Kikuchi, Kumamoto
# Kikuchi, Kumamoto

Kikuchi (菊池市, Kikuchi-shi) is a city located in Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. The city was founded on August 1, 1958. As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 49,455 and a population density of 180 persons per $km^2.$ The total area is 276.66 $km^2$ (106.82 sq mi).

On March 22, 2005, Kikuchi absorbed the towns of Shichijo and Shisui, and the village of Kyokushi (all from Kikuchi District) to create the new and expanded city of Kikuchi.

## Geography

### Climate

Kikuchi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot, humid summers and cool winters. There is significant precipitation throughout the year, especially during June and July. The average annual temperature in Kikuchi is 15.9 °C (60.6 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,915.1 mm (75.40 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 4.4 °C (39.9 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Kikuchi was 38.8 °C (101.8 °F) on 19 July 2018; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −9.9 °C (14.2 °F) on 27 February 1981.

Climate data for Kikuchi (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present) :

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Record high °C (°F) | 20.8 (69.4) | 23.8 (74.8) | 26.1 (79.0) | 31.3 (88.3) | 35.3 (95.5) | 35.7 (96.3) | 38.8 (101.8) | 38.8 (101.8) | 36.2 (97.2) | 34.2 (93.6) | 26.7 (80.1) | 23.7 (74.7) | 38.8 (101.8) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 10.2 (50.4) | 12.0 (53.6) | 15.7 (60.3) | 21.0 (69.8) | 25.8 (78.4) | 28.0 (82.4) | 31.4 (88.5) | 32.9 (91.2) | 29.7 (85.5) | 24.6 (76.3) | 18.4 (65.1) | 12.4 (54.3) | 21.8 (71.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) | 6.0 (42.8) | 9.5 (49.1) | 14.6 (58.3) | 19.5 (67.1) | 23.0 (73.4) | 26.6 (79.9) | 27.4 (81.3) | 23.9 (75.0) | 18.0 (64.4) | 11.9 (53.4) | 6.4 (43.5) | 15.9 (60.7) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −1.0 (30.2) | 0.1 (32.2) | 3.4 (38.1) | 8.2 (46.8) | 13.5 (56.3) | 18.7 (65.7) | 22.9 (73.2) | 23.2 (73.8) | 19.2 (66.6) | 12.2 (54.0) | 6.1 (43.0) | 0.7 (33.3) | 10.6 (51.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −9.0 (15.8) | −9.9 (14.2) | −6.9 (19.6) | −3.4 (25.9) | 1.8 (35.2) | 7.0 (44.6) | 14.3 (57.7) | 15.1 (59.2) | 5.1 (41.2) | −0.2 (31.6) | −3.9 (25.0) | −7.8 (18.0) | −9.9 (14.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 55.0 (2.17) | 79.6 (3.13) | 122.9 (4.84) | 139.6 (5.50) | 157.7 (6.21) | 400.9 (15.78) | 381.4 (15.02) | 181.8 (7.16) | 168.9 (6.65) | 82.3 (3.24) | 83.9 (3.30) | 61.3 (2.41) | 1,915.1 (75.40) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 7.1 | 8.5 | 10.8 | 10.1 | 9.6 | 14.0 | 13.0 | 10.5 | 9.2 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 114.8 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 133.3 | 139.9 | 163.8 | 178.9 | 182.9 | 111.9 | 162.2 | 197.4 | 170.1 | 181.2 | 150.4 | 138.2 | 1,918.8 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency ||||||||||||||

## Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Kikuchi in 2020 is 46,416 people. Kikuchi has been conducting censuses since 1960.

## Twin towns – sister cities

Kikuchi is twinned with:

* Nishimera, Miyazaki, Japan
* Gimje, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea (1985)
* Sishui County, Shandong, China (1994)
* Tōno, Iwate, Japan (1998)
* Cheongwon County, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea (2005)
