# Kusu, Ōita

Kusu (玖珠町, Kusu-machi) is a town located in Kusu District, Ōita Prefecture, Japan. As of 30 November 2023, the town had an estimated population of 14,085 in 6590 households, and a population density of 49 persons per km$^2$. The total area of the city is 286.51 km$^2$ (110.62 sq mi)

## Geography

Kusu is located in midwestern Ōita Prefecture, approximately 60 kilometers west of the prefectural capital at Ōita City, and slightly borders Kumamoto Prefecture in the south. The town area is in the Kyushu Mountains, and much of the town area is within the borders of the Yaba-Hita-Hikosan Quasi-National Park. In the northern part of the town is the Hiseidai Training Range, the largest training range for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force in western Japan.

### Neighbouring municipalities

Kumamoto Prefecture
* Oguni
Ōita Prefecture
* Hita
* Kokonoe
* Nakatsu
* Usa

### Climate

Kusu has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year but is somewhat lower in winter. The average annual temperature in Kusu is 14.1 °C (57.4 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,878.0 mm (73.94 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.7 °C (78.3 °F), and lowest in January, at around 2.5 °C (36.5 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Kusu was 38.8 °C (101.8 °F) on 18 July 1994; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −14.7 °C (5.5 °F) on 3 February 2012.
Climate data for Kusu (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 19.4 (66.9) | 23.6 (74.5) | 25.2 (77.4) | 30.9 (87.6) | 33.2 (91.8) | 35.9 (96.6) | 38.8 (101.8) | 38.3 (100.9) | 37.1 (98.8) | 32.5 (90.5) | 26.7 (80.1) | 22.6 (72.7) | 38.8 (101.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.9 (46.2) | 9.7 (49.5) | 13.8 (56.8) | 19.7 (67.5) | 24.7 (76.5) | 27.0 (80.6) | 30.7 (87.3) | 31.9 (89.4) | 27.7 (81.9) | 22.1 (71.8) | 16.2 (61.2) | 10.2 (50.4) | 20.1 (68.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.5 (36.5) | 3.9 (39.0) | 7.5 (45.5) | 12.8 (55.0) | 17.8 (64.0) | 21.5 (70.7) | 25.3 (77.5) | 25.7 (78.3) | 21.8 (71.2) | 15.8 (60.4) | 9.9 (49.8) | 4.4 (39.9) | 14.1 (57.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.0 (28.4) | −1.3 (29.7) | 1.7 (35.1) | 6.3 (43.3) | 11.5 (52.7) | 17.1 (62.8) | 21.2 (70.2) | 21.4 (70.5) | 17.4 (63.3) | 10.6 (51.1) | 4.5 (40.1) | −0.5 (31.1) | 9.0 (48.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −11.5 (11.3) | −14.7 (5.5) | −8.1 (17.4) | −3.8 (25.2) | 0.4 (32.7) | 6.4 (43.5) | 11.7 (53.1) | 13.7 (56.7) | 5.3 (41.5) | −1.1 (30.0) | −4.7 (23.5) | −9.0 (15.8) | −14.7 (5.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 63.1 (2.48) | 79.0 (3.11) | 117.4 (4.62) | 120.4 (4.74) | 147.1 (5.79) | 361.2 (14.22) | 364.1 (14.33) | 195.3 (7.69) | 188.9 (7.44) | 97.8 (3.85) | 80.6 (3.17) | 63.2 (2.49) | 1,878 (73.94) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 9.0 | 9.8 | 11.9 | 10.1 | 9.9 | 14.1 | 13.8 | 11.4 | 11.2 | 7.9 | 8.7 | 8.9 | 126.7 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 113.4 | 129.1 | 156.7 | 181.8 | 192.4 | 124.7 | 155.2 | 180.6 | 135.7 | 159.5 | 136.7 | 121.5 | 1,787.4 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency ||||||||||||||

### Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Kusu in 2020 is 14,386 people. Kusu has been conducting censuses since 1920.

## History

The area of Kusu was part of ancient Bungo Province. During the Edo period the area was mostly part of the holdings of Mori Domain. Following the Meiji restoration, the village of Mannen (万年村) within Kusu District, Ōita was established on May 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. Mannen was raised to town status on April 1, 1927 and was renamed Kusu. On March 1,1955 Kusu annexed the neighboring town of Mori and the villages of Kitayamada, and Yahata.

## Government

Kusu has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 14 members. Kusu, together with Kokonoe, contributes one member to the Ōita Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Ōita 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

## Economy

The economy of Kusu is centered on agriculture and forestry.

## Education

Kuso has nine public elementary schools and one public junior high school operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Ōita Prefectural Board of Education.

## Transportation
### Railways

JR Kyushu - Kyūdai Main Line
* Sugikawachi - Kita-Yamada - Bungo-Mori

### Highways

* Ōita Expressway
* National Route 210
* National Route 387

## Local attractions

* Bungo-Mori Roundhouse
* Tsunomure Castle ruins

## Notable people from Kusu

* Seishiro Etō, politician
* Kurushima Takehiko, former children's literature author