Hioki, Kagoshima
Hioki is a city in Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. It lies in central Kagoshima, along the western coast facing the East China Sea, on the Satsuma Peninsula. The city covers 253.01 square kilometers and has about 46,000 residents (as of 2024), with a population density around 180 people per square kilometer.
Notable features include Fukiagehama Beach, one of Japan’s three largest sand dunes, on the coast. Kutajima Island sits about 12 kilometers offshore within the city limits.
Climate in Hioki is humid subtropical, with hot summers and mild winters. It rains a lot year-round, especially in June and July. The average annual temperature is about 17.3°C and the average annual rainfall is around 2,265 mm. Summer highs average near 27°C, and winter lows around 7–8°C.
Historically, Hioki was part of ancient Satsuma Province and the Shimazu clan’s power center. Modern municipalities formed in 1889, and Hioki city was established on May 1, 2005, by merging the towns of Fukiage, Higashiichiki, Hiyoshi, and Ijūin.
Government is a mayor-council system, with a directly elected mayor and a city council of 20 members. Hioki contributes two members to Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly and is part of Kagoshima’s 3rd district for the national Diet.
The economy is mixed, including commerce, agriculture, light manufacturing, and fishing.
Education in Hioki includes 15 public elementary schools, 5 public junior high schools, 4 public high schools, and 1 private combined junior/senior high school.
Hioki is served by JR Kyushu’s Kagoshima Main Line. The city’s symbols are the flower Prunus mume and the tree Pinus thunbergii.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 14:18 (CET).