Summary
Yonezawa (米沢市, Yonezawa-shi) is a city in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 February 2020[update], the city had an estimated population of 81,707 in 33,278 households,[1] and a population density of 150 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 548.51 square kilometres (212 sq mi). Yonezawa is most famous for its local delicacies (apples, Yonezawa beef, and carp) and for being a castle town that was once home to the Uesugi clan, including the daimyō Uesugi Yozan.
Yonezawa
米沢市 | |
|---|---|
 Overview of downtown Yonezawa | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Yonezawa in Yamagata Prefecture | |
  Yonezawa | |
| Coordinates: 37°55′20.1″N 140°07′0.4″E / 37.922250°N 140.116778°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Tōhoku |
| Prefecture | Yamagata |
| First official recorded | 712 AD |
| City settled | April 1, 1889 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Yōsuke Kondō (since December 2023) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 548.51 km2 (211.78 sq mi) |
| Population (February 2020) | |
| • Total | 81,707 |
| • Density | 150/km2 (390/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| Phone number | 0238-22-5111 |
| Address | 5-2-25 Kanaike, Yonezawa-shi, Yamagata-ken 992-8501 |
| Climate | Cfa/Dfa |
| Website | Official website |
| Symbols | |
| Flower | Azumashakunage (Rhododendron metternichii Sieb. et Zucc. var. pentamerum Maxim) |
| Tree | Kometsuga (Tsuga diversifolia) |
Geography edit
Yonezawa is located in the southeast corner of Yamagata Prefecture. The southern and eastern portions of the city are river basins surrounded by large mountains, forming the Yonezawa Basin. The southern portion of the city has a complex terrain with several rivers and alternating ridges and valleys orientated east to west. The Mogami River flows through the city. Part of the city is within the borders of the Bandai-Asahi National Park.
Neighboring municipalities edit
- Yamagata Prefecture
- Fukushima Prefecture
Climate edit
Yonezawa has a Humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) 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 Yonezawa is 11.4 °C (52.5 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,444.6 mm (56.87 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.5 °C (76.1 °F), and lowest in January, at around −0.8 °C (30.6 °F).[2]
| Climate data for Yonezawa (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.6 (56.5) |
16.4 (61.5) |
21.2 (70.2) |
29.9 (85.8) |
34.7 (94.5) |
34.7 (94.5) |
36.5 (97.7) |
37.7 (99.9) |
36.8 (98.2) |
29.6 (85.3) |
24.6 (76.3) |
17.8 (64.0) |
37.7 (99.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 2.6 (36.7) |
3.5 (38.3) |
7.6 (45.7) |
15.5 (59.9) |
22.0 (71.6) |
25.3 (77.5) |
28.4 (83.1) |
29.9 (85.8) |
25.4 (77.7) |
19.1 (66.4) |
12.2 (54.0) |
5.5 (41.9) |
16.4 (61.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −0.8 (30.6) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
2.7 (36.9) |
9.3 (48.7) |
15.6 (60.1) |
19.8 (67.6) |
23.4 (74.1) |
24.5 (76.1) |
20.1 (68.2) |
13.5 (56.3) |
7.1 (44.8) |
1.7 (35.1) |
11.4 (52.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −4.4 (24.1) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
3.5 (38.3) |
9.7 (49.5) |
15.0 (59.0) |
19.4 (66.9) |
20.2 (68.4) |
15.9 (60.6) |
9.0 (48.2) |
2.7 (36.9) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
6.9 (44.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −17.3 (0.9) |
−18.2 (−0.8) |
−12.6 (9.3) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
0.6 (33.1) |
6.9 (44.4) |
7.0 (44.6) |
12.3 (54.1) |
5.3 (41.5) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
−7.9 (17.8) |
−14.4 (6.1) |
−18.2 (−0.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 159.5 (6.28) |
101.8 (4.01) |
85.5 (3.37) |
67.4 (2.65) |
71.1 (2.80) |
114.0 (4.49) |
177.9 (7.00) |
151.4 (5.96) |
128.2 (5.05) |
117.7 (4.63) |
105.0 (4.13) |
158.2 (6.23) |
1,444.6 (56.87) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 267 (105) |
196 (77) |
103 (41) |
8 (3.1) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
7 (2.8) |
146 (57) |
711 (280) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 21.6 | 17.3 | 15.2 | 11.1 | 9.6 | 10.5 | 14.3 | 11.3 | 11.2 | 11.0 | 14.8 | 19.6 | 167.5 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 3 cm) | 21.8 | 18.3 | 12.4 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 | 11.0 | 65.5 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 61.5 | 87.1 | 144.5 | 179.9 | 202.2 | 165.3 | 145.7 | 182.6 | 139.6 | 129.8 | 96.9 | 64.9 | 1,595.8 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[3][2] | |||||||||||||
Demographics edit
Per Japanese census data,[4] the population of Yonezawa has recently declined after a long period of stability.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 75,039 | — |
| 1930 | 77,716 | +3.6% |
| 1940 | 82,770 | +6.5% |
| 1950 | 94,649 | +14.4% |
| 1960 | 96,991 | +2.5% |
| 1970 | 92,764 | −4.4% |
| 1980 | 92,823 | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 94,760 | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 95,396 | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 89,401 | −6.3% |
| 2020 | 81,252 | −9.1% |
History edit
The area of present-day Yonezawa was part of ancient Dewa Province and was controlled in the Sengoku period by the Date clan. The famed warlord Date Masamune was born in Yonezawa. During the Edo period, the area became Yonezawa Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate, ruled by the Uesugi clan. After the start of the Meiji period, the area was organized into Minamiokitama District, Yamagata Prefecture.
The city of Yamagata was established on April 1, 1889, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system
Government edit
Yonezawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 24 members. The city contributes three members to the Yamagata Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Yamagata District 3 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
List of mayor of Yonezawa edit
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Economy edit
The economy of Yamagata is based on agriculture, horticulture, light manufacturing and tourism.
Education edit
Colleges and universities edit
- Yamagata University Yonezawa campus
- Yonezawa Women's Junior College
Primary and secondary education edit
Yonezawa has 18 public elementary schools and eight public middle schools operated by the city government and four public high schools operated by the Yamagata Prefectural Board of Education. There are also two private high schools.
Transportation edit
Railway edit
East Japan Railway Company - Yamagata Shinkansen
East Japan Railway Company - Ōu Main Line
East Japan Railway Company - Yonesaka Line
Highways edit
Local attractions edit
- Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum
- Yonezawa Castle
- Tateyama Castle
- Yonezawa Onsen
- Namegawa Great Falls
- Shirabu Onsen (in gorges of Otaru River south of Yonezawa)
International relations edit
Twin towns — Sister cities edit
Japan edit
- Takanabe, Miyazaki, since 1981
- Jōetsu, Niigata, since 1981
- Okinawa, Okinawa, since 1994
- Tōkai, Aichi, since 1999
Worldwide edit
Taubaté, Brazil,[5] since January 28, 1974
Moses Lake, Washington, USA, since May 1, 1981
Notable people from Yonezawa edit
- Junzaburo Ban, actor
- Itō Chūta, architect
- Takehiko Endo, politician
- Yamashita Gentarō, admiral, Imperial Japanese Navy
- Masami Kobayashi, admiral, Imperial Japanese Navy
- Hiroshi Masumura, manga artist
- Mutsuo Minagawa, Nippon Professional Baseball player
- Chūichi Nagumo, admiral, Imperial Japanese Navy
- Ikeda Shigeaki, politician
- Hirata Tosuke, Meiji period statesman
References edit
- ^ Yonezawa City official statistics (in Japanese)
- ^ a b 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
- ^ 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
- ^ Yonezawa population statistics
- ^ "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Retrieved 21 November 2015.
External links edit
- Official Website (in Japanese)
- Yonezawa Sightseeing Website