Minakami, Gunma

Minakami (みなかみ町, Minakami-machi) is a town located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 October 2020, the town had an estimated population of 18,383 in 7938 households,[1] and a population density of 24 persons per km². The total area of the town is 781.08 square kilometres (301.58 sq mi). Much of the town is within the borders of Jōshin'etsu-kōgen National Park.

Minakami

みなかみ町
Town
Minakami town hall
Flag
Seal
Location of Minakami in Gunma Prefecture
Minakami
 
Coordinates: 36°40′42.8″N 138°59′56.9″E
CountryJapan
RegionKantō
PrefectureGunma
DistrictTone
Area
 • Total781.08 km2 (301.58 sq mi)
Population
 (August 2015)
 • Total18,383
 • Density24/km2 (61/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- TreeSiebold’s beech
- FlowerKerria japonica
- BirdJapanese bush-warbler
Phone number0278-62-2111
Address318 Gokan, Minakami-machi, Tone-gun, Gunma-ken 379-1393
WebsiteOfficial website
Minakami hotspring Matunoi

Geography

Located in northern Gunma, Minakami is bordered by Niigata Prefecture to the north. The town is very mountainous.

Surrounding municipalities

Gunma Prefecture

Niigata Prefecture

Climate

Minakami has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Minakami is 6.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1864 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 18.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around -5.2 °C.[2]

Climate data for Minakami
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 12.6
(54.7)		 17.8
(64.0)		 21.6
(70.9)		 28.0
(82.4)		 31.8
(89.2)		 33.4
(92.1)		 34.5
(94.1)		 35.8
(96.4)		 32.5
(90.5)		 26.8
(80.2)		 23.8
(74.8)		 20.9
(69.6)		 35.8
(96.4)
Average high °C (°F) 2.6
(36.7)		 3.2
(37.8)		 6.9
(44.4)		 14.5
(58.1)		 20.0
(68.0)		 23.3
(73.9)		 26.9
(80.4)		 28.4
(83.1)		 23.6
(74.5)		 17.6
(63.7)		 12.0
(53.6)		 6.1
(43.0)		 15.4
(59.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) −1.3
(29.7)		 −1.0
(30.2)		 2.0
(35.6)		 8.3
(46.9)		 13.8
(56.8)		 17.8
(64.0)		 21.6
(70.9)		 22.8
(73.0)		 18.6
(65.5)		 12.4
(54.3)		 6.6
(43.9)		 1.5
(34.7)		 10.3
(50.5)
Average low °C (°F) −4.6
(23.7)		 −4.6
(23.7)		 −1.7
(28.9)		 3.1
(37.6)		 8.3
(46.9)		 13.4
(56.1)		 17.7
(63.9)		 18.9
(66.0)		 15.1
(59.2)		 8.5
(47.3)		 2.6
(36.7)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 6.2
(43.2)
Record low °C (°F) −12.2
(10.0)		 −14.1
(6.6)		 −13.1
(8.4)		 −6.8
(19.8)		 −0.5
(31.1)		 5.3
(41.5)		 10.8
(51.4)		 12.2
(54.0)		 4.6
(40.3)		 −1.0
(30.2)		 −7.1
(19.2)		 −11.1
(12.0)		 −14.1
(6.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 156.7
(6.17)		 141.5
(5.57)		 117.3
(4.62)		 103.6
(4.08)		 118.1
(4.65)		 151.1
(5.95)		 199.8
(7.87)		 206.0
(8.11)		 202.9
(7.99)		 123.9
(4.88)		 93.4
(3.68)		 129.1
(5.08)		 1,733.7
(68.26)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 300
(118)		 254
(100)		 144
(57)		 35
(14)		 1
(0.4)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 13
(5.1)		 177
(70)		 929
(366)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 19.3 17.2 16.7 12.5 12.5 14.3 16.1 14.4 14.7 12.7 13.0 15.5 178.8
Mean monthly sunshine hours 63.6 83.8 123.8 169.3 184.8 148.8 152.6 168.8 113.9 106.4 87.9 68.8 1,471.7
Source 1: Japan Meteorological Agency[3]
Source 2: Japan Meteorological Agency[4]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[5] the population of Minakami has declined steadily over the past 60 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 22,083—    
1930 25,192+14.1%
1940 25,983+3.1%
1950 31,908+22.8%
1960 32,605+2.2%
1970 29,218−10.4%
1980 28,123−3.7%
1990 26,540−5.6%
2000 25,089−5.5%
2010 21,336−15.0%

History

The Mikuni Kaidō connecting Takasaki with Niigata from the Heian period onwards passed through area of present-day Minakami, with nine post stations. The area was contested between the competing Uesugi, Takeda and Sanada clans during the Sengoku period. During the Edo period, it was partly under the control of Numata Domain , with the remainder as part of the tenryō holdings within Kōzuke Province administered directly by the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period. On April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the Meiji Restoration, Minakami village was established within Tone District, Gunma. It was raised to town status on August 10, 1947. On October 1, 2005, the town of Tsukiyono and the village of Niiharu were merged into Minakami.

Government

Minakami has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 18 members. Minakami, together with the other municipalities in Tone District, contributes one member to the Gunma Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Gunma 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Minakami is heavily dependent on seasonal tourism to ski resorts and to onsen hot springs.

Education

Minakami has six public elementary schools and three public middle school operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Gunma Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

Highways

International relations

Local attractions

Onsen (Hot Springs)

Minakami has traditionally been an Onsen (hot spring) resort town with 8 major onsen sources and over 40 different bathing facilities to choose from.[6]

Ski Fields

Minakami has a good reputation for good snow conditions. There are 9 ski areas:

Outdoor

There are many different outdoor pursuits available in Minakami and it has become a very popular destination for outdoor adventure seekers. Some of the outdoor activities include:

  • Whitewater rafting (grade 2- 4)
  • Canyoning
  • Bungy Jumping
  • Mountain biking
  • Paragliding
  • Rock climbing
  • Hiking
  • Canoeing
  • Kayaking
  • Snowshoe
  • Back country ski & snowboarding
  • Caving

Noted people from Minakami

References
  1. "Gunma Prefecture official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. Minakami climate data
  3. "みなかみ　1981-2010年". Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  4. "みなかみ　観測史上1～10位の値". Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  5. Minakami population statistics
  6. Minakami Onsen Information

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