Shioya, Tochigi

Shioya 塩谷町
Town
Shioya Town Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Shioya in Tochigi Prefecture
Shioya
Coordinates: 36°46′39.3″N 139°51′2″E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Tochigi Prefecture
District	Shioya
Area
• Total	176.06 km2 (67.98 sq mi)
Population  (August 2020)
• Total	10,906
• Density	62/km2 (160/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
City symbols
• Tree	Hinoki
• Flower	Mountain lily
• Bird	Crested kingfisher
Phone number	028-675-8100
Address	Tamanyu 741, Shioya-machi, Shioya-gun, Tochigi-ken 329-2292
Website	Official website

Shioya (塩谷町, Shioya-machi) is a town located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 August 2020, the town had an estimated population of 10,906 in 4028 households, and a population density of 62 persons per km². The total area of the town is 176.06 square kilometres (67.98 sq mi).

Geography

Shioya is located in central Tochigi Prefecture.

Surrounding municipalities

Tochigi Prefecture

• Utsunomiya
• Sakura
• Nasushiobara
• Yaita
• Nikkō

Climate

Shioya has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Shioya is 11.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1569 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 0.1 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Shioya has declined over the past 30 years.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1920	14,104	—
1930	14,277	+1.2%
1940	14,798	+3.6%
1950	20,011	+35.2%
1960	17,665	−11.7%
1970	15,155	−14.2%
1980	14,930	−1.5%
1990	14,898	−0.2%
2000	14,171	−4.9%
2010	12,561	−11.4%

History

The villages of Tamanyu, Funyu, and Omiya were created within Shioya District of Tochigi Prefecture on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the Meiji Restoration. The three villages merged on March 31, 1957 to create the village of Shioya. Shioya was elevated to town status on February 11, 1965.

Government

Shioya has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 12 members. Shioya, together with the city of Sakura and town of Takanezawa collectively contributes two members to the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Tochigi 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Shioya is heavily dependent on agriculture, but is increasingly a bedroom community for the nearby cities of Utsunomiya and Nikkō.

Education

Shioya has three public primary schools, one public middle school operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Tochigi Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

• Shioya does not have any passenger train service.

Highway

• National Route 461

Local attractions

• Shojinzawa Yusui – one of the 100 famous springs of Japan
• Shioya Onsen

External links

Media related to Shioya, Tochigi at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Website (in Japanese)