Mikawa, Yamagata
Mikawa (三川町, Mikawa-machi) is a town located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 January 2020, the town had an estimated population of 7,562, and a population density of 230 persons per km². The total area of the town is 33.22 square kilometres (13 sq mi).
Mikawa
三川町 | |
|---|---|
 Mikawa town hall | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Mikawa in Akita Prefecture | |
  Mikawa | |
| Coordinates: 38°47′40.5″N 139°50′58.9″E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Tōhoku |
| Prefecture | Yamagata |
| District | Higashitagawa |
| Area | |
| • Total | 33.22 km2 (12.83 sq mi) |
| Population (January 2020) | |
| • Total | 7,562 |
| • Density | 230/km2 (590/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| Phone number | 0235-66-3111 |
| Address | 85 Nishida, Yokoyama Aze Mikawa-machi, Higashitagawa-gun, Yamagata-ken 997-1301 |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Website | Official website |
| Symbols | |
| Flower | Brassica rapa |
| Tree | Zelkova serrata |
Mikawa is the seat of the prefectural government's "general branch office" Shōnai that is responsible for the Shōnai Region.[1] It is also the seat of the central government's MLIT transportation branch office that licenses the Shōnai vehicle registration plate for the Shōnai Region.[2]
Geography
Mikawa is located in the coastal plains of northeast Yamagata Prefecture in the Shōnai Region (which also contains neighbouring Shōnai Town). It is a very flat region divided by large rivers and vast fields of rice.
Climate
Mikawa 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 Mikawa is 12.5 °C (54.5 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,810.7 mm (71.29 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.9 °C (76.8 °F), and lowest in January and February, at around 1.8 °C (35.2 °F).[3]
| Climate data for Mikawa (2003−2020 normals, extremes 2003−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.3 (59.5) |
21.7 (71.1) |
24.1 (75.4) |
27.9 (82.2) |
30.9 (87.6) |
34.2 (93.6) |
37.1 (98.8) |
38.4 (101.1) |
36.3 (97.3) |
30.6 (87.1) |
24.3 (75.7) |
17.7 (63.9) |
38.4 (101.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) |
5.0 (41.0) |
8.7 (47.7) |
14.1 (57.4) |
19.7 (67.5) |
23.7 (74.7) |
26.8 (80.2) |
29.1 (84.4) |
25.5 (77.9) |
19.5 (67.1) |
13.6 (56.5) |
7.5 (45.5) |
16.5 (61.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.8 (35.2) |
1.8 (35.2) |
4.7 (40.5) |
9.3 (48.7) |
15.1 (59.2) |
19.5 (67.1) |
23.1 (73.6) |
24.9 (76.8) |
21.1 (70.0) |
15.1 (59.2) |
9.6 (49.3) |
4.3 (39.7) |
12.5 (54.5) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −1.2 (29.8) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
0.5 (32.9) |
4.4 (39.9) |
10.5 (50.9) |
15.6 (60.1) |
19.9 (67.8) |
21.2 (70.2) |
17.0 (62.6) |
10.5 (50.9) |
5.3 (41.5) |
1.0 (33.8) |
8.6 (47.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −9.0 (15.8) |
−11.3 (11.7) |
−7.6 (18.3) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
1.6 (34.9) |
7.3 (45.1) |
10.0 (50.0) |
13.6 (56.5) |
6.5 (43.7) |
1.7 (35.1) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−11.3 (11.7) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 110.9 (4.37) |
72.8 (2.87) |
97.3 (3.83) |
95.4 (3.76) |
97.8 (3.85) |
102.7 (4.04) |
220.4 (8.68) |
205.1 (8.07) |
172.9 (6.81) |
186.6 (7.35) |
194.3 (7.65) |
192.9 (7.59) |
1,810.7 (71.29) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 18.8 | 14.9 | 15.5 | 12.0 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 14.1 | 11.8 | 12.4 | 14.9 | 18.8 | 22.3 | 175.6 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[4][3] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
Per Japanese census data,[5] the population of Mikawa peaked around the year 1950, and has gradually been decreasing over the past 70 years. It is now considerably less than it was a hundred years ago.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 9,202 | — |
| 1930 | 9,714 | +5.6% |
| 1940 | 9,678 | −0.4% |
| 1950 | 10,593 | +9.5% |
| 1960 | 10,323 | −2.5% |
| 1970 | 8,864 | −14.1% |
| 1980 | 8,479 | −4.3% |
| 1990 | 8,263 | −2.5% |
| 2000 | 7,879 | −4.6% |
| 2010 | 7,731 | −1.9% |
History
The area of present-day Mikawa was part of ancient Dewa Province. After the start of the Meiji period, the area became part of Higashitagawa District, Yamagata Prefecture. The villages of Yokoyama and Oshikiri and the village of Togō Village in Nishitagawa District were established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. The three villages merged to form the village of Mikawa on January 1, 1955. Mikawa was elevated to town status on June 1, 1968.
Economy
The economy of Mikawa is based on agriculture.
Education
Mikawa has three public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school.
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
- Aga, Niigata, Japan
- McMinnville, Tennessee, USA
Noted people from Mikawa
- Hikaru Okuizumi – author
- Kōsō Abe – Imperial Japanese Navy admiral
References
- Yamagata Prefectural Government Shōnai general branch office/subprefecture, Access
- MLIT Tōhoku transportation office Yamagata transportation branch office Shōnai car inspection and registration office
- 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.
- Mikawa population statistics
External links
Media related to Mikawa, Yamagata at Wikimedia Commons
- Official Website} (in Japanese)
