Kurihara City Hall Inagi2005-9

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

Miyagi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,305,596 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefecture to the nort ...

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 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 66,565, 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 83 persons per km² in 24,994 households. The total area of the city is . Parts of the city are within the borders of the

Kurikoma Quasi-National Park is a Quasi-National Park that extends between Akita, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata Prefectures, Japan. Established in 1968, the central feature of the park is at . It is rated a protected landscape (category II) according to the IUCN. Like a ...

Geography

Kurihara covers a part of the northwestern corner of

. It is mostly rice farmland, and small mountain ridges, the largest of which cluster around Mount Kurikoma, the tallest mountain in Kurihara, which is located at the furthest northwestern point of Miyagi Prefecture. In summer, the lotus on Lake Izunuma bloom. In fall, Mount Kurikoma is covered in fall colors and in winter migrating swans and geese come in flocks to spend the season on Kurihara's lakes.

Neighboring municipalities

Miyagi Prefecture * Tome * Ōsaki Akita Prefecture * Yuzawa * Higashinaruse Iwate Prefecture *

Ichinoseki is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. , the city had a population of 114,476 and a population density of 91 persons per km² in 46,375 households. It is currently the second largest city by population in ...

Climate

The climate of Kurihara is classified as

humid subtropical 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° ...

(Cfa) per the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system. As with most of Japan, the summers in Kurihara are hot and humid with temperatures usually around . Summer is also

typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

season, however, since Kurihara is so far north and inland the area is rarely affected. Fall and spring are mild, with temperatures in the low to mid 20s (Celsius). In fall, the days usually begin foggy and cold but clear up by midday. Spring comes late to the region and is mostly sunny punctuated with random light showers. The temperature fluctuates around freezing in winter, falling to an average low of , and snow levels vary with altitude. , Kurihara (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present) , metric first = yes , single line = yes , Jan record high C = 11.3 , Feb record high C = 14.3 , Mar record high C = 17.4 , Apr record high C = 28.2 , May record high C = 30.6 , Jun record high C = 30.8 , Jul record high C = 32.1 , Aug record high C = 33.3 , Sep record high C = 31.3 , Oct record high C = 26.7 , Nov record high C = 19.7 , Dec record high C = 15.7 , Jan record low C = -15.5 , Feb record low C = -14.1 , Mar record low C = -12.7 , Apr record low C = -7.9 , May record low C = -1.2 , Jun record low C = 1.7 , Jul record low C = 6.3 , Aug record low C = 8.7 , Sep record low C = 1.0 , Oct record low C = -1.7 , Nov record low C = -7.2 , Dec record low C = -13.6 , Jan high C = 0.1 , Feb high C = 0.8 , Mar high C = 4.5 , Apr high C = 11.4 , May high C = 17.3 , Jun high C = 20.4 , Jul high C = 23.7 , Aug high C = 24.9 , Sep high C = 21.1 , Oct high C = 15.6 , Nov high C = 9.4 , Dec high C = 3.0 , Jan mean C = -2.9 , Feb mean C = -2.4 , Mar mean C = 0.6 , Apr mean C = 6.3 , May mean C = 12.0 , Jun mean C = 15.9 , Jul mean C = 19.7 , Aug mean C = 20.7 , Sep mean C = 17.0 , Oct mean C = 11.2 , Nov mean C = 5.2 , Dec mean C = -0.2 , Jan low C = -6.3 , Feb low C = -6.2 , Mar low C = -3.4 , Apr low C = 1.3 , May low C = 6.8 , Jun low C = 11.6 , Jul low C = 16.2 , Aug low C = 17.2 , Sep low C = 13.3 , Oct low C = 6.8 , Nov low C = 0.8 , Dec low C = -3.6 , precipitation colour = green , Jan precipitation mm = 126.8 , Feb precipitation mm = 96.8 , Mar precipitation mm = 125.8 , Apr precipitation mm = 135.7 , May precipitation mm = 164.8 , Jun precipitation mm = 228.2 , Jul precipitation mm = 263.5 , Aug precipitation mm = 253.9 , Sep precipitation mm = 261.6 , Oct precipitation mm = 187.0 , Nov precipitation mm = 137.4 , Dec precipitation mm = 152.9 , year precipitation mm = 2124.9 , unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm , Jan precipitation days = 19.8 , Feb precipitation days = 16.9 , Mar precipitation days = 15.9 , Apr precipitation days = 13.4 , May precipitation days = 12.5 , Jun precipitation days = 13.8 , Jul precipitation days = 16.7 , Aug precipitation days = 16.4 , Sep precipitation days = 15.5 , Oct precipitation days = 13.4 , Nov precipitation days = 15.4 , Dec precipitation days = 19.0 , Jan snow cm = 268 , Feb snow cm = 207 , Mar snow cm = 169 , Apr snow cm = 37 , May snow cm = 0 , Jun snow cm = 0 , Jul snow cm = 0 , Aug snow cm = 0 , Sep snow cm = 0 , Oct snow cm = 0 , Nov snow cm = 36 , Dec snow cm = 208 , year snow cm = 924 , unit snow days = 3 cm , Jan snow days = 22.3 , Feb snow days = 19.3 , Mar snow days = 17.2 , Apr snow days = 5.0 , May snow days = 0 , Jun snow days = 0 , Jul snow days = 0 , Aug snow days = 0 , Sep snow days = 0 , Oct snow days = 0 , Nov snow days = 3.6 , Dec snow days = 16.5 , Jan sun = 82.0 , Feb sun = 88.7 , Mar sun = 128.9 , Apr sun = 168.1 , May sun = 178.3 , Jun sun = 127.4 , Jul sun = 100.6 , Aug sun = 111.3 , Sep sun = 100.2 , Oct sun = 122.9 , Nov sun = 113.5 , Dec sun = 80.3 , year sun = 1401.0 , source 1 =

Japan Meteorological Agency The , abbreviated JMA, is an agency of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It is charged with gathering and providing results for the public in Japan that are obtained from data based on daily scientific observation an ...

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,Kurihara population statistics
/ref> the population of Kurihara peaked at around the year 1950 and has declined over the past 70 years.

History

The area of present-day Kurihara was part of ancient

Mutsu Province was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori Prefectures and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture. Mutsu Province is also known as or . The term is often used to refer to the comb ...

, and has been settled since at least the

Jōmon period The is the time in Japanese history, traditionally dated between 6,000–300 BCE, during which Japan was inhabited by a diverse hunter-gatherer and early agriculturalist population united through a common Jōmon culture, which reached a c ...

by the

Emishi The (also called Ebisu and Ezo), written with Chinese characters that literally mean "shrimp barbarians," constituted an ancient ethnic group of people who lived in parts of Honshū, especially in the Tōhoku region, referred to as in contemp ...

people. During the later portion of the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...

, the area was ruled by the

Northern Fujiwara The Northern Fujiwara (奥州藤原氏 ''Ōshū Fujiwara-shi'') were a Japanese noble family that ruled the Tōhoku region (the northeast of Honshū) of Japan during the 12th century as their own realm.

. During the

Sengoku period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

, the area was contested by various

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

clans before the area came under the control of the

Date clan The is a Japanese samurai kin group. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Date", ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 5 retrieved 2013-5-5. History The Date family was founded ...

Sendai Domain The , also known as the , was a domain of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1600 to 1871. The Sendai Domain was based at Aoba Castle in Mutsu Province, in the modern city of Sendai, located in the Tōhoku region of the i ...

during the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

, under the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...

. With the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the area was organized into Kurihara District, Miyagi Prefecture. During the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

, many mines were dug in the mountains of Kurihara, and the Hosokura mine was at one point Japan's largest producer of lead and zinc. The mine closed in 1987. The city of Kurihara was established on April 1, 2005, from the merger of the towns of Ichihasama, Kannari, Kurikoma, Semine, Shiwahime, Takashimizu, Tsukidate, Uguisuzawa and Wakayanagi, and the village of Hanayama (all from Kurihara District, which was dissolved as a result of the merger). The new city hall is located in former Tsukidate. Although technically referred to as a "city", Kurihara in fact functions more like a county composed of ten separate towns. The UK equivalent would be an English unitary county council, such as

Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthshire ...

Government

Kurihara 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 ...

city legislature of 26 members. Kurihara contributes two seats to the Miyagi Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the city is part of

Miyagi 6th district was an electoral district for the Japanese House of Representatives. The district was established In 1994 as a single member district from most of Miyagi 2nd district (excluding the city of Ishinomaki and the districts of Monou and Oshika). ...

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

The economy of Kurihara is largely based on agriculture. Mining, which once formed a significant percentage of the economy has largely disappeared with the closure of the last mines in the 1980s.

Education

Kurihara has 13 public elementary schools and eight public junior high schools operated by the city government and five public high schools operated by the Miyagi Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

Transportation

Railway

East Japan Railway Company 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 ...

(JR East) -

Tōhoku Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture in a route length of , making it Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main is ...

(JR East) -

Tōhoku Main Line The Tōhoku Main Line ( ja, 東北本線, ) is a long railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line starts from Tokyo Station in Chiyoda, Tokyo and passes through such cities as Saitama, Utsunomiya, Fukush ...

* ,

Highway

* * * *

Local attractions

is centered on Mt. Kurikoma, a dormant volcano straddling the tri-prefectural border of

Miyagi Miyagi may refer to: Places * Miyagi Prefecture, one of the 47 major divisions of Japan * Miyagi, Gunma, a village in Japan, merged into Maebashi in 2004 *Miyagi District, Miyagi, a district in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan Other uses * Miyagi (surna ...

Akita is a Japanese name and may refer to: Places * 8182 Akita, a main-belt asteroid * Akita Castle, a Nara period fortified settlement in Akita, Japan * Akita Domain, also known as Kubota Domain, feudal domain in Edo period Japan * Akita, Kumamoto, ...

and Iwate. It is 1627 meters high, conical, and has a 365 degree panoramic view. There is an abundance of diverse

alpine flora Alpine flora may refer to: * Alpine tundra, a community of plants that live at high altitude * Alpine plant Alpine plants are plants that grow in an alpine climate, which occurs at high elevation and above the tree line. There are many different pl ...

in the wetlands near its peak and expansive virgin beech forests that are home to many precious birds, insects, and other fauna. There are extensive hiking trails with hot springs located at the base and top of the mountain. * Iji Castle ruins, a National Historic Site *Sekai Yachi Wetlands Flower Park is a 14.34-hectare wetlands area is situated in the southern foothills of Mt. Kurikoma, between 669 and 707 meters above sea level. Late June is the best time to see the

Middendorff Alexander Theodor von Middendorff (russian: Алекса́ндр Фёдорович Ми́ддендорф; tr. ; 18 August 1815 – 24 January 1894) was a zoologist and explorer of Baltic German and Estonian extraction. He is known for his exp ...

's daylilies. The flowering seasons are spring and summer. * Miyagi Prefectural Sanctuary Center of Izunuma-Uchinuma is a protected area created in order to protect the abundant plant and animal life in the area. Lake Izunuma, the largest lake in Miyagi, is home to 223 species of waterfowl, or 42% of Japan's 535 total species of water birds. Migrating birds including swans, geese, and ducks, winter here. From late July to late August is when the lotus flowers bloom and the Izunuma-Uchinuma Lotus Festival is held. *

Former Arikabe-juku Honjin The is a former ''honjin'' on the Ōshū Kaidō highway connecting Edo with northern Mutsu Province in the Tōhoku region of Japan. It is located in what is now part of the city of Kurihara in Miyagi Prefecture. The site was given protection as ...

, National Historic Site *

Sannō-Gakoi Site The is an archaeological site located in the city of Kurihara, Miyagi Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan, containing the ruins of a late Jōmon period to Yayoi period (approximately 500 BC to 0 BC) settlement. The site was des ...

, National Historic Site *

Nuruyu Bansho Site The is the location of a former barrier gate and guard post between Sendai Domain and Kubota Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. It is located within what is now the city of Kurihara in Miyagi Prefecture. The site has been pro ...

, National Historic Site *

Irinosawa Site is an archaeological site with the ruins of a late 4th century AD Kofun period settlement located in what is now the city of Kurihara, Miyagi Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. The site received protection by the central governmen ...

, National Historic Site

Culture

Kurihara is known for its rice production. There are also a number of waterfalls, parks filled with cherry blossoms in spring, and flower gardens. These include: Abazu Gorge, Shiraito Falls, Gorindoyama Park, Hasama River Park, and Sanno Historic Park Iris Garden. It is also a renowned place for viewing the autumn leaves, especially around Mt. Kurikoma. Kurihara also has an abundance of hot spring resorts. These include: Yu-no-Kura Hot Spring, Yubama Hot Spring, Hanayama Hot Spring, and Nuruyu Hot Spring.

Festivals

*Late March Tohoku Draft Horse Pull Kurikoma Tournament (Kurikoma) *1st Sun of April Obasama Festival and Longevity Rites (Kannari) *Mid-April Izumiya Oyashiki Festival (Semine) *April 29 Masaoka Festival (Ichihasama) *Mid-April Cherry Blossom Festivals (all areas) *May 5 Hanayama Rifle Festival (Hanayama) *Mid-June Iris Festival (Ichihasama) *Mid-June Ichihasama Lily Garden Opening (Ichihasama) *1st Sun of July Iris Festival and ''Kagura'' Sacred Dance (Ichihasama) *3rd Sun of July Michinoku ''Kagura'' Sacred Dance Festival (Tsukidate) *Late July Kurikoma Float Parade Festival (Kurikoma) *August Izunuma-Uchinuma Lotus Festival (Wakayanagi, Tsukidate) *August 5–6 Tsukidate

Tanabata Festival , also known as the Star Festival ( 星祭り, ''Hoshimatsuri''), is a Japanese festival originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair res ...

(Tsukidate) *August 14 Waterwheel (Suisha) Festival (Shiwahime) *August 15–16 Wakayanagi Summer Festival (Wakayanagi) *Early October Autumn Lake Festival (Hanayama) *Oct-Nov Tagaiichi Markets and Festivals *November 3 Tsukidate Yakushi Festival *Early Nov Industries Festival *Dec-Feb Festivals to Beckon and Welcome Spring (all areas) *Mid-Jan Donto Festivals (all areas)

Noted people from Kurihara

Yoshiaki Hoshi , born in Wakayanagi, Miyagi, Japan, was a Japanese musician best known for his band Himekami. Hoshi won the 1971 Victor Electronic Music Contest, and founded Himekami Sensation in 1980. His debut album was ''Oku no Hosomichi'', released in 1981. ...

, musician *

Kōbōyama Daizō Kōbōyama Daizō (born 15 August 1957 as Kōkichi Yomogida) is a former sumo wrestler from Tsukidate, Kurihara, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1973 and reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1981. His highest rank w ...

, sumo wrestler *

Jun Izumida Junji Izumida (泉田純; Izumida Jun; October 28, 1965 – January 25, 2017) was a Japanese professional wrestler who worked for Pro Wrestling Noah. Career Sumo wrestling Before being a professional wrestler, Izumida was a sumo wrestler, mak ...

, professional wrestler * Yohei "Yoh" Komatsu, Japanese

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

References

Notes

External links

Official Website
{{Authority control Cities in Miyagi Prefecture