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Kawanehon

Coordinates: 35°2′49″N 138°4′53.9″E / 35.04694°N 138.081639°E / 35.04694; 138.081639
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Kawanehon
川根本町
Ōigawa Railway in Kawanehon Town
Ōigawa Railway in Kawanehon Town
Flag of Kawanehon
Official seal of Kawanehon
Location of Kawanehon in Shizuoka Prefecture
Location of Kawanehon in Shizuoka Prefecture
Kawanehon is located in Japan
Kawanehon
Kawanehon
 
Coordinates: 35°2′49″N 138°4′53.9″E / 35.04694°N 138.081639°E / 35.04694; 138.081639
CountryJapan
RegionChūbu
Tōkai
PrefectureShizuoka
DistrictHaibara
Area
 • Total496.88 km2 (191.85 sq mi)
Population
 (August 2019)
 • Total6,731
 • Density14/km2 (35/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number547-56-1117
Address627 Kaminagao, Kawanehon-chō, Haibara-gun, Shizuoka-ken 428-0313
ClimateCfa
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
FlowerRhododendron quinquefolium
TreeJapanese beech
Kawanehon Town Hall

Kawanehon (川根本町, Kawanehon-chō) is a town located in Haibara District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 August 2019, the town had an estimated population of 6,731 in 2895 households [1] and a population density of 13.4 persons per km². The total area of the town was 496.88 square kilometres (191.85 sq mi).

Geography

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Kawanehon is located in north-central Shizuoka, along the upper reaches of the Ōi River, with approximately 90% of the town area covered in forest and mountains. It is bordered to the north by the Japanese Alps, with peaks ranging to 2400 meters. Forests range from Siebold's Beech at lower elevations to Siberian Dwarf Pine at higher altitudes, and wildlife include wild boar and kamoshika. The area enjoys a temperate maritime climate with hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters.

Surrounding municipalities

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Shizuoka Prefecture

Nagano Prefecture

Climate

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The town has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Kawanehon is 14.0 °C (57.2 °F). The average annual rainfall is 3,103.4 mm (122.18 in) with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.2 °C (77.4 °F), and lowest in January, at around 3.0 °C (37.4 °F).[2]

Climate data for Kawanehon (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 19.3
(66.7)
24.8
(76.6)
26.5
(79.7)
30.3
(86.5)
33.2
(91.8)
37.5
(99.5)
38.7
(101.7)
39.6
(103.3)
37.3
(99.1)
32.1
(89.8)
26.3
(79.3)
21.6
(70.9)
39.6
(103.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 10.1
(50.2)
11.2
(52.2)
14.4
(57.9)
19.4
(66.9)
23.8
(74.8)
26.3
(79.3)
30.2
(86.4)
31.4
(88.5)
27.7
(81.9)
22.5
(72.5)
17.3
(63.1)
12.2
(54.0)
20.5
(69.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.0
(37.4)
4.2
(39.6)
7.6
(45.7)
12.6
(54.7)
17.1
(62.8)
20.6
(69.1)
24.4
(75.9)
25.2
(77.4)
21.9
(71.4)
16.4
(61.5)
10.4
(50.7)
5.1
(41.2)
14.0
(57.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −2.6
(27.3)
−1.9
(28.6)
1.6
(34.9)
6.6
(43.9)
11.4
(52.5)
16.2
(61.2)
20.3
(68.5)
21.0
(69.8)
17.9
(64.2)
11.9
(53.4)
5.3
(41.5)
−0.3
(31.5)
9.0
(48.1)
Record low °C (°F) −10.6
(12.9)
−10.5
(13.1)
−8.0
(17.6)
−3.5
(25.7)
1.3
(34.3)
7.8
(46.0)
12.9
(55.2)
14.5
(58.1)
8.3
(46.9)
0.6
(33.1)
−3.6
(25.5)
−9.5
(14.9)
−10.6
(12.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 97.7
(3.85)
134.8
(5.31)
247.0
(9.72)
260.3
(10.25)
267.6
(10.54)
336.7
(13.26)
431.1
(16.97)
328.3
(12.93)
439.5
(17.30)
292.4
(11.51)
169.8
(6.69)
100.7
(3.96)
3,103.4
(122.18)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 5.8 6.5 10.5 10.9 11.4 13.9 14.2 13.0 13.3 11.5 7.8 6.5 125.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours 193.0 179.6 187.7 185.8 177.5 119.1 142.4 171.1 131.1 152.0 168.0 185.4 1,993.9
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[3][2]

Demographics

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Per Japanese census data,[4] the population of Kawanehon has declined by roughly two-thirds over the past 80 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1940 18,767—    
1950 18,610−0.8%
1960 18,511−0.5%
1970 15,205−17.9%
1980 12,776−16.0%
1990 11,126−12.9%
2000 9,785−12.1%
2010 8,074−17.5%
2020 6,206−23.1%

History

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Kawanehon is on the border between the former provinces of Suruga and Tōtōmi, and was mostly tenryō territory under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate in the Edo period. With the establishment of the modern municipalities system in the early Meiji period in 1889, the area was reorganized into numerous villages within both Haibara and Shida Districts within Shizuoka Prefecture. Kawanehon was formed on September 20, 2005 by the merger of the former towns of Nakakawane and Honkawane, both from Haibara District.

Economy

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The economy of Kawanehon is dominated by forestry and the production of green tea, with tourism on the Ōigawa Railway and to hot spring resorts also playing a role.

Education

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  • Kawanehon has four public elementary schools and two public middle schools operated by the town government. The town has one public high school operated by the Shizuoka Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

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Railway

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Highway

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Local attractions

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References

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  1. ^ Kawanehon Town official statistics (in Japanese)
  2. ^ a b 気象庁 / 平年値(年・月ごとの値). JMA. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  3. ^ 観測史上1~10位の値(年間を通じての値). JMA. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  4. ^ Kawanehon population statistics
  5. ^ "100 Soundscapes of Japan". Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
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Media related to Kawanehon, Shizuoka at Wikimedia Commons