Ōkuchi, Kagoshima

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**Ōkuchi**
**大口市**
Ōkuchi's location in Kagoshima, Japan.
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Kyūshū
Prefecture	Kagoshima
Physical characteristics
Area	291.88 km² (112.70 sq mi)
Population (as of 2008)
Total	21,643 (estimated)
Density	78.02 /km² (202 /sq mi)
Location	32°3′N, 130°37′E
Symbols
Ōkuchi Government Office
Official website: City of Ōkuchi

Ōkuchi (大口市, Ōkuchi-shi^?) is a city located in Kagoshima, Japan.

Ōkuchi is the northernmost city on the mainland part of Kagoshima Prefecture. Only the island portion of Nagashima extends further north. Ōkuchi is a mountainous area that borders on Kumamoto Prefecture and Miyazaki Prefecture. Part of the southern border of the city is the Sendai River and the artificial lake formed from the Tsuruta dam. It is the only city in Kagoshima Prefecture that is not bordered by the sea.

At one time, Ōkuchi was a prosperous city but has declined for several reasons in recent years. First, there has been a decline in forestry and agriculture in the area, but the aging Japanese population and the flight to larger cities have also been significant factors. For these reasons two Japanese National Railways railway lines that served Ōkuchi were discontinued in the 1987 and 1988. They were the Yamano line that went from Minamata to Kurino and the Miyajo line that went from Sendai to Ōkuchi.

As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 21,643 and the density of 78.02 persons per km². The total area is 291.88 km².

The city was founded on April 1, 1954.

1 Neighboring Municipalities
2 Transportation
3 Sister cities
4 External links

[edit] Neighboring Municipalities

Cities: Izumi, Hitoyoshi (Kumamoto), Minamata (Kumamoto), Ebino (Miyazaki)

Districts: Satsuma District, Isa District, Kuma District (Kumamoto).

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Railways

Shin-Minamata Station on the Kyushu Shinkansen is 35 km northwest (operated by Kyushu Railway Company)

[edit] Highways

National Highway 267
National Highway 268
National Highway 447
Kyushu Expressway Hitoyoshi Interchange is 30 km northeast and Kurino Interchange is 20 km southeast of Ōkuchi