Inawashiro

Inawashiro (猪苗代町, Inawashiro-machi) is a town located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 March 2020, the town had an estimated population of 13,810 in 5309 households [1], and a population density of 35 persons per km². The total area of the town was 394.85 square kilometres (152.45 sq mi). It is noted as the birthplace of the famous doctor Hideyo Noguchi, who contributed to knowledge in the fight against syphilis and yellow fever.[2]

Inawashiro

猪苗代町
Town
View of Inawashiro Lake from Mount Bandai
Flag
Seal
Location of Inawashiro in Fukushima Prefecture
Inawashiro
 
Coordinates: 37°34′28″N 140°07′17.3″E
CountryJapan
RegionTōhoku
PrefectureFukushima
DistrictYama
Area
 • Total394.85 km2 (152.45 sq mi)
Population
 (March 2020)
 • Total13,810
 • Density35/km2 (91/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- TreeSorbus commixta
- FlowerHabenaria radiata
- BirdSwan
Phone number0242-62-2111　
AddressJonan 100, Inawashiro-machi, Yama-gun, Fukushima-ken 969-3123
WebsiteOfficial website
Inawashiro Town Office

Geography

Inawashiro is located in the far north of the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture, bordering Yamagata Prefecture to the north and Lake Inawashiro to the south.

Neighboring municipalities

Fukushima Prefecture

Yamagata Prefecture

Climate

Inawashiro has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Inawashiro is 10.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1367 mm with September as the wettest month.The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around -2.4 °C.[3]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[4] the population of Inawashiro has declined steadily over the past 40 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 19,112—    
1930 20,822+8.9%
1940 23,351+12.1%
1950 27,538+17.9%
1960 26,058−5.4%
1970 21,417−17.8%
1980 19,717−7.9%
1990 18,839−4.5%
2000 18,178−3.5%
2010 15,797−13.1%

History

The area of present-day Inawashiro was part of ancient Mutsu Province and the location of Inawashiro Castle since the Kamakura period. It was the site of the Battle of Suriagehara during the Sengoku period. The area formed part of the holdings of Aizu Domain during the Edo period. During the Boshin War, the Battle of Bonari Pass took place near Inawashiro. After the Meiji Restoration, the area was organized as part of Yama District, Fukushima Prefecture. The town of Inawashiro was founded with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1898. The town borders expanded considerably in 1955 through a merger with the villages of Iwase, Iwaho, Azauma, Nagase, Tsukinowa, Chisato, and Okinajima.

Economy

The economy of Inawashiro is based on tourism and agriculture. Primary agricultural crops include buckwheat and rice, along with tomatoes, dairy farming and miso. There are many ski resorts, onsen and leisure facilities at Lake Inawashiro. Sulfur mining, formerly a mainstay of the local economy, ended with the closure of the last mine in 1968.

Education

Inawashiro has six public elementary schools and three public junior high schools operated by the town government. The town has one public high school operated by the Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school.

Transportation

Railway

JR East – Ban'etsu West Line

Highway

Local attractions
  • Tenkyōkaku, a Meiji-period former residence of Prince Arisugawa Takehito, designated an Important Cultural Property (ICP)
  • Noguchi Hideyo Memorial Hall
  • Lake Inawashiro
  • former Okinashima Villa of Prince Takamatsu (ICP)
  • former Baba residence (ICP)
  • Aizu-Matsudiara clan cemetery, National historic site

Noted people from Inawashiro

See also

References
  1. Inawashiro town official statistics(in Japanese)
  2. Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize
  3. Inawashiro climate data
  4. Inawashiro population statistics

Media related to Inawashiro, Fukushima at Wikimedia Commons

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