Kawauchi, Fukushima

Kawauchi (川内村, Kawauchi-mura) is a village located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 January 2020, the village had an official registered population of 1,861, and a population density of 9.5 persons per km². The total area of Kawauchi is 197.35 square kilometres (76.20 sq mi).[1] The village was evacuated as a result of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, but in 2014, all restrictions were lifted.

Kawauchi 川内村
Village
Flag Seal
Location of Kawauchi in Fukushima Prefecture
Kawauchi
Coordinates: 37°20′15″N 140°48′34″E
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Fukushima
District	Futaba
Area
• Total	197.35 km^2 (76.20 sq mi)
Population  (January 1, 2020)
• Total	1,861
• Density	9.4/km^2 (24/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Abies firma
- Flower	Enkianthus campanulatus
- Bird	Japanese bush-warbler
Phone number	0240-38-2111
Address	Kamikawauchi, Kawauchi-mura, Futaba-gun, Fukushima-ken 979-1292
Website	Official website

Hebusu Swamp in Kawauchi

Geography

Kawauchi is located in the Abukuma Plateau of central Fukushima with a mean altitude of between 400 and 500 meters. North of Kawauchi, there is at 37°22′53″N 140°48′16″E a substation of Kita–Iwaki powerline, a 500 kV-line already designed for future 1100 kV operation.

Surrounding municipalities

• Fukushima Prefecture
  • Iwaki
  • Tamura
  • Tomioka
  • Naraha
  • Ōkuma

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[2] the population of Kawauchi has declined steadily over the past 60 years and is now almost half what it was a century ago.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1920	5,573	—
1930	4,275	−23.3%
1940	4,540	+6.2%
1950	5,930	+30.6%
1960	5,966	+0.6%
1970	4,709	−21.1%
1980	4,132	−12.3%
1990	3,933	−4.8%
2000	3,384	−14.0%
2010	2,821	−16.6%

Climate

Kawauchi has a humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kawauchi is 10.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1431 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 22.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around -0.7 °C.[3]

History

The area of present-day Kawauchi was part of Mutsu Province. After the Meiji restoration, on April 1, 1889, the village of Kawauchi was created within Futaba District, Fukushima with the establishment of the modern municipalities system.

2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster

See also: Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster

Kawauchi suffered moderate damage from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. However, the eastern portion of the village is located within the nominal 20-kilometer exclusion zone of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and as a result of wind patterns following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, the entire population of the village was evacuated by government order by May 2011. A portion of the village was re-opened in March 2012.[4][5]

In August 2014, the government divided the remaining portion of the village into two zones, and projected a lifting of the evacuation order for 275 residents in one of the zones in October.[6]

Economy

The economy of Kawauchi was formerly heavily dependent on agriculture.

Education

Kawauchi had two high schools (one public, one private), one junior high school, one elementary school, and a kindergarten in March 2011. After the evacuation and re-opening of the town both high schools were closed. The junior high school, elementary school, and kindergarten remain open.

Transportation

Railway

• Kawauchi is not served by any train stations.

Highway

• National Route 399

References

1. "Home Page" (in Japanese). Katsurao Village. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
2. Kawauchi population statistics
3. Kawauchi climate data
4. "Japan reopens parts of Fukushima evacuation zone", The Guardian, March 30, 2012.
5. NHK-World (16 April 2012) Govt. lifts evacuation order for Minamisoma City Archived 2015-02-10 at the Wayback Machine
6. Myoraku, Asao "Second group of Fukushima residents given OK to return home in evacuation zone", Archived 2015-02-16 at the Wayback Machine The Asahi Shimbun, August 18, 2014.

External links

Media related to Kawauchi, Fukushima at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Website (in Japanese)