:Wajima, Ishikawa

Wajima occupies the northwestern coast of Noto Peninsula and is bordered by the Sea of Japan on the north and west. Parts of the city are within the borders of the Noto Hantō Quasi-National Park. The island of Hegurajima, located 47 kilometers from the north coast of Noto Peninsula is administratively part of the city of Wajima.

Ishikawa Prefecture:

• Anamizu
• Noto
• Shika
• Suzu

Wajima has a humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Wajima is {{convert|13.4|°C|°F}}. The average annual rainfall is {{convert|2300|mm|in|abbr=on}}; September is the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around {{convert|25.6|°C|°F}}, and lowest in January, at around {{convert|2.9|°C|°F}}.[https://en.climate-data.org/location/5538/ Wajima climate data]

{{Weather box

|width= auto

|collapsed = Y

|single line = Y

|metric first = Y

|location = Wajima (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1929−present)

|Jan record high C = 17.1

|Feb record high C = 22.8

|Mar record high C = 26.9

|Apr record high C = 29.0

|May record high C = 32.5

|Jun record high C = 34.2

|Jul record high C = 38.2

|Aug record high C = 37.5

|Sep record high C = 38.6

|Oct record high C = 31.6

|Nov record high C = 26.5

|Dec record high C = 21.5

|Jan record low C = -10.4

|Feb record low C = -10.2

|Mar record low C = -7.3

|Apr record low C = -4.0

|May record low C = 0.4

|Jun record low C = 7.1

|Jul record low C = 10.3

|Aug record low C = 13.0

|Sep record low C = 6.8

|Oct record low C = 1.5

|Nov record low C = -1.4

|Dec record low C = -6.5

|Jan high C = 6.4

|Feb high C = 7.0

|Mar high C = 10.5

|Apr high C = 16.0

|May high C = 20.9

|Jun high C = 24.0

|Jul high C = 28.2

|Aug high C = 30.1

|Sep high C = 26.3

|Oct high C = 21.0

|Nov high C = 15.1

|Dec high C = 9.4

|Jan mean C = 3.3

|Feb mean C = 3.4

|Mar mean C = 6.1

|Apr mean C = 11.1

|May mean C = 16.1

|Jun mean C = 20.0

|Jul mean C = 24.4

|Aug mean C = 25.9

|Sep mean C = 22.0

|Oct mean C = 16.3

|Nov mean C = 10.8

|Dec mean C = 5.9

|Jan low C = 0.4

|Feb low C = 0.0

|Mar low C = 1.7

|Apr low C = 6.0

|May low C = 11.4

|Jun low C = 16.3

|Jul low C = 21.2

|Aug low C = 22.2

|Sep low C = 18.1

|Oct low C = 11.9

|Nov low C = 6.7

|Dec low C = 2.5

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 219.2

|Feb precipitation mm = 139.6

|Mar precipitation mm = 138.6

|Apr precipitation mm = 121.6

|May precipitation mm = 115.6

|Jun precipitation mm = 155.8

|Jul precipitation mm = 199.6

|Aug precipitation mm = 176.8

|Sep precipitation mm = 214.5

|Oct precipitation mm = 171.1

|Nov precipitation mm = 231.5

|Dec precipitation mm = 278.4

|year precipitation mm = 2162.3

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 23.1

|Feb precipitation days = 17.8

|Mar precipitation days = 15.5

|Apr precipitation days = 10.9

|May precipitation days = 9.9

|Jun precipitation days = 9.7

|Jul precipitation days = 11.5

|Aug precipitation days = 9.4

|Sep precipitation days = 12.2

|Oct precipitation days = 12.8

|Nov precipitation days = 17.3

|Dec precipitation days = 22.3

|Jan snow cm = 54

|Feb snow cm = 42

|Mar snow cm = 8

|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 = 18

|year snow cm = 121

|unit snow days = 3 cm

|Jan snow days = 5.8

|Feb snow days = 4.8

|Mar snow days = 1.1

|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 = 2.6

|humidity colour= green

|Jan humidity = 74

|Feb humidity = 73

|Mar humidity = 70

|Apr humidity = 70

|May humidity = 72

|Jun humidity = 79

|Jul humidity = 81

|Aug humidity = 79

|Sep humidity = 79

|Oct humidity = 76

|Nov humidity = 75

|Dec humidity = 75

|Jan sun = 41.8

|Feb sun = 68.7

|Mar sun = 132.2

|Apr sun = 185.8

|May sun = 208.7

|Jun sun = 161.5

|Jul sun = 158.3

|Aug sun = 203.2

|Sep sun = 142.8

|Oct sun = 139.3

|Nov sun = 89.7

|Dec sun = 47.9

|year sun = 1580.1

|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_s.php?prec_no=56&block_no=47600&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 = March 6, 2022}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_sfc_ym.php?prec_no=56&block_no=47600&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = March 6, 2022}}}}

Per Japanese census data,[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-ishikawa.php Wajima population statistics] the population of Wajima has declined by roughly 50 percent over the past 50 years.

{{Historical populations

| 1970 | 48,220

| 1980 | 45,115

| 1990 | 40,309

| 2000 | 34,531

| 2010 | 29,858

| 2020 | 24,608

|align = none

| footnote =

}}

The area around Wajima was part of ancient Noto Province, and was a noted seaport for trade with the Asian continent. During the Sengoku Period (1467–1568), the area was contested between the Hatakeyama clan, Uesugi clan and Maeda clan, with the area becoming part of Kaga Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. It remained a noted seaport for the Kitamaebune coastal trade between Osaka and Hokkaido.

Following the Meiji restoration, the area was organised into Hōsu and Fugeshi districts. The town of Wajima was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was raised to city status on March 31, 1954 after merging with the neighbouring villages of Oya, Kawarada, Konosu, Nishiho, Mii, and Najimi. On February 1, 2006, the town of Monzen was merged into Wajima.

On March 25, 2007, the 2007 Noto earthquake caused one death, 279-356 injuries (26 of them seriously), and damage to property in Wajima and other parts of Ishikawa Prefecture. Around 6,056 houses were affected by the quake, 476 of them were completely destroyed.{{cite tech report| url=https://www.eeri.org/lfe/pdf/japan_noto_eeri_preliminary_report.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102040120/https://www.eeri.org/lfe/pdf/japan_noto_eeri_preliminary_report.pdf|archive-date=January 2, 2024|date=June 2007|url-status=live|series=EERI Special Earthquake Report|title=Noto Peninsula (Japan) Earthquake of March 25, 2007|institution=Earthquake Engineering Research Institute|access-date=January 5, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqev/data/higai/higai1996-new.html|script-title=ja:日本付近で発生した主な被害地震（平成８年以降）|title=Nihon fukin de hassei shita omona higai jishin (Heisei 8-nen ikō)|trans-title=Major damaging earthquakes that occurred near Japan (since 1996)|lang=ja|publisher=Japan Meteorological Agency|access-date=January 5, 2024}}

On January 1, 2024, the 2024 Noto earthquake struck the city, with a subsequent fire destroying many structures in the city centre.{{cite news|title=Powerful quake rocks Japan, nearly 100,000 residents ordered to evacuate|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/japan/magnitude-74-earthquake-strikes-japan-tsunami-warning-issued-2024-01-01/|date=January 1, 2024|access-date=January 5, 2024|last1=Kelly|first1=Tim|last2=Sugiyama|first2=Satoshi|last3=Murakami|first3=Sakura|url-access=limited|agency=Reuters}}

Wajima has a mayor-council form of government with a directly-elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 20 members.

Commercial fishing, tourism, agriculture and the production of lacquerware are mainstays of the local economy.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

Noto Airport is located there.

The city does not have any passenger railway service.

Highway {{jct|country=JPN|Route|249}} goes through this city.

The town is known in Japan for its lacquerware, called Wajima-nuri ({{langx|ja|輪島塗}}). There are artifacts showing lacquer was used to decorate and strengthen a shrine door from the 14th century. Wajima-nuri uses a technique that is unique to the area, mixing a finely powdered mineral.{{lang|ja|jinoko}}.{{Cite web|url=http://www.city.wajima.ishikawa.jp/art/home_e_u.htm|title=History and Culture of Wajima-Nuri:Wajima Museum of Urushi Art|website=www.city.wajima.ishikawa.jp|access-date=2018-04-23}}

Shiroyone Senmaida Rice Terraces "1000 Rice Fields" ({{langx|ja|千枚田|Senmaida}})) is one of the most scenic places in Ishikawa. There are actually 1004 fields which are either owned and tended by families, or rented out and looked after by the locals. Each year during the last week of September, the names of two couples are drawn as part of a nationwide lottery to have their wedding ceremony at Senmaida. The event is open to the public.

File:Wajima Shiroyone Senmaida Rice Terraces.jpg

As a memorial to the Noto earthquake, a tradition of lighting the fields began. Initially this was done with millions of candles placed around each field following the harvest. Due to the popularity of the spectacle, solar LED lanterns are now used allowing the fields to be lit nightly. The lanterns are installed at the end of September and are left up through March when work on the fields begins again. The fields remain lit for about four hours after sunset.[http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20151013p2a00m0na004000c.html Mainichi]

Wajima has a museum of {{lang|ja|kiriko}} ({{langx|ja|キリコ}}) lanterns.[http://www.inachu.jp/kiriko.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090525043715/http://www.inachu.jp/kiriko.htm|date=May 25, 2009}}

File:Wajima Taisai Kiriko.jpg

Every year from August 22 to 25, Wajima holds a four-day festival known as {{lang|ja|Wajima Taisai}} ({{langx|ja|輪島大祭}}). Huge ({{convert|10|m|ft|abbr=off}} tall) {{lang|ja|kiriko}} lanterns and smaller paper lanterns are carried through the streets along with portable shrines called {{lang|ja|omikoshi}}.

The Story of the Taisai (Great Festival) depicts the love story between two {{lang|ja|Kami}} (gods): the {{lang|ja|Kami}} of the forest (a half blind male deity) and the {{lang|ja|Kami}} of the seven islands (the female deity) that are just off the coast of Wajima. Once a year the people of Noto guide the male {{lang|ja|Kami}} from his forest home through the city, while stopping at every business, home, and shrine to give blessings to the people of Wajima, and eventually to meet his wife at the sea. To guide him they carry bright lights (the {{lang|ja|kiriko}}) and beat {{lang|ja|taiko}} (drums).

The main event takes place on the third night of the festival at midnight at Wajima Marine Park.[http://www.city.wajima.ishikawa.jp/kankou/taisai.html Wajima City] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090821181152/http://www.city.wajima.ishikawa.jp/kankou/taisai.html |date=August 21, 2009 }}

{{cleanup section|reason=grammar and usage|date=February 2022}}

{{nihongo|Gojinjo-daiko|御陣乗太鼓}} is a Japanese drumming style, which is elected as a Wajima City's cultural heritage (appointed in 1961) and an Ishikawa Prefecture's intangible cultural heritage (appointed in 1963), consisting a part of Noto, Ishikawa’s GIAHS (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems), which was appointed in 2011 as the first area in Japan by Food and Agriculture Organization.{{cite web|url= http://www.pref.ishikawa.jp/satoyama/noto-giahs/f-lang/english/gal_chiiki_wajima.html |title=Noto's Satoyama and Satoumi Gallary |publisher=Noto Regional GIAHS Executive Committee |access-date=2012-06-11}}{{cite web |url= http://www.pref.ishikawa.lg.jp/satoyama/giahs/index.html |title=GIAHS appointment |publisher= Ishikawa Prefecture |access-date=2012-06-11}}

Playing gojinjo-daiko is strictly restricted to residents in Nafune, a small village within Wajima, where only 250 people live. It is very rare to see a live drum performance.{{cite web |url=http://www.gojinjodaiko.jp/about_us_yurai.html |title=Gojinjo Daiko |publisher=Gojinjo Daiko of ART |access-date=2012-06-11}}

The gojinjo-daiko began in 1577 when the famous general, Uesugi Kenshin invaded Noto. Because local people had no weapons, they resisted by beating war drums and wore ferocious looking devil masks with seaweed on their heads to scare off their enemies. The low sound of drums sound associated with the rumbling of the earth frightened off the invaders.{{cite web |url=http://attjapan.sakura.ne.jp/modules/tinyd0/rewrite/tc_50.html |title=att Japan Travel Guide |publisher=Inex Co., Ltd. |access-date=2012-06-11}}{{cite web |url=http://www.city.wajima.ishikawa.jp/yorankaine/taikogeinou.htm |title=att Gojinjo Daiko |publisher=Wajima City |access-date=2012-06-11}}{{cite web |url= http://www.hot-ishikawa.jp/search-detail.php?id=900-jb000373 |title=Nahune Gojinjo Daiko |publisher=Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League |access-date=2012-06-11}}

The Wajima Crab Festival ({{langx|ja|輪島かに祭り}}) takes place each year in mid-November.{{cite web |url=http://www.jf-net.ne.jp/ikwajimagyokyo/ |title=輪島の魚を食べよう！加能ガニ（石川県産ズワイガニ）解禁2012｜JF石川輪島支所 |publisher=Jf-net.ne.jp |language=ja |access-date=2012-12-23}}

Kamakura, in the northern part of the Noto Peninsula, is a small village which celebrates an annual light festival ({{lang|ja|matsuri}}) in which the residents place one candle in each of 20,000 glass sake cups and arrange them in geometric configurations after dark while listening to traditional Japanese music. The event is held on August 16.[http://www.nihon-kankou.or.jp.e.wp.hp.transer.com/detail/17204ba2212061241 Nihon-Kankou]

{{reflist}}

• {{cite magazine|author=Ikeda, Kaoru|url=http://lookjapan.com/LBsc/01JulyFingerpost.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020827181257/http://lookjapan.com/LBsc/01JulyFingerpost.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2002-08-27|title=WAJIMA: WHYS AND WARES|magazine=Look Japan|date=July 2001}}

• {{Commons category-inline}}
• {{wikivoyage inline|Wajima}}
• {{official|http://www.city.wajima.ishikawa.jp}} {{in lang|ja}}

{{Ishikawa}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Ishikawa Prefecture

Category:Populated coastal places in Japan