Tsugaru, Aomori

Tsugaru
つがる市
City
Mount Iwaki stands prominently to the southwest of Tsugaru

Flag
Seal

Location of Tsugaru in Aomori Prefecture
Tsugaru
 
Coordinates: 40°48′31.4″N 140°22′48.2″E / 40.808722°N 140.380056°E / 40.808722; 140.380056Coordinates: 40°48′31.4″N 140°22′48.2″E / 40.808722°N 140.380056°E / 40.808722; 140.380056
Country Japan
Region Tōhoku
Prefecture Aomori
Area
 • Total 253.55 km2 (97.90 sq mi)
Population (December 31, 2017)
 • Total 33,254
 • Density 130/km2 (340/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree Japanese Black Pine
- Flower Nikkōkisuge (Hemerocallis dumortieri var. esculenta)
- Bird Common cuckoo
Phone number 0173-42-2111
Address 61-1 Kizukuri Wakamidori, Tsugaru-shi, Aomori-ken 038-3192
Website Official website
Tsugaru City Hall

Tsugaru (つがる市, Tsugaru-shi) is a city located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 December 2017, the city had an estimated population of 33,254 in 13,750 households,[1] and a population density of 130 persons per km². The total area of the city is 253.55 square kilometres (97.90 sq mi). The city's name is atypical for a Japanese place, in that it is written in hiragana rather than kanji (see hiragana cities).

Geography

Tsugaru is located on the west coast of Tsugaru Peninsula, facing the Sea of Japan. The Iwaki River flows through the city. Parts of the city are within the borders of Tsugaru Quasi-National Park. The city has a cold humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) characterized by warm short summers and long cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Tsugaru is 10.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1298 mm with September as the wettest month.The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around -1.3 °C.[2]

Neighbouring municipalities

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Tsugaru has decreased steadily over the past 40 years.

Census Year Population
1970 50,785
1980 46,869
1990 43,699
2000 41,320
2010 37,243

History

A "Lord Tsugaru" has been mentioned in folklore along with Harada Kurando involving fencing and a tale of a "white serpent God."[4] The area of Tsugaru was part of the holdings of the Tsugaru clan of Hirosaki Domain in the Edo period. After the Meiji restoration, the area was organised into Nishitsugaru District, Aomori.

The modern city of Tsugaru was established on February 11, 2005, from the merger of the town of Kizukuri, and the villages of Inagaki, Kashiwa, Morita and Shariki (all from Nishitsugaru District).

Government

Tsugaru has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 20 members.

Economy

The economy of Tsugaru is heavily dependent on agriculture and commercial fishing. The city serves as a minor regional commercial center. Agricultural produce includes rice, apples, melons, watermelons, and Brasenia.

Education

Tsugaru has ten public elementary schools and five public junior high schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school.

Transport

Railway

Highway

Local Attractions

Sister city relations

Noted people from Tsugaru

  • Shunkichi Takeuchi, politician, former Aomori governor
  • Gento Uehara, songwriter
  • Kenroku Uehara, songwriter
  • Leo Matsumoto, actress
  • Ryuhei Toyama, actor

The town has produced many top sumo wrestlers over the years.[6] Among them are:

References

  1. ↑ official home page(in Japanese)
  2. ↑ Tsugaru climate data
  3. ↑ Tsugaru population statistics
  4. ↑ The Oriental Economic Review. Oriental Information Agency. 1912-01-01.
  5. ↑ "US-Japan Sister Cities by State". Asia Matters for America. Honolulu, HI: East-West Center. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  6. ↑ "Sumo Town Strives for Comeback". NHK World. 2 Dec 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
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