Zaō, Miyagi

Zaō 蔵王町
Town
Zao Town Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Zaō in Miyagi Prefecture
Zaō
Coordinates: 39°05′53.1″N 140°39′31.2″E
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Miyagi
District	Katta
Government
• Mayor	Murakami Eijin
Area
• Total	152.83 km2 (59.01 sq mi)
Population  (August 2017)
• Total	12,384
• Density	81/km2 (210/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Japanese white pine
- Flower	Peach
Phone number	0224-33-2211
Address	10 Oji-Enta-ji-Nishiurakita, Zaō-machi, Katta-gun, Miyagi-ken 989-0892
Website	http://www.town.zao.miyagi.jp/

Lake Onuma at Mount Zaō

Zaō (蔵王町, Zaō-machi) is a town located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 August 2017, the town had an estimated population of 12,384, and a population density of 81 persons per km² in 4,528 households. The total area of the town is 152.84 square kilometres (59.01 sq mi).

Geography

Zaō is located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan in southwestern Miyagi Prefecture in the Ōu Mountains, bordered by Yamagata Prefecture to the west. Parts of the town are within the borders of Zaō Quasi-National Park and Zaō Kōgen Prefectural Natural Park. Zaō has a humid climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Zaō is 12.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1287 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around 0.5 °C.

Neighboring municipalities

• Miyagi Prefecture
  • Shiroishi
  • Shichikashuku
  • Ōgawara
  • Murata
  • Kawasaki
• Yamagata Prefecture
  • Kaminoyama

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Zaō remained steady over the past 40 years.

Census Year	Population
1970	14,037
1980	13,833
1990	14,074
2000	13,545
2010	12,882

History

The area of present-day Zaō was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and was part of the holdings of Sendai Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. It was made part Katta District in the new Iwaki Province at the start of the Meiji period. The district was transferred to Miyagi Prefecture on 21 August 1876. The villages of Enda and Miyamura was established on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the post-Meiji restoration municipalities system. The two villages merged on April 1, 1955 to form the town of Zaō.

Economy

The economy of Zaō is largely based on agriculture and forestry and seasonal tourism.

Education

Zaō has five public elementary schools and three public middle schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Miyagi Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Zaō is not served by any passenger train lines.

Highway

• Tōhoku Expressway
• National Route 4
• National Route 457

Local attractions

• Mount Zaō
• Zaō Quasi-National Park
• Zaō Kōgen Prefectural Natural Park
• Sankai Falls

External links

Media related to Zaō, Miyagi at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Website Template:Ja icon