Yuzawa, Niigata

Yuzawa (湯沢町, Yuzawa-machi) is a town located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2019, the town had an estimated population of 7,926, and a population density of 22.2 persons per km2. The total area of the town was 357.29 square kilometres (137.95 sq mi). The town is famous for its hot springs.

Yuzawa

湯沢町
Town
Yuzawa town hall
Flag
Emblem
Location of Yuzawa in Niigata
Yuzawa
 
Coordinates: 36°56′2.4″N 138°49′2.8″E
CountryJapan
RegionChūbu (Kōshin'etsu) (Hokuriku)
PrefectureNiigata
DistrictMinamiuonuma
Area
 • Total357.29 km2 (137.95 sq mi)
Population
 (1 July 2019)
 • Total7,926
 • Density22/km2 (57/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols 
• TreePrunus sargentii
• FlowerCosmos
Phone number025-784-3451
Address300 Kandatsu, Yuzawa-machi, Minami-Uonuma-gun, Niigata-ken 949-6192
WebsiteOfficial website

Geography

Yuzawa is located in southwestern Niigata Prefecture, in a mountainous area bordering northern Nagano Prefecture and northern Gunma Prefecture. Due to its geographical location between the Sea of Japan and the surrounding Japanese Alps it has one of the highest annual snowfalls in Japan. There are numerous ski resorts within the region. Mount Naeba (2143 meters) is partly located within the town limits. Much of the town is within the borders of either the Jōshin'etsu-kōgen National Park or the Uonuma Renpo Prefectural Park.

Surrounding municipalities

Climate

Yuzawa has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) characterized by warm, wet summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Yuzawa is 6.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1744 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 19.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around -5.1 °C.[1]

Climate data for Yuzawa, Niigata (1981-2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 2.8
(37.0)		 3.3
(37.9)		 7.2
(45.0)		 15.3
(59.5)		 21.4
(70.5)		 24.8
(76.6)		 28.2
(82.8)		 29.9
(85.8)		 25.1
(77.2)		 18.8
(65.8)		 12.6
(54.7)		 6.3
(43.3)		 16.3
(61.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) −0.5
(31.1)		 −0.3
(31.5)		 2.7
(36.9)		 9.2
(48.6)		 15.3
(59.5)		 19.6
(67.3)		 23.2
(73.8)		 24.7
(76.5)		 20.2
(68.4)		 13.8
(56.8)		 7.7
(45.9)		 2.3
(36.1)		 11.5
(52.7)
Average low °C (°F) −3.6
(25.5)		 −3.7
(25.3)		 −1.1
(30.0)		 3.9
(39.0)		 9.8
(49.6)		 15.2
(59.4)		 19.3
(66.7)		 20.5
(68.9)		 16.4
(61.5)		 9.7
(49.5)		 3.7
(38.7)		 −0.9
(30.4)		 7.4
(45.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 307.6
(12.11)		 213.1
(8.39)		 154.9
(6.10)		 101.8
(4.01)		 105.3
(4.15)		 134.8
(5.31)		 202.1
(7.96)		 192.3
(7.57)		 186.9
(7.36)		 164.1
(6.46)		 193.9
(7.63)		 274.2
(10.80)		 2,231
(87.85)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 411
(162)		 319
(126)		 186
(73)		 41
(16)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 18
(7.1)		 208
(82)		 1,183
(466.1)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 57.6 73.0 102.8 146.4 171.0 132.8 134.1 157.9 102.9 103.3 89.6 70.4 1,341.8
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[2] the population of Yuzawa has remained steady over the past 40 years.

Census Year Population
1970 8,374
1980 9,514
1990 9,986
2000 9,130
2010 8,396

History

The area of present-day Yuzawa was part of ancient Echigo Province. The villages of Yuzawa, Futai (二居村, Futai-mura), Asakai (浅貝村, Asakai-mura), Kandatsu (神立村, Kandatsu-mura), Tsuchidaru (土樽村, Tsuchidaru-mura), and Mitsumata (三俣村, Mitsumata-mura) were created on 1 April 1889 as part of the modern municipalities system. On 1 November 1901, Futai and Asakai merged to become the village of Mikuni (三国村, Mikuni-mura). Yuzawa, Mikuni, Kandatsu, Tsuchidaru, and Mitsumata merged on 1 April 1955 to become the town of Yuzawa.

Education

Yuzawa has one public elementary school and one public middle school operated by the town government. The town no longer has a high school.

Transportation

Railway

– Jōetsu Shinkansen

JR East - Jōetsu Line

Hokuhoku Express - Hokuhoku Line

  • Echigo-Yuzawa

Highway

Local attractions
Mount Naeba in Yuzawa

Ski resorts

There are a large number of ski resorts in the area. The town is served by the Echigo-Yuzawa and Gala-Yuzawa stations on the Jōetsu Shinkansen line, making it one of the most easily accessible winter sports areas from Tokyo, and the town's economy is reliant principally on skiing and snowboarding.

Cultural references
See also: List of Cultural Properties of Yuzawa, Niigata

Yasunari Kawabata's classic novel Snow Country takes place in Yuzawa.[3]

See also

References
  1. Yuzawa climate data
  2. Yuzawa population statistics
  3. Lindelauf, Perrin, "Finding the fabled Snow Country", Japan Times, 18 January 2009, p. 12.
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