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

Saitama Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 km2 (1,466 sq mi). Saitama Prefecture borders Tochigi Prefecture ...

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 18,594 in 7800 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 480 persons per km². The total area of the town is .

Geography

Located in central Saitama Prefecture on the lowlands of the upper

Arakawa River or Ara River may refer to: * Arakawa River (Kanto) or Ara River may refer to: * Arakawa River (Kanto), which flows from Saitama Prefecture and through Tokyo to Tokyo Bay * Arakawa River (Uetsu), which flows from Yamagata Prefecture and throu ...

, Yoshimi is noted for its strawberry production. Parts of the town are within the borders of the Saitama Prefectural Hiki Hills Nature Park.

Surrounding municipalities

Kumagaya is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 195,277 in 87,827 households and a population density of 1200 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Kumagaya is one of the largest c ...

Kōnosu is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 117,995 in 50,801 households and a population density of 1700 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Located in east-central Saitama ...

Higashimatsuyama is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 90,456 in 41,124 households and a population density of 1400 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Higashimatsuyama is located in ...

* Kitamoto * Kawajima

Climate

Yoshimi 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 to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Yoshimi is 14.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1448 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.0 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,Yoshimi population statistics
/ref> the population of Yoshimi peaked around the year 2000 and has declined since.

History

Archaeologists have discovered numerous

Kofun period The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...

remains from the third through sixth centuries AD within the borders of Yoshimi. The villages of Higashi-Yoshimi, Minami-Yoshimi, Nishi-Yoshimi and Kita-Yoshimi were created within Yokomi District with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Yokomi District was abolished in 1896, becoming part of Hiki District. On July 1, 1954, the four villages merged to become the village of Yoshimi, which was elevated to town status on November 3, 1972. Attempts to merge Yoshimi with neighboring Higashimatsuyama were rejected by referendum in 2004.

Government

Yoshimi 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 14 members. Yoshimi, together with the city of Higashimatsuyama and town of Kawashima, contributes two members to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of

Saitama 10th district , the House of Representatives of Japan is elected from a combination of multi-member districts and single-member districts, a method called Parallel voting. Currently, 176 members are elected from 11 multi-member districts (called proportional r ...

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 ...

Education

Yoshimi has six public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school; however, the

Musashigaoka College is a private junior college in Yoshimi, Saitama, 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 ...

, a junior college, is located in Yoshimi.

Transportation

Railway

* Yoshimi has no passenger rail service.

Highway

* Yoshimi is not located on any national highways.

Local attractions

* The Hundred Caves of Yoshimi, National Historic Site * Anraku-ji * Iwamuro Kannon Hall * site of Matsuyama Castle * Kuroiwa Kofun * Yoshimi Onsen

Notable people from Yoshimi

Tomoyuki Kubota is a Japanese pitcher for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referr ...

, professional baseball player *

Momosuke Fukuzawa Momosuke Fukuzawa (福澤桃介 ''Fukuzawa Momosuke'', June 25, 1868 – February 2, 1938) was a Japanese businessman nicknamed "The Wizard of the Money Markets" for his financial success and "The King of Electrical Power" for being the first J ...

, Meiji period entrepreneur

References

External links

*
Official Website
{{Authority control Hiki District, Saitama Towns in Saitama Prefecture Yoshimi, Saitama