Nishiwaki 西脇市 | |||||||||
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 Flag  Emblem | |||||||||
 Location of Nishiwaki in Hyōgo Prefecture | |||||||||
  Nishiwaki Location in Japan | |||||||||
| Coordinates:34°59′25″N134°58′20″E / 34.99028°N 134.97222°E /34.99028; 134.97222 | |||||||||
| Country | Japan | ||||||||
| Region | Kansai | ||||||||
| Prefecture | Hyōgo | ||||||||
| Government | |||||||||
| • Mayor | Shozo Kataoka (since November 2013) | ||||||||
| Area | |||||||||
• Total | 132.44 km2 (51.14 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Population (May 1, 2022) | |||||||||
• Total | 39,001 | ||||||||
| • Density | 294.48/km2 (762.70/sq mi) | ||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) | ||||||||
| City hall address | Gonose 605, Nishiwaki-shi, Hyōgo-ken 677-8511 | ||||||||
| Climate | Cfa | ||||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||||
| Symbols | |||||||||
| Flower | Phlox subulata | ||||||||
| Tree | Cherry blossom | ||||||||
Nishiwaki (西脇市,Nishiwaki-shi) is acity inHyōgo Prefecture,Japan. As of 1 May 2022[update], the city had an estimatedpopulation of 39,001 in 17210 households and apopulation density of 290 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 132.44 square kilometres (51.14 sq mi). The city calls itself "The Navel of Japan (Nihon no Heso)." Located at the crossing of the 135° Eastmeridian and the 35° Northparallel, the city'sNihon no Heso Park marks the center of the nation
Nishiwaki is located in the northernHarima region of Hyōgo prefecture, about 50 kilometers north of Kobe city, bordered by the Chugoku Mountains to the north. TheKakogawa River, Sugihara River, and the Noma River flow through the city,
Hyōgo Prefecture
Nishiwaki has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa) with hot summers and cool to cold winters. Precipitation is significantly higher in summer than in winter, though on the whole lower than most parts of Honshū, and there is no significant snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nishiwaki is 14.5 °C (58.1 °F). The average annual rainfall is 2,213.5 mm (87.15 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.8 °C (80.2 °F), and lowest in January, at around 3.1 °C (37.6 °F).[2] The highest temperature ever recorded in Nishiwaki was 39.2 °C (102.6 °F) on 30 August 2020; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −8.6 °C (16.5 °F) on 3 February 2012.[3]
| Climate data for Nishiwaki (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 18.7 (65.7) | 21.2 (70.2) | 24.2 (75.6) | 30.0 (86.0) | 32.3 (90.1) | 35.3 (95.5) | 39.0 (102.2) | 39.5 (103.1) | 37.9 (100.2) | 33.2 (91.8) | 25.4 (77.7) | 21.6 (70.9) | 39.5 (103.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.8 (47.8) | 9.7 (49.5) | 13.6 (56.5) | 19.5 (67.1) | 24.3 (75.7) | 27.3 (81.1) | 30.8 (87.4) | 32.7 (90.9) | 28.2 (82.8) | 22.5 (72.5) | 16.7 (62.1) | 11.2 (52.2) | 20.4 (68.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.1 (37.6) | 3.9 (39.0) | 7.3 (45.1) | 12.7 (54.9) | 17.8 (64.0) | 21.8 (71.2) | 25.7 (78.3) | 26.8 (80.2) | 22.8 (73.0) | 16.7 (62.1) | 10.5 (50.9) | 5.2 (41.4) | 14.5 (58.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1.4 (29.5) | −1.1 (30.0) | 1.6 (34.9) | 6.4 (43.5) | 11.8 (53.2) | 17.3 (63.1) | 21.9 (71.4) | 22.7 (72.9) | 18.7 (65.7) | 12.0 (53.6) | 5.6 (42.1) | 0.6 (33.1) | 9.7 (49.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −8.0 (17.6) | −8.6 (16.5) | −5.8 (21.6) | −2.8 (27.0) | 0.6 (33.1) | 7.2 (45.0) | 14.8 (58.6) | 14.9 (58.8) | 8.1 (46.6) | 1.4 (34.5) | −2.8 (27.0) | −8.1 (17.4) | −8.6 (16.5) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 47.1 (1.85) | 62.1 (2.44) | 112.2 (4.42) | 123.4 (4.86) | 151.2 (5.95) | 177.2 (6.98) | 212.2 (8.35) | 149.6 (5.89) | 190.2 (7.49) | 132.0 (5.20) | 73.8 (2.91) | 58.7 (2.31) | 1,509.3 (59.42) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 6.4 | 7.2 | 9.9 | 9.8 | 10.2 | 11.7 | 11.5 | 8.9 | 10.5 | 8.0 | 6.3 | 7.0 | 107.4 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 140.9 | 130.4 | 162.3 | 187.9 | 185.4 | 130.1 | 138.0 | 195.7 | 151.5 | 164.6 | 150.2 | 141.4 | 1,872.5 |
| Source:Japan Meteorological Agency[3][2] | |||||||||||||
Per Japanese census data, the population of Nishiwaki in 2020 is 38,673 people.[4] Nishiwaki has been conducting censuses since 1920.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 20,987 | — |
| 1925 | 22,392 | +6.7% |
| 1930 | 25,656 | +14.6% |
| 1935 | 29,737 | +15.9% |
| 1940 | 32,083 | +7.9% |
| 1945 | 37,160 | +15.8% |
| 1950 | 42,516 | +14.4% |
| 1955 | 48,012 | +12.9% |
| 1960 | 51,173 | +6.6% |
| 1965 | 48,481 | −5.3% |
| 1970 | 45,964 | −5.2% |
| 1975 | 46,182 | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 46,380 | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 46,889 | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 46,220 | −1.4% |
| 1995 | 46,339 | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 45,718 | −1.3% |
| 2005 | 43,953 | −3.9% |
| 2010 | 42,812 | −2.6% |
| 2015 | 40,866 | −4.5% |
| 2020 | 38,673 | −5.4% |
| Nishiwaki population statistics[4] | ||
The area of Nishiwaki was in ancientHarima Province. In theEdo Period, most of the area wastenryō territory under direct administration of theTokugawa shogunate. Following theMeiji restoration, the village of Sugata, was created withinTaka District, Hyōgo with the creation of the modern municipalities system April 1, 1889. It was raised to town status on November 1, 1917, changing its name to Nishiwaki. On April 1, 1952 Nishiwaki merged with the neighboring villages of Hino, Shigeharu, and Hiesho to form the city of Nishiwaki. On October 1, 2005, the town ofKurodashō (fromTaka District) was merged into Nishiwaki.
Nishiwaki has amayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameral city council of 16 members. Nishiwaki, together with the town of Taki, contributes one member to theHyogo Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Hyōgo 4th district of thelower house of theDiet of Japan.
From the middle of the Edo period (1792), the area has been noted for the production of a striped cloth per a technique introduced fromNishijin inKyoto, called "Banshu weaving". In the latter half of the Meiji era became known nationwide, and still has a share of more than 70% of domestic yarn-dyed textiles. Other noted products include the production ofKobe beef.
Nishiwaki has eight public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government and three public high schools operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Department of Education.
Renton, Washington,United States, since 1969.[5] Since then there have been mutual exchanges between the cities, most notably the annual middle school exchange program which began in 1989 (the US delegation was in Japan October 3–13, 1989).Nisshi (にっしー) was made to promote the city in 2010, and she wears a blue clothes made of "Banshu-Ori", which is a kind of textile and famous in Nisiwaki city.[6]
Sakura (さくら) is Nisshi's sister and wears pink clothes.[7]
Heso-no-Kanchan (へそのかんちゃん) was made to promote a historical drama,Gunshi-Kanbe (軍師官兵衛), which had been broadcast in 2014."Kanchan" was designed after the model of Kanbe's appearance in his childhood.[8]
Media related toNishiwaki, Hyōgo at Wikimedia Commons| Kobe |
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