Inawashiro, Fukushima

Inawashiro
猪苗代町
Town

View of Inawashiro Lake from Mount Bandai

Flag

Seal

Location of Inawashiro in Fukushima Prefecture
Inawashiro

 

Coordinates: 37°34′28″N 140°07′17″E / 37.57444°N 140.12139°E / 37.57444; 140.12139Coordinates: 37°34′28″N 140°07′17″E / 37.57444°N 140.12139°E / 37.57444; 140.12139
Country Japan
Region Tōhoku
Prefecture Fukushima Prefecture
District Yama District
Area
  Total 395.00 km2 (152.51 sq mi)
Population (September 2014)
  Total 15,011
  Density 38/km2 (100/sq mi)
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Tree Sorbus commixta
- Flower Habenaria radiata
- Bird Swan
Phone number 0242-62-2111 
Address Jonan 100, Inawashiro-machi, Yama-gun, Fukushima-ken 969-3123
Website Official HP
Inawashiro Town Office

Inawashiro (猪苗代町 Inawashiro-machi) is a town located in Yama District, Fukushima Prefecture, in northern Honshū, Japan. As of September 2014, the town had an estimated population of 15,011 and a population density of 38 persons per km². The total area was 395.00 km². It is noted as the birthplace of the famous doctor Hideyo Noguchi, who contributed to knowledge in the fight against syphilis and yellow fever.[1]

Geography

Inawashiro is located in the far north of the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture, bordering Yamagata Prefecture to the north and Lake Inawashiro to the south. The climate is like many other parts of northern Japan, with cold winters and snowfall averaging 2 meters.

Neighboring municipalities

History

The area of present-day Inawashiro was part of ancient Mutsu Province and the location of Inawashiro Castle since the Kamakura period. It was the site of the Battle of Suriagehara during the Sengoku period. The area formed part of the holdings of Aizu Domain during the Edo period. During the Boshin War, the Battle of Bonari Pass took place near Inawashiro. After the Meiji Restoration, the area was organized as part of Yama District. The modern town of Inawashiro was founded with the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1898. The town borders expanded considerably in 1955 through a merger with the villages of Iwase, Iwaho, Azauma, Nagase, Tsukinowa, Chisato, and Okinajima.

Economy

The economy of Inawashiro is based on agriculture and tourism. There are many ski resorts, onsen and leisure facilities at Lake Inawashiro. Sulfur mining, formerly a mainstay of the local economy into the mid-Showa period, ended with the closure of the last mine in 1968.

Transportation

Railway

Highway

Local attractions

Noted people from Inawashiro

References

  1. Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize

Media related to Inawashiro, Fukushima at Wikimedia Commons

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