Country Japan Website www.city.arao.lg.jp Population 56,144 (30 Apr 2011) Prefecture Kumamoto Prefecture | Region Kyushu Area 57.15 km² Local time Tuesday 1:50 PM | |
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Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) City hall address 390 Kunai-Deme, Arao-shi, Kumamoto-ken
864-8686 Weather 14°C, Wind N at 14 km/h, 50% Humidity Points of interest Arao Sports Park, Yotsuyama Park, Yotsuyama Shrine, Greenland (amusement park), Shōtaizan Prefectural Natural P | ||
Arao (荒尾市, Arao-shi) is a city in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1942.
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Map of Arao, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan
As of April 30, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 56,144, with 23.966 households and a population density of 982.40 persons per km². The total area is 57.15 km².
History
Arao was once a large coal mining town, but it has since lost a great deal of its population, due to the closing of the mine 11 years ago. Some schools that once housed 1,500 children have now been looking at declining enrollments down 1,000 students or more. Arao's political concentration is on tourism, to try to lure people back to this once heavily populated land. Recent hopes to pull in tourists are in its two big amusement parks, Mitsui Greenland and Ultraman Land.
Economy
One notable aspect of this city includes Shōdai ware, an art form almost completely exclusive to Arao, involving slow kilning and under glazing.
Also, the Arao nashi pear is a fruit product grown widely in this town. The pear is round, brown and about the size of a bowling ball.