270px, Umaji Village Hall 270px, Yanase Dam is the second smallest

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

Kōchi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kōchi Prefecture has a population of 757,914 (1 December 2011) and has a geographic area of 7,103 km2 (2,742 sq mi). Kōchi Prefecture borders Ehime Prefecture to the northwest and ...

, located in Aki District,

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 village 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 834 in 424 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 5.0 persons per km². The total area of the village is . Umaji has been branded as one of the most beautiful villages in Japan.

Geography

Umaji is located in a mountainous region in northeastern Kōchi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. The Yasuda River flows through the village, which is divided into the Umaji area and the Yanase area. Road traffic between the two areas must go through the town of Kitagawa . Approximately 96% of the village is covered by forests, 75% of which are protected by the government. Major mountains include Mount Eboshi (1,320m) and Jinkichimori (1,423m).

Neighboring municipalities

* Aki * Yasuda * Kitagawa * Tano

Tokushima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 728,633 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,146 km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the north, E ...

Naka Naka may refer to: Places in Japan * Naka, Hyōgo, a former town in Hyōgo Prefecture * Naka, Ibaraki, a city in Ibaraki Prefecture * Naka, Tokushima, a town in Tokushima Prefecture * Naka District, Ibaraki, a district in Ibaraki Prefecture * Nak ...

* Kaiyō

Climate

Umaji 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 snowfall. The average annual temperature in Umaji is 13.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2573 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January at around 23.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.6 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Umaji has decreased steadily since the 1960s.

History

As with all of Kōchi Prefecture, the area of Umaji was part of ancient

Tosa Province was a province of Japan in the area of southern Shikoku. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Tosa''" in . Tosa bordered on Awa to the northeast, and Iyo to the northwest. Its abbreviated form name was . In terms of the Gokishichidō syste ...

. The name of Aki District appears in

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the cap ...

records. 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 was part of the holdings of

Tosa Domain The was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, controlling all of Tosa Province in what is now Kōchi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It was centered around Kōchi Castle, and was ruled throughout its history by t ...

ruled by the

Yamauchi clan The Yamauchi clan (山内氏) were a family of rulers over what was then the Tosa Province which spanned the southern half of Shikoku island. The province was given to the family in 1600 after Yamauchi Kazutoyo led troops under Tokugawa Ieyasu a ...

from their seat at

Kōchi Castle is an Edo Period Japanese castle in the city of Kōchi, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. It is located at Otakayama hill, at the center of Kōchi city, which in turn is located at the center of the Kōchi Plain, the most prosperous area of former ...

. The village of Umaji was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on October 1, 1889. The village has been on the verge of merging with nearby municipalities, but it has retained a strong sense of independence.

Government

Umaji 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 ...

village council of eight members. Umaji , together with the other municipalities of Aki District, contributes one member to the Kōchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the village is part of Kōchi 1st 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 local economy is centered on forestry and related wood-processing industries, as well as

horticulture Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

. Yanase ''sugi'' has been famous for hundreds of years. In the

, it was designated as a protected asset by

. It became the prefectural tree, and is used for architecture and sculpting. Beginning in the 1960s, Umaji has been a hub for the production of ''

yuzu Yuzu (''Citrus junos'', from Japanese or ) is a citrus fruit and plant in the family Rutaceae of East Asian origin. Yuzu has been cultivated mainly in East Asia, though recently also in New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Italy, and France. I ...

''. Whilst other areas have merged to make farming cooperatives, Umaji village seeks to remain independent, branding the village itself as a product. Umaji's main yuzu products are its ''yuzu

ponzu is a citrus-based sauce commonly used in Japanese cuisine. It is tart, with a thin, watery consistency and nearly colorless. or is ponzu with soy sauce () added, and the mixed dark brown product is widely referred to as simply . The term ...

'' range and its successful ''yuzu'' drink, "Gokkun Umajimura". Its ''yuzu'' products have become a national brand, appearing in several TV commercials over the years.

Education

Umaji has two public combined elementary/middle schools operated by the village government. The village does not have a high school.

Transportation

Railway

Umaji has no passenger railway service. The nearest station is Yasuda Station on the Tosa Kuroshio Railway in the neighboring town of Yasuda, about 30 minutes away by car.

Highway

Umaji is not on any national highway or expressway.

Local attractions

As well as two

hot springs 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 ...

and several campsites, Umaji has a forest train, craft workshops, a village tour and other tourist activities.

Notable Temples

* Konrinji (金林寺) The ''Yaskushi'' hall is designated as an important cultural property.

Notable Shrines

* Kumano Shrine (熊野神社) Designated as a prefectural tangible cultural property. * Yanase Kumano Shrine

Parks

* Yanase Prefectural Nature Park (魚梁瀬県立自然公園) ** Maruyama Park (Yanase Hot Springs, Forest Railway, Cherry Blossoms) ** Yanase Big Bridge ( Yanase Dam)

Nature

* Nishigawa Ravine (西川渓谷) * Higashigawa Ravine (東川渓谷) * Mount Senbon (千本山) (Home to one of th
100 Forest Giants

Festivals and Special Events

* Yuzu Hajimaru Festival (First Sunday of November) * Yanase Sakura Festival (Beginning of April) * FESTIVAL Yanase (Mid-July) * Onsen Festival (August 15) * Umaji Oshidori Marathon (Beginning of October) * Kumano Shrine Festival (Yanase: Mid October, Umaji: First weekend of December)

Special Products

* Yuzu and yuzu products (yuzu juice 'Gokkun Umajimura', ponzu soy sauce 'Yuzu no Mura', etc.) * Shiitake mushrooms * Inakazushi (sushi made with yuzu sushi vinegar and mountain vegetables) * Yanase cedar (for architecture and sculpting)

References

External links

*

Umaji Village Official Tourism Webpage
(in Japanese)
Umaji Village Farming Cooperative Website
(in Japanese)
Visit Kochi Webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Umaji, Kochi Villages in Kōchi Prefecture