270px, Ryuko-ji temple 270px, Ruins of Kitsuregawa Castle is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 44,712 in 16,882 households, and a population density of 360 persons per km². The total area of the city is .

Geography

Sakura is located in central-east Tochigi Prefecture, at the far-northern portion of the Kantō plains. the city is approximately 115 kilometers north of the

Tokyo metropolis 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 ...

and 15 kilometers north of the prefectural capital of

Utsunomiya is the prefectural capital city of Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 519,223, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Utsunomiya is famous for its ''gyoza'' ...

. It consists mostly of flat land extending to the east of the

Kinugawa River , is a river on the main island of Honshu in Japan. It flows from the north to the south on the Kantō plain, merging with . At 176.7 km in length, it is the longest tributary of Tone-gawa. From ancient times, it has been known to cause flood ...

, and hilly land to the east of several tributaries of the Naka River.

Surrounding municipalities

Tochigi Prefecture *

* Yaita *

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 * Nakagawa * Shioya * Takanezawa

Climate

Sakura has a Humid continental climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Sakura is 13.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1425 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.6 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,Sakura population statistics
/ref> the population of Sakura has recently plateaued after a long period of growth.

History

The town of Kitsuregawa was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. The city of Sakura was established on March 28, 2005 with the merger of the towns of Kitsuregawa and Ujiie (both from Shioya District).

Government

Sakura has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city assembly of 18 members. Sakura, together with the towns of Shioya and Takanezawa collectively contributes two members to the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of

Tochigi 2nd district Tochigi 2nd district (栃木県 ��区, ''Tochigi-ken- ai-ikku'') is a single-member constituency of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the national Diet of Japan. It is located in northeastern Tochigi and consists of the towns of K ...

of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Agriculture, primarily rice cultivation, is a mainstay of the local economy. The city is increasingly a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

for nearby Utsunomiya.

Education

Sakura has six public primary schools, two public middle schools operated by the city government. The city has one public high school operated by the Tochigi Prefectural Board of Education.

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 ...

–

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, Fuku ...

(

Utsunomiya Line The Utsunomiya Line ( ja, 宇都宮線, ) is the name given to a 163.5 kilometer section of the Tōhoku Main Line between Tokyo Station in Tokyo and Kuroiso Station in Nasushiobara, Tochigi, Japan. It is part of the East Japan Railway Company ...

) * -

Highway

* *

Local attractions

* Kitsuregawa Castle and the Sakura City Museum of Art are located in Sakura.

References

External links

Official Website
{{Authority control Cities in Tochigi Prefecture Sakura, Tochigi