Inawashiro, Fukushima

Inawashiro 猪苗代町
Town
View of Inawashiro Lake from Mount Bandai View of Inawashiro Lake from Mount Bandai
Flag of Inawashiro Flag Official seal of Inawashiro Seal
Location of Inawashiro in Fukushima Prefecture Location of Inawashiro in Fukushima Prefecture
Inawashiro
Coordinates:
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Fukushima Prefecture
District	Yama District
Area
• Total	395.00 km2 (152.51 sq mi)
Population (September 2014)
• Total	15,011
• Density	38/km2 (100/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Tree	Sorbus commixta
- Flower	Habenaria radiata
- Bird	Swan
Phone number	0242-62-2111
Address	Jonan 100, Inawashiro-machi, Yama-gun, Fukushima-ken 969-3123
Website	Official HP

File:Inawashiro town office.JPG

Inawashiro Town Office

Inawashiro (猪苗代町, Inawashiro-machi) is a town located in Yama District, Fukushima Prefecture, in northern Honshū, Japan. As of September 2014, the town had an estimated population of 15,011 and a population density of 38 persons per km². The total area was 395.00 km². It is noted as the birthplace of the famous doctor, Hideyo Noguchi who contributed to knowledge in the fight against syphilis and yellow fever.

Geography

Inawashiro is located in the far north of the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture, bordering Yamagata Prefecture to the north and Lake Inawashiro to the south. The climate is like many other parts of northern Japan, with cold winters and snowfall averaging 2 meters.

• Mountains : Mount Bandai, Mount Adatara, Mount Azuma-kofuji
• Rivers : Nagase River
• Lakes : Lake Inawashiro, Akimoto Lake

Neighboring municipalities

• Kitakata, Fukushima
• Fukushima, Fukushima
• Nihonmatsu, Fukushima
• Kōriyama, Fukushima
• Kitashiobara, Fukushima
• Bandai, Fukushima
• Yonezawa, Yamagata

History

The area of present-day Inawashiro was part of ancient Mutsu Province and the location of Inawashiro Castle since the Kamakura period. It was the site of the Battle of Suriagehara during the Sengoku period. The area formed part of the holdings of Aizu Domain during the Edo period. During the Boshin War, the Battle of Bonari Pass took place near Inawashiro. After the Meiji Restoration, the area was organized as part of Yama District. The modern town of Inawashiro was founded with the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1898. The town borders expanded considerably in 1955 through a merger with the villages of Iwase, Iwaho, Azauma, Nagase, Tsukinowa, Chisato, and Okinajima.

Economy

The economy of Inawashiro is based on agriculture and tourism. There are many ski resorts, onsen and leisure facilities at Lake Inawashiro. Sulfur mining, formerly a mainstay of the local economy into the mid-Showa period, ended with the closure of the last mine in 1968.

Transportation

Railway

• JR East – Ban'etsu West Line
  • Jōko - Sekito - Kawageta - Inawashiro - Okinashima

Highway

• Ban-etsu Expressway – Inawashiro-Bandai Kogen IC
• Bandai-Azuma Roadway
• Japan National Route 49
• Japan National Route 115

Local attractions

• Tenkyōkaku, a Meiji-period former residence of Prince Arisugawa Takehito, designated an Important Cultural Property
• Noguchi Hideo Memorial Hall]

Noted people from Inawashiro

• Hideyo Noguchi - bacteriologist

External links

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

• www.town.inawashiro.fukushima.jp/%20official%20website (Japanese)