Prefecture

• Kijo
• Takanabe
• Shintomi
• Sadowara
• Kunitomi
• Nango
• Shiiba

Climate

Saito has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot, humid summers and cool winters. The average annual temperature in Saito is 17.2 °C (63.0 °F). The average annual rainfall is 2,547.3 mm (100.29 in) with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.4 °C (81.3 °F), and lowest in January, at around 6.8 °C (44.2 °F). ^[2] The highest temperature ever recorded in Saito was 38.4 °C (101.1 °F) on 31 July 2013; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −7.7 °C (18.1 °F) on 27 February 1981. ^[3]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Saito in 2020 is 28,610 people. ^[4] Saito has been conducting censuses since 1920.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1960 50,138 —     1965 42,543 −15.1% 1970 38,509 −9.5% 1975 37,054 −3.8% 1980 37,836 +2.1% 1985 38,370 +1.4% 1990 37,218 −3.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1995 36,331 −2.4% 2000 35,381 −2.6% 2005 34,087 −3.7% 2010 32,617 −4.3% 2015 30,683 −5.9% 2020 28,610 −6.8%
Saito population statistics [4]

History

The area of Saito was part of ancient Hyūga Province. Per the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, Amaterasu's grandson Ninigi descended from the heavens to Mount Takachiho, and resided in what is now Saito. The area was densely populated in the Kofun period and has the largest accumulation of ancient burial mounds in Japan. During the Asuka and Nara periods, the Hyūga Provincial Capital and Hyūga Kokubun-ji were located in what is now the center of Saito City. During the Muromachi period the Ito clan ruled the area from their stronghold at Tonokōri Castle in the southern part of the city. During the Edo period, the area was largely divided between the holdings of Takanabe Domain and Sadowara Domain. Following the Meiji restoration, the area was organized into villages within Koyu District, Miyazaki on May 1, 1889, with the creation of the modern municipalities system.

Year	Month Day	Event
1924	April 1	Koyugunshimohokita Village (児湯郡下穂北 ) became Shimohokita( 下穂北) Town.
1924	August 1	Koyugunshimohokita Town became Tsuma Town
1952	March 29	Saitobaru Burial Mounds appointed a special historical place
1953	July 22	The Hibi (日肥) line (Hitoyoshi – Tsuma National Railway bus) opened to traffic。
1958	April 1	Koyogun—Saito Town, Sanzai Village and Tonokori Village were abolished and replaced by Saito City.
1958	September 1	Saitobaru and Sugiyasu gorge were appointed as prefectural parks
1958	November 1	Koyugun—Saito Town became Saito City (And the city was founded).
1962	April 1	Saito City,　Sanzai Village and Higashinishimera village amalgamated.
1963	January 24	A large fire on Heisuke (平助通) Street damages 100 houses, injures 418 and kills 4 people.
1963	June 4	Kyūshū Electric Company's Hitotsuse plant completed.
1964	October 27	The Shimozuruusu Taiko Dance appeared in a folk art public performance at the Tokyo Olympics.
1966	November 17	The Fuudoki Hill (風土記の丘) Project began, a project to turn the Saitobaru Burial Mounds into a public park.
1971	October 8	The Shimozuruusu Taiko dance was appointed a national cultural asset
1979	October 16	The Emperor visited Saitobaru
1981	March 10	Ohae kagura was appointed a prefectural cultural asset
1984	November 30	National Railway's Tsuma line closes after 70 years in service, leaving neighbouring town Sadowara to the west as the closest station on the JR Railway.
1988	July 1	Sugiyasu River Nakashima Park Opened
1994	November 28	Mokuzo Yamaji Bishamonten appointed as a prefectural cultural asset
1995	May 29	Construction began on the Saito-Kiyotake link of the Eastern Kyūshū Motorway
1995	June	Saitobaru burial mounds selected to be part of a national large-scale project to preserve remains
1996	November 1	木喰上人造仏五体 appointed a prefectural cultural asset.
1998	October 1	Ceremony to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the city.
1998	October 12	Maintenance of the Saitobaru Burial mounds and surrounding area selected as part of the Ministry of Home Affairs Reading Project.
2000	September 6	The ruins of Tonokori Castle were appointed as a National Historical place.
2004	April 25	55th National Tree Planting ceremony held in Saito city.
2006	November	20th Saitobaru Kofun Festival takes place.

Translated from the Saito Homepage ^[5]

Government

Saito has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members. Saito and the village of Nishimera collectively contribute one member to the Miyazaki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Miyazaki 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The city's economy is centered on agriculture. The agricultural products of Saito include green peppers, cucumbers and sweet corn.

Education

Saito has eight public elementary schools, and six public junior high schools operated by the city government, and one five public high school operated by the Miyazaki Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railways

Saito does not have any passenger railway service since the discontinuation of the JNR Tsuma Line on December 1, 1984. The nearest stations are Sadowara Station Hyūga-Shintomi Station, and Takanabe Station, all of which are on the JR Kyushu Nippō Main Line, and all of which are approximately 30 minutes by car from the city center.

Highways

• Higashikyushu Expressway
• National Route 219

Local attractions

• Saitobaru Kofun Cluster, Special National Historic Site,comprising 311 burial mounds which lay on a plateau roughly 4 by 2 km in size, making it one of the largest collections of burial mounds in Japan. It was designated a Special Historic site by the Japanese government in 1952.
• Tonokōri Castle - A castle ruin, Home castle of Itō clan

Festivals and Traditions

• Saito City Flower Festival, March 31 - April 8
• Kofun Matsuri, August 27–29

Notable natives

• Toshiro Konishi, Japanese Peruvian chef, musician and television personality

Sister cities

• Luodong, Yilan County, Taiwan

References

External links

• Saito City official website (in Japanese)
• Saito City information (in Japanese)
• Pictures Pictures of places and events in Saito
• Saito Burial Mounds in Japanese and English
• Geographic data related to Saito, Miyazaki at OpenStreetMap