is a town located in Gunma Prefecture,

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 town had an estimated population of 14,323 in 5717 households and a population density of 340 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Itakura's animal mascot is the catfish. It is represented in a bronze statue at Raiden Shrine, as a '' mikoshi'' in Itakura's summer festival, and also is emblazoned on the town's manhole covers. Itakura is one of the few places in Japan where catfish dishes are a local delicacy.

Geography

Itakura is located in the northern Kantō Plains in the extreme southern corner of Gunma prefecture, bordered by

Saitama Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 km2 (1,466 sq mi). Saitama Prefecture borders Tochigi Prefecture ...

to the south and Tochigi Prefecture to the north. The Tone River flows through the town, and the Watarase River forms its northern border.

Surrounding municipalities

Gunma Prefecture *

Tatebayashi 250px, Tsutsujigaoka Koen, or Azalea Park in Tatebayashi is a city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 75,442 in 33,589 households, and a population density of 1200 people per km². The total area of the ...

* Meiwa

* Hanyu * Kazo Tochigi Prefecture * Sano * Tochigi

Climate

Itakura has a Humid continental climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by hot summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Itakura is 14.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1303 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.3 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,Itakura population statistics
/ref> the population of Itakura has declined over the past 70 years.

History

The villages of Nishiyada, Ebise, Ōgano and Inara were created within

Ōra District, Gunma is a Districts of Japan, rural district located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. As of January 2015, the district had an estimated population of 103,895 and an area of 132.37 km2, with a population density of 785 people per square kilometer. Tow ...

Prefecture on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the Meiji Restoration. On February 1, 1955, the four villages merged to form the town of Itakura. Meiwa was raised to town status on October 1, 1998.

Government

Itakura has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 12 members. Itakura, together with the other municipalities in Ōra District contributes three members to the Gunma Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of

Gunma 3rd district is a single-member constituency of the House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan. It is located in south-eastern Gunma and consists of Ota, Tatebayashi and Ōra County. Areas Covered Current District As of 24 January 2023, the areas co ...

of the

lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

of the

Diet of Japan The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...

Economy

Itakura is largely a bedroom community for Tokyo and nearly Tatebayashi. About 55% of the town's area is farmland, and Itakura's main agricultural products include rice and cucumbers, though many other crops are grown locally.

Education

Itakura has two public elementary schools and one public middle schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Gunma prefecture Board of Education. Toyo University has a branch campus in Itakura.

Transportation

Railway

Tōbu Railway – Tōbu Nikkō Line *

Highway

Local attractions

* Raiden Jinja * Watarase-yusuichi, a UNESCO designated

Ramsar Site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **

Official Website
{{Authority control Towns in Gunma Prefecture Itakura, Gunma