Oyama, Tochigi

Oyama (小山市, Oyama-shi) is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 August 2020, the city had an estimated population of 167,647 in 70,928 households[1], and a population density of 980 persons per km². The total area of the city is 171.76 square kilometres (66.32 sq mi). In 2006, Oyama became the second most populous city in Tochigi Prefecture, with the capital Utsunomiya retaining the number one spot.

Oyama

小山市
City
upper:Omoigawa River,
upper middle: Oyama Yuen, Oyamamachi Station
lower middle: Shirahige Jinja, Oyama City Archives
lower:Aeon Oyama shopping center
Flag
Seal
Location of Oyama in Tochigi Prefecture
Oyama
 
Coordinates: 36°18′52.6″N 139°48′0.6″E
CountryJapan
RegionKantō
PrefectureTochigi
Government
 • MayorToshio Okubo (since July 2000)
Area
 • Total171.76 km2 (66.32 sq mi)
Population
 (August 2020)
 • Total167,647
 • Density980/km2 (2,500/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols 
• TreeQuercus myrsinaefolia
• FlowerOmoigawazakura (Prunus × subhirtella)
• BirdJapanese wagtail
Phone number0285-23-1111
Address1-1-1 Chūō-chō, Oyama-shi, Tochigi-ken 323-8686
WebsiteOfficial website
Oyama City Hall

Geography

Oyama is located in the far southeastern corner Tochigi Prefecture, bordered by Ibaraki Prefecture to the south and east. The terrain is almost flat, and the city is in the north-central part of the Kanto plain. The Omoigawa, a branch of the Watarase River flows through the center of the city. The Ubagawa River is on the western end of the city, Tagawa is on the eastern end of the city, and Kinugawa River is on the eastern end. Oyama is approximately 60 kilometers north of the Tokyo metropolis and approximately 30 kilometers south of the prefecture capital of Utsunomiya.

Surrounding municipalities

Tochigi Prefecture

Ibaraki Prefecture

Climate

Oyama has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Oyama is 14.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1331 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.3 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.8 °C.[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Oyama has been growing steadily over the past 100 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 52,163—    
1930 57,959+11.1%
1940 60,551+4.5%
1950 82,880+36.9%
1960 83,455+0.7%
1970 105,346+26.2%
1980 127,226+20.8%
1990 142,263+11.8%
2000 155,198+9.1%
2010 164,437+6.0%

History

Oyama-shuku was a post station on the Nikkō Kaidō connecting Edo with the shrines at Nikkō, and was controlled by Utsunomiya Domain during the Edo period. Oyama town was established within Shimotsuga District, Tochigi with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Oyama merged with the neighboring village of Otani on March 31, 1954 and was elevated to city status. On April 18, 1963, Oyama annexed the town of Mamada and village of Mita, both from Shimotsuga District. This was followed by the town of Kuwakinu on September 30, 1965.

Government

Oyama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 40 members. Oyama, together with the town of Nogi collectively contributes five members to the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Tochigi 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Oyama is a regional commercial center with a mixed economy. In agriculture, cultivation of rice, kanpyō and sericulture are important. The yuru-chara for Oyama is Kapyomaru (かぴょ丸, an anthropomorphized calabash of the type used for kanpyō.[4] One of the major employers in the city is Komatsu making iron castings, diesel engines, fork lift trucks and other hydraulic equipment.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Oyama has 25 public primary schools and ten public middle schools operated by the city government. The city has four public high schools operated by the Tochigi Prefectural Board of Education. There is also one private school. The prefectural also operates one special education school for the handicapped. The city also has a North Korean school, Tochigi Korean Elementary and Junior High School (栃木朝鮮初中級学校).

Transportation

Railway

JR East – Tōhoku Shinkansen

JR East –Tōhoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line)

JR East – Ryōmō Line

JR East – Mito Line

Highway

Local attractions
  • Otomefudōhara Tile Kiln ruins, National Historic Site
  • Deranohigashi ruins, National Historic Site
  • Washi Castle, Gion Castle and Nakakuki Castle ruins, collectively a National Historic Site
  • Biwazuka Kofun, National Historic Site
  • Marishitenzuka Kofun, National Historic Site

External relations

Noted people from Oyama
gollark: My phone has a camera. Although that has somewhat broken focus too.
gollark: https://pronouny.xyz/u/osmarks
gollark: It's the future relative to the past, in any case.
gollark: This is the FUTURE. The Unicode Consortium has given us EMOJIS. We must USE THEM!
gollark: Idea: replace pronouns with emojis.

References
  1. "Oyama city official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. Oyama climate data
  3. Oyama population statistics
  4. "祝！「歴史とロマンのかんぴょう街道」開通" [Congratulation! "History and romance Kanpyō Highway" opened] (html). Mibu Town Tochigi (in Japanese). 321-0292　栃木県下都賀郡壬生町通町12番22号. 2 March 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2019.CS1 maint: location (link)
  5. Cairns Post
  6. Lübz official home page
  7. Tochigi Prefectural government official home page
  8. baseball-reference.com
  9. baseball-reference.com

Media related to Oyama, Tochigi at Wikimedia Commons

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