Ōtsuki (大月町) is a town in the Hata District, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 4,626 in 2541 households, and a population density of 45 persons per km2. The total area of the town is 102.94 sqkm.

Geography

Ōtsuki is located in far southwestern corner of Kōchi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It is located approximately 184 km away from downtown Kōchi. Approximately 70% of the town area is heavily wooded mountain forests. Ōtsuki is bordered by Sukumo to the north and Tosashimizu to the east, and faces the Pacific Ocean to the south. The Bungo Channel, which separates Kyushu and Shikoku, runs along the west of Ōtsuki, while the Kuroshio Current brushes up against its south shores. To its south, Ōtsuki has a small collection of islands, including Kashiwajima, Okinojima, and Ugurushima.

Neighbouring municipalities

Kōchi Prefecture

Seismicity

Ōtsuki, along with the coastline along Kochi prefecture, is close to the Nankai Trough, and experiences seismic activity related to the Nankai megathrust earthquakes. These earthquakes typically result in landslides, flooding, and tsunamis, in addition to damage from seismic activity. These earthquakes occur approximately 100–200 years apart, with the most recent earthquake occurring in 1946.

Climate

Ōtsuki has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Ōtsuki is 17.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2209 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around 26.3 °C, and lowest in January, at around 7.4 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Ōtsuki has been decreased steadily since the 1960s. The Ōtsuki Town Hall displays its demographics on its homepage. These statistics are updated bi-monthly. The population of Ōtsuki peaked at 13,688 in 1960, and has seen a steady yearly decline since. Ōtsuki has issues with rural flight and population decline, much like other parts of rural Japan. As can be seen in the graph provided, the majority of residents in Ōtsuki were between 45 and 84 years of age in 2006. As of August 2014, Ōtsuki contains 2,785 households, with an overall estimated population of 5,719, and a gender ratio of 1.11 females to each male.

History

Signs of human presence, including stone knives and tools, date back as far as the Japanese Paleolithic,approximately 20,000 years ago. As with all of Kōchi Prefecture, the area of Ōtsuki was part of ancient Tosa Province. Granite blocks cut from stones in the Kashira Tsudoi (頭集い) area of town were shipped from Ōtsuki and used in the construction of Osaka Castle (大阪城) and Nagoya Castle (名古屋城), in 1585 and 1610 respectively. During the Edo period, the area was part of the holdings of Tosa Domain ruled by the Yamauchi clan from their seat at Kōchi Castle. The village of Okuuchi (奥内村) was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on October 1, 1889. It was raised to town status on November 3, 1951, changing its name to Ōuchi (大内町). The town of Ōuchi and the village of Tsukinada (Tsukinada) merged on February 11, 1957 to form the town of Ōtsuki, which took its name from the first kanji of each of its component parts.

Government

Ōtsuki has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of ten members. Ōtsuki, together with Sukumo and Mihara, contributes two members to the Kōchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Kōchi 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Ōtsuki has an economy based on developed agriculture, forestry and fishing industries, and the town has invested in renewable energy resources with 12 wind-powered generators installed on Mount Mukuri, with an additional bank of generators on Mount Ōhora scheduled for completion in 2015.

Education

Ōtsuki formerly had nine elementary schools, which were consolidated into one school in 2009, and five middle schools, which were consolidated into one in 2001. Ōtsuki additionally had a campus of the Sukumo High School in town, however it closed as of April 2014. Ōtsuki has three nursery schools located in Hiromi, Kashiwajima, and Himenoi.

Transportation

Railway

Ōtsuki does not have any passenger railway service. The nearest station is Sukumo Station in Sukumo

Highways

, also known as Sunny Road (サニーロード) is the main road that connects Ōtsuki to Tosashimizu to the east and Sukumoto the north. Ōtsuki Fureai Park is the town's roadside station. In addition to public bathrooms and parking, and having a bus-stop out front, the station sells local wares and produce, and the restaurant on the second floor offers a wide variety of delicious foods using local ingredients. Developed right in Otsuki, the Ichigōri (苺氷り) available on the first floor is a must-try delicacy for any sweets lover.

Local attractions

Beaches and diving

Festivals

One of the town's most unusual traditions, an event called the Mizu Abise (水浴びせ), has its roots in the year 1662. A massive fire occurred in the fishing village of Komame (古満目), and to prevent a similar catastrophe from reoccurring, a ritual to be carried out each new year was prescribed. In the modern day, this ritual is carried out every year on January 2, and includes elders making offerings at several locations in the village while young men sit waiting outside wearing only simple yukatas. When the elders come out, they douse the young men with bucket after bucket of cold sea water, and the procession moves on to the next location of prayer. After 2 to 3 hours of enduring the cold and making prayers to ward off disaster, the event comes to a close as families prepare warm baths to reinvigorate the freezing participants.