Taiwa, Miyagi

Taiwa (大和町, Taiwa-chō) is a town located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 May 2020, the town had an estimated population of 28,436, and a population density of 130 persons per km² in 12,016 households.[1] The total area of the town is 225.49 square kilometres (87.06 sq mi).

Taiwa

大和町
Town
Nanatsu Mori Forest, Omatsuzawa, Sasakurayama, Miyatoko Dam, Minamikawa Dam
Flag
Seal
Location of Taiwa in Miyagi Prefecture
Taiwa
 
Coordinates: 38°26′14.4″N 140°53′10.9″E
CountryJapan
RegionTōhoku
PrefectureMiyagi
DistrictKurokawa
Area
 • Total225.49 km2 (87.06 sq mi)
Population
 (May 31, 2020)
 • Total28,436
 • Density130/km2 (330/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- TreeMaple
- FlowerAzalea
Phone number022-345-1111
Address1-1 Yoshioka Nishi-Enoki, Taiwa-chō, Kurokawa-gun, Miyagi-ken 981-3680
WebsiteOfficial website
Taiwa Town Hall

Geography

Taiwa is located in central Miyagi Prefecture, bordered to the south by the metropolis of Sendai. Much of the area of the town is forested.

Neighboring municipalities

Miyagi Prefecture

Climate

The town has a climate characterized by cool summers and long cold winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Taiwa is 11.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1292 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around -0.3 °C.[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Taiwa has expanded rapidly over the past 30 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 12,960—    
1930 13,882+7.1%
1940 14,872+7.1%
1950 19,206+29.1%
1960 20,163+5.0%
1970 18,028−10.6%
1980 18,662+3.5%
1990 18,814+0.8%
2000 24,419+29.8%
2010 28,244+15.7%

History

The area of present-day Taiwa was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and has been settled since at least the Jōmon period by the Emishi people. Numerous kofun were built in the area during the Kofun period. During later portion of the Heian period, the area was ruled by the Northern Fujiwara. During the Sengoku period, the area was contested by various samurai clans before the area came under the control of the Date clan of Sendai Domain during the Edo period, under the Tokugawa shogunate. Yoshioka-juku developed as a major post station on the Ōshū Kaidō during this time. Following the Meiji restoration, the town of Yoshioka was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system.

The town of Taiwa was created on April 20, 1955, as a result of a merger between the town of Yoshioka, and the villages of Miyatoko, Yoshida, Tsurusu, and Ochiai, all within Kurokawa District.

Government

Taiwa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 18 members. Taiwa, together with the rest of Kurokawa District and the city of Tomiya collectively contributes two seats to the Miyagi Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Miyagi 5th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Taiwa contains a number of industrial parks, and has a strong manufacturing base.

Education
  • Miyagi University
  • Taiwa has six public elementary schools and two public high schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Miyagi Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

Taiwa does not have any passenger railway service.

Highway

Local attractions

References
  1. Taiwa town official statistics(in Japanese)
  2. Taiwa climate data
  3. Taiwa population statistics

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