Abiko 我孫子市 | |||||||||
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 Flag  Seal | |||||||||
 Location of Abiko in Chiba Prefecture | |||||||||
  Abiko | |||||||||
| Coordinates:35°52′N140°02′E / 35.867°N 140.033°E /35.867; 140.033 | |||||||||
| Country | Japan | ||||||||
| Region | Kantō | ||||||||
| Prefecture | Chiba | ||||||||
| Government | |||||||||
| • Mayor | Junichiro Hoshino (since January 2007) | ||||||||
| Area | |||||||||
• Total | 43.19 km2 (16.68 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Elevation | 4 m (13 ft) | ||||||||
| Population (February 2024) | |||||||||
• Total | 131,183 | ||||||||
| • Density | 3,000/km2 (7,900/sq mi) | ||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) | ||||||||
| Postal code | 270-1192 | ||||||||
| Phone number | 04-7185-1111 | ||||||||
| Address | 1858 Banchi, Abiko-shi, Chiba-ken 270-1192 | ||||||||
| Climate | Cfa | ||||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||||
| Symbols | |||||||||
| Bird | Eurasian coot | ||||||||
| Flower | Azalea | ||||||||
| Tree | Zelkova serrata | ||||||||
Abiko (我孫子市,Abiko-shi) is acity located inChiba Prefecture,Japan. As of 1 February 2024[update], the city had an estimatedpopulation of 131,183 in 62,193 households and apopulation density of 3000 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 43.19 square kilometres (16.68 sq mi).
Abiko is located in the northwestern part of Chiba prefecture, about 30 kilometers from the prefectural capital ofChiba, and within 30 to 40 kilometers of central Tokyo. It is separated fromIbaraki Prefecture in the north by theTone River. The city is located on the Shimosa Plateau, with an average elevation of about 20 meters above sea level. The city stretches about 14 kilometers east-to-west and about 4 to 6 kilometers north-to-south.
Chiba Prefecture
Abiko has ahumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Abiko is 14.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1345 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.3 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.8 °C.[2]
| Climate data for Abiko (2010−2020 normals, extremes 2010−present) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 18.0 (64.4) | 21.3 (70.3) | 24.6 (76.3) | 28.9 (84.0) | 34.4 (93.9) | 34.5 (94.1) | 36.7 (98.1) | 39.2 (102.6) | 35.9 (96.6) | 32.1 (89.8) | 24.3 (75.7) | 22.6 (72.7) | 39.2 (102.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.0 (48.2) | 9.8 (49.6) | 13.8 (56.8) | 18.4 (65.1) | 23.7 (74.7) | 25.7 (78.3) | 29.8 (85.6) | 31.5 (88.7) | 27.3 (81.1) | 21.6 (70.9) | 16.3 (61.3) | 11.1 (52.0) | 19.8 (67.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.3 (37.9) | 4.5 (40.1) | 8.3 (46.9) | 12.8 (55.0) | 18.3 (64.9) | 21.2 (70.2) | 25.1 (77.2) | 26.6 (79.9) | 22.7 (72.9) | 17.0 (62.6) | 11.1 (52.0) | 5.7 (42.3) | 14.7 (58.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1.7 (28.9) | −0.3 (31.5) | 3.2 (37.8) | 7.6 (45.7) | 13.6 (56.5) | 17.6 (63.7) | 21.8 (71.2) | 23.1 (73.6) | 19.2 (66.6) | 13.2 (55.8) | 6.6 (43.9) | 0.9 (33.6) | 10.4 (50.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −7.2 (19.0) | −6.9 (19.6) | −3.4 (25.9) | −1.1 (30.0) | 5.3 (41.5) | 9.7 (49.5) | 15.1 (59.2) | 15.9 (60.6) | 10.0 (50.0) | 4.2 (39.6) | −1.8 (28.8) | −5.0 (23.0) | −7.2 (19.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 50.5 (1.99) | 63.5 (2.50) | 98.4 (3.87) | 124.9 (4.92) | 112.3 (4.42) | 149.9 (5.90) | 126.2 (4.97) | 82.5 (3.25) | 211.6 (8.33) | 236.4 (9.31) | 84.3 (3.32) | 58.4 (2.30) | 1,398.9 (55.08) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 4.4 | 6.4 | 9.1 | 10.0 | 8.5 | 11.6 | 10.6 | 7.0 | 11.5 | 10.8 | 8.1 | 5.8 | 103.8 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 206.9 | 166.1 | 189.1 | 187.0 | 210.9 | 147.9 | 173.5 | 210.6 | 143.4 | 133.9 | 153.6 | 175.6 | 2,098.5 |
| Source:Japan Meteorological Agency[3][4] | |||||||||||||
Per Japanese census data,[5] the population of Abiko has recently plateaued after a long period of growth.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 23,120 | — |
| 1960 | 27,063 | +17.1% |
| 1970 | 49,240 | +81.9% |
| 1980 | 101,061 | +105.2% |
| 1990 | 120,628 | +19.4% |
| 2000 | 127,733 | +5.9% |
| 2010 | 134,017 | +4.9% |
| 2020 | 130,510 | −2.6% |
The area around Abiko has been inhabited sinceJapanese Paleolithic times, and archaeologists have foundstone tools dated from 30,000 years ago. During theEdo period, Abiko was a river port on theTone River and apost station on theMito Kaidō, a highway connectingEdo withMito. After theMeiji Restoration, Abiko Town was created inMinamisoma District, Chiba Prefecture on April 1, 1889, along with the town of Fusa and village of Kohoku with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. Abiko was transferred toHigashikatsushika District in 1897. From theTaisho period to the earlyShowa period, Abiko was sometimes called "Kamakura in the north" as many prominent cultural figures such asNaoya Shiga,Saneatsu Mushanokoji,Soetsu Yanagi, andBernard Leach had villas in the town, which became a center for theShirakabaha literary coterie. On November 1, 1954, it annexed neighboring Tomise village from the same district. On April 29, 1955, Abiko annexed Fusa Town and Kohoku Village. Abiko achieved city status on July 1, 1970. In 2003, a proposal to merge Abiko with neighboring city of Kashiwa and the town ofShōnan was defeated by a public referendum. Parts of the city were damaged bysoil liquefaction due to the2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
Abiko has amayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameral city council of 24 members. Abiko contributes two members to the Chiba Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part ofChiba 8th district of thelower house of theDiet of Japan.
Although agriculture still plays a significant role in the local economy, Abiko is largely a regional commercial center and from the 1970s developed into acommuter town for nearby Chiba and Tokyo. The commuting rate is 32.3% for central Tokyo and 12.4% for Kashiwa City (both according to the 2010 census).
Abiko has 13 public elementary schools and six public middle schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Chiba Prefectural Board of Education. There are also two private high schools. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.
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