Katsuura is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2010, the city has an estimated population of 20,570 and the population density of 218 persons per km². The total area is 94.20 km². Katsuura City is famous for Katsuura Fishing Port, which features one of the top three largest morning markets in Japan.
Katsuura features a humid subtropical climate due to its proximity to the Kuroshio Current. Summers and winters are relatively mild and have a narrow annual temperature range. Katsuura, along with Chōshi City, has the coolest summers in Chiba Prefecture. August is the hottest month with an average temperature of, and some days exceed degrees. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of.
The area around Katsuura was part of Isumi District of former Kazusa Province. During the Edo period, most of the area was tenryō under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate and administered by hatamoto retainers. Katsuura Village was founded on April 1, 1889. The name is said to be originated from a location of the same name in the Kii Peninsula. It was elevated to town status on March 12, 1890. On April 1, 1937, it expanded through annexation of neighboring Toyohama Village. On February 11, 1955, it expanded further through merger with the neighboring town of Okitsu, and the villages of Ueno and Sono. Katsuura was elevated to city status on October 1, 1958. In August 1931 the English aviator Francis Chichester crashed his seaplane at Katsuura, hitting cables while doing a demonstration flight for the populace. A local crowd pulled him from the wreckage, and he was healed of serious injuries at a nearby hospital.
Economy
Katsuura is historically known as a fishing port, and currently has the second largest catch in Chiba Prefecture after Chōshi City. There are nine active fishing ports in Katsuura, with the Port of Katsuura being the largest. The catch of katsuobonito in 1990 was the largest ever recorded in Japan. Tourism is also important to the economy, and the town has facilities for public beaches, golfing and other leisure activities. Katsuura is home to small-scale sake production, and koshihikaririce, blueberries, kiwi fruit, and shiitakemushrooms are also produced in the area.
