Yazu (八頭町, Yazu-chō) is a town located in Yazu District, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. As of 30 November 2022, the town had an estimated population of 16,156 in 6140 households and a population density of 78 persons per km².[1] The total area of the town is 206.71 square kilometres (79.81 sq mi).
Geography
Yazu is located to the far east of Tottori Prefecture. Its highest peak is Ōginosen (1,309.9 metres or 4,298 feet), which is located on the border of the city of Tottori, the towns of Misasa and Chizu, as well as Shin'onsen in Hyōgo Prefecture. Ōginosen is part of the Daisen Volcanic Belt. The mountain is part of Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park, and has facilities for skiing and camping.[2] The Hattō River (39.1 metres (128 ft)), the largest tributary of the Sendai River, flows through Yazu, as does a smaller tributary, the Kisaichi River (28.1 metres (92 ft)), which traces its origin to Ōginosen.[3][4]
Neighbouring municipalities
Climate
Yazu has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with moderate snowfall. The average annual temperature in Yazu is 13.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1851 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around 21.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.1 °C.[5]
Demography
Per Japanese census data,[6] the population of Yazu has been as follows:
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 22,088 | — |
| 1930 | 23,220 | +5.1% |
| 1940 | 22,208 | −4.4% |
| 1950 | 20,519 | −7.6% |
| 1960 | 26,658 | +29.9% |
| 1970 | 25,562 | −4.1% |
| 1980 | 22,142 | −13.4% |
| 1990 | 21,091 | −4.7% |
| 2000 | 20,245 | −4.0% |
| 2010 | 18,428 | −9.0% |
History
The area of Yazu was part of ancient Inaba Province, and is the setting of the Hare of Inaba legend. During the Edo period, the area was part of the holdings of Tottori Domain ruled by a branch of the Ikeda clan from their seat at Tottori Castle. Yazu District, Tottori was established after the Meiji restoration and divided into several villages with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1896. The town of Yazu was formed on March 31, 2005, by the merger of the towns of Funaoka, Hattō and Kōge, all from Yazu District.[7][8] villages.
Government
Yazu has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 18 members headed by a chairperson and vice-chairperson.[9] Yazu, collectively with the other municipalities of Yazu District, contributes two members to the Tottori Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Tottori 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Education
Yazu has four public elementary schools and one junior high school operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Tottori Prefectural Board of Education.
Transportation
Railway
- Kōge - Yazukōkōmae - Inabafunaoka - Hayabusa - Abe - Hattō - Tokumaru - Tampi
Highways
Sister city relations
- Hoengseong County, Gangwon, Republic of Korea, friendship city since 1996
- Da'an, Jilin, China, friendship city since 1996
Local attractions
- Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park, founded on April 10, 1969, spans across Hyōgo Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture, and Okayama Prefecture. Much of the area of the town of Yazu is included in the quasi-national park.[10][11]
Noted people from Iwami
- Shigeru Ishiba, politician
References
- ^ "Yazu town official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
- ^ "扇ノ山" [Ōginosen]. Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 153301537. Retrieved 2012-05-28.
- ^ "Hattō River" [Kisaichi River]. Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 173191044. DLC 2009238904. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
- ^ "私都川" [Kisaichi River]. Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 173191044. DLC 2009238904. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
- ^ Yazu climate data
- ^ Yazu population statistics
- ^ "八頭町" [Yazu-chō]. Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 153301537. Retrieved 2012-05-28.
- ^ まちの概要 [Overview of Yazu] (in Japanese). Yazu, Tottori Prefecture: Yazu-Town. 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
- ^ 町議会の仕組み・構成 [Structure and Organization of the Town Council] (in Japanese). Yazu, Tottori Prefecture: Yazu-Town. 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
- ^ "氷ノ山後山那岐山国定公園". Ministry of the Environment. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
- ^ "丹後天橋立大江山／明治の森箕面／金剛生駒紀泉／氷ノ山後山那岐山". National Parks Association of Japan. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
External links
Media related to Yazu, Tottori at Wikimedia Commons- Yazu official website (in Japanese)
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