Ibigawa

Ibigawa (揖斐川町, Ibigawa-chō) is a town located in Ibi District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 December 2018, the town had an estimated population of 21,319 in 8,015 households [1] and a population density of 27 persons per km2, in 8,032 households. The total area of the town was 803.44 square kilometres (310.21 sq mi).

Not to be confused with Ibi River, also known as Ibigawa.
Ibigawa

揖斐川町
Town
Ibigawa Town Hall
Flag
Seal
Location of Ibigawa in Gifu Prefecture
Ibigawa
 
Coordinates: 35°29′14.2″N 136°34′6.9″E
CountryJapan
RegionChūbu
PrefectureGifu
DistrictIbi
Government
 • MayorTakao Sōmiya
Area
 • Total803.44 km2 (310.21 sq mi)
Population
 (December 1, 2018)
 • Total21,319
 • Density27/km2 (69/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
City symbols 
- TreeJapanese Zelkova
- FlowerPrunus persica
Phone number0585-22-2111
AddressMiwa 133, Ibigawa-chō, Ibi-gun, Gifu-ken 501-0692
WebsiteOfficial website

Geography

Ibigawa is located in far western Gifu Prefecture, bordering on Shiga Prefecture to the west and Fukui Prefecture to the north. The Ibi River flows through the town, which is located in a hilly to mountainous area. Parts of the town are within the borders of the Ibi-Sekigahara-Yōrō Quasi-National Park. The town has a climate characterized by characterized by hot and humid summers, and mild winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Ibigawa is 14.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2039 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.9 °C.[2] The mountainous areas of the town are noted for extremely heavy snow in winter.

Climate data for Ibigawa（former Ibigawa Town）
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 16.7
(62.1)		 19.6
(67.3)		 25.1
(77.2)		 30.6
(87.1)		 34.2
(93.6)		 36.4
(97.5)		 38.4
(101.1)		 39.6
(103.3)		 38.2
(100.8)		 32.6
(90.7)		 25.6
(78.1)		 20.1
(68.2)		 39.6
(103.3)
Average high °C (°F) 7.9
(46.2)		 9.8
(49.6)		 12.8
(55.0)		 19.3
(66.7)		 24.0
(75.2)		 27.4
(81.3)		 30.8
(87.4)		 32.5
(90.5)		 28.4
(83.1)		 22.8
(73.0)		 16.8
(62.2)		 10.9
(51.6)		 20.3
(68.5)
Average low °C (°F) −0.2
(31.6)		 0.2
(32.4)		 3.1
(37.6)		 8.4
(47.1)		 13.6
(56.5)		 18.2
(64.8)		 22.3
(72.1)		 23.5
(74.3)		 19.6
(67.3)		 13.2
(55.8)		 7.0
(44.6)		 2.1
(35.8)		 10.9
(51.7)
Record low °C (°F) −7.0
(19.4)		 −8.2
(17.2)		 −6.2
(20.8)		 −0.4
(31.3)		 4.4
(39.9)		 11.4
(52.5)		 16.1
(61.0)		 16.4
(61.5)		 10.7
(51.3)		 2.7
(36.9)		 −1.3
(29.7)		 −5.9
(21.4)		 −8.2
(17.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 111.2
(4.38)		 116.6
(4.59)		 186.9
(7.36)		 227.2
(8.94)		 285.6
(11.24)		 352.1
(13.86)		 360.4
(14.19)		 202.3
(7.96)		 288.4
(11.35)		 146.1
(5.75)		 115.5
(4.55)		 96.5
(3.80)		 2,488.8
(97.97)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 13.0 11.7 12.2 10.7 11.3 13.0 14.4 11.4 12.6 9.1 10.1 12.5 142
Mean monthly sunshine hours 122.2 135.4 173.4 190.3 184.7 146.1 157.9 188.4 150.3 161.3 137.0 125.9 1,872.9
Source: Meteorological Agency

Neighbouring municipalities

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Ibigawa has declined over the past 40 years.

Census Year Population
1970 29,979
1980 31,171
1990 29,156
2000 27,453
2010 23,708

History

The area around Ibigawa was part of traditional Mino Province. During the Edo period, it initially part of a 30,000 koku domain controlled by the Nishio clan, but from 1623 was divided between territory controlled by Owari Domain and tenryō holdings directly controlled by the Tokugawa shogunate. During the post-Meiji restoration cadastral reforms, the area was organised into Ibi District, Gifu Prefecture. The town of Ibigawa was formed on July 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system.

On January 31, 2005 the former villages of Fujihashi, Kasuga, Kuze, Sakauchi, and Tanigumi merged with Ibigawa, resulting in a nearly 20-fold increase in area.

Education

Ibigawa has six public elementary schools and five public middle school operated by the town government. The town has one public high school operated by the Gifu Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

Highway

References
  1. Ibigawa Town official statistics (in Japanese)
  2. Ibigawa climate data
  3. Ibigawa population statistics

Media related to Ibigawa, Gifu at Wikimedia Commons

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