Kyōtango


Kyōtango is a city located in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The modern city of Kyōtango was established on April 1, 2004, from the merger of the towns of Mineyama and Omiya, the towns of Amino, Tango, and Yasaka, and the town of Kumihama. The Naka, Takeno, and Kumano Districts were dissolved as a result of the merger.
Mineyama, now part of Kyōtango, has a close connection with the Hagoromo legend. The Kumihama area is well known for its many hot springs, while Amino is one of the major producers of Tango Chirimen.
The entire area of Kyōtango is in the eastern part of the San'in Kaigan Geopark.

Geography

Located on the coast of the Sea of Japan on the western side of the Tango Peninsula in the northwestern corner of the prefecture, the new city has its city hall in the former town hall of Mineyama.

Demographics

As of April 1, 2018, the city has an estimated population of 52,725 and a population density of 105 persons per km². The total area is 501.43 km².

History

The 1927 Kita Tango earthquake caused major damage in the region and killed around 3,000 people.

Notable people

Kyōtango was home to Jiroemon Kimura who was born in the city in 1897. He was the world's oldest living man since April 2011, the oldest living person in Japan since December 2011 and as of December 17, 2012, was the world's oldest verified living person. Kimura lived in Kyōtango his entire life and was said to have recollections of the 1927 earthquake. He spoke of his memories of surviving the earthquake on his 114th birthday. On December 28, 2012, Kimura became the oldest verified man in history, but he died on June 12, 2013.
Other people who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Kyōtango include:
Due to Japan's declining birthrate, the number of children is decreasing, and many schools in Kyōtango have been merged or closed. When Kyōtango was established in 2004, there were thirty-one elementary schools in the city, but as of February 2018 that number had decreased to nineteen.

Senior high schools

Prefectural
Municipal
Municipal
The Japan Air Self-Defense Force maintains a facility in the city, part of the Basic Air Defense Ground Environment. The Kyogamisaki Communications Site, a USFJ missile monitoring station, is located nearby.