is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

located in

Gifu is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. , the city had an estimated population of 33,283, and a population density of 39 persons per km² (101/sq mi), in 12,253 households. The total area of the city was . The city is famous for its hot springs.

Geography

Gero is located in east-central Gifu Prefecture. The

Hida River The has its source in Mount Norikura (乗鞍岳 ''Norikura-ga-take'') in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It flows from the northern to the southern section of the prefecture before emptying into the Kiso River in Minokamo. River communit ...

and the Maze River run throughout the city. Over 91% of the city area is covered by mountains and forest. Much of the city is within the borders of the

Hida-Kisogawa Quasi-National Park is a quasi-national park in Japan. The park covers the Hida River from Gero to Minokamo in Gifu Prefecture; it also covers the middle reaches of the Kiso River from Mizunami, Gifu Prefecture, to Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture. It was designated a q ...

. The volcano, Mount Ontake, is located in Gero.

Climate

The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and mild winters ( Köppen climate classification ''Cfa''). The average annual temperature in Gero is . The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around .

Neighbouring municipalities

*Gifu Prefecture ** Takayama ** Seki **

Nakatsugawa Magome-juku on the Nakasendō is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 78,930, and a population density of 120 persons per km2 in 30,788 households The total area of the city was . Geography Nakatsugawa is in ...

** Gujō ** Shirakawa ** Hichisō *

Nagano Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,052,493 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the ...

** Kiso ** Ōtaki

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,Gero population statistics
/ref> the population of Gero has declined over the past 50 years.

History

The area around Gero was part of traditional Hida Province. During the Edo period, it was part of the '' tenryō'' controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate. During the post- Meiji restoration cadastral reforms, the area was organised into Mashita District, Gifu. The village of Gero of created on July 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to town status on January 1, 1925. Gero merged with the towns of ''Hagiwara'', ''Kanayama'' and ''Osaka'', and the village of ''Maze'' (all from Mashita District) on March 1, 2004 to form the city of Gero.

Government

Gero has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 14 members.

Economy

Gero's major industry is tourism. It is known throughout Japan for its

onsen In Japan, are the country's hot springs and the bathing facilities and traditional inns around them. As a volcanically active country, Japan has many onsens scattered throughout all of its major islands. There are approximately 25,000 hot ...

, which are mentioned even in the Nara period ''

Shoku Nihongi The is an imperially-commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 797, it is the second of the ''Six National Histories'', coming directly after the '' Nihon Shoki'' and followed by ''Nihon Kōki''. Fujiwara no Tsugutada and Sugano no Mamichi ...

''. Gero has many hotels that can be visited by guests that are looking for accommodations near the hot springs. Large tubs are located in some hotels allowing couples to bathe together. Some hotels lend yukatas to the couples. It's not unusual to see people wearing yukatas on the streets and even in stores. Besides those in hotels, there are many inexpensive and convenient onsens located near railway stations, residential areas, and commercial centers up and down the valley. Forestry and agriculture also play significant roles in the local economy.

Education

Gero has 13 public elementary schools and six public middle schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Gifu Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates two special education schools.

Transportation

Railway

JR Tōkai - Takayama Main Line * - - - - - - -

Highway

* * *

Sister city relations

International

* Ketchikan, Alaska, United States * Pensacola, Florida, USA * Salesópolis, São Paulo, Brazil

Domestic

* Ichinomiya,

Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...

* Hodatsushimizu, Hakui District,

Ishikawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,140,573 (31 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,186 km2 (1,616 sq mi). Ishikawa Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to ...

References

External links

* *
Sister City Exchange Report (JCIE)

Gero-Onsen Convention Official Site

Info Gero Spa (Japanese)
{{Authority control Cities in Gifu Prefecture