is a city located in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 16,370 in 8076 households and a population density of 52 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Aki is located in southeastern Kōchi Prefecture, facing Tosa Bay of the Pacific Ocean to the south and bordered by mountains to the north. The urban area is on the plains of the Aki River. Neighbouring municipalities Kōchi Prefecture Kōnan Kami Yasuda Umaji Geisei Tokushima Prefecture Naka Climate Aki 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 Aki 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 Aki was on 21 August 2016; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 26 February 1981. Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Aki in 2020 is 16,243 people. Aki has been conducting censuses since 1950. History As with all of Kōchi Prefecture, the area of Aki was part of ancient Tosa Province. During the Edo period, the area was part of the holdings of Tosa Domain ruled by the Yamauchi clan from their seat at Kōchi Castle. Following the Meiji restoration, the village of Aki was established within Aki District, Kōchi with the creation of the modern municipalities system on October 1, 1889. Aki was elevated to town status on November 21, 1895. On August 1, 1954 Aki merged with the villages of Ananai (穴内村), Ioki (伊尾木村), Kawakita (川北村), Higashigawa (東川村), Hatayama (畑山村), Inokuchi (井ノ口村),Doi (土居村), and Akano (赤野村) to form the city of Aki. Government Aki has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 14 members. Aki, together with the village of Geisei, contributes one member to the Kōchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Kōchi 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Economy Traditionally, forestry and charcoal production were mainstays of the local economy, along with commercial fishing and agriculture. In particular, the city is of the leading eggplant and yuzu production areas in Japan. Education Aki has nine