Sōja

Sōja (総社市, Sōja-shi) is a city located in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 March 2023, the city had an estimated population of 69,428 and a population density of 330 persons per km².[1] The total area of the city is 211.90 square kilometres (81.82 sq mi).

Sōja
総社市
Sōja City Hall
Sōja City Hall
Flag of Sōja
Official seal of Sōja
Location of Sōja in Okayama Prefecture
Location of Sōja
Sōja is located in Japan
Sōja
Sōja
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 34°40′22″N 133°44′47″E
CountryJapan
RegionChūgoku (San'yō)
PrefectureOkayama
Government
  MayorSoichi Kataoka (since October 2007)
Area
  Total211.90 km2 (81.82 sq mi)
Population
 (March 31, 2023)
  Total69,428
  Density330/km2 (850/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address1-1-1 Chuo, Sōja-shi, Okayama-ken 719-1192
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
BirdCrane
FlowerAstragalus
TreeMaple Leaf
Bitchū Kokubun-ji

Geography

Sōja is located ancestral Okayama Prefecture. The Takahashi River runs through the city from northwest to south. The northern and western parts are located in the southern part of the Kibi plateau, and the southern part also forms a hilly area. The central area, which is the urban area, originally formed a small basin in the floodplain of the Takahashi River.

Adjacent municipalities

Okayama Prefecture

Rivers

Mountains

Climate

Sōja has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with very warm summers and cool winters. The average annual temperature in Sōja is 14.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1392 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around 26.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.5 °C.[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Sōja has been increasing for the past 50 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 38,074    
1930 38,148+0.2%
1940 38,119−0.1%
1950 49,227+29.1%
1960 47,564−3.4%
1970 48,444+1.9%
1980 56,865+17.4%
1990 61,459+8.1%
2000 66,201+7.7%
2010 66,216+0.0%

History

The Sōja area is part of ancient Bitchū Province and was the center of the ancient Kingdom of Kibi. The Tsukuriyama Kofun, the 10th largest burial mound in Japan, and the mountain-fortress of Ki Castle are among the many surviving relics of that period. During the Nara period, the Bitchū Kokubun-ji and provincial capital were located in what is now Sōja. The area prospered in the Muromachi period onwards as a "temple town" at the gates of the Bitchū-no-kuni Sōja-gū from which it derives its name.

Following the Meiji restoration, the village of Sōja was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889 and was raised to town status on February 26, 1896. Sōja was elevated to city status on March 31, 1954. On March 22, 2005, the villages of Yamate and Kiyone (both from Tsukubo District) were merged into Sōja.

Government

Sōja has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 22 members. Sōja contributes two members to the Okayama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Okayama 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Sōja has a mixed economy. Production of automobile parts dominates the local industry, although food processing is also important. The city also has a strong agricultural sector.

Education

Sōja has 15 public elementary schools and four public junior high schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Okayama prefectural Board of Education. Okayama Prefectural University is also located in Sōja.

Transportation

Railway

JR West (JR West) - Hakubi Line

JR West (JR West) - Kibi Line

Ibara Railway Company Ibara Line

Highways

Sister cities

Sōja has been twinned with Chino, Nagano in Japan since 1984.[4]

Local attractions

References

  1. "Sōja city official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. Sōja climate data
  3. Sōja population statistics
  4. 総社市について [Regarding the City of Sōja] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 3 August 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
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