Higashishirakawa, Gifu

Higashishirakawa (東白川村, Higashishirakawa-mura) is a village located in Kamo District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 December 2018, the village had an estimated population of 2,278 and a population density of 26 persons per km2, in 842 households.[2] The total area of the village was 87.09 square kilometres (33.63 sq mi). Higashishirakawa has been selected as one of The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan.[3]

Higashishirakawa

東白川村
Village
Higashishirakawa Village Hall
Flag
Seal
Location of Higashishirakawa in Gifu Prefecture
Higashishirakawa
 
Coordinates: 35°38′33.1″N 137°19′25.8″E
CountryJapan
RegionChūbu
PrefectureGifu
DistrictKamo
Government
 • MayorYasue Shin'ichi[1]
Area
 • Total87.09 km2 (33.63 sq mi)
Population
 (December 31, 2018)
 • Total2,278
 • Density26/km2 (68/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
City symbols 
- TreeAcer pycnanthum
- FlowerRhododendron dilatatum
Phone number0574-78-3111
AddressKando 548, Higashishirakawa-mura, Kamo-gun, Gifu-ken 509-1392
WebsiteOfficial website
Goka area in Higshishirakawa

Geography

Higashishirakawa is located in the Mino-Mikawa Plateau of central Gifu Prefecture, surrounded by 1000-meter class mountains. Over 90% of the village area is forested. The town village has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and mild winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Higashishirakawa is 12.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2038 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around 0.4 °C.[4]

Neighbouring municipalities

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[5] the population of Higashishirakawa has declined steadily over the past 40 years.

Census Year Population
1970 4,080
1980 3,578
1990 3,323
2000 2,980
2010 2,513

History

The area around Higashishirakawa was part of traditional Mino Province. During the Edo period, it was part of the territory controlled by Naegi Domain. During the post-Meiji restoration cadastral reforms, the area was organised into Kamo District, Gifu Prefecture. The village of Higashishirawa was formed on July 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. The early Meiji period Haibutsu kishaku movement was especially strong in this area, and to this day, Higashishirakawa is the only municipality in Japan without a single Buddhist temple. Plans to merge the village with the neighbouring city of Gifu were rejected by a referendum in June 2004.

Economy

The mainstay of the local economy is agriculture and forestry.

Education

Higashishirakawa has one public elementary school and one public middle school operated by the village government. The village does not have a high school.

Transportation

Railway

The village does not have any passenger train service.

Highway

References
  1. 村長室へようこそ. Higashishirakawa official website (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  2. Higashishirakawa village official statistics (in Japanese)
  3. The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan Archived 2015-02-15 at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese)
  4. Higashishirakawa climate data
  5. Higashishirakawa population statistics

Media related to Higashishirakawa, Gifu at Wikimedia Commons

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