Shirakawa 白河市 | |
|---|---|
 Shirakawa City Hall | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Shirakawa in Fukushima Prefecture | |
  Shirakawa | |
| Coordinates:37°07′34.7″N140°12′39.3″E / 37.126306°N 140.210917°E /37.126306; 140.210917 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Tōhoku |
| Prefecture | Fukushima |
| First official recorded | 315 AD |
| Town settled | April 1. 1889 |
| City settled | April 1, 1949 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Kazuo Suzuki (from July 2007) |
| Area | |
• Total | 305.32 km2 (117.88 sq mi) |
| Population (April 2020) | |
• Total | 59,393 |
| • Density | 194.53/km2 (503.82/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| Phone number | 0248-22-1111 |
| Address | 7-1 Hachimankōji, Shirakawa, Fukushima 961-0941 |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Website | Official website |
| Symbols | |
| Bird | Emberiza cioides |
| Flower | Ume |
| Tree | Pinus densiflora |
Shirakawa (白河市,Shirakawa-shi) is acity located inFukushima Prefecture,Japan. As of 1 April 2020[update], the city had an estimatedpopulation of 59,393 in 23,546 households[1] and apopulation density of 190 persons per km2. The total area of the city was 305.3 square kilometres (117.9 sq mi).
Shirakawa is located in south-central Fukushima prefecture facing the Nasu plateau, and extending to the lowland Shirakawa Basin.
Shirakawa has ahumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Shirakawa is 11.4 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1377 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 0.3 °C.[2]
| Climate data for Shirakawa (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1940−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17.1 (62.8) | 19.9 (67.8) | 23.5 (74.3) | 28.9 (84.0) | 32.9 (91.2) | 34.1 (93.4) | 36.0 (96.8) | 36.9 (98.4) | 33.5 (92.3) | 28.7 (83.7) | 22.7 (72.9) | 20.7 (69.3) | 36.9 (98.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 5.0 (41.0) | 6.0 (42.8) | 9.8 (49.6) | 15.9 (60.6) | 21.1 (70.0) | 24.0 (75.2) | 27.4 (81.3) | 28.7 (83.7) | 24.5 (76.1) | 18.9 (66.0) | 13.3 (55.9) | 7.8 (46.0) | 16.9 (62.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 0.6 (33.1) | 1.2 (34.2) | 4.5 (40.1) | 10.2 (50.4) | 15.5 (59.9) | 19.1 (66.4) | 22.8 (73.0) | 23.7 (74.7) | 19.8 (67.6) | 14.0 (57.2) | 8.1 (46.6) | 3.1 (37.6) | 11.9 (53.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −3.3 (26.1) | −3.0 (26.6) | −0.3 (31.5) | 4.7 (40.5) | 10.3 (50.5) | 15.0 (59.0) | 19.3 (66.7) | 20.2 (68.4) | 16.2 (61.2) | 9.9 (49.8) | 3.4 (38.1) | −1.0 (30.2) | 7.6 (45.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −13.4 (7.9) | −13.6 (7.5) | −12.3 (9.9) | −6.0 (21.2) | −2.3 (27.9) | 5.1 (41.2) | 7.2 (45.0) | 11.1 (52.0) | 3.9 (39.0) | −2.5 (27.5) | −6.8 (19.8) | −12.4 (9.7) | −13.6 (7.5) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 44.1 (1.74) | 34.8 (1.37) | 78.9 (3.11) | 101.7 (4.00) | 122.6 (4.83) | 149.8 (5.90) | 233.2 (9.18) | 206.0 (8.11) | 211.4 (8.32) | 166.3 (6.55) | 66.3 (2.61) | 41.7 (1.64) | 1,456.7 (57.35) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 36 (14) | 25 (9.8) | 14 (5.5) | 2 (0.8) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.4) | 12 (4.7) | 90 (35) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 5.3 | 4.9 | 8.5 | 8.8 | 10.6 | 13.0 | 15.5 | 12.9 | 12.4 | 9.4 | 6.3 | 5.6 | 113.2 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 1 cm) | 8.2 | 6.0 | 3.6 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 3.2 | 21.7 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 67 | 64 | 63 | 64 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 82 | 78 | 74 | 70 | 73 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 151.4 | 156.1 | 179.9 | 182.8 | 182.0 | 130.5 | 120.9 | 142.1 | 119.3 | 134.0 | 145.7 | 146.8 | 1,790.7 |
| Source:Japan Meteorological Agency[3][4] | |||||||||||||
Per Japanese census data,[5] the population of Shirakawa peaked around the year 2000 and has declined since.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 65,543 | — |
| 1960 | 62,480 | −4.7% |
| 1970 | 58,896 | −5.7% |
| 1980 | 60,253 | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 63,839 | +6.0% |
| 2000 | 66,048 | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 64,704 | −2.0% |
| 2020 | 59,491 | −8.1% |
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Comparison of Population Distribution between Shirakawa and Japanese National Average | Population Distribution by Age and Sex in Shirakawa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
■ Shirakawa ■ Japan (average) | ■ Male ■ Female | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 Census,Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications - Statistics Department | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The area of present-day Shirakawa was part of ancientMutsu Province and was the location of abarrier gate on theŌshū Kaidō connecting the capital atKyoto with the northern provinces. In theHeian period, the Buddhist monk andwaka poetNōin composed the following poem about the region:
都をば霞とともに立ちしかど秋風ぞ吹く白河の関
Miyako wo ba kasumi to tomo ni tachishikado akikaze zo fuku Shirakawa no seki.
(English:I left the capital with the spring haze, but at the barrier of Shirakawa the autumn wind blows.)
In theEdo period the area prospered as acastle townShirakawa Domain, and was the site of a major battle in theBoshin War during theMeiji restoration. In theMeiji period, it was organized as part ofNakadōri region ofIwaki Province.
The town of Shirakawa was formed on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. On April 1, 1949, Shirakawa was elevated to city status after merging with the neighboring village of Ōnuma. Subsequent mergers occurred in 1954 and 1955 with the inclusion of the villages of Shirasaka, Odagawa, Goka and a portion ofOmotegō into the territory of Shirakawa. On November 7, 2005, the villages ofTaishin,Higashi, and the remainder of Omotegō (all fromNishishirakawa District) were merged into Shirakawa, increasing its population from 48,297 to approximately 66,000 and territory from 117.67 km2 (45.43 sq mi) to 305.30 km2 (117.88 sq mi).
Shirakawa has amayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameral city legislature of 26 members. Shirakawa, together withNishishirakawa District contributes three members to the Fukushima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part ofFukushima 3rd district of thelower house of theDiet of Japan.
Shirakawa has a mixed economy, and is a major commercial center for the surrounding region. Principal industries include electrical appliances, construction materials and clothing.[6] TheD+M Group has a plant whereMarantz andDenonhigh fidelity components are produced.
Shirakawa has fifteen public elementary schools and eight junior high schools operated by the city government and four public high schools operated by the Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education.
Shirakawa has nineteenpost offices within the boundaries of the city.[7]
Tōhoku Expressway – Shirakawa-chūō Interchange – Abukuma Parking Area
National Route 4
National Route 289
National Route 294
Compiègne, France, since October 20, 1988
Anoka, Minnesota, United States, since October 13, 2002
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