Yonezawa, Yamagata
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Yonezawa
米沢市 | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 37°55′20.1″N 140°07′0.4″E / 37.922250°N 140.116778°E | |
Country | Japan |
Region | Tōhoku |
Prefecture | Yamagata |
Government | |
• Mayor | Masaru Nakagawa (since December 2015) |
Area | |
• Total | 548.51 km2 (211.78 sq mi) |
Population (October 2015) | |
• Total | 85,475 |
• Density | 156/km2 (400/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
- Tree | Kometsuga (Tsuga diversifolia) |
- Flower | Azumashakunage (Rhododendron metternichii Sieb. et Zucc. var. pentamerum Maxim) |
Phone number | 0238-22-5111 |
Address | 5-2-25 Kanaike, Yonezawa-shi, Yamagata-ken 992-8501 |
Website | http://www.city.yonezawa.yamagata.jp/ |
Yonezawa (米沢市, Yonezawa-shi) is a city in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. Yonezawa is most famous for its local delicacies (apples, yonezawa beef, and carp) and for being a castle town that was once home to the Uesugi clan, including the daimyō Uesugi Yozan. As of October 2015, the city has an estimated population of 85,475, and a population density of 156 persons per km². The total area is 548.51 square kilometres (212 sq mi).[1]
Geography
Yonezawa is located in the southeast corner of Yamagata Prefecture, in the Yonezawa Basin. The Mogami River flows through the city. Part of the city is within the borders of the Bandai-Asahi National Park.
Neighboring municipalities
- Yamagata Prefecture
- Fukushima Prefecture
Climate
Yonezawa has a Humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa) with large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heaviest from August to October.
History
The area of present-day Yonezawa was part of ancient Dewa Province and was controlled in the Sengoku period by the Date clan. The famed warlord Date Masamune was born in Yonezawa. During the Edo period, the area became Yonezawa Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate, ruled by the Uesugi clan.[1] After the start of the Meiji period, the area was organized into Minamiokitama District, Yamagata Prefecture. The modern city of Yamagata was established on April 1, 1889.
List of mayor of Yonezawa (since 1889)
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Economy
The economy of Yamagata is based on agriculture, horticulture, light manufacturing and tourism.
Education
Colleges and universities
- Yamagata University Yonezawa campus
- Yonezawa Women's Junior College
Transportation
Rail
Highways
- Tōhoku Chūō Expressway: Yonezawa IC
- National Route 13
- National Route 121
- National Route 287
- National Route 399
Local attractions
- Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum
- Yonezawa Castle
- Tateyama Castle
- Yonezawa Onsen
- Namegawa Great Falls
- Shirabu Onsen (in gorges of Otaru River south of Yonezawa)
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Japan
- Takanabe, Miyazaki, since 1981
- Jōetsu, Niigata, since 1981
- Okinawa, Okinawa, since 1994
- Tōkai, Aichi, since 1999
Worldwide
- Taubaté, Brazil,[2] since January 28, 1974
- Moses Lake, Washington, USA,[3] since May 1, 1981
Notable people from Yonezawa
- Junzaburo Ban, actor
- Itō Chūta, architect
- Takehiko Endo, politician
- Yamashita Gentarō, admiral, Imperial Japanese Navy
- Masami Kobayashi, admiral, Imperial Japanese Navy
- Mutsuo Minagawa, Nippon Professional Baseball player
- Chūichi Nagumo, admiral, Imperial Japanese Navy
- Ikeda Shigeaki, politician
- Hirata Tosuke, Meiji period statesman
References
- ^ a b 米沢市のあらまし (in Japanese). Yonezawa city official home page. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
- ^ "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Retrieved 21 November 2015.
- ^ "US-Japan Sister Cities by State". Asia Matters for America. Honolulu, HI: East-West Center. Retrieved 20 November 2015.