is a town located in Kamimashiki District, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 10,004 in 4,441 households, and a population density of 24 persons per km<sup>2</sup>. The total area of the town is .
KÃ Âsa is located in the central inland region of Kumamoto Prefecture, about 20 kilometers southeast of Kumamoto City. The northwestern part is at the southeastern edge of the Kumamoto Plain, but most of the town area is included in the Kyushu Mountains and is at a high altitude. The Midorigawa River, a first-class river, flows through the center of the town.
Kumamoto Prefecture
Kà Âsa has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot, humid summers and cool winters. There is significant precipitation throughout the year, especially during June and July. The average annual temperature in Kà Âsa is . The average annual rainfall is with June as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Kà Âsa was on 14 August 2018; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 25 January 2016.
Per Japanese census data, the population of KÃ Âsa in 2020 is 10,132 people. KÃ Âsa has been conducting censuses since 1920.
The area of KÃ Âsa was part of ancient Higo Province, During the Edo Period it was part of the holdings of Kumamoto Domain. After the Meiji restoration, the town of KÃ Âsa and villages of Miyauchi, Tatsuno, Shirahata, and Otome were established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On January 1, 1955, Miyauchi, Tatsuno, Shirahata, and Otome merged with KÃ Âsa.
KÃ Âsa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 11 members. KÃ Âsa, collectively with the other municipalities of Kamimashiki District contributes two members to the Kumamoto Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Kumamoto 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
The local economy relies on agriculture, and KÃ Âsa's geographic position as a logistics hub.
KÃ Âsa has four public elementary schools and one public junior high school operated by the town government, and one public high schools operated by the Kumamoto Prefectural Board of Education.
KÃ Âsa does not have any passenger railway service. The nearest station is Matsubase Station on the JR Kyushu station is Matsubase Station on the Kagoshima Main Line in neighboring Uki.
Since its inception in 1983, the Kumamoto KÃ Âsa 10-Miler road race has seen several top rated achievements being set during the event, which is run in December. The most recent new world record for the 10 miles was set in December 2022 by Bernard Koech.