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 ...

located in

Yamagata Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Yamagata Prefecture has a population of 1,079,950 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 9,325 km² (3,600 sq mi). Yamagata Prefecture borders Akita Prefecture to the nor ...

, Japan. , 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 15,237, and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

of 40.9 persons per km². The total area of the city is .

Geography

Obanazawa is located in a mountain valley northeast Yamagata Prefecture, bordered by the

Mogami River The is a river in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. Description and history It is 224 km long and has a watershed of 7,040 km2. It is regarded as one of the three most rapid rivers of Japan (along with the Fuji River and the Kuma River). ...

to the west and the

Ōu Mountains The are a mountain range in the Tōhoku region of Honshū, Japan. The range is the longest range in Japan and stretches south from the Natsudomari Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture to the Nasu volcanoes at the northern boundary of the Kantō ...

to the east.

Neighboring municipalities

*Yamagata Prefecture **

Higashine is a city located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 47,910 in 17868 households, and a population density of 230 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Located on the eastern shore of ...

** Murayama **

Ōishida is a town located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 6,945 in 2348 households, and a population density of 87 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Geography Ōishida is located in the mountain ...

** Mogami ** Funagata *Miyagi Prefecture **

Kami are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...

** Sendai

Climate

Obanazawa 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 climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

''Cfa'') with large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heaviest from August to October. The average annual temperature in Obanazawa is . The average annual rainfall is with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . The city is noted for its very heavy snowfall in winter.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Obanazawa peaked around 1950 and has declined considerably since then.

History

The area of present-day Obanazawa was part of ancient

Dewa Province was a province of Japan comprising modern-day Yamagata Prefecture and Akita Prefecture, except for the city of Kazuno and the town of Kosaka. Dewa bordered on Mutsu and Echigō Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . History Early per ...

. After the start of the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

, the area became part of Kitamurayama District, Yamagata Prefecture. The village of Obanazawa was established on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system, and was raised to town status on July 26, 1897. It was made a city on April 10, 1959. Obanazawa is the origin of one version of the Dontsuki song, the 'Hanagasa Dance Song', a song sung in many parts of Yamagata Prefecture.

Government

Obanazawa 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 multi ...

city legislature of 14 members. The city contributes one member to the Yamagata Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Yamagata District 2 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Obanazawa is based on agriculture and forestry. In agriculture, Obanazawa is best known for its watermelons.

Education

Obanazawa has four public elementary schools and two public middle schools operated by the city government and one public high school operated by the Yamagata Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

East Japan Railway Company -

Ōu Main Line The is a railway line in Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Fukushima Station through Akita Station to Aomori Station. Since the opening of the Yamagata Shinkansen on July 1, 1992, the Fukushima–Yama ...

* (However, central Obanazawa is also served by

Ōishida Station is a junction railway station in the town of Ōishida, Yamagata, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Lines Ōishida Station is served by the Ōu Main Line and the Yamagata Shinkansen, with direct high-speed '' Tsubasa'' ...

in neighboring

Highway

* – Obanazawa Interchange * *

Local attractions

Ginzan Onsen Ginzan Onsen (銀山温泉) is an onsen (hot spring) area in Obanazawa, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. Its name means "silver mine hot spring". Ginzan Onsen's economy took off thanks to its booming silver production and eventually transitioned ove ...

* Nobesawa Ginzan, a National Historic Site

Noted people

Kotonowaka Terumasa Kotonowaka Terumasa (born May 15, 1968, as Mitsuya Konno) is a former sumo wrestler from Obanazawa, Yamagata prefecture, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1984 and after reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1990 he remained there for ...

, sumo wrestler * Norio Sasaki, Japan national women's soccer team head coach

References

External links

Official Website
{{Authority control Cities in Yamagata Prefecture