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Kaneyama 金山町 | |
|---|---|
 Kaneyama town hall | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Kaneyama in Yamagata Prefecture | |
  Kaneyama | |
| Coordinates:38°53′0.4″N140°20′21.8″E / 38.883444°N 140.339389°E /38.883444; 140.339389 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Tōhoku |
| Prefecture | Yamagata |
| District | Mogami |
| Area | |
• Total | 161.79 km2 (62.47 sq mi) |
| Population (January 2020) | |
• Total | 5,205 |
| • Density | 32/km2 (83/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| Phone number | 0233-52-2111 |
| Address | 324-1 Kaneyama, Kaneyama-machi, Mogami-gun, Yamagata-ken 999-5402 |
| Climate | Cfa/Dfa |
| Website | Official website |
| Symbols | |
| Tree | Japanese beech,Japanese cedar,Kousa Dogwood |
Kaneyama (金山町,Kaneyama-machi) is atown located inYamagata Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 January 2020[update], the town has an estimatedpopulation of 5,205, and apopulation density of 35 persons per km². The total area of the town is 161.79 square kilometres (62 sq mi).
Kaneyama is located in northeastern Yamagata Prefecture, bordered to the north byAkita Prefecture. The town is at an elevation of between 100 and 400 meters, surrounded by 1000 meter mountains. The area is known for its extremely heavy snowfalls in winter. There are manyosegi waterways running through the town.[1] Part of the town is within the borders of theKurikoma Quasi-National Park[2]
Kaneyama has aHumid continental climate (Köppen climate classificationDfa) with large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heaviest from August to October. The average annual temperature in Kaneyama is 10.3 °C (50.5 °F). The average annual rainfall is 2,078.4 mm (81.83 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.3 °C (73.9 °F), and lowest in January, at around −1.4 °C (29.5 °F).[3]
| Climate data for Kaneyama (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 11.6 (52.9) | 12.9 (55.2) | 19.3 (66.7) | 28.5 (83.3) | 33.0 (91.4) | 33.5 (92.3) | 36.1 (97.0) | 36.8 (98.2) | 34.5 (94.1) | 29.0 (84.2) | 21.3 (70.3) | 19.6 (67.3) | 36.8 (98.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 1.4 (34.5) | 2.4 (36.3) | 6.1 (43.0) | 13.5 (56.3) | 20.2 (68.4) | 24.1 (75.4) | 27.1 (80.8) | 28.7 (83.7) | 24.4 (75.9) | 17.8 (64.0) | 10.5 (50.9) | 3.8 (38.8) | 15.0 (59.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −1.4 (29.5) | −1.0 (30.2) | 1.7 (35.1) | 7.6 (45.7) | 14.1 (57.4) | 18.6 (65.5) | 22.3 (72.1) | 23.3 (73.9) | 19.1 (66.4) | 12.4 (54.3) | 6.1 (43.0) | 0.8 (33.4) | 10.3 (50.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −4.2 (24.4) | −4.2 (24.4) | −2.0 (28.4) | 2.4 (36.3) | 8.7 (47.7) | 13.9 (57.0) | 18.5 (65.3) | 19.2 (66.6) | 14.9 (58.8) | 8.1 (46.6) | 2.4 (36.3) | −1.7 (28.9) | 6.3 (43.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −13.6 (7.5) | −13.2 (8.2) | −12.7 (9.1) | −7.0 (19.4) | 0.1 (32.2) | 4.6 (40.3) | 9.5 (49.1) | 10.0 (50.0) | 3.4 (38.1) | −1.7 (28.9) | −5.8 (21.6) | −12.7 (9.1) | −13.6 (7.5) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 211.4 (8.32) | 141.2 (5.56) | 128.3 (5.05) | 106.1 (4.18) | 130.5 (5.14) | 136.6 (5.38) | 258.4 (10.17) | 223.4 (8.80) | 159.5 (6.28) | 161.8 (6.37) | 190.5 (7.50) | 230.7 (9.08) | 2,078.4 (81.83) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 281 (111) | 208 (82) | 134 (53) | 14 (5.5) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 12 (4.7) | 164 (65) | 813 (320) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 24.7 | 20.7 | 18.6 | 14.0 | 12.7 | 11.4 | 14.0 | 13.0 | 13.6 | 14.8 | 18.9 | 23.1 | 199.5 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 3 cm) | 23.0 | 18.8 | 16.0 | 1.9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 | 13.6 | 74.5 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 34.7 | 54.0 | 99.5 | 155.7 | 187.3 | 169.2 | 141.6 | 175.3 | 135.2 | 114.3 | 75.2 | 38.9 | 1,375.5 |
| Source:Japan Meteorological Agency[4][3] | |||||||||||||
Per Japanese census data,[5] the population of Kaneyama peaked in the 1950s has been decreasing over the past 70 years. It is now less than it was a century ago.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 7,815 | — |
| 1930 | 8,490 | +8.6% |
| 1940 | 8,646 | +1.8% |
| 1950 | 10,299 | +19.1% |
| 1960 | 10,012 | −2.8% |
| 1970 | 8,430 | −15.8% |
| 1980 | 8,037 | −4.7% |
| 1990 | 7,886 | −1.9% |
| 2000 | 7,381 | −6.4% |
| 2010 | 6,365 | −13.8% |
| 2020 | 5,071 | −20.3% |
The area of present-day was Kaneyama part of ancientDewa Province and during theNara Period and earlyHeian period was an important fortified point on the road connectingAkita Castle on theSea of Japan withTagajo on thePacific Ocean. During theSengoku period, the area was under the control of theMogami clan, who built Kaneyama Castle on what is now the center of the modern town. During theEdo period, the town was apost town on theUshū Kaidō connectingEdo with what is nowAomori. The mountain passes north of the town center were a battlefield in theBoshin War of theMeiji restoration. After the start of theMeiji period, the area became part ofMogami District, Yamagata Prefecture. The village of Kaneyama was established on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system and was raised to town status on January 1, 1925.[citation needed]
The main industry is agriculture, livestock and forestry. Kaneyama is particularly famed for itscedar trees, and houses built in the traditional style (with cedar wood and white walls) can be seen around the town. The town is also noted for its production ofornamental(nishiki) koi.
These figures were taken from the 2000 census:
Kaneyama has three public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the city government and one public high school operated by the Yamagata Prefectural Board of Education.
Kaneyama does not have any passenger railway service. The nearestShinkansen station is in neighbouringShinjō.
British explorerIsabella Bird mentioned Kaneyama favourably in her account of her 1878 travels in Japan,Unbeaten Tracks in Japan:
A monument commemorating Isabella Bird can be seen in the town centre.[7]
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