en Nakagawa, Tochigi

Nakagawa

那珂川町
Nakagawa 那珂川町
Town
	NakagawaTown Office - Ogawa Branch
	Flag Seal
	Location of Nakagawa in Tochigi Prefecture
	Nakagawa
	Coordinates: 36°44′17.5″N 140°10′17.4″E / 36.738194°N 140.171500°E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Tochigi Prefecture
District	Nasu
Area
• Total	192.78 km2 (74.43 sq mi)
Population (August 2020)
• Total	15,824
• Density	82/km2 (210/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Pine
- Flower	Katakuri
- Bird	Japanese bush warbler
Phone number	0287-92-1111
Address	Bato 409, Nakagawa-machi, Nasu-gun, Tochigi-ken 324-0692
Website	Official website

Nakagawa (那珂川町, Nakagawa-machi) is a town located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 August 2020^[update], the town had an estimated population of 15,824 in 6,028 households,^[1] and a population density of 82 persons per km². Its total area of the town is 192.79 square kilometres (74.44 sq mi). On October 4, 2013, a portion of the town was designated one of The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan.

Geography

Nakagawa is located in northeast Tochigi Prefecture.

Surrounding municipalities

Ibaraki Prefecture

Tochigi Prefecture

Climate

Nakagawa has a humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nakagawa is 12.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1418 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.6 °C.^[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[3] the population of Nakagawa has declined over the past 60 years.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1960	29,256	—
1970	24,138	−17.5%
1980	22,704	−5.9%
1990	22,383	−1.4%
2000	20,999	−6.2%
2010	18,460	−12.1%
2020	15,215	−17.6%

History

The town of Batō was created within Nasu District, Tochigi on May 29, 1891, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. Nakagawa was created on October 1, 2005, from the merger of Batō with the neighboring town of Ogawa.

Government

Nakagawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 13 members. Nakagawa, together with the city of Nasukarasuyama collectively contributes one member to the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Tochigi 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Nakagawa is heavily dependent on agriculture.

Education

Nakagawa has three public primary schools and public two middle schools operated by the town government. The town has one public high school operated by the Tochigi Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

Nakagawa does not have any passenger railway service.

Highway

Local attractions

Bato onsen
Karanogosho Cave Tombs, National Historic Site
Nakagawa-machi Batō Hiroshige Museum of Art
Nasu Kanda Castle ruins, National Historic Site
Nasu Kanga ruins, National Historic Site
Nasu Ogawa Kofun Cluster, National Historic Site

International relations

Horseheads, New York, United States, since 1990^[4]

References

^ "Nakagawa Town official home page" (in Japanese). Japan.
^ Nakagawa climate data
^ Nakagawa population statistics
^ Batō (whose name can be translated as “horsehead) was the sister city of Horseheads, New York. After it merged with Ogawa, Nakagawa continued sending delegates.

External links

Media related to Nakagawa, Tochigi at Wikimedia Commons
Official Website (in Japanese)

[Nakagawa-hp-1] "Nakagawa Town official home page" (in Japanese). Japan.

[2] Nakagawa climate data

[3] Nakagawa population statistics

[4] Batō (whose name can be translated as “horsehead) was the sister city of Horseheads, New York. After it merged with Ogawa, Nakagawa continued sending delegates.

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