:Mimasaka, Okayama

Mimasaka is located in northeast Okayama. Most of the city limits are hills and forests. The prefectural border is at the Chugoku Mountains, and there is Mount Ushiro (1344 meters), the highest peak in the prefecture is within the city limits. Parts of the city are considered to be heavy snowfall areas.

Hyōgo Prefecture

• Sayō
• Shisō

Okayama Prefecture

• Bizen
• Misaki
• Shōō
• Nagi
• Nishiawakura
• Wake

Tottori Prefecture

• Chizu

Mimasaka has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Mimasaka is {{convert|13.3|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|1620.4|mm}} with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around {{convert|25.6|C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{convert|1.6|C}}. The highest temperature ever recorded in Mimasaka was {{cvt|38.5|C}} on 7 August 1994; the coldest temperature ever recorded was {{cvt|-13.6|C}} on 28 February 1981.

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|single line = Y

|metric first = Y

|location = Mimasaka (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present)

|Jan record high C = 15.5

|Feb record high C = 20.6

|Mar record high C = 24.6

|Apr record high C = 29.7

|May record high C = 32.0

|Jun record high C = 34.8

|Jul record high C = 36.8

|Aug record high C = 38.5

|Sep record high C = 35.8

|Oct record high C = 30.5

|Nov record high C = 24.3

|Dec record high C = 18.2

|Jan record low C = -11.1

|Feb record low C = -13.6

|Mar record low C = -7.9

|Apr record low C = -4.4

|May record low C = 0.0

|Jun record low C = 5.1

|Jul record low C = 11.4

|Aug record low C = 12.9

|Sep record low C = 4.9

|Oct record low C = -0.8

|Nov record low C = -4.2

|Dec record low C = -11.6

|Jan high C = 6.6

|Feb high C = 7.8

|Mar high C = 12.1

|Apr high C = 18.4

|May high C = 23.4

|Jun high C = 26.3

|Jul high C = 29.9

|Aug high C = 31.4

|Sep high C = 27.1

|Oct high C = 21.4

|Nov high C = 15.2

|Dec high C = 9.1

|Jan mean C = 1.6

|Feb mean C = 2.4

|Mar mean C = 6.0

|Apr mean C = 11.6

|May mean C = 16.8

|Jun mean C = 20.8

|Jul mean C = 24.7

|Aug mean C = 25.6

|Sep mean C = 21.4

|Oct mean C = 15.2

|Nov mean C = 9.1

|Dec mean C = 3.8

|Jan low C = -2.4

|Feb low C = -2.1

|Mar low C = 0.5

|Apr low C = 5.1

|May low C = 10.6

|Jun low C = 16.1

|Jul low C = 20.7

|Aug low C = 21.2

|Sep low C = 16.9

|Oct low C = 10.0

|Nov low C = 4.1

|Dec low C = -0.5

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 73.8

|Feb precipitation mm = 81.4

|Mar precipitation mm = 116.5

|Apr precipitation mm = 126.9

|May precipitation mm = 164.7

|Jun precipitation mm = 193.6

|Jul precipitation mm = 252.7

|Aug precipitation mm = 163.5

|Sep precipitation mm = 192.2

|Oct precipitation mm = 109.2

|Nov precipitation mm = 70.0

|Dec precipitation mm = 75.9

|year precipitation mm = 1620.4

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 11.2

|Feb precipitation days = 11.8

|Mar precipitation days = 11.9

|Apr precipitation days = 10.4

|May precipitation days = 10.7

|Jun precipitation days = 12.4

|Jul precipitation days = 12.9

|Aug precipitation days = 10.2

|Sep precipitation days = 10.4

|Oct precipitation days = 8.5

|Nov precipitation days = 8.0

|Dec precipitation days = 9.6

|Jan snow cm = 40

|Feb snow cm = 35

|Mar snow cm = 4

|Apr snow cm = 0

|May snow cm = 0

|Jun snow cm = 0

|Jul snow cm = 0

|Aug snow cm = 0

|Sep snow cm = 0

|Oct snow cm = 0

|Nov snow cm = 0

|Dec snow cm = 19

|year snow cm = 97

|unit snow days = 3 cm

|Jan snow days = 4.3

|Feb snow days = 3.2

|Mar snow days = 0.6

|Apr snow days = 0

|May snow days = 0

|Jun snow days = 0

|Jul snow days = 0

|Aug snow days = 0

|Sep snow days = 0

|Oct snow days = 0

|Nov snow days = 0

|Dec snow days = 1.7

|Jan sun = 107.8

|Feb sun = 117.2

|Mar sun = 156.0

|Apr sun = 193.8

|May sun = 204.9

|Jun sun = 149.4

|Jul sun = 150.6

|Aug sun = 188.0

|Sep sun = 150.7

|Oct sun = 160.1

|Nov sun = 134.5

|Dec sun = 121.5

|year sun = 1832.9

|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=66&block_no=0655&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = May 9, 2022}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=66&block_no=0655&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = May 9, 2022}}}}

Per Japanese census data, the population of Mimasaka in 2020 is 25,939 people. Mimasaka has been conducting censuses since 1920.

{{Historical populations

| 1920 | 48439

| 1925 | 48519

| 1930 | 48222

| 1935 | 47435

| 1940 | 46164

| 1945 | 59880

| 1950 | 60755

| 1955 | 57761

| 1960 | 52598

| 1965 | 45973

| 1970 | 40731

| 1975 | 38793

| 1980 | 38430

| 1985 | 38309

| 1990 | 36942

| 1995 | 36140

| 2000 | 34577

| 2005 | 32479

| 2010 | 30504

| 2015 | 27977

| 2020 | 25939

|align = none

|cols=1

|footnote = Mimasaka population statistics[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/japan/okayama/ Mimasaka population statistics]

}}

The area of Mimasaka is part of ancient Mimasaka Province, from which it takes its name. The Hayashino district, which is the center of the city, has long been an important transportation hub, and since the Sengoku period, goods have been transported by boats crossing the Yoshii River. In the Edo period, the Mori clan, who were the first daimyō of Tsuyama Domain, gave local merchants the same level of authority as merchants in the castle town of Tsuyama, making it the center of eastern Mimasaka. Afterwards, it came under the direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate and a magistrate's office was established. The famed samurai Miyamoto Musashi was born in what is now part of the city.

The modern city of Mimasaka was founded on March 31, 2005, by the merger of the former town of Mimasaka, absorbing the towns of Aida, Ōhara and Sakutō, the village Higashiawakura (all from Aida District), and the town of Katsuta (from Katsuta District).

Mimasaka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members. Mimasaka, collectively with the village of Nishiawakura, contributes one member 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.

Mimasaka has a mixed economy based on manufacturing, wholesale and retail commerce, agriculture, forestry, and tourism (hot springs).

Mimasaka has nine public elementary schools and five public junior high school operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Okayama prefectural Board of Education.

File:JR logo (west).svg JR West (JR West) - Kishin Line

• {{STN|Mimasaka-Doi|x}} - {{STN|Mimasaka-Emi|x}} - {{STN| Narahara|x}} - {{STN| Hayashino|x}}

44px Chizu Express - Chizu Line

• {{STN|Miyamoto Musashi|x}} - {{STN| Ōhara|x|Okayama}}

• File:JP Expressway E2A.svg Chūgoku Expressway
• File:JP Expressway E29.svg Tottori Expressway
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|179}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|373}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|374}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|429}}

• Former Ōhara town
• {{flagicon|Japan}} Echizen (Former Imadate town), Fukui, Japan — Sister city agreement concluded in 1990
• {{flagicon|Japan}} Neyagawa, Osaka, Japan — Friendship city agreement concluded in 1991
• {{flagicon|France}} Gleizé, France - Sister city agreement concluded on March 4, 1999
• Former Sakutō town
• {{flagicon|France}} Saint-Valentin, France — Sister city agreement concluded on April 6, 1988
• {{flagicon|Austria}} Sankt Valentin, Austria — Sister city agreement concluded on October 25, 1994
• {{flagicon|Canada}} Saint-Valentin, Canada — Sister city agreement concluded on October 24, 1997

• {{ill|Chōfuku-ji|lt=Chōfuku-ji Temple|ja|長福寺 (美作市)}}
• Japan museum of contemporary toy & Hall of music box
• Miyamoto Musashi Budokan
• Ōhara-shuku (Shukuba)
• Okayama International Circuit
• Valentine Park Sakutō
• Village of Miyamoto Musashi
• Yunogo Onsen

File:Musashi budokan02s2640.jpg|Miyamoto Musashi Budokan

File:Gorinbo07bs3200.jpg|Village of Miyamoto Musashi

File:Ohara-juku01s3200.jpg|Ōhara-shuku

File:Makisan Chofukuji 01.JPG|alt=|{{ill|Chōfuku-ji|lt=Chōfuku-ji Temple|ja|長福寺 (美作市)}}

• Tomoji Abe, author
• Atsuko Asano, author
• Miyamoto Musashi, noted samurai in the Edo Period
• Doshin So, founder of Shorinji Kempo

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.city.mimasaka.lg.jp Mimasaka City official website] {{in lang|ja}}
• [http://www.mimasaka.fr/ 美作国, Dojo Miyamoto Musashi Gleizé] {{in lang|fr}}

{{Okayama}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Okayama Prefecture

Category:Mimasaka, Okayama