Mikawa, Yamagata

Mikawa (三川町, Mikawa-machi) is a town located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 January 2020, the town had an estimated population of 7,562, and a population density of 230 persons per km². The total area of the town is 33.22 square kilometres (13 sq mi).

Mikawa 三川町
Town
Mikawa town hall
Flag Seal
Location of Mikawa in Akita Prefecture
Mikawa
Coordinates: 38°47′40.5″N 139°50′58.9″E
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Yamagata
District	Higashitagawa
Area
• Total	33.22 km^2 (12.83 sq mi)
Population  (January 2020)
• Total	7,562
• Density	230/km^2 (590/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Zelkova serrata
- Flower	Brassica rapa
Phone number	0235-66-3111
Address	85 Nishida, Yokoyama Aze Mikawa-machi, Higashitagawa-gun, Yamagata-ken 997-1301
Website	Official website

Shonai Roadside Station

Mikawa is the seat of the prefectural government's "general branch office" Shōnai that is responsible for the Shōnai Region.[1] It is also the seat of the central government's MLIT transportation branch office that licenses the Shōnai vehicle registration plate for the Shōnai Region.[2]

Geography

Mikawa is located in the coastal plains of northeast Yamagata Prefecture in the Shōnai Region (which also contains neighbouring Shōnai Town). It is a very flat region divided by large rivers and vast fields of rice.

Neighboring municipalities

• Yamagata Prefecture
  • Tsuruoka
  • Sakata
  • Shōnai

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Mikawa peaked around the year 1950, and has gradually been decreasing over the past 70 years. It is now considerably less than it was a hundred years ago.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1920	9,202	—
1930	9,714	+5.6%
1940	9,678	−0.4%
1950	10,593	+9.5%
1960	10,323	−2.5%
1970	8,864	−14.1%
1980	8,479	−4.3%
1990	8,263	−2.5%
2000	7,879	−4.6%
2010	7,731	−1.9%

Climate

Mikawa has a Humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification 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 Mikawa is 12.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1948 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.3 °C, and lowest in January, at around 0.5 °C.[4]

History

The area of present-day Mikawa was part of ancient Dewa Province. After the start of the Meiji period, the area became part of Higashitagawa District, Yamagata Prefecture. The villages of Yokoyama and Oshikiri and the village of Togō Village in Nishitagawa District were established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. The three villages merged to form the village of Mikawa on January 1, 1955. Mikawa was elevated to town status on June 1, 1968.

Economy

The economy of Mikawa is based on agriculture.

Education

Mikawa has three public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school.

Transportation

Railway

Mikawa does not have any passenger railway service.

Highway

• National Route 7

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

• - Aga, Niigata, Japan
• - McMinnville, Tennessee, USA

Noted people from Mikawa

• Hikaru Okuizumi – author
• Kōsō Abe – Imperial Japanese Navy admiral

References

1. Yamagata Prefectural Government Shōnai general branch office/subprefecture, Access
2. MLIT Tōhoku transportation office Yamagata transportation branch office Shōnai car inspection and registration office
3. Mikawa population statistics
4. climate data

External links

Media related to Mikawa, Yamagata at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Website} (in Japanese)