Gotō, Nagasaki
History. The area which is now Gotō City was a port of call on the trade route between Japan and Tang Dynasty China in the Nara period. Noted Buddhist prelate Kukai stopped at Gotō in 806. The islands came under the control of the Gotō clan from the Muromachi period and was the location of intense European missionary activity in the late 16th century, which converted most of the population to the "Kirishitan" faith. After the start of the Tokugawa bakufu, the area was part of Fukue Domain in the Edo period. Fukue City was established in 1954 . Most of the town was destroyed in a fire in 1962. The modern city of Gotō was established on August 1, 2004, from the merger of the city of Fukue with the towns of Kishiku, Miiraku, Naru, Tamanoura and Tomie (all from Minamimatsuura District). The population of the area has declined from over 60,000 inhabitants in 1980 due to economic migration and aging population issues. Geography. Climate. Gotō has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification "Cfa") with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is high throughout the year, and is heavy from April to September. Demographics. Per Japanese census  data, the population of Gotō in 2020 is 34,391 people. Gotō has been conducting censuses since 1920. Events. Gotō used to host the Ironman Japan Triathlon. The triathlon was established in 2001, and the event was canceled in 2010. Ironman chose not to renew the race for 2011. The city now hosts the Goto Nagasaki International Triathlon using the same course for the previous Ironman event. In late summer there is the Bon festival where people gather in the main area of Fukue and hold a parade along with street vendors. The parade features various floats all of which are  lit up at night and walked through the town. At the end there is a beautiful firework show. In winter there (usually held on the 2nd or 3rd weekend of January) is an event called "Hettomatto", also known as the 'naked man race'. Participants run along a course in a fundoshi. Transportation. Gotō-Fukue Airport on Fukue serves the city. It was established in 1963 to serve as a regional airport.