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 ...

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 ...

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 76,098 in 32,439 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 . The total area of the city is . Shibukawa is the location of Ikaho Onsen, a popular

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...

resort.

Geography

Shibukawa is in the northern extremity of the Kantō plains of central

, encompassing the juncture of the

Tone River The is a river in the Kantō region of Japan. It is in length (the second longest in Japan after the Shinano) and has a drainage area of (the largest in Japan). It is nicknamed Bandō Tarō (); ''Bandō'' is an obsolete alias of the Kantō ...

and Agatsuma River. It is about from

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

. To the west is Mount Haruna, and to the east is

Mount Akagi is a mountain in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. The broad, low dominantly andesitic stratovolcano rises above the northern end of the Kanto Plain. It contains an elliptical, 3 x 4 km summit caldera with post-caldera lava domes arranged along a N ...

. To the north are

Mount Onoko Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

and Mount Komochi. The

flows from the north (between Mount Akagi and Mount Komochi) southward through the city, while the Agatsuma River flows from the west (between Mount Onoko and Mount Haruna), merging with the

near the center of the city. Shibukawa is at a central point (36°29′ N, 139°00′ E) of the Japanese archipelago and is thus known as the . Shibukawa's highest altitude is above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

; its lowest point is

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

. The majority of the city lies between above sea level Farmland covers (20.8% of the city), housing covers (8.4%), and mountains and forests cover (32.2%). The remaining (38.6%) has other land uses.

Surrounding municipalities

*To the north:

Numata is a city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 46,908 in 20,589 households, and a population density of 110 persons per km². The total area of the city is , making it the largest city in terms of area w ...

, Shōwa, Takayama *To the east:

Maebashi is the capital city of Gunma Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 335,352 in 151,171 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It wa ...

*To the south:

Shintō Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintoists ...

, Yoshioka *To the west: Takasaki, Higashiagatsuma, Nakanojō

Climate

Shibukawa 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 Shibukawa is 13.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1335 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.1 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.3 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Shibukawa peaked around the year 1990 and has declined since.

History

Shibukawa is located within traditional Kōzuke Province. 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 ...

, the area of present-day Shibukawa prospered from its location on the

Mikuni Kaidō was an ancient highway in Japan that stretched from Takasaki-juku (present day Gunma Prefecture) on the Nakasendō to Teradomari-juku (present day Niigata Prefecture) on the Hokurikudō. History The Mikuni Pass separated the Kantō region from Ech ...

highway connecting Takasaki with Niigata. Post stations within the borders of modern Shibukawa were Shibukawa-shuku, Kanai-shuku, Kitamoku-shuku and Yokobori-shuku. Shibukawa town was created in

Nishigunma District, Gunma Location of Nishigunma within Gunma Prefecture file: Gumma Gumma-gun 1889.png, Historic Map of Gunma Districtareas 1 through 38 were formerly Nishigunma District1. Takasaki, 2. Sano, 3. Kuragano, 4. Iwahana, 5. Ōrui, 6. Takigawa, 7. Kyogashima, 8 ...

Prefecture on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

. In 1896, Nishiguma District and Kataoka District merged to form

Gunma District, Gunma was a district located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. As of June 30, 2004, the district had an estimated population of 22,303. The total area was 93.59 km2. Until the day before the dissolution (September 30, 2006), the district had one town. ...

; however, the area containing Shibukawa was separated out in October 1949 into Kitagunma District. On April 1, 1954, Shibukawa absorbed the villages of Furumaki, Kanashima and Toyoaki to become the city of Shibukawa. On February 20, 2006, Shibukawa absorbed the town of

Ikaho was a town located in Kitagunma District, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 3,920 and a density of 175.63 persons per km2. The total area was 22.32 km2. On February 20, 2006, Ikaho, along with the vil ...

, the villages of Komochi and Onogami (all from Kitagunma District), and the villages of Akagi and Kitatachibana (both from Seta District).

Government

Shibukawa 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 council of 18 members. Shibukawa contributes two members to the Gunma Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the

Gunma 1st district Gunma 1st district is a constituency of the House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan (national legislature). It is located in Gunma Prefecture and consists of the cities of Maebashi and Numata and the district of Tone as well as parts of the ...

and the

Gunma 5th district Gunma 5th district is a constituency of the House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan (national legislature). It is located in Gunma Prefecture and consists of the cities of Tomioka, Annaka, parts of Takasaki and Shibukawa as well as the Kita ...

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

Shibukawa is a regional commercial center and transportation hub. Seasonal tourism, particularly to its

and ski resorts, play a major role in the local economy. The area is noted for its production of konjac.

Education

Shibukawa has 14 public elementary schools and nine public middle schools operated by the city government, and four public high schools operated by the Gunma Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates two special education schools for the handicapped.

High schools

*Shibukawa High School *Shibukawa Girls' High School *Shibukawa Kougyou High School *Shibukawa Seisui High School

Middle schools

*Akagi North Middle School *Akagi South Middle School *Furumaki Middle School *Hokkitsu Middle School *Ikaho Middle School *Kanashima Middle School *Komochi Middle School *Shibukawa Middle School *Shibukawa North Middle School

Elementary schools

*Ikaho Elementary School *Furumaki Elementary School *Kanashima Elementary School *Miharada Elementary School *Nagaou Elementary School *Nakagou Elementary School *Onogami Elementary School *Shibukawa North Elementary School *Shibukawa South Elementary School *Shibukawa West Elementary School *Tachibana North Elementary School *Tachibana South Elementary School *Toyoaki Elementary School *Tsukuda Elementary 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 ...

– Jōetsu Line * - - - JR logo (east)

–

Agatsuma Line Agatsuma may refer to: *, Japanese shamisen player *Agatsuma District, Gunma, a district in Gunma Prefecture, Japan *Agatsuma, Gunma, a town in Gunma Prefecture, Japan *Agatsuma River, a river in Japan *Agatsuma Entertainment, a Japanese toy/video ...

* - - - – Ikaho Ropeway *

Hototogisu Station Hototogisu may refer to: *Lesser cuckoo (''Cuculus poliocephalus''), a bird native to Japan * ''The Cuckoo'' (novel) or ''Hototogisu'', a novel by Roka Tokutomi * ''Hototogisu'' (magazine), a Japanese literary magazine * ''Hototogisu'' (film), a 19 ...

and Miharashi Station

Highway

* – Shibukawa-Ikaho IC, Akagi IC * *

Local attractions

*Ikaho Onsen *

Takehisa Yumeji was a Japanese poet and painter. He is known foremost for his ''Nihonga'' illustrations of ''bijin'', beautiful women and girls, though he also produced a wide variety of works including book covers, serial newspaper illustrations, ''furoshiki' ...

Memorial Museum * Tokutomi Roka Memorial Museum *

Mizusawa-dera is a Buddhist temples in Japan, Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect located in the city of Shibukawa, Gunma, Shibukawa in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. Its ''honzon'' is a bronze statue of . The temple is also referred to as simply the . It is the 16th ...

, 16th stop on the

Bandō Sanjūsankasho The ("The Bandō 33 Kannon Pilgrimage") is a series of 33 Buddhist temples in Eastern Japan sacred to Goddess Kannon. Bandō is the old name for what is now the Kantō region,Donald Richie used in this case because the temples are all in the Pref ...

pilgrimage
Shibukawa Skyland Park
- an amusement park

- a farm designed to show its visitors about farming *Ikaho Sistina Museum- an op art museum which also has a Sistine Chapel replica *

Japan Chanson Museum 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 ...

- a museum dedicated to the chanson style of music *Shibukawa Sōgō Park - a large park encompassing hiking trails, campsites, tennis courts, a baseball diamond, a running track, and other recreational facilities *Onoike Ajisai Park- a hydrangea park with a pond and hiking trails
Shibukawa Sky Terume
- a

in a building which looks something like a spaceship

Festivals

Shibukawa calls itself "The Bellybutton of Japan" (日本のおへそ) and hosts the Bellybutton Festival (へそ祭り) every year in late July. The festival is based on a traditional Japanese form of entertainment where revelers paint a face on their torsos and stomachs and pretend it is a head. A

kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...

is then wrapped around the waist and the person's real head is hidden by a large cloth hat. The belly button is traditionally painted into a mouth. These days, modern motifs and Japanese anime designs have crept into the festival, which city officials said is all about having fun.Shibukawa belly button festival

Sister city relations

Shibukawa is twinned with: * - Abano Terme,

Veneto Veneto (, ; vec, Vèneto ) or Venetia is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about five million, ranking fourth in Italy. The region's capital is Venice while the biggest city is Verona. Veneto was part of the Roman Empire unt ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, since March 23, 1993 *, Whakatane,

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, since 1992 * -

Logan City, Queensland Logan City is a local government area situated within the south of the Brisbane metropolitan area in South East Queensland, Australia. Situated between the City of Brisbane to the north and the City of Gold Coast to the south, the City also bor ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, friendship city since April 17, 1996 * –

Hawaii County, Hawaii Hawaii County ( haw, Kalana o Hawaiʻi) (officially known as the County of Hawaii) is a county in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands. It is coextensive with the Island of Hawaii, often called the "Big Island" to distinguish it from ...

, United States, since January 22, 1997 * -

Foligno Foligno (; Southern Umbrian: ''Fuligno'') is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clitunno river system. It is located so ...

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

, since March 23, 2000

Noted people from Shibukawa

Chūsei Sone was a Japanese film director known for his stylish and popular ''Roman Porno'' films for Nikkatsu, particularly the first two installments of the ''Angel Guts'' series. Despite a somewhat uneven career, many mainstream critics consider Sone the ...

, movie director *

Jiro Sato was a Japanese tennis player. He was ranked World No. 3 in 1933, but committed suicide in the Strait of Malacca during his trip to the Davis Cup in 1934. He received worldwide fame in Wimbledon 1932, when he beat the defending champion Sidney ...

, tennis player * Chocoball Mukai, actor *

Kiyohiko Shibukawa is a Japanese fashion model actor. He debuted as a model under the name Kee, but changed his name to "Kiyohiko Shibukawa" in 2006. He has appeared in more than 60 films since 1998. Selected filmography Film Television Awards See also *Nan ...

, fashion model, actor *

Takahiro Fujioka is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Chiba Lotte Marines, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and Yomiuri Giants. Career Chiba Lotte Marines The are a professional baseball ...

, baseball player *

Keisuke Kanoh is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. Early baseball career Keisuke was born in Shibukawa, Gunma, Japan, and originally played as pitcher in junior high, but upon his elec ...

, baseball player

References

External links

Official Website

{{Authority control Cities in Gunma Prefecture Shibukawa, Gunma