Nishigō, Fukushima

Nishigō (西郷村, Nishigō-mura) is a village located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 March 2020, the village had an estimated population of 20,351 in 7618 households and a population density of 110 persons per km². The total area of the village was 192.06 square kilometres (74.15 sq mi)..

Nishigō 西郷村
Village
Nishigō Village Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Nishigō in Fukushima Prefecture
Nishigō
Coordinates: 37°8′30.1″N 140°9′19.3″E
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Fukushima
District	Nishishirakawa
Area
• Total	192.06 km2 (74.15 sq mi)
Population  (March 2020)
• Total	20,351
• Density	110/km2 (270/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
City symbols
• Tree	Quercus dentata
• Flower	Lysichiton camtschatcensis, rhododendron
• Bird	Green pheasant
Phone number	0248-52-2111
Address	Kumakura Orikuchihara 40-banchi Nishigō-mura, Nishishirakawa-gun, Fukushima-ken 961-8091
Website	Official website

Kashi Onsen

Geography

Nishigō is located in the upper reaches of the Abukuma River valley in south-central Fukushima prefecture, bordered by Tochigi Prefecture to the south. It is about 185 km north of Tokyo.

• Mountains: Sanbonyaridake (1916.9m)
• Rivers: Abukuma River
• Lakes: Nishigō Dam, Akasaka Dam

Neighboring municipalities

• Fukushima Prefecture
  • Shimogō
  • Shirakawa
  • Ten'ei
• Tochigi Prefecture
  • Nasu
  • Nasushiobara

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Nishigō has increased over the past 50 years.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1920	6,500	—
1930	7,059	+8.6%
1940	7,523	+6.6%
1950	11,438	+52.0%
1960	11,373	−0.6%
1970	10,454	−8.1%
1980	12,744	+21.9%
1990	16,194	+27.1%
2000	18,642	+15.1%
2010	19,767	+6.0%
2020	20,808	+5.3%

Climate

Nishigō has a humid climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Nishigō is 10.0 °C (50.0 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,438 mm (56.6 in) with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.4 °C (77.7 °F), and lowest in January, at around 0.9 °C (33.6 °F).

History

The area of present-day Nishigō was part of ancient Mutsu Province. The area was part of the holdings of Shirakawa Domain during the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, it was organized as part of Nishishirakawa District in the Nakadōri region of Iwaki Province. Nishigō Village was formed on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system.

Economy

Nishigō has a mixed economy of agriculture and light/precision manufacturing, and is also a bedroom community with many people using the Tohoku Shinkansen to Tokyo, which is 90 minutes away.

Education

Nishigō has five public elementary schools and three public middle schools operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school; however, the Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education does operate one special education school.

• Middle schools
  • Kawatani Middle School
  • Nishigō First Middle School
  • Nishigō Second Middle School

• Elementary schools
  • Habuto Elementary School
  • Kawatani Elementary School
  • Kumakura Elementary School
  • Odakura Elementary School
  • Yone Elementary School

Transportation

Railway

JR East – Tōhoku Shinkansen

• Shin-Shirakawa

JR East – Tōhoku Main Line

• Shin-Shirakawa

Highway

• Tōhoku Expressway – Shirakawa Interchange
• National Route 4
• National Route 289

Notable people from Nishigō

• Fumihiro Suzuki, professional baseball player
• Toshiyuki Yanuki, professional baseball player

External links

• Media related to Nishigō, Fukushima at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website (in Japanese)