Kagamino (鏡野町, Kagamino-chō) is a town located in Tomata District, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 January 2023, the town had an estimated population of 12,425 in 5633 households and a population density of 30 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the town is 419.68 square kilometres (162.04 sq mi).

Kagamino
鏡野町
Okutsu Onsen in Kagamino
Okutsu Onsen in Kagamino
Flag of Kagamino
Official seal of Kagamino
Map
Location of Kagamino in Okayama Prefecture
Location of Kagamino
Kagamino is located in Japan
Kagamino
Kagamino
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 35°05′31″N 133°55′59″E / 35.09194°N 133.93306°E / 35.09194; 133.93306
CountryJapan
RegionChūgoku
San'yō
PrefectureOkayama
DistrictTomata
Area
 • Total
419.68 km2 (162.04 sq mi)
Population
 (January 31, 2023)
 • Total
12,425
 • Density30/km2 (77/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address660 Takeda, Kagamino-cho, Tomata-gun, Okayama-ken 708-0392
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
BirdCrested kingfisher
ButterflyByasa alcinous, Luehdorfia japonica
FlowerGentiana scabra, Sakura
TreeFagaceae
Kagamino Town Hall

Geography

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Kagamino is located in north-central Okayama Prefecture. The Chugoku Mountains form its northern border with Tottori prefecture, with peaks of 1000 meters or more. The southern part of the town is located at the western edge of the Tsuyama Basin, and the Yoshii River flows through the center of the town from north to south.

Neighboring municipalities

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Okayama Prefecture

Tottori Prefecture

Climate

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Kagamino has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kagamino is 13.4 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1501 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around 25.3 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.7 °C.[2]

Demography

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Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Kagamino has been declining steadily since the 1950s.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 21,463—    
1930 21,925+2.2%
1940 20,984−4.3%
1950 26,126+24.5%
1960 23,836−8.8%
1970 18,280−23.3%
1980 17,493−4.3%
1990 16,500−5.7%
2000 15,091−8.5%
2010 13,575−10.0%

History

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The area of Kagamino was part of ancient Mimasaka Province.The town of Kagamino was established by the merger of the villages of Yoshino, Ono, Oda, Nakatani, Kagami-Minami and Kagami-kita on November 10, 1952.

On March 1, 2005, Kagamino absorbed the town of Okutsu, and the villages of Kamisaibara and Tomi, from the Tomata District.

Government

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Kagamino has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 14 members. Kagamino, collectively with the city of Tsuyama and the towns of Nagi and Shōō, contributes four members to the Okayama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Okayama 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

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The main industry in the area is agriculture and forestry. The Yamada Bee Farm Corporation, a noted honey producer, is headquartered in Kagamino.

Education

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

Transportation

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Railway

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Kagamino does not have any passenger rail service. The nearest train station is Innoshō Station on the JR West Kishin Line in the neighboring Tsuyama.

Highways

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Sister cities

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Kagamino is twinned with:

Local attractions

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  • Okutsu Onsen, hot spring resort

References

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  1. ^ "Kagamino town official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. ^ Kagamino climate data
  3. ^ Kagamino population statistics
  4. ^ "Association Suisse des Communes et Régions d'Europe". L'Association suisse pour le Conseil des Communes et Régions d'Europe (ASCCRE) (in French). Archived from the original on 2012-07-24. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
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