Shirakawa, Fukushima

Shirakawa 白河市
City
Shirakawa City Hall Shirakawa City Hall
Flag of Shirakawa Flag Official seal of Shirakawa Seal
Location of Shirakawa in Fukushima Prefecture Location of Shirakawa in Fukushima Prefecture
Shirakawa
Coordinates:
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Fukushima Prefecture
Area
• Total	305.30 km2 (117.88 sq mi)
Population (November 2014)
• Total	62,688
• Density	205/km2 (530/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
• Tree	Pinus densiflora
• Flower	Ume
• Bird	Emberiza cioides
Phone number	0248-22-1111
Address	7-1 Hachimankōji, Shirakawa, Fukushima 961-0941
Website	www.city.shirakawa.fukushima.jp

File:Shirakawa Komine Castle 20100625-01.jpg

View of Komine Castle in Shirakawa

Shirakawa (白河市, Shirakawa-shi) is a city located in Fukushima Prefecture, in northern Honshū, Japan. As of November 2014, the city had an estimated population of 62,688 and a population density of 205 persons per km². The total area was 305.3 square kilometres (117.9 sq mi).

Geography

Shirakawa is located in southern Fukushima prefecture.

• Rivers: Abukuma River

Neighboring municipalities

• Fukushima Prefecture
  • Nishigō
  • Izumizaki
  • Nakajima
  • Yabuki
  • Tanagura
  • Ishikawa
  • Asakawa
  • Ten'ei
• Tochigi Prefecture
  • Nasu

Climate

Shirakawa has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with warm summers and cold winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heaviest from May to October.

Climate data for Shirakawa, Fukushima
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	4.4 (39.9)	4.6 (40.3)	8.2 (46.8)	15.4 (59.7)	20.5 (68.9)	22.9 (73.2)	26.3 (79.3)	28.2 (82.8)	23.3 (73.9)	17.8 (64)	12.7 (54.9)	7.4 (45.3)	15.98 (60.75)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−0.2 (31.6)	0.2 (32.4)	3.3 (37.9)	9.7 (49.5)	14.9 (58.8)	18.3 (64.9)	21.9 (71.4)	23.3 (73.9)	18.9 (66)	12.7 (54.9)	7.4 (45.3)	2.4 (36.3)	11.07 (51.91)
Average low °C (°F)	−4.4 (24.1)	−3.9 (25)	−1.4 (29.5)	4.2 (39.6)	9.4 (48.9)	14.4 (57.9)	18.5 (65.3)	19.8 (67.6)	15.3 (59.5)	8.2 (46.8)	2.5 (36.5)	−2.1 (28.2)	6.71 (44.08)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	29.0 (1.142)	43.3 (1.705)	67.7 (2.665)	99.2 (3.906)	112.6 (4.433)	177.7 (6.996)	162.9 (6.413)	200.9 (7.909)	191.1 (7.524)	116.3 (4.579)	63.5 (2.5)	33.4 (1.315)	1,297.6 (51.087)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	24 (9.4)	30 (11.8)	18 (7.1)	3 (1.2)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	2 (0.8)	15 (5.9)	92 (36.2)
Average relative humidity (%)	68	67	65	66	70	80	84	82	82	77	73	70	73.7
Mean monthly sunshine hours	164.6	154.2	187.4	182.9	196.8	131.7	129.2	156.2	111.3	144.0	144.8	156.4	1,859.5
Source: NOAA (1961-1990)

History

The area of present-day Shirakawa was part of ancient Mutsu Province and was the location of a barrier gate on the Oshu kaido connecting the capital at Kyoto with the northern provinces. In the Heian period, the Buddhist monk and waka poet Nōin composed the following poem about the region:

都をば霞とともに立ちしかど秋風ぞ吹く白河の関

Miyako wo ba kasumi to tomo ni tachishikado akikaze zo fuku Shirakawa no seki.

(English: I left the capital with the spring haze, but at the barrier of Shirakawa the autumn wind blows.)

In the Edo period the area prospered as a castle town Shirakawa Domain, and was the site of a major battle in the Aizu War during the Meiji restoration. In the Meiji period, it was organized as part of Nakadōri region of Iwaki Province.

The town of Shirakawa was formed on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the municipalities system. On April 1, 1949, Shirakawa was elevated to city status after merging with the neighboring village of Ōnuma. Subsequent mergers occurred in 1954 and 1955 with the inclusion of the villages of Shirasaka, Odagawa, Goka and a portion of Omotegō into the territory of Shirakawa. On November 7, 2005, the villages of Taishin, Higashi, and the remainder of Omotegō (all from Nishishirakawa District) were merged into Shirakawa, increasing its population from 48,297 to approximately 66,000 and territory from 117.67 km² (45.43 sq mi) to 305.30 km² (117.88 sq mi).

Economy

Shirakawa has a mixed economy, and is a major commercial center for the surrounding region.

Education

Shirakawa has four high schools, eight junior high schools, and fifteen elementary schools.

Post offices

Shirakawa has nineteen post offices within the boundaries of the city.

Transportation

Railway

• JR East – Tōhoku Main Line
  • Shirasaka – (Shin-Shirakawa) – Shirakawa - Kutano

Highway

• Tōhoku Expressway
• Japan National Route 4
• Japan National Route 289
• Japan National Route 294

Local attractions

• Site of Shirakawa Barrier (National Historic Monument)
• Komine Castle – One of the 100 Castles of Japan
• Site of Shirakawa Castle
• Nanko Park – National Historic Monument and National Scenic Site
• Shirakawa Funada – Honnuma Site – kofun period burial tumulus, National Historic Site

• Festivals held in Shirakawa include "Daruma Ichi", celebrating the traditional Daruma doll, wherein the city streets are packed with stalls selling Daruma, a variety of festival foods and charms, and "Chōchin Matsuri" (Lantern Festival), which is held each summer, with a special three-day celebration held once every three years.

International relations

• Compiègne, France, since October 20, 1988

Noted people from Shirakawa

• Gishu Nakayama – writer
• Atsushi Fujita - Olympic marathon runner
• Hideo Madarame – Olympic cyclist
• Toshiaki Fushimi – Olympic cyclist

External links

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website (Japanese)
• Shirakawa website (Japanese)