Shiroishi
白石市
Shiroishi montage, Top: Zao Mount Range and Shiroishi River, Middle left: Shiroishi Castle, Middle upper right: Kamasaka Spa, Middle lower right: Yajiro Kokeshi, Bottom left: Shiroishi Hot Noodle (Umen), Bottom right: Mausoleum of the Katakura Clan.
Shiroishi montage, Top: Zao Mount Range and Shiroishi River, Middle left: Shiroishi Castle, Middle upper right: Kamasaka Spa, Middle lower right: Yajiro Kokeshi, Bottom left: Shiroishi Hot Noodle (Umen), Bottom right: Mausoleum of the Katakura Clan.
Flag of Shiroishi
Official logo of Shiroishi
Location of Shiroishi in Miyagi Prefecture
Location of Shiroishi in Miyagi Prefecture
Shiroishi is located in Japan
Shiroishi
Shiroishi
 
Coordinates: 38°0′8.89″N 140°37′10.81″E / 38.0024694°N 140.6196694°E / 38.0024694; 140.6196694
CountryJapan
RegionTōhoku
PrefectureMiyagi
First official recorded721 AD
City SettledApril 1, 1954
Government
  -MayorYūichi Yamada
Area
  Total286.48 km2 (110.61 sq mi)
Population
 (May 31, 2020)
  Total33,330
  Density120/km2 (300/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number0224-25-2111
Address1-1 Ōtemachi, Shiroishi-shi, Miyagi-ken 989-0292
ClimateCfa
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
BirdJapanese bush-warbler
FlowerKerria
TreeJapanese beech
Shiroishi City Hall

Shiroishi (白石市, Shiroishi-shi) is a city in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 May 2020, the city had an estimated population of 33,330 and a population density of 120 persons per km2 in 14,242 households.[1] The total area of the city is 286.48 square kilometres (110.61 sq mi).

Geography

Shiroishi is in southern Miyagi Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan, bordered by Fukushima Prefecture to the south. The southern peak of Mount Zaō is within the city borders.

Panorama view of Shiroishi

Neighboring municipalities

Miyagi Prefecture

Fukushima Prefecture

Climate

Shiroishi has a humid climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Shiroishi is 12.1 °C (53.8 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,327.2 mm (52.25 in) with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.7 °C (74.7 °F), and lowest in January, at around 1.2 °C (34.2 °F).[2]

Climate data for Shiroishi (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 16.3
(61.3)
20.6
(69.1)
23.4
(74.1)
30.1
(86.2)
33.0
(91.4)
34.6
(94.3)
36.9
(98.4)
36.7
(98.1)
35.2
(95.4)
30.3
(86.5)
24.5
(76.1)
19.5
(67.1)
36.9
(98.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 5.2
(41.4)
6.2
(43.2)
9.9
(49.8)
16.0
(60.8)
21.0
(69.8)
23.6
(74.5)
26.8
(80.2)
28.3
(82.9)
24.8
(76.6)
19.7
(67.5)
14.0
(57.2)
8.1
(46.6)
17.0
(62.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 1.2
(34.2)
1.7
(35.1)
4.7
(40.5)
10.2
(50.4)
15.5
(59.9)
19.0
(66.2)
22.5
(72.5)
23.7
(74.7)
20.1
(68.2)
14.5
(58.1)
8.6
(47.5)
3.6
(38.5)
12.1
(53.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −2.7
(27.1)
−2.6
(27.3)
−0.3
(31.5)
4.6
(40.3)
10.5
(50.9)
15.0
(59.0)
19.1
(66.4)
20.2
(68.4)
16.2
(61.2)
9.9
(49.8)
3.6
(38.5)
−0.7
(30.7)
7.7
(45.9)
Record low °C (°F) −11.2
(11.8)
−11.6
(11.1)
−8.0
(17.6)
−5.0
(23.0)
1.7
(35.1)
6.3
(43.3)
10.4
(50.7)
11.2
(52.2)
6.0
(42.8)
−0.8
(30.6)
−5.2
(22.6)
−11.6
(11.1)
−11.6
(11.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 50.8
(2.00)
36.6
(1.44)
71.0
(2.80)
96.0
(3.78)
99.3
(3.91)
146.6
(5.77)
188.2
(7.41)
186.0
(7.32)
197.0
(7.76)
146.1
(5.75)
59.7
(2.35)
50.2
(1.98)
1,327.2
(52.25)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 43
(17)
33
(13)
16
(6.3)
1
(0.4)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
15
(5.9)
109
(43)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 7.8 6.5 8.9 8.4 9.3 12.2 14.4 12.4 12.7 9.3 7.4 8.7 118
Average snowy days (≥ 3 cm) 5.3 4.0 1.7 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.1 13.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours 142.6 154.7 178.6 193.6 195.2 142.6 123.3 140.6 121.9 141.7 146.8 135.3 1,818.6
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[3][2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[4] the population of Shiroishi peaked around the year 1990 and has declined since.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 31,285    
1930 34,051+8.8%
1940 34,796+2.2%
1950 44,871+29.0%
1960 43,911−2.1%
1970 40,886−6.9%
1980 41,725+2.1%
1990 42,262+1.3%
2000 40,793−3.5%
2010 37,422−8.3%
2020 32,758−12.5%

History

The area of present-day Shiroishi was part of ancient Mutsu Province and was under control of the Date clan of Sendai Domain during the Edo period, under the Tokugawa shogunate. During the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration, Shiroishi Castle was the site of a battle between the pro-imperial and pro-Tokugawa forces of the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei. After the end of the Boshin War, the Nambu clan of Morioka Domain was briefly relocated to a reduced domain centered on Shiroishi by the Meiji government.

The town of Shiroishi was established on June 1, 1889 with the establishment of the post-Meiji restoration modern municipalities system. The villages of Odaira, Otakasawa, Kosugo, Saikawa, Shirakawa and Fukuoka merged with Shiroishi on April 1, 1954, which was then raised to city status. The village of Obara was annexed to Shiroishi on March 31, 1957.[5]

Government

Shiroishi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members.[6] Shiroishi, collectively with the towns of Zaō and Shichikashuku, contributes two seats to the Miyagi Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Miyagi 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Shiroishi has a mixed economy, dominated by light manufacturing of electronics, automotive components and food processing. Agriculture is dominated by rice cultivation on the flatlands and horticulture in more hilly areas.

Education

Shiroishi has nine public elementary schools and five public junior high schools operated by the city government and two public high schools operated by the Miyagi Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates two special education schools.

Transportation

Railway

East Japan Railway Company (JR East) - Tōhoku Shinkansen

East Japan Railway Company (JR East) - Tōhoku Main Line

Highways

Local attractions

Sister city relations

Noted people from Shiroishi

References

  1. Shiroish city official statistics (in Japanese)
  2. 1 2 気象庁 / 平年値(年・月ごとの値). JMA. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  3. 観測史上1~10位の値(年間を通じての値). JMA. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  4. Shiroishi population statistics
  5. Shiroishi home page
  6. Shioishi City Council home page(in Japanese)
  7. "Cultural attractions- shiroishi". Archived from the original on 2011-05-16. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  8. Yamamura, Takayoshi (2018). "Pop culture contents and historical heritage: case of heritage revitalization through 'contents tourism' in Shiroishi city". Contemporary Japan. 30 (2): 144–163. doi:10.1080/18692729.2018.1460049.
  9. "Zao Fox Village - Miyagi - Japan Travel".
  10. "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  11. "Sister cities− shiroishi". Archived from the original on 2013-02-08. Retrieved 2014-08-21. Shiroishi home page
  12. "Sister cities− shiroishi". Archived from the original on 2013-02-08. Retrieved 2014-08-21. Shiroishi home page
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