270px, Bato Hiroshige Museum 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

Tochigi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Tochigi Prefecture has a population of 1,943,886 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,408 Square kilometre, km2 (2,474 Square mile, sq mi). Tochigi ...

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 15,824 in 6,028 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 82 persons per km². Its total area of the town is . On October 4, 2013, a portion of the town was designated one of

The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan is a Japanese nonprofit organization of listing some of the most beautiful villages and towns in Japan. The association is active on enhancement and protection of Japanese rural heritage, cultural fairs & branding and promotion of regional, nati ...

Geography

Nakagawa is located in northeast

Surrounding municipalities

Ōtawara 270px, View from the ruins of Ōtawara Castle is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 72,189 in 30,136 households, and a population density of 210 persons per km2. The total area of the city is ...

Nasukarasuyama Ryumon Falls is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 25,783 in 10,509 households, and a population density of 150 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Nasukarasuyama is l ...

Sakura A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of Prunus, genus ''Prunus'' or Prunus subg. Cerasus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especia ...

Ibaraki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,871,199 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...

Hitachiōmiya is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 39,281 in 16.047 households and a population density of 220 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 37.6%. The total area of t ...

Daigo Daigo may refer to: Buddhism *Daigo (Zen) (大悟), a Buddhist term meaning ''great enlightenment'' or ''great realization'' *Daigo (Shōbōgenzō) (大悟), or ''Great Realization'', a book in Eihei Dōgen's Shōbōgenzō *Daigo Temple (醍醐寺 ...

Climate

Nakagawa has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nakagawa is 12.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1418 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.6 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Nakagawa has declined over the past 60 years.

History

The town of Batō was created within

Nasu District, Tochigi is a district located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. The district consists of the two discontiguous towns of Nasu and Nakagawa, separated by the city of Ōtawara in the middle. The total area of the district was 1,209.59 km2 before the fo ...

on May 29, 1891 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. Nakagawa was created on October 1, 2005 from the merger of Batō with the neighboring town of

Ogawa Ogawa (written: lit. "small river" or in hiragana) is the 30th most common Japanese surname. Less common variants are (also "small river") or ("tail river"). Notable people with the surname include: *, American poet *, Japanese footballer * ...

Government

Nakagawa 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 13 members. Nakagawa, together with the city of Nasukarasuyama collectively contributes one member to the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Tochigi 3rd district 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 Nakagawa is heavily dependent on agriculture.

Education

Nakagawa has three public

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...

s and public two

middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

s operated by the town government. The town has one public

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

operated by the Tochigi Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

*Nakagawa does not have any passenger railway service.

Highway

* * * *

Local attractions

*Bato onsen * Nakagawa-machi Batō Hiroshige Museum of Art * Karanogosho Cave Tombs, National Historic Site * Nasu Kanga ruins, National Historic Site * Nasu Ogawa Kofun Cluster, National Historic Site * Nasu Kanda Castle ruins, National Historic Site

International relations

* -

Horseheads, New York Horseheads is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Chemung County, New York, Chemung County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 19,412 at the 2020 census. The name of the town is derived from the number o ...

, USA from 1990.Batō (whose name can be translated as “horsehead) was the

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

of Horseheads, New York. After it merged with Ogawa, Nakagawa continued sending delegates.

References

External links

*
Official Website
{{Authority control Towns in Tochigi Prefecture