Ajigasawa, Aomori

Ajigasawa (鰺ヶ沢町, Ajigasawa-machi) is a town located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 March 2020, the town had an estimated population of 9,613 in 4542 households,[1] and a population density of 28 persons per km2. The total area of the town is 343.08 square kilometres (132.46 sq mi).

Ajigasawa

鰺ヶ沢町
Town
Ajigasawa Town
Flag
Seal
Location of Ajigasawa in Aomori Prefecture
Ajigasawa
 
Coordinates: 40°46′47.7″N 140°12′31.2″E
CountryJapan
RegionTōhoku
PrefectureAomori
DistrictNishitsugaru
Area
 • Total343.08 km2 (132.46 sq mi)
Population
 (March 2020)
 • Total9,613
 • Density28/km2 (73/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols 
• TreeKeyaki
• FlowerRosa rugosa
• BirdJapanese bush-warbler
Phone number0173-72-2111
Address209 Honcho, Ajigasawa-machi, Nishitsugaru-gun, Aomori-ken 038-2792
WebsiteOfficial website
Ajigasawa Town Hall

Geography

Ajigasawa is in Nishitsugaru District, Aomori southwestern corner of Aomori Prefecture on the border with Akita Prefecture, facing the Sea of Japan to the northwest, and the slopes of Mount Iwaki to the southeast. Part of the town is located within the borders of the Shirakami-Sanchi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and some coastal areas of the town are within the Tsugaru Quasi-National Park. The Akaishi Keiryū Anmon no Taki Prefectural Natural Park is also partly located within the borders of Ajigasawa.

Neighbouring municipalities

Aomori Prefecture

Akita Prefecture

Climate

The town has a cold humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) characterized by warm short summers and long cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Ajigasawa is 8.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1480 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 22.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around -3.1 °C.[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Ajigasawa has decreased by more than half over the past 40 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1950 22,741—    
1960 22,123−2.7%
1970 18,439−16.7%
1980 17,402−5.6%
1990 14,899−14.4%
2000 13,551−9.0%
2010 11,449−15.5%

History

Oura Mitsunobu, the founder of the Tsugaru clan, settled in Tanesato (now part of Ajigasawa) in 1491, which developed into a port for the Tsugaru region. The area around Ajigasawa was controlled by the Tsugaru clan of Hirosaki Domain during the Edo period. Ajigasawa became a village in Nishitsugaru District, Aomori with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, and was elevated to town status on March 31, 1955 by annexing the neighboring villages of Akaishi, Nakamura, Narusawa and Maido.

Government

Ajigasawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town legislature of 12 members. Nishitsugaru District contributes one member to the Aomori Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Aomori 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Ajigasawa is heavily dependent on agriculture (rice and horticulture) and on commercial fishing, especially for squid. Other species commonly caught in the local waters include the Japanese flounder, Japanese horse mackerel, Atka mackerel, red snapper, cod, angler fish, octopus, sharks and salmon.

Education

Ajigasawa has three public elementary schools and three public junior high schools operated by the town government and one public high school operated by the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education.

The Shirakami Nature School is a non-profit organization that is housed in a 19th-century wooden building that was used as an elementary school until the spring of 2003. The Shirakami Nature School hosts a wide variety of environmental education including classroom activities and open-air classes to people of all ages.

Transportation

Railway

East Japan Railway Company (JR East) - Gonō Line

Highway

International relations

Local attractions
  • The Kikuya squid stand on the outskirts of town is the home of Wasao, an Akita dog that garnered nationwide attention after starring in a 2011 feature film which was filmed on location in the town.
  • Aomori Spring Ski Resort (formerly known as NAQUA Shirakami Ski Resort).
  • Aomori Spring Golf Club
  • Rockwood Hotel & Spa
  • Ajigasawa Beach is about a ten-minute walk from the train station and has both grass and sand areas with a view of the Sea of Japan.
  • Umi No Eki “Wando” is a collection of stores, much like a market, that sells local goods directly from the farmers and fishermen. The products sold here are all local, and very fresh.
  • Shirakami-Sanchi – UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Otaka-yama park is open to the public and includes a multipurpose stadium, tennis courts, amphitheater, go-carts and an elaborate playground.
  • Kurokuma Falls (くろくまの滝, Kurokuma no taki), gets its name from its appearance; it looks like a standing black bear. It is one of Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls.
  • Tanesato Castle ruins, a National Historic Site[5]*Akaishi Keiryū Anmon no Taki Prefectural Natural Park

Noted people from Ajigasawa
  • Ajigasawa Town Office
  • Wasao
  • Kurokuma Falls
  • Rice fields near Minami Kanazawa

References
  1. Ajigsawa Town official statistics(in Japanese)
  2. Ajigasawa climate data
  3. Ajigasawa population statistics
  4. "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Archived from the original on 2015-11-22. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  5. Agency for Cultural Affairs (in Japanese)

Media related to Ajigasawa, Aomori at Wikimedia Commons

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