Motomiya, Fukushima

is a city located in north-central Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 30,401 in 10,680 households and a population density of 350 persons per km². The total area of the city was . It is the smallest city in Fukushima Prefecture, both in terms of population and size.

Geography

Located in the center of Fukushima Prefecture, Motomiya possesses a wide range of geographic features from the hills in the east, to the plains in the west. The average elevation of the city is about 200 meters above sea level. The city is 400 to 500 meters above sea level in some areas.

Running through Motomiya, the Abukuma River divides the city in two. On the former Motomiya Town side, bordered by the Ōu Mountains (including Mount Adatara) in the west, and the Abukuma River in the east, flat plains run north to south extending into the Kōriyama Basin. The mountains to the north in Ōtama Village and Kōriyama serve as the sources for several rivers and streams including the Hyakunichi River (百日川), Adatara River (安達太良川), Seto River (瀬戸川), and Gohyaku River (五百川). The Hyakunichi River and Adatara River share the same source but diverge downstream. The former Shirasawa Village is surrounded by gentle rolling hills.

Climate

Motomiya has a humid continental climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by mild summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Motomiya is 12.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1212 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.1 °C, and lowest in January, at around 0.3 °C.

Surrounding municipalities

*Fukushima Prefecture
**Kōriyama
**Nihonmatsu
** Ōtama
** Miharu

Demographics

According to 2005 census data, Motomiya lost population for the first time in 25 years, falling to 31,367 residents. Per Japanese census data, the population of Motomiya peaked around 2000, but has slightly declined since.

History

The area of present-day Motomiya was part of ancient Mutsu Province. The oldest known record refers to the area of Motomiya as "Honmoku" (本牧). Later in the Nara period, the characters for Honmoku were rewritten as (本目), also pronounceable as Motome. Motome was then rewritten as (木目). Then in the 11th century, it became the current Motomiya (本宮). The origins of the name Motomiya, literally meaning "Central Shrine," refer to the Adatara Jinja (安達太良神社), a Shinto shrine in the city's northern district.

As a starting point for roads to Aizu, Miharu, Sōma, and many other destinations, Motomiya became well known as an inn town. In addition, with the growth of lesser roads to Aizu, Adachi no Umaya (安達駅), a government-maintained rest stop and messenger station, was established in Motomiya. Currently, the stone marker indicating the start of the Aizu road is preserved at the Motomiya City Historical Folk Museum. Date Masamune (伊達政宗) used Motomiya as a base during the Battle of Hitotoribashi (人取橋の戦い). Afterwards during the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate, Motomiya was part of the holding of Nihonmatsu Domain. During the Boshin War a number of battles were fought within the city limits.

After the Meiji Restoration, the area was organized as part of Adachi District in the Nakadōri region of Iwaki Province. The town of Motomiya was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. During the Meiji and Taishō period, the Motomiya Electric Corporation was established and constructed a power plant in present Otama Village's Tamanoi district which provided electricity to the area. From this point many famous industries were born in the area. During the Showa era, Gunze, a Japanese textiles company, opened a factory and began operations in Motomiya. During World War II, Allied bombers attacked Motomiya, because the Gunze factories manufactured cloth used to cover the wings of Mitsubishi_Zero_fighters.

After_the_war,_Japan_entered_a_time_of_rapid_economic_growth,_and_industrial_parks_were_zoned_and_constructed_in_Motomiya,_Arai,_Nukazawa,_and_Shiraiwa_districts._Soon_after,_Asahi_Beer_was_enticed_to_construct_a_brewery_in_the_city_limits.

In_the_1980s,_mid-size_housing_developments_such_as_the_Northern_Kōriyama_New_Town_and_Hikari_ga_Oka_developments_were_begun_as_an_influx_of_workers_to_Mitsubishi_Zero_fighters.

After_the_war,_Japan_entered_a_time_of_rapid_economic_growth,_and_industrial_parks_were_zoned_and_constructed_in_Motomiya,_Arai,_Nukazawa,_and_Shiraiwa_districts._Soon_after,_Asahi_Beer_was_enticed_to_construct_a_brewery_in_the_city_limits.

In_the_1980s,_mid-size_housing_developments_such_as_the_Northern_Kōriyama_New_Town_and_Hikari_ga_Oka_developments_were_begun_as_an_influx_of_workers_to_Koriyama,_Fukushima">Kōriyama_

_is_a_city_in_Fukushima_Prefecture,_Japan._,_the_city_has_an_estimated_population_of_322,996_people_in_141760_households,_and_a_population_density_of_430_persons_per_km2._The_total_area_of_the_city_is_._Kōriyama_is_designated_as_a__core_city_an_...
_and_Mitsubishi_Zero_fighters.

After_the_war,_Japan_entered_a_time_of_rapid_economic_growth,_and_industrial_parks_were_zoned_and_constructed_in_Motomiya,_Arai,_Nukazawa,_and_Shiraiwa_districts._Soon_after,_Asahi_Beer_was_enticed_to_construct_a_brewery_in_the_city_limits.

In_the_1980s,_mid-size_housing_developments_such_as_the_Northern_Kōriyama_New_Town_and_Hikari_ga_Oka_developments_were_begun_as_an_influx_of_workers_to_Koriyama,_Fukushima">Kōriyama_

_is_a_city_in_Fukushima_Prefecture,_Japan._,_the_city_has_an_estimated_population_of_322,996_people_in_141760_households,_and_a_population_density_of_430_persons_per_km2._The_total_area_of_the_city_is_._Kōriyama_is_designated_as_a__core_city_an_...
_and_Fukushima,_Fukushima">Fukushima_
__may_refer_to:
__Japan_
*_Fukushima_Prefecture,_Japanese_prefecture
**_Fukushima,_Fukushima,_capital_city_of_Fukushima_Prefecture,_Japan
***Fukushima_University,_national_university_in_Japan
***_Fukushima_Station_(Fukushima)_in_Fukushima,_Fukushim_...