Yamagata, Yamagata

Yamagata
山形市
Special city
Downtown Yamagata, on the Yamagataekimae Ōdōri (Prefectural Road 16)

Flag
Seal

Location of Yamagata in Yamagata Prefecture
Yamagata
 
Coordinates: 38°15′19.5″N 140°20′22.6″E / 38.255417°N 140.339611°E / 38.255417; 140.339611Coordinates: 38°15′19.5″N 140°20′22.6″E / 38.255417°N 140.339611°E / 38.255417; 140.339611
Country Japan
Region Tōhoku
Prefecture Yamagata Prefecture
Government
 • Mayor Takahiro Satō
Area
 • Total 381.30 km2 (147.22 sq mi)
Population (October 2015)
 • Total 252,632
 • Density 663/km2 (1,720/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree Japanese Rowan
- Flower Safflower
Phone number 023-641-1212
Address 2-3-25 Hatagomachi, Yamagata-shi, Yamagata-ken 990-8540
Website http://www.city.yamagata-yamagata.lg.jp/
Yamagata city hall

Yamagata (山形市, Yamagata-shi, Japanese: [jamaꜜɡata]) is the capital city of Yamagata Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. As of October 2015, the city had an estimated population of 252,632, and a population density of 663 persons per km². The total area is 381.3 square kilometres (147 sq mi).

Geography

Yamagata is located in mountainous southeast Yamagata Prefecture. The Mogami River passes through the city, which includes Mount Zaō within its borders.

Neighboring municipalities

Climate

Yamagata City falls within the southern extremity of the humid continental climate, transitioning into the humid subtropical climate in the south. This climate zone is characterized by hot, humid summers with daytime temperatures commonly higher than 30 °C (86 °F) and moderately long, cold and very snowy winters. Yamagata city is part of the heavy snow area of Japan (Gosetsu chitai, 豪雪地帯) with snowfall most days throughout the winter season.

Yamagata City is located in a wide central valley that can heat up quickly in spring and summer and is often grey and humid, while to the east in Miyagi Prefecture on the Pacific coast it is usually clearer and more temperate.

Climate data for Yamagata, Yamagata (1981-2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 3.1
(37.6)		 4.0
(39.2)		 8.4
(47.1)		 16.2
(61.2)		 22.0
(71.6)		 25.4
(77.7)		 28.4
(83.1)		 30.4
(86.7)		 25.2
(77.4)		 19.0
(66.2)		 12.2
(54)		 6.4
(43.5)		 16.7
(62.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) −0.4
(31.3)		 0.1
(32.2)		 3.5
(38.3)		 10.1
(50.2)		 15.7
(60.3)		 19.8
(67.6)		 23.3
(73.9)		 24.9
(76.8)		 20.1
(68.2)		 13.6
(56.5)		 7.4
(45.3)		 2.6
(36.7)		 11.7
(53.1)
Average low °C (°F) −3.4
(25.9)		 −3.3
(26.1)		 −0.7
(30.7)		 4.5
(40.1)		 10.1
(50.2)		 15.2
(59.4)		 19.4
(66.9)		 20.7
(69.3)		 16.2
(61.2)		 9.2
(48.6)		 3.2
(37.8)		 −0.7
(30.7)		 7.5
(45.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 83.0
(3.268)		 62.7
(2.469)		 68.6
(2.701)		 68.4
(2.693)		 75.4
(2.969)		 110.5
(4.35)		 157.0
(6.181)		 150.8
(5.937)		 127.2
(5.008)		 92.4
(3.638)		 84.5
(3.327)		 82.7
(3.256)		 1,163.2
(45.797)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 148
(58.3)		 125
(49.2)		 57
(22.4)		 3
(1.2)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 10
(3.9)		 77
(30.3)		 420
(165.3)
Average snowy days 26.6 22.2 16.5 2.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 4.2 18.5 90.5
Average relative humidity (%) 81 77 69 62 65 72 77 75 77 77 78 80 74
Mean monthly sunshine hours 84.8 98.9 140.3 176.1 191.5 158.8 143.7 178.4 128.7 132.1 99.2 80.7 1,613.2
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency
  • Yamagata registered the highest temperature ever recorded in Japan (40.8 °C or 105.4 °F on July 25, 1933) until the record was broken by two cities (40.9 °C or 105.6 °F in Kumagaya, Saitama and Tajimi, Gifu) on August 16, 2007[1]

History

The area of present-day Yamagata was part of Dewa Province. During the Edo period, it was the center of Yamagata Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. The modern city of Yamagata was founded on April 1, 1889 as the capital of Yamagata Prefecture. The city attained Special city status on April 1, 2001.

Education

Transportation

Railway

Highway

Culture

Local events

  • Hanagasa festival (花笠祭り, Hanagasa Matsuri) - one of Tōhoku's major summer festivals, is held in the city every August 5, 6 and 7. Yamagata also hosts the bi-annual Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival. An autumn tradition is Imoni-kai (taro potato party). Taro potatoes, thin-sliced meat, and vegetables are cooked in a large pot at picnic spots. The banks of the Mamigasaki River are popular. Once a year, on the first Sunday in September, the city government serves thousands of bowls from its giant iron pot, which is serviced by a building crane. In 2009, 30,000 servings were prepared and served, and still a crowd waited in line.[2]

Local attractions

  • Yama-dera (Ryushaku-ji) lies within the city limits, 15 minutes by train from the center.
  • Kajo Park, located in the city center of town northwest of the train station, is the extensive grounds of castle keep of feudal warlord Mogami Yoshiaki. While most of the park is athletic fields and public function buildings, the rebuilt walls, eastern main gate, and surrounding moat of the former castle are impressive. The Mogami Yoshiaki Historical Museum nearby features items from the Edo period, and information on these exhibits and the history of the castle town. It also contains a small public museum with displays of natural and social history.
  • Yamagata Museum of Art.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Yamagata is twinned with the following towns and cities.[3]

Domestic
International

Notable people from Yamagata

References

  1. ↑ 河北新報 (Kahoku Shimpō newspaper) page 1; August 17, 2007.
  2. ↑ Yamagata Shinbun Newspaper, Sept.7, 2009
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 山形市の友好姉妹都市 [Yamagata City Twin Cities] (in Japanese). Japan: Yamagata City. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  4. ↑ "Partnerstädte". Stadtgemeinde Kitzbühel (in German). Retrieved 2008-08-04.
  5. ↑ "Boulder Sister City Program". City of Boulder, Colorado. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  6. ↑ لرستان و یاماگاتای ژاپن خواهرخوانده شدند [Kayhan newspaper] (in Persian). iran.
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