Yoshikawa 吉川市 | |
|---|---|
) Yoshikawa City office | |
) Flag ) Seal | |
) Location of Yoshikawa in Saitama Prefecture | |
)  Yoshikawa Location of Yoshikawa in Saitama Prefecture | |
| Coordinates: 35°53′37.9″N 139°50′29.1″E / 35.893861°N 139.841417°E | |
| Country |  Japan |
| Region | Kantō |
| Prefecture |  Saitama |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Shigeto Nakahara |
| Area | |
| • Total | 31.7 km2 (12.2 sq mi) |
| Population (February 1, 2021) | |
| • Total | 73,262 |
| • Density | 2,300/km2 (6,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| Postal code | 342-8501 |
| Symbols | |
| • Tree | Osmanthus fragrans |
| • Flower | Rhododendron indicum Rhododendron |
| Phone number | 048-982-5111 |
| Address | 1-1 Kiyomino, Yoshikawa-shi, Saitama-ken |
| Website | Official website |
Yoshikawa (吉川市, Yoshikawa-shi) is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 February 2021, the city had an estimated population of 73,262 in 31,031 households and a population density of 2300 persons per km².[1] The total area of the city is 31.66 square kilometres (12.22 sq mi).
Geography
Located in far southeastern Saitama Prefecture, Yoshikawa is on the central reaches of the Edo River and the Naka River, and is approximately 20 kilometers from downtown Tokyo.
Surrounding municipalities
- Koshigaya
- Sōka
- Misato
- Matsubushi
Climate
Yoshikawa has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Yoshikawa is 14.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1408 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.1 °C.[2]
Demographics
Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Yoshikawa has increased rapidly from the 1970s.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 12,021 | — |
| 1930 | 12,348 | +2.7% |
| 1940 | 13,084 | +6.0% |
| 1950 | 16,015 | +22.4% |
| 1960 | 16,300 | +1.8% |
| 1970 | 18,524 | +13.6% |
| 1980 | 38,894 | +110.0% |
| 1990 | 48,935 | +25.8% |
| 2000 | 56,673 | +15.8% |
| 2010 | 65,297 | +15.2% |
History
The area of Yoshikawa was tenryō territory within Shimōsa Province during the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. In 1871, it was transferred to the new Saitama Prefecture. The village of Yoshikawa was created within Kitakatsushika District, Saitama with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was raised to town status on November 1, 1915. On March 1, 1955, Yoshikawa annexed the neighboring villages of Asahi and Miwanoe. The population began to rapidly increase in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Yoshikawa was elevated to city status on April 1, 1996.
Government
Yoshikawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 20 members. Yoshikawa contributes one member to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Saitama 14th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy
Due to this location, Yoshikawa is primarily a bedroom community with over 19% of its population commuting to the Tokyo metropolis for work. The area was historically known for its production of catfish.
Education
Yoshikawa has eight public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Saitama Prefectural Board of Education. I
Transportation
Railway
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JR East – Musashino line
- Yoshikawa - Yoshikawa-Minami
Highway
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Jōban Expressway
National Route 4
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Twin towns and sister cities
Yoshikawa is twinned with:
Lake Oswego, Oregon, United States, since May 26, 1996
Ichinoseki Iwate, Japan since April 15, 1997
Noted people from Yoshikawa
- Yuji Nakazawa, professional soccer player
- Akira Hokuto, professional wrestler
References
- ^ "Yoshikawa city official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
- ^ Yoshikawa climate data
- ^ Yoshikawa population statistics
External links
- Official Website (in Japanese)