Yuzawa, Niigata
Yuzawa 湯沢町 | |||
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Town | |||
Yuzawa town hall | |||
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Location of Yuzawa in Niigata | |||
Yuzawa | |||
Coordinates: 36°56′2.4″N 138°49′2.8″E / 36.934000°N 138.817444°ECoordinates: 36°56′2.4″N 138°49′2.8″E / 36.934000°N 138.817444°E | |||
Country | Japan | ||
Region | Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu) (Hokuriku) | ||
Prefecture | Niigata | ||
District | Minamiuonuma | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 357.29 km2 (137.95 sq mi) | ||
Population (April 2018) | |||
• Total | 8,074 | ||
• Density | 23/km2 (59/sq mi) | ||
Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) | ||
Symbols | |||
• Tree | Prunus sargentii | ||
• Flower | Cosmos | ||
Phone number | 025-784-3451 | ||
Address | 300 Kandatsu, Yuzawa-machi, Minami-Uonuma-gun, Niigata-ken 949-6192 | ||
Website | Official website |
Yuzawa (湯沢町 Yuzawa-machi) is a town located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 April 2018, the town had an estimated population of 8,074, and a population density of 23 persons per km². The total area of the town was 257.29 square kilometres (99.34 sq mi). The town is famous for its hot springs.
Geography
Yuzawa is located in southwestern Niigata Prefecture, in a mountainous area bordering northern Nagano Prefecture and northern Gunma Prefecture. Due to its geographical location between the Sea of Japan and the surrounding Japanese Alps it has one of the highest annual snowfalls in Japan. There are numerous ski resorts within the region. Mount Naeba (2143 meters) is partly located within the town limits. Much of the town is within the borders of either the Jōshin'etsu-kōgen National Park or the Uonuma Renpo Prefectural Park.
Surrounding municipalities
Climate
Yuzawa has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) characterized by warm, wet summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Yuzawa is 6.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1744 mm with September as the wettest month.The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 19.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around -5.1 °C.[1]
Climate data for Yuzawa, Niigata (1981-2010) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average high °C (°F) | 2.8 (37) |
3.3 (37.9) |
7.2 (45) |
15.3 (59.5) |
21.4 (70.5) |
24.8 (76.6) |
28.2 (82.8) |
29.9 (85.8) |
25.1 (77.2) |
18.8 (65.8) |
12.6 (54.7) |
6.3 (43.3) |
16.3 (61.3) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −0.5 (31.1) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
2.7 (36.9) |
9.2 (48.6) |
15.3 (59.5) |
19.6 (67.3) |
23.2 (73.8) |
24.7 (76.5) |
20.2 (68.4) |
13.8 (56.8) |
7.7 (45.9) |
2.3 (36.1) |
11.5 (52.7) |
Average low °C (°F) | −3.6 (25.5) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−1.1 (30) |
3.9 (39) |
9.8 (49.6) |
15.2 (59.4) |
19.3 (66.7) |
20.5 (68.9) |
16.4 (61.5) |
9.7 (49.5) |
3.7 (38.7) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
7.4 (45.4) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 307.6 (12.11) |
213.1 (8.39) |
154.9 (6.098) |
101.8 (4.008) |
105.3 (4.146) |
134.8 (5.307) |
202.1 (7.957) |
192.3 (7.571) |
186.9 (7.358) |
164.1 (6.461) |
193.9 (7.634) |
274.2 (10.795) |
2,231 (87.835) |
Average snowfall cm (inches) | 411 (161.8) |
319 (125.6) |
186 (73.2) |
41 (16.1) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
18 (7.1) |
208 (81.9) |
1,183 (465.7) |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 57.6 | 73.0 | 102.8 | 146.4 | 171.0 | 132.8 | 134.1 | 157.9 | 102.9 | 103.3 | 89.6 | 70.4 | 1,341.8 |
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency |
Demographics
Per Japanese census data,[2] the population of Yuzawa has remained steady over the past 40 years.
Census Year | Population |
---|---|
1970 | 8,374 |
1980 | 9,514 |
1990 | 9,986 |
2000 | 9,130 |
2010 | 8,396 |
History
The area of present-day Yuzawa was part of ancient Echigo Province. The village of Yuzawa was established on 1 April 1889 within Minami-Uonuma District, Niigata with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to town status on 31 March 1955 by merger with the neighboring villages of Kandatsu, Tsuchidaru, Mitsumata, and Mikuni.
Education
Yuzawa has one public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government. The town no longer has a high school.
Transportation
Railway
- Tsuchitaru - Echigo-Nakazato - Echigo-Yuzawa - Iwappara-Ski-jō-mae
- Echigo-Yuzawa
Highway
Local attractions
Ski resorts
There are a large number of ski resorts in the area. The town is served by the Echigo-Yuzawa and Gala-Yuzawa stations on the Jōetsu Shinkansen line, making it one of the most easily accessible winter sports areas from Tokyo, and the town's economy is reliant principally on skiing and snowboarding.
Cultural references
Yasunari Kawabata's classic novel Snow Country takes place in Yuzawa.[3]
See also
- Takahan Ryokan – an historic inn located in Yuzawa
References
- ↑ Yuzawa climate data
- ↑ Yuzawa population statistics
- ↑ Lindelauf, Perrin, "Finding the fabled Snow Country", Japan Times, 18 January 2009, p. 12.
External links
Media related to Yuzawa, Niigata at Wikimedia Commons Yuzawa_(Niigata) travel guide from Wikivoyage - Official Website (in Japanese)