is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
located in
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 ...
,
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
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
of 13,369 in 5774 households and a
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
of 280 persons per km².
The total area of the town is .
Geography
Kamikawa is located on the extreme western border of Saitama Prefecture, separated from Gunma Prefecture by the Kanna River, and isolated from the remainder of Saitama by the Chichibu Mountains.
Surrounding municipalities
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 ...
*
Honjō
*
Chichibu
is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 61,159 in 26,380 households and a population density of . The total area of the city is .
Geography
Chichibu is in the westernmost part of Saitama. Unli ...
*
Kamisato
*
Minano
is a town located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 9,497 in 3994 households and a population density of 150 persons per km2. The total area of the town is .
Geography
Located in western Saitama Prefectur ...
Gunma Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,362 km2 (2,456 sq mi). Gunma Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture and Fukushima ...
*
Fujioka
Climate
Kamikawa has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kamikawa is 12.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2028 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.3 °C.
Demographics
Per Japanese census data,
Kamikawa population statistics
/ref> the population of Kamikawa has remained relatively steady over the past 70 years.
History
The area around Kamikawa was part of ancient Musashi Province
was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Metropolis, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama. Musashi bordered on Kai, Kōzuke, Sagami, S ...
. The village of Tanshō was created within Kami District, Saitama and the villages of Wakaizumi and Aoyagi were created within Kodama District, Saitama with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Kami District was abolished in 1896, becoming part of Kodama District. On December 1, 1949, Wakaizumi split into Watarase and Aguhara.
On May 3, 1954 the Tanshō and Aoyagi merged to form the village of Kamikawa. Kamikawa annexed Watarase on May 3, 1957, and was elevated to town status on October 1, 1987. On January 1, 2006, Kamikawa merged with neighboring Kamiizumi village.
Government
Kamikawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral
Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one.
Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multic ...
town council of 12 members. Kamikawa, together with the city of Honjō and town of Kamisato, contributes two members to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Saitama 11th district
, the House of Representatives of Japan is elected from a combination of multi-member districts and single-member districts, a method called Parallel voting. Currently, 176 members are elected from 11 multi-member districts (called proportional r ...
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
Kamikawa has some light manufacturing; however, many people commute to neighboring Honjō.
Education
Kamikawa has four public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school.
Transportation
Railway
JR East
The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...
- Hachikō Line
The Hachikō Line is a 92.0 km (57.2 mi) regional railway line owned and operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It is located within Tokyo, Saitama, and Gunma Prefectures in Japan. It connects Hachiōji Station in Hachiō ...
*
Highway
*
*
Local attractions
* Kanasana Shrine
* Mizube Koen
*Sanba Gorge
* Shimokubo Dam
*Shinsui Dam
References
External links
Official Website
{{Authority control
Towns in Saitama Prefecture
Kamikawa, Saitama