is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

located in

Yamanashi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Yamanashi Prefecture has a population of 787,592 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,465 km2 (1,724 sq mi). Yamanashi Prefecture borders Saitama Prefecture to the n ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. , the city has an estimated

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 71,618 in 27,956 households, and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

of 270 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Minami-Alps is Yamanashi Prefecture's third largest city. The city's name was chosen in September 2002 from among entries submitted by the general public.

Geography

The city is named for its location on the eastern foothills of the "

Southern Alps The Southern Alps (; officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) are a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand, New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. The n ...

". This mountain range includes

Mount Kita is a mountain of the Akaishi Mountains−"Southern Alps" (南アルプス ''Minami-Arupusu''), in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. It is the second tallest mountain in Japan, after Mount Fuji, and is known as "the Leader of the Southern Alps".< ...

, Japan's second-highest mountain, as well as a number of other mountains that top 3,000 meters. The urbanized zones lie along the three rivers running along these mountains: Midai River, Takizawa River, and Tsubo River. The area is noted for growing fruit, especially: cherries, peaches, plums, grapes, pears, persimmons, kiwi, and apples.

Surrounding municipalities

Nagano Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,007,682 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture ...

** Ina *

Shizuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,555,818 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Pref ...

Aoi-ku, Shizuoka is one of three wards of the city of Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, located in the northern part of the city. Aoi-ku borders Suruga-ku in the south and Shimizu-ku to the southeast; the west faces Shimada, Fujieda and Kawanehon a ...

** Chūō ** Fujikawa ** Hayakawa ** Hokuto **

Ichikawamisato is a List of towns of Japan, town located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 15,799 in 6679 households., and a population density of 210 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Geography Ichika ...

** Kai ** Nirasaki **

Shōwa Shōwa most commonly refers to: * Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa ** Shōwa era (昭和), the era of Hirohito from 1926 to 1989 * Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufactu ...

Climate

The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''Cfa''). The average annual temperature in Minami-Alps is 10.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1539 mm with September as the wettest month.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,Minami-Alps population statistics
/ref> the population of Minami-Alps has recently plateaued after several decades of growth.

History

The city of Minami-Alps was established on April 1, 2003, by the merger of the towns of Kōsai, Kushigata, Shirane and Wakakusa, and the villages of Ashiyasu and Hatta (all from Nakakoma District).

Government

Minami-Alps 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 consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

city legislature of 22 members.

Economy

The economy of Minami-Alps is primarily agricultural, with seasonal tourism and forestry playing secondary roles.

Education

*Minami-Alps has 15 public elementary schools, one combined public elementary/middle school and six public middle schools operated by the city government. The city has two public high schools and one special education school operated by the Yamanashi Prefectural Board of Education. * International schools - Alps Gakuen (former Colégio Pitágoras) - Brazilian schoolEscolas Brasileiras Homologadas no Japão

Archive
. Embassy of Brazil in Tokyo. Retrieved on October 13, 2015.

Transportation

Railway

*Minami-Alps is the only city in Yamanashi which does not have any passenger railway services.

Highway

Chūbu-Ōdan Expressway The is a national expressway in Japan. It is managed by East Nippon Expressway Company and Central Nippon Expressway Company. Overview The expressway is planned to commence in the city of Shizuoka and terminate in Saku, Nagano The route t ...

* *

Sister cities

Anamizu, Ishikawa is a town located in Hōsu District (formerly Fugeshi District), Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 7,782 in 3,653 households, and a population density of 42 persons per km2. The total area of the town was . ...

, Japan *

Marshalltown Marshalltown is a city in Marshall County, Iowa, and is the county seat of the county. With a population of 27,591 at the 2020 census, it is the 16th largest city in the state. Marshalltown is home to the Iowa Veterans Home and Marshalltown C ...

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, United States *

Ogasawara, Tokyo is a village in Ogasawara Subprefecture, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Jap ...

, Japan * Tsubetsu,

Hokkaidō is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by railway via the Seikan Tunnel. The ...

, Japan *

Queanbeyan Queanbeyan ( ) is a city in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia, located adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory in the Southern Tablelands region. Located on the Queanbeyan River, the city is the council seat of the Queanbeyan-Pale ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, Australia *

Winterset, Iowa Winterset is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Iowa. The population was 5,353 at the time of the 2020 census. Winterset is part of the Des Moines metropolitan area. History Winterset was platted during a cool spell in the summ ...

, United States

Friendship city

Dujiangyan City Dujiangyan () is a county-level city of Sichuan Province, Southwest China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Chengdu. Its north-west region forms a border with southern Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. ...

, China

Notable people from Minami-Alps

* Kaori Chiba, women's field hockey player *

Shin Kanemaru Shin Kanemaru (金丸信 ''Kanemaru Shin'', 17 September 1914 – 28 March 1996) was a Japanese people, Japanese politician who was a significant figure in the political arena of Japan from the 1970s to the early 1990s. He was also Minister of D ...

, politician *

Masae Kasai Masae Kasai (河西昌枝 ''Kasai Masae'', 14 July 1933 – 3 October 2013) was a volleyball player from Japan, who was a member of the Japan Women's National Team, Oriental Witches, that won the gold medal at the Volleyball at the 1964 Summ ...

, women's volleyball player *

Tachū Naitō was a Japanese architect, engineer, and professor. He was a father of earthquake-proof design and built many broadcasting and observation towers, including the Tokyo Tower. Biography Naitō was born on 12 June 1886, in Minami-Alps, Yamanashi ...

, architect, engineer *Akira Takabe, professional football player

References

External links

Official Website
{{Authority control Cities in Yamanashi Prefecture