Shimogō, Fukushima

Shimogō (下郷町, Shimogō-machi) is a town located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 April 2020, the town had an estimated population of 5,517 in 2216 households[1] and a population density of 17 persons per km2. The total area of the town was 317.04 square kilometres (122.41 sq mi).

Shimogō
下郷町
Town
Ouchi-juku in Shimogō
Ouchi-juku in Shimogō
Flag of Shimogō
Flag
Official seal of Shimogō
Seal
Location of Shimogōin Fukushima Prefecture
Location of Shimogōin Fukushima Prefecture
Shimogō is located in Japan
Shimogō
Shimogō
 
Coordinates: 37°15′20.3″N 139°52′19.8″E
CountryJapan
RegionTōhoku
PrefectureFukushima
DistrictMinamiaizu
Area
 • Total317.04 km2 (122.41 sq mi)
Population
 (April 2020)
 • Total5,517
 • Density17/km2 (45/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols 
• TreeBetula pendula
• FlowerWisteria floribunda
• BirdJapanese bush-warbler
• FishIwana
Phone number0241-69-1122
Address1000 Ōaza Shiosei, Shimogō-machi, Fukushima-ken 969-5345
WebsiteOfficial website
Shimogō town hall

Geography
Snow covered Aga River, Shimogō

Shimogō is located in the mountainous southern portion of the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture, bordered Tochigi Prefecture to the south.

Neighboring municipalities

Climate

Shimogō has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Shimogō is 10.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1365 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around -2.2 °C.[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Shimogō peaked in the 1950s and has declined steadily over the past 60 years. It now raises less tax than it did a century ago.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 9,854—    
1930 11,681+18.5%
1940 12,304+5.3%
1950 14,644+19.0%
1960 14,234−2.8%
1970 11,077−22.2%
1980 10,025−9.5%
1990 8,537−14.8%
2000 7,579−11.2%
2010 6,464−14.7%
2020 5,264−18.6%

History

The area of present-day Shimogō was part of ancient Mutsu Province and formed part of the holdings of Aizu Domain during the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, it was organized as part of Minamiaizu District in Fukushima Prefecture. The village of Naraha was created with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1,1 889. It was raised to town status on November 20, 1946. Shimogō was established on April 1, 1955 by the merger of the town of Narahara with the neighboring villages of Ashida and Egawa.

Economy

The economy of Shimogō is based on agriculture and seasonal tourism.

Education

Shimogō has three public elementary schools and one public junior high school operated by the town government. The town does not have a public high school.

  • Shimogō City Shimogō Middle School
  • Shimogō City Narahara Elementary School
  • Shimogō City Asahida Elementary School
  • Shimogō City Egawa Elementary School

Transportation

Railway

Aizu Railway – Aizu Line

Highway

Local attractions
  • Tō-no-Hetsuri rock formations, a National Natural Monument
  • Ōuchi-juku, an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings
  • Shimotsuke Kaidō, a National Historic Site
  • Yunokami Onsen

References
  1. Shimogō official statistics(in Japanese)
  2. Shimogō climate data
  3. Shimogō population statistics

Media related to Shimogō, Fukushima at Wikimedia Commons

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