Nishikawa, Yamagata

Nishikawa (西川町, Nishikawa-machi) is a town located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 February 2020, the town had an estimated population of 5,225 in 1851 households,[1] and a population density of 145.1 persons per km². The total area of the town is 393.19 square kilometres (152 sq mi).

Nishikawa

西川町
Town
Nishikawa Town Hall
Flag
Seal
Location of Nishikawa in Yamagata Prefecture
Nishikawa
 
Coordinates: 38°25′35.4″N 140°08′51.4″E
CountryJapan
RegionTōhoku
PrefectureYamagata
DistrictNishimurayama
Area
 • Total393.19 km2 (151.81 sq mi)
Population
 (February 2020)
 • Total5,225
 • Density13/km2 (34/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- TreeSiebold’s Beech
- FlowerLysichiton camtschatcensis
Chrysanthemum
- AnimalJapanese serow
Phone number0237-74-2111　
Address510 Kaishō, Nishikawa-machi, Nishimurayama-gun, Yamagata-ken 990-0792
WebsiteOfficial website
Sagae Dam Reservoir

Geography

Nishikawa is located in mountainous central Yamagata and includes Mount Gassan and Mount Asahi within its borders. The Sagae River passes through the town. Part of the town is within the borders of the Bandai-Asahi National Park.

Neighboring municipalities

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[2] the population of Nishikawa peaked around 1950 and has gradually been decreasing since. It is now much less than it was a hundred years ago.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 11,787—    
1930 13,307+12.9%
1940 13,601+2.2%
1950 15,527+14.2%
1960 14,389−7.3%
1970 10,740−25.4%
1980 9,473−11.8%
1990 8,554−9.7%
2000 7,452−12.9%
2010 6,269−15.9%

Climate

Nishikawa has a Humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa) 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 Nishikawa is 9.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1761 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around -3.0 °C.[3]

History

The area of present-day Nishikawa was part of ancient Dewa Province. After the start of the Meiji period, the area became part of Nishimurayama District, Yamagata Prefecture. The town of Nishikawa was established on October 1, 1954 by the merger of the villages of Kawadoi, Nishiyama, Hondōji and Ōisawa.

Economy

The economy of Nishikawa is based on seasonal tourism and forestry.

Education

Nishikawa has one public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school.

Transportation

Railway

Nishikawa is not served by any passenger rail service. The nearest station is Uzen-Takamatsu Station in the neighboring city of Sagae.

Highway

Local attractions

Sister city relations
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References
  1. Nishikawa City official statistics (in Japanese)
  2. Nishikawa population statistics
  3. Nisihkawa climate data

Media related to Nishikawa, Yamagata at Wikimedia Commons

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