Yuzawa, Niigata

Yuzawa 湯沢町
Town
Yuzawa town hall
Flag Seal
Location of Yuzawa in Niigata
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu) (Hokuriku)
Prefecture	NIigata
District	Minamiuonuma
Area
• Total	357.29 km2 (137.95 sq mi)
Population  (June 2016)
• Total	7,972
• Density	22.3/km2 (58/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols
• Tree	Prunus sargentii
• Flower	Cosmos
Phone number	025-784-3451
Address	300 Kandatsu, Yuzawa-machi, Minami-Uonuma-gun, Niigata-ken 949-6192
Website	www.town.yuzawa.lg.jp

Yuzawa (湯沢町, Yuzawa-machi) is a town located in Minamiuonuma District, Niigata Prefecture, in the Hokuriku region of Japan. As of 1 June 2016, the town had an estimated population of 7,972 and a population density of 22.3 persons per km². Its total area was 257.29 square kilometres (99.34 sq mi). The town is famous for its hot springs.

Geography

Yuzawa is located in southwestern Niigata Prefecture, in a mountainous area bordering northern Nagano Prefecture and northern Gunma Prefecture. Due to its geographical location between the Sea of Japan and the surrounding Japanese Alps it has one of the highest annual snowfalls in Japan. There are numerous ski resorts within the region. Mount Naeba, 2143 meters, is partly located within the town limits.

Surrounding municipalities

• Niigata Prefecture
  • Minamiuonuma
  • Tōkamachi
  • Yuzawa
• Nagano Prefecture
  • Sakae
• Gunma Prefecture
  • Nakanojō
  • Minakami

History

The area of present-day Yuzawa was part of ancient Echigo Province. The village of Yuzawa was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the municipalities system. It was raised to town status on March 31, 1955 by merger with the villages of Kandatsu, Tsuchidaru, Mitsumata, and Mikuni.

Education

Yuzawa has one public elementary schools and one public middle school. The town no longer has a high school.

Climate

Climate data for Yuzawa, Niigata (1981-2010)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	2.8 (37.0)	3.3 (37.9)	7.2 (45.0)	15.3 (59.5)	21.4 (70.5)	24.8 (76.6)	28.2 (82.8)	29.9 (85.8)	25.1 (77.2)	18.8 (65.8)	12.6 (54.7)	6.3 (43.3)	16.3 (61.3)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−0.5 (31.1)	−0.3 (31.5)	2.7 (36.9)	9.2 (48.6)	15.3 (59.5)	19.6 (67.3)	23.2 (73.8)	24.7 (76.5)	20.2 (68.4)	13.8 (56.8)	7.7 (45.9)	2.3 (36.1)	11.5 (52.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−3.6 (25.5)	−3.7 (25.3)	−1.1 (30.0)	3.9 (39.0)	9.8 (49.6)	15.2 (59.4)	19.3 (66.7)	20.5 (68.9)	16.4 (61.5)	9.7 (49.5)	3.7 (38.7)	−0.9 (30.4)	7.4 (45.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	307.6 (12.11)	213.1 (8.39)	154.9 (6.10)	101.8 (4.01)	105.3 (4.15)	134.8 (5.31)	202.1 (7.96)	192.3 (7.57)	186.9 (7.36)	164.1 (6.46)	193.9 (7.63)	274.2 (10.80)	2,231 (87.85)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	411 (162)	319 (126)	186 (73)	41 (16)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	18 (7.1)	208 (82)	1,183 (466.1)
Mean monthly sunshine hours	57.6	73.0	102.8	146.4	171.0	132.8	134.1	157.9	102.9	103.3	89.6	70.4	1,341.8
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency

Transportation

Railway

• JR East – Jōetsu Shinkansen
  • Echigo-Yuzawa - Gala Yuzawa
• JR East – Jōetsu Line
  • Tsuchitaru - Echigo-Nakazato - Echigo-Yuzawa - Iwappara-Ski-jō-mae
• Hokuhoku Express - Hokuhoku Line
  • Echigo-Yuzawa

Highway

• Kan-Etsu Expressway
• Japan National Route 17
• Japan National Route 353

Local attractions

Mount Naeba in Yuzawa

Ski resorts

There are a large number of ski resorts in the area. The town is served by the Echigo-Yuzawa and Gala-Yuzawa stations on the Jōetsu Shinkansen line, making it one of the most easily accessible winter sports areas from Tokyo, and the town's economy is reliant principally on skiing and snowboarding.

Cultural references

See also: List of Cultural Properties of Yuzawa, Niigata

Yasunari Kawabata's classic novel Snow Country takes place in Yuzawa.

See also

• Takahan Ryokan – an historic inn located in Yuzawa

External links

• Media related to Yuzawa, Niigata at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website Template:Ja icon
• Yuzawa_(Niigata) travel guide from Wikivoyage