Awaji 淡路市 | |
|---|---|
 Top left:Nojima Fault, Top right:Akashi Strait Bridge and side of Honshu, 2nd left:Awaji Dream Stage theme park, 2nd right:Onokoro Theme Park, 3rd left:Peace Statue in Awaji Kannon Temple, 3rd right:Esaki Lighthouse, Bottom left:View of Ferriwheel in Awaji rest-house, Bottom right:Entrance in Honbuku Temple | |
 Flag  Emblem | |
 Location of Awaji in Hyōgo Prefecture | |
  Awaji Location in Japan | |
| Coordinates:34°26′N134°55′E / 34.433°N 134.917°E /34.433; 134.917 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kansai |
| Prefecture | Hyōgo |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Atsuhiro Toda (戸田敦大) from May 2025[citation needed] |
| Area | |
• Total | 184.32 km2 (71.17 sq mi) |
| Population (June 1, 2022) | |
• Total | 42,597 |
| • Density | 231.10/km2 (598.56/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| City hall address | 8 Ikuhoniijima, Awaji-shi, Hyōgo-ken 656-2292 |
| Website | Official website |
| Symbols | |
| Bird | Plover |
| Flower | Carnation |
| Tree | Prunus serrulata |
Awaji (淡路市,Awaji-shi) is acity located onAwaji Island inHyōgo Prefecture,Japan. As of 1 June 2022[update], the city had an estimatedpopulation of 42,597 and apopulation density of 230 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 184.32 square kilometres (71.17 sq mi).
The city of Awaji occupies the northern third of Awaji Island. It is connected to Kobe City to the north by theAkashi Kaikyo Bridge, and is sandwiched betweenOsaka Bay and the Gulf of Harima on theSeto Inland Sea. There are no large rivers in the city, but there are many agricultural ponds. The Tsuna hills run through the center of the city, with Mount Myoken (522 meters) as the highest point. TheNojima Fault (the focus of theGreat Hanshin earthquake) is located in the city.
Hyogo Prefecture
Awaji has aHumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Awaji is 16.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1600 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 6.6 °C.[2]
| Climate data forAwaji city, elevation 5 meters, 1981-2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 20.8 (69.4) | 22.0 (71.6) | 24.2 (75.6) | 28.7 (83.7) | 31.4 (88.5) | 34.2 (93.6) | 37.0 (98.6) | 38.2 (100.8) | 36.0 (96.8) | 31.1 (88.0) | 25.8 (78.4) | 23.6 (74.5) | 38.2 (100.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.3 (48.7) | 9.7 (49.5) | 12.8 (55.0) | 18.6 (65.5) | 23.1 (73.6) | 26.4 (79.5) | 30.3 (86.5) | 31.9 (89.4) | 28.3 (82.9) | 22.7 (72.9) | 17.3 (63.1) | 12.1 (53.8) | 20.2 (68.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.6 (42.1) | 5.7 (42.3) | 8.4 (47.1) | 13.6 (56.5) | 18.2 (64.8) | 22.2 (72.0) | 26.2 (79.2) | 27.4 (81.3) | 24.0 (75.2) | 18.2 (64.8) | 12.9 (55.2) | 8.1 (46.6) | 15.9 (60.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.5 (34.7) | 1.4 (34.5) | 3.6 (38.5) | 8.4 (47.1) | 13.4 (56.1) | 18.5 (65.3) | 22.9 (73.2) | 23.8 (74.8) | 20.2 (68.4) | 13.8 (56.8) | 8.4 (47.1) | 3.8 (38.8) | 11.7 (53.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −5.1 (22.8) | −5.2 (22.6) | −3.7 (25.3) | −0.9 (30.4) | 3.8 (38.8) | 9.4 (48.9) | 16.6 (61.9) | 16.7 (62.1) | 10.0 (50.0) | 3.9 (39.0) | 0.3 (32.5) | −4.3 (24.3) | −5.2 (22.6) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 33.8 (1.33) | 50.2 (1.98) | 82.7 (3.26) | 89.3 (3.52) | 120.9 (4.76) | 157.5 (6.20) | 115.7 (4.56) | 89.2 (3.51) | 145.1 (5.71) | 101.1 (3.98) | 69.1 (2.72) | 38.7 (1.52) | 1,093.1 (43.04) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 5.8 | 6.2 | 9.9 | 9.0 | 9.4 | 11.6 | 9.6 | 5.9 | 9.7 | 8.1 | 6.2 | 5.7 | 97.1 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 140.9 | 152.4 | 180.3 | 201.4 | 200.5 | 163.7 | 198.8 | 240.1 | 173.3 | 172.2 | 147.2 | 141.4 | 2,110.3 |
| Source:Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) (averages：1981-2010、peaks：1976-present)[3][4] | |||||||||||||
Per Japanese census data,[5] the population of Awaji has been declining steadily over the past 70 years.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 69,948 | — |
| 1930 | 69,667 | −0.4% |
| 1940 | 67,926 | −2.5% |
| 1950 | 82,874 | +22.0% |
| 1960 | 71,378 | −13.9% |
| 1970 | 61,675 | −13.6% |
| 1980 | 57,650 | −6.5% |
| 1990 | 54,643 | −5.2% |
| 2000 | 51,884 | −5.0% |
| 2010 | 46,465 | −10.4% |
The city of Awaji is situated in ancientAwaji Province. It was ruled as part ofTokushima Domain during theEdo period. After theMeiji restoration, it became part ofTsuna District, Hyōgo. The town of Iwaya was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system April 1, 1889. On April 1, 1956 Iwaya merged with the neighboring town of Kariya and the villages of Url and Hamaguchi to form the town ofAwaji; however, on June 19, 1961 a portion of the town was separated to form the town ofHigashiura. On April 1, 2005 Awaji and Higashiura merged back together, along with the towns ofTsuna,Hokudan andIchinomiya to form the city of Awaji.
Awaji has amayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameral city council of 18 members. Awaji contributes one member to theHyogo Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Hyōgo 9th district of thelower house of theDiet of Japan.
The local economy is largely rural, and is based on agriculture andcommercial fishing. Awaji has traditionally been famous for its production ofjoss sticks, which in the early 1960s accounted for 70% of the Japanese domestic market. The production ofroof tiles is also a local speciality.
Awaji has 11 public elementary schools and five public middle schools operated by the city government and two public high schools operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Department of Education. There are also two private high schools. TheKansai University of Nursing and Health Sciences is located in Awaji.
TheAshiya University Awajishima Seaside Seminar Center,Kobe University Inland Sea Environment Education and Research Center andUniversity of Hyogo Graduate School of Green Environment and Landscape Management are all located in Awaji.
The Awaji City Library serves Awaji. In 1999 this library and the West Bloomfield Library inWest Bloomfield, Michigan inMetro Detroit were paired as sister institutions.[6]
Awaji does not have any passenger rail service.
There is no airport on Awaji Island. The nearest airports are located in mainlandKansai andShikoku:
Jointly withMinami Awaji andSumoto, the city operates a low-costelectric bike rental scheme, designed to attract visitors to stay for more than one day in order to explore the island.[7]
Paranaguá,Paraná,Brazil, since May 29, 1986
St. Marys, Ohio,United States, since August 3, 2006
Media related toAwaji, Hyōgo at Wikimedia Commons| Kobe |
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