Takanezawa, Tochigi

Takanezawa (高根沢町, Takanezawa-machi) is a town located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2020, the town had an estimated population of 29,528 in 12,618 households,[1] and a population density of 420 persons per km². The total area of the town is 70.87 square kilometres (70,870,000 m2)

Takanezawa

高根沢町
Town
Takanezawa town office
Flag
Seal
Location of Takanezawa in Tochigi Prefecture
Takanezawa
 
Coordinates: 36°37′51.5″N 139°59′11.5″E
CountryJapan
RegionKantō
PrefectureTochigi Prefecture
DistrictShioya
Area
 • Total70.87 km2 (27.36 sq mi)
Population
 (July 2020)
 • Total29,528
 • Density420/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- TreeGinkgo biloba
- FlowerSiberian Iris
- BirdEurasian skylark
Phone number028-675-8100
AddressIshizue 2053, Takanezawa-machi, Shioya-gun, Tochigi-ken 329-1292
WebsiteOfficial website
Park in Takanezawa

Geography

Takanezawa is located in the flatlands of east-central Tochigi Prefecture with an average elevation of 109-195 meters. Over 65% of the town area is agricultural. The town is bordered by Utsunomiya to the west, across the Kinugawa River.

Surrounding municipalities

Tochigi Prefecture

Climate

Nasu has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nasu is 13.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1424 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 -1.8 °C.[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Takanezawa has been increasing over the past 40 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1960 21,479—    
1970 20,662−3.8%
1980 22,765+10.2%
1990 26,328+15.7%
2000 29,777+13.1%
2010 30,534+2.5%

History

Akutsu village, Kitatakanezawa village, and Niita village were created within Shioya District of Tochigi Prefecture on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the Meiji Restoration. In April 1953 Akutsu village was elevated in status into Akutsu town. On March 31, 1954, Niita village was dissolved, with a portion merging with Kitatakanezawa village, and a portion going to Ujie Town (also in Shioya District). Akutsu and Kitatakanezawa merged on April 1, 1958 to create the town of Takanezawa.

Government

Takanezawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 16 members. Takanezawa, together with the city of Sakura and town of Shioya collectively contributes two members to the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Tochigi 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Takanezawa is heavily dependent on agriculture, with rice cultivation as the primary crop. Secondary crops include tobacco, wheat, strawberries and pears. The town is increasingly becoming a bedroom community for neighboring Utsunomiya.

Education

Takanezawa has six public primary schools and two public middle schools operated by the town government. The town has one public high school operated by the Tochigi Prefectural Board of Education

Transportation

Railway

JR East – Tōhoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line)

JR East – Karasuyama Line

Highway

Local attractions
  • Takanezawa Onsen

Media related to Takanezawa, Tochigi at Wikimedia Commons

References
  1. "Takanezawa Town official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. Nasu climate data
  3. Takanezawa population statistics
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.