Towada, Aomori

Towada (十和田市, Towada-shi) is a city in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 March 2020, the city had an estimated population of 60,697, and a population density of 84 persons per km2 in 27,677 households.[1] The total area of the city is 725.65 square kilometers (280.18 sq mi).

"Towada" redirects here. For other uses, see Towada (disambiguation).
Towada

十和田市
City
Oirase Valley in Towada
Flag
Seal
Location of Towada in Aomori Prefecture
Towada
 
Coordinates: 40°36′45.7″N 141°12′21.1″E
CountryJapan
RegionTōhoku
PrefectureAomori
Government
 • MayorHisashi Oyamada (since January 2009)
Area
 • Total725.65 km2 (280.18 sq mi)
Population
 (March 31, 2020)
 • Total60,697
 • Density84/km2 (220/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- TreeJapanese Red Pine
- FlowerAzalea
Phone number0176-23-5111
Address6-1 Nishi Jūniban-chō, Towada-shi, Aomori-ken 034-8615
WebsiteOfficial website
Towada City Hall

Geography

Towada is in the foothills of the Hakkōda Mountains and encompasses the Aomori portion of Lake Towada. The Oirase River passes through the town.

Neighboring municipalities

Aomori Prefecture

Akita Prefecture

Climate

The city has a cold humid climate characterized by cool summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Towada is 9.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1233 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 22.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around -2.3 °C.[2] Part of the city is within the limits of the Towada-Hachimantai National Park.

Climate data for Towada（1981-2010（However, sunshine hours from 1986-; snowfall from 1983-））
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 1.8
(35.2)		 2.3
(36.1)		 6.3
(43.3)		 13.7
(56.7)		 18.6
(65.5)		 21.2
(70.2)		 24.5
(76.1)		 26.9
(80.4)		 23.2
(73.8)		 17.8
(64.0)		 11.0
(51.8)		 4.8
(40.6)		 14.3
(57.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) −1.9
(28.6)		 −1.6
(29.1)		 1.8
(35.2)		 7.8
(46.0)		 12.9
(55.2)		 16.4
(61.5)		 20.1
(68.2)		 22.1
(71.8)		 18.1
(64.6)		 12.0
(53.6)		 6.0
(42.8)		 0.8
(33.4)		 9.5
(49.1)
Average low °C (°F) −6.3
(20.7)		 −6.2
(20.8)		 −2.9
(26.8)		 2.0
(35.6)		 7.5
(45.5)		 12.1
(53.8)		 16.6
(61.9)		 18.2
(64.8)		 13.5
(56.3)		 6.4
(43.5)		 1.1
(34.0)		 −3.2
(26.2)		 4.9
(40.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 32.8
(1.29)		 33.9
(1.33)		 44.8
(1.76)		 58.6
(2.31)		 81.3
(3.20)		 93.1
(3.67)		 139.9
(5.51)		 138.9
(5.47)		 161.5
(6.36)		 89.9
(3.54)		 61.5
(2.42)		 47.1
(1.85)		 983.3
(38.71)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 135
(53)		 125
(49)		 75
(30)		 7
(2.8)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 12
(4.7)		 76
(30)		 437
(172)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 119.3 128.8 166.6 190.1 195.1 159.5 137.5 147.1 137.6 153.0 127.1 112.8 1,774.7
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Towada peaked at around the year 2000, and has been in decline thereafter.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 25,840—    
1930 31,896+23.4%
1940 39,767+24.7%
1950 49,125+23.5%
1960 56,232+14.5%
1970 59,719+6.2%
1980 67,050+12.3%
1990 68,097+1.6%
2000 69,630+2.3%
2010 66,123−5.0%

History

The area around present-day Towada was formerly a wasteland known as Sanbongihara (三本木原), which became the location of a colonization and land reclamation project initiated by the Nambu clan of Morioka Domain from 1855. The project was headed by Nitobe Tsutō, the grandfather of Inazō Nitobe. The project was continued by the Meiji government, and the area was designated a ranch area for breeding cavalry horses by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1885. The inclement climate of the area was considered ideal for breeding horses that would be suitable for use in the cold climate areas of Manchuria and Siberia. The village of Sanbongi was established with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On September 1, 1910, Sanbongi was designated a town. It was elevated to the status of a city on February 1, 1955. In October 1956, it changed its name to “Towada”.

On January 1, 2005, the town of Towadako (from Kamikita District) was merged into Towada.

Government

Towada has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 22 members. Towada contributes two members to the Aomori Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Aomori 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Towada is based largely on agriculture.

Education

Colleges and universities

High schools

Towada has four public high schools operated by the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education

  • Sanbongi High School
  • Sanbongi Agriculture High School
  • Towada Technical High School
  • Towada Nishi High School

Elementary schools and middle schools

There are 17 public elementary schools and 9 public middle schools in Towada operated by the municipal government, and one middle school operated by the prefectural government.

Transportation

Railway

Towada currently has no passenger railway service. The Towada Kankō Electric Railway Line connecting Towada with Misawa had five stations within the city. It was discontinued in 2012 and replaced by a bus service.

Highway

Local attractions

International relations

Notable people from Towada

References
  1. Towada City official statistics
  2. Towada climate data
  3. Towada population statistics
  4. "100 Soundscapes of Japan". Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  5. Ministry of Environment
  6. "Collection". Towada Art Center. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
  7. Lethbridge Twinning Society homepage
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