Kamishima Island, Amakusa
Kamishima (上島, Kamishima) (also erroneously named Ueshima Island) is the second largest island in the Amakusa archipelago. Its coasts are washed by Yatsushiro Sea and Shimabara Bay of Ariake Sea, both being the part of East China Sea. The western part of Kamishima Island is administered as part of Amakusa city, while eastern part is administered as part of Kami-Amakusa city. The island's highest peak is Mount Kuratake 682 m (2,238 ft).
| Native name: 上島 Kamishima | |
|---|---|
  Kamishima Island Location in Japan | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Ariake Sea, Yatsushiro Sea |
| Coordinates | 32°26′0″N 130°20′0″E |
| Archipelago | Amakusa |
| Area | 225.32 km2 (87.00 sq mi) |
| Length | 25 km (15.5 mi) |
| Width | 15 km (9.3 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 682 m (2238 ft) |
| Highest point | mount Kuratake |
| Administration | |
Japan | |
| Prefecture | Kumamoto Prefecture |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 34412 (2000) |
| Pop. density | 153/km2 (396/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Japanese |
Transportation
The Five Bridges of Amakusa connects the Kamishima Island to the Kyushu mainland since 1966. Additionally, the Amakusa-seto Oohashi connects Kamishima to Shimoshima island - the largest island in Amakusa archipelago. The national roads serving the island are the Route 266 and Route 324
Climate
Kamishima Island is located in the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen Cfa), with four distinct seasons. The island never sees snowfall during the winter. Spring in Kamishima Island starts off mild, but ends up being hot and humid. The summer tends to be Kamishima's wettest season, with the tsuyu (梅雨, tsuyu, "plum rain") — the rainy season — occurring between early June (average:Jun.7) to late July (average:Jul.21). The island's weather is affected by the nearby Liman current while being shielded from the warm Kuroshio Current by the Kyushu island, resulting in wetter and colder climate than should be expected at lower 30's latitudes.
| Climate data for Matsushima, Kamishima (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 10.5 (50.9) |
11.8 (53.2) |
15.1 (59.2) |
20.3 (68.5) |
24.4 (75.9) |
27.2 (81.0) |
30.9 (87.6) |
32.3 (90.1) |
29.0 (84.2) |
24.0 (75.2) |
18.3 (64.9) |
13.0 (55.4) |
21.4 (70.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 6.1 (43.0) |
7.1 (44.8) |
10.2 (50.4) |
14.9 (58.8) |
19.0 (66.2) |
22.5 (72.5) |
26.4 (79.5) |
27.2 (81.0) |
24.1 (75.4) |
18.7 (65.7) |
13.3 (55.9) |
8.3 (46.9) |
16.5 (61.7) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.7 (35.1) |
2.4 (36.3) |
5.4 (41.7) |
9.9 (49.8) |
14.2 (57.6) |
18.7 (65.7) |
22.9 (73.2) |
23.3 (73.9) |
20.3 (68.5) |
14.2 (57.6) |
8.8 (47.8) |
3.8 (38.8) |
12.1 (53.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 72.9 (2.87) |
87.8 (3.46) |
139.2 (5.48) |
145.9 (5.74) |
176.8 (6.96) |
363.8 (14.32) |
373.5 (14.70) |
184.6 (7.27) |
169.3 (6.67) |
84.9 (3.34) |
89.2 (3.51) |
64.2 (2.53) |
1,959 (77.13) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 114.4 | 129.6 | 151.6 | 177.1 | 181.8 | 139.0 | 195.9 | 217.4 | 182.9 | 182.0 | 142.1 | 130.4 | 1,945.4 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[1] | |||||||||||||
Attractions
- Myūi Observatory
- Five Bridges of Amakusa
Notable people
See also
Islands with similar names
Other related
- Amakusa
- Shimoshima Island, Amakusa
- This article incorporates material from Japanese Wikipedia page 上島 (天草諸島), accessed 4 August 2017